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Microsoft Expands OneCare Beta Test

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

September 2, 2005, 11:46 AM

Microsoft is expanding its Windows OneCare beta program, opening the door for more testers to trial the company's comprehensive PC protection and maintenance package. Initially OneCare will include antivirus and firewall protection, an automated PC tune-up, and backup and restore functionality.

"We have made excellent progress fixing bugs and adding new features. We are now at a point where we would like to begin expanding our group of beta testers, and invite you extend Windows OneCare beta invitations to your friends and family," Microsoft wrote in an e-mail. Those interested can apply for the beta program by visiting Windows Beta with the guest ID: OneCare.

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By baraa93

posted Sep 10, 2005 - 9:45 AM

One Care looks like it will actually be a great solution for Windows users when it is finished. Everything is extremely user-friendly and spelled out to you as you go. I don't particularly care for the backup feature, but it's simple enough to stop the reminders for it.

The firewall I think is the best part about it for people that really don't have a clue what they're doing. It has a pre-defined set of programs that it knows are trusted, and it's very comprehensive, at least in my experience so far. It won't popup 5 billion alerts to people recommending blocking legitimate applications like other so-called "user-friendly" programs

Score: 0

By baraa93

edited Sep 10, 2005 - 9:35 AM

One Care looks like it will actually be a great solution for Windows users when it is finished. Everything is extremely user-friendly and spelled out to you as you go. I don't particularly care for the backup feature, but it's simple enough to stop the reminders for it.

The firewall I think is the best part about it for people that really don't have a clue what they're doing. It has a pre-defined set of programs that it knows are trusted, and it's very comprehensive, at least in my experience so far. It won't popup 5 billion alerts to people recommending blocking legitimate applications like other so-called "user-friendly" programs

Score: 0

By Tomprice

edited Sep 6, 2005 - 3:57 PM

I would like to know if selected as it said they would get back in twenty four hours or so or does this mean if no contact you have not been selected for the beta test run of this software.

Score: 0

By wincement

edited Sep 6, 2005 - 6:29 PM

No. I wasn't contacted until I got my package in the mail more than a month later. They aren't doing too well with communication on this project.

But hey, it looks like it will be a great product, and I'm getting it for free, so I can't complain.

Score: 0

By jdp_user_78

edited Sep 5, 2005 - 1:17 AM

I've been using OneCare for about a month. It works fairly good, but I can't compare the antivirus to say, NAV (Norton), cause I don't know what it's blocking or not. The only major problem I've had, is that I can't uninstall it (via the normal add/remove method). It appears it is blocking my access to my company's mainframe, which I need for production support purposes. If anyone knows how to cleanly uninstall this, let me know. The reponse I got from the MS Beta team, has not worked.

Score: 0

By morganis101

edited Sep 5, 2005 - 12:14 PM

hey,

good you please send me an invite to use OneCare? PLEASE! I've been asking around forever but with no response. Email me at:

Morganis101(at)yahoo(dot)(com)

Thanks,

Alex M.

Score: 0

By Fidelio

posted Oct 25, 2005 - 3:43 PM

Read the original article at the top of the page and you'll get the instructions:

Those interested can apply for the beta program by visiting Windows Beta (http://beta.microsoft.com) with the guest ID: OneCare.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Sep 5, 2005 - 8:49 PM

No one can send an invitation except Microsoft. You can't actually install the software unless you have these three things:

1. The installation CD.
2. The registration key on the CD.
3. A passport sign-in that has been approved by MS to have access to the OneCare program.

They keep it pretty tight. I tried logging in with the wrong passport sign-in (by accident) at first, and it said something like, "Sorry. We do not show this as an active Windows OneCare Beta account."

Score: 0

By PhoenixPath

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 11:40 AM

Heh... Hate to correct ya, but...

If you were in the first-round betas you did not get a CD. It was a download, and the key was in the acceptance email they sent ya.

I, for some reason, was put in both groups, so I got both emails. The first gives me a key and tells me to DL it from the site (which still works...with allowed accounts), the second tells me to await the CD in the mail....which I still haven't recieved.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 6:30 PM

Oh. I didn't know that. Well.... either way, no one can send the guy an invitation.

Score: 0

By athome

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 12:57 PM

I also was in on the first round, and have not had one problem on my pc. I was only given the dowload method.

I do not run any additional adware/spyware programs to truly see if it works as well as I hope. When the software expires, I then will run my cleaning programs. In the meantime, I have not had any problems. I leave my PC on continuously, and it is connected to the internet 24/7 via broadband.

I really hope they live up to my expectations of truly a ONECARE Program.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 6:31 PM

You might want to keep your anti-spyware programs. Even MS acknowledges that this program does very little to prevent spyware/adware (at least for the time-being).

Score: 0

By heat_fan1

posted Sep 4, 2005 - 2:43 AM

Why does it seem like I'm the only one on here who hasn't gotten an invitation and isn't using OneCare? Is there a trick to getting one?

Score: 0

By wincement

edited Sep 4, 2005 - 12:49 PM

I have no idea. I submitted my application back in June (I think) and thought I'd never hear back from them. But then I got a package in the mail at the beginning of August with the CDs and my license key included.

I don't know what the trick is, but from everyone's comments here, it seems to take a while for anything to happen.

Score: 0

By jobryan26

posted Sep 3, 2005 - 11:51 AM

I have been using OneCare Beta for about a month now and I like so far.

Only problem I've had is that Outlook won't connect to hotmail or Gmail even tho Outlook is allowed in the firewall. Not sure how to get around this.

Score: 0

By athome

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 1:00 PM

hotmail stopped allowing POP to connect to its website some time back. Same with yahoo and aol. they are limiting the ways in which people can exploit their servers to spam. (I am sure there are other reasons) I think it is a good idea, but will have to wait and see.

Score: 0

By morganis101

posted Sep 5, 2005 - 12:16 PM

hey,

good you please send me an invite to use OneCare? PLEASE! I've been asking around forever but with no response. Email me at:

Morganis101(at)yahoo(dot)(com)

Thanks,

Alex M.

Score: 0

By ogman

posted Sep 3, 2005 - 10:15 AM

Testers? Wow, I'm one of them and even I wasn't sure we were actually testing anything. Anytime it takes a month to get a request for info on a bug report, you have to wonder.

Score: 0

By wincement

edited Sep 4, 2005 - 2:55 PM

"Anytime it takes a month to get a request for info on a bug report, you have to wonder."

Yeah that's true. I don't think this program is a big priority for them. I think their developers are more pre-occupied with Vista right now.

Score: 0

By PhoenixPath

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 11:43 AM

Completely seperate teams. The two are wholly unrelated other than the fact they both get paychecks from MS.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 6:34 PM

Obviously... ok let me correct my statement by saying Microsoft overall is a little pre-occupied with Vista, meaning I don't think they have nearly the number of developers working on this beta project as they do working on Vista even when you analyze them proportionally.

Anyway, it's pure speculation. I have no data to back it up whatsoever, it's just the way it looks like it could be to me.

Score: 0

By mrkeyboardman2004

posted Sep 3, 2005 - 8:45 AM

It's been a month and i'm still waiting for my OneCare CD and activation in the mail, and i cant reinstall it from the website without the activation code!!! Hmmmmmmmm

Score: 0

By eunichman

posted Sep 3, 2005 - 2:28 AM

I recieved my onecare package in the mail the other day, started up my brand new computer with a fresh install of Microsoft Windows XP 64 bit and put the cd in... and got this error message (came up blazingly fast LOL) stating that my operating system was unsupported, that I needed to be running Microsoft Windows XP. Makes sense huh?

Score: 0

By athome

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 1:01 PM

XP 64!

Score: 0

By morganis101

posted Sep 5, 2005 - 12:16 PM

hey,

good you please send me an invite to use OneCare? PLEASE! I've been asking around forever but with no response. Email me at:

Morganis101(at)yahoo(dot)(com)

Thanks,

Alex M.

Score: 0

By vinylalive

posted Sep 3, 2005 - 12:24 PM

The following OSs are supported: Windows XP Home Edition, Professional, Media Center Edition, or Tablet PC Edition with Service Pack 2 (SP2) (Beta requires English (non-localized) version)

I see no mention of XP64 yet.

Score: 0

By eunichman

posted Sep 4, 2005 - 9:50 AM

you are quite correct. I just wonder what wisdom drives Microsoft sometimes. They make XP64 and expect people to develop for it when they themselves arent on the ball...

Score: 0

By wincement

edited Sep 4, 2005 - 12:52 PM

It's just a beta. And there aren't that many viruses for XP64 yet anyway. I'm sure their 64-bit version will come soon enough.

...ok maybe not, but it sounded good at the time. =p

Score: 0

By Retromusicman

edited Sep 3, 2005 - 8:09 AM

how did you get a "package" I thought it had to installed from the one care website???

Score: 0

By jobryan26

posted Sep 3, 2005 - 11:53 AM

I got mine throught the mail and then had to activate it online. I guess you could say that it installs "thru" the website and disk.

Score: 0

By PhoenixPath

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 11:44 AM

1st beta group downloaded from the site, 2nd beta group gets a CD.

Score: 0

By vinylalive

edited Sep 2, 2005 - 12:30 PM

This is more polished than the average beta. Everything seems to work well. The backup does filter a number of files, and there's no way to find out specifically what is being filtered (other than a list of extensions). MS Spyware isn't yet included, so don't uninstall it. The firewall works very well, and doesn't seem to cause access problems. I guess the virus protection works, viruses are the least of my PC problems. It will work well for the uninformed masses, which is a good thing.

Score: 0

By drumcat

posted Sep 2, 2005 - 4:21 PM

It's going to have to blow the doors off to have any traction. It still seems like a big conflict of interest to me.

Score: 0

By PhoenixPath

edited Sep 2, 2005 - 4:43 PM

Like selling an OS, claiming it needs this software to be secure, and then selling the software as well?

Oh, wait..that's *exactly* what they're doing.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Sep 2, 2005 - 7:37 PM

I know what you're saying.

But I don't think they have much choice. If they were to integrate it for free - the logical solution to the "conflict of interests" - then it would be the number one target for malware/viruses/etc. and defeat the whole purpose. It would essentially be the same situation we have now.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Sep 2, 2005 - 3:20 PM

One Care looks like it will actually be a great solution for Windows users when it is finished. Everything is extremely user-friendly and spelled out to you as you go. I don't particularly care for the backup feature, but it's simple enough to stop the reminders for it.

The firewall I think is the best part about it for people that really don't have a clue what they're doing. It has a pre-defined set of programs that it knows are trusted, and it's very comprehensive, at least in my experience so far. It won't popup 5 billion alerts to people recommending blocking legitimate applications like other so-called "user-friendly" programs *coughNortoncough*.

Score: 0

By bakura

edited Sep 2, 2005 - 5:01 PM

I have been very impressed with it as well. As it stands now, I would pay a subscription for this product and drop my existing internet security software. Everything is user friendly. I share your concern about the backup solution, but hopefully they will take the user feedback they receive during the beta and make it a more robust backup solution.

Score: 0

By PhoenixPath

edited Sep 2, 2005 - 4:41 PM

OneCare will eventually cost money, correct?

I seriously hope MS does not include this with Vista if that is the case....it'd be like packaging shareware with the OS.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Sep 2, 2005 - 7:33 PM

Yeah, it will cost money.

No, they're not going to bundle it with Vista.

At least that's the last I heard.

Score: 0

By ogman

posted Sep 3, 2005 - 10:17 AM

The initial plan, according to several tech news services (and the rumor mill) is to have OneCare be on a subscription model. Naturally, there are those who think it will eventually be integrated.

Score: 0

By PhoenixPath

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 11:45 AM

I hope to God they don't. They've enough problems. People'd jump all over this in a heartbeat.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 6:35 PM

Agreed.

Score: 0

By Pdj79

posted Sep 2, 2005 - 1:34 PM

I have been beta testing this suite of programs for a few months now and I must say, I am quite impressed with it. Granted I don't have much need for the backup program, it is still pretty robust in its functions and works surprisingly well...although I still prefer O&O for my defragging needs.

Score: 0

By morganis101

posted Sep 5, 2005 - 12:17 PM

hey,

good you please send me an invite to use OneCare? PLEASE! I've been asking around forever but with no response. Email me at:

Morganis101(at)yahoo(dot)(com)

Thanks,

Alex M.

Score: 0

By wvbigdave

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 3:30 AM

Would you quit asking about an invite! This isn't Gmail, so quit asking.

Score: 0

By PhoenixPath

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 11:47 AM

The impression I get from the article is that you *are* allowed to send invites, once you are accepted. So it would, in fact, be just like GMail.

Now, if their wording is misleading and you are allowed to *invite* your friends to the beta sign-up site, then they're begging for confusion.

Score: 0

By WickedLester

posted Sep 6, 2005 - 2:50 PM

Morganis101@yahoo.com -- MS has to send you an invite. You are wasting your time asking here.

Score: 0

By MarkReneti

edited Sep 12, 2005 - 10:22 AM

Do you happen to know how long it usually takes to get a response from the beta program, or at least how long it took you? I'm just curious to know because I signed up Saturday morning (I don't expect to get any kind of a response on the weekend) and was just wondering about what approximate time I should expect a response if I'm getting one.

Thanks for Any idea you can give.

Score: 0

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