The computer security market exists largely because Microsoft isn't able to write an operating system without holes in it. That, in itself, isn't to have a go at MS - nobody's capable of writing such a large piece of software without flaws: not Apple, not the Linux crowd, and not Microsoft.

But... the sheer number of exploits for these flaws mean a lucrative marketplace for security software, something MS is now keen to get its hands on, which resulted in OneCare, the new Microsoft security program. Only problem is, it doesn't work all that well. A few days after OneCare failed to get certified in an industry standard test, the company has admitted that the program wasn't ready for release.

Arno Edelmann, Microsoft's European business security product manager, said that the program actually has pieces missing. That's perhaps not surprising to people whose Outlook and Outlook Express email folders OneCare has deleted. Microsoft has now apologised for that, too.

It's fair to say that if your anti-virus program is deleting bits of other programs you make, it might need a little more work.