Review by Michael Meredith

I can’t imagine a greater level of disappointment than this product has given me.

The basic framework is there: virus protection, routine maintenance, automated backup, updates and security. But I suspect that it will perform as needed only for those people that install it when the stars correctly align. For woe unto you who have a problem. Support may be there, but you’ll work yourself into a frazzle just trying to find the support or get an answer.

I’d like to think that I’m somewhere between the average computer user and the uber-geek that writes his/her own source code. That said, I’m giving up on this product. Let me tell you why.

First, OneCare offers to set up your wireless security for you. In my case, it made my wireless access so secure that I couldn’t use it. The double whammy behind that is the fact that the bulk of OneCare’s support is ONLINE! It’s tough to get a question about online access answered, when you have to go online to get it and can’t. I searched high and low in the program for something that even remotely resembled a technical support number, no… something that even remotely resembled a telephone number! But success was not to be had. Finally, I pushed the reset button on my wireless router, turned off the wireless security firewall in OneCare and was able to go online again. Help was via a discussion board, and the tech that answered my initial question was out sick when I asked for some clarification. That delayed response by 4 days! By the way, Microsoft claims that my particular router is fully compatible with OneCare.

Okay, so the wireless security is no good, at least in my case. But setting up an automated backup is a great idea right! Sure, if… if… if you can find a storage device that OneCare is disposed to work with. My thought (radical free thinker that I am) was that I would perform the initial backup by saving everything to a DVD, then using a lower storage USB stick for the incrementals. OneCare saw the DVD drive but apparently didn’t like it. The USB stick didn’t have enough space, so… can’t use that.

But all is not bad. OneCare did perform a tune-up for me that basically removed files that I removed manually from time to time. And it’s interface to control those programs that automatically load to memory on startup was nice.

But the bottom line is this. It’s a finicky product with no support for the panicky. If you want to gamble on getting it right, go ahead. If you prefer a little handholding, stay away.