MSE 4.0 is out of beta

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http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-security-essentials-40-free-pc-security-software-ready-for-download/12548

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Rui,

Thanks for the info!

I just loaded it on my Desktop and guess what it uses less memory! A whole 64k what will I do with it all. Version 2=6,196k Ver 4=6,132k. Note this is the 64 Bit Version.

Old Version About:
30694-MSEV2About

New Version About:
30695-MSEAb-outV4
:cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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They seem to be making it better, RG :).

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It’s being updated by Windows Update as well, noticed it in the list this morning.

Looks the same, not sure what has changed.

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The link quotes Microsoft on what has changed:

“This update to Microsoft Security Essentials is part of the standard product update release cycle. This service update contains product enhancements to improve performance and user experience. We have improved on Microsoft Security Essentials’ Automatic Remediation, which will automatically quarantine highly harmful threats without prompting the user to take action as well as minor bug fixes in set up, malware remediation and other areas”.

Don’t think you will notice much, UI side.

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No, not much has changed on the surface:

Four alert levels added under default actions and Microsoft Spynet being renamed to Microsoft Active Protection Service are the only visible changes I can spot (ignoring a slightly different color background).

Bruce

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Interestingly Win 8 CP updated this morning with Version SIX of Defender!
30698-Win8Defender
:cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Interestingly Win 8 CP updated this morning with Version SIX of Defender!
30698-Win8Defender
:cheers:

Does that mean it is 50% better than version 4.0 of MSE? :huh: :rolleyes:

Joe

--Joe

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OK, I’m so glad for this thread. I needed a place to ask some basic questions to people brighter than me:

[*]Am I just stupid or is there no place in their MSE Support site where MS posts release notes on this software? You know, like what changed, why, and any other detailed technical information a person could browse before blindly accepting this WU download.
[*]Am I the only one who is throwing up over the pap MS has provided as “Details” in their KB link for this update? There is absolutely nothing there that even resembles “Details” about the update.
[*]Is a place like ZDNet the only one where we can read anything accurate on the Beta experience testers have had with version 4? A quick browse indicates a couple of items folks have concerns with. All the praises for MSE have come from user’s experience with version 2, which I really like.

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Interestingly Win 8 CP updated this morning with Version SIX of Defender!
30698-Win8Defender
:cheers:

Windows Defender for Windows 8 has always listed itself as Version 6. I think that was intended to allow some wiggle room for MSE versions. The “Version” in question is only the user GUI version. The Scanning Engines are identical between MSE 2, MSE 4 and Windows Defender.

As for MSE 4 vs. 2, in my Windows XP laptop, I have very limited resources, especially RAM. So the reduced load on system resources, especially at boot time, is much appreciated there. In my modern Toshiba Satellite, I like the reduced resources load, but the main difference seems to be in the settings controls. If I dig deeply enough, most of the Version 2 settings are still there, but some have been rearranged to different context menus, or have slightly different names. Scanning seems to be comparable on deep file scans, and a bit faster on quick scans on both laptops. Updating definitions is about the same as Version 2.

The upgrade itself is reported to have some installation issues for some folks, but mine on both laptops went quickly and smoothly. I upgraded from the latest Version 2 to a freshly downloaded installer of Version 4. Both 64-bit and 32-bit went smoothly with no errors. I did the upgrade before applying the MS Updates April 2012 patches.

-- rc primak

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All I can tell you is that my experience running the beta was completely uneventful. The beta worked pretty much as any previous MSE version.

I ended up ditching it, though. I think MSE, in all its incarnations, is a bit heavy on disk access. When I performed certain operations, the file checking by MSE slowed down things a bit too much.

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All I can tell you is that my experience running the beta was completely uneventful. The beta worked pretty much as any previous MSE version.

I ended up ditching it, though. I think MSE, in all its incarnations, is a bit heavy on disk access. When I performed certain operations, the file checking by MSE slowed down things a bit too much.

As for disk activity I found this to be far less than AVG or Avast when scanning files.
I can’t see how it can not be using disk activity when scanning files as the files are on your hard disk.

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I guess my key concern would be an AV package that doesn’t consult me before deleting what it considers a dangerous file.
Does MSE 4 use a quarantine function that allows me to recover something it mistook for a problem?

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I guess my key concern would be an AV package that doesn’t consult me before deleting what it considers a dangerous file.
Does MSE 4 use a quarantine function that allows me to recover something it mistook for a problem?

Yes, but with MSE 4 you get configurable default actions (recommended, remove or quarantine) for four different alert levels (which is the main visible difference from MSE 2).

Bruce

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I guess my key concern would be an AV package that doesn’t consult me before deleting what it considers a dangerous file.
Does MSE 4 use a quarantine function that allows me to recover something it mistook for a problem?

The link quotes Microsoft on what has changed:

“This update to Microsoft Security Essentials is part of the standard product update release cycle. This service update contains product enhancements to improve performance and user experience. We have improved on Microsoft Security Essentials’ Automatic Remediation, which will automatically quarantine highly harmful threats without prompting the user to take action as well as minor bug fixes in set up, malware remediation and other areas”.
Copied from Ruiribs post which shows it does indeed quarantine problem files and has a History tab which allows you to restore anything in the quarantine box.

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Good.
Now, how did you find out that detail? Did you just install it and look it over?
Really, is there any place where MS describes this update in even a little technical detail?

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Good.
Now, how did you find out that detail? Did you just install it and look it over?

Yes.

Really, is there any place where MS describes this update in even a little technical detail?

Wikipedia?

I agree that information about the update is sorely lacking, but the actual changes are fairly minimal (as far as I can see!)

Bruce

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It’s an improvement for me. I had, in the past, posted a question about my MSSE tray icon always showing “red” after I booted up my desktop. The consensus was that my older, Dell 4600 was probably slightly under-powered, and
that it would eventually turn “green.”

MSSE 4 starts right up now on my machine, and always shows “green” for me on a reboot.

Dick

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Will this version of MSE work with Windows Server 2003 R2?

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It’s an improvement for me. I had, in the past, posted a question about my MSSE tray icon always showing “red” after I booted up my desktop. The consensus was that my older, Dell 4600 was probably slightly under-powered, and
that it would eventually turn “green.”

MSSE 4 starts right up now on my machine, and always shows “green” for me on a reboot.

Dick

If there is a problem i.e definitions out of date or not scanned for a long time then icon will change colour normally to orange. If it is red that means it did not launch properly and is not protecting your computer. But yes as long as the definitions are kept up to date and a scan run once a month the icon will always start on green. As for disk activity I found this to be far less than AVG or Avast when scanning files. I can’t see how it can not be using disk activity when scanning files as the files are on your hard disk.

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I just noticed another very subtle but much needed improvement in MSE 4.0 when compared to 2.0:

The drop-down arrow to the right of “Help” now has a grey box around it highlighting “Additional help options”.

It was previously very difficult for most users to discern that the arrow would do anything different to clicking on Help.

Bruce

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The drop-down arrow to the right of “Help” now has a grey box around it highlighting “Additional help options”.

I was wrong: The box only appears after you’ve clicked. The tiny drop-down arrow still allows access to sample submission, privacy policy and software version/update check.

Bruce

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Most of the changes appear to be bug fixes from previous versions as Dick makes mention of.
(sporadic instances where the icon would display red upon first boot-up are now fixed)
I think one would be hard pressed to find any kind of change log from Microsoft that goes into any amount of detail.

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Microsoft appears to be following along with most other software vendors and telling people less and less about what has been fixed and what has changed.

Joe

--Joe

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Maybe it’s just me, but I find that totally unacceptable.
I run several free utilities that are well documented almost every new build.
And those I’ve paid for are pretty meticulous documenting every new build.
I would think a Big Dog in the neighborhood would do SOMETHING on a piece of software that was in Beta for so long….
Either I’m too old fashioned or too old.

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I think that’s the same behavior 2.1 had, but I can’t remember if the options were the same in the drop-down menu.
Still can’t understand what was being beta’d for this update.
Sure would like to find a reference on the AV elements that might have changed.
Anyone here that was a beta tester have an idea?

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Hi Dick-Y.. ditto to your experience. I’d seen it on many older PC’s when being serviced. V2 & XP were always doing it & XP’s firewall was also complaining about no firewall, with the Balloon error message, which would eventually get it right & go away.

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Perhaps the reason for the dearth of information for the “under the hood” changes is – Security

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Am I the only one here who is rather annoyed that V4 is a downgrade in terms of several removed options compared to V2?

I really liked V2. There was no announcement from MS to allow a user a choice whether to upgrade or not, and the upgraded version actually has a simple visual style to it that could look like a scamware version of MSE!

That aside, removing the various options such as network inspection, removing the scanning of only inbound files is retrograde from an advanced users perspective, in my opinion. I know that it’s free, that I can choose another AV, etc, etc, but the point is that these changes are significant for some users and unannounced directly to them.

Oh well, I guess it’s all part of the new trend at MS of dumbing down! That’s why I reverted to Office 2003 after trying to use the dumbed-down, loads of pastel shades and empty white space and massive icons Office 2010 which affected my productivity significantly those two years…but that is another story!

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I’d been tearing what little hair out I have left trying to find out what the version of MSE was, and now I see it on the drop-down from the arrow. I guess they decided not to allow heuristics to be turned off via the Advanced menu, but that’s OK. I ditched Trend for MSE, and no malware has ever gotten through, nor does it seem to slow down my system at all. It’s a superb package, IMHO.

“Dumb down” seems the way M$ is going with all of the O/S. I like the WIMP interface, and will NOT upgrade to Win8/Metro, unless they provide a way to upgrade from Setup that makes the legacy Explorer desktop the default. I don’t want my PC to look like a cell phone. I want my 27″ desktop and taskbar streams to stay as they are.

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… and will NOT upgrade to Win8/Metro, unless they provide a way to upgrade from Setup that makes the legacy Explorer desktop the default. I don’t want my PC to look like a cell phone. I want my 27″ desktop and taskbar streams to stay as they are.

Don’t hold your breath on that one. from what I’ve been hearing/ reading the metro interface is here to stay, unless there is massive public outcry like whan Vista bombed for 3+ years. IMO this is going to be another Vista but with different problems. I’m waiting for Windows 9 or whatever they will call it then. I won’t be upgrading anything to an OS that was designed for a touch interface without a touch interface to use it with. All I can think of is that for non touchscreen machines, you will have either drag capability or popup arrows to scroll like in Windows Media Center.

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How can one tell which version is in?

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How can one tell which version is in?

Click the arrow to the right of Help, then About Security Essentials.

Bruce

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Thanks, Bruce. Why didn’t I see that help button?<br>
<br>
I have MSE2 and the Windows updates up to this moment don’t show an update for MSE. <br>
<br>
I can wait for it to arrive.<br>
<br>
I’ve tried just about every AV program out there, starting with Norton many years ago, then Zone Alarm, then McAfee, Antimalwarebytes and then MSE, and this last one is the least intrusive, seems to be as efficient as most others, updates often, and the price is right. But I still run scan with other programs to make sure. So far, MSE does it well..

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Thanks, Bruce. Why didn’t I see that help button?

I have MSE2 and the Windows updates up to this moment don’t show an update for MSE.

I can wait for it to arrive.

I’ve tried just about every AV program out there, starting with Norton many years ago, then Zone Alarm, Kaspersy, Avast, Avira, McAfee, Antimalwarebytes and now MSE, and this last one is the least intrusive, seems to be as efficient as most others, updates often, and the price is right. But I still run scan with other programs as a fail-safe. So far, MSE does it well..

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Thanks, Bruce. Why didn’t I see that help button?

I have MSE2 and the Windows updates up to this moment don’t show an update for MSE.

I can wait for it to arrive.

I’ve tried just about every AV program out there, starting with Norton many years ago, then Zone Alarm, Kaspersy, Avast, Avira, McAfee, Antimalwarebytes and now MSE, and this last one is the least intrusive, seems to be as efficient as most others, updates often, and the price is right. But I still run scan with other programs as a fail-safe. So far, MSE does it well..

You could go to Microsoft download site and download the latest version from there if you want (may need to uninstall version 2 first though before installing version 4). If you haven’t already been offered it automatically by now not likely to get it .

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I’ve been using MSE for several years now and it seems to work just fine. I really don’t need to know the details of the changes from version to version. I find it much less intrusive than other AV programs.

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Bob,

Thanks for the clarifications and other info! :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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I guess I’m one of the unlucky ones; I saw the updated, thought “Great” and attempted to install it — machine hung. Did a fresh reboot and tried again… machine hangs. Downloaded v4 separately and attempted to install — Machine hangs. I was running v2 and it was working well for me. Now I’ve abandoned it for another anti-virus checker that will at least, install. The only “troubleshooting” tip I get is to make sure other anti-virus programs are uninstalled or not running… duh!? Hello!?!? I was running THEIR PREVIOUS VERSION.

*sigh*

On another topic, when I started using MS security client, it dragged down my system until I excluded its own directories — is this still necessary under 4.0? Seems like a half-smart app would know to exclude itself.

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I did find yesterday that my mother’s version of MSE on Vista did not update to V4 correctly. For some reason MSE was not running at all and Windows Defender had re-enabled. Also Malwarebytes AM would not start. I uninstalled and reinstalled both apps, ran full scans without finding any errors. It seems her system was uninfected. I did a full system cleanup (she does run CCleaner fairly regularly and Spybot Search and Destroy regularly). I guess these plus my other security layers I had put in place for her protected her PC during the time until I could get there and fix everything else. Now she does have MSE V4 and Malwarebytes installed again.

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