Picking the right all-in-one PC protection suite depends on your needs as a user. Windows Live One Care and Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 both have features that may appeal to a wide range of home users. There are many similarities and differences between these two products.
Similarities and Differences
Both One Care and Kaspersky offer antivirus and antispyware protection, and automatic updates are part of the service. They both also offer multiple PC licenses, a firewall and real time protection against malware. They both offer protection against phishing--a way that criminals seek out information online while appearing to be a legitimate website or email. Both programs can run in the background while you do other tasks, and alert you to security concerns. In terms of differences, Kaspersky is mainly marketed as a security program; Windows One Care promises both security and optimal performance for your PC. In addition, One Care offers an online backup feature.
Ease of Use
One Care is made by Microsoft and is made to be very simple for users to install and run. Kaspersky has more tabs, but once you are familiar with the interface it is straightforward to use.
Speed Up Your PC
Kaspersky and One Care both claim to speed up your PC, but they do so in different ways. Kaspersky offers iSwift and iChecker scanning, which adjust to your usage and scan only changed files. One Care frees up hard drive space and removes unused startup applications.
Backups
One option that One Care offers that Kaspersky does not is a backup feature. One Care offers automated backups of key files to a 50 GB online account. This allows file restoration and access at multiple PCs.
Windows 7 Compatibility
At the moment, Kaspersky's site does not offer support for the Windows 7 beta. This is expected to change with its official release, as a check of the Windows 7 Consumer Security Providers site lists Kaspersky Labs as a trusted provider. The Windows 7 Compatibility Center will have more information as it develops. Microsoft has no plans to continue support for One Care with Windows 7. If you have no desire to upgrade from XP or Vista, this is not a concern for you. But if you plan on grabbing Microsoft's new OS, you may want to consider the new Microsoft Security Essentials, which will be compatible with Windows 7.
Price Point
Windows One Care offers a one-year, three PC license for $49.95. Kaspersky Internet Suite 2010 offers a one-year, three PC license for $79.95. A two-year license for three PCs is $119.95.
Antivirus programs are notoriously hard to uninstall. However, Kaspersky Anti-Virus has a simple uninstall wizard that works well with Microsoft's built-in Add/Remove Programs tool. Technical know-how isn't necessary to uninstall or remove Kaspersky Anti-Virus.
Remove Kaspersky Anti-Virus Using Add/Remove Programs Tool
If you're using Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, a program is bundled with the operating system to make it simple to remove programs from your computer: the Add/Remove Programs tool. Add/Remove Programs is a simple, step-by-step tool to remove just about any program from your computer.
First, click the Start button at the left side of your task bar, and select Control Panel, When the control panel window comes up, click the link for Add or Remove Programs. This will bring up the Add/Remove Program tool in a new window. Be patient as the program list populates, because the load time will increase in accordance with how many programs you have installed on your computer.
Make sure the Sort By drop-down box in the upper-left corner of this window is sorted by Name and then scroll down the list to the K section, and find Kaspersky in this list. Highlight Kaspersky and click the Remove button.
This will bring up the uninstall wizard, which will walk you step-by-step through removing the program.
Remove Kaspersky Using Kaspersky Wizard
Another simple way to remove Kaspersky from your computer is to use the Remove Tool bundled with the Kaspersky software. It, too, is simple to use and easy to find.
First, click the Start button on the left side of your task bar and select All Programs. The list will pop up showing all the programs you have installed; find Kaspersky in this menu. Hover over the Kaspersky icon, and in the sub-menu, click Modify, Repair or Remove.
In the Modify, Repair or Remove window, click the Remove icon. In the next window, you'll have to make a choice: to Completely Uninstall or Save Application Objects. A complete uninstall will remove everything related to Kaspersky from your computer. Save Application Objects will allow you to keep your data if you're updating the software to a newer version. You'll want to ensure that you keep your activation data (so you don't have to buy the software again), the threat database , the anti-spam database, backup files, quarantine files and iSwift files (so you don't have to download all these files again).
Click the Remove button. The program will work on its own to remove the files necessary, and will notify you when complete.
When the program processes are complete, click OK.
Restarting After Removal
Kaspersky Anti-Virus won't completely uninstall until after you've restarted the computer -- there are a number of files used by your operating system in the background and they won't be deleted until not in use. Make sure to close all the windows, and select restart from the Start menu.
Once your computer has rebooted, Kaspersky will be completely uninstalled from your computer, and you can either install another antivirus software, or update Kaspersky to the newest version.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 is a total-protection suite that guards against viruses, trojans and worms, along with keyloggers, malicious scripts and more. Kaspersky runs on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 machines, and has just recently begun offering Mac support too. Kaspersky Anti-Virus has a fantastic reputation, and historically is one of the first of the antivirus softwares to detect a new virus, trojan, worm or other malicious software. With the Kaspersky Security Network, you can participate in a community that swiftly finds and fixes new viruses.
Step-By-Step Instructions to Add A Trusted Site
As with any comprehensive antivirus software, you'll need to know how to add a trusted site to Kaspersky in order to get the most out of the product. It may seem a bit cumbersome, but it's worth the hassle to receive the top-notch anti-virus protection this software offers.
First, go to Settings. This is where you can modify a number of settings in the Kaspersky Anti-Virus software to your needs. Feel free to poke around this area a bit to familiarize yourself with it, and if you have questions, visit the help menu (by pressing F1) to learn more about the specific tools. Then click Protection and choose Web Anti-Virus. This protection section allows you to modify anti-virus areas. Right now, we're working with trusted sites, but there are a number of items in this area you should familiarize yourself with.
Click Settings and choose Scan Optimization. Ensure that the box next to "do not scan HTTP traffic from trusted web addresses" is checked. This makes sure that each time you go to your trusted site, Kaspersky doesn't rescan the website, as it might not let you visit upon rescan.
Then, select Add and enter the URL (or internet address) in the area provided. Ensure that this is spelled correctly; you may want to copy and paste directly from the site or Google, if possible. If it is misspelled, then it will not be properly added to your trusted sites list, and Kaspersky will not let you visit.
Finally, click OK. Now your website has been added to the trusted sites section of Kaspersky Anti-Virus, and you'll be able to visit without hassles. Repeat this process if you wish to add more trusted sites to Kaspersky Anti-Virus.
The firewall in Kaspersky is a powerful program that can be used to protect your computer from intruders and prevent applications from getting out to the Internet without your permission. Using this feature can mean the difference between having a safe and secure computer or having your personal information stolen by a rogue virus or hacker. To properly use the firewall in Kaspersky, there are a few things you should know that will help you get started.
Purpose of the Firewall
The firewall in Kaspersky helps keep you secure by blocking open ports on your computer. Computer ports are like doorways to the outside world. Certain types of programs communicate over certain ports, but the majority of computer ports that are available on a system are unused by most programs. If they are not actively monitored, a rogue hacker can gain access to your computer through one of them. The Kaspersky firewall performs this monitoring process and blocks any inbound communication attempts to your computer that you have not explicitly authorized. It also allows you to control what programs on your own computer are allowed to talk to the outside world by blocking the ports they use until you unblock them. You can manually configure this blocking and unblocking activity or just set up a few rules and let Kaspersky do the blocking and unblocking on its own.
Proper Firewall Configuration and Usage
When you first install the Kaspersky firewall, you'll need to disable the Windows built-in firewall, because having both firewalls active at the same time can cause problems with your computer. During the installation process, you'll have the option to enable a special "Training Mode" for the firewall. This mode will cause the firewall to ask you what to do every time a program tries to connect to the Internet or something from the Internet attempts to contact your computer. By choosing to allow or deny communications and telling the firewall whether or not to remember this behavior, you can train it so that future connection attempts will be met with the same response automatically, instead of asking you.
Alternatively, you can set up the firewall with some broadly defined security plans that will choose what programs to allow or deny based on a preprogrammed rule set. If you have a lot of programs on your computer that need to access the Web, you're better off using the training mode, otherwise your software may encounter errors as it tries to connect to the Web and is subsequently blocked.
Kaspersky Lab makes several products designed to protect devices ranging from cellular phones to desktop and laptop computers to entire servers from Internet threats, such as viruses, Trojan horses and malware. The various Kaspersky tools including Mail Anti-Virus, File Anti-Virus, Safe Desktop and Proactive Defense are of little help, however, when Kaspersky is experiencing technical difficulties. Several of the most common problems have solutions that do not require professional servicing.
Installation
During install, some users may see the error message "The selected folder or drive already contains files. The application cannot be installed." This often happens after a user attempts to install the full version of Kaspersky anti-virus after using a trial of the program and can also occasionally happen when updating the program release. Repair this program by clicking "OK" to exit the warning and exiting the installation screen. Once back to the desktop, click the "Start" button and access the Computer folder. Next, click on the main hard drive lettered "C:" and select the Programs folder. Find the Kaspersky lab file in this folder and delete the entire folder. Once deleted, restart the Kaspersky installation.
Update
When updating from Kaspersky 2009 or 2010 to 2011, it is possible to lose USB functionality. This is due to a registry error committed during the install. If you have a keyboard and mouse that do not use the USB ports to connect to the computer, download the Kaspersky Removal Tool from Kaspersky.com, double-click on the application and follow the prompts to complete the registry fix. If your keyboard and mouse have been disabled, fix this issue by downloading Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 Special USB Recovery Edition and burning it to a CD from another computer. Once burned, start the affected computer with the disc already inside and follow the prompts to repair the USB ports.
System Error 2
Although it is rare, Kaspersky Internet Security or Kaspersky Anti-Virus may display the message "Activation error. Activation procedure completed with system error 2." This error means the Kaspersky program is having difficulties contacting the Internet database. Repair this by first ensuring the database has been activated and that the Windows Firewall has been set to allow Kaspersky programs to send information from your computer. If this does not restore service, run the anti-virus scan to check the computer for the net worm Kido, also known as Conficker and Downadup.
The Internet security firm Kaspersky produces a range of Internet security tools. Most of these programs rely on regular updates to stay alert to the newest threats; if the built-in update manager isn't working, your computer's protection may become outdated.
Faulty Internet Connection
A faulty Internet connection can cause Kaspersky updates to fail. If the Internet is down, use the troubleshooting wizards in the Windows Help and Support section of the Control Panel to solve the issue. If other programs can access the Internet, you can rule this reason out.
Missing or Corrupt Files
If any of the Kaspersky update manager's files have become damaged or deleted, this can cause problems with updates. Broken or inaccurate registry entries can have the same effect. To repair the application, reinstall it from the original disc or download package.
Conflicting Software
Other software, particularly other security software, may conflict with the Kaspersky tool, preventing it from running updates. Try disabling other antivirus, anti-spyware or firewall programs, but be careful not to leave your system exposed for a substantial length of time. Once you've found the conflicting software, change its settings to allow the Kaspersky update manager to connect.
Kaspersky is a security company that produces a range of software titles for home users. Some older versions of its applications can interfere with Web browsing speed as they check for security threats.
Update Your Software
Most slow browsing issues relating to Kaspersky products have been fixed in the latest updates -- check the Kaspersky website or your program's built-in update feature to see if a patch or upgrade is available. If you're running an application that's more than a couple of years old, you may have to pay to upgrade. It's also important to make sure that you're running the latest version of your default Web browser.
Disable Other Applications
Conflicts and issues can occur if you are running more than one antivirus or firewall program at once. Check to see that the Kaspersky product is the only security tool running and disable any applications that you aren't using.
Further Help
The official Kaspersky support pages provide links to system parsers and analysis tools that enable you to identify where problems are occurring and get specific help on the issues that are uncovered. If problems persist, follow the help and support links from within your application.
Microsoft Security Essentials is an anti-malware program created by Microsoft, and designed to remove malware from your computer and prevent malware from infecting your computer in the first place. Microsoft Security Essentials should not be confused with Windows Defender, which is only designed to remove one particular type of malware.
Malware
Malware is short for malicious software. Malware is defined by Microsoft as any unwanted software that is installed without your consent. Generally, malware is designed to perform a malicious task, such as deleting your files, stealing your personal information, recording your keystrokes or hijacking your web browser. Types of malware include computer viruses, worms, Trojans, keyloggers and spyware.
Update Microsoft Security Essentials
To remove malware from your computer, Microsoft Security Essentials must be equipped to detect the latest malware. To ensure that Microsoft Security Essentials is equipped to detect the latest malware, you must install the latest virus definitions. To do so, open Microsoft Security Essentials, click the "Settings" tab, and check the box next to "Check for the latest virus and spyware definitions before running a scheduled scan." Microsoft Security Essentials will now install the latest virus definitions next time you run a scan.
Run Scan
To remove malware from your computer, Microsoft Security Essentials must first scan your computer in order to detect the malware that has infected your computer. To do this, click the "Home" tab. In the Home tab, you have the option of choosing a Quick Scan or a Full Scan. A Full Scan will take longer, but will scan your entire computer for malware. A Quick Scan will not take as long, but will only scan the areas of your computer where malware is most likely to be found. Once you have decided what type of scan you want to perform, check the box next to the appropriate scan type and click "Scan Now." Microsoft Security Essentials will scan your computer and automatically remove any malware that it detects. This may take anywhere from several minutes to several hours.
Warnings
Some computer viruses, often called rogue security software or scareware, are designed to look like legitimate anti-malware programs, including Microsoft Security Essentials. These scareware programs launch fake system scans and fake system alerts in an effort to trick you into purchasing the "full version" of the program. Fortunately, there is an easy way to distinguish between scareware programs and Microsoft Security Essentials. Microsoft Security Essentials is free and will never ask for your financial information.