Would be interested in views / comments on Microsoft Security Essentials from members .
Why, since you shouldn’t have two resident AVs installed at the same time, then they are most likely to have just one, avast.
Good detection rate.
Poor configurability.
Shouldn’t be run side-by-side on access (resident) with avast.
Thanks for info and advice .The subject came up whilst talking to a friend and not knowing about it , thought I would enquire re. pros / cons .
Excellent compatibility with Windows
I think it needs alot of improments.
-It only relies on Signatures
-No Behavior Engine - a.k.a NO zero day/hour threat protection
-Automatic removal upon found infections
-Should’nt a AV be: Install and Forget! while MSE has: Install and remember forever!
Good things:
-It detects most of the ugly stuff, but still…
-Its free
-Its good for Windows Basic Protection
Still… I like Avast! Free better - But MSE is new too. ;D
Sorry, wrong on both.
“The suite also emulates programs before they complete their execution, and looks for behaviour such as carrying out operations without user permission, Owen said. If a program is behaving suspiciously, MSE will ping the Dynamic Signature Service to see whether the program should be submitted for analysis or terminated.”
If your away from your computer when MSE finds malware, It will suspend the malware and wait for you to decide what to do. If after 10 min you haven’t made a choice, it will deal with the malware in whatever way you have set for the default action for the kind of malware it finds.
As for is it any good, There’s this:
“A recent test performed by an AV testing firm suggests that customers are better off running Microsofts free security solution for Windows instead of wasting the money on paid antivirus which Microsoft Security Essentials end up outperforming.”
In the recent AV Comparatives (detection) test, Microsoft Security Essentials got one of the slowest scanning speeds. It’s detection rate is pretty good but Avasts beats it by about 1.7% and Avast has the fastest scanning speed out of all the tested AVs.
I guess I like to live dangerous and all that…
running avast 5.1.889 and MSE
Security Essentials Version: 2.0.657.0
Antimalware Client Version: 3.0.8107.0
Network Inspection System Engine Version: 2.0.5854.0
on a AMD phenomX3 with 4gig running Win 7x64 (with multi-boot vista sp1 x64)
installed avast;
downloaded MSE;
disconnected from internet;
temporarily disabled avast;
installed MSE;
rebooted;
then I informed avast about MSE via:
AvastUI->BehaviorShield->TrustedProcesses
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\Antimalware\MsMpEng.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\msseces.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\Antimalware\NisSrv.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\Antimalware\MsMpSvc.exe
C:\Windows\servicing\TrustedInstaller.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\Antimalware\MpCmdRun.exe
C:\Windows\System32\MpSigStub.exe
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\Install\AM_Delta_Patch3.exe
and then informed MSE about avast via:
open MSE->Settings->Excluded processes->add (all the .exe’s in c:\program files\Alwil… avast5*.exe)
(make sure you “save changes”)
reconnect to internet
the actual sequence of events with my system was much more complicated: when I first installed win 7 and tried to run with both avast and mse my system died a horrible death and would only beep 3 times at power-on with no bios screen. Wow, that was impressive! I thought I had a memory failure and reseated my 2x2gig ram cards. After much consternation and nashing of teeth I reloaded win 7 (and lost a whole bunch of mostly useless personal files because I didnt backup on dvd’s before embarking on this fiasco).
win 7 seems more or less stable now… note that when MSE updates it seems to momentarily (a minute or 2) hog the machine. Also I normally run with UAC in a non-admin account…
You need to know that you can’t have two AV’s on the same computer.
Is basic.
Uninstall one of the AV’s (remove it completely) and let one running.
michael_0 Your only asking for trouble, even if you manage to not get any direct conflict you have still made your security level’s lower :
michael_0 Stick with Windows Defender as that does not conflict with avast! 8)
Please note that even though this is usually taken as ‘Gospel’, it is not 100% true - You can have 2 A/Virus programs on most computers, as long as only one is set to run real (full) time scanning and they are set to exclude each other during their scans - MSE is easy to configure this way and is a suitable candidate for such a project -
No lowering of protection level is required by using this method - You only need to ensure any Shields/Firewalls are disabled and only the Microsoft installed Firewall is used - This is one step below that taken by michael_0, but it is the most secure way to run 2 A/V’s on most computers (and will work) -
Thank You -
Wrong, if both are designed to be resident AVs, even when disabled there will still be low level drivers loaded and it is these that are the major cause of conflict.
The point of these low level drivers is to hook files before they are run so that they might be scanned and there is a possibility that in the fight for control these drivers can lock the system.
At best this can cause duplication of scanning and higher CPU & RAM usage, which may impact on performance. At worst it could lock the system and if that happens to be at boot, then you could be locked out of your system. At which point you may be able to boot into safe mode and uninstall one and remove the potential for conflict.
So you now have the information, it is your system so you make your own choice.
Me talking to Avira Mod about having multiple or so called multi-layered protection:
The risk is greater and I will tell you why. Usually security programs conflict with each other and the result is loss of functionality and you can easily predict what happens next. We had a customer that uses 4 firewalls, 5 anti-virus software and 3 anti-spyware software. So, judging after you, this customer had a bullet-proof configuration. But you are wrong: he also had more that 10 malware active. QED & case closed.
MSE is good if you have no intention to learn anything about security otherwise there are much better solutions that are lighter and that have less impact on the performance. I recommend your friend avast, avira, avg or comodo’s CIS (the complete one).
Regards,
Tenko
I use AIS (5.1889) on XP sp3 (32bit).
I use MSE 2 on my 7 64bit laptop only because I want to use 64bit programs.
Yes, I know there little to no advantage running a pure 64bit av.
Pardon my vanity.
I haven’t had any problems or infections with MSE 2.
MSE is good if you have no intention to learn anything about security otherwise there are much better solutions that are lighter and that have less impact on the performance. I recommend your friend avast, avira, avg or comodo's CIS (the complete one).A very odd comment ??? since Avira and AVG are set and forget antivirus programs with automatic updates (like many others) - I use MSE on my XP desktop and I know it has great detection, as it has caught items in an instant while I was online - I then had a full system check and know that all infection had been caught and removed - If you want a program where you need to learn about security, then Kaspersky is an antivirus that requires more playing with -
This question has been running at Microsoft Answers , see this thread >> http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/msestart/thread/ca8951d9-e6b6-4831-ba70-3684b7e84a25 and note the advice well.
I have all to often seen the result of running 2 or more resident av/malware systems and the problems created when they both detect and try to clean the same malware.
Hi AdrianH -
It is a very simplistic discussion on the site you mention - According to that item you should not run any 2 active protection programs at the same time -
Ask YoKenny about running active antivirus programs, that may have anti malware, and running full time Pro Malwarebytes or Pro SUPERAntiSpyWare (or both), with active updates and protection, at the same time - I am sorry but there are several thousands of people who find that discussion is 100% garbage -
I have helped set up thousands of systems with these items running at the same time - Visit the Malwarebytes forum, ask if you can run fully active Malwarebytes with fully active A/V’s, and you will find that this is considered as a Normal, every day, procedure -
Thank You -