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Review by Malvin
Windows Live OneCare 2.0 introduces the managed services concept to home PC users. The software optimizes your PC with three closely related sets of programs:nn1. ‘Protection Plus’ includes virus and spyware monitoring, anti-phishing filters and firewall to help keep the bad stuff away from you.n2. ‘Performance Plus’ optimizes your hard drive and repairs it in case something unwanted manages to get through or whenever you want to fine-tune your system; the set of utilities includes disk defragmentation, unnecessary file cleanup, scandisk for spyware/malware/viruses etc., and a check for security updates from Microsoft.n3. ‘Backup and Restore’ helps you configure your home network of up to 3 PCs and backup to either CD/DVD or an external device located on your network.
The software is intended to be used with the Live OneCare service where the latest software such as anti-virus definitions are downloaded. Activating the service was easy, and running all three of the services takes only a few minutes. Since the initial install, I have found the minimal time spent maintaining the service to be worthwhile; for example, I set the protection and performance functions to run at night when the computer is not in use.
While one might argue that is is possible to do some of the things that Windows Live OneCare does manually, the point is that you benefit from the software’s automation of routine tasks which allows you to spend more time doing the things that you want to do. Additionally, it simply makes sense to be as proactive as possible and there is no better way to do that than to subscribe to a service that is continuously refreshed with the latest patches and security updates. By putting all these services together in a convenient package, Windows Live OneCare saves time and gives you the peace of mind knowing that your computing investment is protected.
I highly recommend this product to everyone.