Microsoft Security Essentials Final Now Available for Download

msscMicrosoft has released the final version of their security suite, Microsoft Security Essentials, to the public. The security software which was available to a limited number of beta testers earlier this year is now available for download. It is available to the genuine users of 32-bit version of Windows XP and 32-bit and 64-bit version of Windows Vista and Windows 7 free.

Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly and efficiently in the background so that you are free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want–without interruptions or long computer wait times.

ms-security-essentials

Microsoft Security Essentials will check if the operating system is genuine before proceeding with the actual installation of the program. The system requirements for installing Microsoft Security Essentials is as follows:

Operating System: Genuine Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3); Windows Vista (Gold, Service Pack 1, or Service Pack 2); Windows 7

  • For Windows XP, a PC with a CPU clock speed of 500 MHz or higher, and 1 GB RAM or higher.
  • For Windows Vista and Windows 7, a PC with a CPU clock speed of 1.0 GHz or higher, and 1 GB RAM or higher.
  • VGA display of 800 × 600 or higher.
  • 140 MB of available hard disk space.
  • An Internet connection is required for installation and to download the latest virus and spyware definitions for Microsoft Security Essentials.
  • Internet Browser:
    • Windows Internet Explorer 6.0 or later.
    • Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or later.
  • Microsoft Security Essentials also supports Windows XP Mode in Windows 7. For more information see the system requirements for Windows XP Mode in Windows 7

The program will update the virus and spyware definitions on the first startup and do a system scan afterwards. Microsoft Security Essentials takes roughly 46 Megabytes of computer memory which is more than acceptable. CPU usage is a bit high during scans. The computer memory usage is not changed while the CPU usage drops to zero during times of no active scans.

Interested users can download the final version of Microsoft Security Essentials free from the official Microsoft website.

You may also like...