Is microsoft safety scanner the same as security essentials

This tool differs from Windows Defender Offline in that a reboot is typically not required. Installing the Microsoft Safety Scanner does not require you to uninstall your existing antimalware software.

The program can be started right after downloading or transferring it to a PC. Upon downloading the tool, users are prompted with three different scan options: quick scan, full scan or customized scan. A quick scan will scan the memory, registry and areas on the system most likely to have malicious code like viruses, spyware or computer worms.

A full scan on the other hand includes all the items scanned in a quick scan plus a scan of all your files in your fixed drives. A custom scan runs a quick scan and includes any additional files specified.

While it is not a replacement for a full antimalware solution with real-time protection, the Microsoft Safety Scanner does offer detection and cleaning using the same set of signatures and technology utilized by Microsoft Security Essentials. It is important to note that because the Microsoft Safety Scanner is a stand-alone tool, the signatures will expire ten 10 days after downloading.

After the 10 day period has expired, we recommend downloading a new version of the tool in order to get the latest anti-malware definitions. Read other parts of this series. Skip to main content. Microsoft loves to confuse their users as most people have found out using Windows 8. Not only was Windows 8 confusing, but Microsoft keeps changing how the new operating system works with every update.

One of the most confusing aspects to Windows 7 and Windows 8 is the anti-virus solutions provided by Microsoft. Also what is Microsoft Safety Scanner and why is that different from the other tool anti-virus tools? Thankfully, things are clearer in Windows The main thing to note about Windows Defender is that it only protects against spyware in Windows 7 and below.

Microsoft Security Essentials could be downloaded to replace Windows Defender since it could catch spyware and scan for viruses. Once installed, it would disable Windows Defender altogether. You can use Windows Defender Offline to scan for viruses before the operating system boots up, which can greatly help your chances of removing a very sneaky piece of malware or spyware.

In Windows 8 and Windows 10, Windows Defender was upgraded to be able to do virus scans also. It also uses the same virus definitions and the user interface is pretty much exactly the same. Can be used with Microsoft Security Essentials. Cannot be used with Microsoft Security Essentials. Download Windows Defender Offline. Download Microsoft Security Essentials. Microsoft Safety Scanner is another anti-virus tool from Microsoft that is similar to Windows Defender Offline in that it is a standalone virus and malware scanner.

You can simply download the EXE file which contains the latest signatures and run it. The files are updated multiple times a day with the latest signatures. Download Microsoft Safety Scanner.