We changed the scan settings from Quick to Full accordingly, and ran the scan, which happily turned up no threats. As with any antivirus tool, Security Essentials needs an initial scan to ensure that your PC is free from infection. When activated and up-to-date, Security Essentials displays a green system tray icon, indicating our PC's Protected status. The program's interface is plain but efficient in a way that, if it doesn't scream 'Microsoft,' certainly uses its outdoor voice. Security Essentials is designed to work mostly in the background, with minimal user input, though some of its components require configuration, including the Windows Firewall. The program checked for (and found) updates even before the installer had finished. Microsoft Security Essentials actually works well with many other programs, but the installer advises removing your existing antivirus software, if any. We tried Microsoft Security Essentials for 64-bit Windows. If you're in the market for a capable antivirus, firewall, and Internet security solution for Windows, would you consider one that consistently ranks at or near the top in tests against the big names in antivirus protection? A lightweight app that's frugal with system resources? One that offers timely, automatic updates, an effective firewall that integrates with Windows, and user-friendly operation that's mostly in the background? Suppose we added the fact that it's free and that you might even have it already, and if not, it's a few clicks away? Sounds great! What is it? Microsoft Security Essentials, that's what - one of the best-kept secrets in Windows software.

Security essentials microsoft