It rained off and on for a good part of yesterday, so it was a perfect day for me to stay inside and play around with a few new software programs I’ve recently updated and to check and see if anything is new out there in cyberland – there is, and it’s absolutely free, from Microsoft again, if you can believe it!
MS Security Essentials basic screen - If the top bar is ‘green’ you’re good to go
This Tuesday, Microsoft released its first free antivirus software, called Microsoft Security Essentials, for computers running its Windows operating system. MSE replaces Windows Live OneCare a subscription antivirus service(I’d actually never even heard of it) and Windows Defender which only protects users from adware and spyware. MSE does both and, as a bonus, is a small-footprint program ideal for computers that lack processing power or broadband Internet connections.
Just click “Clean Computer” icon to remove any detected threat
Pre-release reviews for MSE have been very positive so I thought, what the heck, let’s give it a try. I downloaded the program and installed it – everything went very smoothly with no problems at all. The software doesn't add any browser toolbars, desktop gadgets, or additional bloatware during installation. MSE provides real time protection and automatically updates itself as well.
After removing threats, MSE shows details and actions taken
The program was very easy to configure, in fact, the only thing I actually changed was the ‘time and frequency’ for running a scheduled ‘full system scan’. I’ve use AVG free antivirus software for several years now and have been happy with it even though it tends to want to add toolbars and asks me to upgrade to the ‘full’ paid version on occasion. But, I removed AVG yesterday along with Windows Defender(it’s now redundant) to avoid any potential conflicts. I’m going to try MSE for a couple of weeks to see how it performs, but already I do like the interface, the simplicity and the fact that it uses such a small amount of memory to run. 
Now, as you are writing your blog, you will see exactly how many words you have typed right in the status bar at the bottom of Live Writer’s screen. I know from my previous blog entries that, on average, my posts are around 450 words. The word count let’s me know, with just a quick glance, if if I am being too “wordy” and need to stop rambling on. You can also show the word count in your blog by clicking on Tools, Word Count as well, but the real-time feature is a lot better – at least I think so.
Canada Geese at Fort Rodd Hill yesterday have no fear of humans whatsoever
So, that was pretty much my day Tuesday, except of course, for taking Molly and Rylie to the Cobble Hill Dog Park. Other than that, I was able to spend a lot of time doing what I really enjoy – playing around on the computer and updating programs, systems, utilities and seeing what’s new and exciting. With any luck at all, it’ll rain again today!
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