Microsoft's free antivirus now available

Security Essentials graduates from beta

Microsoft's free Antivirus now available

29 September 2009 17:23 GMT / By Duncan Geere

Microsoft's free antivirus package, "Microsoft Security Essentials", is now available to anyone, just over three months after it went into a beta test period in June that was limited to US users.

But now everyone can grab the bare-bones security package from Microsoft's website. It's a replacement from the company's paid-for OneCare package that never met with great success, being trumped by McAfee, Symantec and other companies whose products are preloaded on new computers.

Other companies, like AVG and Avast!, provide free antivirus software, and it's these that will likely be most hurt by Microsoft's move. Although some have accused McAfee, Symantec and Trend Micro of producing bloated software that consumes system resources, it's difficult to fault them on the strength of their protection.

Security Essentials is free, available now, and works on XP, Vista and Windows 7. There's a link to download it below.

Read

Related
Full tags
Software, Microsoft, Viruses And Malware, Security software, PC software
UK Shopping
Amazon.co.uk, play.com, pixmania.co.uk, Currys.co.uk, Dixons.co.uk, 7dayshop.com, ebay.co.uk
US Shopping
Amazon.com, bestbuy.com, ebay.com

share Subscribe to RSS feeds email story save story print story pdf

Comments

  • it was real good Posted by steven, westyorkshire

(Will not be published)

  (Next time sign in to bypass captcha)

Latest in Software

Latest on Pocket-lint.com

About Pocket-lint

Pocket-lint is your one stop shop for gadgets, technology and consumer electronics, bringing you the low-down on the latest televisions, cameras, phones, GPS and much more. Whether it's learning about what's hot in the world of Apple, finding out about the latest home cinema kit from Samsung and Sony or merely seeing what not to buy, we have you covered. So check out our reviews, news, comment, hands-on photo galleries and videos. Enjoy.

Pocket-lint.com poll

Q. Do you still buy CDs?

Vote YES Vote NO

» LAST TIME
When asked Do you want the Droid by Motorola? 53% said yes and 47% said no

Top 10 Broadband

Compare 50+
broadband packages

Home Broadband »

Top products

tip us on news

reviews hub

Rss feed

Follow us on Twitter