High-Quality Virus Protection for Windows Users

The Microsoft Security Essentials download is free antivirus software produced by the Microsoft Corporation. The software is available for computers running a genuine copy of either Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or 3, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. A Windows operating system is “genuine” if it is properly licensed and activated for operation on a specific personal computer.
Released in September 2009, the Microsoft Security Essentials download replaces Microsoft’s subscription-based Windows Live OneCare antivirus service. Microsoft began phasing out Windows Live OneCare in October of 2009 in favor of Security Essentials. Microsoft launched Security Essentials to make high-quality antivirus protection more widely available to Windows users by eliminating the cost factor that generally goes hand in hand with premium antivirus software.

According to the Microsoft Corporation, their Security Essentials software had been downloaded and installed on more than 30 million personal computers around the world by the end of 2010. The service is available in more than 80 countries, in more than 30 languages, and the market is still growing.

To take advantage of the service, you should go to the Microsoft website and locate the Microsoft Security Essentials download to obtain the software installer. Installing the software is quick and easy; however, each PC must pass a Windows validation test to complete the installation process successfully. To run Microsoft Security Essentials on a Windows XP computer, the PC’s CPU speed must be 500MHz or higher, and the computer must have at least 256MB of available RAM. To run MSE on computers with the Windows Vista or Windows 7 operating systems, the CPU must have a minimum processing speed of 1.0GHz along with at least 1GB of available RAM.

Once you have installed the Microsoft Security Essentials download, it will run inconspicuously in the background of your Windows operating system without interfering with your system’s performance. The software’s virus definitions are updated automatically, and the service provides computers with real-time protection against computer viruses, spyware and other malicious or harmful software. MSE will alert you whenever a software application tries to modify important Windows settings, such as changes to the system’s registry key, which allows you to immediately assess and deal with potential threats. MSE also features a scanning function that routinely examines the files installed on your computer to look for potential threats that might have gone under the radar. The scan is set to run automatically by default. You also have the ability to initiate a targeted or general manual scan of your computer’s files on demand.

When tested by AV-Test, an independent IT security service, Security Essentials had a consistent malware-detection rate that was higher than 90 percent under most circumstances. However, the service’s ability to clean and repair malware-infected computers fluctuated between an average effectiveness between 60 and 80 percent.

While the Microsoft Security Essentials download doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that you'll find in high-end, subscription-based antivirus software from companies such as Symantec or McAfee, it is fully capable of providing decent antivirus protection for budget-conscious Windows users. Admittedly, Security Essentials' feature options are noticeably stripped down compared to other subscription-based antivirus services. MSE only gives you access to basic settings, such as the option to schedule scans, but considering its price, the trade-off in available features doesn’t diminish the great value of MSE software.

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