The ineffectiveness of MS Security Essentials

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I found it to be buggy, when it works well its excellent, but its random issues can be concerning.

I would run(try) it myself, but wouldnt recommend it to a non-computer savvy relative or friend.

I had issues with it in the past on one computer

The Free after rebate ESET deals come up often.
I moved on.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
I found it to be buggy, when it works well its excellent, but its random issues can be concerning.

I would run(try) it myself, but wouldnt recommend it to a non-computer savvy relative or friend.

I had issues with it in the past on one computer

I'm running the free version of BitDefender on three different Win7 machines. No issues.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I'm running the free version of BitDefender on three different Win7 machines. No issues.

So far I am convinced it's the best free antivirus. Doesn't use a lot of resources to get the job done, updates the actual version automatically (unlike others), simple layout, and doesn't bug you to upgrade to the paid version. I really like it, and I'm sticking with it for now.
 
I found Bitdefender to be buggy also. Not just once, but every time I gave it a trial. So it sort of came down to Kaspersky or ESET. I have some issues with Kaspersky on 64 bit Windows computers so I am running ESET. And I figure with HitmanPro I sort of have Bitdefender and Kaspersky anyway. Those are two of the AV engines used by HitmanPro.

I think the German Gdata and Avira AV programs are good but maybe better for Europeans. Same thing with F-Secure. Of course Avira has a free version.

About the only other one I have sort of liked was TrendMicro but it does seem to slow a computer down some.

So I am going to stick to ESET unless ESET goes downhill in quality.
 
bitdefender-- The problem I had with this was random false positives and blocking of flash drives.. it would wack out if I plugged in sandisk cruzer flash drives. -- This was the paid edition

I'd hate to recommend it to a "Computer Tard" relative and then have to go drive out to their house and fix it later.


I'd rate the popular free ones

bitdefender,avira,avast,avg,mse

Bitdefender-if it works is as good as most paid protection

avira free has a few ads to upgrade not nearly as bad as avg

Avg free has really annoying ads


avast is very bloated and slow now.

mse is very good from a useability standpoint but terrible protection.

In my case I got 9 licenses of eset for free after rebate, and 9 licenses of kaspersky free after rebate.

I received all the rebates as well.
 
The best I have ever found were Kaspersky and ESET. I have used Kaspersky quite a bit over the years. I have to admit it troubles me somewhat that Kaspersky is a Russian antivirus and the USA and Russia are not on the best of terms right now. ESET is Czech republic. I personally believe that Kaspersky runs better on a 32 bit O/S than a 64 bit O/S. I prefer a 64 bit O/S.

Bitdefender often ranks number one or number two in testing by AVTest and AVComparatives but I always had some problems with Bitdefender being kind of buggy. Whenever I did a trial of Bitdefender I always wound up frustrated. I wanted to like it because of how well it does it testing.

Avira does make a free amtivirus.

If a person can get ESET or Kaspersky free after rebates from Newegg why would anybody use Microsoft Security Essentials (Windows Defender Windows 8/8/1)?

I recommended Kaspersky to a woman who bricked up your old computer with malware a while back. She has had no problems with her new computer. I think she had been using McAfee with her old computer.

Beyond Kaspersky and ESET a person probably should have the free version of Malwarebytes and do occasional online scans with ESET. And HitmanPro is a good product.

The Kaspersky Rescue CD is really good also but I have not tried it in Windows 8.1. There might be a problem there because it runs in a version of Linux. But the Kaspersky Rescue CD does run fine in Windows 7.
 
Here's my ESET output. Stupid Ask toolbar....

ESETOutput_zpsf132569e.jpg
 
I think Microsoft Security Essentials (Windows 7 and before) and Windows Defender (Windows 8/8.1) have a weakness when it comes to PUPs. But typically the computer user may have to accept some responsibility if PUPs get installed on his computer. A lot of people will download all kinds of questionable software such as registry cleaners and screensavers. Microsoft has said that registry cleaners are useless.

But sometimes various software companies will include questionable software in their software. For example, if you are trying to download an update to some Adobe software such as Adobe Reader you need to check carefully that no other software is included in the download. If something like the Ask Toolbar is included in the download a person would have to uncheck that part of the download.

I went to Microsoft.com a while back and apparently Microsoft is going to have stricter rules when it comes to adware. So the accuracy of Microsoft Security Essentials/Windows Defender may increase soon. Some of the stuff that is being counted as malware is adware and PUPs.

But no antivirus software can protect a person if they are going to insist on downloading all sorts of strange software on the internet and going to questionable websites and torrent file downloading websites, or pirated software websites. And even if downloading legitimate software a person has to check that no extra software like the Ask Toolbar is included.

I don't think it hurts to use a quality antivirus like ESET. But a person could probably just use the Microsoft antivirus software if they used good common sense on the internet and were careful when downloading software, including updates to existing software, and used the free version of Malwarebytes and occasionally did scans with the ESET online scan. The Microsoft antivirus is included in Windows 8/8.1 and the free version of Malwarebytes and the ESET online scan are free.
 
apparently you haven't used Eset yet?

it does block all the toolbars, and it will block connections to bad websites, and also block downloads.

Originally Posted By: Mystic
I think Microsoft Security Essentials (Windows 7 and before) and Windows Defender (Windows 8/8.1) have a weakness when it comes to PUPs. But typically the computer user may have to accept some responsibility if PUPs get installed on his computer. A lot of people will download all kinds of questionable software such as registry cleaners and screensavers. Microsoft has said that registry cleaners are useless.

But sometimes various software companies will include questionable software in their software. For example, if you are trying to download an update to some Adobe software such as Adobe Reader you need to check carefully that no other software is included in the download. If something like the Ask Toolbar is included in the download a person would have to uncheck that part of the download.

I went to Microsoft.com a while back and apparently Microsoft is going to have stricter rules when it comes to adware. So the accuracy of Microsoft Security Essentials/Windows Defender may increase soon. Some of the stuff that is being counted as malware is adware and PUPs.

But no antivirus software can protect a person if they are going to insist on downloading all sorts of strange software on the internet and going to questionable websites and torrent file downloading websites, or pirated software websites. And even if downloading legitimate software a person has to check that no extra software like the Ask Toolbar is included.

I don't think it hurts to use a quality antivirus like ESET. But a person could probably just use the Microsoft antivirus software if they used good common sense on the internet and were careful when downloading software, including updates to existing software, and used the free version of Malwarebytes and occasionally did scans with the ESET online scan. The Microsoft antivirus is included in Windows 8/8.1 and the free version of Malwarebytes and the ESET online scan are free.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
apparently you haven't used Eset yet?

it does block all the toolbars, and it will block connections to bad websites, and also block downloads.



Yup. It may not be 100% effective at it, but it is surprisingly good.

BTW, just finished cleaning up a laptop that belongs to a buddy of mine's parents. They use it for Facebook and work logs. It had all kinds of malware on it, yet MSE thought it was perfectly clean. They got Bitdefender free installed on it after I cleaned it up with MWB and Hitman Pro and Bitdefender found an additional 19 items.

One of the things I've noticed recently is that a lot of this malware sets a policy to administratively disable the ability for Google Chrome to update itself. None of the anti-malware products pick this up so it involves having to manually edit the registry to get that function back. A bit annoying.
 
I am using ESET right now. I don't download junk from the internet if I can help it and when I updated Adobe software recently there were no goofy toolbars or anything like that.

I believe that what I said about computer users having to take some blame for malware being on their computers if they download all kinds of stuff from the internet is a true statement.

ESET did stop me from even going to a website I was going to go to. It was just an ordinary website (I avoid trash websites) but there must have been something there. I do not go to porn websites, pirated software websites, torrent file sharing websites, etc. I can't remember what the website was where I received the warning from ESET but after I received that warning I did not go there.
 
You will have to run the ESET online scan in the Admin Account. I would strongly recommend a full scan.
 
The most worrying thing on this thread for me is that I didn't know Avast is considered a bloated AV.
How bloated is it, compared to others? what kind of effect does it have on boot- times, I wonder...
 
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