Do system optimizers/fixer utilities cause more problems than they solve?

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Irregardless...

by shrapnel_indie Jan 29, 2012 4:24AM PST

I don't care who the tech is. Unless you know you are authorized to delete applications (i.e. IT department guidelines/rules states such software has no place on their property) OR it is your computer, You need permission. Inform the owner that they are potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) or just too dangerous for his level of knowledge, with informed fact as to how, and get permission to delete the software.
Now, IF I were to go into a store, and decide, say to remove bloatware from a demo PC, that store can have me arrested for vandalism or destruction of property, as the PC is NOT mine, but theirs. Just because a tech feels that a program is worthless and/or causes more harm than good doesn't give them the necessary authorization to just delete at-will any software. I ask if its Okay before I delete, even if it's my wife's computer, or if I do delete without asking first, I am up front about deleting it.

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A Toughie.

by donharmon Jan 20, 2012 10:25AM PST

Yes, the tech was right, that most such "utilities" are a waste of money and can make troublesome changes and deletions that will foul up your PC. Some operate in memory, too, where they can be a drag on speed and can clash with other memory-resident programs.

Still, a few good utilities are very helpful. It is very hard to list all the good ones here and I'm not sure my list would be perfect. So what should you do? You should start googling for reviews and you will find a lot of comments that may help you separate out the few that are very helpful.

For example, here in the US, a program called DoubleMySpeed.com is getting a lot of radio and tv advertisement time. It sounded dubious to me, so I started looking for objective reviews from places where they don't sell it or competing software like it. Go to this site and read: http://spywarepreventionguy.com/doublemyspeed-review/

This is the kind of reading you need to do. But do not accept the reviews from sites that are trying to sell you the product, or make their living by favorable reviews and are paid by the software makers!

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The most I would want to do is

by billygard Jan 28, 2012 12:49AM PST

to use something that I would only need to execute once in a great while. The idea of something that runs in memory - has to always be there to function as intended - is essentially admitting that Windows needs a walker to get around, like it's somehow crippled.

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A Short List of Good Free PC Utilities

by bill60606060 Jan 28, 2012 10:41PM PST

I used Advanced System Care FREE (ASC) for years. Works very well.
Downloaded Glary Utilities yesterday, I'm liking it as well.
There are reviews and free downloads for these and other PC Utilities on CNET. I don't check the History button in ASC, or the Tracks Eraser button in Glary Utilities, because it wipes out your history and possibly your favorites list.... I manage the startup programs manually thru either of these programs, so I get the results that I want there, of which is to have as few programs as possible running in the background.... This gets faster boot times, and more available memory to run more programs in.... Good Luck with your PC Tuneups!!!

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Do PC system optimizers/fixer utilities cause more problems

by Bestcomputer Jan 20, 2012 10:30AM PST

The technician should first check what is the cause? Here are some common causes why a system slows down. Virus, out of disk space, some files in Windows could be corrupt, too many applications running in the background that hog the memory and maybe the hard disk drive is fragmented. How old is the system? Hard drive could be failing. When a system is up and running, the hard drive and is spinning all the time and there is a wear and tear.

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Under your circumstances, he is absolutely right

by 4Denise Jan 20, 2012 10:45AM PST

I know from experience that at least some of these programs have excellent utilities-- for experienced computer users. If you are not tech-savvy, then you should avoid them. If you want to learn to use them then you can do that, but it is generally a bad idea to use utilities from a third party unless you know exactly what they do and how they are best used. It is not so much that you got scammed as that you stepped in over your head. If you wish to scour the internet for instructions and information you may be able to use some of the programs you have bought, but you should be fine without them.

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Maybe....

by rclarke250 Jan 20, 2012 10:50AM PST

I have been repairing computers for over 20 years, there has been no issue with software, that can't be fixed with either free utilities found on the web, (i.e. CCleaner,Avast,Malwarebytes, ultimate boot disk, to name a few) or a reload of the OS, and formatting of the hard drive. As stated earlier, windows has all the tools you need...that simply isn't true. Windows has almost none of the tools needed to keep it running smoothly. The only previous answer that was remotely correct is the one saying you need to Google, and do some research on the tools. Most will have free counterparts that will do everything you need.

That being said, the other issue....The technician should not have removed any files without your knowledge, especially those that were paid for by you. It's your money, you spent it, and you own the license for it's use. Ethically he should not have removed the software. Also stated before is that these programs would interfere with each other. That should be "they may interfere with each other".

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I agree about the ethics of the situation

by 4Denise Jan 20, 2012 11:08AM PST

It is your computer and he should not have made any changes without consulting you. That was unethical and I would let him know that you would rather he not do such things.

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It Depends on the Job Description

by mijcar Jan 20, 2012 1:11PM PST

What actually did the poster hire the professional to do? Simply repair a problem? Or repair the problem and prevent future occurrences? Or to repair and tune the computer?
Each of these can result in a different course of action. Removing an application can speed up the computer. If these products were in active mode, watching and interfering constantly, then removing them might be a taken-for-granted part of the contracted work.
Just one example: Products that defrag the harddrive (still a debateable strategy for maintaining a drive), the actions of the product can produce substantial performance lag while they are active and for a measureable amount of time after they should stop. Removing such a product (or at least deactivating it) might substantially improve performance.
And last, what kind of report did the poster request ... or possibly even turn down?
My feeling is that we here are not in a position to guage the appropriateness or inappropriateness of what was done without much more information.

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It depends on what your goal is

by kimmer13 Jan 27, 2012 10:59PM PST

I am exactly the type of pc repair/support professional described in the post. When a 'home' or business user contacts me to solve an issue, we also discuss general pc health and whether the user has any other items s/he wants reviewed while I have the pc. When I hear "my computer is so slow" and then I see it has multiple, redundant, and often unnecessary tools like those described and others, I will usually contact the user and discuss what I've found and tell them my opinion. 95% of the time they say do what you would do if it was your pc, and I do. There have been times, based on long standing relationships and my familiarity with the client, that I know that will be their answer so I go ahead and do it without contacting them first, but never if the program was a paid-for version. In that case I always ask first.

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Everybody has one

by msgale Jan 20, 2012 11:58AM PST

And I have
been dealing with PCs since 1981, IBM model 5150, the original PC which my employer
purchased. I dealt with them at Intermetrics, Lockheed-Martin, Computer
Sciences Corporation, and Verizon communications, as both applications and
systems programmer. I am now retired. Over time I have tried and even bought some
third-party utilities, and over time I have abandoned each as Windows has
matured. The only remaining utilities I still use are Symantec AV Enterprise
edition, and Symantec Backup exec.

I loaded the
operating systems on my PCs (Windows 7 64 bit, and Windows Server 2008R2)
almost two years ago, and they are running just like the days were installed.

Note: This post was edited by its original author to get rid of the html codes from copy and pasting text on 01/27/2012 at 9:43 AM PT

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Sorry about the HTML

by msgale Jan 20, 2012 2:55PM PST

And I have been dealing with PCs since 1981, IBM model 5150, the original PC which my employer purchased. I dealt with them at Intermetrics, Lockheed-Martin, Computer Sciences Corporation, and Verizon communications, as both applications and systems programmer. I am now retired. Over time I have tried and even bought some third-party utilities, and over time I have abandoned each as Windows has matured. The only remaining utilities I still use are Symantec AV Enterprise edition, and Symantec Backup exec.
I loaded the operating systems on my PCs (Windows 7 64 bit, and Windows Server 2008R2) almost two years ago, and they are running just like the days they were installed

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Tools I use

by popkat Jan 21, 2012 1:55AM PST

On the recommendation of my PC repair person (and after reading the cnet reviews/recommendations), I installed CCleaner and Malwarebytes on my desktop and laptop. Also based on info from cnet, I recently added COMODO System Cleaner. I agree with rclarke250 in that these free tools will handle issues just as well or better than those you must pay for. Prior to knowing about the free tools, I had purchased PCOptimize also based on cnet reviews/recommendations. However, the free tools have worked very well to keep both my computers working well.

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Personal computer user

by Tanqy Jan 28, 2012 3:34AM PST

I am computer user i use Tune Up Utilities to optimize my copmuter ( sorry to say it's cracked software )
and updated
I use Ccleaner free versioin
I use Comodo free products
I use All In One DvD Software
I use manual instruction to fix some problems on my pc
I use opinion to fix my pc
I read books about pc
I watch Youtube short clip about pc problems
Thank you for reading

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Beginner ( Basic Level )

by Tanqy Jan 31, 2012 2:59AM PST

Thank you Cent for this articel, Thank you Cent member's for reading and sharing the subject ( Home Work )
My notice is
personal computer
technical matters
promotions and products
Ultimate Troubleshooter
System Mechanic ( Other choice )
Advanced System Care ( Other choice )
paid a professional
Windows XP system
expertise before and respect his knowledge
superior to my own
small businesses
community
clients
home visits
transport
computers
location
repair
bad advice
money
software
claims
validity
appreciate
opinion
regarding
situation
If i have word to say like joke's about this articel i will lol.

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Available free utilities

by jafasvdjb Jan 27, 2012 8:35PM PST

I have been building & repairing PC's for the last 10+ yrs & I would NEVER think of doing anything to one's equipment w/o notification first. That would be like my auto repairman fixing something on my car prior to giving me an explanation w/ the estimate. I completely agree that there are ample utilities for free to be found on this site & that Windows does not have all of the tools to keep everything/anything running smoothly. I have found that CCleaner, Spybot S & D, Ad-Aware & even AVG are the safest utilities for a novice to understand & use w/o injury to their computer. Some can be used in conjunction w/ the othe, some cannot. I do forewarn my clients not to change the settings or go into the Advanced sections of any program w/o consultation first. I try to make them as self-sufficient as possible(good for their confidence & helps them to understand what I am talking about)...good advice from Maybe...just my opinion...

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Smart!

by tldees Jan 28, 2012 2:16AM PST

A post with since! All of the "miss information" should be blocked out of these threads. Folks come here for help and there is very little of it here!
Tom D.

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Do you mean

by MarkFlax Forum moderator Jan 28, 2012 2:19AM PST

other people's points of views should be censored?

Mark

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Glad You asked this question since

by franciemr Jan 20, 2012 11:06AM PST

I too have the same situation. I have System Mechanic and have not seen that it does anything critical. As a matter of fact, I had already decided not to renew when my subscription expires in 3 months since it allowed a major virus (one that's been around for about 2 years so it should have caught it) to hit my pc despite the fact that I do a total scan, etc every week. I also purchased PC Tools Spyware Doctor and removed it within 3 weeks. Although it removed the virus that System Mechanoic did not catch and could not remove, after 3 weeks it slowed my PC down to a crawl. Once removed, all was well. Again, thanks for asking this question and I'll be reading all the posts since I'm in the same boat.

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System Cleanup is not the Same as Antivirus

by mijcar Jan 20, 2012 12:40PM PST

Your disillusionment with System Mechanic seems to be based on its neither catching nor removing an infection. System Mechanic is -- like most of its ilk -- a registry cleaner. These products are definitely not Antivirus Programs. And they seldom are very useful in cleaning up after a virus infection. They look for structural defects in the Registry and then make a decision as to whether to delete them or repair them.
You need one good security system (AV plus Firewall). Don't look at system repair tools to find one.

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I agree but

by franciemr Jan 21, 2012 2:23AM PST

I understand your point but then why does System Mechanic have a tool titled System Shield--Scan System for Virus & Spyware? It leads me to believe that it does that when I run either a full, quick, or custon scan. Just curious

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System Mechanic

by JCClarkABC Jan 21, 2012 11:27AM PST

I love System mechanic as t is "idiot proff." Just set it and forget it.

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mijcar is totally right

by darrenforster99 Jan 20, 2012 3:31PM PST

That is a very good reply mijcar has given to your post.

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That makes sense for an expert user, but ...

by Finell Jan 27, 2012 11:08PM PST

... not for the individual who started this thread. How is he supposed to know what "looks dodgy" when he scans the list of startup programs in MSCONFIG? Or distinguish if from essential software (why isn't sound coming out of the computer's speakers any more?)? Are you sure that this guy should disable a proxy server, if his computer uses one? A proxy server can also be part of a malware defense.<div>
Also, a lot of people look for a virus as the first step in diagnosing poor computer performance. In my experience, both with my own computers and with the computers of family members, friends, and co-workers, malware has never been the cause. I'm not saying it can't happen--if someone's computer is executing a DOS attack, that would definitely take a bite out of performance--just that it isn't a very likely cause, so it would not be at the top of my troubleshooting list. (On someone else's computer, I would check security-related settings too, for their own sake.)
</div>

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Maybe

by msgale Jan 29, 2012 8:05AM PST

The local
address is 127.0.0.1 not 128.0.0.1. At least vista the hosts file is in the
directory c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc. Addresses in the ranges<?xml:namespace prefix =" o" ns =" "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"" /><o></o>

10.0.0.0 thru 10.255.255.255<o></o>

172.16.0.0 thru 172.31.255.255<o></o>

192.168.0.0
thru 192.168.255.255<o></o>

are harmless
. Other entries need to be evaluated before
removal. What the hosts file does is to
re-route a symbolic name to a new address. As an example, comcast.com has an IP Address of 69.241.45.20. ftp.gnu.org has an IP Address of 140.186.70.20. If I added the line 140.186.70.20 comcast.com
to my hosts file and I tried to ftp to Comcast.com. I would actually connect to
ftp.gnu.org. The hosts file reassigns
symbolic address.<o></o>

Of course
if you actually need a proxy server, then removing the entry will disconnect
you from the internet.<o></o>

The point
I trying to make, and no too subtlety, before doing anything make sure the
solution applies to your situation. <o></o>


.

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Correction

by msgale Jan 29, 2012 10:10AM PST

The local address is 127.0.0.1 not 128.0.0.1.
At since least Windows Vista the hosts file is in the directory c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc.
Addresses in the ranges
10.0.0.0 thru 10.255.255.255
172.16.0.0 thru 172.31.255.255
192.168.0.0 thru 192.168.255.255
are harmless .
Other entries need to be evaluated before removal. What the hosts file does is to re-route a
symbolic name to a new address. As an example, comcast.com has an IP Address of 69.241.45.20.
ftp.gnu.org has an IP Address of 140.186.70.20. If I added the line 140.186.70.20 comcast.com
to my hosts file and I tried to ftp to Comcast.com. I would actually connect to ftp.gnu.org.
The hosts file reassigns symbolic address. Of course if you actually need a proxy server, then
removing the entry will disconnect you from the internet. The point I trying to make, and no
too subtlety, before doing anything make sure the solution applies to your situation.

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As to System Mechanic and viruses.

by 23458497033034519111702334606501 Jan 27, 2012 10:07AM PST

I have been a proponent of system mechanic for quite a while. I've been building and using computers for well over 20 years and have found System Mechanic (especially the latest versions) to be a pretty good and solid tool. (of course just because I've been tinkering with computers since before the x86 days doesn't make me an expert but I've been around the block a bit)

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System Utilitys

by arneg44 Jan 20, 2012 11:30AM PST

I have repaired PC's for over 15 years, I would never remove programs without discussing it with the owner. i would also give as detailed explanations as possible.
I also used "system mechanics" i found it does not harm the system but there are FREE programs that works wonders, CCleaner, Glary Utilities, Malwarebytes, AVG antivirus, auslogics disk defrag,...
there is nothing better than research to get the proper answers no 1 person has all the answers and many of these program are nothing more than personal preference and being sure they do not clash or work against each other.
 Arne

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Optimize and fix utilities experience

by cheyguy Jan 20, 2012 11:56AM PST

Hope this helps a bit. I'm 65, and I've used computers since 1983 (and before, technically). My son is a network administrator for a large company. Historically, many optimizers were poorly programmed, and "fix/repair" utilities did, in fact, often remove registry bits and "shared files" that were important to a particular app, causing problems. Most such fixers and optimizers in the last 5 years have been MUCH better at what they claim, but there are so many out there, it's like buying RAM: so many different speeds, kinds, pins, etc., it's not only confusing, you can (and I have done so) really mess up a computer accidentally.

So #1, do your research online to find reviews by real users (not just the company's site) and reviews by pro publications. It pays to do your homework.

#2, no optimizer or fixer is 100% perfect. Each has its foibles, and flaws. That's why research (similar computer, similar software, similar experience level) can significantly reduce your fears and the likelihood of problems.

#3, your pro is speaking from his experience, but what is his training and real world experience? He my be very savvy, or may be relying on old history. Unless you ask (and hope he doesn't take offense at a perfectly proper question), you don't know. Ok.

I use Norton 360 because they are highly rated, have reduced their resource use a lot, and they have a relatively easy interface to tell you what's going on. But 360, unlike Internet Antivirus, has several useful utilities that Norton has even historically been lauded for. Their disk optimizer, for example is significantly faster and more efficient than Windows. They have a registry cleaner that has not (in 4 years) given me one single error or crash.

I have tried Uniblue, but they keep pushing some other utilities that I had problems with. However, their free Registry Cleaner has performed excellently also, and if Norton didn't already have one, I'd likely upgrade from free to the fee one. I find no conflicts with Malwarebytes antivirus (PC Mag, Laptop, etc., recommended as a backup), and Secunia PSI (free or fee versions) does an excellent job on my Windows AND non-Windows upgrades and patches.

Since moving to Windows 7 (highly recommended, but if you go from XP to 7, have your pro help you), I have had 2" blue screens of death", one from a leftover file from Trend Micro PC-cillin that was hidden (and I still can't remove it for unknown reason) that Norton fixed, and the second one recently from a still unknown cause that seems to have fixed itself. With Vista, I had more than 20, with XP, I had about the same over a 5-year period. So I like 7, I like Norton 360 (if it's available in England), Secunia PSI, and Uniblue's Registry Cleaner. They seem to work well on my 3 computers (2 laptops and a desktop, all Windows 7 now). Again, hope that's useful to you.

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Concur with your problems with Trend Micro PC-cillin

by sailsomsen Jan 21, 2012 1:54AM PST

A few years ago, I unfortunately permitted Best Buy to install Trend Micro on my new desk top... It totally gummed up the machine. I could not get the Trend Micro to fully uninstall. So I got Geek Squad to uninstall the Trend Micro and install Norton 360. No problems since.

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