Windows OneCare Online (Beta)

[Guest]

I have been using OneCare Online for the past three months, keep getting
e-mails from Microsoft asking me to pay for it, but when I try I find the
paid version is not available in the UK. Does anyone know what is happening??

Also, am I OK using OneCare Online? I don't use the anti-virus part,
prefering to stick to AVG, and still use Ad-Ware and Spybot. Am I being too
cautious?

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "RRH" <[email protected].>

| I have been using OneCare Online for the past three months, keep getting
| e-mails from Microsoft asking me to pay for it, but when I try I find the
| paid version is not available in the UK. Does anyone know what is happening??
|
| Also, am I OK using OneCare Online? I don't use the anti-virus part,
| prefering to stick to AVG, and still use Ad-Ware and Spybot. Am I being too
| cautious?

Remove it and install an AV application from a well known AV vendor. As a Beta OneCare
should not be used. As an AV application, it falls way below the standards of the AV
industry.

Kaspersky or NOD32 is suggested.

 

[Elendil]

Please tell me that you were joking about buying Windows OneCare (excuse me
if I'm sounding rude I don't mean to be)?!?! Windows OneCare is even worse
than Norton, not to mention it costs more than much more efficient and
powerful anti-virus programs like NOD32. Like David has advised you, check
out NOD32 and Kaspersky because they are top of the line products and cost
as much as Windows OneCare (if not less). In regards to your second
question, no you aren't being to cautious. On my main machine I have Sophos
Anti-Virus, AVG Free Edition, Ad-Aware SE, Spybot Search & Destroy,
A-Squared Anti-Malware, HijackThis, CCleaner, A-SquaredHijackFree, Spyware
Blaster, Spyware Guard, Trend Micro Anti-Spyware (expired trial), Spyware
Doctor (trial version), and David's Multi_AV tool. I can be considered
"paranoid and over-cautious" but you're machine is just fine. For extra
anti-malware protection, visit my website www.stopmalware.tk and check out
the: Downloads page, Safety Tips page, and Company Products page. All of the
programs on the Downloads page should be free, the Safety Tips page contains
exactly what it says, and the Company Products page contains extremely
powerful and comprehensive company produced anti-malware products. You can
find the links for NOD32 and Kaspersky on the company products page as well.

Good Luck on Securing your computer!

 

[Guest]

I'm not down on OneCare, as others appear to be. I just paid my $20 USD to
subscribe for the first year. I intend Defender/OneCare to be my secondary
resident malware tools, with ewido being my primary. They appear to tolerate
each other quite nicely.

The irony is that no single threat scanner is 100% effective. Check into
the statistics from virusradar.com and virustotal.com for a firghtening look
into the ineffectual nature of threat scanners.

ALWAYS run daily over-the-web scans using various popular threat scanners,
such as those listed at the top of:
http://secorconsulting.net/pages/security.html.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Scott D" <[email protected]>

| I'm not down on OneCare, as others appear to be. I just paid my $20 USD to
| subscribe for the first year. I intend Defender/OneCare to be my secondary
| resident malware tools, with ewido being my primary. They appear to tolerate
| each other quite nicely.
|
| The irony is that no single threat scanner is 100% effective. Check into
| the statistics from virusradar.com and virustotal.com for a firghtening look
| into the ineffectual nature of threat scanners.
|
| ALWAYS run daily over-the-web scans using various popular threat scanners,
| such as those listed at the top of:
| http://secorconsulting.net/pages/security.html.
|

Sure no AV is 100%. But if it is lows as 20 ~ 60% then it fails !

The last test I erformed was with 27 infectors, all EXE files. All had been submitted to
Microsoft prior to the test.

Of those 27 files only two were identified by Microsoft and they were ZLob Trojan variants.

 

[Guest]

I realize that OneCare has had its deficiencies. 20% is a bit of a cheap
shot though. I seriously doubt that Microsoft will allow the product to
languish, which is precisely why I took advantage of their $19.95 offer.

I am curious as to what versions of the engine, definitions, and firewall
were used in the test that you mentioned.

I beleive that the following may be production releases rather than beta
versions or release candidates. Although I speak with no authority on the
matter.

Current builds (4/29):
OneCare: 1.0.0971.12
AV defs.: 1.6.1412.11
FW policy: 1.1.25.17

As I said, OneCare seems to work well with any other malware scanners that
tolerate its presence. I shall give it a year to prove itself, before
thinking about giving it the boot (as I recently did with once faithful
Snortin' Norton).

Nevertheless, you will get no argument from me on Avast!, ESET, Kaspersky,
Panda, or Trend. All offer excellent products for the money.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Scott D" <[email protected]>

| I realize that OneCare has had its deficiencies. 20% is a bit of a cheap
| shot though. I seriously doubt that Microsoft will allow the product to
| languish, which is precisely why I took advantage of their $19.95 offer.
|
| I am curious as to what versions of the engine, definitions, and firewall
| were used in the test that you mentioned.
|
| I beleive that the following may be production releases rather than beta
| versions or release candidates. Although I speak with no authority on the
| matter.
|
| Current builds (4/29):
| OneCare: 1.0.0971.12
| AV defs.: 1.6.1412.11
| FW policy: 1.1.25.17
|
| As I said, OneCare seems to work well with any other malware scanners that
| tolerate its presence. I shall give it a year to prove itself, before
| thinking about giving it the boot (as I recently did with once faithful
| Snortin' Norton).
|
| Nevertheless, you will get no argument from me on Avast!, ESET, Kaspersky,
| Panda, or Trend. All offer excellent products for the money.

I used the wevb site; http://safety.live.com which shares the same signatures and Engine.
It does NOT provide details as to their respective versions.