Customer Reviews

Windows Live OneCare 2.0 (Up to 3 Users)

5 star:		(116)
4 star:		(67)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(45)

 

 

I have been using Microsoft's Live OneCare System for about a year-and-a-half, and I went to the 2.0 version about three months ago. I've got to tell you though, I wasn't too happy about using it at first because of two factors: 1) Microsoft seemed to be linking a lot of things to this "Live" concept, and 2) The program seemed like it was making a lot of promises it couldn't keep. On the first matter, I still have some concerns; on the second matter, it has lived-up to its promises.

After almost a year, Microsoft upgraded my product to 2.0, and then when I added another computer to my LAN, I used one of the three licenses that came with the new version of OneCare to extend my HUB's subscription. And it did so without a problem. You will notice on the picture I uploaded from my individual computer (see customer images), that my subscription will renew in three days.

I don't know about you, but at work I've seen what not keeping-up with your virus protection and firewall protection can do to someone's computer. Mine hasn't been hit, but other's have and we use Norton's and McAfee at work with each computer set for automatic updates. At home, since I have a LAN, too, I wanted to make sure I didn't have similar problems, so for the past three years I tested several products, namely Norton's System Works, Norton's 360, e-Trust (Computer Associates), and OneCare.

Having used Norton's for over 12 years, I have been disappointed that they are doing less with their products, and I really became disenchanted when they didn't offer their firewall protection with System Works. Then, it seemed I couldn't find System Works, and I had to use 360, which was a mere shadow of System Works. It grated me that I had to buy one product, then buy their Internet Security, too. I, also, didn't think they were on top of the virus situation as much as they used to be. Then, there was an issue about renewals that did not go into effect when they should, and hour long waits for tech support to help correct the problem.

So, I tried e-Trust, and I didn't have any qualms about it, at first. At first it sent out e-mails, often times several times a day to update the software virus protection. Then, it went to an automatic check whenever you booted-up. Then, came the renewal. I had it on two machines and was successful only on one when it came to renewing my subscription. Now, batting 500 is great in the major leagues, but not when it comes to protecting my computer.

OneCare, though, has lived-up to their promises. At first I had it on one computer, and it performed a massive back-up that took all night (200 GB's... this was with version 1.0). Subsequent back-ups went quicker for only the new, or changed, files were updated. Adding 2.0 to other computers produced a back-up on individual computers much faster, 1 to 2 hours, depending on the computer, with amounts in the 100 GB range. With 2.0, I've been able to have one centralized back-up on an exterior HP Drive. I, also, have back-ups performed on each computer with various other drives: Seagate's FreeAgent, and Simple-Tech.

In total, I have four computers set-up on OneCare. Two are on the hard-wire, and two are on a WiFi connected to the hard-wire, with my laptop's back-up on another computers external drive (I added the laptop the day after writing this review, which gives me the 4th computer on the network.) One benefit I've seen of using OneCare is that the new computer's version usually recognizes the printers on the network, and it asks me if I want this computer to have access to it. If it doesn't, and I am not a networking whiz, I have just loaded the drivers for a printer that is on the network, and it then easily finds that printer and finishes out connecting the printer with that computer.

Once I set my schedule of the tasks for OneCare, I've let it do it's job, and I've had only one issue, and that's not a OneCare problem... On the iMac, I have both Mac OS X and XP Pro running. With XP Pro, I have OneCare installed. When XP Pro updates itself, it cannot download and install all updates, so OneCare gives me a "yellow," or caution warning. After manually having XP Pro on the iMac finish its download, everything goes "green," which to me is a great place to stop this review.

OneCare has greatly simplified my life. Version 2.0 is better than 1.0., and you can have from one to three computers covered with one subscription. Also, when I extended my subscription, it added the year onto my current subscription several months in advance without my having to call tech support to straighten out a problem. Regarding subscriptions, you have to have a "live.com" ID activating your initial, up to, 3 subscriptions (for me this was a "hotmail.com" address). If you have more computers to cover than 3, you will need a second "live.com" ID. Renewals are around $49.00 for one year's protection for up to three computers. Unlike some virus programs, like Norton's, you cannot uninstall OneCare and then install a newly-purchased, unused copy of OneCare, unless you install it under a different "live.com" ID. (BTW, I learned this the hard way, yet the Microsoft folks were quick at straightening it out (866-ONECARE).)

As the say on TV sometimes, I"m a happy camper, and I'd recommend this product to anyone wanting to protect one computer or several on a LAN. Be sure to check-out the pictures I uploaded to give you a better idea of what type of information you will receive from OneCare because that generally will tell you more than what I did about its capabilities.

First encountered Microsoft's Windows OneCare in 2005 as a Beta project that I participated in. Wouldn't have gotten involved except that I had found Symantec's Norton AntiVirus to have become a real resource hog, and the products from McAfee weren't any better, despite their claims. I had been a loyal user of Norton AntiVirus since those days that Peter Norton was still running his innovative company, one that pioneered anti-virus applications as we know them... but that was then, and this was now.

I dropped the Norton products after a series of problems that were well-documented in the 'computer geek' community, and began to install Grisoft's AVG Free anti-virus on some of my systems. About a year later Microsoft released it's Beta test of Windows OneCare, and that seemed to be a product with few bugs and a lot of promise. When the Beta test was over, however, I standardized my computers with AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition, and that continued until late last spring when I saw an associate's installation of Windows Live OneCare 2.0 and listened to his reasons as to why why he had switched from Symantec's products.

Initially I downloaded the trial version from Microsoft to test it out, but within two weeks had become convinced that this was not only a competitively priced product (other products have only recently caught up), but it's resource footprint was small. It didn't seem to interfere with normal operations or offer obnoxious reminders of how my computer was being protected.

Windows Live OneCare runs quietly in the background, doing its job well and quite unobtrusively. It's licensed to be used with up to three users, and right now is protecting my aging HP Pavilion a210n Desktop PC, my son's laptop computer and my notebook. It does a good job of protecting our PCs from outside security hazard while keeping things on the inside running smoothly, performing disk cleaning and file defragmentation in the background. Our files are backed up to a connected Seagate FreeAgent Desktop 250 GB External Hard Drive, and once set up properly has required no intervention whatsoever. All of its updates run quietly via Microsoft Update, and this has kept my systems up-to-date with the important security updates.

Pros:

* Very reasonable cost for what it does.
* Runs quietly and effectively in the background.
* Excellent monthly reports on activity.
* Has an excellent two-way firewall.
* Automated backups to external hard drive or USB storage devices

Cons:

* OneCare interface is different, may seem somewhat awkward.
* Other anti-virus and firewall programs need to be removed.


This product isn't perfect; no security application that I've encountered to date is. The occasional reboots for updates are irritating, but all applications of this type have them to work properly. The Windows Live OneCare interface is different, and may seem somewhat awkward until you get used to it, but it does function properly. Had laughed last spring when I read that OneCare had mistaken Skype (the Internet telephone application) for a piece of malware, but have see similar false reading from almost all of the anti-virus and security applications on the market over time.

The above remarks may sound picky, but they're really not; they're just a personal reflection of what I've found while I've used this product. But all things considered, and especially since it's so well-behaved as it runs quietly in the background, doing its job quite unobtrusively, Windows Live OneCare is a real 5-star application from my perspective.

Please note: I'll be posting helpful info about this product and possible updates in the Comment section below this review, so be sure to check there as well.

Pros:
Easy to install- Very good about prompting users to scan and update- In the year of free beta and the year of a paid subscription, my PC has stayed Virus free. Seems to be integrated nicely with windows and less annoying than Norton. All in all, this has been a great experience.

Cons:
Canceling your subscription cannot be done online. You must call 866-663-2273 during normal business hours and cancel by phone.
This program is not compatible with an 64 bit Windows XP operating systems. Networking is an exercise in patience.
Nothing is straight forward when it comes to advanced problem solving and the program will nag the heck out of you if you work offline for days at a time.
Your subscription is tied to a passport ID. This became annoying a year after I made it trying to remember it.
Lastly...$50 is a lot of money per year. They really need to cut that price in half.

The Microsoft branding certainly seems to be a polarizing influence when it comes to a product like this. I saw one review slam it for the annual fee that the product (and all of those in the same quality and functional range) charges. Another because it slowed her system to a crawl (you likely have bigger hardware problems than this can address). Derek had a hysterical review touching on not just where this product falls short, but also on a theory of evil itself. I'm not discrediting or discounting these perspectives at all -- I think the different experiences of a wide range of people is what makes consumer reviews worthwhile, but I do wonder if the vitriol would have been the same had this been someone else's product. In the end, I don't suppose it matters.

OneCare 2.0's best point, in my estimation, is that it is seamlessly integrated into either Windows Vista, or Windows XP (I use it on both). I had been a McAfee and then a Norton user for well over a decade, and it always felt like a bit of a systemic power struggle between them and Windows. I don't fault either product for that reality, but the bottom line is that I wanted something that would work well, but do so without me having to spend much time thinking about it. I wanted something that would be more or less transparent. OneCare can be certainly that.

I used the original OneCare on a couple of my systems back when it was in beta, and 2.0 is clearly a product that has evolved and been polished over time. A single registration allows coverage of three machines (three installs) at a time, and you can set one as a hub and monitor the status of the other two through that. As I sit here typing, I can see that this laptop is in the green, the desktop needs to install a Windows update, and the other laptop needs to be configured for data backups. That's convenient. Doesn't do much for people with only one system, but it's wonderful for those with more.

I was disappointed to see that OneCare 2.0 identifies AdAware 2007 as a conflicting resource. After a bit of reading, I've come to realize that AdAware currently runs a constant service on the machine upon which it's been installed, and it's this service that causes the monitoring conflict. I did uninstall AdAware, but I'm hopeful that Lavasoft and/or Microsoft will come up with a solution that will allow me to put it back on. I'm a fan of using that product (along with Spybot S&D, and a few others) in conjunction with OneCare (different programs are good at different things).

OneCare is largely a set-it-and-forget-it type of program. It will update itself if you allow that. Once configured, it will regularly back up your data to the resource of your choosing. It makes logical decisions about what programs to allow through, and when it's not sure, it asks you what to do. When it comes time to make a more complicated change, such as allowing an XBox 360 to access your media files through the firewall, the controls are intuitive and well documented so that even those intimidated by such tasks (like my wife, for example) are able to figure them out without the extra time and frustration that came with and from other products.

Like anything else, OneCare probably isn't for everyone. This is probably why they give you 90 days to try it out for free. Install it, enjoy full functionality for three months, and if you decide it's not for you, install it. Contrary to some claims herein, removing this software is quick, easy, and complete. I did it myself just for the sake of this review -- and then installed it again right afterwards. For me, OneCare 2.0 is a definite keeper. I've taken one star from the grade because I'd like to see them improve upon the already good mal/ad/spy-ware scanning, and because of the conflict with AdAware (for which I fault neither company). Absolutely worth giving this one a try to see if it's right for you as well.

I was about to purchase OneCare to renew my subscription when I found out accidentally that Microsoft would be terminating Live OneCare come June 2009. The news was shocking and it actually made me angry because I have invested a significant amount of time installing it on various computers and learning how to use its functionality. In place of OneCare, Microsoft will be introducing a free antivirus called Morro. When I spoke with the call center people in the Philippines who service the OneCare account, they assured me that I can proceed with the purchase as support will still be offered. Having tried and tested the `support' Microsoft offers for OneCare, I have to say that it really is not a selling point. The announcement to pull out of the antivirus market was made in November 2008 and the forum that Microsoft ran to take care of OneCare issues was taken down in December 2008.

It infuriates me that Microsoft did not think it necessary to tell its customers that the software they are relying on will no longer be made available and users whose license runs out after June 2009 will simply be bludgeoned with the news that they can no longer renew. Since Morro is not slated to be released until early 2010, this leaves a lot of people who trusted Microsoft in a limbo.

I do not have a problem with OneCare, and would actually have happily used it if Microsoft made it available, but I do have an issue with how Microsoft is treating its paying customers over its decision to withdraw from the antivirus market. We are the people who allowed Microsoft to recover their development costs and we deserve to be treated with more respect!

I've been using OneCare for a few months now. Overall, not a bad solution for the price (but overy "controlling" as some reviewers have mentioned, like rebooting with no notice.) But I just recently ran into an issue with backups that is a deal killer for me. I have about 700GB of files on my PC that need backing up, and USB 2.0 was just taking WAY too long, so I purchased a new Seagate FreeAgent 750GB external hard drive with eSATA connection. (For those of you unfamiliar with eSATA, it has become the new standard for high speed PC backups to external drives ... most benchmarks show 3-5x faster than USB on actual transfer speeds.) Anyhow, Microsoft is VERY misleading when they say OneCare will backup to any "external drive", because it will NOT back up to an eSATA drive. This is because eSATA connects directly to the SATA ports on the computer motherboard, which means OneCare can't tell the difference between your normal internal drive and the eSATA drive. So, it ignores them all!

I have used it for 3 years and thought it was great; now I just read online that it was announced on November 18, 2008, that Microsoft is discontinuing the product starting June 2009.

I have 3 new unopened boxes of the software, and will now try to return them to Amazon.

Just Google "Microsoft Onecare discontinued" and you will see multiple links. Amazon should note this fact before we buy it! No wonder the prices is so low now. Apparently Microsoft is going to give away for free a replacement for Onecare, but that has less functionality, etc.

MP

Unfortunately for Microsoft, their name brings a lot of fear and loathing (sometimes rightly so, many times not). OneCare 2.0 provides some much-needed effectiveness to Microsoft's security suite. While the previous versions were outright terrible against malware, 2.0 is starting to achieve respectable scores with independent tests such as AV-Comparatives. Also, they are often one of the first vendors to have updated signatures in the event of an outbreak - Also very important.

Performance of this suite is the best I've seen, and I've used products like Kaspersky and NOD32.

The ability to manage multiple PCs is a nice and simple capability, that I appreciate MS putting in.

The major downside I see right now is in its backup function, which is far too simplistic (and leaves out major components of 3rd party software - such as your Mozilla settings if you use Firefox and/or Thunderbird). This keeps me from giving it 5 stars.

This is the suite I'm presently using on my Vista 64-bit machines, and I see no reasons to look elsewhere at this point.

If you're reading this I'm guessing that you're not a techie. As far as I have been able to determine, no self-respecting techie will touch this programme with a ten foot pole, but it does have its uses as a self-updating cure-all for small home systems.

The thing is, Microsoft has enemies, and due to the dedication of this group, the company has developed its own security system to protect customers against viruses, Trojans, spyware, phishing and all the other bad stuff coming at you through the internet.

Live Onecare is actually a combination of lots of stuff that's already on your computer, plus a spyware detector and a firewall, all nicely set up in an idiot-proof interface. Basically, it's a simple way of protecting your computer and keeping junk off your hard drive, now in a self-cleaning and self-updating model.

Pros:
1. If you're not familiar with your computer's system tools, this programme makes things like Disk Defrag, Disk Clean-up and Backup easier to find.
2. Automatically updates once you're connected to the internet
3. Can be installed on three computers with one Windows Live ID
4. Works as your own personal IT Department, fixing some problems before you know that they're there.

Cons:
1. Seeing that this is a Microsoft programme that repackages and organizes existing Microsoft software to help Microsoft customers with Microsoft problems, it should be available as a free download for those who need it. The annual charge is nothing short of super-highway robbery.
2. Existing anti-virus and firewall programmes have to be removed before installation.
3. It doesn't pick up new viruses as fast as other programmes like McAfee and Symantec
4. It doesn't protect network servers, if you happen to have one at home, that is.
5. No anti-spam protection
6. The plastic packaging is like a firewall, resisting entry by intruders like yourself.

Conclusion:
1. If you're a techie you don't need this

2. If you're not a techie:
a. Ask someone to show you the Accessories - System tools menu
b. Keep your existing anti-virus software up to date
c. Don't download files attached to e-mails from untrustworthy sources (strangers aren't sending you greeting cards, and Jessica Biel probably isn't really nekkid either)
d. Stop frequenting those adult sites
e. Do all of the above and you don't need this.

3. If you're really not into computers and you just use yours for e-mail, writing letters, and shopping at Amazon, you might find this programme useful as a one-stop hassle-free service center.



Amanda Richards, March 19, 2008

Please note - Microsoft has discontinued this product. See the following infoworld article for confirmation:

http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/08/11/18/Microsoft_drops_OneCare_antivirus_product_1.html