Microsoft Security Essentials???

I'm a bit shocked at the accolades I see tossed in the direction of Microsoft Security Essentials.  You see, when I think of Microsoft....I think of Internet Explorer, and how I like most every browser available much better than that one.

I'm not alone.  We are legion.

I've gone back and forth and back and over, over and over again with anti virus software programs.  I've used all the major free ones, and I don't ever really get viruses that a scan won't catch from any of them - but then again, who knows?

When I got my newest used computer......I updated the AVG that was already on it, and maxed out the scan settings for full scan, and low and behold....five viruses were on this thing.  I wasn't expecting ANY - I'd just got the thing from a shop, and it was running great!  I was just being precautionary and paranoid as you are supposed to be with a computer.

All that's beside the point - twice this week I've had someone that I well know to have vastly superior knowledge of how PC's work than I  tell me that Microsoft Security Essentials, in their opinion, was a better program than AVG, Avast, Avira, or ..."insert your free anti virus program here."

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=5201

AVG, Avira, or Avast?

http://hubpages.com/_2f6iz9aonqwpc/hub/The-Best-Free-Anti-Virus-Software-with-Download-Links

In the comments on my blog, should you wisely follow the link above, you'll find some convincing comments that claim that Avast is the best free anti virus program.  At the moment, I'm using AVG; so who knows?  Check it out, leave me a comment about what your opinions are.

I have tested AVG,Microsoft security essentials,Clam win,Hitman pro and Avast.

My two parameters for testing are:

DEP-data execution prevention-which I enabled for all files and folders in my vista home premium,and Sophos anti rootkit.

While I had AVG, DEP closed my internet browsing about ten times to protect computer.Also,while having AVG, I scanned my pc once in two weeks for rootkits and other garbage with Sophos antirootkit.Every time Sophos antirootkit detected and put for removing between 80 and 150 MB of crap!!And Malwarebytes antimalware occasionally found one or two infected files.Also Eset free online scanner and remover found and removed few infections.

Similar results were for Hitman pro and Clam vin.

Microsoft Security Essentials were much better.DEP didnt close even once,and Sophos found around 50MB of crap every two weeks.No infections found by Eset,Malwarebytes.

Then I switched to Avast.

After two months the results are:

DEP didnt close even once

Sophos finds 0(zero)!!! rootkits and other crap.

No infections found by Eset or Malwarebytes.

I didnt tested Avira and cant say anything about Avira,but I am so happy with Avast that I dont want to change it at all!

Avast has a few other advantages over other anti virus,but I have mentioned the most important ones.

So my vote goes to Avast.