Microsoft Security Essentials - is this even working?

apatia77 · 21 Apr 2010 at 22:41

So I have had MSE for the last few months and though all was fine, suddenly I started getting some IE windows with different websites from nowhere. I played MW for an hour, closed game and see 10 IE windows opened with different dodgy sites, MSE pickes nothing so I scan my pc with Nod32 online scanner and it detects some trojans etc.

Dumped now MSE and installed Kaspersky Internet Security as I get it for free with my Barclays account.

theheyes · 21 Apr 2010 at 22:52

What were the trojans identified as?

Smit · 22 Apr 2010 at 10:20

Which version of windows are you running? Are you running as an Admin with UAC off?
Try Malware Bytes, it's probably some spyware.

dillingerdan · 22 Apr 2010 at 10:34

MSE has been pretty good for me TBH. Got it installed along side ESET SS and Super Spyware scanner, all 3 have been useful and caught something the others haven't. It's the nature of the beast. You can't expect 1 program to be absolutely perfect. Always have at least 2.

theheyes · 22 Apr 2010 at 16:42

MSE always comes out with good detection rates under test conditions, yet anecdotal evidence on these forums suggest otherwise.

I've not decided whether I think there is some truth to it or people are pre-judging it because it's a Microsoft product. I consider myself a very low risk for viruses and I'm also a cheapskate so it won't stop me from using it.

apatia77 · 22 Apr 2010 at 16:52

I don't remember what the trojans were now, and I use windows 7 64bit, with full admin rights.

I think I might have installed something last weekend when I installed some infected (cough, cough) legal application (for testing purposes only). But at the time of installation it got detected so I just deleted everything and then I run full system scan which took over 5h as I got a lot of files and nothing was detected, few days later i got an extra 2 services running opening IE every few minutes.

I've disabled system restore now and going to do a full system scan this weekend, this time with Kaspersky.

BTW I aint paying for an antivirus software, I will eather use avast or MSE or something else. or Kaspersky which is free for the time being with Barclays.