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Installing Microsoft Security Essentials – Video Tip

microsoft-security-essentialsToday, I downloaded, updated, configured and installed Microsoft’s new, free security product: Microsoft Security Essentials. It provides a significant upgrade in protection and usability over their previous offerings. In fact, the setup and administration is extremely straight forward. From the reviews and tests that I’ve read, it appears to protect PCs (Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7) quite well and doesn’t slow the computer down by being bloated like so many other security products on the market.

I will be testing it out over the next month or so and report back my findings, but for now, I continue to recommend AVG and Avast. If you are already using either of those products, stay with them. If you are using almost anything else, you can certainly give your computer a performance boost by trying this product without compromising your system’s security.

Here’s how to install and use Microsoft Security Essentials:

  1. Visit the site above and download the product to your desktop or other known location. The download is less than 5 megabytes!
  2. Uninstall any antivirus security software you currently use, which will most likely require you to restart your system.
  3. Find and double-click the file you downloaded in Step 1 and click Run when asked what to do.
  4. Click Next
  5. Click I accept
  6. Click Validate (Microsoft will only install the product on systems with legal copies of Windows)
  7. Click Install. The installation is surprisingly fast…took less than 3 minutes on my system and no restart necessary.
  8. Uncheck the scan after update option if you desire.
  9. Click Finish
  10. An automatic update will start and takes about 10+ minutes, depending on speed of your computer and Internet.

Watch my video below to see these steps and some extra settings tweaks as well.

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7 thoughts on “Installing Microsoft Security Essentials – Video Tip”

  1. Rick

    You are welcome. Yes, users need and want free. So far, the MSE looks pretty good, but unfortunately too many users still think easy is buying bloated software from under-educated sales people at large electronic stores.

    I am a HUGE fan of Avast as well…very fast and thorough protection.

  2. Ken Laumann

    Hi Rick,
    You mentioned to remove any anti virus before installing Security Essentials.I have Norton 2010 on my Win 7 now,can I reinstall Norton after installing MSE,or would that cause a conflict?

    Regards,Ken Laumann

    1. Rick

      DO NOT install more than one antivirus product on your system. The Microsoft Security Essentials is a REPLACEMENT for any other system. If you like your Norton, just keep it and don’t install any other software. Thanks for the comment!

  4. wendymello

    Rick, I installed Microsoft essentials on my old dell Windows XP 3 days ago, tdday I found out my address book had been compromised sending out a short message to each person. I went to check my old XP and the M/S security program was not running-hence the breakin. I am
    currently restarting the program but how do I keep it from happening again? Wendy

    1. Rick

      Yes, in one of my Windows 8 videos I mention that Windows 8 ships with Microsoft Security Essentials (now named Windows Defender). Just remove any trial software from your new system, and then enable Windows Defender from the “Action Center” (little white flag by your clock on the desktop screen). Thanks!

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