Windows OneCare Live Beta
Published: March 22, 2006

The first question likely to come to mind is "What is Windows OneCare Live Beta?" I have my own thoughts on the matter but for right now I'll just post what Microsoft has to say on the Windows OneCare Live site.

"This PC care service is always on, running quietly in the background. It helps give you round-the-clock protection and maintenance—virus scanning, firewalls, tune ups, file backups, the whole nine yards. Delivered to you in a smooth, hassle-free package."

If you take a look at the primary OneCare screen in Fig. 01 you'll see that what the press blurb above says is reflected in the different categories and items available. OneCare is broken down into three basic categories; Protection Plus, Performance Plus, and Backup and Restore. The main interface provides a snapshot of the system protection that is in place and whether or not that protection is current according to OneCare standards. The little green [ Status: Good ] at upper right provides a visual clue that all is well at the moment.

The Common Tasks section on the left side of the interface offers links to scan for viruses, restore files, and backup files, duplicating the same links that are available in the Protection Plus, Performance Plus, and Backup and Restore sections of the main interface. Under the Other Tasks category you can change settings related to OneCare or visit the OneCare website to manage your account. The Help Center also leads to the OneCare website, just a different section of it where the help files are stored.

Fig. 01

• Protection Plus - Contains the [ Scan for Viruses ] link that opens a window where you can select the drives and folders to be scanned. Drives and folders can be expanded to select individual files if that is your preference. The [ Check for Updates ] link just checks for OneCare Updates, although the only visible notification of it checking is a text balloon in the tray notification area.

Fig. 02

• Performance Plus - The [ Run Tune-Up ] link opens the Windows OneCare Tune-Up window and automatically starts the tune-up process without asking if you really want to continue. If you made a mistake and clicked it by accident there is a [ Cancel Tune-Up ] button available. The standard tune-up consists of removing unnecessary files from computer, defragmenting, virus scan, checking for files needing backup, and checking for missing Microsoft updates.

Fig. 03

• Backup and Restore - The [ Back Up Files ] and [ Restore Files ] links both open up wizard-type interfaces that guide you through the backup and restore process to help prevent overlooking files that you may want included in the backup. Files can be backed up to an external hard drive, CD, or DVD discs. However, the CD or DVD option precludes the backup from being scheduled to complete automatically. If you have an external drive, that's the preferred choice. I found it very annoying that the backup could not be made to a 1 GB Sony USB MicroVault drive, nor could I get OneCare to recognize the second installed hard drive in the laptop I was using for testing as a viable backup device.
   

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It just wouldn't be a TEG article if I didn't have something to gripe about, so here it is. If you read through the Obtaining and Installing Windows OneCare Live Beta page of this article you might remember a screen capture I referenced where it talked about configuring the system to use Microsoft Update rather than Windows Update and that the system would  be set to automatically install critical and security updates. True to their word, it does turn on Automatic Updates which is fine for the installation process, but after it was done I went back and reset Automatic Updates to notify me when new updates are available but not to download or install the updates. And that's where the griping begins.

Compare the "Status" indicator in Fig. 01 and Fig. 04 and you'll see it has gone from "Good" to "At Risk" because I went back and reset Automatic Updates to notify me when new updates are available but not to automatically download or install the updates. As Dennis Miller used to say in his comedy monologues, I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but I find it exceedingly presumptuous of Microsoft to think that I would ever allow them to automatically download and install anything to one of my systems without my prior permission. Equally as annoying is that because of that choice I made, that little "Status" indicator is going to remain in a bright red, permanently "At Risk" state.

It's a small point, irritating but not critical, but I think any user that gives any company carte blanche to download and install updates for whatever reason is asking for trouble. What they deem critical or a security risk may not mean a thing to me depending on the situation. I'm even willing to go along with the notion that if Automatic Updates is set totally to "Off" then an "At Risk" status is warranted, but when I ask to be notified that updates are available while retaining the right to determine if they are necessary for my individual situation, I find the "At Risk" label unjustified.

Fig. 04
 

That's about it for a quick overview of Windows OneCare, with one notable exception. You may have noticed there is also a [ Purchase Now ] button prominently displayed. At the current time it takes you to a website stating the [ Purchase Now ] button can be ignored while OneCare is still in the free beta. Once it leaves beta it will become active. On February 7, 2006 Microsoft stated in a Press Release;

"Now available free to new beta testers in the United States, at http://ideas.live.com, Microsoft^® Windows OneCare Live will be available in June from retailers and via the Web for an annual subscription of $49.95 MSRP for up to three personal computers. To thank its valuable beta customers and offer an easy transition to the paid service, Microsoft also announced today a promotional deal offering the first year of Windows OneCare Live service for $19.95 to beta customers who become subscribers between April 1 and April 30, 2006."

So what's the deal with this OneCare Live program? Is it the answer to some higher calling to make the internet a safer place for all surfers? Don't kid yourself; it's money. Take a look at the shelves in a technology store these days and they are literally packed with every imaginable type of security and anti-virus application. Look a little bit further and you'll see more backup and imaging applications than you can imagine. All of them are testament to what a pitiful place the internet has become when we spend a healthy percentage of our online time just trying to safe securely and avoid the inevitable crashes that bring our operating systems to their knees.

OneCare Live is just one more entry into a field of many vying for your security and backup dollars. Is it any better or worse than any of the other products currently on the market? Who knows. Every month these programs get tested by a dozen different laboratories using different testing criteria and, surprise surprise, a different winner emerges with each additional test. I'll keep an eye on OneCare through the rest of the beta cycle and I'm sure I'll test it out thoroughly after it goes live, but I have to tell you -- I'm always a little suspect of anything that claims to be able to do everything in one package.

Windows OneCare Live Beta
Obtaining and Installing Windows OneCare Live Beta
Windows OneCare Live Beta - View or Change Settings