Microsoft Security Essentials: Free antivirus software coming soon

By Ina Fried on 22 September 2009, 9:56am

Microsoft plans to release the final version of its free antivirus software, Security Essentials, soon, according to a note sent to testers late on Sunday.

"The final version of Microsoft Security Essentials will be released to the public in the coming weeks," Microsoft said in the note.

Microsoft first announced its plans for the product, code-named Morro, last November, at the same time as the company said it was scrapping its paid-for Windows Live OneCare product.

Public beta testing of Security Essentials started in June, with Microsoft reaching its target of 75,000 testers just one day after it issued a call for them.

We've been using the product on several machines since June. We like the way that, unlike other antivirus programs, it doesn't make a spectacle of itself, just quietly doing its thing. We often forget it's running on a machine, yet it saved our bacon a couple of weeks back when we almost caught Koobface from a friend on Facebook.

If you want to learn more about the program, check out our hands-on Security Essentials screenshots.