At the release of Windows 7, Microsoft also threw it’s hat into the ring of free anti-virus software with the release of Security Essentials. While no software package is 100% full proof, MSE works surprisingly, being that it is free and it is from Microsoft – the same vendor whose initial software requires an extra layer of protection. MSE has replaced my for-pay NOD32 anti-virus and is probably worth a look for those of you who are using other free alternatives – like Avast or Antivir.

However, this post is a review of Security Essentials. I wrote back in November that MSE receives it’s definition updates through Windows Update, like Windows Defender previously. This is a logical extension of the Microsoft framework that is already in place for maintaining an up to date and fully patched system. The system breaks down though if you do not have Windows Update automatically download and install, or at worst, not enabled whatsoever. I outlined a method of using Task Scheduler to create a custom task that would initiate the MSE update process from the command line.


This is a bit technical admittedly so today I’ve come across something that is more user friendly. The MSE Update Utility, from the guys at AddictiveTips.com addresses the update problem with a light-weight standalone utility. The period of update is definable from: daily, weekly, monthly, or start-up. That’s the only level of configurability but what else are you expecting?

If you are in a situation where using WindowsUpdate for your MSE updates is not feasible, MSE Update is likely the software solution to your problem.

Download MSE Update Utility