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Computer security has always been a main concern of users worldwide, as they wanted to protect their  PCs, no matter the operating system they are running. Those who were using Windows XP or Windows Vista and decided to rely on  Microsoft to keep their OS malware-free used to run Windows Live OneCare (which, in the meantime, was superseded by another product).

The application featured an intuitive interface so that users could constantly get an overview of their protection status, thus making sure that the spyware and virus definitions are updated and that scans were performed on a regular basis.

Also, one could ensure the firewall protection was activated and that no malicious or suspicious connections were made to the  PC.

In addition to the antivirus side of Windows Live OneCare, the app also included a tweak module that would improve the performance of the host  PC by performing several actions, such as removing junk files, defragmenting the HDD, scanning for security threats or checking if the OS is up-to-date.

Users could backup their most valuable files on a regular basis, to the destination location they selected.

Another benefit of the software is that it could be used to manage several computers, as long as they were added to one’s circle - basically, users needed to install Windows Live OneCare to several computers they frequently worked on (for example, the ones in the office and at home), then they could oversee the security settings from a single centralized app.

On the downside, as mentioned before, Windows Live OneCare has been discontinued and most of its functions have been included in the improved Microsoft Security Essentials, which is also compatible with the latest Windows editions.