4.4.1. Testing Microsoft Security Essentials - Real-time Protection

We'll start by testing Microsoft Security Essentials real-time protection.

1. Check that the Microsoft Security Essentials icon in the system tray (at the bottom right of the desktop) is green.
2. Try to download the EICAR standard anti-virus test file.
3. At this point you would generally click on Save to save the file to the local hard-disk. A warning will probably appear before you get chance to click on Save (Internet Explorer starts to download files before you've even decided where to save them, making small downloads like this appear instantaneous).
   
   

   

4. At this point we would generally click on the Clean computer button, but we'll click on the Details link which opens a new window.
   This shows us that Microsoft Security Essentials detects the test file as Virus-DOS/EICAR_Test_File and treats it as a true virus, with a designated Alert level of Severe.
   At this point we can elect to Quarantine or Remove the threat. Click on the Show details >> button.
   

   

5. The window now expands to show some more information about this threat, including a description of the threat and the actual file that posed the threat (here we can see that it's in the Temporary Internet Files folder, which we'd expect for a file being downloaded by Internet Explorer). Click on the Clean computer button.
   
   

   

6. After a short delay, while the virus is removed, the window changes to show that the threat has been averted. Click Close to close the window.
   You'll now have to to Cancel the download in the original dialog, otherwise a new attempt will be made to download the file and the process will start all over again.
   

   

Congratulations, you've safely shown that your Microsoft Security Essentials prevents virus infection!