Microsoft Windows Live OneCare 2.0.2284.28

This is the updated version of the previously released Windows Live one care Beta 2,so If U haven't downloaded the previous version than be sure to download this to keep Ur windows safe from viruses.

This new version also establishes a foundation to better address the needs of small businesses.  Many small businesses need to protect and maintain a number of PCs but may not have the resources for extensive onsite IT support.  To help solve this problem, we added centralized backup to OneCare so local back up on a small business network is a simple step instead of a time consuming hassle. 

Here’s a quick overview of the new features we’ve added to OneCare version 2.0 to help keep users’ PCs and networks safe, reliable and performing well:

• Multi-PC and home network management.
• Printer sharing support.
• Start-time optimizer. 
• Proactive fixes and recommendations. 
• Monthly reports. 
• Centralized backup.
• Online photo backup.

Download Here

Windows Live OneCare 2.0 goes into public beta

Windows Live OneCare is an automatically self-updating PC care service that's on whenever your PC is on, helping provide persistent protection against viruses, hackers, and other threats. It also performs regular tune-ups to help keep your PC running at top speed, and helps you back up important documents. 

• Runs quietly in the background, providing anti-virus, anti-spyware,  online identity and scam protection (anti-phishing) and firewall protection
  
• Updates itself to help you keep ahead of the latest threats
  
• Runs regular PC tune-ups, even checking for ways to shorten PC boot-up time
  
• Provides one-click solutions to most problems
  
• Makes backups a breeze
  
• Lets you see the status of all your computer systems at a glance

Download here-http://get.live.com/betas/onecare_betas

source- Tech Today

Windows Live OneCare 2.0 beta almost here

In an email sent to Windows Live OneCare testers, Microsoft confirmed the imminent start of the OneCare 2.0 beta program. Designated as a "pre-premiere", OneCare 2.0 will not be available as a public beta initially.

New features we should be seeing include:

• Multi PC management - designate a hub PC and then add additional PCs to your OneCare circle using a common Windows Live ID. You can then see the status of the other PCs within the group.
• Printer Sharing - share your printer with all the PCs in your OneCare circle
• OneCare Online Photo Backup - paid storage is available online for photo backups (we're hearing 10GB but that could change by the end of the beta)
• Securing wireless networks - if your router is supported OneCare 2.0 will allow you to secure your wireless network
• x64 support

The ability to backup online is a feature we've been talking about for a while, as a potentially key part of storage in the cloud. Windows Live Folders is currently set at 500MB, but if 10GB is what is being offered for OneCare Photo backups, a significant increase for the final version seems more than likely.

If you haven't signed up for the beta already, here's the link.

OneCare Activation Explained

Our customers have a lot of questions about OneCare activation and want to know exactly what it is all about. We commonly hear feedback from customers who say that activation is only for the purposes of adding a second PC, but it is much more than that.

So why do customers need to activate in the first place? You may have noticed that OneCare is not a traditional software package, it is a subscription based service. One way to think about it is to compare it to your cell phone service, where you pay a fee for a period, receive updates to your service during that period and have a phone number associated with your service. Similarly, it is necessary for OneCare customers to have a Windows Live ID account so that we can provide them with the proper level of service. Getting a Windows Live ID means you have one simple way to interact with your OneCare account whether that means Activating a 2nd PC or getting support.

source: Windows Live OneCare Blog

Microsoft’s antivirus deletes users’ e-mails

IMPORTANT FOR USERS OF MICROSOFT ONECARE.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE

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Microsoft has admitted that its Live OneCare security suite has been accidentally deleting some users’ Outlook and Outlook Express e-mails.

According to postings on Microsoft’s OneCare forum, erasures have been caused when the antivirus programme finds a virus in an e-mail attachment. Instead of then quarantining that single e-mail, users have reported that entire .pst or .dbx files -— the personal folder where non-Exchange Server users’ messages and other details are kept -— have been quarantined or, in some cases, even deleted.

One user commented on the forum: “Is there a chance to recover it? If not, OneCare will have done more damage than any virus in my 30 years of active computing.” Forum postings indicate, however, that recovery is possible in some cases, where the .pst or .dbx file is still available in OneCare’s quarantine facility.

Stephen Boots, a forum administrator, commented that he was “very unhappy about this problem as it was reported over a year ago and fixed in the 1.0 release”, adding: “It never appeared throughout the beta, but suddenly appeared when 1.5 was released”.

In a statement reported on Computerworld, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that the company was “working to address an issue where the antimalware engine for OneCare is erroneously quarantining Outlook .pst files or Outlook Express .dbx files, when the .pst file or .dbx file contains an infected attachment”. The spokesperson added that a fix would be included in the next OneCare update, which is due on 13 March.

OneCare has been hit this year by ongoing criticism, having only days ago failed to achieve certification in an independent test of security products. Shortly before that, it emerged that the product did not sufficiently protect users of Microsoft’s Vista operating system against malware.

Source: bink.nu

OneCare places last in AV comparison

In a report released February 28 and reported by Computerworld, Austrian researcher Andreas Cleminti from AV Comparatives rated Windows Live OneCare dead last out of 17 anti-virus programs, the only program in the comparison to receive no certification from Cleminti.

The report, available online in a report or in pdf form, rated G Data Security's AntiVirusKit (AVK) the top performing AV program, catching 99.5 percent of malicious code in the comparison tests. OneCare came in well behind all of the other products, catching only 82.4 percent of the malware.

According to Computerworld, Microsoft responded to the results, saying:

"We are looking closely at the methodology and results of the test to ensure that Windows Live OneCare performs better in future tests," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

A quick search on AV Comparatives shows a number of anti-virus products touting their results in previous tests, from Nod32 to Kapersky, and AV Comparatives have been posting testing results since February of 2004. This appears to be the first test in which OneCare has been included.

Offer for OneCare (v1.5) Beta service testers

Today I received the mail from Microsoft stating that the Testers are given 60% off on the subscription of Windows Live One Care Subscription.The mail read as follows-

Thank you for participating in the Windows Live OneCare (v1.5) Beta! Your feedback, comments, and bug reports (!) have helped us improve the service and we are now in the final steps of releasing OneCare to consumers world-wide on January 30, 2007.

Beta to Close at End of February 2007

We wanted to give you advance notice that the (v1.5) beta will be coming to a close at the end of February, and that your OneCare beta service will expire by March 2007 (or sooner, depending when you installed the beta). After your service expires, you won’t receive new Virus and spyware definitions or other OneCare updates. To continue your OneCare protection, you will have to uninstall OneCare and then reinstall the released version of the product. We strongly urge you to do so. In fact, we feel so strongly about it that we’d like to extend this special introductory offer to make it easier…

Special, Limited-Time Introductory Offer for Beta Users

To show our appreciation for our beta participants, we are offering you the full, released version of Windows Live OneCare at a price of $19.95 for one year. This offer is over 60% off the full retail price and covers up to 3 Windows XP or Windows Vista PCs. The offer will expire February 12, 2007, so be sure to take advantage of it soon.

To take advantage of this offer:

1) Uninstall Windows Live OneCare beta (by using the standard Add / Remove Programs Control Panel on your computer). Be sure to restart your computer when the uninstallation is complete.

2) When your computer restarts, return to this e-mail and click this link:

Special offer for Beta participants

(You must use the link in this email in order to be eligible for this special introductory pricing.Link removed due to security purposes)

Follow the instructions to redeem your offer and install the fully released version of the service.

So Microsoft is really giving benefits to it's beta testers.

Microsoft Releases Windows Live One Care

Microsoft has announced the availability of Windows Live OneCare, its PC care service, in 16 countries. The service offers unified virus and spyware scanning, more flexible file backup options and support for the Windows Vista operating system.

The service will be available to consumers on Jan. 30, along with the release of Microsoft's much anticipated Windows Vista. All active OneCare subscribers will be automatically upgraded to this latest release with new features and enhancements while they're online. Moreover, Microsoft will also offer its Windows Live OneCare beta customers, a special discount the annual subscription fee (60 percent off), when they sign up at http://onecare.live.com/. The offer is valid from January 23 through February 12, for Windows Live OneCare beta users.

Ryan Hamlin, general manager of the Technology Care and Safety Group at Microsoft said, "This new release marks our continued commitment to evolving and expanding our all-in-one PC care service around the world, both for Windows XP and now Windows Vista customers. In addition to helping guard against viruses, spyware, phishing scams and other security threats, OneCare also handles a variety of essential PC care practices behind the scenes so our customers can have peace of mind that their PC is being taken care of and will be able to spend their valuable time on other things."

Windows Live OneCare offers automated protection, maintenance, performance tuning and support for PCs running either Windows XP Service Pack 2 or the Windows Vista operating system. Windows Live OneCare claims to complete the security picture for Windows Vista adopters by providing real-time anti-virus protection and managing firewall policies to address new and evolving threats. Representatives say the service goes beyond security to help simplify important maintenance tasks such as backing up photos, music and other files to a variety of storage devices and defragmenting the hard drive to help increase the performance of consumers' PCs.

Windows Live OneCare is priced at an annual subscription rate of $49.95 in the US, for up to three PCs. Starting from January 30, the service will also be available at similar pricing and licensing structures in Australia, Austria, Belgium (Dutch and French), Canada (English and French), France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland (French and German), and United Kingdom can download the Windows Live OneCare subscription service at http://onecare.live.com/.

Windows Live OneCare (v1.5) is released to manufacturing

Windows Live OneCare includes antivirus, antispyware, two-way firewall and anti-phishing technology for all your security needs. It regularly defragments and cleans your hard disk drive, and also offers backup and restore functions. Development and test work is complete for the next major release of OneCare and will be available, in store and on the web, at the end of January. Those who have already subscribed will automatically receive the newer version. The new release sports support for Windows Vista while improving XP support, many new language platforms, as well as overall performance improvements - none of which could have been possible without beta testers.

Windows Live OneCare (v1.5) and Windows Vista set to Launch Same Day (Plus Special Deal)

Windows Live OneCare Team Blog: Windows Live OneCare (v1.5) and Windows Vista set to Launch Same Day

As you may have heard, Microsoft announced some big news today – the Windows Vista has now been released to manufacturing and the general availability date is set for January 30, 2007! So what does this mean for Windows Live OneCare? Quite a bit. The next generation of Windows Live OneCare (v1.5) will launch globally the same day Windows Vista rolls out to the general public.

Because the new version of OneCare was designed with Windows Vista in mind, we think every homeowner and small business owner that purchases Windows Vista for their PC will like OneCare equally as much for its unified antivirus and antispyware filtering capabilities, and more backup options, not to mention the ongoing PC maintenance it provides.