How do I install Windows Defender/MSE on Server 2012?

Question

On earlier versions of Windows client and server you could install Microsoft Security Essentials, free antivirus from Microsoft. In Windows 8 client, it is integrated into Windows Defender. However, I see no such option in Windows Server 2012 and attempts to install MSE fail.

Answer 1

I set the compatibility mode for the installer to Windows 7 and then started it with the /disableoslimit command line parameter.

Answer 2

Currently the answer is "It's not supported on Server operating systems", as Microsoft doesn't list Server (2012) as a supported OS.

From MS' MSE requirements page:

Microsoft Security Essentials is free* and easy to download and use. Here's what you need to run it:

Operating System: Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3); Windows Vista (Service Pack 1, or Service Pack 2); Windows 7*

As with previous versions you may be able to unofficially install them at some point, but for now, it's not compatible.

Answer 3

Security Essentials lists only the client operating systems XP, Vista, Win 7 as supported. Windows 8 is very specifically noted as not supported. Since Server 2012 has the same core, it would be normal to assume that it isn't supported.

Windows 8 currently isn't supported. Please see the system requirements page for a complete list of operating systems that Microsoft Security Essentials supports.

from http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/i-cant-install-microsoft-security-essentials

Answer 4

Security is important and if you're still having issues making it install or run, you have alternatives such as MS End Point Protection 2012 that downloads as a 1 1/2 GB trial but includes an unlimited and official (scepinstall) Server version of MSE.

When you don't have the bandwidth for a such a heavy download, you might be tempted to download a 3rd party hosted scep that can be as authentic as the official version after you verify the hash with something like fciv or your preferred method: (Microsoft's official checksummer / ref and dl as of today:) http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=11533 http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=11533 (long line wrapping)

fciv -both scepinstall.exe

// File Checksum Integrity Verifier version 2.05. //

MD5 SHA-1

9aeb45d54695d3d5bbe43620e70c31fe 17c90933a06c8bb15958579d068ad0b7852264e5 scepinstall.exe

Feed any or both hashes into a Microsoft site specific search: https://www.google.com/search?q=9aeb45d54695d3d5bbe43620e70c31fe+17c90933a06c8bb15958579d068ad0b7852264e5&site=microsoft.com 

And it results listed and valid.