What is Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE)? How would you update virus definitions in it?


Author: Brooke M. Perry

What is Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE)

Microsoft cares best for its users and introduces products and utilities that are extremely helpful for users worldwide. You get Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) as one of such utilities that is offered free by Microsoft. MSE is a freebie that is designed to guard your PC or laptop from viruses, malware, spyware, rootkits, Trojan horse and other online threats. MSE is a delight for all those who are using home or small business PCs as it provides real time protection to your computer.

You will find MSE as an amazing product that can be easily installed and used without any advance technical support. Once installed on your computer, it will keep on working quietly and never distracts you because it doesn't interrupt while making security updates. MSE is ranked as the most used antivirus software in North America and one of the best in the world.

MSE has been designed in such a way that it updates its security programs once in every 24 hours and if your computer is not switched on at the particular time, you will miss that update. But don't worry as that can be tackled by making a simple setting in the Windows so that you never miss the MSE updates or you can update the virus definitions in it.

How to update virus definitions in MSE?

Below mentioned are the step-by-step guidelines for updating the virus definitions in MSE:

• First go to the 'Start' menu and look for 'Task scheduler' and then press 'Enter'

• Click on 'Create Task' appearing on the right pane of the Task Scheduler. Be precise in clicking on 'Create task' and don't get confused with another option 'Create basic task' appearing in the same menu.

Now you have to give a relevant name to your task and bit of description. Also change the user to a 'SYSTEM' by following the below instructions.

• First click on 'Change user or group'

• Type 'SYSTEM' in the object name box and then click on 'OK'

• Now click on the 'Triggers' tab in the 'Create task' window and then click on 'New'. This will bring the edit Trigger window before you. By using this option you can also schedule the task to 'Daily'

• Now go down to the 'Advance Settings' and set 'Repeat task every' to 6 hours. Set the duration as 'Indefinitely.' Don't forget to make sure that the 'Enable' has been checked and then click on 'OK'

• Now come to the 'Actions' tab and click over there and then click on 'New.' Here you also need to type 'SignatureUpdate' into the arguments box and then click on 'Browse.'

• • While browsing go to the executable MpCmdRun.exe file, which is ideally located at the

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security\Antimalware\MpCmdRun.exe

• Now click on the 'Conditions' tab and check the box located under 'Network'

• Use 'Any Connections' in place of network connections name

• Now finally click on 'Ok' to complete the process.

This will make your PC or laptop to update task coming through MSE even if there is no internet connection. In this way you will never miss the MSE updates because a new schedule for Microsoft Security Essentials has been setup on your computer.


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