Hello Robert, it is not normal for the free trial to not function properly. Please check to see that there are no other antivirus or antispyware products installed (except Windows Defender). Uninstalling them if present may resolve the issue. If there are no conflicting products installed I suggest contacting support for help. How to reach support -
http://forums.microsoft.com/WindowsOneCare/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2421771&SiteID=2