Has anyone installed the free microsoft antivirus software. Consumer Reports has tried it and said it was easy to install but no mention of its effectiveness.
No but I would be curious as I use avast. I recently tried avg again and was disappointed manual updates lol.
I've been using it on one of my machines, dumped avg for it as I was tired of re-installing the free version when they do a major release. Windows defender (which I assume is what we are talking about here) is very lightweight and has a couple of features that I like, for one it updates itself through windows update so you have one less updater running all the time and two it has a tool called 'Software Explorer' that shows you all of your running programs, startup programs, network connected programs and winsock providers and their threat classification / software verification level. I find it helpful in collecting all of that information in one place. As far as effectiveness I can't say from experience as I didn't get viruses before and still don't but I also have other defensive measures in place. Overall I think it's worth a try.
I think he's talking about Microsoft Security Essentials, Windows Defender is I believe is focused on spyware. I've been using MSE for the last few months on some of my machines; no problems but I haven't seen any detailed comparisons on its effectiveness vs other AV vendors.
It looks like an interesting product, but it looks like it is 32-bit only for now. Requirements: Operating System: Genuine Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3); Windows Vista (Gold, Service Pack 1, or Service Pack 2); Windows 7 For Windows XP, a PC with a CPU clock speed of 500 MHz or higher, and 256 MB RAM or higher. For Windows Vista and Windows 7, a PC with a CPU clock speed of 1.0 GHz or higher, and 1 GB RAM or higher. VGA display of 800 Ã 600 or higher. 140 MB of available hard disk space. An Internet connection is required for installation and to download the latest virus and spyware definitions for Microsoft Security Essentials. Internet Browser: Windows Internet Explorer 6.0 or later. Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or later. Microsoft Security Essentials also supports Windows XP Mode in Windows 7. For more information, see the system requirements for Windows XP Mode in Windows 7.
PC World seems to like the first look at Essentials. I have been using CA which works well but the annual cost to renew has become rediculous at $49. Although buying CA new on eBay and replacing the older version every year is much cheaper but a pain. I'll probably switch to Essentials when my current CA license expires. http://www.pcworld.com/article/167246/first_look_microsoft_security_essentials.html
Microsoft Security Essentials is bullshit! Here's what you should have installed on your machine All freeware.... Antivirus: http://www.free-av.de/en/download/index.html Firewall: http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/ Anti-malware: http://www.malwarebytes.org/ http://www.emsisoft.com/en/ Antispyware real time protection: http://www.spywareterminator.com/ Cleaning tool: http://www.ccleaner.com/ Use always Firefox add-ons: AdBlock Plus No Script Wot