As most of you know, the countdown to the launch of OneCare continues. We are very excited about our official launch, but the team is still hard-core focused on tracking down issues, responding to feedback, and generally making sure our users are going to be delighted by OneCare. To that end, a quick point about our recent update, and then some responses to your questions.

By this time, almost all users in a green state should have the latest version of OneCare, including the links to Windows Defender (Beta 2). If you have a dial-up ISP and haven’t connected to the network in several days, it is possible you are still in a green state but do not have the latest version.  As a normal part of the network connection process, your machine will check to see if there are any updates, and the update will commence. If you have any questions, please visit www.windowsonecare.com/support.  

Now, on to some of the specifics. Below is a rough break-down of some of your questions. Please remember you can always find information here on the blog, on the OneCare site, in the forum, or in the press (they’ve always got plenty to say).

• Windows Defender Beta 2
  • Defender and OneCare – several people asked how these correspond to each other. To be clear, OneCare prompts you to download the same Defender you would get – and has the same functionality available from - the stand-alone version hosted on Microsoft.com. We haven’t removed or changed any features, but because Defender is still officially in Beta, there may be some noticeable changes from version to version.
  • Maintaining Defender and OneCare – as long as you are green with OneCare, we will make sure you are updated and running scans regularly.  You should not have to open the Defender application separately and take actions there, except in unusual circumstances. As we have said in the past, our goal is to make OneCare the all-in-one, easy to use, PC protection and maintenance service. So, integrating things like anti-spyware and then managing them through OneCare is just one example of the service in action.
  • There was one post on the blog noting that anti-spyware scan was taking a long time. We haven't seen that problem before, but will keep our eyes open for additional instances of such an issue.
• Multiple antivirus – PLEASE, don’t run more than one at a time. We recommend uninstalling if you have another before installing OneCare since there can be significant performance problems running them side by side. However, running more than one anti-spyware will not always have the same impact, so it’s not quite as serious, though we believe running Windows Defender as part of OneCare should provide sufficient spyware protection. For more information, view our relevant help topic: http://www.windowsonecare.com/support/help.aspx?query=CONC_WSIK_3RD_PARTY.HTM
• Xbox 360 and OneCare – there is a known issue when using a Media Center Extender, and a work-around can be found here: http://www.windowsonecare.com/support/help.aspx. We are investigating how this issue can be solved without these steps, and will let you know when we have more info.
• Most wanted feature – Brentt agreed that the most asked-for feature was anti-spyware, but suggested that registry cleaner should have been second on the list. Just for the record J, when we released our first beta to a small group of users, we probably got more feedback on backup than any other feature. Thanks to all the comments, we improved backup to include external hard disks, and the volume of input dropped drastically. Since then, there have been a huge number of requests for registry cleaners, and this is something we are looking at closely. In fact, while we can’t say anything definitive about future plans until they are fully locked, I can tell you we have spent considerable time investigating the possibility of pulling in registry cleaning functionality much sooner than we might have otherwise, primarily as a function of comments on this blog.
• Several bugs/issues were mentioned on the blog – we appreciate you pointing these things out, and we regularly sweep the blog for bug submissions, but we can’t respond directly to all the issues found here; a blog is not the best forum for that. However, a good place to report bugs is: beta.microsoft.com. Sign in with your Passport Network credentials, then enter the Guest ID windowsonecare. Click Submit a Bug and fill out the bug form. It's easy!
• OneCare and MSN Premium – here is the story; basically, there is no integration between OneCare and Premium right now, but we’ll let you know if and when that does happen.  Our MSN Premium customers have been using McAfee antivirus and Firewall for well over a year and we wanted them to be able to continue with that same service protection.  Our MSN Premium customers, like other consumers in the US, can still beta test and, when available, purchase a subscription to OneCare to get the full breadth of PC care that it provides.

Thanks for all the input, and have a great week.

Yoav

Today, we started rolling out a OneCare beta refresh to all our current beta customers.  For those of you that have already received the latest updates, you'll probably notice some significant changes that we've highlighted below.  If your OneCare service hasn't changed yet - don't worry - you'll soon be receiving the latest updates and they'll be automatically installed, OneCare style. 

Anti-Spyware functionality
The most frequent request we've heard from our beta testers is "add anti-spyware!"  We listened and are excited to share that we've added anti-spyware functionality, powered by Windows Defender beta.  If you have used Defender before, you know how effective it can be at limiting the unwanted spyware that can hog system resources and slow your PC to a crawl.  We recognize that there is an opportunity to further integrate antispyware functionality more seamlessly into OneCare from a usability and ease of management perspective, and as Windows Defender comes out of beta, you’ll see the level of integration improve.  Antispyware functionality is just one more way we're trying to help you take care of your machine. 

·Windows OneCare Live changes to Windows Live OneCare

You may have noticed that we've changed the name of the service from Windows OneCare Live to Windows Live OneCare.  Why make this change (you might reasonably ask)?  That's a good question.  We hope that in addition to OneCare, you've noticed other Live branded beta services, like Windows Live Mail beta, Windows Live Messenger beta, and my personal favorite – Windows Live Local beta (check out the 360-degree aerial photos of point locations, and click on turn-by-turn directions to see pictures of those – very cool. )  Many more of these "Live" services can be found at www.ideas.live.com.  The Live in Windows Live OneCare isn't just about the name of the service; it's about being a part of the Windows Live family of services that are constantly evolving to provide you with more features and functionality.  We admit, changing the name is minor, but we hope the modified name is consistent with the major impact of Windows Live services.

·Where's the beta "tag"?

For those of you with a really sharp eye, you probably also noticed the beta "tag" is no longer included in the user interface.  We know what you're thinking: Does this mean OneCare is out of beta; does this mean the product is final?  The answer: no and no.  Dropping the beta tag simply means we're getting closer to final availability.  We're continuing to receive great feedback from our community of testers and we'll continue to look for new ways to improve OneCare.

In addition to the major changes highlighted above, the latest beta refresh includes a whole host of smaller changes that improve the stability and speed of Windows Live OneCare. This update is proof positive that we are dedicated to improving OneCare and providing the greatest value for our customers - and speaking of value - remember: come April 1st thru 30th, if you're a beta tester you'll be able to subscribe to the final service for only $19.95 for the first year for up to three PCs.

We truly appreciate our beta testers and look forward to your feedback on these latest updates.  Many thanks,

Yoav