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Review and Download Free Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows

Posted By Raymond In Category: Computer

Jul
2
2009

Whenever all these giant companies comes out with something new, you can find it written all over the Internet. Remember Bing, the new search engine by Microsoft? Well me and many others still think Google search results are way better. Then few days ago I heard about the upcoming free antivirus software called Microsoft Security Essentials created by Microsoft that will provide protection from viruses, spyware, rootkits, and trojans for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. As usual, it was posted everywhere and the first thing that came to my mind was is it necessary to create all that hype?
Download Microsoft Security Essentials
I personally don’t think that Microsoft Security Essentials will dominate the antivirus market even if it is bundled in future version of Windows. Just like Internet Explorer, it comes in every Windows but my monthly web statistics shows that there are more Firefox users than IE. I am very curious to see how good or bad is the upcoming free antivirus by Microsoft so I left work a little early today (of course with my boss’ approval) to test it out.


A good antivirus must have very good detection of known virus through signature and unknown virus through proactive method. Then it shouldn’t now slow down your computer when it is protecting your computer real-time and also during manual full scan. Scanning time and cleaning of virus should be fast. Finally, when an antivirus has proactive defense, there will surely be false detection but the numbers should be small.

download microsoft security essentials

The interface of Microsoft Security Essentials is very easy to use. It doesn’t have too many features to confuse a basic computer user. You have a tab to run a full, quick or custom scan, an update tab to update the virus and spyware definitions, a history tab showing you items detected as potentially harmful and the actions you took on each item and finally the settings tab to configure some options on MSE.

Virus detection (Signature and Proactive)
The virus detection on MSE is very good because it managed to detect all 19 viruses as a potential threat while RISING Antivirus 2009 (sad to say) only detected 75% of it. As for the proactive detection, I am not sure if MSE even has that as I couldn’t find any information about it. I have a private version of trojan which is detected by Kaspersky, Avira and NOD32 but is still undetectable by many other antivirus. MSE wasn’t able to detect the private trojan.

Scanning
A full scan takes 19 minutes to scan 160,000 items. I’d say that MSE has an average scanning speed as I’ve seen other antivirus software that scans at much faster and slower speed than this.

Real-Time protection
I plugged in a USB flash drive that has a malicious autorun.inf file and MSE immediately notify me about the potential threat it found. I also noticed that the real-time protection is a little slow. Meaning when I open a folder that has a virus which is detectable by MSE, it takes quite a long time to tell me that it is a virus. When I got fed up of waiting, I tried running the virus file, MSE blocks the file and prompts for action on the virus.

Action on detected items
Another problem with MSE is the actions such as removing and disinfecting an item is also very slow. This happens when MSE found a potential threat and you click either the Clean computer or Apply actions button.
download microsoft free antivirus

Memory and CPU usage
There are 2 processes by MSE which is MsMpEng.exe and msseces.exe. Both process’ memory usage takes up an average of 60MB during idle and scanning. When running a full scan, the CPU usage goes up to around 40% but never above 50%.

The tests above are done on my desktop computer running a vanilla version of Windows XP Professional SP3 with latest hotfixes. Although the 19 virus that I had is very little to test on but they are real current live virus that are circulating around internet and networks today. As for the private version of trojan, it is also a very popular trojan (I won’t say what is the name) and good antivirus such as Kaspersky or anti-keylogger such as Zemana is able to detect the malicious (injection) activity even though it is not in the virus signature database. Do take note that Microsoft Security Essentials is still in BETA (testing) and if you’d like to try it yourself, you can download from the links below. The installer does a WGA check before allowing you to install.

For Windows XP: mssefullinstall-x86fre-en-us-xp.exe
For Windows Vista and Windows 7 (32-bit): mssefullinstall-x86fre-en-us-vista.exe
For Windows Vista and Windows 7 (64-bit): mssefullinstall-amd64fre-en-us-vista.exe


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    • Yaman

      thanks raymond for this review . i think Microsoft fails in this field since its windows defender disabled everywhere, and its commercial Onecare!!! ,i agree with you Kaspersky is the best and free users could use Avira antivirus .

    • henk

      do you recomend avg or avira users move over to this solution as yet?

    • Mark

      Great Review! But I’ll stick to NIS that I won in the xmas giveaway :P

    • http://khiang.wordpress.com khiang

      can this antivirus perform offline update, cause many computer here still doesn’t have internet connection, and by the way, how big it is???

    • John My

      They are saying that it has good heuristic signatures and thus solid detection.

    • Ahmad Saleem

      On one site, the WINDOW SECURITY ESSENTIALS is in Beta. Whats about it, Is it in Final or not?

    • Kavin

      All this time I thought you created that private trojan . HeHe..

    • Anuranga

      Hi Ray,
      May I know why these files are in rapidshare? Its really annoying

      Thanks

    • ismailtahir

      been using this for the past 2 weeks , so far it is ok , dont think i cant compare this with other anti virus companys which is far better then MSE

    • woode

      Hi, Raymond

      Do you think it would be part of Windows 7 in the final version .

    • David

      hehe i just wanted to be the first one in the post:P
      but nice post. thx

    • DukeMonk

      NIce, I Have To Try First

    • sohail20

      can this run side my ide with other security suits??
      or go here:
      http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/market.aspx

      only avilable to::
      This beta is available only to customers in the United States, Israel (English only), People’s Republic of China (Simplified Chinese only) and Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese only).

    • sohail20

      raymound im curious is this goign to replace windows defender??????
      it might….if it does woooo…

    • sohail20

      if it does not then i have windows defedner, microsoft essentials , antivir all installed lolss…

    • Giridhar

      Haven’t even heard of it before. Good Information.

    • ivan

      Is this program good?

    • Victor

      Raymond,
      Thank you very much for your review of MSE.
      In fact, I installed MSE but I had serious problems with it because it made my computer unusable – my PC got very very slow.
      Than I had to uninstall MSE and got back to Avira Free.
      In order to get a better protection I installed Prevx 3 with Avira and my computer is running fast wit these both security softwares.
      By the way, have you haver done a review about Prevx 3? That’s an antimalware software prepared to work with your regular Antivirus increasing security.
      It would be great to hear your opinion about it.
      Thanks!

    • ALI

      thanks raymond for your detailed information. its mean kaspersky still best…

    • Merlin_Magii

      Thank you Raymond for your short but relatively succinct observations of this latest M$ offering. I am mildly fascinated by where this dishonest shower got their sudden expertise from – is this run solely by a new (or revived) Redmond dept or are they buying into a third party’s expertise as they did with the defragger which was licenced from Executive Software (Diskeeper)? If their last failed attempt to add-on this function to Windows is anything to go by – then this will crash and burn also and it would be foolhardy in the extreme to either tie oneself into this M$ product – much less rely on it.

      There is a perfectly sensible school of thought that believes it is extremely inadvisable to allow a single software house control of ALL functions on one’s PC. There is a further intriguing question here – and that is – if they were any good at what they claim to be – how come every issue of Windows has had more security holes in it than a ton of gruyere cheese! Has anyone calculated (wouldn’t be so hard to do) how many HUNDREDS of additional megabytes of HDD space get taken up with security patches each month and between each Service Pack issued? Not a thought destined to give us much comfort is it?

      No thanks – I run XP Pro SP3 because I don’t have time to learn to talk Penguin but what I bolt on top will come from someone I trust a little better such as ESET. I don’t trust those ‘greys’ at Redmond any further than I can throw them.

    • Merlin_Magii

      This product is in BETA format AS ALREADY STATED by Raymond.

      It is (pre) launched in China and Brazil because statistics indicate a preponderance of PC’s in those countries are run with no or inadequate A-V (ie consumer reluctance or inability to PAY for software). In USA because M$ are yank and don’t do anything for the European markets except charge disproportionately EXTRA for their products here on the purely falacious claim that additional development costs are involved in translating their software into a different language. Errrrrrrrr ….. sorry …. am I mistaken in my belief that the common tongue in the EWWWW-ES-of-AY is ……….. ummmmmmmm …. ENGLISH?. In Israel alledgedly because a large part of the development team are based there.

      Go figure …. HUH ?

    • sirnh1

      Nice post. I think I’ll stay with avast (home edition) though :) The only switch I would ever make would be to kaspersky…

    • Govindraj

      Dear raymond,

      Thanks for your review.

      Kaspersky and Eset are the best A.V Programs currently

      available.!!!

    • Govindraj

      Any kaspersky antivirus genuine license posts currently available ?

    • Builder

      I believe the new security suite is an adapted version from Authentium. I have used Authentium’s Command antivirus for years. It is always rated very high in tests that go beyond the standard few.

      Worth noting maybe, my wife’s computer works well with the always-on Command anti-malware, including automatic updates and automatic scans. Mine craps out, so I use the antivirus only. Both are XP with SP3.

      Computers have so many demands by software on limited resources that conflicts are bound to happen. MSE has a huge number of compatibility hoops to jump through.

    • philps14c

      I think its better than avast, AVG or even Avira…not to mention McAfee, Panda… Its one of the best free AV out here!

    • skyzyk

      Hi Ray and all. I downloaded and installed MSI. My first impression was that it looked like a new Defender. Just add in the startup program control and goodbye Defender. The scans are about the same as far as I can see. It’s definitely to be used in conjunction with a good Anti Virus Program.

    • Won

      This is just Giant antispyware and Onecare AV rebundled into a new GUI.

    • kstan23

      thanks for the review..great info..tat’s y i stil love to stick v my current eset smart security antivirus program..

    • Martins

      thanks raymond for this review but i think bitdefender is the best. i have tested it with kasperskey and i can tell you its working 100%. i think i will stick with it. people who donot have good antivirus can give this a try.

    • nyne

      every company has the opportunity to redeem themselves. with all of the short comings that microsoft has released in the past few years, we know what they are. but microsoft has have somewhat redeemed this with the introduction of windows 7 and mirro aka microsoft security essentials. the av is actually quite decent. you must take in multiple sources when trying to find a rescpectable piece of software.

      AV-Test GmbH tested Microsoft Security Essentials, the free software Microsoft launched yesterday in beta, on Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, putting it up against nearly 3,200 common viruses, bot Trojans and worms, said Andreas Marx, one of the firm’s two managers. The malware was culled from the most recent WildList, a list of threats actually actively attacking computers.

      “All files were properly detected and treated by the product,” said Marx in an e-mail. “That’s good, as several other [antivirus] scanners are still not able to detect and kill all of these critters yet.”

      never be quick to judge anything much less a piece of software as they can start to amaze or disappoint at anytime.

    • George W. Bush

      If you want a FREE AV, this is probably going to be the best option.
      Thanks for the review.

    • rohit

      hi Ray
      great new post
      i agree to the above post.it does look more like the Win Defender.
      by the way iam using kaspersky internet security 2010
      are there any current free genuine 2010 key offerings.i lost in your giveaways
      like to know about it.google search was futile.:-)
      thanks ray

    • Satyajit

      Thanx……I want 2 try it.But I think AVG 8.5 free+Zonealarm Firewall (If you have net connc.) is the best.Also they don’t slow my computer.May try MSE later……

    • http://www.finallyfast.us/ George W. Bush

      If you want a FREE AV, this is probably going to be the best option.
      Thanks for the review.
      BTW I love your blog!

    • Merlin_Magii

      “never be quick to judge anything much less a piece of software as they can start to amaze or disappoint at anytime” …………………. I accept that comment in principal …. however …. stick your fingers in the fires and experience pain and given time even the most forgiving learns NOT to trust the fire …. in this case M$.

    • Ed

      >
      >When running a full scan, the CPU usage goes up to around 40% but never above 50%.
      >

      Isn’t this related to the power of the User’s CPU?
      This should be done as comparison only on same power of CPU.

    • Loose

      “You appear to be in a country or region where the Microsoft Security Essentials Beta is unavailable.

      This beta is available only to customers in the United States, Israel (English only), People’s Republic of China (Simplified Chinese only) and Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese only)”

      Booooo!

    • George W. Bush

      If you want a FREE AV, this is probably going to be the best option.
      Thanks for the review.
      BTW I love your blog!
      No I don’t!

    • http://madhabspace.blogspot.com sunkumarspace

      thnks raymond for review , i have been fan of microsoft though uttelry dissapointed in handling of their security softwares till one thing is sure thiers integrations with windows is excellent and the important part of the security i think am using the windows defender avira outpost and windows live family security and some on demand scanners i think it will be a good product in the times to come in fact this will enable the other great antivirus companise to make free their basic versions just like avira,avast and avg and thus give to the users more options and enahanced security in future.

    • Lazystudent

      If i download this (i live in the UK) can i install it on a couple of work machines or is Microsoft gonna get prissy

    • torjack

      thank raymond you helping alots of people affected in global crisis hhehehe :)

    • http://www.apnimarzi.com sameer

      very Useful and good tool from Microsoft, really good for everyone.

      Sameer

    • Roger

      I would like to commend Microsoft Corporation on the free Internet security called Microsoft Security Essentials. I have downloaded it and it works excellently. It works while I am asleep at night and it works quietly and efficiently in the background I see the green ICON which says Computer status – Protected. I know it’s protecting my computer I feel that I don’t have to do a scan it does it for me I also want to say that it makes me feel that I don’t have to worry about anything it’s doing the job. It’s like it’s invisable. I also want to say it’s protecting everything Microsoft makes a great product.

    • angel_gutierrez

      This is very good, I try before many companies, and this one is the best, especialy its free.

    • http://thebest angel_gutierrez

      this is the best virus company I try.

    • http://thebest angel_gutierrez

      I had before many companies, and this one I think is the best. For this reason I recomend to my friends and family.

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