Microsoft’s Free Security Essentials Runs Well On A Netbook

[MDR]

After a few short months in beta, Microsoft has released its Security Essentials to the general public. This free utility promises to run “quietly and efficiently in the background” on any PC with Windows XP, Vista or 7. You’ll have to uninstall any other anti-virus or anti-spyware programs if you want to try it, though, as Microsoft warns that Security Essentials might conflict with them.

Taking a peek at the requirements, it looked like the program would run fine on most netbooks — minimum 500 MHz CPU clock speed and 1GB of RAM — so I installed in on my 2140, eeepc, e6400 & y400.

Downloading the software was quick. Right away it asked me to update the virus and spyware definitions, which took about 5 minutes. Next it moved on to performing a quick scan of my computer. Taking a look at the Task Manager, Security Essentials used anywhere from 45% – 67% of the CPU as it scanned. It didn’t bring the system to a slow crawl, though. I was able to surf the web with Chrome and write in Office without lag or the dreaded hourglass.

The scan took about 15 minutes the first time. It detected a trojan which it then cleaned, hopefully for good. Afterward I went in and scheduled the next scan by choosing a day and time. You have the option to check for new definitions before the scan starts and also to start the scan only if the computer is not in use. I’m quite happy about that second option as there is nothing more annoying than being in the middle of a task when the virus scan starts up, bringing my system to a crawl.

http://www.microsoft.com/Security_essentials/

[Shinrai]

Nice, I downloaded this as well and will be part of my Windows app suite.

[donzel]

downloaded and installed MS Security Essentials, protects my PC, side-by-side with Windows Defender, IOBit Security 360, Malwarebytes AntiMalware and AVIRA AntiVir Free. Mabuti na yung sigurado, especially lagi ako nagdodownload ng Torrents. Installed these 4 Security software on my Eee 1002HA, Aspire ONE AOA150 and Gateway MT3303J laptop.

[troy]

We've been using this protector from microsoft since it was first available for beta testers from technet, and I can say that using it alone without other anti-virus and good enough it protected some of our windows 7 machines not only that its also light and lean in terms of memory usage.
This product will not be included in upcoming windows OS, it will be available for download, this should scare companies that sell anti-visurs product for windows because they need to find ways to stay in the business and provide similar full product to their customers fro FREE...

[duke]

This is so cool!
I've been using Mac OS ever since and now, I'm craving for another netbook so I can put Windows 7 and try this as well. Kudos to Microsoft for this>.

[ranns]

downloaded and installed MS Security Essentials, protects my PC, side-by-side with Windows Defender, IOBit Security 360, Malwarebytes AntiMalware and AVIRA AntiVir Free. Mabuti na yung sigurado, especially lagi ako nagdodownload ng Torrents. Installed these 4 Security software on my Eee 1002HA, Aspire ONE AOA150 and Gateway MT3303J laptop.

running multiple antivirus softwares is not a good idea. It could give you more trouble instead of security since they sometimes conflict with one another because they see the see each other files as malwares.

[donzel]

actually, AVIRA is my main Active anti-virus, MS Security Essentials as my anti-spy/adware, I use Malwarebytes IP Protection module only (disabled resident adware/spyware protection), IO-Bit Security 360, not loaded in background, just use it for scanning.

[troy]

MSE is already a complete suite for the protection of windows 7, the adavantage over other security suite is they know the kernel of the Windows 7 and Vista so they can support it better than any other verdor out there..

[s10-2dude]

aside from MSE, i recommend that you still install Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (freeware for detection and removal of malware) and Zone Alarm Free Firewall (the default Windows firewall is a ).

cheers

[djroxie09]

actually, AVIRA is my main Active anti-virus, MS Security Essentials as my anti-spy/adware, I use Malwarebytes IP Protection module only (disabled resident adware/spyware protection), IO-Bit Security 360, not loaded in background, just use it for scanning.

i agree to ranns; running multiple protection suite will not guarantee your protection anymore; since in a way they are doing the same thing, even if you one is for malwares and one is for firewall

when i installed windows7 i wasn't told to use any protection suite since im using ultimate; the flagship version of the windows7 which is believed to protect your computer already from any possible threat, not because of windows defender or windows firewall; its the construction of the OS itself// just like how MAC's do it... but in the end it would really depend on your prerogative how to protect your computer , also running torrents everyday.. no issues for the past month of using the OS without any protection suite