Please, I have been using MSE for the past year or so but I'm starting to question it's reliability. My question is, compared to other free AV's how does MSE rate. Let me say that many free AV's come with bundled software that I don't care for. Does anyone have an opinion.
You are going to get all kinds of opinions on this question, it all boils down to which you feel safe using and be smart when browsing the Internet and downloading and installing.
I have been using MSE and Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Pro for over 3 years and I have never had an infected computer.
Jerry
@Bongo: Are you saying that you have both of those anti-virus programs installed on the same computer? If so, that's a very bad thing to do.
Malwarebytes PRO realtime protection is designed to co-exist with AVs.
There have been reports in the press that MS are no longer recommending MSE.
I use Avast and Malwarebytes together and have for years. Also use SuperAntispyware on a regular basis (on demand scanning only)
I've used both MSE and Avast free and have found that Avast beats the holy snot out of MSE. I've seen many people who recommended using both at the same time but, when I tried to do the same, it did not end well. MSE by itself wasn't much better. MSE has been consistently ranking low in independent tests for a long time now yet there are still people who feel it's good.
MBAM is not an AV. It's an anti-malware program that is designed to backup a good AV. One might get away with using an inferior AV like MSE by having MBAM in place to catch what the inferior AV misses but that just increases one's chances for an infection slipping past both the AV and MBAM.
Other programs, such as SuperAntiSpyware (SAS) and Spybot S&D are designed to catch malware other than viruses many AVs, especially MSE, are not designed to catch, such as spyware, tracking cookies, adware, etc. The better AVs, including some freebies like Avast, will also catch most malware as well as viruses.
MSE really failed me.When hit by a malware, it utterly stopped dead at its track.Free AV is marginally OK!. I still have to use paid annually AV to keep malware out, sometimes the AV software only suppress not clean the system. Once the subscrition is over, well the malware works its magic.All hells break loose! Supernatural like the Sam and Dean Winchester.
I have found nothing by Microsoft that states that Microsoft doesn't want people to use Microsoft Security Essentials.
I have seen editorials and opinions by some sites by some writers but nothing by Microsoft.
In an interview with Dennis Protection Labs, Holly Stewart, the senior program manager of the Microsoft Malware Protection Center, said that Microsoft Security Essentials was just a “baseline” that’s designed to “always be on the bottom” of antivirus tests. She said Microsoft sees MSE as a first layer of protection and advises Windows users to use a third-party antivirus instead.
According to Holly Stewart, Microsoft “had an epiphany a few years ago, back in 2011, where we realised we had a greater calling and that was to protect all Microsoft customers.” She says that Microsoft passes its information on to other antivirus makers and helps them make their products better. “We used to have part of our time directed towards predicting test results,” but these people have now been directed to focus on emerging threats and share that information with other antivirus companies.
She went on: “We’re providing all of that data and information to our partners so they can do at least as well as we are. The natural progression is that we will always be on the bottom of these tests. And honestly, if we are doing our job correctly, that’s what will happen.”
Nevertheless, she argues that “baseline does not equal bad” and says they provide a high-quality antivirus. But Microsoft themselves are recommending users not use MSE, so it’s hard to take that seriously.
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