Windows Live OneCare (previously Windows OneCare Live, codenamed A1) was a computer security and performance enhancement service developed by Microsoft for Windows. A core technology of OneCare was the multi-platform RAV (Reliable Anti-Virus), which Microsoft purchased from GeCAD Software Srl in 2003, but subsequently discontinued. The software was available as an annual paid subscription, which could be used on up to three computers.
On November 18, 2008, Microsoft announced that Windows Live OneCare would be discontinued on June 30, 2009, and would instead be offering a new free anti-malware suite called Microsoft Security Essentials. However, virus definitions and support for OneCare would continue until a subscription expires. In the end-of-life announcement, Microsoft noted that Windows Live OneCare would not be upgraded to work with Windows 7 and would also not work in Windows XP Mode.
History
Windows Live OneCare entered a beta state in the summer of 2005. The managed beta program was launched before the public beta, and was located on BetaPlace, Microsoft's former beta delivery system. On May 31, 2006, Windows Live OneCare made its official debut in retail stores in the United States.
The beta version of Windows Live OneCare 1.5 was released in early October 2006 by Microsoft. Version 1.5 was released to manufacturing on January 3, 2007, and made available to the public on January 30, 2007. On July 4, 2007, beta testing started for version 2.0, and the final version was released on November 16, 2007.
Microsoft acquired Komoku on March 20, 2008, and merged its computer security software into Windows Live OneCare.
Windows Live OneCare 2.5 (build 2.5.2900.28) final was released on July 3, 2008. That same day, Microsoft also released Windows Live OneCare for Server 2.5.
Features
Windows Live OneCare featured integrated anti-virus, personal firewall, and backup utilities, and a tune-up utility with the integrated functionality of Windows Defender for malware protection. A future addition of a registry cleaner was considered but not implemented because "there are not significant customer advantages to this functionality". Version 2 added features such as multi-PC and home network management, printer sharing support, start-time optimizer, proactive fixes and recommendations, monthly reports, centralized backup, and online photo backup.
Windows Live OneCare was built for ease of use and designed for home users. It added an icon to the notification area that told the user at a glance the status of the system's health using three alert colors: green (good), yellow (fair), and red (at risk).
Compatibility
Version 1.5 of OneCare is only compatible with the 32-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Vista. Version 2 of OneCare supports 64-bit compatibility with Vista. In version 2.5, Microsoft released Windows Live OneCare for Server, which supports Windows Server 2008 Standard 64-bit and Windows Small Business Server 2008 Standard and Premium editions. No edition of OneCare operates in safe mode. Windows Live OneCare does not support Windows 7 or later, as its development was discontinued and replaced by Microsoft Security Essentials.
Activation
Windows Live OneCare required users to activate the product if they wish to continue using it after the free trial period of 90 days through a valid Windows Live ID. When the product is activated, the grey message bar at the top of the program disappears. The subscription remains active for one year from the date of activation. Windows Live OneCare did not require the operating system to be checked with Windows Genuine Advantage.
Protection
Windows Live OneCare Protection Plus was the security component of the suite, and consisted of three parts:
- A personal firewall capable of monitoring and blocking both incoming and outgoing traffic (the built-in Windows Firewall in Windows XP only monitors and blocks incoming traffic)
- An anti-virus tool that uses regularly updated anti-virus definition files to protect against malware
- An anti-spyware tool that used Windows Defender's engine as a core product to protect against potentially unwanted software (In version 1.0, this required the separate installation of Windows Defender and was not integrated into the OneCare interface, although it could be managed and launched from OneCare. Version 1.5 integrated the Windows Defender engine into OneCare and no longer required a separate installation.)
Windows Live OneCare 1.5 onwards also monitored Internet Explorer 7 and 8 security settings and ensured that the automatic website checking feature of the Phishing Filter was enabled.
Performance
Windows Live OneCare Performance Plus was the component that performed monthly PC tune-up related tasks, such as:
- Disk cleanup and defragmentation
- A full virus scan using the anti-virus component in the suite
- User notification if files require backing up
- Check for Windows updates by using the Windows Update service.
Backup
Windows Live OneCare Backup and Restore was the component that aided in backing up important files. Files could be backed up to various recordable media, such as external hard disks, CDs, and DVDs. When restoring files, the entire set or a subset of them can also be restored to a networked computer, as long as it's running OneCare as well. The Backup and Restore component supported backup software features such as incremental backups and scheduling.
See also
External links
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Wikipedia
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