Microsoft Windows Live OneCare review

It was inevitable that Microsoft would eventually create an internet security suite and Windows Live OneCare is the result.

The software is split into three main sections: Protection Plus contains the security elements of the suite namely the anti-virus and anti-spyware scanners and firewall, Performance Plus aims to keep your PC running in tip-top condition, while Backup and Restore keeps your files safe in case your hard disk crashes.

One familiar part of Protection Plus is the Windows Defender anti-spyware software. It's not as thorough as dedicated anti-spyware utilities from rival manufacturers, though. We'd recommend paying £19 for a copy of Grisoft's Anti-Spyware instead. The anti-virus portion of the software is similarly lacklustre and it failed to detect an unacceptable number of potential threats. Thankfully, the firewall is a little better and an improvement over the ones built into XP and Vista. The OneCare firewall does at least detect outbound connections, which could potentially divulge your private details to the internet, as well as blocking unauthorised programs. It doesn't do anything particularly special though, and free alternatives such as Zonealarm, available from www.zonelabs.com, do the same job.

Performance Plus defragments the hard disk, removes "unnecessary files" and makes sure all those Windows updates are downloaded and installed in a timely manner. The whole process takes ages, but the automation of the multiple tasks offers little real benefit.

The best part of the package is the Backup and Restore module. It's much better than the limited utility bundled with Windows and makes the process neat and straightforward.

As the price of OneCare allows you to install the software on up to three PCs for one year its quite good value. It's just a shame that the software isn't as useful as it claims to be.