Windows Live OneCare

Used Windows Live OneCare for Windows? Share your experience and help other users.

Key Details of Windows Live OneCare

Protect your computer with virus scanning, firewalls, and tune ups.
Last updated on March 30, 2010
There have been 6 updates
Virus scan status:
Clean (it’s extremely likely that this software program is clean)

Editors’ Review

Download.com staffMarch 30, 2010

Although this program's protective measures are definitely working, some do their jobs a little too passionately.

Superslow to install, Windows Live OneCare's coordinated interface guards your computer against viruses and the like. You'll appreciate the added tune-up features to remove temporary files and installations from ActiveX and Java applets. You can defragment your hard disks, manage updates, and backup or restore your PC. Backups are easily scheduled as well.

The firewall blocks stopped programs from accessing the Web without your permission, which was good, but the virus- and spyware-monitoring feature was exasperating. Windows Live OneCare vehemently gave us notice after notice that a potentially harmful or unwanted program was present, with options to clean it off. We finally just had to turn the monitoring mechanisms off because the window just kept popping up despite our repeated attempts to deem the program trusted. While it does protect your system, the security-conscious users who would benefit from this application will want Windows Live OneCare to let them have the last word.

Windows Live OneCare

Used Windows Live OneCare for Windows? Share your experience and help other users.

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Full Specifications

GENERAL

Release: March 30, 2010

Latest update: March 30, 2010

Version: 2.5.2900.30

OPERATING SYSTEMS

Platform: Windows

Operating System

Windows 10
Windows XP
Windows Vista

Additional Requirements: None

POPULARITY

Total Downloads: 291,215

Downloads Last Week: 3

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Descargar Windows Live OneCare

Last Updated

User Reviews

3.3/5

106 User Votes

rather have norton than this
Virus6851April 1, 2011
Pros
firewall excellant
Cons
discontinued software 90 day trial bs only 1 day trial
Summary
get somthing other than this
Windows Live OneCare 2.5.2900.30
aloneinelcajonMarch 10, 2011
Pros
I LOVED THE WAY IT WORKED, AND QUICK RESPONSE TO ANY INCOMING VIRUSES, IT POUNCED ON IT LIKE A CAT! WOW!
Cons
IT WAS GREAT AS LONG AS IT LASTED FOR THE PAST THREE DAYS! NOW IT SAYS IT'S BEING DISCONTINUED AND I NEED TO DOWNLOAD MSE-2? CRAP! I SAVED MSE-2 TO MY DESKTOP. WHY OFFER THIS PROGRAM IF IT'S BEING DISCONTINUED????
Summary
NOW, I HAVE TO TAKE THE TIME OUT FROM MY BUSY SCHEDULAE, YET AGAIN! GO INTO COMPUTER AND REMOVE EVERY TRACE OF THIS PROGRAM, THEN DOWNLOAD MSE-2 THAT I SAVED TO MY DESKTOP. WHY OFFER THIS PROGRAM IF IT'S BEING DISCONTINUED????
Going back to ZoneAlarm, not a reliable firewall at all
runninghooveJuly 31, 2010
Pros
FREE - and there's a reason its free = worthless.
Cons
I'm shocked Microsoft is giving away this useless tool, its false hope for those not savvy enough to know a good firewall from one that allows virtually any program free and open access to communicate with any unknown server online like a sieve.
Summary
Even after specifically telling it which apps can or cannot communicate or which programs autoupdate or refresh themsleves with popup nag screens, OneCare carelessly forgets all your settings like a person with a bad case of amnesia. Truely a sad commentary of the state of Microsoft's ability to produce anything of value to protect users from the vast ocean of inconspicuous apps that end up being any form of malware, spyware, keylogger, dataminer, identity thief or virus dropper. Any good PC firewall should alert you when it detects programs or TSR's trying to gain unauthorized Internet access, especially rouge apps which are listed on every virus scanner's threat list, even Microsoft's own worthless antivirus app, MS Security Essentials. I thought Microsoft was wising up to the fact its core line of Operating Systems are so chock full of security holes that they felt obligated to somehow mitigate recent patches and hotfix releases. How wrong I was. Giving away free products and packaging them as so-called "essential safety-measures" intended to protect their greatest asset, paying customers, in all intents and purposes with OneCare, appears not only like a total farce, but an exercise in futility and false hope once installed. If you enjoy tinkering your life away trying to find value in otherwise worthless Microsoft freeware, while rouge apps freely slip in and out of your PC, phone home with your sensitive data to mysterious offshore parties, then you'll love with this facade called Windows Live CareOne, unlike the rest of us, you enjoy toying with risky if not utterly compromised "security tools" that do little to protect your data and make firewalling your system a big fat April Fool's Joke every sing day of the year, not just April 1st. Honestly ask yourself, does Microsoft give anything away for absolutely nothing? It didn't become one of the world's most profitable enterprises by giving away software. If its free and made by Microsoft, they decided not to charge anything for a big reason and it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out why. The best it could do was allow three rouge apps to freely connect to the Internet to autoupdate themselves and plague my desktop with a new round of offline popups and Viagra ads, only to wipe out my HP Color Laserjet Low Toner Alert, which were built into my networked color laserjet printers to inform me when a certain toner color is getting low. Yep, it stopped that "serious threat" and deleted my printer drivers from the system, preventing them from being reinstalled and preventing me from printing reports for my business clients, how handy. And that's about the extent of OneCare's ability to detect the unauthenticated pass-though of data, allow the bad apps easy access and kill the good ones. So much for my foray into finding an even more useful firewall or security suite than ZoneAlarm FREE Edition (available here on CNet) which runs circles around this bloated Microsoft junkware. Besides, my time on Earth is better spent being productive and serving humanity than serving Big Brother Microsoft as their Unofficial Beta Tester on freeware that works better in the Recycle Bin, than installed and wreaking havoc on my PC. With OneCare, the joke's on you.
This software is no longer supported by Microsoft!
angel42June 13, 2010
Pros
Was a good program at one time!
Cons
Microsoft quit supporting updates for this program! So, its no longer in use!
Summary
A discontinued software!
always allows some spy ware
shurtado84April 7, 2010
Pros
easy to use
Cons
dose not clean as well as i would like
Summary
had one care for years its okay for the small use i have
Suspicious update? offerimg
GEBERWEINApril 2, 2010
Pros
Nothing pro
Cons
Probably bogus due to recent Microsoft communications onthis product
Summary
On the same day as this is shown to have been issued Microsoft issued the following (in part) message to subscribers to the Live One Care product. "Your subscription to Windows Live? OneCare® will end soon. Microsoft is discontinuing OneCare and as a result will no longer be accepting subscription renewals. "We recommend running up-to-date antivirus software on your PC at all times to help keep it secure. In lieu of OneCare, "Microsoft is proud to offer a high-quality consumer antimalware solution available at no cost for PCs running genuine Windows®. You can learn more about Microsoft® Security Essentials or download it at www.microsoft.com/security_essentials. Based upon the e-mail I received, I am very suspicious of this program update.
Removed it from a computer and now it runs better.
strange_but_lovableDecember 12, 2009
Pros
I didn't like anything about the product.
Cons
It came with the upgrade I got for my internet speed. The one computer it was one was running more sluggish than normal. I recently removed it and used the programs I use on another computer and its running better already.
Summary
I used those other programs and it found some viruses and spyware that I was able to remove. So what ever this program was for it didn't do its job unless its job was to allow viruses in.
As good as Avast Professional
shariq_foreverDecember 1, 2009
Pros
It detects Virus and threats quite well. Takes less CPU usage and light on system. Its ......... FREEEEEEEEE
Cons
I haven't found any yet.
Summary
Great program.
willinetNovember 6, 2009
Pros
EASY. Runs like a charm. No viruses or anything in the years I used this. Set it and leave it. 2 probs very early on fixed expertly by live chat. Great service. Great program. I am satisfied with my purchase.
Cons
Very simple. Good if you dont want to do anything except turn it on and then renew once a year. No tweaking- It's not even a bike with training wheels- it's more like a tricycle. I took off a star cause I want a dirt bike- more control.
Summary
I give it straight As. It's no longer available. But Im definitely going to give the new "Security Essentials" a try.
It Works For Me!
NissjOctober 18, 2009
Pros
I've used OC for 2 yrs. It has protected my computer w/o being a nuisance. It integrates seamlessly with Vista and does not slow down my computer nor freezes everything while it updates like McAfee. I love and will miss the OC suite.
Cons
OneCare is quite protective of Vista default settings. In some instances OC will display an "unprotected" icon when default settings are changed. In some instances, like IE, OC will revert the changed settings back to its original default setting.
Summary
Security software alone is not what keeps a computer malware free, although we expect the software to perform as promised. I employ other on-demand security wares and I try to use what I have learned about safely using the internet. This and OneCare has kept my computer virus and spyware free. OneCare is very quiet. Even when it is performing a tune up: cleaning temp files, backup, defrag, it will not interfere with your other computing operations. It is only by the appearance of an icon that you become aware these things are being done. OC also offers a support log, online photo backup as well as file restore. Microsoft has discontinued OneCare and is now offering no cost Security Essentials, based on OneCare but w/o a firewall.

Developer’s Description

Protect your computer with virus scanning, firewalls, and tune ups.

Windows Live OneCare helps keep your PC safe from viruses, spyware, and other threats. This all-in-one, always-on PC care service from Microsoft works continuously, automatically, and quietly in the background to keep your valuable files protected and your PCs virus-free and working their best.

The new version includes multi-PC and home network management, printer sharing support, start time optimizer, proactive fixes and recommendations, WiFi security, centralized backup, and online photo backup.