Microsoft Home Use Program & Antivirus

Iamnobody

Does anyone have the knowledge on this?

Just checked and I qualify for this (simply entered my work email on MS website) and now have a link to download Office 2016 for £9.95.

Is this an entitlement I can just get on with or is it good manners to get it ratified by my employer first?

I can ask tomorrow but everything is a hassle at work and I'm keen to download it now and start using it for a spreadsheet.

While I'm treating my PC - Any user tips on a decent antivirus? I don't mind paying but free is preferable.

Cheers

UnclePsychosis

You can just get on with it, I don't think your employer will have to do anything anyway. 

The Microsoft Security Essentials / Windows Defender antivirus stuff is pretty good, I've been running it for years with no problems. Unless you are regularly visiting dodgy sites or downloading files from people you don't trust 100% then there's no need to pay for anything else. 

Strat_a_tat_tat

UnclePsychosis said:

You can just get on with it, I don't think your employer will have to do anything anyway. 

The Microsoft Security Essentials / Windows Defender antivirus stuff is pretty good, I've been running it for years with no problems. Unless you are regularly visiting dodgy sites or downloading files from people you don't trust 100% then there's no need to pay for anything else. 

Actually... you don't have to visit a 'dodgy site' to get infected by viruses, Trojans etc. Even legit sites can have their security compromised... and visitors to those legit sites can be subject to a 'drive by'.

Can't be too careful these days!

UnclePsychosis

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

UnclePsychosis said:

You can just get on with it, I don't think your employer will have to do anything anyway. 

The Microsoft Security Essentials / Windows Defender antivirus stuff is pretty good, I've been running it for years with no problems. Unless you are regularly visiting dodgy sites or downloading files from people you don't trust 100% then there's no need to pay for anything else. 

Actually... you don't have to visit a 'dodgy site' to get infected by viruses, Trojans etc. Even legit sites can have their security compromised... and visitors to those legit sites can be subject to a 'drive by'.

Can't be too careful these days!

I know, but for everyday use the MS stuff is fine. 

Iamnobody

Cheers for the info. This is the family laptop so nothing dodgy downloaded on it or dubious websites visited. Apart from FB of course!

Actually I rarely even use a pc here just my phone.

I'll download office then and carry on tonight and have a think about virus stuff.

PC_Dave

Iamnobody said:

Does anyone have the knowledge on this?

Just checked and I qualify for this (simply entered my work email on MS website) and now have a link to download Office 2016 for £9.95.

Is this an entitlement I can just get on with or is it good manners to get it ratified by my employer first?

I can ask tomorrow but everything is a hassle at work and I'm keen to download it now and start using it for a spreadsheet.

While I'm treating my PC - Any user tips on a decent antivirus? I don't mind paying but free is preferable.

Cheers

If your work email is accepted then your employers Volume Licensing Agreement will allow you the HUP. The only caveat is that "technically" you have to stop using the software if as and when you stop working for that company......

With regards to A/V, I would always suggest 3rd party software, as the MS stuff doesn't actively monitor what you are doing, more it just scans what you have done. If you accidentally download some malware that hides itself during a scan, by design it will be missed.

MS use the same software used in ESET Nod32 - probably one of the best AV's out there, and it doesn't add a massive overhead to the machine like McAfee or Norton. Kaspersky is good (free if you bank with Barclays), but I never trust the Russians.

Free AV's such as Avast AntiVirus are good, so as long as you aren't downloading torrents and visiting porn sites regularly then you should be ok. Just be careful what links you click on.

HTH!

Iamnobody

Thanks for the input. I went for the free Avira antivirus in the end.

And asked the IT bod at work on Tuesday about the MS Office but am still waiting for a response....

quarky

The only other complication around the home use program is if you work for a really big company. The company I work has thousands of employees with the same domain (after the "@" in the email address). Although they share the same domain they are not all eligible for the home use program because they are not all covered by the same licence agreement.

So, you are probably fine, but definitely worth checking.

mart

Iamnobody said:

Does anyone have the knowledge on this?

Just checked and I qualify for this (simply entered my work email on MS website) and now have a link to download Office 2016 for £9.95.

...

Have you got a link for this? I must be losing it, but I've been looking all over the MS site and can't find this.

HippoPete

Perhaps this will help. You need to be armed with your company's Program code though. If you don't have that, hassle your HR or IT bods. Hope this isn't teaching you how to suck eggs.

http://www.microsofthup.com/hupuk/hup.aspx?culture=en-GB

mart

@HippoPete thanks mate, that seems to have done the trick. I don't know the Program code (or even what it is), but MS seem to be ok to work off just the email. Much obliged!

HippoPete

No worries, happy to help.