# Microsoft Essentials



## Expiry (Jan 13, 2012)

I was having trouble downloaded my new McAfee virus protection, and when I called to sort it out, I was told by the sales agent that I could download MS Essentials for free and that it's pretty much the same standard as any that I could buy.

Is this true?


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## Domski (Jan 13, 2012)

I read about it a while back and most of the reviews I checked were fairly positive but not enough to stop me renewing my Kaspersky license.

Dom


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## Firefly2012 (Jan 13, 2012)

On the grounds I'm tight-fisted, I run MSE on all my home computers and have never had a problem with it (that I know about )


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## diddi (Jan 14, 2012)

yay for kaspersky.  i have been reselling it for about 6 years now.  never had anybody not like it or think they did not get value for money.  have had a few people not take up the subscription after the trial period i install, and they use *something free* and in almost every case they have wanted me to return to "fix" their puta again cos they have a virus or problem.  i usually find i am too busy. LOL


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## xenou (Jan 14, 2012)

I use MSE.  In general I believe it is considered to be on par with $$ AV programs, but you don't get all the "extras" that I don't want anyway.  Prior to that I used AVG Free which also was a good product.


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## Jon von der Heyden (Jan 14, 2012)

I've never had any problem running AVG Free and MSE.


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## Domski (Jan 14, 2012)

Even with the sites you visit Jon


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## diddi (Jan 14, 2012)

"The sites you visit"

isnt that the key, or more so "The rubbish ads you click on" 

i have found that educating customers that "click here to get free smiley icons and loose 10kgs" really means "click here to get a trojan", and that makes a huge difference, especially if you can get through to the feral teenage know-it-alls that are generally responsible for the clicks in question.

out of interest, i have found the commercial product AdBlock Pro very good, and also for recalcitrant teens, a little tweaking of the HOSTS file can be useful too.


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## shg (Jan 14, 2012)

I switched to Kasperky a few years ago after I got a virus while using McAfee that was so deeply embedded I had to move my laptop drive to another computer to get rid of it.

No problems since then, and the three-computer license is very convenient.


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## RoryA (Jan 15, 2012)

I use ESET on all my Windows machines. Initially because I get it free as an MVP, but it is the most efficient and least intrusive AV/Firewall I have ever used (my wife actively noticed that she wasn't getting pestered by alerts/messages unlike some others) so I have cheerfully recommended it to family and friends, though I also suggest MSE since it seems to have good reviews and do as well as most products in tests I have seen.
The only place I use McAfee is at work because I have no choice. Only 4 virus outbreaks last year...


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## Domski (Jan 15, 2012)

"and the three-computer license is very convenient"

Indeed. Shopping around I can usually cover both my pc's and my mum's for less then a tenner each.

Dom


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## SydneyGeek (Jan 15, 2012)

I use VIPRE. Small company but their product is good, and they have a home license for 3 PCs that is pretty good value. 
Definition updates several times a day, low on resource requirements, and came out top of the bunch in a recent anti-malware survey. 

Denis


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