The Tech Daily: Leaked: Microsoft Security Essentials

Leaked: Microsoft Security Essentials

A pre-beta version of Microsoft's upcoming antivirus app (and Windows Defender replacement) has been leaked. What has been known as codename Morro will apparently be called Microsoft Security Essentials. Screenshots inside.

Despite Microsoft's best efforts, the company's new antivirus product (codename Morro) has leaked. A leaked pre-beta indicates that the final name is Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), and it will come with a brand new UI. Currently being tested by Microsoft employees and a select few testers, the free, real-time antimalware consumer solution (for fighting viruses, spyware, rootkits, and trojans) will be released in the second half of 2009.

MSE will be available as a standalone download for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. The leaked version has separate installers for Windows XP 32-bit, Windows Vista 32-bit, and Windows Vista 64-bit. The software doesn't just work on 64-bit: there are both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. The download sizes range from just over 3MB to just over 7MB, and as you can see above, the leaked build number is 1.0.2140.0. Microsoft is getting ready to put Morro into testing soon, so expect the first public build to be newer than this one.

Microsoft warns that MSE should not be installed alongside any other antivirus application. Indeed, the MSE installer disables Windows Defender completely.