Windows 7: MS Essentials as sole AV?

wrong forum

Grab a copy of Malwarebytes antimalware. The paid version has real time protection and is not very expensive. Updates almost daily. The free version has an on demand scanner and free, full updates. Would do an excellent job along with MSE.

Hi Bill,

I meant to post this in the security forum!!!!

How do I move or delete it?

Thanks for the advice though!

Hi there

(I'm sure the mods will move to security Forum - but replying to the thread in any case).

MSE coupled with "Intelligent" use of the web should be more than adequate in 99.9% of situations -- and being developed by MS you should get updates etc much quicker than with other AV providers.

Note -- I direct this remark to PRIVATE or HOME users --- corporate users need other systems since attacks potentially come from a load more diverse sources such as maybe individuals loading infected files from usb devices on to company LAN's etc.

If you are basically in charge of your OWN computers and use the net carefully MSE is more than sufficient and uses minimal resources too.

Anything else is overkill and probably a WASTE OF MONEY if it's a "paid for" piece of software.

To repeat - for individuals on their own computers / home lans etc -- MSE.

For protecting corporate computers connected to company LAN's / VPN's etc then maybe something more robust --such as possibly MS'es Forefront Client secirity -- I'm not an export in protecting corporate LANS so I leave that advice to other much more qualified people than me.

Again unless you download stuff from dubious torrents / visit dubious websites then MSE should be fine for most individuals.


Cheers
jimbo

Hi Guys,

I'm going to re-post in Security. Sorry for the trouble!

Thanks again.

I previously installed Avast as sole AV on over a hundred machines without issue or infection.

Then suddenly Avast couldn't detect a fake virus scan infection on my Dad's computer, even running it's Boot Scan with no services running where virus can hide. Ditto another friend's Avast computer a few days later.

MSE found and removed these up-to-the-minute infections from the desktop.

I am now installing MSE instead of Avast and find it to be even less intrusive than Avast - which just slimmed down even more with no bothersome registration, probably to compete. MSE is nearly invisible once installed.

My experience with paid AV's is they are bloatware. Norton is like a hijacker infection which requires special tools to remove similar to the worst Trojan. Having Norton and Office trial ($260 bill arrives 60 days later after you're hooked into it) preinstalled is an atrocity upon Windows 7 requiring Revo Advanced uninstall or (better yet) a clean reinstall if you have unfixable system files after running sfc /scannow.

MSSE is only free to home users with a "Valid" "Genuine"copy of windows. The EULA clearly states for home, non commercial use... If you need a robust, low foot print AV for an office/corporate environment you'll have to buy something like symantec corporate or Eset NOD32...

Avast and MSE for me as they run great side by side... Lately I have shut down real time protect on MSE but update it daily and scan twice a week with it... other 2 scans are done with Avast. Note: you can run real time protection using both at the same time with no issues... GL

No one here has indicated they want it for other than non-commercial use.