According to several tests conducted over the past few months, Microsoft's security application, "Live OneCare" takes last position on the list of security applications available today.

In a report that compares around 15 security vendors basis detection of Windows viruses, worms, macros, scripts, and other OS threats, Microsoft ranks last - detecting threats only 91 percent of the time.

G Data Software AG's Anti-Virus Kit (AVK) ranks first with 99.6 percent detection; Kaspersky Anti-Virus, MicroWorld Technologies' eScan, and F-Secure Anti-Virus share second position with 99 percent detection; and TrustPort Antivirus Workstation from AED ranks third with 98.9 percent detection.

Now, with reports that Live OneCare has been hit by a bug that deletes Outlook and Outlook Express emails of users, the trouble seems to be continuing for Microsoft.

Microsoft has admitted that its Live OneCare security suite is accidentally deleting some users' Outlook and Outlook Express emails.

According to a posting on Microsoft's OneCare forum, this happens when the program detects a virus in an email attachment. Instead of quarantining the single infected email, the program deletes or quarantines the entire .pst or .dbx files, which is the personal folder where non-Exchange Server users' messages and other details are kept.

The posting further says that recovery of lost emails is possible only in some cases, wherein the .pst or .dbx file is still available in OneCare's quarantine facility.

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company has started working to address this issue where the anti-malware engine for OneCare is misguidedly quarantining Outlook .pst files or Outlook Express .dbx files, when just one .pst file or .dbx file contains an infected attachment.

Meanwhile, the fix for this problem will be available in the next OneCare update.

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