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#1 2009-06-20 2:12 pm
- test
- Member
- From: Collingwood, Ont., CANADA
- Registered: 2002-12-13
- Posts: 5300
Microsoft Security Essentials beta leaked
As they promised, Microsoft is releasing a free anti-malware tool, Microsoft Security Esentials, aka "Morro" . The beta will officially be available on Tuesday, 23 June but obviously is has been leaked and can be downloaded from numerous sources - just Bing it, Baby!
Anyhoo, I took the plunge. I figure I'm already running a pre-release Microsoft OS with Win7 so it isn't like pre-release security software from Microsoft can make things too much sketchier. Installation is fast. I was using Avast free before and RAM/CPU use seems comparable with MSE. The interface is clean and simple. Some people complain it force MicroSoft Update into full auto mode but this wasn't a problem for me as that is how I run it anyway. As far as I can tell Windows Defender is still active, at least it claims to be and still does the scheduled scans. I've had no problems after one day.
Patience is a virtue of the weak for it makes them stand still long enough for the strong to crush them with ease.
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#2 2009-06-20 2:47 pm
- Bat
- Flawless Cowboy
- Royal Wombat
- From: Björk, Björk
- Registered: 2001-05-14
- Posts: 28541
Re: Microsoft Security Essentials beta leaked
Thanks for the info. WU in Full Auto mode gives me the heebie-jeebies, tho.
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion - George Bernard Shaw
"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."
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#3 2009-06-20 3:03 pm
- Booksley
- Zombie Genocidest
- From: Toronto, Ontario
- Registered: 2001-02-16
- Posts: 5037
Re: Microsoft Security Essentials beta leaked
Bat wrote:
Thanks for the info. WU in Full Auto mode gives me the heebie-jeebies, tho.
Why would updates that fix security holes and bugs be a bad thing?
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#4 2009-06-20 4:17 pm
- Bat
- Flawless Cowboy
- Royal Wombat
- From: Björk, Björk
- Registered: 2001-05-14
- Posts: 28541
Re: Microsoft Security Essentials beta leaked
They tend to send you everything. This sounds global, and I like to pick and choose, so normally I'm set to notify only. Then I go Custom, not Express.
Lately I've been Off because I don't want to be nagged about IE8, considered now (by MS) to be 'critical'. Even a few MBs of patches somehow reduce the free space on C by a couple hundred MB; I'm currently under 700. Lord knows what going to IE8 (with 7 archived 'JIC') would eat; I haven't updated video drivers in ages. I just check on Tuesday and watch the news for patch stuff.
As soon as I can find my Norton '04 CD, it comes off. Even switched off, it's holding 327MB of useless files in the Recycle bin. 
Only Windoctor, for pruning dead shortcuts etc., and Ghost remain useful and might be reinstalled- maybe on the next build (Ghost only, I think). Lack of space is why I still don't have a Win7 RC1 or two already- whatever the ultimate destination, DLs go first to a Win Temp folder, and I get warnings and aborts.
You gots no idea how much diff a little time, energy and $ can make. A few hours up and I'm ready for a rest. Best practices are impractical, even forgotten. Sucks to be sick.
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion - George Bernard Shaw
"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."
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#5 2009-06-30 2:15 pm
- test
- Member
- From: Collingwood, Ont., CANADA
- Registered: 2002-12-13
- Posts: 5300
Re: Microsoft Security Essentials beta leaked
I've been using the official MSE beta for a few days now. Compared to Avast, which I was running before, I don't notice any difference in how the system runs. RAM and CPU use seem comparable. Of course both RAM and CPU use fluctuate all the time so MSE could be using more of either or both from time to time, I don't know. Like I say, the system seems just as responsive as before and I have seen no odd behaviour or instability. Overall, Microsoft Security Essentials seems compatible with Win7RC x64.
Detection is an unknown. So far MSE has found nothing. But of all the security tools I've ever used the only one that ever found anything was Zone Alarm Security Suite and at least 75% of what it flagged were temp files created by its own installer. So I can honestly say Microsoft Security Essentials provides detection as good as any security tool I've used, whatever that means.
As for requiring Windows Update to be on full auto, there is a work-around. Just use Task Scheduler to run:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Essentials\MpCmdRun.exe" -SignatureUpdate
at whatever interval makes you happy. I went with every 4 hours and it works fine. As long as you don't disable the BITS service I see no reason why you would need WU running at all, if you want it that way. Personally, I still have Windows Update on full auto because I prefer to get all the other security patches and whatnot ASAP but to each his own.
Patience is a virtue of the weak for it makes them stand still long enough for the strong to crush them with ease.
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