Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) is a free antivirus software product created by Microsoft that provides protection against different types of malware such as spyware, computer virus  root kits and Trojan horses for windows 7, vista and XP(both x86 and x64). Microsoft Security Essentials replaces windows live OneCare, a commercial subscription-based antivirus service and the free windows defender, which only protected users from adware and spyware. But MSE has great features including on-demand scanning and removal tool engines.

Microsoft Security Essentials has one of the simplest and clearest GUIs we’ve seen for an antimalware solution.  When something is wrong, MSE makes sure users know they’ll need to take action, with red-color highlighting across the UI and via a red taskbar icon.  Even it updates itself very quietly in the background. In fact, never once troubled by its updating system; the only prompts we received were when the application actually needed our attention, like when it detected a threat that needed to be cleaned.  The company includes three features in MSE to keep it light: CPU throttling (the system will remain responsive to the user’s tasks), idle-time scanning (scans and updates use a low-priority thread and only run when the PC is idle), and smart caching and active memory swapping (virus signatures not in use are not loaded into memory. Let’s see how to use MSE to stay protected.

1. Download Microsoft security essential from the website (http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/).
2. Install the application normally and allow it to check for updates, and run its initial quick scan on the infected computer.
3. While the scan is running, the real-time protection module by MSE should detect active malware. Active malware are malicious files that have loaded in Windows with or without a graphical user interface, before the antivirus program was installed.
4. Then proceed in removing the detected threats. It’s not required to stop the scan when the on-access scanner finds and removes active malware.
5. After removing the risks and the active malware the application will be shutdown because MSE can end the task of malicious processes.
6. Allow MSE to restart the computer and then run a quick scan to look for any additional active malware.
7. The on-demand scanner will now start checking the computer for malware that is residing and actively running in Windows. And if it finds more malware, the clean-up option will be available.
8. Never stop running a scan until MSE displays a message that the computer is now clean

The default action of Microsoft Security Essentials in handing malware infection depends on the risk rating and type of infection. If it’s severe, a remove option is recommended. Depending on user if the file is not very essential for you then remove and quarantine is recommended. If the malware is spiteful that is preventing antivirus software to be installed or run, you should try using other antivirus or on-demand malware scanners in cleaning an infected computer.

Although MSE might not swank as many features as OneCare did, it is a lot better at what it does do. It’s free, and it requires no registration, trial versions. It really does automatically stay up-to-date. Most core functions can be activated with a single click. It’s recommended using an on-demand or online scanner, in addition to using an antivirus scanner to verify the health status of the computer.



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