4.3.4. Microsoft Security Essentials - Settings

In the Settings tab you will find all the configuration options for Microsoft Security Essentials.
It is recommended that you do not change these settings unless you are certain of what you are doing, otherwise you could leave your computer in a less protected state.

Microsoft Security Essentials will regularly perform a scan of your computer, this ensures that any newly discovered threats which could have been downloaded before detection of them was added to the definitions will be detected.
By default a quick scan will be performed at 2:00AM on Sunday morning. If your computer is unlikely to switched on at this time you can change when this scan is performed to a time when the computer is more likely to be on. You can also schedule the scan to take place daily rather than weekly if preferred.
You can also change the type of scan performed to a full scan.

Microsoft Security Essentials categorises all threats into one of four categories (as defined by Microsoft):
  • Severe - These are widespread or exceptionally malicious programs, similar to viruses or worms, which negatively affect your privacy and the security of your computer, and can damage your computer.
  • High - These are programs that might collect your personal information and negatively affect your privacy or damage your computer. For example, the program collects information or changes settings, typically without your knowledge or consent.
  • Medium - These are programs that might affect your privacy or make changes to your computer that could negatively impact your computing experience. For example, the program collects personal information or changes settings.
  • Low - This is potentially unwanted software that might collect information about you or your computer or might change how your computer works. However, the software is operating in agreement with licensing terms displayed when you installed the software.

For each of these categories you can specify what action is taken against the item or that it be dealt with according to the Microsoft Security Essentials Recommended Action.
For Severe and High alerts, you can specify that the item be Removed or Quarantined.
For Medium and Low alerts, you can specify that the item be Removed, Quarantined or Allowed.
By default Microsoft Security Essentials will remove items that fall inti the Severe or High alert levels, and prompt the user what to do for items in the Medium and Low alert levels.

The Real-time protection settings are used to configure how Microsoft Security Essentials monitors the files and processes running on your computer. You can turn off this real-time protection if required. You can also specify that real-time protection is used to monitor file and program activity on your computer as it happens or that downloaded files and attachments be scanned.
It is recommended that you leave these settings switched on.

Occasionally an installation program may warn that anti-virus programs be switched off whilst a program is
installed. This is almost always unnecessary and may put your computer at risk - leave your anti-virus program switched on at all times.

You can exclude certain files or folders from scanning by Microsoft Security Essentials if you know that these files cannot pose a threat to your computer.
This may speed up the scan, but could also leave your computer less protected.

You can exclude certain files types from scanning by Microsoft Security Essentials if you know that these files cannot pose a threat to your computer.
This may speed up the scan, but could also leave your computer less protected.

You can exclude certain processes from scanning by Microsoft Security Essentials if you know that these processes cannot pose a threat to your computer. It is recommended that you allow scanning of all processes.
This may speed up the scan, but could also leave your computer less protected.

The Advanced settings allow you to set the following configuration items :
  • Scan archive files - On by default, this option configures Microsoft Security Essentials to scan inside archives such as .ZIP or .CAB files. Many installation programs are also archives. (As an example, the MSDN installation program from Microsoft which contains documentation for programmers on the Windows platform is a single .EXE file which actually contains over 300,000 individual files).
    • Scan removable drives - Off by default, this option configures Microsoft Security Essentials to scan the contents of removable drives when running a full scan. Items will still be scanned when copied to a local hard-disk even when this configuration item is off.
      • Create a system restore point - On by default, this item configures Microsoft Security Essentials to create a system restore point on a daily basis before cleaning your computer. A system restore point is a kind of snapshot which allows Windows to be restored to a know configuration.
        • Allow all users to view the full History results - On by default, allows non-administrator users to view all the detected items in the History tab. This may have privacy implications in that users may be able to glean information about files and locations accessed by administrator users which they would not normally have access to.

        The Microsoft SpyNet tab enables you to change your subscription to the online community which helps you to deal with threats to your computer.
        When a threat is detected on your computer certain details are automatically sent to Microsoft SpyNet where they are analysed to determine what action should be recommended for other instances of this threat. Basic membership is normally enough for this purpose.