PCTools Privacy Guardian Nightmare!

Hi,

I recently got in on the free giveaway or PCTools Privacy Guardian, however it turned out to be a nightmare.

Immediately after install it runs then checks for program updates then does a Privacy Clean, right off the bat, without asking or anything.

Well after is was done I had at least 20 shortcuts missing from my desktop. My programs start menu had been basically truncated leaving only a few programs to run for it and all my task bar and IE9 settings were all changed.

To put it bluntly, WTF! There is no option in the program to undo what is had done so I removed the product and now I have to do the laborious task of re-adding programs to the start menu fix all my taskbar and IE settings etc..

I would stay away from this product!



dev

 

Strange, it seems you're the only one with that complaint and I went 5 pages deep in google. Sorry to hear that dev.

 

WOW, really. I guess I am that one out of 5 dentists who do not recommend chewing gum huh....:-D

 

Hehehe, try a restore to see if you can get everything back. I did run Privacy Guardian on a test machine but could not replicate the results. It may have been something already on your machine that PG had a bad reaction with. Heck, 14K+ downloads just here without one complaint. I wish I could help you more.:confused

 

Dev, right click on some empty space at the top of Firefox. You should get the option to turn on the task bar and to put your tabs on top (or not). Check the boxes that apply to you.

 

Not sure where that came from or what it's about but I don't even use FireFox. I use IE9 and I took the time to fix all my start menu items and shortcuts but I won't ever put Privacy Guardian on my system again.

 

Re: PCTools Privacy Guardian (Nightmare)

Sorry to hear about your problem however it brings to light an important point: Any so-called "cleaning tool" (whether it is used for cleansing the temp files, etc. and especially the registry) which does not give the user the option to opt out of cleaning after an initial scan is going to be potentially be very hazardous to use.

I test freeware and shareware utilities and programs for a hobby and this type of problem happens all the time with System Cleaners available on the web - particularly shareware utilities. The fact that the Privacy Guardian program immediately cleans out the files without even showing the results of the scan first and without any user intervention should have been clearly explained either on their website (via screenshots, etc) at least via an onscreen screen warning or included in the Help files.

The following three steps should always be followed prior to using any system cleaners: (1) thoroughly check the programs website prior to use. (2) Be sure to check out other review websites such as CNET, etc. which can give you hints as to the reliability/stability of programs and utilities. (3) Thoroughly read the Help files before use; of course this should always be performed prior to using any untested utility/program.

Reading a Help file prior to use is always helpful with regards to any program but it is actually vital in the case of these shareware cleaners; which often times rack up a large number of questionable files in order to entice the user into purchasing their products. Additionally, I just checked out Cnet and found numerous problems complaints about PCTools Privacy Guardian listed there. While doing these three steps might seem like a lot of work, it really is not especially considering the potential cost of further nightmares down the road.

A Final Note: Privacy Guardian 4.5 Privacy Protection Software for Window costs a whopping 19.99 PER YEAR (automatically charged to your credit card annually, of course) for a measly 1 yr subscription. This is a ridiculous and total waste of money since the freeware utility CCleaner is far more reliable as a registry and temp, etc. cleaner, is updated regularly and costs absolutely nothing to download and use.

Good Luck!

COMP

 

I agree 100% with your points, except add a 4Th, always create a system restore point prior to using anything like this, but I got Privacy Guardian for free during one of their special giveaways, usually means there is a new version coming out, so I tried it. I almost NEVER do that and it figures this time it comes and bites me in the butt.

 

>> I agree 100% with your points, except add a 4Th, always create a system restore point prior to using anything like this, but I got Privacy Guardian for free during one of their special giveaways, usually means there is a new version coming out, so I tried it. I almost NEVER do that and it figures this time it comes and bites me in the butt. Devnulllore <<

Yes, yes... very good point regarding doing a system restore point particularly prior to installing anything new (as well as immediately after starting up the computer every day). These steps usually only takes less than one minute and will definitely save users tons of headaches should something go drastically wrong. I learned very early on to always be sure to take this step after a major HD failure caused havoc when I was using a Windows XP OS. I actually used to use two different programs to automatically start up whenever I started Windows and I'd do a system restore point straight away by using one of them. One was called Tweaks and Tools XP and the other was called System Restore Point Creator 1.1.

Unfortunately these programs did not work correctly while using my updated Windows 7 computer and the SRSC 1.1 utility only worked with Windows 2003 and Win XP. Additionally, both developer's/companies (next Generation Tools and Malcolm Lim Boon Lian respectively) apparently went out of business so I do not think they will be updated for Win 7 use.

However, after searching around the web I discovered that while using Windows 7 operating system; I could simply use the Start Menu searching for "Create a Restore Point" and then simply created a shortcut from the listed icon for my desktop. It's really a shame they are no longer in business since I particularly liked using the Tweaks and Tools XP program because it categorically listed dozens of handy and useful tips and tweaks and it was more foolproof than others; warning you if you were clicking on an inappropriate tweak or adjustment. Also was it far more user friendly than many other tweak utilities such as Tweak UI, etc. IMO.

Good Luck!

COMP