Microsoft Security Essentials Editor's Review

Protect your Windows PC with this must have system utility

I'll say this about every security app that is reviewed here on Soft32.com – if you don't have one, get one.  Surfing the internet isn't like the CompuServe days of old back in the 1980's. Dial-up and access numbers aside, the internet is a complicated place with viruses, worms, Trojans, phishing etc. Navigating it while keeping your personal information private and your data secure isn't always easy.  This is why I really like Microsoft Security Essentials. It’s a anti-virus scanner for Windows, and high on my "must have" list.

Microsoft Security Essentials is built for individuals and small businesses, but it’s based on the same technology that Microsoft uses to protect giant businesses (security products like Microsoft Forefront, the Malicious Software Removal Tool, and Windows Defender). We have a whole team watching for new threats and coming up with ways to squash them.

Microsoft Security Essentials is part of the Windows Live Essentials suite of Windows add-ons from Microsoft.  It runs quietly in the background; and uses a red/yellow/green color coding system to denote system safety. You’ll only be alerted when there are specific actions to take. When you’re away or busy, Microsoft Security Essentials can take the default action on your behalf and you can open the program later to review and undo those actions if you wish.

Microsoft Security Essentials is efficient and compact. Scans and updates are scheduled to run when the PC is idle and the software works in a way that your PC's performance is largely unaffected when you’re using it. This makes Microsoft Security Essentials a solid choice for all sorts of computers running a validated copy of Windows – your older, legacy PC, your more modern PC, your laptop, or your netbook.

Pro’s: Totally free, small, integrates with Windows Firewall, works with all validated versions of Windows XP to Windows 7, works on all classes of computers from PC to netbook

Con’s: Default scanning schedule assumes your PC is on 24/7

Conclusion: This is perhaps one of the best anti-virus scanners available on the internet today. Period. Its real time scanning engine and automatic updating make this a strong player to begin with. The fact that its free, and that MS is actively continuing to improve and update it and its malware definitions is awesome.

The application works on all PC's capable of running a supported, validated version of Windows. If you don't have a Genuine copy of Windows, Microsoft Security Essentials will not install.