Memory Usage (all in megabytes):
Processes:
MpEng.exe: 21.920
msfwsvc.exe: 3.280
winss.exe: 20.456
winssnotify.exe: 6.576
Total Memory Usage 52.232 (XP machine)
Installation:
I put the CD into my Windows XP SP2 machine and launched the install. It went out to the internet and had me register it with Microsoft. You can use this on three different PCs in the same house and I set up a "profile" of sorts on the Microsoft site, labeling the install as my notebook PC. It then installed One Care on my system. One does not even need the CD to install Windows One care, just go through the website and install it after logging in with your .NET passport. Please note that OneCare works with Windows Vista, but not Vista x64.
Antivirus:
The antivirus is easy to use and integrates into Windows easily. Like most, it has right-click context menus where you can scan individual files. It always scans memory and the boot sector for viruses when you scan even one file, much like antivir. Its options are accessed the same way as the others, in the one care panel you can hit settings and then hit the antivirus tab. The interface on the settings page is very minimalist. Options include enabling/disabling the real time protection, enabling/disabling heuristics, viewing of the virus vault, and exceptions. The lack of many options show one care's bias to being minimalist and simple. For detection rates, please see The AntiVirus Detection Rate Thread.
AntiSpyware:
Anyone can get the Antispyware part of windows OneCare for free by downloading Windows Defender. As many of you know, it is a descendant of GIANT antispyware, a respected antispyware product of its day that Microsoft bought. Windows Defender in OneCare 1.5 is integrated into the realtime antivirus engine in OneCare and utilize the same service, which offers active protection against viruses/spyware. OneCare treats spyware as if it were viruses and scans for spyware and viruses in the same scan.
Firewall:
This firewall is a bidirectional (incoming and outgoing protection) firewall. It has possibly the best default settings of any firewall that I have used in regards to the need for end user intervention. It seems to have a large database of responses to certain "safe" programs and allows them access to the internet when it is set to auto, it only prompts you for things that it is unsure of (which seems to be few and far between). You can change this at anytime and use the more traditional "training" method of manually telling it what to phone home and what not to phone home. It seems to be neutral, as I blocked several Microsoft applications from phoning home and it stopped them. (for example, when WGA validation tool used to phone home everyday). It notifies you when it blocks programs, but you can disable that in the settings. It has the same minimalist and simple settings panel as the others, with your only options is a slider to tell it "prompt" (training mode), "auto" (use the OC database to automatically see if it is safe for the program to phone home), and off. The new version of OneCare (1.5) also has a new paranoid (restricted) setting in which according to Microsoft, "file sharing and remote desktop are disabled, and other open ports in the advanced settings are closed." The advanced settings allow for the usual software firewall options found in other bidirectional firewall applications.
Backup:
I have not used this feature and will not comment on it.
Tune Up:
This does a variety of things. First it removes unneeded files (identical to windows built in cleanmgr), then it defrags your hard drive (identical to windows built-in defragger), then it scans for viruses / spyware, checks for updates to windows (identical to Windows Update's express option), and then checks to see if you need to backup anything. You cannot disable the tune up scheduler, but you can tell it how often (up to 4 weeks) to do it.
Phishing Filter
OneCare now monitors IE 7's phishing filter. It will bug you if you try to turn it off. There is probably a registry key to bypass this, but I suggest leaving the phishing filter on. The phishing filter slowed my browsing down. I was able to find this IE 7 update from Microsoft that fixes the slowdown, it does not come from Windows Update or Autoupdate and must be put on manually.
Other:
One Care has a very nice logging system. You can generate detailed logs about the activities of all its programs and display them in an HTML page. Microsoft seems to offer great tech support for this product.
Conclusion: Windows OneCare does not slow down one's system. I cannot tell a difference in gaming or general use from when I had it installed and when I had no antivirus installed on my notebook (Toshiba P105 S921). It has a high amount of ram usage, but one also has to recall that it is essentially running 3 products at the same time and Microsoft seems to be reducing ram usage in each new release. The Tune Up could use a little work, it has little to offer with it using mostly built in windows applications. This is also one of the few security suites that fully support Microsoft Windows Vista.
In short, One Care focuses on ease of use and simplicity. It excels in both respects. It would make a great security package for the less savvy and it is affordable (you can use one copy for up to 3 PCs in your home).
Current deals on OneCare
[*]Antivirus and Firewall Deals Thread
Software -> Security
-Schadenfroh
Processes:
MpEng.exe: 21.920
msfwsvc.exe: 3.280
winss.exe: 20.456
winssnotify.exe: 6.576
Total Memory Usage 52.232 (XP machine)
Installation:
I put the CD into my Windows XP SP2 machine and launched the install. It went out to the internet and had me register it with Microsoft. You can use this on three different PCs in the same house and I set up a "profile" of sorts on the Microsoft site, labeling the install as my notebook PC. It then installed One Care on my system. One does not even need the CD to install Windows One care, just go through the website and install it after logging in with your .NET passport. Please note that OneCare works with Windows Vista, but not Vista x64.
Antivirus:
The antivirus is easy to use and integrates into Windows easily. Like most, it has right-click context menus where you can scan individual files. It always scans memory and the boot sector for viruses when you scan even one file, much like antivir. Its options are accessed the same way as the others, in the one care panel you can hit settings and then hit the antivirus tab. The interface on the settings page is very minimalist. Options include enabling/disabling the real time protection, enabling/disabling heuristics, viewing of the virus vault, and exceptions. The lack of many options show one care's bias to being minimalist and simple. For detection rates, please see The AntiVirus Detection Rate Thread.
AntiSpyware:
Anyone can get the Antispyware part of windows OneCare for free by downloading Windows Defender. As many of you know, it is a descendant of GIANT antispyware, a respected antispyware product of its day that Microsoft bought. Windows Defender in OneCare 1.5 is integrated into the realtime antivirus engine in OneCare and utilize the same service, which offers active protection against viruses/spyware. OneCare treats spyware as if it were viruses and scans for spyware and viruses in the same scan.
Firewall:
This firewall is a bidirectional (incoming and outgoing protection) firewall. It has possibly the best default settings of any firewall that I have used in regards to the need for end user intervention. It seems to have a large database of responses to certain "safe" programs and allows them access to the internet when it is set to auto, it only prompts you for things that it is unsure of (which seems to be few and far between). You can change this at anytime and use the more traditional "training" method of manually telling it what to phone home and what not to phone home. It seems to be neutral, as I blocked several Microsoft applications from phoning home and it stopped them. (for example, when WGA validation tool used to phone home everyday). It notifies you when it blocks programs, but you can disable that in the settings. It has the same minimalist and simple settings panel as the others, with your only options is a slider to tell it "prompt" (training mode), "auto" (use the OC database to automatically see if it is safe for the program to phone home), and off. The new version of OneCare (1.5) also has a new paranoid (restricted) setting in which according to Microsoft, "file sharing and remote desktop are disabled, and other open ports in the advanced settings are closed." The advanced settings allow for the usual software firewall options found in other bidirectional firewall applications.
Backup:
I have not used this feature and will not comment on it.
Tune Up:
This does a variety of things. First it removes unneeded files (identical to windows built in cleanmgr), then it defrags your hard drive (identical to windows built-in defragger), then it scans for viruses / spyware, checks for updates to windows (identical to Windows Update's express option), and then checks to see if you need to backup anything. You cannot disable the tune up scheduler, but you can tell it how often (up to 4 weeks) to do it.
Phishing Filter
OneCare now monitors IE 7's phishing filter. It will bug you if you try to turn it off. There is probably a registry key to bypass this, but I suggest leaving the phishing filter on. The phishing filter slowed my browsing down. I was able to find this IE 7 update from Microsoft that fixes the slowdown, it does not come from Windows Update or Autoupdate and must be put on manually.
Other:
One Care has a very nice logging system. You can generate detailed logs about the activities of all its programs and display them in an HTML page. Microsoft seems to offer great tech support for this product.
Conclusion: Windows OneCare does not slow down one's system. I cannot tell a difference in gaming or general use from when I had it installed and when I had no antivirus installed on my notebook (Toshiba P105 S921). It has a high amount of ram usage, but one also has to recall that it is essentially running 3 products at the same time and Microsoft seems to be reducing ram usage in each new release. The Tune Up could use a little work, it has little to offer with it using mostly built in windows applications. This is also one of the few security suites that fully support Microsoft Windows Vista.
In short, One Care focuses on ease of use and simplicity. It excels in both respects. It would make a great security package for the less savvy and it is affordable (you can use one copy for up to 3 PCs in your home).
Current deals on OneCare
[*]Antivirus and Firewall Deals Thread
Software -> Security
-Schadenfroh