pc-tools

The bottom line: PC Tools Spyware Doctor with Antivirus 2011 will give you strong security, but a not-insignificant performance hit. For a mid-range suite, though, its features are solid and it's a better bet than PC Tools' high-end Internet Security 2011.

Review: Editors' note: Portions of this review are based on CNET's review for PC Tools Internet Security 2011. The screenshots and slideshow also are taken from the similar PC Tools Internet Security 2011.

PC Tools Spyware Doctor with Antivirus 2011 competently juggles the competing requirements of an effective and usable security suite. Although we were disappointed by … Read more

The bottom line: PC Tools Internet Security 2011 will give you strong security, but a not-insignificant performance hit. Couple that with a less than competitive feature set for high-end security suites, and you're left with a definite mixed bag.

Review:

PC Tools Internet Security 2011 competently juggles the competing requirements of an effective and usable security suite. Although we were disappointed by the performance hit, the interface is clean and easy to navigate, the scans were reasonably fast, and the suite generally received high marks from independent effectiveness tests.

Installation PC Tools' installation is a simple and fast affair, … Read more

I am always suspicious that those who design surveys are looking for particular, amusing answers.

So I am delighted that those who designed a gadget-conscious study for PC Tools chose to offer respondents some very cerebral choices.

Essentially, PC Tools was looking to see just how deeply the need to be plugged in online had penetrated human psyches. So they willfully probed into scenarios from which others might have shied, which, coincidentally made for a searing analysis into the state of the American nation.

Here is the state of society, neatly encapsulated in one single finding: more people believe that … Read more

PC Tools' Internet Security suite for 2010 gets some things right, and frustratingly drops the ball on others. It's hard not to like the feature set, which is robust, and the recent efficacy badge from Virus Bulletin. However, some of the problems in the suite are glaring and will potentially scare aware users who might otherwise find it a good security tool.

The default landing page should appeal to those who like quick glances to ensure everything is running smoothly. Green checkmarks or red Xes make it easy to see if you're at risk. Drilling deeper down to … Read more

Correction: Although this review was written for Spyware Doctor version 8, a typo misstated the version number as version 7. That has since been corrected.

Spyware Doctor 8 offers users a superb collection of malware prevention and removal tools, but its infamously strict trial restrictions makes it difficult to evaluate. With quick scanning and multiple tools for stopping malware before it infects your computer, the paid version is a solid spyware remover.

Installing the program annoyingly requires you to reboot the computer, but as soon as Windows finishes loading, the program will start scanning for malware. Impressively, the scan took … Read more

Registry Mechanic checks your Registry for errors that can slow down and crash your computer, and provides you with a full toolbox for finding and repairing your Registry. The utility can find a wide range of defects, including references to uninstalled programs, missing help files and virtual devices, broken shortcuts, and removed fonts and configuration files. It also can automatically repair invalid entries at Windows start-up.

Under Optimize, the Quick Scan has been abandoned in this version in favor of an exceedingly fast and comprehensive Deep Scan. The program also makes backups, so it's easy to restore a fix … Read more

Casual users might not see the allure of this simple freeware, which not only detects hardware and other system information but also lets you benchmark your system's performance. Users with an interest in what goes on under the hood, however, will appreciate this easy-to-use and informative tool.

PC Wizard 2008 goes to work as soon as it's installed, quickly gathering general system information. The interface has a familiar feel with its easily recognizable icons on the toolbar to save, print, and refresh the data. While it looks like little effort was made to dress up the interface, it … Read more

Russia has passed China to become the largest generator of spyware and other malicious code, according to a report set to be released on Friday.

Security software maker PC Tools says that Russia now accounts for 27.9 percent of such software, compared with China's 26.5 percent. The U.S., which had been the second largest producer in prior surveys, is now in third place, accounting for a hair less than 10 percent of malware.

Russia is also known as a hotbed for junk e-mail, known as spam.

PC Tools said that the death of Russian Business Network, … Read more

After my previous posting about the free Starter Edition of Spyware Doctor version 5, someone claiming to be a spokesperson for the vendor, PC Tools, left a long rebuttal comment. I can't verify that the writer, claiming to be Marketing Communications Manager Magida Ezzat, actually works for PC Tools because they never contacted me directly. What follows is my rebuttal to the rebuttal. Think debate team.

No Network Drives For You

OK. But having every scan of a network drive report that all is well is misleading since no scanning was done. If the product won't scan a … Read more