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Microsoft's antivirus deletes users' e-mails

By David Meyer, ZDNet UK on March 12th, 2007

Microsoft has admitted that its Live OneCare security suite has been accidentally deleting some users' Outlook and Outlook Express e-mails.

According to postings on Microsoft's OneCare forum, erasures have been caused when the antivirus program finds a virus in an e-mail attachment. Instead of then quarantining that single e-mail, users have reported that entire .pst or .dbx files -- the personal folder where non-Exchange Server users' messages and other details are kept -- have been quarantined or, in some cases, even deleted.

One user commented on the forum: "Is there a chance to recover it? If not, OneCare will have done more damage than any virus in my 30 years of active computing." Forum postings indicate, however, that recovery is possible in some cases, where the .pst or .dbx file is still available in OneCare's quarantine facility.

Stephen Boots, a forum administrator, commented that he was "very unhappy about this problem as it was reported over a year ago and fixed in the 1.0 release", adding: "It never appeared throughout the beta, but suddenly appeared when 1.5 was released".

In a statement reported on Computerworld, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that the company was "working to address an issue where the antimalware engine for OneCare is erroneously quarantining Outlook .pst files or Outlook Express .dbx files, when the .pst file or .dbx file contains an infected attachment". The spokesperson added that a fix would be included in the next OneCare update, which is due on 13 March.

OneCare has been hit this year by ongoing criticism, having only days ago failed to achieve certification in an independent test of security products. Shortly before that, it emerged that the product did not sufficiently protect users of Microsoft's Vista operating system against malware.

Are you a OneCare Live customer? Have you been affected by this problem? Please let us know by using the talkback below or e-mail us at edit@zdnet.com.au.

David Meyer reported for ZDNet UK from London

Talkback

this is months old

This has been going on for more than a month. why has it taken so long to become real news?

AnonymousAnonymous March 12th, 2007
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Microsoft's antivirus deletes users' e-mails

That is worriesome. I'm surprised I'm not reading more about it.

What gives?

Bill CondieBill Condie March 12th, 2007
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Happened to my client

This issue happened to my client customer and she fired me over it. OneCare is BS.

AnonymousAnonymous March 12th, 2007
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Can't sympathise

Sorry but if you recommended OneCare to any one of your clients, you're not up to the job. Any knowledgeable IT tech person should know better. Most Ms products are considerably lacking compared to competitor products.

AnonymousAnonymous March 12th, 2007
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We control the vertical; we control the horizontal

And Microsoft does its best to keep competitors out, saying that they had to lock AV vendors out of the executive because there was no reason for them to be there and that their OS was security w/o any kind of add-ons.

Right.

Perhaps they will then be telling you about investment property in southern Florida. (For those of you who don't live in the US, southern Florida is mostly swamp land, not exactly prime real estate. The phrase is generally meant to express the sentiment that you'd be throwing your money away should you choose to make such an investment).

AnonymousAnonymous March 13th, 2007
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haha!

Pathetic. I see Microshaft still cant get it right and at this rate never will.

AnonymousAnonymous March 13th, 2007
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I Guess That's One Way To Stop A Virus...

Sounds like Microsoft has come up with an ingenious way to make sure no virus has a chance...

-SF
http://www.wasatchsoftware.com/microsoft.htm

Spencer FergusonSpencer Ferguson March 13th, 2007
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This would explain why...

My Outlook 2007 file suddenly disappeared..! Seriously, it was completely wiped out and I couldn't for the hot place of it figure out why.

I guess Live OneCare on my Vista Ultimate laptop is about to kiss it's back end goodbye.

Jorgen SmithJorgen Smith March 13th, 2007
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Microsoft already issued the required OneCare patch with no fanfare on March 11

Microsoft already issued the required OneCare patch with no fanfare on March 11.

AnonymousAnonymous March 13th, 2007
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