Windows 7 & Security Esentials - Timing

I have pre-ordered Windows 7 Pro. It's my understanding that Live One Care
(my current Vista security program) won't work on W7. Is Security Essentials
the "replacement" for Live One Care? And will it be released in time for the
Windows 7 home installations? I apologize for the duplication if someone has
already asked this question. Thanks for your help.

ncprius wrote:

> I have pre-ordered Windows 7 Pro. It's my understanding that Live One Care
> (my current Vista security program) won't work on W7. Is Security
> Essentials the "replacement" for Live One Care? And will it be released in
> time for the Windows 7 home installations? I apologize for the duplication
> if someone has already asked this question. Thanks for your help.

I don't know whether MS Security Essentials is a replacement for Live
OneCare but I wouldn't worry about it. I was on the beta for Security
Essentials and frankly, I won't recommend it to my clients. It may be a fine
antivirus but I don't like its updating mechanism since it doesn't follow
industry-standard procedure but rather uses Windows Update instead. If
Windows Update isn't set on automatic, the antivirus definitions don't get
automatically installed but instead will install when you go to shut down.
This is annoying at best and at worst - what if you never shut down? The
antivirus definitions won't be current.

There are plenty of good antivirus programs that already work with Win7. I'm
running Avira (free version) on mine, Avast (free version available) works
well, and so does NOD32 (commercial).

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Malke. your explanation of the update mecahanism is incorrect. There was a
problem in the initial beta, but it *never* required WU to be set to any option,
only that you had not turned off the WU services. Signature updates download and
install automatically (not waiting until shutdown), regardless of the settings
in AU. The behavior you experienced was due to the bug.

And, to answer the original questions:
MSE is the successor to OneCare.
MSE will be free.
OneCare users will receive communication about how to transition to MSE.
MSE is expected to e released by the time Windows 7 is released, but Microsoft
has not made an official announcement to that effect.
-steve

Malke <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>ncprius wrote:
>
>> I have pre-ordered Windows 7 Pro. It's my understanding that Live One Care
>> (my current Vista security program) won't work on W7. Is Security
>> Essentials the "replacement" for Live One Care? And will it be released in
>> time for the Windows 7 home installations? I apologize for the duplication
>> if someone has already asked this question. Thanks for your help.
>
> I don't know whether MS Security Essentials is a replacement for Live
>OneCare but I wouldn't worry about it. I was on the beta for Security
>Essentials and frankly, I won't recommend it to my clients. It may be a fine
>antivirus but I don't like its updating mechanism since it doesn't follow
>industry-standard procedure but rather uses Windows Update instead. If
>Windows Update isn't set on automatic, the antivirus definitions don't get
>automatically installed but instead will install when you go to shut down.
>This is annoying at best and at worst - what if you never shut down? The
>antivirus definitions won't be current.
>
>There are plenty of good antivirus programs that already work with Win7. I'm
>running Avira (free version) on mine, Avast (free version available) works
>well, and so does NOD32 (commercial).
>
>Malke

--
Stephen Boots
MVP Windows Live
Windows Live OneCare/Live Mesh/MSE Forums Moderator
sboots@mvps.org

I agree with Stephen. You should have another look at MSE. I initially had
the same concerns as you. Those concerns no longer exist. MSE has a very
light footprint and in my admittedly unscientific testing has caught things
I threw at it that other top rated AV programs missed.

--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/


"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:ewcPC0eOKHA.4700@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> ncprius wrote:
>
>> I have pre-ordered Windows 7 Pro. It's my understanding that Live One
>> Care
>> (my current Vista security program) won't work on W7. Is Security
>> Essentials the "replacement" for Live One Care? And will it be released
>> in
>> time for the Windows 7 home installations? I apologize for the
>> duplication
>> if someone has already asked this question. Thanks for your help.
>
> I don't know whether MS Security Essentials is a replacement for Live
> OneCare but I wouldn't worry about it. I was on the beta for Security
> Essentials and frankly, I won't recommend it to my clients. It may be a
> fine
> antivirus but I don't like its updating mechanism since it doesn't follow
> industry-standard procedure but rather uses Windows Update instead. If
> Windows Update isn't set on automatic, the antivirus definitions don't get
> automatically installed but instead will install when you go to shut down.
> This is annoying at best and at worst - what if you never shut down? The
> antivirus definitions won't be current.
>
> There are plenty of good antivirus programs that already work with Win7.
> I'm
> running Avira (free version) on mine, Avast (free version available) works
> well, and so does NOD32 (commercial).
>
> Malke
> --
> MS-MVP
> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ
>

StephenB wrote:

> Malke. your explanation of the update mecahanism is incorrect. There was a
> problem in the initial beta, but it *never* required WU to be set to any
> option, only that you had not turned off the WU services. Signature
> updates download and install automatically (not waiting until shutdown),
> regardless of the settings in AU. The behavior you experienced was due to
> the bug.

Thanks, Stephen (and Kerry!). I did stop following this product after I
bugged this behavior on Connect and was told it was "by design". MS's answer
to so many things.

I will take a look at Security Essentials when it is out of beta and
reconsider whether it is worth recommending it over Avast/Avira to my
clients.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

+1

My only concerns are:

1. Auto-updating can be "hinky" if your default update source is not the
recommended Microsoft Update (vs Windows Update).

[With Microsoft Update set as the default, this admittedly underpowered, 5+
year old Dell 300m all but freezes when Automatic Updates (AU) kicks in.
That being said, I'm waiting to see if the new version of Windows Update
Agent (currently being rolled-out*) improves things before passing final
judgement.]

2. MSE's auto-updating ignores your AU settings (e.g., If you've selected
the "Notify Only" option, MSE updates install without user-approval).

[In fact, WindowsUpdate.log shows that AU often runs twice when it's invoked
by MSE: The first instance seeks & installs MSE updates; then the second
instance checks for "other" updates. When this happens, the complete AU
session can take 20-30 minutes, all told.]

================
* cf.
http://blogs.technet.com/mu/archive/...ws-update.aspx
--
~Robear

Kerry Brown wrote:
> I agree with Stephen. You should have another look at MSE. I initially
> had
> the same concerns as you. Those concerns no longer exist. MSE has a very
> light footprint and in my admittedly unscientific testing has caught
> things
> I threw at it that other top rated AV programs missed.
<snip>

New OneCare subscriptions are not being offered now.

MSE is considered OneCare's replacement although it does not include many of
OneCare's features.

MSE is still in beta. While it's anticipated that MSE will go RTW by late
October, "those who say cannot know and those who know cannot say."
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com


ncprius wrote:
> I have pre-ordered Windows 7 Pro. It's my understanding that Live One Care
> (my current Vista security program) won't work on W7. Is Security
> Essentials
> the "replacement" for Live One Care? And will it be released in time for
> the
> Windows 7 home installations? I apologize for the duplication if someone
> has
> already asked this question. Thanks for your help.

PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:

> +1
>
> My only concerns are:
>
> 1. Auto-updating can be "hinky" if your default update source is not the
> recommended Microsoft Update (vs Windows Update).
>
> [With Microsoft Update set as the default, this admittedly underpowered,
> [5+
> year old Dell 300m all but freezes when Automatic Updates (AU) kicks in.
> That being said, I'm waiting to see if the new version of Windows Update
> Agent (currently being rolled-out*) improves things before passing final
> judgement.]
>
> 2. MSE's auto-updating ignores your AU settings (e.g., If you've selected
> the "Notify Only" option, MSE updates install without user-approval).
>
> [In fact, WindowsUpdate.log shows that AU often runs twice when it's
> [invoked
> by MSE: The first instance seeks & installs MSE updates; then the second
> instance checks for "other" updates. When this happens, the complete AU
> session can take 20-30 minutes, all told.]

Thanks for this, Robear. Hopefully they will get the kinks worked out. If
not, then there's always Avira/Avast instead.

Cheers,

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

[If you're still enrolled in the Connect beta, you can still
download/install the latest release, Malke.]

Malke wrote:
> StephenB wrote:
>
>> Malke. your explanation of the update mecahanism is incorrect. There was
>> a
>> problem in the initial beta, but it *never* required WU to be set to any
>> option, only that you had not turned off the WU services. Signature
>> updates download and install automatically (not waiting until shutdown),
>> regardless of the settings in AU. The behavior you experienced was due to
>> the bug.
>
> Thanks, Stephen (and Kerry!). I did stop following this product after I
> bugged this behavior on Connect and was told it was "by design". MS's
> answer
> to so many things.
>
> I will take a look at Security Essentials when it is out of beta and
> reconsider whether it is worth recommending it over Avast/Avira to my
> clients.
>
> Malke

I do love the way Connect bugs get closed. :-)

I don't hesitate to suggest Avast and Avira to someone looking for a decent free
solution, by the way. I'm looking forward to adding MSE to that list of
recommendations.
-steve

Malke <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>StephenB wrote:
>
>> Malke. your explanation of the update mecahanism is incorrect. There was a
>> problem in the initial beta, but it *never* required WU to be set to any
>> option, only that you had not turned off the WU services. Signature
>> updates download and install automatically (not waiting until shutdown),
>> regardless of the settings in AU. The behavior you experienced was due to
>> the bug.
>
>Thanks, Stephen (and Kerry!). I did stop following this product after I
>bugged this behavior on Connect and was told it was "by design". MS's answer
>to so many things.
>
>I will take a look at Security Essentials when it is out of beta and
>reconsider whether it is worth recommending it over Avast/Avira to my
>clients.
>
>Malke

--
Stephen Boots
MVP Windows Live
Windows Live OneCare/Live Mesh/MSE Forums Moderator
sboots@mvps.org