Latest version is 4.1. Anyone using it? I use Avast! and AVG, but they can slow down some programs on startup. Also, I need e-mail protection. Anyone out there who tried MSE can tell me if it's reliable?
I've been using it personally for about a year and also installed it on the computers at the two places I volunteer at. Haven't had any virus or malware attacks in all that time and I have found it to be less resource intensive than AVG & Avira which I've previously used. In the comparisons of free anti-virus programs that I reviewed back when I first installed it, MSE seemed to hold its own, although it wasn't at the top of the list. As far as email protection, it's never been a concern for me -- but I just found this information... "There's no need to scan email, only attachments and that is done by all modern antimalware programs as the files are written to the PC file system. All of the major AV vendors have been telling their customers for several years now that 'email scanning' is no longer necessary, it's a holdover from the early days of AV programs when Microsoft hadn't yet created the API (Application Programming Interface) sets that allow the AV programs to scan a file before any user access (including email programs) is allowed." http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...n-e-mail/2b9dd412-1116-4d28-84bb-ebeab5d28ced
Microsoft Security Essentials is a good antivirus and I always use this anti virus in my computer for protection. Works really great for me.
I've been using MSE for years now, but any time I browse "higher risk" areas of the Internet or try new software I usually do it in a VirtualBox virtual machine so threats are decreased and if something blows up I revert to a snapshot and I'm back to normal quickly.