I'm surprised no one posted these news.
It would seem that Microsoft decided to skip ver 3 and deliver v4 of MSE in beta flavor.
Microsoft Skips 3, Releases Security Essentials 4 Beta
From the article itself:
"Microsoft says that the new version is optimized to make better use of background resources, won't use as much memory and won't degrade a PCs performance during scans and cleanups."
Now, personally, I hadn't really experienced performance degradation during scans and cleanups... much less definition updates... but I DO agree that MS needs to streamline and further improve on MSE a bit to make it a bit less slow in full scanning (though it's usually only slow when run once for the first time - subsequent scans are fast).
If they deliver, it will only serve to improve on an already pretty good software.
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If you have a low end CPU (2.0 Ghz or lesser), you would notice slow downs during the update process. I had noticed the slow down with my C2D T7100 1.8 Ghz.
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Well, I have a P7350 2.0Ghz C2D cpu and I hadn't noticed slowdowns.
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It is unusual the way they skipped version 3 and moved on to beta version 4.
I haven't tried it myself yet (little time for beta testing nowadays) but as far as I read user reviews here and there, it really is a beta in that it runs flawless for some users while others experience quirks here and there.
At thewindowsclub.com, there is a review and screenshots have been posted. link.
About the features mentioned there, I just wonder about the " ...Alerts notify you when spyware, viruses, or other malicious software attempt to run or install on your PC, and suspicious files and programs are prevented from opening."
I hope MSE won't go the NIS/NAV way of simply making a judgement for the user and deleting a file because it's deemed malicious.
The ' System Cleaning' option allows to ignore any warnings, I just hope the real-time protection won't outright block/delete a file beforehand. -
Well, if that link you posted is any indication, then the public beta seems to be delivering on what MS said they will address in this version.
Some people on tomshardware in commentaries suggested that MS skipped v3 because it's deemed the professional/paid version of MSE.
Dunno how accurate that is because only MS can clarify their intentions for skipping v3 in numbering.
As for automatic deletion... I have nothing against MSE blocking and asking you on how to proceed, but automatically deleting mercilessly whatever it deems a threat seems a bit over the edge.
Still, I think we will have the option to set MSE to ask us on what we want to do with the file it deems 'dangerous'.
MSE v4 beta released...
Discussion in 'Security and Anti-Virus Software' started by Deks, Dec 4, 2011.