How to manage your OneCare circle by using a hub computer

This article describes how to manage the status of all the Windows Live OneCare circle computers by using a hub computer.

On a hub computer, you can monitor the status of other computers in your OneCare circle and perform high-priority actions. You cannot perform low-priority actions from a hub computer, such as remotely installing Microsoft Windows updates.

Because a hub computer must be connected to the Internet to remain up to date and to monitor the other computers in your OneCare circle, we recommend that you only make a computer a hub computer if it is frequently connected to the Internet.

To make a computer a hub computer, follow these steps:

1. Open OneCare.
2. Click Manage your OneCare circle. Or, if you have a OneCare circle set up, click the OneCare circle.
3. Click Make this computer a hub computer.
4. Enter the Windows Live ID that you used to install OneCare, and then click Sign in.

To perform a remote action from a hub computer, follow these steps:

1. Open OneCare.
2. Click your OneCare circle.
3. Examine the Actions to take notices for the computers that are listed for your circle. Under the name of the computer that you want to perform an action on, in the Actions to take notice, click the appropriate button.

Notes

• To quit using a computer as a hub computer, move to your OneCare circle area, click the drop-down arrow next to Details, and then click Stop using this computer as a hub computer.
• You can have more than one hub computer in your circle.
• You can only perform remote actions from a hub computer when the two computers are on the same local network. You cannot perform remote actions over the Internet.
• After you perform an action, the list of Actions to take is updated automatically on the hub computer and on the other computer.
• If you remove a computer from your circle, it will no longer appear on the list of computers on your hub computer.
  Note If you remove a computer from your circle, the computer that was removed will turn to Red Status. This indicates that the computer has been removed from the subscription to OneCare.