Microsoft Security Essentials... Sucks.

thaclassikz · Nov 19, 2009

ratbuddy said:
No amount of AV is going to protect you from making bad decisions when it comes to installing sketchy software.

Well, besides your refutable assumptions that i fall into the category of "installing sketchy software", i humbly disagree with your opinion and do believe that AV should protect you against "sketchy software".

For instance, if one types by mistake "www.fileippo.com" instead of "www.filehippo.com", and stumbles upon a phishing website where a similar site is displayed. One then proceeds to download 7zip from the phishing website and installs said "sketchy software", only to realize a moment later that his computer has been compromised.

For those of you who are happy with MSE, try ESET's online scanner and see if MSE missed anything.

http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/

ihrsetrdr · Nov 19, 2009

OP said:
Microsoft Security Essentials... Sucks.

O.K., there's a variety of reply's here, I have one XP machine

and AVG is buggin' to upgrade to v. 9.0, and I'm just about sick of AVG(been a nice run, time to say "good-bye")...

How many say- "yes" Microsoft Security Essentials works O.K. and how many say- "no" Microsoft Security Essentials... Sucks?
(raise your hands)

Q. do you have to install the WGA stuff in order to get Microsoft Security Essentials?

johnz · Nov 19, 2009

Antivir has worked flawlessly for me, and it has top rated detection rates. MSE gave me a couple of problems, used more ram, and until the next comparatives are released, it's detection rate is unknown. Initial reports show favorable results but I always go by avcomparatives. WGA, or something like it needs to be run to download MSE.

ratbuddy · Nov 19, 2009

thaclassikz said:
Well, besides your refutable assumptions that i fall into the category of "installing sketchy software", i humbly disagree with your opinion and do believe that AV should protect you against "sketchy software".

No way. There's always going to be new and undetected threats, and by just running anything you come across, you're sure to be infected with something sooner or later. AV isn't an excuse to ignore common sense computing behavior.

SeanBest · Nov 19, 2009

MSe is running fine for me ... only 4MB not scanning.

johnz · Nov 19, 2009

SeanBest said:
MSe is running fine for me ... only 4MB not scanning.

Is that both processes? I wonder wth was up with my install... I prefer Antivir anyway, but MSE seemed particularly noob friendly with the interface. It has potential for recommendations for others.

SeanBest · Nov 19, 2009

Just one process (msseces) don't see any others.

johnz · Nov 19, 2009

SeanBest said:
Just one process (msseces) don't see any others.

I had 1 other process, but I don't remember what it was called. I already uninstalled it :^/

ratbuddy · Nov 19, 2009

SeanBest said:
Just one process (msseces) don't see any others.

Gotta show processes from all users.

Neuromancer · Nov 19, 2009

EarthDog said:
Avira bloated? That has to be the first time I have ever heard that AND you put it in with AVG? Whoa nelly!!!!!

LOL You are correct, slip of the tongue. Avira is not a resource hog at all. But from what I can find has terrible protection compared to others. I have not used it since I installed it on my uncles PC and he was infected a week later lol

I am sure it was PEBKAC error, but .. I played with some malware software before to do a review. And COULD NOT get infected with ESET software. Downloaded 120 MB of viruses trying to infect the PC. Couldnt finish the review.

johnz · Nov 19, 2009

Neuromancer said:
LOL You are correct, slip of the tongue. Avira is not a resource hog at all. But from what I can find has terrible protection compared to others.

It has some of the best detection rates in the biz. It loses points for false positives, but I'd rather have that than false negatives.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/comparativesreviews/main-tests

SeanBest · Nov 19, 2009

ratbuddy said:
Gotta show processes from all users.

Ahh see it now, 53MB.

Neuromancer · Nov 19, 2009

johnz said:
It has some of the best detection rates in the biz. It loses points for false positives, but I'd rather have that than false negatives.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/comparativesreviews/main-tests

Yah went to that site before. They test the PREMIUM versions of Avira and AVG not the free versions. The difference between free and premium according to Aviras own website? Enhanced Virus and Malware detection.

Oddly though that was the site I had based my claim that Avira was not as good as the paid version... MSE, Norton and something else came out on top. It could be I just confuse the 3 'A' AV softwares too. I make mistakes

I am also not saying Avira free is no good. But it was not tested in the article you linked. Since Avira itself claims there is a difference in capabilities of premium vs free..

I will continue to use MSE on free and ESET on paid, secure PCs. You can use what you like

Am trying to find the article where they review MSE.... but the site just went down lol

EDIT: Found the review it was a quick test of 10 products.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/removal/avc_removal_2009.pdf

The image below is of the review you linked from 2008

johnz · Nov 19, 2009

Going by Avira's website, it looks like these are the only differences that would affect virus detection in any way...

WebGuard protection against malicious websites (probably a passive blocklist via hosts file)

AntiDrive-by stops malware downloads while surfing (I'm not sure what this is, maybe kill bits for ActiveX controls?)

I dunno. I had some web issues that I'm hesitant to blame on MSE because it could have just been a coincidence, but crashing Explorer is what led me to uninstall it. I've used Antivir since 04 I think, and it's never caused be a bit of trouble. I'm staying with them unless they go downhill like other companies have(McAfee, Kaspersky, Norton, AVG... :^D)

Neuromancer · Nov 20, 2009

Yah.

Which Antivirus is it that the free version is the old version.. AVG?

johnz · Nov 20, 2009

Neuromancer said:
Yah.

Which Antivirus is it that the free version is the old version.. AVG?

I don't know. I never used AVG much. Their detection rates went downhill, and my experience with the paid product at work left me less than impressed. Too many restarts required for updates.

hokiealumnus · Nov 21, 2009

FWIW, I had noticed quite the slowdown with my computer recently and it happened after MS: SE disabled itself for some reason. Ever since I re-enabled the computer has been sluggish. Uninstalled it and put avira back on and it's back to normal. I had some hope for a single solution, but it is not to be. Buh-bye MS security essentials.

Mr.Guvernment · Nov 21, 2009

^^ maybe something else is wrong with your system then, since many run MSE with out problems it seems.

hokiealumnus · Nov 22, 2009

Normally I'd completely agree with you, however the ONLY thing that has changed is switching MSE out for Avira. No other software (or hardware) changes have been made. It hasn't even been restarted. The system is much snappier and more responsive since that change. There were no viruses or anything that MSE missed (or detected). It's very strange and could of course be a coincidence, but I do not see how; there just aren't any other variables to this equation.

Tserrof · Nov 22, 2009

Windows for Gaming, no anti-virus
Linux for everything else, no anti-virus

Never had a single problem

That is my exact setup and it's just friggin beautiful.

Microsoft Security Essentials... Sucks.

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