Can I reiterate the question of what does constitute a full replacement?
NAT in the router + MSSE + Windows Firewall + ? = complete protection.
Does installing Spybot or AdAware for manual scans make a difference? Necessary?
What about Spybot’s TeaTimer – does MSSE prevent unwanted changes to the registry?
What’s missing?
MSSE does not prevent tracking cookies, spyware, spam, or any malware other than viruses. You would need Spybot and AdAware or similar antimalwares. I use SuperAntispyware, SpyBlaster, and Malawarebytes, in addition to McAffee. I just purchased a new computer (Windows 7) from Dell and got three years free for McAffee. Hence, I don’t use MSSE but probably will when my free subscription expires.
People who need shit like tea timer and 18 security apps are Doing It Wrong. More is not better. Either switch to a non-admin account or improve your PC hygiene (dont pirate software from torrents, run executables from emails or questionable sources, etc).
End users are well served by the built in firewall and MSE and a little common sense.
Wrong. There’s no distinction between viruses, trojans, rootkits, spyware, and malware. You do not need to run Defender or Spybot or anything else with MSE. Also, why do you expect a AV scanner to stop spam? That should be done by your email provider or by your email client. AV doing spam checks is bloaty feature creep we dont need.
Spyware are not viruses and MSSE will not block tracking cookies (which are spyware). I agree that more is not better but you should have enough. You should not run Defender with MSE as they both serve the same purpose and could interfere with each other. But neither stops or removes spyware.
Cookies are not spyware as they neither spy nor are they ware. You can set your browser to block all cookies if you’re paranoid.
Windows Defender’s purpose is anti-spyware. MSE incorporated Windows Defender’s code and will disable (in XP) or uninstall (in Vista or 7) the standalone version because it is redundant.
MSE both stops and removes spyware.
Tracking cookies track what websites you visit, and, in that respect, spy on your computer. MSSE has incorporated Windows Defender so it blocks spyware and viruses; however, I heard that it does not block rootkits. I know I can block all cookies, but I need some cookies so I don’t have to remember log in info. I have my internet privacy set at medium, which restricts first party cookies that save info that can be used to contact me w/o my consent and have blocked 3d pty cookies that do the same. Under sites in “Privacy” I typed the urls of those sites I’ve exempted from blocking or restricting, so I don’t have to type in the log-in info. This website is one of them.
Cookies are not spyware. They are not software. You should be managing cookies on your own. Expecting an AV scanner to manage all your privacy settings is being more than a little bit silly. How about when Steam or Windows Update or a bazillion other apps phone home with information about your computer? Its impractical to expect your AV to also do your privacy and builds up a false sense of security if youre just wiping cookies.
What about the issue of MSSE not blocking rootkits?
I manage cookies on my own, but when I scan with AdAware, it finds many cookies to quarantine. If I then scan with SuperAntispyware, it finds more cookies. I don’t expect an antivirus to block or eliminate cookies. I don’t believe any do, unless you get the suite. That’s why I’ve also downloaded AdAware, SuperAntispyware, and Malwarebytes. And one applet is not sufficient, as noted above. IMHO one should have one antivirus applet but several applets for spyware and cookies.
As obvious from my OP, I’m not a security expert and am not wholly familiar with MSSE. But following your lead, I poked a bit around and found:
But see:
PCMag
I’m in somewhat agreement with you. I’ve always approached security with a strategy perspective, not a single-tool implementation (e.g., AdAware and SpyBot; NoScript and Adblock in the browser). As for cookies, I have FF ask each time, and I’ll either allow or deny for the session. Not perfect, but given the relative innocuousness of cookies, sufficient for my purposes.
To those that say one needn’t worry if you avoid torrents and nefarious doings, go check out the several virus-through-the-boards threads in ATMB.
It sounds like everything you “heard” about MSE was from a Dell salesperson who managed to talk you into buying (it’s not free) a three-year McAfee subscription.
The 3-year subscription is free. McAfee gives these free subscriptions to purchasers of new computers so that they get hooked on McAfee. Dell used to give free subscriptions to Norton for the same purpose.
Most of the materials I’ve read about MSE has been news posts in a usenet group, Privatenew.microsoft, particularly microsoft.privae.security.spyware (announcements, general, etc.) Many of the posters there are MVPs (Microsoft Valuable Person). Some are microsoft employees. So, if anything, their critique of MSE should be favorable, and there has been a post that if you have McAfee, remove it and install one of the free ones named, including MSE, which I may do when my subscription expires. Or I may use one of the other recommended free ones: Avira, Avast, or Nod32. I don’t know about Nod32. My computer is on a 64-bit environment so it may not work on it. OTOH, it probably will and they should change their name.
Cite?
Cite for what?
Gonna give this a try and see how it goes. One thing that gives me the big “WTF?” is this does NOT work on Microsoft’s own Windows Home server. (using Avast there…)
For
And while I’m at it, a cite for:
MSE is licensed for personal machines only. The server and corporate desktop version is MS Forefront and is not free. WHS is Windows Server 2003, and MSE won’t install on any server OS by design.
They may have a WHS-only version in the future, there may not. MS has had enough anti-trust issues to be cautious about free software.
Dell has advertised the McAfee trial subscription as being a free trial subscription. Do you think it would engage in false advertising? Moreover, it was noted as a free trial subscription in the MS newsreader, MS public news and MS private news, wherein some posters recommended removing the free trial subscription and downloading MSE or another free one.
Fascinating. I’ve had three Dell laptops over the years. Each time they’ve only included 30-day subscriptions, though Dell did try to sneak in the retail price somewhere in the transaction. Maybe sneak is a bit harsh, but it was something to avoid ending up paying for by default. Their mid-range laptops still come with only a 30-day trial of McAfee. Your claim that Dell includes three years seems to run against the experience of people calling for a cite.
But this just in … I popped over to Dell for a moment and took a very quick look at their laptops again. A thousand dollar (not cheap, but not over the top) Studio 15 comes with a 15-month subscription embedded in the price. A 3-year subscription is only $40. I only checked out one or two, but other laptops on their site could easily include the 3-year plan (especially as it’s probably cheap for Dell to comp something like that during their constant sale cycles). Ignorance fought!
I honestly don’t like trusting any one vendor to handle things on my computer. Microsoft is handling Updates, which fix secuirty holes. I’m not going to trust them with another security product unless I have no other choice.
Anyways, I have XP Home, which can’t run Windows Updates on a limited account. You have to Shut Down the computer to use them (not even rebooting will work.) I don’t want to have to do this just to install antivirus updates. Avira Antivir has had no noticeable slowdown on my computer. And, with a little tweak, you can get rid of the annoying nag screen without violating the terms of use.
And if it wereto delete my NoCD cracks, I’d go insane. The whole point of having a program completely installed on the hard drive is to avoid having to use the physical disks.