It updates itself – no IE required – using the same mechanism as Microsoft Update (but working independently of MS Update).

Yep, I wrote about those clauses in my original Windows Secrets Newsletter article. What I found, though, was that – at least with Windows 7 and Vista – Automatic Updates is NOT turned on when you install MSE. I haven’t had a chance to check a WinXP machine, but it looks like MSE does turn it on.

Hmmmm… there’s one subtlety here. All of my Vista and Win7 machines use Microsoft Update, not Windows Update (it’s just that they notify, but don’t download). I wonder if Auto Updates gets turned on if you have only Windows Update enabled? I’ll try to check that out today.

Scary note about continued validation checks. That would be even harder to check – you’d have to find a Windows crack that works well enough now to get MSE going, but poorly enough that MS catches it in the future.

The Privacy Statement page has a phone home list: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/privacy.aspx

Woody,

That page also states that “Microsoft Security Essentials turns on automatic updating from Windows Update and Microsoft Update….”

According to the license terms: “If you do not enlist in the Microsoft Update center, you will not be able to install and operate the software.”

Also note that MSE conducts “validation checks of your operating system software from time to time” and if you fail, the software “may be disabled, or the functionality of the operating system software may be affected”. Thus placing profit above security.

Some things never change.

Steen

Are you sure?

I watched carefully for that exact behavior when installing MSE on several Win7 and Vista machines. The MSE install didn’t turn on Automatic Updates. Not sure about XP.

MSE seems to update itself regardless of the Auto Update setting. I have Auto Updates turned off on all of my machines (of course), and MSE is updating itself just fine.

Weird.

Skipped AVG, Spywaredoctor, Search and Detstroy, TrendRubot and installed MSE. Just be aware that it immediately turns on Automatic Updates. Typical Microsoft, I think!

This is looking good but, on the basis that there is no such thing as a free lunch, just what information does this thing phone home with?

Looking at the youtube thing it appears to be very simple to operate which is brilliant, because Norton confuses the hell out of me as well as raiding my credit card.

MSE is both antivirus and anticrapware.

As an AV product, it replaces the only marginally useful part of OneCare, which was a marketing nightmare. (”What? I have to PAY MICROSOFT to fix holes in their software?”)

It replaces Windows Defender – a move that I predicted in “Windows 7 All-In-One For Dummies” that came true. You can read the details there.