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Microsoft planned to replace Windows Live OneCare’s paid subscription with a free, downloadable anti-malware product code-named Morro. Announced on November 18, 2008, the change was scheduled to take effect for retail sales on June 30, 2009. Morro was intended to protect against core threats with a smaller resource footprint, not to reproduce OneCare’s full set of PC-maintenance features.
What was Windows Live OneCare?
Windows Live OneCare was a paid, automatically updating PC-care service for consumers and small businesses. At its U.S. launch in 2006, Microsoft described it as including antivirus and firewall protection, antispyware, performance tune-ups, backup and restore, and Microsoft support. The launch price was $49.95 per year for up to three personal computers in the United States, according to Microsoft’s 2006 announcement (Microsoft’s 2006 U.S. launch announcement).
By 2007, Microsoft said OneCare was sold through major retail outlets in 17 countries. Its offer combined security with maintenance, performance tuning, backup, and support (Microsoft’s 2007 announcement).
What did Microsoft announce, and when?
On November 18, 2008, Microsoft announced it would stop retail sales of OneCare effective June 30, 2009, and shift its consumer focus to Morro, a planned stand-alone download for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Microsoft said Morro would be available in the second half of 2009. Existing subscribers were to remain protected through the end of their subscription terms (Microsoft’s November 18, 2008 announcement).
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The announcement described Morro as protection against viruses, spyware, rootkits, and trojans. Microsoft said it would have a smaller footprint and fewer non-security features than OneCare. In other words, the announced replacement was a focused anti-malware product—not a complete successor to OneCare’s PC-care bundle.
How did OneCare and planned Morro differ?
| Aspect | Windows Live OneCare | Morro as announced in 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Paid subscription; Microsoft’s 2006 U.S. launch price was $49.95 per year for up to three personal computers. | No-cost download. |
| Protection and features | Antivirus, firewall, antispyware, plus performance tune-ups, backup and restore, and support. | Core anti-malware protection against viruses, spyware, rootkits, and trojans; fewer non-security features. |
| Resource footprint | Not stated in the 2008 announcement. | Microsoft said it would have a smaller footprint than OneCare. |
| Delivery | Subscription service sold through retail outlets in 17 countries as of Microsoft’s 2007 announcement. | Planned stand-alone download. |
| Windows versions | Not stated in the cited 2008 transition announcement. | Planned for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. |
| Existing subscribers | Microsoft said protection would continue through each subscriber’s existing subscription term. | Not applicable to the announced transition plan. |
Why did Microsoft discontinue OneCare?
Microsoft said a free offer could extend basic protection to more consumers, particularly in markets where malware was growing faster than new PC purchases. Amy Barzdukas, then Microsoft’s senior director of product management, said the no-cost offering would help protect “an even greater number of consumers,” especially in those markets (Microsoft’s announcement).
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The planned smaller footprint and focus on security also fit Microsoft’s stated aim of reaching people with lower-cost or lower-powered PCs. The announcement presented Morro as a way to broaden access to core anti-malware protection, rather than as a free version of every OneCare feature.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was Morro the same as Microsoft’s free Malicious Software Removal Tool?
No. Microsoft’s Security Intelligence Report distinguished OneCare from the free Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT): OneCare provided real-time protection using the complete antivirus signature database, with daily updates; MSRT targeted selected prevalent malware and did not provide real-time protection (Microsoft Security Intelligence Report).
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- REAL-TIME PROTECTION Advanced security protects against existing and emerging malware threats, including ransomware and viruses, and it won’t slow down your device performance.
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That comparison helps clarify the kind of product Microsoft said it intended to build with Morro: a focused anti-malware layer, not merely a periodic tool for removing a limited set of threats. The cited distinction is between OneCare and MSRT; it should not be treated as a detailed technical specification for Morro beyond what Microsoft stated in its 2008 announcement.
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What should readers remember about the transition?
- Microsoft announced the planned transition on November 18, 2008.
- Retail sales of OneCare were scheduled to end June 30, 2009; existing subscribers were promised protection through their subscription terms.
- Morro was described as a free, stand-alone download planned for Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 in the second half of 2009.
- OneCare bundled PC maintenance, backup, and support with security protection; Morro was intended to concentrate on anti-malware protection.
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