Installation Topics

*Unofficial Guide to Installing OneCare
*Installing OneCare on a 2nd or 3rd PC
*Unable to Connect to Internet to Complete Installation

Unofficial Guide to Installing OneCare

These instructions are intended for those simple people, which own a computer and are afraid of making changes to them. (Courtesy of Efrain Morales)

It's best to do the PC maintenance before the Windows Live OneCare (WLOC) installation. Here are 12 suggestions for a successful setup. The primary reason for WLOC installation failure is not reading the Windows instructions. Please print and read these ones thoroughly. When you finish the installation you will have a solid WLOC setup and a big smile from ear to ear.

0. To facilitate the backup process, buy an External Hard Disk (HD), at present WLOC doesn't support the internal type. If you have an external hard drive, backups and saves will be an enjoyment, apart from safety. Buy one, and make sure the HD is compatible with WLOC (for XP and/or 2000 only and with NTSF file system). Time is money and life is short.

1. The WLOC version 1.5.1890.16 or recent, is capable of doing the Defender work, so if you have WLOC 1.5 with Defender, the 1.5 will automatically disable Defender. In XP, you can choose not to install Defender. I personally don't have it installed and use WLOC 1.5 alone. In Vista, Defender is permanently installed because it's an integral part of the Operating System, but because WLOC 1.5 doesn’t need it, Defender is automatically disabled. See note at end on how to check that Defender is disabled in Vista.

2. Run Windows Update (WU) until no additional updates are offered. Make sure you don't update Windows only, but all Microsoft software you have on your PC. When you open Microsoft Updates, in the left side, click Change Settings and in the new window uncheck "Disable Microsoft Update software and let me use Windows Update only". This will allow downloading updates for Windows, Office, SQL Server, and any other software you have.

3. With all its boxes checked, run Disk Cleanup (DC) as many times as required, so as to do it in less than a minute. To get to it click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > and select Disk Cleanup. You will use this tool so often that it's better to right click it and set to Pin to Start Menu. While you are at the Disk Cleanup, click the More Options tab > System Restore, and click Cleanup and Yes to "Are you sure you want to delete all but the most recent restore point?” Restore point’s use much disk space and take time for WLOC to check.

Also in WLOC, and before you do your first tune-up, go to the Tune-up tab and enable "Check my computer for unnecessary files during Tune-up". If you don't do it, the report will be incomplete.

4. Do an Error-Checking (EC) on your Local Disk C) by right clicking it > Properties > Tools tab and selecting “Check now”. You can “Automatically fix file system errors”, and “Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors".

5. Run the Windows Disk Defragmenter (DD) as many times as required, so as to do it in less than a minute. To get to it click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > and select Disk Defragmenter. Remember to do the defrag on all your hard disks, internal and external.

6. Run any registry cleaner that you have. I personally use Registry Mechanic (RM) 6.0.0.750, fast and very reliable. Always use the registry cleaners with caution, and make sure that the option to backup changes is selected, as using a registry cleaner can cause programs or Windows to not run properly, if important keys are removed. Soon I will change to the free and new Windows Clean up Tool, see note at end. Now relax before the WLOC, and optional WD, installation. Stop, disable, and remove any antivirus and firewall, following the recommendations in WLOC setup. Incompatibility will result if you don't remove them before installing WLOC. Instructions for removal are as follows: http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/uninstall.htm

7. With all the time in the world available download and install WLOC 1.5.1890.16 program. In some PC, with dialup connection, this could take hours to setup, and during times it seems the computer has died down, ¡but it’s installing the program alright!

8. After finishing with the installation, run your first WLOC Tune-Up. If you previously have done the Preventive Maintenance (PM) with WU, DC, EC, DD, and RM, the process will take less time. To do future Tune-Ups in the least time possible, do the PM sometime before the scheduled monthly Tune-Up.


9. During new software installation, many, if not all, will offer to update automatically and place an icon in the desktop, deny it, and delete all you can, for you can replace them anytime. Have your Desktop as clean as possible, I have only the Recycle Bin. Do the update on your own and when you want. The only auto updates should be Microsoft Updates.

At boot up, and for XP only, have the least number of software starting. Programs that auto start can affect the system performance or start without your knowledge. In Vista it is a different story; don't touch them, because if you do, a popup will remind you of the change after all restarts. Remember to disable and\or enable, never ever delete.

Restart and measure the time in seconds it takes, after you see the wallpaper, and for the Windows Live OneCare (Status: Good) icon to appear in the Task bar. It's the amount of time WLOC requires to check your PC (don't use the PC during this time). In XP you can speed the boot up by disabling unnecessary starting software. Use the Startup Run program (XP only) to enable and/or disable startup programs. It's free, small, and so perfect that no update has been made to it in years. Remember to Enable and Disable, NEVER EVER Delete starting programs. Try to disable as much programs, so as to have only Defender and WLOC. Now restart and measure the time again, the difference is you gain. In Vista don't try to do the above, because everything is controlled by the program. While you gain in XP, in Vista you will loose.

10. After completion of Steps 02 to 06, run WLOC Run Tune-up. The View Last Report should have the WLOC Tune-Up Report with black check marks, no red or yellow. From now on, you can separately run, when you like, Scan for Virus and Spy ware, Check for Updates, Start a Backup, and Restore Files from the Backup, all without doing the time consuming full Run Tune-up, which you can set 4 weeks into the future.

11. After every restart, wait for the WLOC icon to appear in the task bar, it takes a while.

Installing OneCare on a 2nd or 3rd PC

When you subscribe to WLOC you are allowed to install the software on 3 different computers. To install on any of the 3 computers you will need the Windows Live ID (exact EMAIL and PASSWORD), used during the original purchase process. If you don't have a Windows Live ID, you have to create one. Be extremely careful to save the email and password, because they will be required to Sign In and open the install page. The procedure to either reinstall on the same PC, or in the additional 2 other, is the same as in the initial procedure to subscribe.

In the Choices Page, click the Sign In at top right and enter your Windows Live ID (see ActivateTopics),needed for all transactions, this will give you access to WLOC. You can subscribe or add another PC to your existing subscription. Remember again to follow the same steps as in your initial purchase. Again, save the email and password of the Windows Live ID (ID), and use it for installs and reinstalls. The procedure is the same, as long as you use your ID. Microsoft ties your unique email and password ID with 3 computer identification numbers. No way you can use a different email and password ID, nor install in more than 3 computers or in the same twice. Once installed in a specific computer it is registered for keeps. You can reinstall in the same 3 computers as many times you like. The instructions in the link below are for adding computers to an existing subscription: http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/install/addcomputerinstall.htm

Unable to Connect to Internet to Complete Installation

This tool is used to fix issues you might have while installing Windows Live OneCare. If your Windows Live OneCare application comes up with a red action item asking you to make sure you have internet connectivity and a button for ‘Complete Installation’ but the red action item remains even when you have internet connection, then running this tool may solve the issue.
Instructions

1. Click on the link to run the tool http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=CCC1C938-B3A4-437E-A095-A5171F163E0D&displaylang=en
2. A dialog will pop up explaining that the tool will attempt to repair issues with your system that caused Windows Live OneCare to fail installation
3. Click continue
4. You will then need to Accept the Terms of Use to run the tool
5. Click start and the tool will run
6. You will then be asked to reboot your machine before attempting to install Windows Live OneCare again.

Note, you may need to download the tool to your desktop and then run it as administrator by right clicking on the tool icon and selecting "Run as administrator" if you are using Windows Vista.