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Microsoft Refreshes OneCare Beta

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

October 25, 2005, 2:00 PM

Microsoft on Tuesday will issue a refreshed beta of Windows OneCare to testers, which brings a number of improvements to the PC protection and maintenance service. New features include the ability to backup to an external drive, scan incoming files from MSN Messenger and perform on-demand virus detection.

The updated beta will be delivered automatically through OneCare's built-in update facility. However, changes to the firewall and anti-virus component means currently policies and exclusions will be lost in the transition. Developers have also now integrated Windows OneCare into the new unified Microsoft Update download center for patches.

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By Tosawyer

edited Oct 26, 2005 - 1:28 PM

KSzostek, I think your a bit star struck from being on the "expert team" and all.

I've been running this beta since it's inception and while it shows promise as a anti-virus product it is without a doubt becoming just another piece of bloatware.

The firewall is annoying, and the anti-virus adds a good 10 seconds load time to all Office documents on my 2ghz machine.

This software is being built with people like our mothers in mind who have little or no PC knowledge and just want a one shot solution to security.

Is this software a piece of junk? no, but it's not anywhere near the top of the list either.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Oct 26, 2005 - 3:34 PM

The firewall is annoying? The firewall in Onecare is the least intrusive one I have _ever_ seen.

"This software is being built with people like our mothers in mind who have little or no PC knowledge and just want a one shot solution to security"

I agree with you 100% on this one. I think that for that purpose, Onecare will be a great product; a LOT better than the current alternatives anyway (IMO).

Score: 0

By KSzostek

edited Oct 25, 2005 - 11:19 PM

I am a beta tester on the expert team which is different from the open beta testers for Onecare. Wow this latest update is well done. If you bash Microsoft just to bash them, your missing out on a great product.

Citizen420 if your using panda you deserve it. Who would trust Microsoft with security and back up? Who knows their product better than Microsoft.

You obviously haven't even tried Onecare Live but yet you put your 2 cents in anyway. You guys deserve to use ALL the junk you find out there. But then your probably still using a 286 computer.

Score: 0

By citizen420

posted Oct 26, 2005 - 10:09 AM

i own a 286 pc, but i prefer to use my athlon 3000+ 64 bit pc

Score: 0

By jbaltz69

posted Oct 25, 2005 - 4:36 PM

I'm part of the OneCare Beta team and I think it is a great product and I can't wait to get these updates.

Score: 0

By citizen420

posted Oct 25, 2005 - 4:11 PM

I wouldnt trust microsh*t with my security and backup. 3rd party software is so mutch nicer..... Panda antivirus(or a free avast), norton systemworks(or free p2p version:P)...... with things like this on the market/internet, who would want to trust ms with security and backup.

Score: 0

By crashoverride

edited Oct 25, 2005 - 9:24 PM

I tried Norton System works once......ONCE. It was a bloated buggy piece of garbage that did mor eharm than good. This OneCare thing may be goo dbut I call into question Microsoft's Motif behind this. i may get flamed for this but the way I see it they are trying to make money off the misfortune they impose on their customers. I mean I realize that they can't make windows totally secure but it seems to me they have enough to worry about trying to fix the flaws in the OS and other products they produce. No they go and add this to their already mountainous load. I'm just wondering how well they will be able to maintain this with all the other stuff they have their hands in.

Score: 0

By wincement

edited Oct 25, 2005 - 7:36 PM

I agree with you somewhat. I think a de-centralized approach is best. It almost never works well to trust one program to do everything.

Panda is the absolute worst AV product I have ever tried. It hosed three different systems I installed it on because it tried to take over everything. Panda is a prime example of trying to put way too much into one program. That's why I don't think it fits into the de-centralized approach.

However, that being said, Onecare has really impressed me. I think it will be the perfect solution for people that don't have any computer knowledge. It's a set-it and forget-it solution for them, and it will even remind them when they need to create a new backup and walk them through the process.

Thumbs up to MS on this one.

Score: 0

By citizen420

posted Oct 26, 2005 - 10:06 AM

panda 2006 is actually best at stopping viruses, according to a few reviews ive read,

Score: 0

By Fidelio

posted Oct 25, 2005 - 6:17 PM

Do you trust Symantec??? that must be a joke. Everytime I have tried to use any of their products in the past I end with a slow and bloated PC. OneCare has been working for me very nicely.

Score: 0

By Pdj79

posted Oct 25, 2005 - 4:57 PM

You obviously have no clue what you're talking about if you're going to suggest Norton Systemworks as a good 3rd-party utility system. The last decent suite from Symantec was 2002. Since then there's been excess bloat, resource-hogging, bugs, memory leaks, and other miscellaneous crap that's made this suite of software somewhat of a joke. Their Speed Disk used to be the only program I ever used religiously, and even that became unreliable. OneCare has been awesome. No virii, no network intrusions, and the defragger actually seems to make a difference. Microsoft is finally getting something right.

Score: 0

By citizen420

posted Oct 25, 2005 - 6:15 PM

true it has become a bit bloated but it works, (The only reason im not denying this is because nav has already lost my support) but panda av still is at the top when it comes to preventing viruses

Score: 0

By sethadam1

posted Oct 25, 2005 - 2:49 PM

I've been using OneCare for awhile now, and I must say, these improvements are VERY welcome!

I have filled out many surveys about the need to backup to external hard drive, and also to select files based on the filesystem tree, not based on "types." If that's there, then this is really starting to shape up!

Score: 0

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