Has anyone tested Microsoft "OneCare" offering with Defender?

[David Sherman]

I have started testing of the Windows " OneCare" offering. Since I am
testing the offering under both Vmware and Virtual PC 2004, I can't
get certain features to run properly.

Problems

On one "VM" session, Disk cleanup misses about 150 megs. of "temp"
files (located in Document and settings of the user how is logon on).
One all machines, I can't get update to run properly.

This is "Microsoft" response to my problems:

I agree with all your points. I just mention that the FAQ for WOC
clearly states that WOC is not "technically" supported on a VM:

http://www.windowsonecare.com/betakb.aspx

Virtual PC (VPC) compatibility
Windows OneCare has not been tested with Virtual PC and is unsupported
in VPC environments. Beta testers who choose to install and run
Windows OneCare on a virtual hard disk do so at their own risk.
Behavior and stability is unknown, though intermittent VPC crashes
have been reported.

So the real questions: Is it any good for other users?

thanks

 

[Bill Sanderson]

David--this isn't the OneCare support forum--

That can be found here:

http://forums.microsoft.com/Windowsonecare/default.aspx?SiteID=2

Additionally, the build of OneCare that has Windows Defender communicating
with it hasn't been released to public testers yet--just those involved in
the technical beta. However, those testers have no other communications
avenue other than the public site above, or these groups, so the question is
fair game.

As it happens, I do have that build of OneCare and have been running it on
three machines--not VPC's, since it became available to me (there's a post
in .announcements about this.)

I haven't noticed the issue with temp files--however, there may be an
explanation: As I understand it--the standard "disk cleaner" operation does
not remove temporary files dated in some recent period--perhaps the last two
weeks. It wouldn't surprise me if OneCare simply used the standard disk
cleanup code and thus adheres to this standard.

Now--about Update--are you speaking of Windows Defender's updates? If
so--here's some background, and some possible fixes:

Windows Defender definition updates are available via either Windows Update
or AutoUpdate. If your VPC's are on a corporate network, that network needs
to be running WSUS, and the WSUS administrator needs to have done several
steps--I think three or four--to make Windows Defender Definitions available
via WSUS.

Whether or not the "corporate network" issue applies, there are also
instances where a given set of definitions is not apparently not completely
installed, blocking further installations, and resulting in repeated
attempts via either Windows Update or AutoUpdate.

For this situation, the fix is the resolution steps in this KB article:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=915105

If these steps fail with an error message, the Windows Installer cleanup
utility can be used to remove "windows defender signatures" and further
updating should resume normally.

I hope some of that helps, and is relevant to your situation--let me know?

--

 

[David Sherman]

I didn't know Disk Cleanup had a 2 week lag in removal of items.

This temp directory has files dated 6/05 that haven't been deleted it.

The MS references for updates did work.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I've never investigated how successful OneCare is at disk cleanup--I expect
it to use the same code that comes with XP--and my recollection is that is
never as effective as my doing it by hand at a command prompt, so I keep
doing that.

I'm not sure how to get past the "not supported on a VPC" mantra--maybe just
post the issue without mentioning the VPC? Surely that is irrelevant to
this particular issue? OTOH, if you get asked for a support log, that will
probably show the VPC.


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