Turn Off MS Security Essentials End of Support Nag Notifications

FenSox

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Mar 30, 2014
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I completely get the point now that MSE support for Windows XP is coming to a close. Can I now turn off that nag screen and orange tray icon now that I am thoroughly informed of this fact or do I have to continue to get these notifications of MSE support ending until 2015 when definitions end and I truly do need to uninstall it? I would just like the normal green all-is-good tray icon back because otherwise I tend to ignore the orange one thinking it is just the end of support warning when it could be something else more serious like the service has stopped, etc.

I've looked around for a check box or something to turn off the warning but cannot find it. Thanks for any help!
 
I've yet to see that warning in my single remaining XP installation but the answer seems to be to get a different AV and turn off Windows Updates completely in case of accidents. This is probably best done before the Second Tuesday dose of patches and fixes which is also the day support ends for XP itself.
 

FenSox

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Mar 30, 2014
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Of course you are correct, a different AV would take care of it. However MS decided to keep supplying AV updates for another year..was hoping to take advantage of them until they ran out but I guess they are going to make it an uncomfortable last year.
 
It may be that I don't get the popup because I have turned updates off. Try that. I think it's very petty to stop supporting MSE in XP while still allowing it in Vista and Windows 7. If the intention is just to nag about XP, turn them off completely and find another AV.

I've been recommending and installing MSE for my customers for a long time now so I'm out of touch with the rest of the free AV market but give AVG a try. I know it nags you when updating sometimes to buy the full version but it's still a valid product. Your Windows Firewall will give you enough protection and if you feel the need for stronger help on occasions, use MalwareBytes.
 

FenSox

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Mar 30, 2014
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It is strange because Microsoft agreed to allow MSE updates until 2015 so why nag us a year in advance. Maybe on the 8th when support for XP truly ends it will go away, but I doubt it. Anyone found this solution yet? I would have thought somewhere in the security center you could have turned off a warning but I haven't been able to find anything.

Also, I know I can move to other free AV software but I like MSE's small memory and resource footprint which is why I switched to it in the first place. So if I can get another year out of it I'd love it.
 

veganath

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Apr 4, 2014
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I do the same for my clients also i.e. recommend MSE. I'm wary of other "free" AV products, the reason being that I see Microsoft have a vested interest in ensuring the continuity of the integrity of their OS's, this business model makes sense, just not sure of the business angle of these other AV vendors. I wouldn't like to think that they create a market for themselves, if u know what I mean...
 

veganath

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Apr 4, 2014
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Agree MSE has a small footprint & as I said to Saga Lout the MS business model makes sense.

I posted a question relating to this on Microsofts Answer forums, do u mind to visit the forum & click "HAD THIS QUESTION TOO" need the post get some traction.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-winapps/windows-xp-security-essentials-disable-end-of/5c9316d9-8a2f-41c2-beb5-c6db5bc88a3f

Thanks
 
I'd post some home truths in there but I'm wary of having an account. My old sign in to the MSDN fails so the indications are yu need to part with mor einformation to post these days.

Turning MSE off at this stage and whinging about it every hour seems no more than pure spite. It might be understandable if the product itself was beinng withdrawn. If there's nothing in the Registry to trigger the message, it must be coming down the line somehow and is probably unstoppable. I still believe I don't get it on my netbook because I turned off Updates so see if that works for you.

Doubtless anything nasty that happens to an XP system in the future will be plausibly denied and attributed to hacking.
 

jmmk

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Apr 6, 2014
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Funny enough, Microsoft pushes the new SE-version (4.5.216, with nagging screen) through automatic updates, but still has the previous version (4.4.304) available for manual download. I would not be surprised if they've pushed the 4.5-version only to XP-users.
Anyway, the solution is:
1) Manually download Security Essentials here: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=231274. Keep it for later use.
2) Go to your configuration screen.
3) Select 'software' and uninstall Security Essentials.
4) Select 'Automatic updates' and opt for the second possibility (download and ask to install).
5) Install your downloaded version of Security Essentials.
6) The first time Windows Update asks you to update SE, you say no and click that you do not want to be bothered again about this update.
 
Good work, jmmk - I just tried it on a customer's XP and so far no nagging after inviting the update in then refusing it four hours ago.

I've also had the update to 4.5.16 on several Windows 7 fresh installations over the last couple of weeks so maybe MS has something planned just for XP users
 

xerces8

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Nov 29, 2008
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I just downloaded from that link and the Properties dialog of the file says in the Detailed tab, that it is version 4.5.216.

See here for better directions: Disable the Security Essentials End-of-Life Warning on Windows XP (superuser.com)
 

percieval_percy

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Apr 17, 2014
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WARNING! Solution below would mean changes to registry. Run system state backup first.

1. Run Task Manager (Ctrl-Shift-Esc)
2. Go to Processes tab
3. End msseces.exe process
4. Start Registry Editor (Start -> Run -> regedit.exe)
5. Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware hive
6. Right click on it and modify permissions to have Full Control right
7. Change EndOfLife value from 2 to 0
8. Change back permissions
9. Start Microsoft Essentials

Have not tested it after restart but for now works great.
 

xerces8

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Nov 29, 2008
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After reboot the old state is restored so it is not very useful.
Unless you set it in some boot script maybe...