Microsoft Windows Live OneCare review

Windows Live OneCare is Microsoft's first attempt in years at a commercial personal security package.

It includes an anti-virus and anti-spyware scanner, a firewall, a data-backup utility and a performance-tuning application. Users can install the software on up to three PCs for a year, so it's reasonably priced if you have three PCs that need protecting.

In the past we have found Microsoft's Windows Defender anti-spyware software less effective than programs from companies with longer pedigrees in security software. Windows Defender is included with OneCare, but is also available as a free download. We still recommend paying extra for CounterSpy from Sunbelt Software or Grisoft's Anti-Spyware, which cost around £10 and £15 respectively and are easier to use and more effective.

In Labs, Shopper April 2007 we ran a new email virus test on established anti-virus programs and found that favourites such as Norton AntiVirus and McAfee VirusScan were distinctly unimpressive, detecting only 75 per cent of the bad files. Over a month later we ran exactly the same test on OneCare's anti-virus scanner. This delay gives the software a real advantage over the previous test subjects because Microsoft has had extra weeks to gather data on the viruses. However, the scanner picked up only 73 per cent of the infecting files, which is poor. It took its time when handling the malware, too, crippling our test PC even though it had a faster processor than the program's minimum requirements specified.

For the first time, Microsoft has provided a firewall that properly detects outbound connections and blocks unauthorised programs. This potentially stops Trojans and other bad programs sending out private information to the internet without your knowledge. Even the Windows Vista firewall doesn't do this. The other settings are fairly standard, though, so it's not much to get excited about, particularly as the free ZoneAlarm firewall from www.zonelabs.com does much the same but with a more attractive interface.

The performance tune-up part of the package is rather lightweight. It deletes unnecessary files, defragments the hard disk, runs a virus scan, checks for files to back up and looks for high-priority security updates from Microsoft. You should use this option only when you don't need your PC for a while, because defragmenting is slow and makes the PC sluggish. The backup program is a handy addition to the bundle, and beats the utility included in Windows with its ability to write files to a CD. It can also copy files to an external hard disk and remind you when it's time to run the backup routine. The defragmentation and disk cleanup tools are already part of Windows, however.

The package's highlights are the reasonable firewall and backup utility, while the anti-virus and anti-spyware parts let it down considerably. You can get better, easier alternatives for free, so we advise that you steer clear of this deal.