Install Microsoft Security Essentials

Topic

New Reply

Having used MSE on my notebook for a couple of months, and finding myself happy with it, I decided to change to this AV program for my desktop at home. So yesterday I downloaded what I assume was the most up-to-date version of MSE from the MS web site. I then uninstalled my previous AV program (Avira), turned off the internet (to limit the time unprotected), and installed MSE. I then turned on the internet again, and started MSE. It told me it wanted to update the file, and warned me that I was unprotected. I started the update. Over my (rather narrow) broadband, this took 3 hours 25 minutes, during which I assume I was unprotected. It appears to have downloaded around 40MB of data.

While I don’t expect the versions on the net to have the very latest updates, I’m surprised that I had to download so much before I could get protected. Would it not make sense for MS to update the program every week or so to avoid this (and save bandwidth)?

Is there any way to protect oneself while the program is updating?

Chris

Reply | Quote

Replies

Is there any way to protect oneself while the program is updating?

That may have been a one-time event. We can hope.

In the future, if MSE turns itself off, I would avoid going to any web site other than Microsoft (or launching local files) until it has finished updated itself and come back online. As long as you do not affirmatively reach out to potentially troublesome sites, or open documents/run programs, you should be okay because even if MSE is down for an update, you are protected from inbound connections by Windows firewall.

(Yes, 3 hours is a long time to sit around and wait for your computer. They will probably improve this in the future!)

Reply | Quote

Is there any way to protect oneself while the program is updating?

You were not unprotected while the update was being downloaded. The update was to the virus/malware definitions not the program. The program continues to use the old definitions until the new are completely downloaded and the actual update process is started. Further updates should be much smaller since they are just changes to the last set of definitions you have installed.

It may seem logical for Microsoft to update the installer file but I’m sure the whole process for releasing a new program installer is much more complex than updating a definition file.

Joe

--Joe

Reply | Quote

My guess is that your desktop was unprotected during the update. The MSE installer is 4.3MB, way too small to contain any meaningful definitions. Sometime during install, it turns off Windows Defender too.

It may have worked differently had you installed it ‘live’, the installer would have prompted you to allow it to download the definitions, perhaps before the stage where it would turn off Defender (assuming that you have Defender).

Fail for MS here, I think; it takes too many clicks to find the manual updates page, if this was linked from the main download page, it would save many people a lot of hassle (especially as it looks like the auto-updater is a little buggy).

Reply | Quote

Fail for MS here, I think; it takes too many clicks to find the manual updates page, if this was linked from the main download page, it would save many people a lot of hassle (especially as it looks like the auto-updater is a little buggy).

Andy,

That’s what I was needing! Many thanks! And yes, I see that it was indeed over 40MB that I downloaded. So once again I’ve exceeded my ISP’s download limit this month.

Chris

Reply | Quote

In the future I’d be online while downloading and installing programs…especially from a trusted source. If I read this right, no doubt there were many files that you missed from not being online during the installation. I just installed it two days ago (online) and it only took me a few minutes…same with the update.

Reply | Quote

Just read the help files within the program. Step 1: Make sure your’re connected to the internet I can’t say that I remember seeing that anywhere on the site before I downloaded it…it might have been. After all, what good would the help file re downloadling be when it’s within the program yer trying to d/l!!!

Reply | Quote