Microsoft Security Essentials

Scanning your computer regularly is your first defense against viruses, and Microsoft Security Essentials can scan every file on your hard drive with ease.

Microsoft Security Essentials 64-bit works effectively on all 64-bit computers. Though previous editions were still in the beta or testing phase, you can now download a full or final version for use on your own computer. It runs quietly in the background and won't get in the way of the work you need to do. Once it finishes scanning, the program will tell you what it found and let you decide what to do with that information.

Before you download this program, keep in mind that it won't stop you from picking up viruses from email attachments that you open or from sites that you visit. While it won't prevent you from making mistakes, it will help you get rid of those mistakes later. You can choose from one of 33 different language settings and decide when you want to scan or what you want to scan. It also works with Windows Firewall to help block those trying to gain access to your files.

You can pick up malware, adware and spyware from emails, websites you visit and even games or programs that you download. Those threats can take over files on your computer, keep you from accessing the web or make your computer slow down. With Microsoft Security Essentials, you'll know in minutes whether there are harmful files on your computer and what you can do about those threats.

This is one of the only scanning programs that will let you keep playing online, editing documents or chatting with friends while it scans. It will show you results based on different colors that let you know how serious each threat is, which can help you decide what to do. The program does a good job of locating rootkits, infected files, malware and other threats.

When you use Microsoft Security Essentials, you must download all new updates in the future. The software does not identify all potential threats and may miss out on some newer viruses. There is a free trial available, but you will need to validate and register the product before you can use it. Other issues include a lack of a silent alarm and scans that can take hours. If you have a 64-bit computer and spend a lot of time online, using Microsoft Security Essentials can protect your computer against some threats.

Pros:

• Features several ways to scan your computer
• Updates protect against newly identified threats
• Lets you scan your computer while you do other tasks
• Shows you different threat levels
• Identifies problems that include malware, spyware, adware and rootkits

Cons:

• No silent alarms
• Some scans can take hours
• Limited options to customize your scans
• Will only work with 64-bit computers
• Doesn't identify all potential threats and problems