Microsoft Security Essentials

Post by **HansV** » 02 May 2010, 16:00

Gloria,

Your fear of automatic updates is unnecessary. For 99% of all users, it works fine, and the warnings to stay away from it are greatly exaggerated (they border on scare-mongering in my opinion).
But as far as I know, Microsoft Security Essentials will download definition updates automatically even if you turn off automatic updates.

viking33 · Post by **viking33** » 02 May 2010, 16:30

HansV wrote:
For 99% of all users, it works fine, and the warnings to stay away from it are greatly exaggerated (they border on scare-mongering in my opinion).

Hans,
Since I am one of the 1 percenters where MSE doesn't work fine, My warnings are for all of the other 1% people. They are NOT exaggerated and do not border on scare-
mongering.

Post by **HansV** » 02 May 2010, 16:35

Bob, my remark was about Automatic Updates.

viking33 · Post by **viking33** » 02 May 2010, 18:46

HansV wrote:Bob, my remark was about Automatic Updates.

Just my automatic reaction to anything about MSE, I suppose.
If you had been looking over my shoulder as the MS "high level" techs came up with really ridiculous and repetitive suggestions, you might understand my reaction. ( and I'm not a MS basher, either! )

Post by **HansV** » 02 May 2010, 18:55

We all have our triggers, I guess...

viking33 · Post by **viking33** » 02 May 2010, 19:11

HansV wrote:We all have our triggers, I guess...

Yep, that's one of them, alongside Verizon at one time. They ( Verizon ) have been sort of behaving themselves lately, so MSE has taken over the first place slot. Haven't found a trigger guard that fits either.

Post by **StuartR** » 02 May 2010, 22:05

The best advice I can give you is to accept the automatic updates and get on with something more important.

If you really want to disable automatic updates then MSE will still use the automatic update service to get it's own updates, but I don't believe it will cause other updates to be downloaded and installed.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » 02 May 2010, 22:07

Gloria, I have MSE installed and Windows Update set to Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them. (BTW, many in the Lounge are now very comfortable with letting WU automatically download and apply updates.) MSE can easily be updated manually if you wish and, under certain circumstances, will sometimes update itself automatically... something about coming out of sleep state and after 24 hours since the last update.

Gloria E · Post by **Gloria E** » 03 May 2010, 00:09

HansV wrote:Gloria,

Your fear of automatic updates is unnecessary. For 99% of all users, it works fine, and the warnings to stay away from it are greatly exaggerated (they border on scare-mongering in my opinion).
But as far as I know, Microsoft Security Essentials will download definition updates automatically even if you turn off automatic updates.

I've changed my pea picking mind about MSE, and looking elswhere.

Thank you for all the help and suggestions, but I'm bowing out and taking no changes of it installing automatic updates.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » 03 May 2010, 00:31

The only updates MSE will download (and what HansV is referring to) is virus definition updates for MSE.

Gloria E · Post by **Gloria E** » 04 May 2010, 01:14

PaulB wrote:The only updates MSE will download (and what HansV is referring to) is virus definition updates for MSE.

Let's just forget about MSE, I know that I have. I'm using Webroot Internet Security Essentials which has anti-virus protection along with Spyware and a Firewall.

Three birds with one stone.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » 04 May 2010, 01:53

Gloria E wrote:I'm using Webroot Internet Security Essentials which has anti-virus protection along with Spyware and a Firewall.

Personally, I would never install anything with spyware in it.

ChrisGreaves · Post by **ChrisGreaves** » 04 May 2010, 09:12

HansV wrote:I currently have Windows Update set to automatically install updates, but a while ago I had it set to notify me if there were new updates, and Microsoft Security Essentials were still installed automatically during that period - I've had at least one update every day since I got my Windows 7 PC.

I note with interest the ongoing debate, and wonder if some of the dichotomy represents the difference between WinXP and Win7 users?
Hans, I notice that your comment here indicates you have no problems and that you are using Win7.

Post by **HansV** » 04 May 2010, 09:19

On the Windows XP machine I used until late in January, I installed all updates immediately as they came out. The last time I had a serious problem with an update from Microsoft was in March or April of 2003.
I didn't use Microsoft Security Essentials on that PC, but when I got one with Windows 7, installing MSE was the easiest option and since it worked (and works) OK for me, I stuck with it.

ChrisGreaves · Post by **ChrisGreaves** » 04 May 2010, 09:45

HansV wrote:... but when I got one with Windows 7, installing MSE was ...

So my surmise may be well-founded?

Perhaps MSE is well-adapted to Win7, but poorly suited for Win XP users.
I read that you are happy with MSE, but now suspect that the reality is that you are happy with MSE on a Win7 system.

Anyone else out there?
I am tempted to do a 4-way poll:

XP vs. 7/Vista
love/hate MSE

Post by **HansV** » 04 May 2010, 09:57

True. I have no opinion about MSE under Windows XP since I never used it there.

I used Norton AntiVirus 2010 on the XP machine and was happy with that - it was a 7 year old PC with only 512 MB RAM, and contrary to what the Symantec-bashers claim, NAV was efficient and light on resources.

Post by **StuartR** » 04 May 2010, 12:55

I have a Windows XP computer running MSE
I have a Windows 7 computer running AVG

I am quite happy with both of them

viking33 · Post by **viking33** » 04 May 2010, 17:12

ChrisGreaves wrote:
HansV wrote:... but when I got one with Windows 7, installing MSE was ...
So my surmise may be well-founded?

Perhaps MSE is well-adapted to Win7, but poorly suited for Win XP users.
I read that you are happy with MSE, but now suspect that the reality is that you are happy with MSE on a Win7 system.

Anyone else out there?
I am tempted to do a 4-way poll:
XP vs. 7/Vista

love/hate MSE

Well, you know what side my vote would be on regarding MSE.

stuck · Post by **stuck** » 04 May 2010, 17:32

At the risk of :jollyroger:ing this thread...

I ran a Win 98FE machine from Oct 98 to Dec 2009 without any AV software and never picked a virus in all those years. OK, I didn't exactly surf much (the PC only had 56K dial-up) but nothing came in via email but that was checked by my ISP's AV checker.

I was happy with that

Ken

John Gray · Post by **John Gray** » 04 May 2010, 17:40

ChrisGreaves wrote:In my mind Microsoft is still the company that opened the flood gates to Normal.dot virii

I really cannot let this go without comment!

The plural of 'virus' is 'viruses' - see the definitive article by Tom Christiansen from 1999, inter alia.
One would hardly believe that Mr Greaves could be capable of such a solecism.

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