DC, thanks for the notification. What worries me is that MSE has had such poor reviews/ratings lately...

Well hopefully with the new 

Change log :

Windows Firewall integration.

Network Inspection System.

New and improved protection engine.

 it will be better.

I've used it since it came out and have not had any problem with it... YET

New in version 2 is integration with Internet Explorer so that downloads get scanned, and Windows firewall hooks so that your personal security net is tighter. The Settings tab allows you to further customize the program by scheduling scans, toggling default actions to take against threats, adjusting real-time protection settings, creating whitelists of excluded files, file types, and processes.

I'll wait and see until after the updates. Got other stuff to worry about right now.

Have been installing it on other people's computers 

will have to look into MSE to see if it's the right choice for a free A/V.

I have been using Microsoft Security Essentials since its first release, and have installed it on 10 other computers for people, not one has had a virus or anything else get on to their PC.  I have been using version 2.1 for several days now too, everything works great.  I don't understand why it gets poor reviews/ratings, but I imagine it has something to do with the fact that it's free, and other AV software companies probably don't like that at all. Just my opinion though.

@ LightStar

Actually not, Tom. http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/microsoft-security-essentials-bombs-on-first-2011-av-test-2011055/

That's just the latest I found... not to argue. Just concerned that folks are less than optimally protected. Maybe the MSE 2.1 is better... I honestly hope so since I want folks to get something great for free, and be well protected at the same time.

I think you misunderstood what I was implying there Doc.

I don't have 2.1 yet but I will after the updates. It has already proven itself to me when I went surfing and clicked on a link to check out some icons. MSE threw up a warning so fast it made my head spin. I didn't know it could do that. So yeah...it works. It also reached out and grabbed a dl from another site, don't remember which, and asked me what i wanted to do with it. I said kill it...it killed it! That one had a Trojan loaded inside.

I'm glad it protected you... what the reviews test is true and false positives, true and false negatives against a host of viruses known and new. They also test cleaning ability, ease of use and many more things.

AV Companies and testers are frequently at odds and have different interests, also. Doesn't make life easier.

I have also used MSE since its RC inception and it has done the job well for me