Windows Live OneCare

Reviewed by

Robert Vamosi

on 02/26/2007

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Windows Live OneCare includes a basic backup and recovery tool. Like Norton and McAfee, OneCare allows you to back up onto your HD, CD, DVD, or USB drives. Unlike Norton, OneCare does not provide online storage. Further, when using a local device, Windows Live OneCare does not recommend backing up your data to a FAT32 device. Should you have a second partition that's FAT32, Windows Live OneCare provides instructions for converting your hard drive from a FAT32 system to an NTFS system, but this hardly a task that the average computer user will want to perform. We think Microsoft could have created a more user-friendly backup solution for OneCare.

Parental Controls (included within Windows Vista) is provided within an additional download of Windows Live OneCare Family Safety (beta), which is currently available for free.

What's missing within Windows Live OneCare are many security and performance features we hoped that an all-in-one security suite might provide. For example, there are no tools specifically targeted for wireless home networks. Aside from help setting up wireless networks, we'd also like to see tools that help users encrypt the signals with WEP, WPA or WPA2, or at least monitor whether someone uninvited joins your home wireless network. Of the three super security suites, only McAfee Total Protection includes wireless security tools.

And Windows Live OneCare is only optimized for Internet Explorer, not Firefox or Opera; same with Norton 360. Of the three super suites we reviewed, only McAfee supports IE and Firefox; none support Opera.

Performance
We experienced a few system lockups after loading Windows Live OneCare. One lockup occured while attempting to backup our system, surprising given that Windows Live OneCare is supposed to be a desktop IT department for the average home user.

To determine how well a product will protect your PC, we defer to test results from two leading independent antivirus testing organizations. The latest test results from AV-Comparatives.org show Windows Live OneCare catching on 82 percent of all viruses, placing it in last place behind all the other antivirus products tested. Windows Live OneCare has not yet been tested by CheckVir.com. One independent source not used by CNET, Virus Bulletin, recently denied its VB100% certification to Windows Live OneCare.

Support
Windows Live OneCare offers technical support with a one-year subscription. By clicking either the Help icon in the upper-right corner or the Get Help with Windows Live OneCare option in the left-hand navigation area, you are taken to a Microsoft-maintained Web page. Launch Instant Support, a button central on the page, takes you to an FAQ page with the option to search for additional information. Along the left-hand navigation, the choices were less specific. Service Overview was basically an advertisement for OneCare, listing its features. Get It Now was an option to buy (given that we had a purchased copy, that made no sense). Help Center takes you back to the Launch Instant Support page. And Safety Scan takes you to the free online scan tools provided by Microsoft.

Using the Instant Support option, we clicked through several FAQs before declaring that none addressed our problem. We were then taken to a support page, which took us to another support page. Ultimately there are online forums, online chat, and live telephone support, but the effort is hardly satisfactory, and the experience will leave most users frustrated and angry. McAfee and Symantec both include detailed in-program help, online chats, free e-mail support, and an option to pay for telephone support, all within a few clicks.

Conclusion
When considering an all-in-one security solution, you should look beyond the price. The features offered by Windows Live OneCare scarcely rise above those offered by more traditional Internet Security suites from ZoneAlarm, McAfee, Symantec, Trend Micro, or CA. Many of the features within OneCare are free within Windows itself, and the few value-added features, such as antivirus protection, are not justification for the pricing and are less robust than solutions offered elsewhere.