# General > Technical Support >  microsoft security essentials

## black rover

Hi, from 08/04/2014 microsft security essentials will cease to protect windows xp, can any orgers suggest a programme i can download to protect my computers, or will i have to install another operating system.

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## Bobinovich

Not true - according to *Microsoft* "If you already have Microsoft Security Essentials installed, you will continue to receive antimalware signature updates for a limited time, but this does not mean that your PC will be secure because Microsoft will no longer be providing security updates to help protect your PC".  I understand this will continue to *July 2015*.

For those continuing to use MSE on XP it appears that the MSE icon may remain orange, giving the impression that it's not secure, but going into the program will show that it is being kept up to date and is scanning as per whatever schedule you have it set on.

For those who do want to change from MSE, you can try *A**vast*, *Avira* or *AVG* for starters, although there are *plenty of others* to choose from too.

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## black rover

Hi, Thank-you Bob, very helpful.

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## kosacid

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is good and its free if your not using the live, its free 30 day`s though

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## Caithness Computers

> Hi, from 08/04/2014 microsft security essentials will cease to protect windows xp, can any orgers suggest a programme i can download to protect my computers, or will i have to install another operating system.


Hi Black Rover,

While there ways of limiting the treat as others have mentioned above, the only real option is to move to a new operating system, as it's only a matter of time (and I'm guessing days as opposed to weeks or months) before every machine still running XP has a target painted on its back. Every new security vulnerability can (and will) be reverse engineered to attack XP when there are no new patches available.

Of course, the choice is yours. But if you'd like a little more info to help with your choice, here's a short article on what to do next: http://bit.ly/1e4M7us

Hope this helps!
Graham

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## Mr P Cannop

what about windows 7 ??

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## black rover

I have installed avg anti-virus on my computer and removed mse. thanks for your help, thread can now be closed or removed.

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