# Goodbye Microsoft Security Essentials: Microsoft Now Recommends You Use a Third-Party



## JMH3143 (Jun 18, 2012)

> Microsoft Security Essentials (Windows Defender on Windows 8) was once on top. Over the years, it’s slid in the test results, but Microsoft argued the tests weren’t meaningful. Now, Microsoft is advising Windows users to use a third-party antivirus instead.
> 
> This revelation comes to us from an interview Microsoft gave. Microsoft’s official website still bills MSE as offering “comprehensive malware protection” without any hint that they no longer recommend using it. Microsoft is not communicating well with its users.


Goodbye Microsoft Security Essentials: Microsoft Now Recommends You Use a Third-Party Antivirus


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

From what I can glean from the article, Microsoft is not recommending that you _replace_ MSE with another AV program but use another _in conjunction_ with it. I use Windows 8 Defender and also scan periodically with MBAM, etc. Maybe I've been lucky but I've yet to encounter anything that MSE or Win 8 Defender didn't detect and block.

The articles mention too that MS used to have a team whose job was to assess the most-common tests used by reviewers and then to make sure MSE scored well on them. Since they no longer do this they probably won't be scoring highly. Other anti-malware providers are competing for your money and know that consumers use test results to evaluate the best program, thus they will continue to strive to do well on the tests. 



> This shouldn't be seen as Microsoft leaving customers unprotected... the company is merely focusing on the most serious threats. Baseline does not equal bad... We provide a high-quality, high-performing service to our customers and if they choose not to buy [a 3rd-party antivirus] on Windows 8... we want them protected.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The article in PC Pro is a bit off base MS is not recommending that users have 2 A/V's installed.
> Sensationalist Press Got it WRONG! Microsoft Does Not Recommend Two Antivirus Programs! ~ Security Garden


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Right, by "in conjunctions with it" I meant to use MSE/Win 8 Defender and then occasionally scan with another program like MBAM, not to have two real-time applications running one on top of the other. I think this was the intent of the person interviewed too -- not to stack anti-malware programs but to use several of the methods available to help keep your system safe rather than to just rely on MSE alone.

In fact, the way Windows 8 is set up it would be hard to have both Windows 8 Defender and another real-rime protection application running at once anyway because Win 8 Defender automatically disables itself off when another anti-virus suite is installed, probably to avoid anti-trust lawsuits by anti-malware companies.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The reply was in reference to the article, by default Win 8 will disable defender when another AV is installed


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

> 99.9% of computers using Microsoft real-time protection reported *no infections* on the average day of August, 2013.


For the average user, it looks like Microsoft's built-in anti-malware options work pretty well.


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