On computers: Microsoft finally tackles viruses — and it's free

 

Microsoft for decades told users that security was their own problem. The Gates guys were oblivious to the hacker hordes destroying their software. Of course, once the 500-pound gorilla got angry, the programmers got busy.
Microsoft has rolled out a free anti-virus program that could eclipse all of the commercial ones. Microsoft Essentials has been proven in months of beta testing. And guess what. It’s free. There are no expensive upsells and no fees to keep the program current.
Drop everything and go to:
www.microsoft.com/SecurityEssentials/
The download and installation are simple. I’ve been running it for a month and see no problems. It’s like every good anti-virus program — you don’t notice it until you need it.
The Install Wizard first checks that your Windows is registered. This validation is to thwart pirated versions. Legitimate users will have no problems. Mac users need to be running Windows.
Microsoft suggests you turn off your present anti-virus system before installing. That’s wise. It conflicted with mine, causing a lock up. I turned off my Avast and Essentials ran fine. If this fails, Microsoft says to uninstall your old virus checker.
The program requires zero expertise. It covers you on all angles of “malware” (malicious software). Each day at a time you schedule, it updates itself in the background as you continue to work.
This is so seamless, if it weren’t for the little icon in your toolbar, you’d never notice it. Until, of course, a virus hits.
Unlike other free virus fighters, Essentials is free for commercial systems, a godsend for businesses.
The question remains: Why is Microsoft so generous? The answer is they’re in business to sell Windows, not anti-malware programs. Anything that increases the value of Windows is OK with them. It’s good marketing to give away necessary software.
The program replaces Windows Defender, a spyware killer. One thing I noticed is it leaves a .vdm file in my root directory every time it uploads its virus signatures. You may delete these, as they use disk space. Microsoft should correct this in future upgrades.
Esentials Security is included in some upgrades. If you do not have it, download it. This is too good to miss.
Now nobody has any excuse not to run anti-viral protection. Or, for that matter, pay $5 a month to keep a commercial program up to date.