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| |  Microsoft Security Essentials
Microsoft released the finished version of Microsoft Security Essentials on Tuesday, September 29. This is a free download available at Microsoft.com, and consists of antivirus/antimalware protection all rolled into one software program.
The beta version of Security Essentials has been out for some time, however the number of people allowed to test the beta was very limited. I attempted too late to download the software and so missed the opportunity to test the beta. The reviews of the beta have been impressive, with a high detection rate of viruses and other malware that appears to be about as effective as big name software requiring a paid subscription.
You can download the program by clicking on this link:
Microsoft Security Essentials
Security Essentials is available for Windows XP 32 bit, and Windows Vista/Win 7 - 32 and 64 bit editions.
After downloading, I installed the software on my six year old Pentium 4 that I stripped of antivirus and malware protection about three weeks ago. I had decided at that time to drop the P4 from my home network and to use it only offline. When Security Essentials availability was announced, it seemed a great opportunity to give it a spin since I had a machine already available for testing. For the last eighteen months, I have used this computer to test software and updates prior to installing them on other computers on our network.
I exclusively use Avast Antivirus Free Edition, which has a reputation for being an effective antivirus and antispyware application and has done a good job on my computers for almost two years. Now that I have Microsoft Security Essentials installed on the P4, I am going to use this PC online again to see what happens. I am hoping to find it to be a very good antivirus package. Its cousin is Microsoft’s Windows Defender, which is a permanent component of Windows Vista and in my opinion, a very ho hum antispyware application. I certainly hope Microsoft Security Essentials proves to be a more effective program.
Once I have had adequate time to evaluate Microsoft Security Essentials as to its effectiveness and impact on system performance, I will follow up with more comments.
What antivirus application or security suite do you use? What do you most like about it? What do you least like about it? Does it noticeably slow your computer down? Are you interested in giving Microsoft Security Essentials a try?
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