I don't know where to begin to describe how great VCOM Fix-it Utilities 5 is for your computer. I'll begin by stating that I am using a five-year old Dell computer with Windows 98SE. My system was getting really tired and slow. I had Norton SystemWorks 2000 and Norton Internet Security installed, but I was still having problems with freeze-ups, blue screens and constant re-boots to keep the old hag running. I then decided to replace Norton Internet Security with Trend-Micro PC-cillin and noticed a big difference (see my recent review on PC-cillin). Then after a few weeks I decided to replace Norton SystemWorks with Fix-It Utilities 5, and the magic really started happening. It was similar to an old man (like me) developing a debilitating disease and first taking a prescription (PC-cillin) which makes the aches and pains go away and then getting an operation (Fix-It Utilities) which leads to a full and complete recovery, which makes him feel like he's 25 years old again.

I would suggest the same course of treatment for anyone having similar symptoms and you can start by first reading my review on PC-cillin and then follow up with this one.
You will agree with me that Norton products are no match for the combination of these two magnificent utilities.

VCom's Fix-It Utilities 5 is available on most sites and also at Staples, Office Max etc. and also as a download from the VCom site. I recommend buying the CD-Rom and you get the great User Manual with it. I paid $39. at Staples, but you can shop around for prices as low as $29. at reputable places on the internet.

The installation was quick and easy with no hitches. Make sure you uninstall any other fix-it utility you have running before starting the installation process. If you take my suggestion and install PC-cillin first, then you can use the custom install of Fix-It Utilities and skip the anti-virus tool. Although the anti-virus application bundled with Fix-It Utilities is by Trend-Micro, I prefer getting the stand-alone PC-cillin software and skipping the installation of the anti-virus tool with Fix-It Utilities.

After installation is complete, follow the easy-to-understand directions in the User Manual to begin the process of getting your PC to the healthy state it was when you first bought it. There are so many tools available, including Easy Update, Disk Snapshot, System Saver, Disk Fixer, Jet Defrag, Disk Cleaner, Registry Defrag, Registry Cleaner, Registry Fixer, Intellicluster, File Undeleter, Media Verifier, etc.

There are also many neat little applications such as PCDiagnostics which pinpoints errors in your hardware; SMARTCheck which alerts you if your hard drive is about to fail; ClockSync which synchronizes your computer clock with an atomic clock on the internet; Error Tracker which captures the cryptic messages from Windows when something goes wrong; SystemMonitors which is a special standalone program that constantly monitors your computer's resources.

Two other great features are the Fix Wizards, including SpeedUp, CleanUp, FixUp and All-in-One which allows you to perform optimization and maintenance routines with just one click, and the Quicklaunch bar which lets you designate which tools you use most often and initiate them with just one click.

There are several other tools available and each one has many sub-features and settings to give you the maximum flexibility to apply their operation to your specific computer. I could go on & on describing the awesome number of applications of this remarkable software, but the best way to experience it is to install & run them yourself.
As an example, I ran the DiskCleaner the first time and it found more than 6,000 files that could safely be removed, that Norton never found! This operation alone restored more than 25MB to my system. I also added additional available disk space simply by uninstalling Norton SystemWorks (which was a MB hog) and installing Fix-It Utilities which does not utilize nearly as much space as Norton.

The most important feature of this software is that it really, really works. It has an abundant number of applications & tools and a great deal of flexibility in how you can choose to use them. I thought I would have to replace my computer because of all the problems I was having. I can confidently say that I've got a few more years on the old geezer now, and for a modest $39. investment, I feel like I've saved hundreds of dollars it would have cost to replace it.

Recommended: Yes