A couple basic questions re. MSFT Live OneCare

[Matthew W. I. Dunn]

I recently decided to download the 90-day trial version of "MSFT Live
OneCare" to see how I liked it. Turns out, I'm pleasantly surprised by it.

I do, however, have a few basic questions:

(1) Does OneCare already include (somewhere) the Windows Malicious Software
Removal Tool? (Perhaps, it's included in the anti-virus/anti-spyware portion
of the software? It doesn't say; so, not sure.)

(2) Is the anti-spyware "Windows Defender" a different thing altogether --
or, is this included in the anti-spyware part of OneCare?

(3) I already have another anti-virus/anti-spyware product on my computer.
I shut off all of its firewall/OS protections so that it wouldn't interfere
with OneCare. Therefore, OneCare -- for now -- is taking care of the
firewall. However, I did set for BOTH products to scan for viruses and
spyware.

My question: Can I still run the anti-virus/anti-spyware functions of BOTH
OneCare and the other product together? Will they overlap and cancel
eachother out if both are set to scan constantly for viruses and spyware?

Thanks!

 

[Dave M]

I recently decided to download the 90-day trial version of "MSFT Live
OneCare" to see how I liked it. Turns out, I'm pleasantly surprised
by it.

I do, however, have a few basic questions:

(1) Does OneCare already include (somewhere) the Windows Malicious
Software Removal Tool? (Perhaps, it's included in the
anti-virus/anti-spyware portion of the software? It doesn't say; so,
not sure.)

It does not include the MSRT, which remains downloadable along with the
monthly
WU/MU security updates. I have never seen any recommendation not to
download
and run the MSRT alongside a OneCare subscription installation.

(2) Is the anti-spyware "Windows Defender" a different thing
altogether -- or, is this included in the anti-spyware part of
OneCare?

OneCare intentionally disables Defender because it can cause system
instability
to have both running at the same time, and since OneCare is a superset of
Defender, there is no reason you would need both of them running.
http://windowsonecare.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!C29701F38A601141!3842.entry

(3) I already have another anti-virus/anti-spyware product on my
computer. I shut off all of its firewall/OS protections so that it
wouldn't interfere with OneCare. Therefore, OneCare -- for now -- is
taking care of the firewall. However, I did set for BOTH products to
scan for viruses and spyware.

My question: Can I still run the anti-virus/anti-spyware functions of
BOTH OneCare and the other product together? Will they overlap and
cancel eachother out if both are set to scan constantly for viruses
and spyware?

If you're allowing both products to run concurrently in real-time, there is
a
good chance they will fight each other for quarantine or removal rights if
a
detection is made. Allowing multiple real-time signature based protections
to
run concurrently, lowers your overall system defenses, it doesn't increase
them.
There have been many reports of conflicts between OneCare and other
security applications, even when attempts to remove the other application
has been basically removed through Control Panel > Add/Remove. Often
complete removal requires the use of specialized removal tools provided by
that application's Publisher:
http://www.pchell.com/virus/uninstallavast.shtml

Additional OneCare support and information is available on the peer user
supported
forums here:
http://forums.microsoft.com/windowsonecare/default.aspx?siteid=2

Thanks!

You're Welcome,

Regards, Dave

 

[Matthew W. I. Dunn]

Great reply! Thanks.

Just in case, I had already decided to shut down my other
anti-virus/anti-spyware program. So, OneCare is doing it all. I've been
using Zonealarm (ZA). So, if I choose to go with OneCare, I'm hoping that it
will uninstall cleanly.

I used to have Norton-Symantec on my computer (ca. 2 years) . . . and, even
though I uninstalled to put on ZA, there's still bits of junk and files on my
computer over a year later. Never again Norton!

I wonder if I can just leave the MSRT executable on my desktop to use
whenever . . . ?

 

[Bill Sanderson]

The MSRT is cumulative--each month, its coverage broadens. Let it run each
month as part of the monthly security patches.

Symantec has an automated uninstaller--and it is well worth using--do a
Google search for it.

 

[Dave M]

Keep these links handy (

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039
http://forums.zonealarm.com/zonelabs/board/message?board.id=AllowAccess&message.id=103

 

[Matthew W. I. Dunn]

Sorry, Dave, it doesn't work. I followed the link below for Symantec and
went to the site. But, when I clicked on the link to download the tool,
nothing happened. All I got was a pop-up window saying the IE couldn't open
the web page.

And, I'm still finding and deleting junk from Norton/Symantec. Argh!

MATTHEW

 

[Matthew W. I. Dunn]

The last version of Symantec I had was 2007. I did check my Internet
connection just to be sure. Everything was fine.

Maybe, they disabled it?