LiveSide - News blog : OneCare

Raxco offers OneCare subscribers special pricing on PerfectSpeed, new PC Optimizer

Kip Kniskern — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:48:27 GMT

Raxco Software, makers of PerfectDisk disk defragmentation software, today released PerfectSpeed, a new PC optimization suite that offers “a certified disk defragmenter, registry cleaner, duplicate file remover and advanced privacy protection”. According to the press release, Raxco is offering users of the soon to be discontinued Windows Live OneCare special pricing with proof of a OneCare subscription:

PerfectSpeed’s special pricing for Windows Live OneCare users is $9.99 for a single license, $19.99 for a 3-user license, and $29.99 for a family license that covers all PCs in a household. This is discounted off the regular pricing of $29.99 for a single user, $59.99 for a 3-user license and $99.99 for a family license. Windows Live OneCare users can go to http://portal.raxco.com/onecare to receive this special offer.

While we haven’t tried the product, one of our dev writers, Colin Brown, apparently has, as his testimonial is featured on the PerfectSpeed website:

We’ve been pretty happy so far with Microsoft Security Essentials as an anti-virus replacement for OneCare, but kind of miss the all-in-one approach of OneCare for pc optimization. If you have been a OneCare subscriber, PerfectSpeed (plus an anti-virus solution) may be a replacement alternative. Let us know what you think, if you do decide to try it out.

Microsoft Security Essentials (Morro) public beta announced

Kip Kniskern — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:22:34 GMT

Microsoft has taken the wraps off of its successor to the soon to be discontinued Windows Live OneCare, announcing today that Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), a free to download “superset” of Windows Defender will become available on June 23. Ed Bott and Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet have details, but here are some of the highlights:

First, the company line on what the new software entails:

To address consumer demand for quality anti-malware protection that’s easy to get and doesn’t slow down system performance, Microsoft Security Essentials has been designed as a no-cost anti-malware solution that provides consumers with quality protection from threats including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans. It will be offered directly from Microsoft and has been designed to be hassle-free and is focused on delivering quality protection that’s easy to use.

MSE will be available for download starting at 9am PDT on Tuesday June 23rd in the US, Brazil, and Israel from http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials
If those sound like a somewhat random choice of countries, well a team in Israel worked on MSE, and Brazil apparently has lots of unprotected Windows machines in use.
China will also be an early target market for MSE, with a version in Simplified Chinese expected soon.
Unlike Windows Live OneCare, MSE will not require a Windows Live ID, or any personal information. It will however, require WGA validation
Microsoft is saying that MSE will ship “before the end of the year”.

Windows Live OneCare for a time fared poorly in independent tests, but Ed Bott notes that the latest versions of OneCare have been doing much better:

A new study (May 2009) by the independent AV-Comparatives group gave Microsoft OneCare (which shares the same engine and signatures as MSE) its highest (Advanced+) rating. Only 3 of the 16 products in the test earned that rating. Microsoft’s technology scored second in the accuracy ratings, behind AVIRA but ahead of AVG, Symantec, McAfee, and a dozen other products. And on the crucial measure of delivering the fewest false positives, Microsoft stood far ahead of the pack, delivering the fewest false positives of any program tested.

However, and probably at least partly because of its poor showing in the AV-Comparatives tests, Windows Live OneCare was never a big seller. One advantage to free anti-malware solutions is that they provide a large sample set across the install base, something that OneCare wasn’t delivering and MSE may provide. Gathering info on a large sample base of malware will not only help to improve MSE, but Microsoft’s enterprise level ForeFront offerings, as well.

Microsoft’s new free anti-malware solution gets closer: a new name for Morro?

Kip Kniskern — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:42:02 GMT

Last year Microsoft announced that it would end support for Windows Live OneCare, and turn instead to develop a new, free security product, code named Morro. We’ve heard that Morro has already been in limited alpha testing, that it’s based on the same security engine as Microsoft’s Forefront technology, and that most of the work for the new product is being handled by Microsoft in India.

Recently, we had a chance to see a survey conducted for Microsoft and sent out to consumers that sheds a little more light on what’s happening with Morro. First, although this isn’t really news, a description of the product:

Microsoft is creating a new PC security product for consumers that will be available at no cost to licensed Windows users. This new product:

Provides high-quality protection against viruses, spyware and other malicious software;

Is fast and functional, providing continuous protection with minimal impact on system performance;

Is easy to download and install directly from Microsoft, with no subscriptions, renewals or credit cards required to keep your protection up-to-date.

After a few questions, the survey asks about possible names:

Microsoft is considering the following names for this product:

"Microsoft Security Essentials"

"Microsoft Antivirus Plus"

"Microsoft Personal Security"

"Microsoft Security Fundamentals"

and then goes on to ask a number of questions about which name is best, etc. We’re not sure we’d vote for any of them, they all sound pretty old school Microsoft naming (that is, boring and bad). No hints in the survey about timing of the availability of “Morro”; the original press release stated that Morro would be “ available in the second half of 2009”

We liked the name OneCare (and liked the product, and were sorry to see it terminated). What do you think of these potential names for “Morro”? What would you call a new no-cost consumer security product?

Microsoft discontinues Windows Live OneCare – offers lightweight alternative for free

Chris — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:36:05 GMT

Microsoft just announced that it is discontinuing Windows Live OneCare from 2009, replacing it with a free lightweight alternative, codenamed “Morro”. The new product will be available towards the end of 2009, and provide complete malware protection to consumers, at no cost.

This is in contrast to Windows Live Onecare, which currently offers malware protection, backup, online photo backup, multiple machine monitoring and a firewall. However these features come with a price tag of around $30 for 3 machines. Windows Live OneCare subscriptions will stop being sold via retail channels from 30 June 2009, though direct sales via Microsoft will stop only when “Morro” is available.

A Q&A with Amy Barzdukas from Microsoft, highlights the following key points:

“The decision to offer a new anti-malware solution, code-named “Morro,” at no additional cost to consumers is driven by our commitment to provide a trustworthy computing experience. We know that there are still some 60 percent of consumers in developed markets, and even more in emerging markets, that don’t have up-to-date security protection on their PCs, and we want to help provide that core level of protection.”

…

“This offering is not a free version of Windows Live OneCare. “Morro” represents a new offering that is designed in response to market changes and consumer needs. We hear from consumers that they need core malware protection in low-bandwidth scenarios, or that will run on less powerful machines. That's why we will design “Morro” to have a smaller footprint and to use fewer computing resources. This new solution will not offer or support multi-PC “circle” management, printer sharing, performance-enhancing tools such as disk defragmenting, or any of the backup and restore capabilities that make up the Windows Live OneCare suite.”

The Windows Live OneCare team just posted too. They confirm that updates to virus definitions will continue to the end of OneCare subscriptions. However they also say that the online backup functionality will continue to be available. I would assume however that once the subscription ends, users will be encouraged to switch to the new Wave 3 offerings, using Windows Live Photo Gallery, Windows Live Sync and Windows Live Photos instead.

This move comes as somewhat of a surprise, with talk about OneCare 3.0 being currently in development. Hell we may have even caught a sneak peek. Given the lack of press around this as its breaking, this was clearly not one of those stories under embargo, so it’ll be interesting to see what coverage this gets over the next few days.

Update: Ina Fried is reporting that Microsoft Equipt, the bundled version of Office and OneCare will now be discontinued also.

Ryan Naraine also mentions the obvious anti-trust implications, however given that “Morro” won’t be bundled with Windows 7, it seems as though a court outcome may not be clear cut.

Microsoft Not Happy With Test Results OneCare, Questions Secunia’s Testing Method

Sunshine — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:29:00 GMT

In the latest test by Secunia, Windows Live OneCare ended up fifth, detecting only 1,67% of the exploits tested on. The test cases were a mix of three different kinds of exploits: Proof of Concept (PoC), GameOver PoC and Exploit. The test cases were separated into two groups, malicious files (.gif, .mov etc.) and malicious web pages (ActiveX and other browser vulnerabilities).

Not happy with the results Microsoft labeled the results as misleading and confusing to average consumers.

“At first glance, it would seem that this test would be very helpful to consumers to determine the best security suite in the specific scenario – although none of the suites did particularly well in this specific situation. However, Secunia's test focused only on the on-demand scanner functionality and did not take into account any of the other built-in security protections in Windows Live OneCare or other suites included in the test.”

“The on-demand scanner functionality in Windows Live OneCare is a useful tool, but it is only one piece of the overall solution. To be fully effective, it must work in conjunction with other functionality in the suite including, but not limited to, the real-time anti-malware detection engine, the firewall, and automatic update engines like Windows Update and Microsoft Update…”

Did they really only consider the on-demand scanner? How did they conduct these tests?

...(read more)

Sony, Toshiba, and others to pre-install OneCare trials on new computers

Kip Kniskern — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:12:44 GMT

Microsoft has announced deals with a number of computer hardware manufacturers to pre-install Windows Live OneCare on new computers, including Sony Corporation of America and Toshiba Asia Pacific.

Consumers in more than 12 countries can now better protect and maintain their new PC with a free trial of Windows Live OneCare with the following hardware providers:
-- MDG Computers Canada Inc.
-- LEO Gesellschaft fur Computer & Kommunikation mbH
-- WORTMANN AG
-- OLIDATA S.p.A.
-- Hyrican Informationsysteme AG
-- Sotec Company Ltd.
-- TICNOVA QUALITY TEAM, S.L.
-- Sony Corporation of America
-- Toshiba Asia Pacific

While the practice of pre-installing software on new hardware has been blamed recently for perceived poor performance in computer boot-up times, Windows Live OneCare actually includes a boot manager to eliminate programs that can slow boot times, as well as managers for wifi and printer setup that make setting up a new computer easier.

More about Windows Live OneCare on the homepage

OneCare v 2.5 Final released to production: Available now

Kip Kniskern — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:16:28 GMT

OneCare version 2.5, which went into public beta in early April, has just been released into production, and is available now by download at www.onecare.live.com. While the newest build (2.5.2900.3) won’t show much if anything in the way of new features or UI, version 2.5 is expected to be included in Microsoft Equipt, as well as OneCare for Server (for SBS), which is expected to be released later in the year. If previous upgrades are any indication, the new version should be rolling out to existing users in the coming days and weeks, but you can download the final bits now, either as a trial, or to upgrade your current subscription.

Microsoft Launches Consumer Subscription Offering That Combines Microsoft Office And Windows Live OneCare: Microsoft Equipt, Initially Known As Albany

Sunshine — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:00:00 GMT

Remember Albany Beta? Well, it has been renamed to Equipt and is released today!

REDMOND, Wash. — July 2, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today unveiled Microsoft Equipt, an all-in-one security and productivity software subscription service for consumers. In one easy installation, the service delivers award-winning anti-malware protection technology and features to simplify PC management and help improve performance, the productivity tools people use to organize their lives, and online services that help make it easy to keep in touch with friends and family.

Initially code-named “Albany,” Microsoft Equipt offers consumers Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, giving them the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote for their personal and school projects; Windows Live OneCare, the all-in-one security and PC management service; Windows Live tools, such as Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Photo Gallery so they can connect and share with people they care about most; and Office Live Workspace, a new service from Microsoft that makes it easy to save documents to a dedicated online Workspace and share them with friends and classmates. Anytime a new version of Office or Windows Live OneCare is released, Microsoft Equipt customers will get the version upgrades as part of their subscriptions.

Microsoft Equipt will be sold in nearly 700 Circuit City Stores in the US starting mid-July. Retail price is estimated at $69.99 for a one-year renewable subscription and can be installed on up to three home PCs.

From the factsheet:

Included Products and Services:

Windows Live OneCare
All-in-one security and performance includes antivirus, antispyware, firewall, file and photo backup, performance tune-ups, and home network management to help keep your PC running at its peak.

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
· Word 2007. Create great-looking documents with ease.
· Excel 2007. Intuitive spreadsheet tools let you create budgets and more.
· PowerPoint 2007. Design stunning presentations for family, school or volunteer activities.
· OneNote 2007. Organize different kinds of information — text, images, audio and video, Web clippings, and more — in one digital notebook.

Microsoft Office Live Workspace
This new service from Office makes it easy for you to save documents to a dedicated online Workspace and share these with friends and classmates.

Windows Live tools
· Windows Live Mail. Get all your e-mail in one place.
· Windows Live Messenger. Send instant messages to your friends or have a video chat.
· Windows Live Photo Gallery. Organize and share photos.
· And more. Including Windows Live Writer and Windows Live Toolbar.

Automatic updates and upgrades. Office Home and Student version upgrades plus automatic security updates and OneCare upgrades.

More information:
Q&A: PressPass Interview with Bryson Gordon
Factsheet Equipt
http://www.circuitcity.com

Get Windows Live OneCare 2.0 for free from Amazon.com

Chris — Thu, 08 May 2008 04:40:00 GMT

While we don't usually do these kind of late-night TV infomercials, this one should be of interest to a few of you. Amazon.com is currently running a $30 rebate on Windows Live OneCare 2.0, which means after rebate you get it for free. Its US-only (sorry!) but here's the link if you're interested:

Get Windows Live OneCare 2.0 @ Amazon.com

While we're talking about Amazon, I'll mention Mary-Jo Foley's new book, Microsoft 2.0. Seems like there's some juicy stuff in the Appendix too.

Albany Beta launches today, what is it?

Sunshine — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:21:00 GMT

Microsoft launches Albany Beta today, but what is it? The name reveals nothing. “Albany” is the codename for a new all-in-one subscription service of essential software and services for consumers. It consists of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, Windows Live OneCare, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Photo Gallery, it also installs the Microsoft Office Live Workspace connector. With Albany consumers will get the latest versions of Microsoft Office Home and Student and Windows Live OneCare as they are released.

Each “Albany” subscription is good for three PCs and the final version of the product will be delivered before the end of this calendar year. Microsoft Office and Windows Live OneCare will still be sold as standalone package as well. Albany just gives customers more choice and addresses the needs of those customers who value having the latest and greatest version of Microsoft Office. Pricing is not yet known.

Q&A: Group Product Manager Bryson Gordon discusses “Albany”
Getting ready for Windows Live Wave 3

Windows Live OneCare for Server private beta started

Sunshine — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:47:10 GMT

Paul Thurrott got word from Microsoft that Windows Live OneCare for Server has gone into private beta:

Last month, Microsoft highlighted its Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Live OneCare for Server, upcoming solutions aimed at providing increased security and protection for a small business environment.

Microsoft recently invited a select group of private beta testers who are also testing the Small Business Server 2008 beta to lend feedback on Windows Live OneCare for Server. Limited to 5,000 testers, this is an important step toward ultimately bringing this solution to the small business environment based on their valuable input.

Windows Live OneCare for Server is designed to work with Windows Small Business Server 2008. OneCare for Server provides anti-malware and security services to help protect and maintain the server. Additionally, the protection OneCare for Server offers includes:

Performance tune-up

Removal of unnecessary files

Automated backup (of specific file types)

Consolidated management

Joe Wilcox posted about the planned release of a version of Windows Live OneCare for servers on February 20th. Steven VanRoekel, senior director of Windows Server Product Solutions, said the software will be bundled with Small Business Server and Essential Server 2008 editions, along with a one-year subscription to Forefront for Exchange.

Small Business Server 2008 will become available in the second half of 2008, the same goes for Windows Essential Business Server 2008. Both Server editions are part of the Windows Essential Server Solutions product family, which got introduced in this article on the Windows Server Division Weblog.

Windows Live OneCare 2.5 enters public beta

Kip Kniskern — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:12:42 GMT

OneCare, the anti-virus/tune-up/back-up all in one program, has just opened up a public beta of version 2.5 (current released version is 2.0.2500.22, on my machine, anyway). Anyone can go to Microsoft Connect and sign up and try the new beta, you don't need to be signed in to get to the page:

Looks like there's quite a list of countries available, no US only this time. Not sure what the changes are from the released version, and there's no information about changes on the public Connect site.

(thanks for the tip)

Microsoft launches OneCare 2.0 - or does it?

Kip Kniskern — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:03:00 GMT

Microsoft announced in a press release on Wednessday night the release of OneCare 2.0, the latest version of the Anti-Virus/backup/computer maintenance offering from Windows Live. Only now it's Thursday night and http://onecare.live.com is still offering up version 1.6. Clearly something has happened, but whether its just some miscommunication between PR and operations (hey, it happens), or some last minute glitches are holding things up, we're not sure.

We'll be keeping an eye out for the latest bits - but if you receive either an update to your retail 1.6 version or are able to download and install 2.0 from the retail site, let us know. Leave a comment or, as always, tips and feedback are much appreciated.

Update: Thanks for the tips, guys. Looks like OneCare 2.0 is available for download - have at it. Anyone seeing upgrades from v. 1.6?

Windows Live OneCare 2.0 launches

Chris — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:18:00 GMT

Today marks the launch of Windows Live OneCare 2.0, Microsoft's 2nd revision of its all-in-one home computer management offering, combining anti-virus, firewall, spyware protection and backup software all into the same application.

So what's new in this version? According to a new OneCare 2.0 Reviewer's Guide, quite a bit:

Security and Protection Technologies

·         Wi-Fi connection security (New)

·         Real-time and scheduled anti-malware scanning

·         Two-way managed firewall with automatic policy updates

·         Internet Explorer^® 7 Phishing Filter integration

·         Microsoft Update integration

·         OneCare advisories

PC Performance Tuning and Optimization

·         Proactive fixes and recommendations for PC health (New)

·         Start-time optimizer/turn off unused programs (New)

·         Automatic disk defragmentation and hard drive cleanup

Data Backup and Restore

·         Centralized backup for multiple local networked PCs (New)

·         Online backup for photos (available at added cost) (New)

·         Full and differential backups for key file types, including music, photos and financial documents

·         Backs up to CD, DVD, external hard drive, local network drive and USB-connected devices

Network and Multi-PC Management

·         Multi-PC management and monitoring (New)

·         Automatic printer-sharing configuration (New)

·         Firewall Connection Wizard for complex connections

Reporting, Licensing and Support

·         Monthly report of service and results (New)

·         Free version upgrades over the course of the 12-month subscription

·         Telephone, chat and e-mail support

·         Freedom to install OneCare on up to three PCs

OneCare is available in 17 countries and 7 languages, at http://onecare.live.com (unlike zuneoriginals which is well, disappointing for internationals). Finally if you have any problems with the new release don't forget the official Windows Live OneCare forums.

OneCare 2.0 Final - coming soon

Chris — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:53:00 GMT

Looks like OneCare 2.0 could be going gold very soon. As well as it showing up on Amazon.com with a retail release date of next week, an email sent to OneCare users tonight suggests that a web release will be even sooner than that. On top of that, the OneCare installation page has been unavailable for several hours tonight, which is always a good sign that a release is right around the corner.

For those of you already using OneCare, you should be prompted to upgrade once the new version is available, though you can still upgrade manually once its out. If you haven't been testing the OneCare 2.0 beta, you should read up on the new features before it launches - new features include multi PC management, centralised backups and much more. You never know, it might just catch your eye... ;)