To a certain extent, your malware protection (and it is highly recommended you do have some antivirus solution) is a personal choice based on budgets, protection preferences, and system requirements. Is Microsoft Security Essentials the best antivirus software for you? Running multiple antivirus programs simultaneously is not recommended – it will slow your system down and they could render each other less effective. Later Windows operating systems including Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 already have Windows Defender to manage system security. If you have a Windows PC running on an older operating system like Windows 7 then your Microsoft Essentials free download will guarantee you extra real-time protection for your online security. Do you need Microsoft Security Essentials as well as Windows Defender? Therefore for an antivirus protection plan that is being invested in and ever-improving you may be better looking elsewhere. If you already run this program in your system you will carry on receiving the signature updates until 2023. Can you run MSE on any Windows computer?Īs of 14 January 2020, Microsoft has discontinued new downloads of Microsoft Security Essentials. Put simply, it does what it says on the tin. If you have it running on a slower operating system like Windows 10 it could be complementary to your system ability. The advantage of a system-integrated software like MSE is that it will be less resource-heavy and scans may be faster. The protection offered is basic in comparison to cloud-based antivirus programs. It is simple to navigate, runs automatically in the background performing system checks warding off malware attacks and flagging up suspicious sites, and is completely free. Microsoft Essentials 64-bit is an antivirus program designed for Windows 7 and Windows 10 operating systems. What are the best features of Microsoft Security Essentials? These signature updates are stored within the program to bolster it against increasingly sophisticated system attacks. It receives signature updates to protect your PC against the latest types of malware.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a mid-range antivirus program that you may have for free in your Windows OS.

Microsoft security essentials reviews