Windows Live Safety Center

First Take: Microsoft Windows Live Safety Center, part of the Windows Live family of services, offers online security and performance scans, plus a major advertisement for the Windows Live OneCare subscription service.

The Protection scan will identify and remove viruses and spyware as well as determine whether or not some vital ports are exposed to the Internet. After the protection scan runs, Windows Live Safety Center displays a colored banner indicating the level of activity on your computer: red for active viruses, yellow for minor threats, and green for safe conditions. A Learn More button provides next-step recommendations. The online Clean Up scan identifies broken or unnecessary registry links and unneeded temporary files. The Tune Up scan will reveal whether or not you need to defragment your hard drive. The site also includes a downloads page that offers a free 90-day trial of Windows Live OneCare and Windows Defender (beta 2), an antiphishing add-on for the MSN toolbar, as well as an upgrade to Windows XP SP2 for current users of Windows XP SP1.

New is the Windows OneCare Advisor which will integrate with the Windows Live toolbar, giving you quick access to the Safety Center's online scans.