Microsoft Security Essentials: EPIC FAIL - Comments Page 1

I have never used nor depended on MSE and in fact the very first component of the software that I disabled was their essentials software. Cannot believe the gullibility of so many so called professionals. oh well I guess that is how malware is allowed to spread...

Now you tell me! Found it out for myself last week, sluggish machine and funny pop ups caused me to look beyond MS. Avira found over 70 issues! Mbam found a couple too. BTW- AVG and one other free protection software wanted me to download from Cnet. That is why I am trying Avira.

@Doug: Get outta here with your superior attitude and adjectives like "so called" applied to IT professionals.

I have the free version of Avast and the paid version of Malwarebytes...can I safely uninstall MSE? Thank you.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, definitely.

I'd like to know how the reveton FBI virus failed detection by my anti-virus program. I still would like to know the best method for 'recovering' my files. An old laptop isn't worth the expense on my pocketbook to professionally 'clean it', which I've come to hear erases everything based on the majority opinions.

I have never trusted MSE from the beginning. Whenever I first ran it, nothing was caught when others were. Now I trust Kaspersky for my home computers and Eset for the Business computers. By the way, Eset is the greatest!

Do NOT believe the Hype! Microsoft Security Essentials Still RULES (as one's First layer of Cyber-Defense). One would be foolhardy to uninstall it as it can still be used in tandem with other anti-malware solutions to protect you from outside miscreants!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, but why not use a BETTER first layer of defense, such as AVG, Avira, or Avast? Then add MBAM or some other on-demand scanner as a second.

Some comments:

1. The first layer of defense against malware is not to go poking around the dark corners of the internet, do the best to avoid being fooled, and take some precautions (layman's translation: Don't visit strange or dangerous websites, don't click weird links on web sites or messages, use some anti-malware tools from time to time to check that everything is all right, and backup your stuff regularly).

2. I don't trust Microsoft as a whole... I respect some tools (specifically, Excel), but I use a lot of non Microsoft tools; specifically, I use Linux (and I have a Virtual Machine running Windows for when I need it). So consider switching to a more secure (and less crap loaded) system (Linux is free, MacOS is not... but is more secure than windows and there's a version of MS Office available for Mac)

3. Since I don't trust Microsoft, I certainly don't trust its antivirus tool. My personal opinion is that they think "hey, we have you anyway, so we will give you another crappy product and tell you it's good". Please, people, wake up! If you can, avoid using MS products. Bob has lot's of recommendations about free (and non-MS) replacements for anti-malware software, Office, mail and other stuff, IN THIS VERY SITE. And also consider migrating away from Windows... it may look daunting at first, but it is not such a big trauma.

4. Not a single anti-malware program is 100% fail-proof (or fool-proof). So please read again my first comment.

Bob, thanks for this article

I tried MSE when I first got Windows 7.But when I tried to uninstall it, it took my Windows Live mail with it! Has that happened to anyone else? Or did I do it wrong? I got everything back using System Restore --but now I'm afraid to try uninstalling it again.

Have you seen various recent comments by Midnight Cowboy at Tech Support Alert?http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-anti-virus-software.htm
I saw similar defense from another tech site, but forgot which. I have had MSE for years with no problem which you may suggest has more to do with my
particular computer use?

You really should avoid journalistic headlines like "Epic Failure".
MSE doesn't "stink". It has provided me with effective protection for years in conjunction with Malwarebytes run on a regular basis. MSE runs with minimum intrusiveness without impacting on performance something I have never found in the past with your "Better" antivirus programs.
Your pejorative statements aren't helpful. The following gives a more balanced view http://blogs.technet.com/b/mmpc/archive/2013/10/09/our-commitment-to-microsoft-antimalware.aspx

I got two articles about Microsoft Security Essentials today, and it sounds like you and Leo Notenboom have opinions 180 degrees apart. Am I correct or misinterpreting? I'm also asking Leo. See http://askleo.com/do-i-need-to-stop-using-microsoft-security-essentials/

EDITOR'S NOTE: We're not exactly at loggerheads. See my other remarks on this in the comment stream here.

WOW!! This really blew my hair back. I even installed MSE on my neighbors computer. This is so disappointing when Microsoft fails. I guess it's back to drawing board and making a choice from the "free" selection you mention.

Sounds like typical Microsoft...tout the product as the greatest thing since canned beer, then when the market discovers it's useless, claim it never was intended to be any good. Gets tiresome after a while, doesn't it? I tried MSE for a year, and when it never found anything (even the ubiquitous "suspicious cookie"), I moved on to Avast and Online Armor's firewall. Never looked back.

The timing of this article is interesting as Leo Notenboom (askleo.com)just put out an article in his most recent newsletter taking an opposite opinion of MSE as the one stated here.
Fascinating, Spock.

"Expert" advice depends on who you "Ask": http://askleo.com/do-i-need-to-stop-using-microsoft-security-essentials/

EDITOR'S NOTE: I have enormous respect for Leo as a techie and personal friend. The bottom line for me is that more than one independent lab ranks MSE poorly, as compared to most other A/V options. And Microsoft even says they're not trying to be the best. MSE may be "good enough" but why not use something better when you know it's available and free?

Does ANYONE really even consider using that rubbish???

I have used all the main free realtime Antivirus apps.
Bitdefender is now the best. Check out the AV tests. Light, inobtrusive, great detection rates and easy to use. Try it!

Very interesting... I receive e-mails from both Bob and his peer/competitor/friend, Leo Notenboom; and their respective opinions on this one are on opposite ends of the spectrum. For the record, I appreciate getting newsletters from, and respect the opinions of, both of them. Leo's article contains this quote from Ms. Stewart:

“We used to have part of our team directed towards predicting test results and figuring out what might be in someone’s test. There’s always a cost to that. If they are doing that work, they are not looking at those threats that are affecting our customers. We always felt that was wrong. There’s something not right about that – we’re not doing the best job for our customers.” – Holly Stewart, quoted in PCPro.

I'll also quote this sentence from Leo, which seems to summarize his take on the whole thing:

"What this says to me is that Microsoft has shifted resources away from trying to look good in random tests, and applied those resources to being good in the real world."

But I tend to go along with Bob on this one. I've never used MSE; although, as a Vista user (for now), I do like having Windows Defender as another line of defense. I've read what Ms. Stewart has said in two different articles now; and regardless of anyone else's interpretation, it comes across as simply rationalizing mediocre (at best) performance to me. I could go into other reasons on why Microsoft has limited credibility with me, but I won't. I would, however, be interested in getting some feedback from Bob on Leo's opinion. Btw, I used BitDefender, and I'm happy with it... I feel that it was money well spent.

Bob great update posting. Why don't you add the date to the posting (once opened) because if you reach the posting by your links you have no idea when you wrote the article. I know is in the listing but once in the article you don't have it.

This would give someone the idea of how old is your recommendation and hopefully question the real old ones and hopefully avoid situations like this Windows Essentials case.

Along those same lines do you update your postings or just write new ones? I believe the date is a key piece of information because in the digital world one year is too old. Maybe it would be good to alert your faithful followers that the date is KEY and to be aware of the date you recommended a product.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Every article has a posting date. Look below the "Other articles in this category" section.