OK I did it NOW! 100% MS Security Essentials Test

BUT the question still remains..... can we get access to the files it quarantines or "deletes"???? is there a cloud 9 safe house file somewhere within our tiny 3.5" or 2.5" drives hidden away in a tiny black box in the middle of the Bermuda triangle???

Oh yeh the sand box thing was a joke

1Bowtie said:

Since i've been using MSE (the new beta program) 100% and i stay away from those seedy sites, i never know it's there except when a new update comes in from MS. The last update put me at version 1901 and i think the public version was 1611.

Smitty

Thanks 1Bowie.
I have to ask you that is MSE beta? I have 1611 running but unaware of the 1901 you mentioned. Is their another retail version?


Thanks

I just ran across this nice overview of MSE from the MSE site forum.
MSE: Introducing Microsoft Security Essentials

It helped explain more about MSE for me.

IggyAZ said:

I just ran across this nice overview of MSE from the MSE site forum.
MSE: Introducing Microsoft Security Essentials

It helped explain more about MSE for me.

Regarding that version number above...1901 is an invite only-series of "BETA" builds offered through connect...

This is a review that another guy did and thought it was interesting enought with details that most don't have time to check.

START OF ORIGINAL MESSAGE

First and foremost, a disclaimer for the trolls. I AM NOT NOR HAVE EVER WORKED FOR MICROSOFT nor accept gratuities for endorsing their products, PERIOD.

I am a SYSADMIN, I am in charge of a lot of KOMputez where I work, so I spend lots of my free time working with hardware and software to find the best and LEAST expensive variations to make my life easier. I've been testing MSE for a couple of weeks now. Here's what I've found.

First it is 100% FREE! PREVX, AVG, and AVAST also have free scanners, but they limit their functionality and WANT you to purchase the enhanced versions for $29 and up. Kaspersky is excessively expensive and I have refused to even use their 'free' trial. PREVX is cunning. While it may detect an infection, purchasing a license key exposes your credit card to thieves who may have access to the infection;

It is FULLY compatible with OTHER anti-virus software running concurrently (AVG, AVIRA, ALWIL/AVAST,Norton 2009 on four systems I tested it on) BUT because of each program scanning your system in the background, it may slow down without a minimum of a dual core processor and AT LEAST 2 GB of memory IF you choose to run MSE and another anti-vir program. MSE uses about 13 MB running in the background, AVG 8.5/9.0 (my recent AV of choice) surprisingly about 26MB total when all of the scanners are running in the background. Norton 2009/10 is a dramatic improvement is cpu/memory loads along with scanning speed over previous versions, but it still is costly on an annual basis. Avast is very slow in scanning and loading (from tests I have run previously) and appears to be losing popularity.

AVG when doing a full system scan, ramps up an additional 44MB of memory usage during the system scan in addition to the 26MB in the background but CPU usAGE averages between 8-13%. MSE increases memory usage to 90MB and CPU usage jumps to over 20%. AVG takes a very long time in full system scan mode. Depending on the size of the hard drive and number of files you have. On the four test systems with drives of 40GB (purpose built for these tests), 80GB, 200GB and 250GB, all sizes that most of us have with 12-86GB of space used, it took from 11-198 minutes in full scan mode. MSE took from 2-7 in quick mode, 11-189 in full scan mode including scanning the restore volumes.

MSE also had the advantage NOT ONLY IN SCAN MODE but in background scanning where it scans your RESTORE VOLUMES. This means that novice users don't have to worry about tweaking the settings to scan (if applicable) the restore volumes on their computers. (I ALWAYS recommend creating a NEW restore point and deleting old volumes at least once a month via the system tools links).

During testing, MSE found the Browser Modifier Win32/Zwangi (that nasty fake anti-virus program going around) in a restore volume while Norton, AVG, and AVAST had ALL missed it during full and background scans and ALL of the anti-malware/spyware programs I use also missed it.

Additionally, MSE found THREE trojans and one worm I had planted on three of the computers while AVG, AVAST and Norton missed Trojan.Whitewell and Infostealer.Banker.F completely (since the tests the others have added those to their database). Malwarebytes found one of the three trojans and missed the worm, XoftspySE found two and the worm, and The Cleaner, a trojan specific cleaner, found only one trojan.

END OF MESSAGE

Informative

Zidane24 said:

IggyAZ said:

I just ran across this nice overview of MSE from the MSE site forum.
MSE: Introducing Microsoft Security Essentials

It helped explain more about MSE for me.

Regarding that version number above...1901 is an invite only-series of "BETA" builds offered through connect...

That is absolutely right Zindane24

Smitty

jtrag said:

Here's a good review by PC Magazine. It seems that MSE isn't as good as some of you may think.

Here's the link:

Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0 - Full Review - Reviews by PC Magazine

That review dates back to September, and there are constant security definition updates coming from MS. So I am not ready to doubt MSE quite yet.