Microsoft's new anti virus free with genuine Windows

The anti virus program called Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) detects viruses, spyware, and other malware for XP, Vista, and Windows 7 users. Post installation, it provides them with real time protection.

Unobtrusive in nature
One of the perennial issues with anti virus programs is that they cause constant interruption in one's work. MSE, on the other hand, has a reputation of silently working in the background, without irritating pop up notices.

It leaves the toolbars and emails alone, and is detectable only through the two inconspicuous icons on the desktop's corner. There are no constant nags for renewals or advises to upgrade to paid versions. It is being manufactured by Microsoft itself, and, thus, does not need these marketing gimmicks.

Easy installation, necessary validation
While getting installed, there is validation required to prove that the operating system is genuine Windows, but Microsoft does not use the validation information to track or contact a user, respecting their privacy.

In case of validation failure, a choice will be provided to users to purchase genuine Windows directly from Microsoft.

The installation otherwise is quick and simple, but requires other anti virus programs to be stopped, though not removed. Also, it is minimalistic in configuration, and does not require one to know the difference between Trojans, spyware, rookits etc. All these are dumped in the category of malware, and automatically taken care of.

Updates and scans
According to default settings, a weekly scan is carried out, which takes less than seven minutes on XP. The complete scan can take more than an hour.

The check for updates is done every 24 hours, but one can speed that up manually. According to Microsoft, if a program acts suspiciously, latest virus definitions are automatically fetched from the Internet.

Apart from being free and impersonal, another added feature of the program is that it provides a broader license, that is, unlike other anti virus programs, it is not strictly non commercial, and one can use it for small time businesses set up in homes.

Other than this, MSE has the credit of being certified by West Coast Labs, and has the backing of Microsoft's Malware Protection Center.

Criticisms and complaints
Despite being hailed for its unobtrusive nature, MSE has its own set of issues. It has been criticized for not downloading updates for several days under certain circumstances, like when the computer is on “sleep” mode.

Also, MSE is unable to monitor “tracking cookies” left on the computer by web sites. This raises a privacy, if not security, issue.

MSE uses minimal memory and does not hamper the speed of the computer, or increase the start up time. When working in association with the in built Firewall and the protection provided by a modern web browser like Firefox, and Internet explorer 8, MSE proves to be sufficient for one's computer.