Web Tools Offer Plenty of Ways to Clean Up
Utility programs that help protect, maintain and improve a PC’s performance have been around since the very early days of the home computer. CD-ROM programs such as Symantec’s Norton System Works and Network Associates’ McAfee Utilities are popular tool kits to guard against viruses and hard-disk crashes, improve your PC’s performance and free up hard-disk space.
In addition to its traditional utilities software, Network Associates now offers similar functionality as a service via the Internet. Called McAfee Clinic, the service costs $30 a year and provides access to a number of useful utilities that run from the company’s Web site at https://www.mcafee.com.
I tested McAfee Clinic and, with some reservations, can recommend it to others. But my experience hasn’t been flawless, especially when running Windows ME. Fortunately, you can try the service for 30 days and get a full refund if you’re not happy.
There are some advantages to using a Web-based service. For one thing, these services are available any time, even if you don’t have access to shrink-wrapped software. Another advantage is that online applications are updated regularly. The downside to Net-based software is that--with the exception of virus protection--you need to be online to use these programs.
It’s worth noting that none of the components of McAfee Clinic operates entirely from the Web. They all require users to download some software, but the process is integrated into the site. When users try to run any of the applications, the site checks to make sure the necessary components are installed on the hard drive. The downloads are fast because each feature has its own small program that typically takes two to seven minutes to download on a 56-kilobit-per-second modem.
McAfee’s VirusScan Online searches the system to find and eliminate viruses. You can run it while online, but it can also be used to protect your PC while offline. ActiveShield updates automatically to make sure it knows about the latest viruses. The service can be used to create a “rescue disk” to combat a boot sector virus that loads itself into memory as soon as the computer turns on.
To use the Web for virus diagnostics, check out Trend Micro, a free online scanning site at https://housecall.antivirus.com. If it finds a virus, it will clean it up. But unlike VirusScan Online, it won’t run in the background to prevent a future infection.
If you’ve had your machine for a while, you probably have a lot of unnecessary files wasting disk space. That’s a job for McAfee’s Uninstaller Online. Its “application remover” uninstalls applications, compresses them and backs them up in case you change your mind later.
McAfee’s QuickClean deletes temporary files as well as Internet cache files acquired as you surf the Net. It also eliminates so-called lost cluster files that accumulate on hard drives when the system crashes or is turned off improperly. It removes files from the Recycle Bin, unnecessary shortcut files and unneeded items in the Windows registry that can slow down a PC. I ran it and it freed up about 100 megabytes of disk space.
FileWipe erases files so that even savvy computer experts with specialized software can’t restore them. A must if you absolutely, positively need to delete highly sensitive data.
McAfee Clinic’s First Aid Online improves overall performance by checking a PC’s file system, hard disk drive, CD or DVD drives and graphics card to make sure everything is properly configured. When I ran this feature on a machine running Windows 98, it found and repaired several minor problems, but when I ran it on a PC with Windows ME, it simply froze up the machine. A visit to the site’s support forum showed that other people had the same problem.
One of my favorite McAfee features, Oil Change, analyzes software and hardware drivers to determine whether there are any updates available. I was surprised to find that I had 20 programs and drivers in need of an update, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Windows ME. But when I checked each suggested update, I found that--in most cases--they were just add-on services that I don’t necessarily need.
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Technology reports by Lawrence J. Magid can be heard between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays on the KNX-AM (1070) Technology Hour.
