User's Guide: 3132 Dwight Road Suite 500 Elk Grove CA 95758-6469 USA

User’s Guide
3132 Dwight Road Suite 500

Elk Grove CA 95758-6469
USA
www.avanquestusa.com
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Copyright ©1998–2007 Avanquest Publishing USA, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.
PowerDesk is a registered trademark and Fix-It Utilities, JETDefrag, PCDiagnostics, SMARTDiskCheck,
InteliCluster, NetDefense, WebDefense, System Explorers, SystemMonitors, and VirusScanner are trademarks of
Avanquest Publishing USA, Inc. Fix-It is used under license from Musick International, Inc. All other trademarks
are the property of their respective owners.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Companies, names, and data used in
examples herein are fictitious unless otherwise noted. No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted,
transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into a language or computer language, in any form by any
means, electronic, mechanical, optical, chemical, manual, or otherwise, for any purpose, without the express
written permission of Avanquest Publishing USA, Inc.
Documentation by D. Leatherman and L. Bridgeman.
SW8002 Document Number 120-1660-8.0
AVANQUEST END USER’S LICENSE AGREEMENT
The software that is subject to this End User’s License Agreement (EULA) is licensed, not sold, to the Licensee by
Avanquest USA.
IF LICENSEE DOES NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS EULA, THEN
WITHIN 30 CALENDAR DAYS AFTER ACQUIRING THE LICENSED SOFTWARE, LICENSEE MAY
RETURN IT TO THE PLACE WHERE LICENSEE OBTAINED IT FOR A FULL REFUND (LESS, IF
APPLICABLE, SHIPPING, HANDLING, AND ANY TAXES), BUT ONLY IF LICENSEE HAS NOT
INSTALLED, ACCESSED, OR USED THE LICENSED SOFTWARE.
Installing, copying, accessing, or using the Licensed Software constitutes Licensee's acceptance of, and promise to
comply with, all of the terms and conditions of this EULA.
LICENSE TERMS
CONTENTS.
The “Licensed Software” includes all of the contents of the files, disk(s), CD-ROM(s), DVDs, or other media for
which this EULA is provided, including:
(1) third party computer information or software that Avanquest USA has licensed for inclusion in the Licensed
Software;
(2) written materials or files relating to the Licensed Software (“Documentation”);
(3) fonts; and
(4) upgrades, modified versions, updates, additions, and copies of the Licensed Software, if any (collectively,
“Updates”).
INSTALLATION.
Licensee may install one copy of the Licensed Software on a single computer. If Licensed Software includes
multiple licenses, Licensee may install the number of copies licensed to Licensee by Avanquest. Licensee shall be
solely responsible for all expenses incurred in Licensee’s installation of the Licensed Software.
ACTIVATION.
The Licensed Software contains technological measures that are designed to prevent its unlicensed or illegal use.
The Licensed Software may contain enforcement technology that limits Licensee's ability to install and uninstall the
Licensed Software on a machine to no more than a finite number of times, and for a finite number of machines.
The Licensed Software may require activation as explained during installation and in the Documentation. If any
such applicable activation procedure(s) is not followed, then the Licensed Software may only operate for a finite
period of time. If activation is required, and not completed within the finite period of time set forth in the
Documentation and explained during installation, then the Licensed Software will cease to function until activation
has been completed, at which time functionality will be restored. If Licensee has any problem with the activation
process, Licensee should contact Avanquest USA customer support.
COPIES.
Licensee may make one copy of the Licensed Software for backup or archival purposes only, except that the
Documentation may not be duplicated.
TRANSFER.
Licensee may not sell, assign, or transfer the Licensed Software or the License granted by this EULA without prior
written consent of Avanquest USA.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional End User’s License Agreement • 3

USE.
The License granted by this EULA is non-exclusive.
PROHIBITED USES.
(1) Licensee may not modify, adapt, translate, sublicense, rent, lease, or loan all or any portion of the Licensed
Software or Documentation;
(2) Licensee may not create any derivative works from all or any portion of the Licensed Software or
Documentation;
(3) Licensee may not reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code
of the License Software the Licensed Software except, and then: only to the extent expressly permitted by
applicable law; after notification to Avanquest USA; upon payment of a reasonable fee; and execution of a
confidentiality agreement to protect the code from disclosure to any third parties;
(4) Licensee may not use a previous version of the Licensed Software after receiving a media replacement or
upgraded version as a replacement to a prior version (in such case you must destroy the prior version);
(5) Licensee may not use the Licensed Software in the operation of aircraft, ship, nuclear facilities, life support
machines, communication systems, or any other equipment in which the failure of the software could lead to
personal injury, death, or environmental damage;
(6) Licensee may not remove or obscure Avanquest USA's copyright or trademark notices, or the copyright and
trademark notices of third parties that Avanquest USA has included in the Licensed Software or
Documentation; and
(7) Licensee may not use the Licensed Software to host applications for third parties, as part of a facility
management, timesharing, service provider, or service bureau arrangement; and
(8) Licensee may not use the Licensed Software in any manner not authorized by this EULA.
CONTENT.
Licensee may use any clip art, photographs, icons, fonts, shapes, animations, sounds, music, video clips, and all
other graphic content (collectively, “Content”) included with the Licensed Software, if any, only as stated in the
Documentation. If the Documentation does not permit Licensee to use the Content, then Licensee may not display,
modify, reproduce, or distribute any of the Content; and even if the Documentation permits Licensee to use the
Content, Licensee may not distribute the Content on a stand-alone basis such as where the Content constitutes the
primary value of whatever Licensee is distributing.
Certain portions of the Content may consist of the copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade names, or other
intellectual property of third parties. Avanquest USA has provided these portions of the Content for Licensees'
convenience in using the Licensed Software, pursuant to authorization of their owners. Except for this limited use,
Licensee may not use any third-party intellectual property identified as belonging to others without the owners'
express authorization. Furthermore:
(1) Licensee may not sell, license, distribute (commercially or otherwise), or make available the Content as stand-
alone images or sounds, or in catalogs, design books, compilations, collections, templates, designs, stock
engravings, products, services, or the like;
(2) Licensee may not sell, license, distribute (commercially or otherwise), or make available electronic copies of
the Content to third parties in any manner, including without limitation, via the Internet, on any tangible media
or by broadcast, that is intended or designed to enable a third party to copy the Content for its own use;
4 • End User’s License Agreement Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

(3) Licensee may not sell, license, distribute (commercially or otherwise), or make available electronic copies of
the Content that includes representations of identifiable individuals, governments, logos, initials, emblems,
trademarks, or entities that expresses or implies any endorsement or association with any product, service,
entity, or activity; and
(4) Under no circumstances may the Content be used in the production of defamatory, fraudulent, infringing,
lewd, obscene, or pornographic material, or in any otherwise illegal manner.
Licensee is solely responsible for Licensee's use of the Content. Licensee may only use the Content responsibly, in
a manner consistent with the exercise of good judgment. If Licensee is having difficulty deciding whether
Licensee's intended use is appropriate, or whether Licensee needs written permission, or whether other legal issues
should be considered, Avanquest USA strongly encourages Licensee to seek competent legal counsel. Avanquest
USA will not assist Licensee in making this determination, nor can Avanquest USA provide Licensee with legal
advice as to intellectual property rights.
If Licensee or Licensee's attorney determines that Licensee is required by law to obtain written permission to use
portions of the Content, Licensee must request permission for reproduction, redistribution, or modification of the
Content from the appropriate owner of the subject materials (as may be cited in the Licensed Software). If, on the
other hand, Licensee or Licensee's attorney determines it is permissible to proceed and include Content from the
Licensed Software, Avanquest USA asks Licensee to correctly designate Avanquest USA's trademark(s) when
referring to the Licensed software in the notice or copyright portion of Licensee's paper, project, or product.
Licensee shall indemnity, hold harmless, and defend Avanquest USA and Avanquest USA's suppliers from all
claims, damages, attorneys' fees, costs, and lawsuits that arise from, or result from, Licensee's use or distribution of
Content.
SOFTWARE UPDATES.
If the Licensed Software is an Update to a previous version, Licensee must possess a valid License to the previous
version. Any Update provided to Licensee is made on a License exchange basis such that Licensee agrees, as a
condition for receiving an Update, that Licensee will terminate all of Licensee's rights to use any previous version
of the Licensed Software. However, Licensee may continue to use the previous version only to assist in
transitioning to the Updated version. Once an Update has been released, Avanquest USA may cease support for
prior versions, without any notice to Licensee.
CONTENT UPDATES.
Avanquest USA provides updates to the content of some of its software from time to time, including but not limited
to, virus definitions, URL lists, rules, and updated vulnerability data. These types of updates are collectively
referred to as “Content Updates.” Licensee may obtain any such Content Updates during the initial period provided
for by the applicable software without additional charge. Licensee may purchase a separate subscription for a
specified period of time to continue to receive Content Updates after the initial period expires. Avanquest USA
reserves the right to designate specified Content Updates as requiring purchase of a separate subscription at any
time, and without prior notice to Licensee, except that any such change will only become effective at the earlier of
the expiration of the initial period provided for by the applicable software, or the expiration of the term of a
separately paid for subscription.
SUPPORT.
Avanquest USA is not obligated by this EULA to provide Licensee with any technical support services relating to
the Licensed Software; however, Licensee may order additional support services for an additional charge as
Avanquest USA may offer from time to time during the term of this EULA.

LIMITED WARRANTY ON MEDIA.
Avanquest USA warrants that the media on which the Licensed Software is distributed will be free from defects for
a period of 30 days from the date the Licensed Software is delivered to Licensee. If Licensee discovers a defect in
the media during this 30-day period, Licensee must then return the defective media to Avanquest USA within 10
calendar days of discovering the defect, and Licensee's sole remedy is to have either the defective media replaced,
or at Avanquest USA's sole option, a refund of the money that Licensee paid for the Licensed Software.
NO WARRANTY ON LICENSED SOFTWARE.
The Licensed Software is provided to Licensee “AS IS.” Avanquest USA, and Avanquest USA's suppliers, make no
warranty as to its use or performance. AVANQUEST USA, AND AVANQUEST USA'S SUPPLIERS, MAKE NO
WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS, OR TERMS (EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WHETHER BY
STATUTE, COMMON LAW, CUSTOM, USAGE, OR OTHERWISE) AS TO ANY MATTER INCLUDING
WITHOUT LIMITATION NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS, MERCHANTABILITY,
INTEGRATION, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE, EXCEPT
FOR, AND TO THE EXTENT, THAT A WARRANTY MAY NOT BE EXCLUDED OR LIMITED BY
APPLICABLE LAW IN LICENSEE'S JURISDICTION.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.
IN NO EVENT WILL AVANQUEST USA, OR AVANQUEST USA'S SUPPLIERS, BE LIABLE TO LICENSEE
FOR ANY DAMAGES, CLAIMS, OR COSTS WHATSOEVER, OR FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, OR ANY LOST PROFITS OR LOST SAVINGS, EVEN IF A
REPRESENTATIVE OF AVANQUEST USA OR ONE OF AVANQUEST USA'S SUPPLIERS HAS BEEN
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOSS, DAMAGES, CLAIMS, OR COSTS, OR FOR ANY
CLAIM BY ANY THIRD PARTY. THESE LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY TO THE EXTENT
PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW IN LICENSEE'S JURISDICTION. THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF
AVANQUEST USA, AND AVANQUEST USA'S SUPPLIERS, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS
EULA, SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT PAID FOR THE LICENSED SOFTWARE, IF ANY.
ADDITIONAL TERMS FOR BETA SOFTWARE.
If the Licensed Software that Licensee receives with this EULA is pre-commercial release or “BETA” software
(“Pre-release Software”), then, to the extent that any provision in this section is in conflict with any other term or
condition in this EULA, this section supersedes such conflicting term(s) and condition(s) as to the Pre-release
Software, but only to the extent necessary to resolve the conflict.
Licensee acknowledges that the Pre-release Software does not represent the final product from Avanquest USA,
and may contain bugs, errors, and other problems that could cause system or other failures and data loss.
Consequently, Avanquest USA disclaims any warranty or liability obligations to Licensee of any kind whatsoever.
IN APPLICABLE JURISDICTIONS WHERE LIABILITY CANNOT BE SO EXCLUDED FOR PRE-RELEASE
SOFTWARE, BUT MAY BE LIMITED, AVANQUEST USA'S LIABILITY, AND THAT OF ITS SUPPLIERS,
SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE TOTAL OF FIFTY DOLLARS (U.S. $50.00).
Licensee acknowledges that Avanquest USA has not promised or guaranteed to Licensee that the Pre-release
Software will be announced or made available to anyone in the future, and that Avanquest USA has no express or
implied obligation to Licensee to announce or introduce the Pre-release Software. Avanquest USA may decide not
to introduce a product similar to, or compatible with, the Pre-release Software. Accordingly, Licensee
acknowledges that any research or development that Licensee performs regarding the Pre-release Software, or any
product associated with the Pre-release Software, is done entirely at Licensee's own risk.
During the term of this EULA, if requested by Avanquest USA, Licensee will provide feedback to Avanquest USA
regarding testing and use of the Pre-release Software, including error or bug reports.

If Licensee has been provided the Pre-release Software pursuant to a separate written agreement, then Licensee's
use of the Pre-release Software is also governed by that agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this EULA to the
contrary, if Licensee is located outside the United States, Licensee will return or destroy all unreleased versions of
the Pre-release Software within 30 days of the completion of Licensee's testing of the Pre-release Software if that
date is earlier than the date scheduled for Avanquest USA's first commercial shipment of the publicly released
(commercial) Software.
SURVIVAL OF DISCLAIMERS.
The exclusions of warranties and liability limitations shall survive the termination of this EULA, howsoever
caused; but this survival shall not imply or create any continued right to use the Licensed Software after termination
of this EULA.
EXPORT RULES.
Licensee shall not ship, transfer, or export Licensed Software into any country or use Licensed Software in any
manner prohibited by the United States Export Administration Act or any other export laws, restrictions, or
regulations (collectively the “Export Laws.”) If the Licensed Software is identified as export controlled items under
the Export Laws, Licensee represents and warrants that Licensee, and Licensee's employees who will use the
Licensed Software are not a citizen, or otherwise located within, an nation embargoed by the United States
(including without limitation: Iran, Syria, Sudan, Cuba, and North Korea), and that Licensee, and Licensee's
employees who will use the Licensed Software, are not otherwise prohibited under the Export Laws from receiving
the Software. All rights to use the Licensed Software are granted on condition that Licensee complies with the
Export Laws, and all such rights are forfeited if Licensee fails to comply with the Export Laws.
GOVERNING LAW.
This EULA is subject to, and will be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws in force of:
(1) the State of California, if the Licensed Software is obtained when the Licensee is in the United States, Canada,
Mexico, or Chile; or
(2) the applicable law of any other jurisdiction if the Licensed Software is obtained in any location not described
in (1), but only to the extent the law of the other jurisdiction conflicts with California Law.
Unless prohibited by law of an applicable jurisdiction, the courts of the State of California shall have exclusive
jurisdiction over all disputes relating to this EULA. This EULA will not be governed by the conflict of law rules of
any jurisdiction, or the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, the application
of which is expressly excluded.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OWNERSHIP.
The Licensed Software and any authorized copies that Licensee makes are the intellectual property of, and are
owned by, Avanquest USA, and by third parties whose intellectual property has been licensed by Avanquest USA.
The structure, organization, and code of the Licensed Software are the valuable trade secrets and confidential
information of Avanquest USA and such third parties. The Licensed Software is protected by law, including
without limitation, the copyright laws of the United States and other countries, and by international treaty
provisions. Except as expressly provided in this EULA, Licensee is not granted any intellectual property rights in
the Licensed Software.
RESERVATION OF RIGHTS.
Avanquest USA reserves all rights not expressly granted to Licensee by this EULA. The rights granted to Licensee
are limited to Avanquest USA's intellectual property rights, and to the intellectual property rights of third parties
licensed by Avanquest USA, and do not include any intellectual property rights.

COMPLETE AGREEMENT.
This EULA constitutes the entire agreement between the Licensee and Avanquest USA relating to the Licensed
Software, and it supersedes all prior or contemporaneous representations, discussions, undertakings,
communications, agreements, arrangements, advertisements, and understandings regulating to the Licensed
Software.
MODIFICATION.
This EULA may only be modified or amended by a writing signed by an authorized officer of Avanquest USA.
SEVERABILITY.
If any provision of this EULA is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be contrary to law, that
provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible, and the remaining provisions of this EULA will
remain in full force and effect.
WAIVER.
No failure or delay by Avanquest USA in exercising its rights or remedies shall operate as a waiver unless made by
specific written notice. No single or partial exercise of any right or remedy of Avanquest USA shall operate as a
waiver or preclude any other, or further, exercise of that, or any other right, or remedy.
U.S. GOVERNMENT USERS.
The Licensed Software and Documentation are “Commercial Items,” as that term is defined at 48 CFR §2.101,
consisting of “Commercial Computer Software” and “Commercial Computer Software Documentation,” as such
terms are used in 48 CFR §12.212 or 48 CFR §227.7202, as applicable. Consistent with 48 CFR §12.212 or 48 CFR
§§227.7202-1 through 227.7202-4, as applicable, the Commercial Computer Software and Commercial Computer
Software Documentation are being licensed to U.S. Government end users:
(1) only as Commercial Items; and
(2) with only those rights as are granted to all other end users pursuant to the terms and conditions herein.
Unpublished-rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States. Avanquest Publishing USA, Inc.; 3132
Dwight Road, Suite 500; Elk Grove, CA 95758-6469, USA.
For U.S. Government End Users, Avanquest USA agrees to comply with all applicable equal opportunity laws
including, if appropriate, the provisions of Executive Order 11246, as amended, Section 402 of the Vietnam Era
Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (38 USC 4212), and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
as amended, and the regulations at 41 CFR Parts 60-1 through 60-60, 60-250, and 60-741. The affirmative action
clause and regulations contained in the preceding sentence shall be incorporated by reference in this EULA.
PROOF OF COMPLIANCE.
Within 30 calendar days after request from Avanquest USA, or Avanquest USA's authorized representative,
Licensee will provide full documentation, and certify under penalty of perjury, that Licensee's use of any and all
Licensed Software is in conformity with this EULA.
TERMINATION.
If Licensee breaches this EULA, and fails to cure any breach within 30 calendar days after request from Avanquest
USA, or Avanquest USA's authorized representative, Avanquest USA may terminate this EULA, whereupon all
rights granted to Licensee shall immediately cease. Furthermore, upon termination, Licensee shall return to
Avanquest USA all copies of the Licensed Software, or verify in writing that all copies of the Licensed Software
have been destroyed.

Contents
Getting Started
Getting Started with Fix-It Utilities 21
Introduction ................................................................................................................21
Why Maintain Your Computer? .................................................................................22
System Requirements .................................................................................................22
Installing Fix-It Utilities .............................................................................................22
Updating Your Software .............................................................................................24
Installing Other Bonus Products.................................................................................24
Starting the Program 25

Overview ....................................................................................................................25
Viewing the QuickStatus Screen ................................................................................25
The Fix-It Utilities Home Window ............................................................................28
The First Time You Start Fix-It Utilities ....................................................................30
Changing the Fix-It Utilities Program Settings ..........................................................31
Learning About System Reports ................................................................................33
Updating Your Software Using EasyUpdate ..............................................................36
A Quick Tour 39
Overview ....................................................................................................................39
One-Click Solutions ..................................................................................................40
Protection....................................................................................................................40
Maintenance ...............................................................................................................41
SystemMonitors..........................................................................................................46
Keyboard Shortcuts ....................................................................................................47
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Contents • 9

One-Click Solutions Wizards 49
Overview.....................................................................................................................49
Running the One-Click Solutions Wizards.................................................................50
Changing the Fix Wizard Tools ..................................................................................51
Getting Help 55
Overview.....................................................................................................................55
Viewing and Printing the Online User’s Guide ..........................................................55
Using Online Help ......................................................................................................56
Emergency Response Manual.....................................................................................56
Anti-Virus
Fighting Viruses 59
Overview.....................................................................................................................59
How Does VirusScanner Work? .................................................................................60
Running VirusScanner 61
Overview.....................................................................................................................61
Starting the VirusScanner Wizards .............................................................................61
Running VirusScanner On Demand............................................................................64
One-Time Scanning ....................................................................................................64
Running VirusScanner on Single Files and Folders ...................................................67
Scheduling VirusScanner............................................................................................68
Automatic File Scanning 69

Overview.....................................................................................................................69
Running AutoFileScan ...............................................................................................69
Running AutoEmailScan ............................................................................................72
Viewing the VirusScanner Results 73

Overview.....................................................................................................................73
Types of Viruses .........................................................................................................74

Changing VirusScanner Settings 77
Overview ....................................................................................................................77
AutoFileScan Settings ................................................................................................78
AutoEmailScan Settings.............................................................................................79
Custom Scan Settings .................................................................................................81
Context Menu Settings ...............................................................................................82
Quarantining Viruses 83
Overview ....................................................................................................................83
Restoring Files to Your Computer..............................................................................84
Cleaning Files.............................................................................................................85
Deleting Files..............................................................................................................86
Adding Files ...............................................................................................................86
Anti-Spyware
Stopping Spies and Ads 89
Overview ....................................................................................................................89
Running Anti-Spyware Tools .....................................................................................90
Viewing the Spyware Scan Results ............................................................................91
Quarantining Spyware 93
Overview ....................................................................................................................93
Removing Items from Quarantine ..............................................................................93
Deleting Spyware Items .............................................................................................94
Diagnose
Diagnosing Your Computer 97
Overview ....................................................................................................................97
Diagnosing Hardware with PCDiagnostics ................................................................98
Running PCDiagnostics..............................................................................................98
Diagnostics Needing Loopback Connectors ............................................................101
About the Video Diagnostics....................................................................................102
About Interactive Diagnostics ..................................................................................102
Changing PCDiagnostics Settings ............................................................................102

Keeping Track of Error Messages 103
Overview...................................................................................................................103
Viewing the Error Messages.....................................................................................104
Changing the ErrorTracker Settings .........................................................................104
Viewing System Information 105

Overview...................................................................................................................105
Starting System Explorer ..........................................................................................106
Making Reports with System Explorer.....................................................................106
Validating Removable Media 107

Overview...................................................................................................................107
Running MediaVerifier .............................................................................................108
Monitoring Your Hard Drive 109

Overview...................................................................................................................109
Running SMARTDiskCheck ....................................................................................110
Monitoring Your Computer 111

Overview................................................................................................................... 111
Learning About the SystemMonitors........................................................................112
Starting SystemMonitors ..........................................................................................113
Modifying the SystemMonitors................................................................................115
Changing SystemMonitors Settings .........................................................................117
Viewing Program Log Files 125

Overview...................................................................................................................125
Viewing the SystemLog............................................................................................125
Fix & Maintain

Repairing the Registry 129
Overview...................................................................................................................129
Running RegistryFixer .............................................................................................129
Viewing the RegistryFixer Scan Results ..................................................................132
Changing RegistryFixer Settings..............................................................................135

Editing the Registry 137
Overview ..................................................................................................................137
Learning About the System Registry .......................................................................138
Learning About Registry Keys.................................................................................139
Using RegistryMagic................................................................................................139
Maintaining Your Hard Drive 143

Overview ..................................................................................................................143
Using DiskFixer........................................................................................................143
Scheduling Maintenance 149

Overview ..................................................................................................................149
Opening the SystemScheduler..................................................................................150
Scheduling a Utility..................................................................................................151
Viewing SystemScheduler Results ...........................................................................152
Updating Your Operating System 153

Overview ..................................................................................................................153
Updating with WindowsUpdate ...............................................................................154
Synchronizing Your Clock 155

Overview ..................................................................................................................155
Connecting to a Time Server ....................................................................................156
Adding a New Time Server ......................................................................................157
Updating Your Computer Clock...............................................................................158
Optimize
Using SystemOptimizer 161
Overview ..................................................................................................................161
Selecting a Performance Profile ...............................................................................162
Selecting Performance Options ................................................................................163

Using Startup Commander 165
Overview...................................................................................................................165
Viewing the Startup Commander Window ...............................................................166
Learning About the Options Pane.............................................................................168
Managing Your Startup Programs ............................................................................170
Changing the Startup Commander Settings..............................................................173
Defragmenting the Registry 177

Overview...................................................................................................................177
Closing All Running Programs.................................................................................177
Running RegistryDefrag...........................................................................................178
Defragmenting Your Hard Disk 179

Overview...................................................................................................................179
Learning about Fragmentation..................................................................................180
Running JETDefrag ..................................................................................................181
Changing JETDefrag Settings ..................................................................................184
Cleanup
Cleaning Your Hard Drive 187
Overview...................................................................................................................187
Recovering Disk Space Using DiskCleaner .............................................................187
Cleaning the System Registry 197

Overview...................................................................................................................197
Using RegistryCleaner..............................................................................................197
Setting the Advanced Options for RegistryCleaner..................................................199
Viewing the RegistryCleaner Results .......................................................................200
Shredding Files and Folders 201

Overview...................................................................................................................201
Permanently Deleting Files and Folders...................................................................202
Changing the File Shredder Settings ........................................................................203

Recovery
Recovering Lost Data 207
Overview ..................................................................................................................207
Undeleting Files with FileUndeleter ........................................................................208
About the Deleted Files Bin ..................................................................................... 211
Creating a Checkpoint 215

Overview ..................................................................................................................215
Creating Checkpoints Manually ...............................................................................215
Activating Recovery Commander ............................................................................216
Scheduling Checkpoint Creation..............................................................................216
Changing Checkpoint Settings .................................................................................217
Restoring a Checkpoint 221

Overview ..................................................................................................................221
Running RestoreCheckpoint.....................................................................................221
Undoing a Checkpoint Restore.................................................................................222
Managing Checkpoints 223

Overview ..................................................................................................................223
Managing Recovery Commander Checkpoints........................................................223
Managing System Restore Checkpoints...................................................................224
Making a Rescue CD 225

Overview ..................................................................................................................225
Creating a Rescue Disk CD......................................................................................226
Viewing the Rescue Disk Results.............................................................................226
Backing Up Critical Information 227

Overview ..................................................................................................................227
Running DiskSnapshot .............................................................................................228
Changing the DiskSnapshot Settings........................................................................229
Viewing the DiskSnapshot Results Dialog...............................................................230
Undoing Changes 231

Overview ..................................................................................................................231
Running UndoIt ........................................................................................................231

Recovery Commander
Recovery Commander Overview 235
Overview...................................................................................................................235
Key Benefits .............................................................................................................235
Technical Highlights .................................................................................................236
Recovering a Non-Starting Computer 237

Overview...................................................................................................................237
Starting from the Rescue CD ....................................................................................237
Viewing the Rescue Disk Wizard .............................................................................238
Choosing Tasks from the Start Menu .......................................................................239
Choosing the Windows Directory.............................................................................240
Restoring Computer Functionality 241

Overview...................................................................................................................241
Restoring Checkpoints..............................................................................................241
Fixing the Boot File ..................................................................................................245
Managing Files and Folders 247

Overview...................................................................................................................247
Exploring Your Files.................................................................................................248
Backing Up Folder Contents ....................................................................................249
Restoring Folder Contents ........................................................................................250
Manual Partitioning
Manually Partitioning Your Disks 253
Overview...................................................................................................................253
Viewing Your Partitions............................................................................................254
Creating Partitions ....................................................................................................255
Deleting Partitions ....................................................................................................256
Using the Advanced Tools........................................................................................257

Changing Manual Partition Settings 259
Overview ..................................................................................................................259
Accessing the Settings..............................................................................................259
Emergency Manual
Your Computer is in Trouble 263
Overview ..................................................................................................................263
Getting Started if Your Computer is in Trouble .......................................................263
Getting Started in Windows 2000/XP/Vista .............................................................265
Dealing with Other Common Problems 269

Overview ..................................................................................................................269
Stability Issues..........................................................................................................269
Performance Issues...................................................................................................271
Troubleshooting 275
Overview ..................................................................................................................275
Booting from a Rescue Disk 277

Overview ..................................................................................................................277
Booting from the Rescue Disk .................................................................................278
Viewing the Rescue Disk Menu ...............................................................................278
Learning about the Start Menu Commands..............................................................279
Recovering From a Data Disaster 281

Overview ..................................................................................................................281
What if There is Serious Physical Damage? ............................................................282
Help, My Disk is Dead .............................................................................................283
Recovering Data Remotely.......................................................................................284
In-Lab Data Recovery ..............................................................................................285
Disaster Recovery.....................................................................................................285

Reference
Hints and Other Issues 291
Overview...................................................................................................................291
Updating Fix-It Utilities Manually ...........................................................................291
Uninstalling Fix-It Utilities ......................................................................................292
Known Issues and Problems.....................................................................................293
Glossary of Terms 297
Index 305
Complimentary Technical Support 311

GETTING STARTED
Getting Started with Fix-It Utilities 21
Starting the Program 25
A Quick Tour 39
One-Click Solutions Wizards 49
Getting Help 55
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Getting Started • 19

20 • Getting Started Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Getting Started with Fix-It Utilities
Introduction
Welcome to Fix-It Utilities® 8 Professional (Fix-It Utilities for short). You
have purchased the best set of computer utilities for Windows on the
market. Fix-It Utilities is a revolutionary program for protecting,
maintaining, tweaking, and optimizing your Windows system. With Fix-It
Utilities installed, you can do the following:
• Protect, detect, and eliminate viruses and spyware
• Clean and optimize your hard drive
• Repair and optimize your registry files
• Check the status of your hard drive and be warned if it is about to fail
• Use the Fix-It Utilities bootable Rescue Disk
• Keep track of your computer’s resources, and be warned when there
is a problem
• Optimize your system performance for specific tasks
• Manage the programs that start when your computer starts up
• Recover deleted files
• Diagnose your hardware
• Gather information about your computer
• Synchronize your computer clock with an ultra-accurate atomic clock
...and more.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Getting Started with Fix-It Utilities • 21

Why Maintain Your Computer?
If everything always worked as it should, you would never need to worry
about computer maintenance or about what to do if your computer
crashes. Unfortunately, computers do crash. They also freeze up for no
apparent reason, develop hard drive and software problems, and generally
become difficult. Sometimes it seems like deadlines, critical projects, and
noticeable stress on your part inspire a computer to develop problems.
Fix-It Utilities is designed to detect and even eliminate many potential
problems on a computer. It also tunes your computer for optimum
performance, and keeps an eye on system resources for you. Furthermore,
you can diagnose computer hardware, protect yourself against infection by
damaging viruses and spyware, and tune the Windows registry.
System Requirements
To install Fix-It Utilities, you need the following:
• A Pentium processor or better
• Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2, or Vista (32-bit)
• CD/DVD-drive (to install Fix-It Utilities or run Rescue CD)
• Video adapter and monitor with 800x600 resolution or better.
• At least 105 megabytes of free space on your hard drive for Fix-It
Utilities.
Additional space is required for Deleted Files Bin and other utilities.
Installing Fix-It Utilities

Whether or not your computer is working perfectly, you can install Fix-It
Utilities to help repair, maintain, and optimize your computer.
NOTE: If you are having problems starting your computer,

you can Rescue Disk to start your computer to help repair
other problems. For more information, see “Recovery
Commander” on page 233.
22 • Getting Started with Fix-It Utilities Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Running the Installation Wizard
Before installing Fix-It Utilities, make sure that no other programs are
running.
NOTE: If you downloaded the program, locate the file

using Windows Explorer and then double-click the file to
start the Installation Wizard.
1. Turn off any disk utilities or anti-virus program running in the

background.
2. Insert the Fix-It Utilities CD into your CD/DVD-drive.
The installation program should start automatically. If it doesn’t start
automatically, see “To Start the Installation Manually” on page 23.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install Fix-It Utilities.
TIP: If you purchased and downloaded the program

from our website, you will receive an email order
confirmation and the product’s serial number. If you
purchased the physical product, the serial number is
located on the CD’s sleeve.
4. Select the Typical install to load all the tools, or choose Custom to
choose which utilities to load.
If you choose the Custom install, a list of key utilities appear in a tree
format. Click the plus sign (+) next to each branch to see the specific
tools associated with each group. Uncheck the box for any tool you
don’t want installed.
5. After the Installation Wizard completes, you might need to restart
your computer to finish the installation.
To Start the Installation Manually
If the Install program doesn’t start automatically, follow the steps below:
1. Click the Windows Start button and choose Run.
2. Click Browse to locate and select the setup.exe file on the
program CD.
If you purchased your program electronically, browse to the location
where you saved the EXE file.
3. Click Open.
4. Click OK and follow the on-screen instructions.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Getting Started with Fix-It Utilities • 23

Updating Your Software
Improvement and updates are regularly made to Fix-It Utilities. by adding
features, making changes based on customer requests, fixing problems.
and updating the virus and spyware information databases.
We recommend running EasyUpdate™ as soon as you purchase and install
Fix-It Utilities to ensure that you have the latest updates and patches (see
“Updating Your Software Using EasyUpdate” on page 36).
Installing Other Bonus Products

Fix-It Utilities includes additional bonus products that can also be selected
for installation. User’s guides for these bonus products are provided in
PDF format.
To view these PDF files, you need a PDF reader program. If you don't
have a reader installed, a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader is
included on the installation CD, or you can download a free copy at
www.adobe.com.
24 • Getting Started with Fix-It Utilities Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Starting the Program
Overview
The installation adds Fix-It Utilities to your Windows Start menu and
places an icon in the taskbar.
To start Fix-It Utilities, open the Windows Start menu and choose
Programs > Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional or right-click the icon in the
taskbar and choose Fix-It Utilities from the context menu.
Viewing the QuickStatus Screen

Each time you start Fix-It Utilities, or click the Home button, the
QuickStatus screen appears showing the status of your computer and of
important tools. To start a tool, click its link.
From the main Fix-It Utilities window, you can click any of the menu
buttons on the left side to access groups of related tools.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Starting the Program • 25
System Protection
The System Protection section contains a status meter indicating the
current level of protection of your computer. To the right of the status
meter is a list of protection utilities with a status icon and additional
information for each one (see “Understanding Status Icons” on page 27).
To change the status of a utility, click the utility name.
One-Click Protect
The One-Click Protect button starts the QuickStatus One-Click Protect
Wizard, which scans your computer for any traces of virus or spyware
infection, cleans your computer of these files, and enables anti-virus email
and file scanning.
• If you don’t want to run all of the utilities included in the wizard,
cancel the wizard and then select the items individually by clicking
the item’s name on the QuickStatus screen located to the right of the
System Protection status meter. For more information, see “Viewing
the QuickStatus Screen” on page 25.
• If you make changes to the System Protection Items section on the
QuickStatus settings, the One-Click Protection wizard won’t run of
enable those items not selected for display (see “QuickStatus Tab” on
page 31).
System Health
The System Health section contain a status meter indicating the current
level of health of your computer. To the right of the status meter, is a list
of health utilities with a status icon and additional information for each
one (see “Understanding Status Icons” on page 27).
To change the status of a utility, click the utility name.
26 • Starting the Program Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

One-Click Optimize
The One-Click Optimize button starts the QuickStatus One-Click
Optimize wizard, which speeds up your computer by cleaning the registry,
checking the hard drive integrity, defragmenting the hard disk, and enables
automatic updates for the program.
• If you don’t want to run all of the utilities included in the wizard,
cancel the wizard and then select the items individually by clicking
the item’s name on the QuickStatus screen located to the right of the
System Health status meter. For more information, see “Viewing the
QuickStatus Screen” on page 25.
• If you make changes to the System Health Items section on the
QuickStatus settings, the One-Click Optimize wizard won’t run of
enable those items not selected for display (see “QuickStatus Tab” on
page 31).
Event Status
The Event Status section displays a list of processed events and their
results. This is a dynamic list, which changes as additional items are
scanned, blocked, and cleaned from your computer.
Understanding Status Icons

The Status icons for System Health and System Protection are used as a
quick visual reference to the current health and protection of your
computer. As you run or change the status of various utilities, these icons
change in relation to the levels set in the Quick Status Settings window
(see “Changing the Fix-It Utilities Program Settings” on page 31).
This symbol means that the process has been run or doesn’t
need attention at this time.
This symbol means that attention is required because a process
hasn’t been run for a while, or might have reached a limit.
This symbol means that the process has never been run, or a
maximum limit has been reached.
This symbol means that the process is disabled.

The Fix-It Utilities Home Window
The Fix-It Utilities Home window appears each time you start Fix-It
Utilities, or when you click the Home button. The Home window contains
the QuickStatus screen (see “Viewing the QuickStatus Screen” on page
25), as well as the main parts to the window:
• The Menu Bar
• The Category Buttons
• The Tool Buttons
The Menu Bar

From the menu bar you can perform several actions:
• The Home button returns you to the QuickStatus main screen.

• The Settings button displays the properties for all customizable
features of Fix-It Utilities.
• The Help menu allows you to view the Online Help, open program
manuals, update your program, or view the “About” dialog.
• The EasyUpdate button starts the EasyUpdate tool to update your
version of Fix-It Utilities, as well as your anti-virus and anti-spyware
database files.
The Category Buttons

Since Fix-It Utilities contains a large number of utilities, these tools are all
grouped into related categories. Click a category button to see the utilities
for that category.
When you move the cursor over a button, it sort of pops a little, and a
description about the button appears above the category buttons. When
you click a category, it becomes “selected,” and the arrow indicator moves
to that button.

The Tool Buttons
When you click a category button on the left, the associated list of Tool
buttons appear in the main window on the right.
Click the tool you want to run, or select a different category of tools.

The First Time You Start Fix-It Utilities
The best way to protect yourself from a potential disaster is to prepare for
it. Below is list of some things you should do as soon as you install and
start Fix-It Utilities, so if your computer develops problems, you’re as
prepared as possible:
• Run EasyUpdate to update your Fix-It Utilities software, spyware
database, and virus information database. New virus information,
spyware database, and program patches are often available even if
you have just bought Fix-It Utilities (see “Updating Your Software
Using EasyUpdate” on page 36).
• Create a Rescue CD to help you repair your computer if it doesn’t
start property. If you downloaded your software, create a Rescue CD
as soon as you install Fix-It Utilities. The installation CD that comes
in the boxed version of Fix-It Utilities is a Rescue CD (see “Making a
Rescue CD” on page 225).
• Set up AutoFileScan to monitor accessed files and programs,
checking for viruses as you access those files. To make sure it’s
running whenever Windows is running, follow the instructions in
“Running AutoFileScan” on page 69.
• Set up DiskSnapshot so that it starts when you turn on your
computer or restart Windows (see “Changing the Fix-It Utilities
Program Settings” on page 31).
• Set up a regular system maintenance schedule to schedule
running many of the Fix-It Utilities tools automatically using the
SystemScheduler (see “Scheduling Maintenance” on page 149).
• Back up important data regularly to ensure that you have a backup
of your important files in the event of data loss. We can’t stress how
important it is to back up your data, particularly files you’re currently
working on. This means at least once a week. Back up new data daily,
so that even in the worst situation you never lose more than a day’s
worth of work. “Backing up” means copying data to another medium
such as a DVD-R, CD-R, USB flash drive, USB hard disk, or a
separate network drive. It also implies that you store backup media
somewhere safe. Don’t leave it sitting in the drive.

Changing the Fix-It Utilities Program Settings
Settings define how a tool runs. Most Fix-It Utilities properties are
initially set to standard or default settings. By changing the settings, you
can customize Fix-It Utilities for your own needs. When you click the
Settings button, the general program settings appear.
Wizards Tab
The Wizards tab is used to make changes in how the Fix Wizards operate.
For information, see “Changing the Fix Wizard Tools” on page 51.
QuickStatus Tab
The QuickStatus tab allows you choose what information appears on the
QuickStatus screen and how it appears. Select an item to display by
checking the box next to the item.
NOTE: If you disable items on this page, the One-Click

Protect Wizard won’t run or enable those items (see
“System Protection” on page 26).
The Thresholds allow you to set the Yellow (needs attention) and Red
(urgent) levels for each item. To set all the values to the default program
values, click the Show Default Thresholds option.

Global Settings Tab
• Background and Startup Tasks: These options determine whether
their associated programs are started every time you start Windows.
• DiskSnapshot takes a “picture” of critical start files and stores
them in another area of your disk drive. The FileUndeleter uses
the DiskSnapshot data.
• IntelliCluster data collection (Pre-XP Systems Only) tracks the
programs you run most often, as well as the files those programs
load. That information is given to JETDefrag, which uses it to
optimize your disk drive and place the files you use most often in
the “fast access” zones of your hard drive. Check this box to turn
it on, uncheck it to turn it off. IntelliCluster isn't available in
Windows XP, since Windows XP includes built-in program-
launch optimization.
NOTE: Follow the instruction in “IntelliCluster for

Pre-XP Systems Only” on page 180. Whenever you
install new software that you plan to use a lot, you
should clear out the IntelliCluster data (see “Changing
JETDefrag Settings” on page 184) and go through this
process.
• Tray Icon: These options dictate whether the Fix-It Utilities icon
shows up in your system tray (usually located on the bottom right of
your screen). Depending on your operating system, you might have to
restart your computer for changes to these settings to take effect.
Fix-It Utilities has its own icon, which by default is shown only when
you are running one of the Fix-It Utilities programs in the
background. These include the Deleted Files Bin, the VirusScanner
AutoFileScan, IntelliCluster, and Scheduler. You can also start Fix-It
Utilities by double-clicking the tray icon.
• Always show tray icon: When enabled, the tray icon appears
whether you’re running Fix-It Utilities programs or not.
• Only show tray icon when a task is running: If you check this
box, the icon appears only if a Fix-It Utilities program is running.

System Health Monitoring
The System Health Monitoring section of the Global Settings allows you
to set how often the Periodic Health Report appears and the status of your
hard drive.
• Periodic Health Report Message: These options allow you to set the
display frequency of the report. The Show Now button next to the
choices allows you to view the current health and protection status of
your computer.
• Critical Condition Warming: These options allow you to choose what
information appears in the message. The Show Now button next to
the choices allows you to view the current status of your hard drive.
To disable this message, uncheck all of the options.
For more information about these messages, see “Learning About System
Reports” on page 33.
EasyUpdate Tab
The EasyUpdate tab is used to change how Fix-It Utilities handles
updates when they become available. For more information, see
“Changing the EasyUpdate Settings” on page 37.
Learning About System Reports

The System Reports appear in the lower-right corner of your desktop.
These reports give you a quick overview on the condition of your
computer and hard drives. Links within the reports also allows you to run
tools to improve the condition, as well as view details information and
more options.

Viewing the System Health Report
The System Health Report displays the current protection and health status
of your computer. This report appears according to the frequency set in the
Global Settings (see “Global Settings Tab” on page 32). You can manually
view this report my clicking the Show Now button on the Global Settings
tab or by left-clicking the Fix-It Utilities tray icon.
You can click any of the links to perform additional tasks.

• One-Click Protect starts the QuickStatus One-Click Protect Wizard,
which scans your computer for any traces of virus or spyware
infection, cleans your computer of these files, and enables anti-virus
email and file scanning (see “System Protection” on page 26).
• One-Click Optimize starts the QuickStatus One-Click Optimize
wizard, which speeds up your computer by cleaning the registry,
checking the hard drive integrity, defragmenting the hard disk, and
enables automatic updates for the program (see “System Health” on
page 26).
• View Details opens the Fix-It Utilities Home window to view the
QuickStatus information (see “Viewing the QuickStatus Screen” on
page 25).
• Options opens the Global Settings tab allowing you to make changes
to the System Health Monitoring options (see “Global Settings Tab”
on page 32).

Viewing the System Critical Condition Warning
The System Critical Condition Warning displays the current condition of
your hard drives. This report appears only if one of the two conditions is
bad:
• Hard Drive Condition is Poor
• Available Disk Space is None or Very Low
These options are set in the Global Settings (see “Global Settings Tab” on
page 32). You can manually view this report my clicking the Show Now
button on the Global Settings tab.
You can click any of the links to perform additional tasks.

• Run Tests starts the SMARTDiskCheck tool (see “Running
SMARTDiskCheck” on page 110).
• Free Disk Space starts the DiskCleaner tool (see “Recovering Disk
Space Using DiskCleaner” on page 187).
• View Details opens the Fix-It Utilities Home window to view the
QuickStatus information (see “Viewing the QuickStatus Screen” on
page 25).
• Options opens the Global Settings tab allowing you to make changes
to the System Health Monitoring options (see “Global Settings Tab”
on page 32).

Updating Your Software Using EasyUpdate
Periodically, improvement are made to Fix-It Utilities. by adding features,
making changes based on customer requests, and fixing problems. We also
frequently update the virus and spyware information databases. When
these updates (also known as patches) become available, EasyUpdate
allows you to download and install these updates and program patches in
minutes.
We recommend running EasyUpdate as soon as you purchase and install
Fix-It Utilities to ensure that you have the latest updates and patches.
If there are multiple components for updating, EasyUpdate provides you
with a list of options, allowing you to update everything, or select only the
options you want.
NOTE: It‘s important to run EasyUpdate on a regular basis

to ensure you have the most recent virus and spyware
definition files.
Running EasyUpdate
Before running EasyUpdate, make sure you’re connected to the Internet. If
you access the Internet using a dial-up modem, you should already be
dialed in, or your browser should be set up to automatically dial in.
1. Start Fix-It Utilities.
2. Click the EasyUpdate button from the tool bar, or click the Help
menu and choose EasyUpdate to open the EasyUpdate window.

3. Click Next to continue and connect to the Avanquest server.
EasyUpdate connects to the Avanquest server and determines which
updates you need. Check all the items you want to update. A list of
available updates appears that includes virus updates, spyware
updates, and program patches. Checked items are downloaded to your
computer.
NOTE: If you have other Avanquest programs

installed on your computer, updates to those programs
also appear.
4. Continue following the instructions to download and then install the

new data and software.
5. After the updates have completed, click Done to exit EasyUpdate.
You might be asked to restart Windows.
The changes will appear the next time you start Fix-It Utilities. You might
be required to restart Windows to apply some updates.
Changing the EasyUpdate Settings

The EasyUpdate settings allow you to change how Fix-It Utilities handles
updates when they become available.
To Access the EasyUpdate Settings
1. Click the Home button to view the Home window.
2. Click the Settings button to view the Settings window.
3. Click the Easy Update tab, and then choose the option you want from
the list.
• Automatic Updates: download updates and install them
automatically
• Download updates automatically, but ask me before installing
them
• Tell me when updates are available, but don’t download or
install them without my permission
• Manual Updates: only checks for updates at my request
(when I run EasyUpdate)
4. Click OK to confirm the changes and return to the QuickStatus screen.

Checking for Updates Automatically
You can set Fix-It Utilities to check for updates automatically when you’re
connected to the Internet. If an update is available, Fix-It Utilities notifies
you and asks if you want to run EasyUpdate.
3. Click the Easy Update tab.
4. Check the Automatic Updates: download updates and install them
automatically option.
The next time you connect to the Internet, EasyUpdate will automatically
check for program updates and new virus definitions once per day.
• Click Yes to get the update.
• Click No if you want to wait a day.
If several weeks go by without you making an Internet connection, the
automatic update feature appears, advising you to connect and check for
new updates.
NOTE: It‘s important to regularly update your virus

definitions. Fix-It Utilities generally updates virus
definitions on a weekly basis.

A Quick Tour
Overview
Fix-It Utilities contains the following categories of tools.
• One-Click Solutions (see page 40)
• Anti-Virus (see page 40)
• Anti-Spyware (see page 41)
• Diagnose (see page 42)
• Fix & Maintain (see page 43)
• Optimize (see page 44)
• Cleanup (see page 44)
• Recovery (see page 45)
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional A Quick Tour • 39

One-Click Solutions
The five Fix Wizards clean up your computer, scan and defragment the
hard disk(s), and perform other maintenance tasks that can speed up your
computer and lengthen its life. Running these wizards regularly is a simple
way to perform optimization and maintenance routines to keep your
computer running as smoothly as possible.
• Comprehensive cleans up, protects up, fixes up, and optimizes your
computer all at once. In addition, it looks at files for possible viruses
and spyware. On average-speed systems with a large registry and
badly defragmented drives, this operation can take several hours to
complete. You can cancel this operation at any time.
• Protect checks your computer for viruses and spyware that can slow
down or harm your computer.
• Optimize defragments your hard drive in one easy step and improves
your computer’s performance.
• CleanUp gets rid of unnecessary files, registry entries, and frees up
disk space to improve your computer’s stability.
• FixUp checks your hardware for problems, scans and repairs your
hard drive and system registry, protects your data, and improves
computer performance and stability.
Protection
The Protection group of tools help detect and clean-up both viruses and
spyware that might have found their way onto your computer.
Anti-Virus
Anti-Virus contains all the tools you need to safeguards your computer
from computer viruses. You can select different types of scans to perform
or change the modes to continually monitor the incoming files, email, and
programs being run.
• QuickScan scans only the boot sector and memory (see “Running
QuickScan” on page 61)
• DeepScan scans everything on your computer (see “Running
DeepScan” on page 62).
• BasicScan scans your computer’s memory and programs for
common virus infections (see “Running BasicScan” on page 62).
40 • A Quick Tour Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

• CustomScan scans individual files and folders (see “Running
CustomScan” on page 63).
• FileScan scans only the selected file(s) (see “Running FileScan” on
page 62).
• MediaScan scans removable media for viruses (see “Running
MediaScan” on page 62).
• QuarantineManager is used to manage all quarantined files (see
“Quarantining Viruses” on page 83).
• UpdateCheck displays a list of your currently installed components
and allows you to check for new updates using EasyUpdate (see
“Running UpdateCheck” on page 63).
Anti-Spyware
Spyware is the newest threat to your computer. Many of these programs

get into your computer without you even knowing. These threats have
been placed into a group of potential internet threats known as “Gray
Area” threats: Spyware, Adware, Dialers, Joke Programs, Hacker Tools,
Remote Access Tools, Password Cracking Programs, and Others.
• SpywareQuickScan scans the system registry for traces of spyware
(see “Scanning Your System Registry for Spyware” on page 90).
• SpywareDeepScan scans everything on your computer for a
maximum security sweep (see “Scanning Your Computer for
Spyware” on page 90).
• QuarantineManager is used to manage all quarantined files (see
“Quarantining Spyware” on page 93).
• UpdateCheck displays a list of your currently installed components
and allows you to check for new updates using EasyUpdate (see
“Checking for Updates” on page 91).
Maintenance
The Maintenance group of categories contains tools to help you diagnose
problems, fix them, optimize the performance of your computer, and other
tools to help you recover from an unfortunate computer accident.

Diagnose
The Diagnose tools help you find problems and potential problems with
your computer. Even if your computer seems to be running smoothly, it’s a
good idea to run these diagnostic tools occasionally.
• PCDiagnostics™ pinpoints errors in your hardware (see
“Diagnosing Your Computer” on page 97).
• ErrorTracker captures Windows error messages and logs them to a
separate file. When something goes wrong with your computer,
Windows delivers an often-cryptic message. If you try
troubleshooting a persistent problem with a technical support
representative, it’s important to know exactly what that message says.
You can use the log to get that much closer to a solution (see
“Keeping Track of Error Messages” on page 103).
• System Explorer™ examines your computer and displays your
computer’s hardware and software information (see “Viewing System
Information” on page 105).
• MediaVerifier verifies that every file on the media is readable. This
handy utility is for diskette disks, zip disks, and CDs. This tool is very
useful if you are sending a critical disk out for someone else to use
(see “Validating Removable Media” on page 107).
• SMARTDiskCheck gives you notice if your disk is about to fail,
allowing you to preserve your data before it fails (see “Monitoring
Your Hard Drive” on page 109).
• SystemMonitors constantly monitors your computer’s resources.
This special, stand-alone program warns you when monitored
resources reach critical levels. This program can be configured to
automatically start when you start your computer (see “Monitoring
Your Computer” on page 111).
• SystemLog keeps track of many Fix-It Utilities results, whether the
utilities are run manually, via SystemScheduler, or from the
One-Click Solution wizards (see “Viewing Program Log Files” on
page 125).

Fix & Maintain
The Fix & Maintain tools are used to diagnose and fix registry errors and
disk problems, as well as updating your version of Windows and your
computer clock.
• RegistryFixer™ fixes system registry errors (see “Repairing the
Registry” on page 129).
• RegistryEditor opens RegistryMagic™, an enhanced registry editor,
so that you can make changes to the registry directly (see “Editing the
• DiskFixer repairs disks, both hard disks and removable disks. It also
checks that your file allocation table is correct (see “Maintaining Your
Hard Drive” on page 143).
• SystemScheduler schedules Fix-It Utilities tools to run once at a
particular time, or on a regular basis. It runs in the background,
checking periodically to see if it’s time to run a tool (see “Scheduling
Maintenance” on page 149).
• WindowsUpdate launches Internet Explorer® and goes to the
Microsoft Windows Update website to search for the latest updates
for your computer’s operating system (see “Updating Your Operating
System” on page 153).
• ClockSync connects with an atomic clock on the Internet to keep
your computer’s time ultra-accurate (see “Synchronizing Your Clock”
on page 155).

Optimize
The Optimize tools allow you to set which programs open when you start
Windows, and for defragmenting your hard drives and registry.
• SystemOptimizer allows you to optimize your computer’s
performance by selecting a performance profile and choosing from
additional performance options.
• StartupCommander launches the Fix-It Utilities Startup Commander
allowing you to fine-tune the programs that automatically open when
you start Windows (see “Using Startup Commander” on page 165).
• JETDefrag™ defragments and optimizes your hard drives. It uses the
proprietary IntelliCluster technology, which tracks program use and
determines how to arrange the files on your drive most efficiently
according to the way you use your computer (see “Defragmenting
Your Hard Disk” on page 179).
• RegistryDefrag defragments your System Registry, making registry
access faster and more efficient (see “Defragmenting the Registry” on
page 177).
Cleanup
The Cleanup tools are used to recover lost disk space by deleting
temporary files, removing extra non-essential files commonly installed
with Windows operating systems, and permanently deleted files you no
longer want.
• DiskCleaner creates more disk space by removing unused or
temporary files, such as *.tmp files or *.bak files (see “Cleaning Your
Hard Drive” on page 187).
• RegistryCleaner removes unnecessary file references and options
from your registry, such as the Documents Find list, or unwanted
world time zones (see “Cleaning the System Registry” on page 197).
• Shredder removes files and folders from your computer by
“shredding” them (see “Shredding Files and Folders” on page 201).

Recovery
The Recovery tools can help you retrieve lost or deleted data and reverse
changes you’ve made to your computer.
• FileUndeleter: FileUndeleter recovers files you have deleted, if they
are still on your disk (see “Recovering Lost Data” on page 207).
• CreateCheckpoint allows you to create a checkpoint for computer
recovery (see “Restoring a Checkpoint” on page 221).
• RestoreCheckpoint allows you to restore a previously created
checkpoint (see “Creating a Checkpoint” on page 215).
• ManageCheckpoints allows you to view and delete checkpoints (see
“Managing Checkpoints” on page 223).
• RescueDisk creates a Rescue CD for users that downloaded their
software. This Rescue CD helps you start your computer and restore
your hard drive if the worst should happen. The installation CD also
acts as your Rescue CD (see “Making a Rescue CD” on page 225).
• DiskSnapshot takes a snapshot of computer data, such as the File
Allocation Table and boot sector. This snapshot is used for computer
recovery and file recovery (see “Backing Up Critical Information” on
page 227).
• EmergencyManual opens the Emergency Response Manual to help
solve starting problems (see “Emergency Manual” on page 261). You
must have Adobe Acrobat installed to view the manual. You can
install Adobe Acrobat from the program CD or download it online at
www.adobe.com.
• UndoIt allows you to “undo” or reverse changes made to your
computer by Fix-It Utilities (see “Undoing Changes” on page 231).

SystemMonitors
SystemMonitors sensors continuously track and display your system
resources, including disk space, RAM usage, virtual memory, page
faulting, network resources, etc., while your computer is running.
Although the SystemMonitors utility is first displayed with some default
resources, it can be fully customized. The SystemMonitors utility displays
the current resource levels, and can warn you if resources reach or exceed
critical levels.
You can configure the SystemMonitors utility so that it automatically

starts when you start your computer, or you can run it manually.

Keyboard Shortcuts
Below is a list of commonly used shortcuts to functions.
General Function Keyboard Shortcut

Display Help Information F1
Open the Print dialog CTRL-P
Copy selection to clipboard CTRL-INSERT or CTRL-C
Paste copied item(s) SHIFT-INSERT or CTRL-V
Close the active window ALT-F4
Open the Program Menu ALT-SPACEBAR
Activate an item when it has focus ENTER or SPACEBAR
Menu Function Keyboard Shortcut

Home ALT-H
Settings ALT-T
Help F1 or ALT-E
Update ALT-U
Exit ALT-F4
Category Function Keyboard Shortcut

One-Click Solutions ALT-S
Anti-Virus ALT-V
Anti-Spyware ALT-A
Optimize ALT-O
Diagnose ALT-D
Home Window ALT-H
Fix & Maintain ALT-I
Recovery ALT-R
Cleanup ALT-C
Back Button ALT-LEFT ARROW
Next Button ALT-RIGHT ARROW

One-Click Solutions Wizards
Overview
If computers are a mystery to you, and you’d like to have Fix-It Utilities
maintain and fix your computer without worrying about the details, the
One-Click Solutions Wizards are for you. These wizards can perform a
complete check-up, cleaning, and optimization all in one step. You can
keep your computer clean and functional by running the One-Click
Solutions wizards regularly. Running the wizards once a week is usually
adequate for frequent users.
The Comprehensive Wizard does everything the other wizards do.
The CleanUp Wizard
• Backs up critical files (including the registry)
• Cleans up unused and unnecessary files
• Cleans the system registry
The FixUp Wizard
• Backs up critical files (including the registry)
• Examines your hardware for problems
• Checks the status of your hard drive and warns you if it is about to fail
• Scans for errors on the hard drive
• Fixes broken registry entries
The Protect Wizard checks your computer for viruses and spyware that
can slow down or harm your computer.
The Optimize Wizard speeds up your computer by defragmenting the hard
disk so that programs run faster.
After you have configured the One-Click Solutions wizards to run the way
you want them to, you might never need or want to do anything else.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional One-Click Solutions Wizards • 49

Running the One-Click Solutions Wizards
All of the One-Click Wizards run in a similar way. Follow the steps below
for running one of the wizards.
2. Click the One-Click Solutions category button.
3. Choose the wizard you want to run by clicking the appropriate tool
button on the right side of the One-Click Solutions window to open an
information window with information about the wizard.
If you want to skip the display of the information window, you can
check the Skip One-Click introductions in the future box. You can
also set this option in the Wizard Settings (see “Changing the Fix
Wizard Tools” on page 51).
4. Click Next to start the wizard.
Then, sit back and wait for the wizard to do its job.
At any time during the process you can click the Stop button to halt the
wizard.
When the Wizard is finished, a final report appears showing any errors
found, and how they were fixed.
If you elected to scan for viruses in the All-in-One Wizard and the scanner
locates a virus, it suspends further activities until you respond as to how to
handle the virus.
NOTE: To allow JETDefrag to do its best job, you need to

disable all third-party anti-virus software programs before
running this tool. Running other anti-virus programs, while
using JETDefrag, can result in slow running or locking of
the file, preventing JETDefrag from optimizing the drive
properly.
50 • One-Click Solutions Wizards Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Changing the Fix Wizard Tools
The One-Click Solutions Wizards are designed to need little or no
adjusting. Run each one to complete the task. Inevitably, though, there
might be something in the way a wizard performs that you want to change.
In that case, click the Settings button from the Fix-It Utilities home
window to make changes in how the wizards operate.
One Click-Solutions Wizard Settings

Choose the One-Click Solutions category button from the list on the left
to display the settings organized in a tree format. Some of these options
have a plus sign (+) next to them which means that there is setup
information you can modify for those options. Click the plus sign to
expand the options list.
Often, expanded options also have plus signs (+). Click the plus signs to
expand the list of options under the categories:
If you check an item with a plus sign (+), then all of the items contained
within that item are also automatically checked. This way you can check
and uncheck items in groups.
NOTE: Any settings changed in this dialog will affect all

the wizards, including the Comprehensive Wizard.
Using Wizard Settings for the First Time

The first time you open the settings, some of the boxes are already
checked. These are the default options.

Changing SpeedUp Wizard Settings
The SpeedUp Wizard defragments your hard drive(s). You can choose
what drive(s) are defragmented. By default, all hard drives and partitions
are selected. Removable media rarely need defragmenting.
Choose the
fixed drive(s)
that you want
to defragment.

4. Click the plus sign (+) next to Defragment Drives.
5. Check the box to add a drive, or uncheck a drive/partition to have the
SpeedUp (and Comprehensive) Wizard skip defragmenting that
partition.
For more information on how JETDefrag works to speed up your
computer, see “Defragmenting Your Hard Disk” on page 179.
Changing the CleanUp Wizard Settings

The CleanUp Wizard backs up your critical files and runs a version of
DiskCleaner and RegistryCleaner.
3. Click the Settings button to see the settings dialog.
4. Uncheck the Remove unnecessary registry items box to turn off
the RegistryCleaner in the wizards.
5. Click the plus sign (+) next to Remove unused files to expand the
lsit.

6. Click the plus sign (+) next to Drives to Check to change the drives
and partitions DiskCleaner scans.
Check the appropriate box to add a drive, or uncheck a drive/partition
to have the CleanUp (and Comprehensive) Wizard skip scanning that
partition.
7. Click the plus sign (+) next to File categories to clean up to change
the categories DiskCleaner deletes from your computer.
• Files in temp folders
• Files in web cache folders
• Files with BAK extensions
• Files with GID extensions of zero length
• Temporary files
• Broken shortcut files
• Empty the Recycle Bin
The CleanUp Wizard version of RegistryCleaner uses the standard settings
only. None of the Advanced Options (which could damage your computer
if run unattended) are included in this wizard.
The CleanUp Wizard version of DiskCleaner cleans only “safe” files from
your computer. If you would like to have more categories, or you would
like to create your own categories, run DiskCleaner manually from
Cleanup, see “Cleaning Your Hard Drive” on page 187
Choose the
categories for
DiskCleaner
to search.
NOTE: DiskCleaner only allows the delete option. You

can’t move or archive when you run DiskCleaner from the
CleanUp Wizard.

Changing the FixUp Wizard Settings
The FixUp Wizard runs RegistryFixer, the SMARTDiskCheck hard drive
warning system, and DiskFixer.
The FixUp Wizard version of RegistryFixer repairs only “safe” items; if
you want to view and fix items that are flagged as “caution,” run
RegistryFixer manually from the Fix & Maintain tools (see “Repairing the
• To have the FixUp and Comprehensive wizards skip the
SMARTDiskCheck hard drive test, uncheck the Check SMART
status of hard drives box.
• To turn off RegistryFixer in the wizards, uncheck the Fix broken
registry links box. To change the registry areas that the wizard
scans, click the + sign next to this item and uncheck the boxes
noting the section you don’t want to scan.
• To have the FixUp and Comprehensive Wizards scan your fixed
hard drive(s), expand the Disk Fixer item and then check the
desired Scan for errors on drive box.
Changing the Comprehensive Wizard Settings

The Comprehensive Wizard combines the SpeedUp, CleanUp, and FixUp
wizards as well as versions of the On-Demand VirusScanner and
Avanquest’s Anti-Spyware.
To modify any of the wizard settings, click the plus sign (+) next to the
tool you want to change to expand the list. Then, check or uncheck the
appropriate boxes to make the changes you want.

Getting Help
Overview
Help for Fix-It Utilities is installed with the program. The Fix-It Utilities
Help offers many features to help you in find the information you need.
The program also includes an Emergency Response Manual to help you
diagnose problems you might have with your computer and provides
specific instructions to get you up and running again.
If you want to help us improve this product by giving us your comments
and suggestions, open the Help menu and choose Send Comments &
Suggestions to open the Fix-It Utilities Feedback webpage
Viewing and Printing the Online User’s Guide

To view or print the online user’s guide, open the Help menu and select
Product Manual.
If there wasn’t enough room on your computer to install the user’s guide,
you can open the Fix-It Utilities.pdf file on the program CD.
After the user’s guide opens in Acrobat Reader, you can view it on-screen,
print the entire document, or print just the pages you need.
For complete information about using Acrobat Reader, see the Acrobat
Reader online help or contact Adobe technical support.
To Print the Online User’s Guide
Open the Acrobat Reader File menu and choose Print to open the Print
dialog.
The name of the selected printer appears at the top of the Print dialog. If
this isn’t the printer you want to use, click the Setup button in the dialog
and then choose another printer.
Choose the pages you want to print from the Print Range area and then
click OK to begin printing the user’s guide.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Getting Help • 55

Using Online Help
The Online Help opens when you click the Help button in the Tool Bar
and select Help Topics from the menu. Topic-specific help is also
available whenever you see a Help button.
• To view a help topic, click a topic in the Contents tab on the left side
of the help window.
• To view an alphabetical index, click the Index tab.
• To search for a topic, click the Search tab and type the text you want
to find.
• To browse through the topics, click the Browse buttons located to the right
of the tabs.
• To navigate to recently viewed topics, click the Navigation buttons
located in the upper-left corner above the tabs..
Emergency Response Manual

Fix-It Utilities works best as preventative maintenance. You’ll find that
running the Fix-It Utilities tools regularly can keep you out of most
trouble that computer users find themselves getting into.
Not everyone has the luxury of buying software to fix something that
might not even happen. Sometimes your computer goes down, and you
panic and look for something that will get you out of trouble. The good
news is that Fix-It Utilities can, in many cases, get you out of your
temporary jam—and then help keep you out of trouble for years.
The Fix-It Utilities help and user’s guide contain an Emergency Response
section that can walk you through getting your computer up and running
again. For more information, see “Emergency Manual” on page 261.
56 • Getting Help Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

ANTI-VIRUS
Fighting Viruses 59
Running VirusScanner 61
Automatic File Scanning 69
Viewing the VirusScanner Results 73
Changing VirusScanner Settings 77
Quarantining Viruses 83
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Anti-Virus • 57

58 • Anti-Virus Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Fighting Viruses
Overview
Viruses are the bane of the computer world. People with few scruples and
far too much free time write programs that are designed to hurt you.
Viruses can destroy or corrupt files, wipe off hard drives, slow your
computer down, and do other really obnoxious and destructive things.
Most viruses won’t even tell you they are on your computer. They arrive
hidden on CDs or in legitimate files, such as word processing or
spreadsheet files, waiting to infect your computer and propagate
themselves. After your computer is infected, the best way to remove a
virus is with a good anti-virus program.
VirusScanner™ has “signatures” (definitions) for all viruses we know in
the world, and we frequently add to these signatures every time you
download a new virus pattern file via EasyUpdate. Since new viruses are
discovered all the time (some estimates say that there are 200 new viruses
every month), you should run EasyUpdate regularly to get the latest virus
pattern file, so that VirusScanner has the most up-to-date anti-virus
information possible (see “Updating Your Software Using EasyUpdate”
on page 36).
VirusScanner can perform the following functions to detect and
exterminate viruses, depending on how you have the options configured:
• Scans compressed files and self-extracting executables before the
files inside are extracted.
• Automatically removes a virus.
• Allows you to configure the VirusScanner software so it runs the way
you want it to.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Fighting Viruses • 59

How Does VirusScanner Work?
VirusScanner has several modes:
• On Demand allows you to run VirusScanner at any time to check the
files on a disk. You can run VirusScanner on demand using any of the
following methods:
• The Anti-Virus Wizards run the type of scan you want, without
spending time trying to fiddle with or customize the scanner (see
“Running VirusScanner On Demand” on page 64).
• Scheduled runs VirusScanner regularly, so that you don’t have
to worry about remembering to do it yourself (see “Scheduling
VirusScanner” on page 68).
• Comprehensive Wizard runs VirusScanner for you (see “One-
Click Solutions Wizards” on page 49).
• AutoFileScan can be setup to open every time you start your
computer. This is a guardian of your computer, checking files
automatically as they are accessed, and warning you if it detects a
virus (see “Automatic File Scanning” on page 69).
• AutoEmailScan works with nearly all POP3 email programs to find
infected email attachments. It also works with Outlook and Outlook
Express on Exchange servers (see “Running AutoEmailScan” on page
72).
• Context Menu lets you choose the VirusScanner from the context
menu (the right-click menu) while in Windows Explorer or in
PowerDesk®. This is similar to the On Demand scanner, but only
scans selected files, folders, and subfolders (see “Running
VirusScanner on Single Files and Folders” on page 67).
60 • Fighting Viruses Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Running VirusScanner
Overview
You can run the VirusScanner using the Wizards, or by manually scanning
files and folders using the VirusScanner option from the context menu.
Starting the VirusScanner Wizards

The Anti-Virus wizard buttons allow you to perform any type of virus
scan on files that you want. If viruses are found, the scanners notify you
immediately, and you can choose what to do with the infected file(s).
There are six different tools used for scanning for viruses. The option you
choose depends on your needs.
• FileScan, MediaScan, and CustomScan allow you to choose what
and where to scan.
• QuickScan, BasicScan, and DeepScan run automatically when you
choose them from the main display of tools.
NOTE: It is important that you exit any web browsers you

might have open before scanning for viruses.
Running QuickScan
QuickScan first scans the boot sector and memory of your computer. It
then scans program and macro files in the critical areas of your hard drive.
Click QuickScan to start the scan immediately.
When the scan is complete, click Next to view the final report (see
“Viewing the VirusScanner Results” on page 73).
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Running VirusScanner • 61

Running BasicScan
BasicScan first checks memory and boot sector for viruses, and then scans
all fixed drives for macro and program viruses. It doesn’t scan data files or
scan into archives (compressed files).
To start the scan immediately, click the BasicScan button.
Running FileScan
FileScan first checks memory and boot sector for viruses, and then allows
you to choose certain folders to scan. This is useful if you know you have
a clean disk and have just copied some questionable files to it. FileScan
will scan any executable file for viruses, and scan documents for macro
viruses.
1. Click the FileScan button to browse to the folder where the files are.
2. Click Next to continue.
3. Click the FileScan button to start the scan immediately.
4. When the scan is complete, click Next to view the final report (see
Running MediaScan
The MediaScan first checks memory and boot sector for viruses, and then
scans selected removable media for known viruses. It checks all files,
including data files and files inside archives.
1. Click the MediaScan button to display the list of removable media
drives on your computer.
2. Check the boxes next to the drive(s) you want to scan.
3. Click Next to scan the selected drives.
Running DeepScan
DeepScan first scans the boot sector and memory of your computer. It
then checks all files on all fixed hard drives. This is a lengthy, but very
thorough process.
Click DeepScan to start the scan immediately.
62 • Running VirusScanner Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Running CustomScan
Custom scan allows you to choose what files and types of viruses to scan
for. It always checks memory first, and then scans according to the
selected options.
1. Click the CustomScan button.
2. Choose which disk(s) to scan by checking the appropriate box.
3. Click Next to start the scan.
To customize the scan, click the Settings button. (see “Custom Scan
Settings” on page 81).
Learning About the Anti-Virus QuarantineManager

The Anti-Virus QuarantineManager is used to manage the files that have
been stored in a quarantine folder. Your options allow you to leave them,
restore them to their original locations, permanently delete them, or
attempt to clean any viruses from the infected files. Files can be added
from any location on your computer to the quarantine folder (see
“Quarantining Viruses” on page 83).
Running UpdateCheck
Updating the virus definition files ensures that you have the most up-to-
date protection from the ever-increasing and mutating strains of viruses.
Updated files not only search for the most recent types of viruses, but also
contain information on cleaning infected files. By keeping these files
updated, you might also be able to remove a previously infected file from
quarantine after it has been cleaned.
Click the UpdateCheck tool button to open a dialog displaying your
currently installed files, version, and date. Then, click the Check For New
Updates button to check for updates (see “Running EasyUpdate” on page
36).

Running VirusScanner On Demand
Run this option when you want to perform a one-time check of all files
and folders on your hard drive or any disk for viruses.
Click the Home button to view the Home window. Then, click the
Anti-Virus category button and choose the appropriate Wizard:
• QuickScan
• BasicScan
• FileScan
• MediaScan
• DeepScan
• CustomScan
Each Wizard guides you through the scanning process. From the
CustomScan Wizard, you can also update your virus definitions, make an
AVRescue Disk set, and click links to the Virus Encyclopedia and the
VCOM Anti-Virus Center on the Web.
One-Time Scanning
To run VirusScanner once, click the Anti-Virus category button from the
Home window and choose a wizard button. You might be required to
choose the folder(s), file(s), or drive(s) depending on the type of scan.
To Run VirusScanner Once
2. Click the Anti-Virus category button.
3. Click one of the Wizard buttons, depending on your needs.
4. You might need to choose the folder(s) or file(s) to scan, depending
on the wizard.
• When you click the FileScan button, you must browse to any
location you choose. You can scan any executable file for viruses
or scan documents for macro viruses.
• When you click the DeepScan button, a list of the drives the
scanner will check appears. You can choose the drive(s) to be
scanned by checking the boxes next to the drive name.

• For MediaScan and CustomScan, choose the drive(s) to be
scanned.
Checked box
indicates which
drive is selected.
If you want to change CustomScan’s settings, click the Settings

button and then click CustomScan.
NOTE: DeepScan is an extremely thorough virus scan,

but there are some files that even DeepScan can’t
check. These include email databases like Microsoft
Outlook mailbox (.pst) files. If you suspect that an
email attachment is infected with a virus, it’s best to
save the file to your hard drive first, and then scan it
with the On-demand or Context Menu scanner (and/or
activate AutoEmailScan).
VirusScanner then scans the selected drive(s) for viruses. If it finds a

virus, it notifies you about the virus and offers to fix the virus if it can.
6. Click Done when it is finished to return to the Home window.
You might want to change the scan options to specify different file
types to be scanned. To do this, click the Settings button to display
the VirusScanner Settings dialog (see “Changing VirusScanner
NOTE: VirusScanner can’t remove an infected file

from inside a compressed archive (with a .zip or similar
extension). You can only delete the entire archive using
this dialog. You can get additional information on
cleaning the virus manually by choosing the Manual
Clean Information option.

The VirusScanner Alert
When a virus has been detected on your computer, a dialog appears. DO
NOT PANIC. A virus is merely a program, and VirusScanner offers the
latest technology for finding and removing viruses with minimal fuss.
Although Fix-It Utilities makes a recommendation as to what to do about
the virus in the Recommended Action, you still have several choices.
• Delete file containing virus deletes the file completely, effectively
removing the virus from your computer. This option is only available
if the virus is infecting a file that isn’t a critical system file. Boot
sector files, for example, won’t have this option.
• Quarantine file containing virus allows you to move the file to a
quarantine location. This allows you to keep important files in the
hope that future updates to your VirusScanner are able to clean and
return this file to its original location.
• Remove virus from file cleans the virus from the file without actually
deleting the file. This option is only available if it’s possible for
VirusScanner to clean the file.
• Leave file alone won’t do anything with the file or the virus.
Choosing this option can allow a virus to infect your computer.
NOTE: VirusScanner can’t remove an infected file from

inside a compressed archive (with a .zip or similar
extension). You can only delete the entire archive using this
dialog. You can get additional information on cleaning the
virus manually by choosing the Manual Clean Information
option.
VirusScanner Real-Time Alert

This dialog indicates that a virus has been found by the Real-Time
VirusScanner. DO NOT PANIC. You should follow the instructions on the
dialog, and click the Clean Now button to perform an on-demand scan on
the disk where the virus was found.
To be safe, you should perform an On Demand Virus Scan (see “Running
VirusScanner On Demand” on page 64) of your entire computer. Checking
all file types ensures that the virus hasn’t propagated.
NOTE: VirusScanner can’t remove an infected file from

inside a compressed archive (with a .zip or similar
extension). You can only delete the entire archive using this
dialog. You can get additional information on cleaning the
virus manually by choosing the Manual Clean Information
option.

Running VirusScanner on Single Files and Folders
When this option in enabled, you can right-click on a file or folder and
scan it for viruses. This is also referred to this as the Context Menu
VirusScanner.
To Start VirusScanner from the Context Menu
1. Using either the Windows Explorer or PowerDesk, choose the file(s)
or folder(s) on which you want to run VirusScanner.
2. Right-click one of the selected items to view the context menu.
3. Choose Fix-It > VirusScanner from the context menu.
VirusScanner
from the Windows
Context menu
Depending on its settings, VirusScanner will scan immediately for viruses.

• If you selected a folder, it scans all files in the folder.
• If you selected a single or multiple files, it scans the selected files.

When the scan is finished, the Fix-It Utilities VirusScanner Results
dialog appears, showing you the results of your scan. Besides
showing the results of the scan, this dialog allows you to change the
settings for the next context-menu scan (see “Viewing the
VirusScanner Results” on page 73).
For more information see, “Context Menu Settings” on page 82.
• The Start scan immediately checkbox defines whether to begin
scanning as soon as you click the VirusScanner item, or to wait
until you click a Start button.
• The Scan into subfolders checkbox defines whether to scan
sub-folders (and their sub-folders and so on) if you have elected
to scan a folder.
Scheduling VirusScanner
With the SystemScheduler, you can schedule automatic virus scans of
your drive(s) For more information on how to do this, see “Opening the
SystemScheduler” on page 150.

Automatic File Scanning
Overview
Rather than waiting for a virus to infect your computer, it’s a good idea to
have AutoFileScan always running, so that it checks every file you access.
If it detects a virus in a file you are attempting to open, it warns you, and
then offers to fix the file and get rid of the virus if it can.
Running AutoFileScan
AutoFileScan “real-time” mode means that VirusScanner runs in the
background, checking files as they are accessed.
NOTE: If you already have another anti-virus program

running in the background, you should uninstall that real-
time component before installing AutoFileScan. Having
two anti-virus programs running in the background at the
same time is more likely to lead to computer crashes and
won’t enhance security against viruses. (There is no harm in
running the on-demand portion of another anti-virus
program while normally using AutoFileScan—though you
should disable VirusScanner while you do that.)
AutoFileScan also scans the boot sector and memory for viruses as your
computer boots up. It displays a warning message if it finds a virus. If you
have a network or computer login, the warning appears before you log in.
You can start AutoFileScan manually, but after it is set up, it will start
every time you start your computer. You can temporarily disable
AutoFileScan from the Fix-It Utilities tray icon. You can uninstall
AutoFileScan from the VirusScanner Settings.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Automatic File Scanning • 69

Starting AutoFileScan
4. Click the AutoFileScan button.
The AutoFileScan settings allow you to install and activate the real-time
scanner. For detailed information, see “Changing VirusScanner Settings”
on page 77.
Checking if AutoFileScan is Running

The Avanquest Fix-It Utilities icon in the system tray appears if any of the
Avanquest Fix-It Utilities tools are running in the background (this might
be SystemScheduler, VirusScanner, etc.). To check if AutoFileScan is
running, right-click the tray icon to display the context menu. If the
VirusScanner item is checked, then AutoFileScan is running:
AutoFileScan is running
Because AutoFileScan can interfere with a new program installation, it is

a good idea to turn off (disable) AutoFileScan temporarily before
installing new software.
70 • Automatic File Scanning Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Disabling AutoFileScan
If you want to temporarily turn off the automatic scanning of files, you can
disable this option following the steps listed below.
To Disable Automatic Scanning
1. Right-click the system tray icon.
2. Choose VirusScanner from the menu.
3. Check the Disable AutoFileScan box and then click OK.

To reactivate AutoFileScan, repeat the steps listed above, but check
the Enable option. Restarting your computer also automatically
reactivates the scanner.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Automatic File Scanning • 71

Removing AutoFileScan
If you want to remove the automatic scanning feature, you can uninstall
this feature.
To Uninstall AutoFileScan
3. Click the Settings button to view the AutoFileScan settings.
4. Check the Uninstall checkbox to remove AutoFileScan completely.

To reinstall it, you can return to this Settings dialog.
You can reinstall this feature by repeating the steps listed above, but
selecting the Install option.
Running AutoEmailScan
Because so many viruses get around by way of infecting email
attachments, it is a very good idea to have AutoEmailScan check your
email for infection as it is downloading. You can set up and run
AutoEmailScan via the VirusScanner settings. For detailed information,
see “Changing VirusScanner Settings” on page 77.
72 • Automatic File Scanning Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Viewing the VirusScanner Results
Overview
The VirusScanner Results dialog displays the results of your virus scan. If
there had been any viruses, you would see each virus by name, and the
action taken to remove it.
Click Done when finished. You can also Print the results or Save them to
a separate file.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Viewing the VirusScanner Results • 73

Types of Viruses
Below is a list of terms used to describe various types of viruses and how
they behave inside your computer.
Common, widespread virus
This virus is well-known in the anti-virus community. It has also
propagated far and wide, infecting a large number of computers.
Destructive virus
This type of virus schedules the destruction of data for a specific date or
event. When activated, these viruses destroy data in files on floppy or hard
drives.
Encrypted/Polymorphic virus
This is often a mutation of another virus. It has been either encrypted so it
isn’t as recognizable, or it can change shape “on the fly,” making it harder
to recognize.
Infects COM programs
This type of virus is carried in on .com programs, and when the .com
program runs it infects other .com programs.
Infects DOS boot sector
This type of virus infects the DOS boot sectors of both floppy disks and
hard drives. If you want to be completely sure that the virus has been
removed, you should boot from a clean System Rescue Disk, and then run
VirusScanner from the Rescue Disk menu.
Infects EXE programs

This virus type comes buried in legitimate programs (with the .exe
extension). The program works as expected, but as soon as it’s started the
virus can start as well.
74 • Viewing the VirusScanner Results Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Macros
This type of virus typically infects and damages files created by MS Word
and MS Excel using the program’s own macro programming language.
They can be transmitted within Word or Excel files that contain macros,
and they propagate when the file is edited and the macro runs. Macro
viruses infect at different points during a file’s use, for example, when it is
opened, saved, closed, or deleted.
Memory resident virus
A virus that is memory resident is much more virulent than other viruses,
as it has access to your whole computer after it is running in memory.
Although many anti-virus programs claim they can remove this virus, the
safest way to remove it is to restart your computer from a clean System
Rescue Disk. Then, run VirusScanner from the Rescue Disk menu.
Non-cleanable virus
This type of virus can’t be removed from the infected file without
destroying or corrupting the file. Your only choice is to remove the file
completely from your disk.
Removable virus
This type of virus can be removed from the infected file, keeping the file
intact.
Stealth virus
A stealth virus tries to disguise itself. It avoids any of the common
“signatures,” instead trying to look as much like a normal file or normal
code as possible.
Trojan Horse virus
This is a program that pretends to perform a certain function, but instead
causes severe damage when started. The name of the program is generally
deceptive. You might think you are downloading an update to some
shareware or some other program you already have on your computer,
when you are really installing a virulent virus.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Viewing the VirusScanner Results • 75

Infects hard disk Master Boot Record
The Master Boot Record is the first physical section on the hard disk, and
is started when the computer starts up. Master boot sector viruses infect
the computer when it is started from a disk containing the virus. The
Master Boot Sector is a common hiding place for viruses.
Infects Macros
This type of virus typically infects and damages files created by MS Word
and MS Excel. They can be transmitted within Word or Excel files that
contain macros, and they propagate when the file is edited and the macro
runs.
76 • Viewing the VirusScanner Results Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Changing VirusScanner Settings
Overview
You edit the settings for the on-demand scanner, the real-time scanner,
and the context menu scanner differently.
3. Click the Settings button.
4. Choose the scanner to adjust settings by clicking on the associated
button.
NOTE: If you already have another anti-virus program

running in the background, you should uninstall that real-
time component before installing AutoFileScan. Having
two anti-virus programs running in the background at the
same time is more likely to lead to computer crashes and
doesn’t enhance security against viruses.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Changing VirusScanner Settings • 77

AutoFileScan Settings
The AutoFileScan virus scanner isn’t automatically installed when you
install Fix-It Utilities, but you can choose to install AutoFileScan during
the installation of Fix-It Utilities. When you first display the settings, the
following dialog appears:
Status
• Active appears when the AutoFileScan is currently installed and
active.
• Disabled appears when the AutoFileScan is currently installed, but
not currently active.
• Not Installed appears when the AutoFileScan isn’t installed.
Options
• Uninstall removes the AutoFileScan scanner and asks you to restart
your computer. To uninstall the AutoFileScan scanner, check the
Uninstall box.
• Install installs the AutoFileScan scanner. To install and start the
AutoFileScan scanner, check the Install box. It then installs
AutoFileScan, and asks you to restart your computer.
• Disable turns off the AutoFileScan feature. To disable the
AutoFileScan scanner, check the Disable box and click OK.
• Activate turns on the AutoFileScan feature. To Activate the scanner,
check the Activate box and click OK.
The Scan for spyware during AV scan option includes the anti-spyware
scan as part of the anti-virus scan.
78 • Changing VirusScanner Settings Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
AutoEmailScan Settings
The AutoEmailScan virus scanner isn’t automatically installed when you
install Fix-It Utilities, but you can choose to install AutoEmailScan during
the installation of Fix-It Utilities.
Status
• Active appears when the AutoEmailScan is currently installed and
active.
• Disabled appears when the AutoEmailScan is currently installed, but
not currently active.
• Not Installed appears when the AutoEmailScan isn’t installed.
Options
• Uninstall is used to remove the AutoFileScan scanner and asks you to
restart your computer. To uninstall the AutoFileScan scanner, check
the Uninstall box. It then removes AutoFileScan,
• Install is used to install the AutoFileScan scanner. To install and start
the AutoFileScan scanner, check the Install box. It then installs
AutoFileScan, and asks you to restart your computer.

Advanced
The Advanced button in the AutoEmailScan settings, offers you several
settings for dealing with email scanning and what to do with an infected
file.
POP3 EMail Scanner settings

• Monitor POP3 communications enables monitoring of POP3 email
accounts.
• Monitor POP3 communications to the follow server ports:
Add allows you to add a server port to the list.
Delete allows you to remove the selected server port from the list.
Reset resets the values back to the default settings.
Microsoft Exchange Scanner settings
• Monitor Exchange communications with Outlook 98 or later
allows you to set the AutoEmailScan to scan files transferred through
Outlook 98 or later versions.
General Settings
• When a virus is found has a drop-down list with options for you to
choose what to do with infected files.
• Ask me what to do
• Always remove potential threat from item
• Always delete item containing potential threat
• Always quarantine item containing potential threat

Custom Scan Settings
The Custom Scan settings allow you to fine tune the virus scanner to your
needs.
Custom Scan Control

• Prompt when a virus is found VirusScanner displays a warning and
asks you what to do with any viruses located, if checked. If not
checked, it automatically removes the virus. The results, including
any viruses found and removed, appear in the results window.
Custom Scan Settings
• Scan Drives allows you to choose the file types you want to scan.
Nearly all viruses infect executable files, macros (scripts that
automate tasks in Word, Excel, and other programs), and the boot
sector. If you want to scan all files on the disk, check the All Files box
(this option takes the most time), or leave it blank and check the other
categories to selectively scan.

Context Menu Settings
The context menu is used to set options for scanning files and folders in
Explorer, PowerDesk, and other places.
Explorer Context Menu Settings

• Show in Context Menu displays the VirusScanner option in the
context menu if checked.
• Start scan immediately starts the scan as soon as you choose
VirusScanner from the context menu, when this option is checked.
• Scan into subfolders includes scanning subfolders of any selected
folders, if checked. If not checked, the scan checks the files in
selected folders, but nothing in subfolders.

Quarantining Viruses
Overview
After a file is in the quarantine folder it can no longer cause harm to your
computer. However, files don’t have to stay in this folder. The
QuarantineManager has several features that allow you to decide what to
do with files that have been sent to the quarantine folder, either
automatically or by you.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Quarantining Viruses • 83

Restoring Files to Your Computer
Files placed in the quarantine folder don’t have to stay there permanently.
After a file has been cleaned, or you need the file restored, the Restore
feature returns the file back to the original location on your computer
CAUTION: Restoring an infected file could re-infect your

computer.
To Restore Your Files

1. Click the Home button to view the Home window
3. Click the QuarantineManager tool button to open the
QuarantineManager dialog displaying all quarantined files and
buttons with options for dealing with the files.
4. Choose the file(s) to restore by checking the box next to the file name.
It you want to choose all files, click the Select All button.
5. Click the Restore button
The file is then returned back to the original location on your computer.
84 • Quarantining Viruses Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Cleaning Files
Files located in the quarantine folder are either infected, or suspected of
being infected. You can attempt to recover these files by using the Clean
option. This option essentially strips the virus from the files allowing you
to Restore the file to the original location.
To Clean Quarantined Files
4. Choose the file(s) to restore by checking the box to the left of the file
name.
You can also use the Select All button to choose all the files in the
folder.
5. Click the Clean button.
The cleaned file can then be restored using the Restore option. If a
file isn’t able to be cleaned, you can either leave it in the quarantine
folder and check if future updates to the program allow you to clean it
or Delete the file if it is safe to do so.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Quarantining Viruses • 85

Deleting Files
Before deleting files, it is always a good idea to try to clean the files first,
especially when dealing with system files or those containing other
important data.
CAUTION: Using the Delete option permanently removes

the file from your computer.
To Delete Quarantined Files

4. Choose the file(s) to delete by checking the box to the left of the file
name.
You can also click the Select All button to choose all the files in the
folder.
5. Click the Delete button to permanently remove the selected files from
your computer.
Adding Files
The Add feature allows you to add files to the quarantine folder. These
might be files you suspect of being infected, or a file you restored and
want to put back in the quarantine folder.
To Add Files to the Quarantine Folder
3. Click the QuarantineManager too button to open the
4. Click the Add button to display the Select One or More Files to
Quarantine dialog.
5. Browse to the desired folder and choose the file(s) to add.
6. Click the Open button to add the file to the quarantine folder.
86 • Quarantining Viruses Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

ANTI-SPYWARE
Stopping Spies and Ads 89
Quarantining Spyware 93
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Anti-Spyware • 87

88 • Anti-Spyware Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Stopping Spies and Ads
Overview
Spyware is another threat to your computer. Many of these programs get
installed on your computer without your knowledge. Not only can these
programs significantly slow down the performance of even the fastest
computer, they can threaten your security.
These potential internet threats have been placed into a group known as
“Gray Area” threats: Spyware, Adware, Dialers, Joke Programs, Hacker
Tools, Remote Access Tools, Password Cracking Programs, and Others.
Not all spyware is installed without your knowledge. There are many
“free” share-ware programs today that include Adware associated with
their installation. Some of these programs give you the option of installing
“bonus software,” while others like some P2P file-sharing programs, don’t
operate without these Adware files. You can, however, take precautions
when installing programs that contain spyware. You can choose not to
install them, or have the ability to prevent programs with associated
Adware to start at Windows startup.
The Fix-It Utilities Anti-Spyware utility contains the following tools to
help your protect you computer from these threats:
• SpywareQuickScan (see“Scanning Your System Registry for
Spyware” on page 90)
• SpywareDeepScan (see “Scanning Your Computer for Spyware” on
page 90)
• QuarantineManager (see “Managing Quarantined Items” on page
90)
• UpdateCheck (see “Checking for Updates” on page 91)
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Stopping Spies and Ads • 89

Running Anti-Spyware Tools
The Anti-Spyware tools can help eliminate internet threats. Automatic
scanning can catch these threats before they can do damage.
NOTE: It is important that you exit any web browsers you

might have open before scanning for spyware.
Scanning Your System Registry for Spyware

The SpywareQuickScan tool quickly scans only suspicious system
registry entries for traces of spyware and other unwanted software.
To Quickly Scan Your Computer
2. Click the Anti-Spyware category button.
3. Click the SpywareQuickScan tool button.
4. Click Next to start the scan immediately.
When the scan completes, the result dialog appears indicating what was
found and the actions taken.
Scanning Your Computer for Spyware

The SpywareDeepScan tool scans everything on your computer for a
maximum security sweep of spyware traces and other unwanted software.
This extensive search can take longer than the SpywareQuickScan (see
“Scanning Your System Registry for Spyware” on page 90).
To Perform a Deep Scan
3. Click the SpywareDeepScan tool button.
4. Click Next to start the scan immediately.
The results dialog appears when the scan completes indicating what was
found and the actions taken.
Managing Quarantined Items

The QuarantineManager tool is used to manage the spyware and other
unwanted software items that have been stored in a quarantine backup.
Your options allow you to leave them, restore them to their original
locations, or permanently delete them. For more information, see
“Quarantining Spyware” on page 93.
90 • Stopping Spies and Ads Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Checking for Updates
The UpdateCheck tool allows you to quickly view the version numbers of
the currently installed Anti-Virus pattern file, Anti-Virus engine, Damage
Cleanup Engine (DCE), Malware pattern file, and Spyware pattern files.
To check for updates, click the UpdateCheck button, and then click the
Check for New Updates button (see “Updating Your Software Using
EasyUpdate” on page 36).
Viewing the Spyware Scan Results

If a scan finds something that it considers to be a potential threat on your
computer, a window appears showing the suspect files. You can choose
what to do with the files in this list.
• To remove an item, check the box next to the item and click the Apply
button to delete it.
• To ignore an item, leave the box unchecked next to the item to ignore.
Cancel ignores all items. Apply ignores only those unchecked items.
• To back up cleaned items, check the Backup items when they are
cleaned option to place all checked items into the quarantine folder.
If you selected to back up spyware when cleaned from the computer,
the names of those spyware groups will appear in the
QuarantineManager, allowing you to view a list of quarantined
spyware groups. For more information, see “Quarantining Spyware”
on page 93.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Stopping Spies and Ads • 91

Results Dialog
After a course of action has been taken, the results dialog displays what
was found, the action taken, and the results of those actions.
You can chose to Print or Save the results. Clicking the Done button
closes the dialog.
NOTE: If there are any items that where unable to be

removed, they might be in use or otherwise locked. We
recommend you restart your computer and try unlocking
these items. After restarting, you should run
SpywareDeepScan to remove any remaining items.
Changing Anti-Spyware Settings

The Anti-Spyware settings has a listbox with the names of spyware
programs that have been selected to exclude from the scan. All items are
checked by default. You can uncheck any of the items and click OK if you
want to remove them from the exclusion list. To add checked items to the
exclude list, click the Exclude Selected button.
92 • Stopping Spies and Ads Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Quarantining Spyware
Overview
After spyware and other unwanted software items have been placed in the
quarantine backup they can no longer cause harm to your computer. You
can restore items of your choice, or you can delete all of the backed up
items to the Windows Recycle Bin.
Removing Items from Quarantine

Spyware and other unwanted software items can be restored from the
QuarantineManager. The Restore option returns selected items back to
their original locations on your computer
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Quarantining Spyware • 93

To Restore Quarantined Items.
CAUTION: Restoring quarantined files can make your

computer vulnerable to spyware threats.

QuarantineManager dialog displaying all quarantined spyware and
other unwanted software items, and buttons with options for dealing
with the items.
4. Choose the item(s) to restore by checking the box to the left of the
name. You can also use the Select All button to choose all the items in
the backup.
5. Click the Restore button.
The spyware or other unwanted software items are then returned back to
their original locations on your computer.
Deleting Spyware Items

Unlike files infected with a virus, spyware items aren’t files that can be
cleaned. Generally, the only way to get rid of these threats permanently is
to delete them.
NOTE: You can’t delete selected spyware items from the

backup. You can only delete all of the backed up spyware at
once to the Windows Recycle Bin.

QuarantineManager dialog displaying all quarantined spyware and
other unwanted software items, and buttons with options for dealing
with the items.
4. Click the Select All button to choose all the items in the backup.
5. Click the Delete All button.
All of the backed-up spyware items are then deleted to the Windows
Recycle Bin.
94 • Quarantining Spyware Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

DIAGNOSE
Diagnosing Your Computer 97
Keeping Track of Error Messages 103
Viewing System Information 105
Validating Removable Media 107
Monitoring Your Hard Drive 109
Monitoring Your Computer 111
Viewing Program Log Files 125
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Diagnose • 95

96 • Diagnose Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Diagnosing Your Computer
Overview
It’s easier to get “under the hood” of your computer than your automobile
these days. Windows constantly monitors the condition of your computer
—what is running, how much of an impact any particular program or
process is having on your computer as a whole, what exactly is happening
when something goes wrong, etc. What Windows doesn’t do is give you
easy access to the information it collects. The Diagnose tools help you
learn more about your computer and let you deal with problems before
they become catastrophes.
Like any machine, your computer can develop problems. The System
Diagnostics tools help you find the problem as quickly as possible.
• To check your installed hardware for problems, see “Diagnosing
Hardware with PCDiagnostics” on page 98.
• To look through your computer and return a complete list of computer
statistics, see “Viewing System Information” on page 105.
• For warnings if your hard drive is about to fail, see “Monitoring Your
Hard Drive” on page 109.
• To keep track of all the tasks performed and messages Fix-It Utilities
generates, see “Viewing Program Log Files” on page 125.
• To capture all Windows error messages and place them in a separate
file to help you troubleshoot computer and program problems, see
“Keeping Track of Error Messages” on page 103.
• To read every directory and file on a disk to make sure that all the
data on the disk is accessible, see “Validating Removable Media” on
page 107.
• To keep watch of your system resources and receive notices on
problems or potential problems, see “Monitoring Your Computer” on
page 111.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Diagnosing Your Computer • 97

Diagnosing Hardware with PCDiagnostics
PCDiagnostics tells you how (and whether) your computer’s hardware is
working. If you run the diagnostics regularly, you begin to see when your
computer performs well versus when it doesn’t, and you can also track
changes in performance over time. If PCDiagnostics locates a hardware
problem, it offers one or more possible causes.
PCDiagnostics checks and reports on any or all of the following:
• Computer memory (RAM)
• Hard drive(s)
• Diskette and other removable media drive(s)
• CD and DVD drives
• Serial, parallel, and USB ports (including your printer’s LPT port)
• Video (display)
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Modem
• Network card
• Sound card
• Multimedia capabilities
• Computer (mother) board and central processing unit (CPU)
You can set up your own “test groups.” A test group is a recorded
combination of hardware diagnostics, which you create, name, and can run
any time. Fix-It Utilities comes with some default test groups, and you can
also create your own.
You can specify exactly which hardware shows up in the PCDiagnostics
window. For more information see “Changing PCDiagnostics Settings” on
page 102.
Running PCDiagnostics
From the Fix-It Utilities home window, click the Diagnose category
button, and then click PCDiagnostics. The program quickly scans your
computer.
At the PCDiagnostics window, you can select or create a test group and
select diagnostics individually.
98 • Diagnosing Your Computer Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Selecting Test Groups
Test groups are PCDiagnostics test configurations that have been saved
and named. Fix-It Utilities comes with some default test groups, and you
can also create your own test groups.
To create a new test group, check the tests you want to run, and then click
the Save As button. After you give the new test group a unique name, you
have a new test group.
You can also click the Remove button to remove a test group, and you can
click the Save button to make changes to an existing test group.
• Select/create a test group: You can either select an existing test
group or you can create a new test group with the diagnostics you
want to run. Click Save to save the new changes to the old test group,
or click Save As to create a new test group.
Choose a test group

from the drop-down list.
You can make changes to the

test group and Save them, or
click the Save As button to
create a new test group.
• Select your own diagnostics individually. You can select the

diagnostics to run, and then run them without using a test group.
Check only the options

you want to run this time.

Viewing the PCDiagnostics Dialog
After the program goes through its setup routine and displays the different
components of your computer that the PCDiagnostics can evaluate, you
can select the hardware you want to diagnose.
A gray checked box indicates that this is a category that contains
sub-categories, some of which are checked.
A white blank box is a non-selected test. If there is a plus sign (+)
next to it, it is a category with no checked sub-items.
A white checked box is a selected test. If there is a plus sign (+)
next to it, it is a category within which all sub-items are checked.
To uncheck all component tests, uncheck the Diagnostics box at the top
of the list.
For specific information on each test, click that component to see a test
description.
You can use Test Groups to save and run test configurations.
Selecting the Test Depth

The test depth is the level of thoroughness of the group of tests.
1. Select the Test Depth:
• Shallow tests perform a quick, cursory check of each device.

• Average tests are more complete and thorough tests.
• Deep tests are extremely thorough and take much more time.
2. After you have selected the tests and depth, click Next to have
PCDiagnostics run.
3. When it is finished, click Next to display the summary report.
The summary report describes the test results. Successful results have a
green heading; Tests that failed or had mixed results have a red heading.
NOTE: You can also run PCDiagnostics from the FixUp

and Comprehensive Wizards. It will run non-loopback and
non-interactive tests.

Viewing the PCDiagnostics Results
The PCDiagnostics Results dialog shows the details of the test results.
• Green headers indicate successful tests
• Red headers indicate failed tests
You can use the drop-down menu to show Passed tests.
Just because a component of your computer didn’t pass a test doesn’t
necessarily mean there is a serious problem. Be sure to evaluate the results
(especially for interactive tests).
Did you enter responses appropriately? Was the loopback connector
attached correctly? Tests can sometimes have problems because the user
interaction was incorrect or the test wasn’t set up properly.
Clicking the Save button allows you to save the test results as an RTF
(Rich Text Format) file. Microsoft Word, WordPad, and many other text
editors can read RTF files. When you’ve finished looking at the results,
click Done to return to the Diagnostics screen.
Diagnostics Needing Loopback Connectors

Some diagnostics require a loopback connector to run. These include the
sound card test and some of the COM port and printer tests. A loopback
connector is a connector that you plug into the serial and/or parallel ports
in the back of your computer. The wiring inside the loopback connector
allows the diagnostic to send and receive signals, verifying that the port is
working.
The diagram below shows the required loopback connector wiring
connections for doing loopback testing for COM and LPT loopback
connectors, should you plan to use them.
SERIAL LOOPBACK CONNECTOR PARALLEL LOOPBACK CONNECTOR
Connector Types: DB25S & DB9S (Female) Connector Type: DB25P (Male)
Interface Standard: Centronics Interface Standard: Centronics
Loopback: Status to Commands Loopback: Status to Commands
DB25S DB9S DB25P
GND 1 DCD 1 -STROBE 1 14 -AUTO FD

RX 2 RX D0 2 15
2 -ERROR
D1 3 16
TX 3 TX 3 -INIT
D2 4 17 -SLCT IN
RTS 4 DTR 4 D3 5 18 GND
D4 6 19
CTS 5 GND 5 GND
D5 7 20
DSR 6 DSR 6 GND
D6 8 21 GND
Sig Gnd 7 RTS 7 D7 9 22 GND
-ACK 10 23
DCD 8 CTS 8 GND
BUSY 11 24
RI GND
DTR 20 9 PE 12 25 GND
SLCT 13
If you want to run a standard series of tests, but don’t have a loopback
connector, select the Non-Loopback Tests Test Group instead of the
Normal Tests.
Loopback connectors can be found at a variety of electronic parts stores.

About the Video Diagnostics
The video diagnostics might surprise you by the way they display patterns,
colors and images on the screen. Several of the video diagnostics are
interactive—they request you to respond each time one is complete.
For example, the Red diagnostic test displays only red pixels on the
screen, and then asks you to press one key if the test is successful, and
another key if not. In this case, if the screen is entirely red, the test was
successful.
About Interactive Diagnostics

You can run most of the diagnostics tests without having to sit and wait for
the results. However, several of the PCDiagnostics tests require some
interaction by you. The CD-ROM test requires you to load a CD, and then
eject and reload it; the diskette drive test is similar. The video test asks you
to verify each of the display tests by pressing a key.
If a test is interactive, the text describing it in the right pane of the window
will tell you it is interactive. To skip all interactive tests, select the Non-
Interactive Tests group from the Test Group menu.
Changing PCDiagnostics Settings

You can define which diagnostic modules appear when you run
PCDiagnostics. Click the Settings button from the Diagnose screen to
display a list of the current modules.
Any checked items appear on the PCDiagnostics list of modules to

evaluate; unchecked items don’t appear on the list. Any checked items that
don’t exist on your computer don’t load the diagnostic module for the
item. If you make any changes in this dialog, close PCDiagnostics (if it is
running) and restart it for those changes to take effect.
Keeping Track of Error Messages
Overview
When you have a problem with a particular program, and ask a friend or
call technical support to see what’s going on, the first question they ask is
“What did the error message say?” You respond: “Well, there was
something about an illegal operation. I clicked OK and it went away.”
The Fix-It Utilities ErrorTracker gives you a record of error messages
produced by Windows and other programs. ErrorTracker works in the
background, watching for dialogs with certain words (warning, illegal,
etc.). When it sees this type of message, it copies the contents of the
message to a file (Errcap.log) stored in the Fix-It Utilities installation
folder (C:\Program Files\Avanquest\Fix-It Utilities is the default). You can
change the name and path for this folder in the ErrorTracker settings.
ErrorTracker can help you find out how long you’ve had a particular
problem, how often it happens, and (frequently) important clues toward
solving the problem.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Keeping Track of Error Messages • 103

Viewing the Error Messages
To view the error messages ErrorTracker has logged, click Diagnose from
the Fix-It Utilities home window, and then ErrorTracker.
The top window shows what time the error occurred, the program that
delivered the message, and what module in the program had the problem.
The window under it shows detailed information, including the text in the
message box. You can print each message or save it to a separate text file.
When your log file gets large, you can clear the log by opening
ErrorTracker and clicking Clear Log to remove all items from the log.
NOTE: ErrorTracker doesn’t record blue-screen errors.

These blue-screen failures usually indicate an unstable
computer. Writing to the log file might worsen the situation
at that point. If you are getting blue-screen errors, write
them down before shutting your computer down.
Changing the ErrorTracker Settings

This dialog lets you turn ErrorTracker on and off, and change the name
and location of the ErrorTracker log file.
2. Click the Diagnose category button.
4. Click the ErrorTracker tab.
5. Check the Enable ErrorTracker box to turn ErrorTracker on.
If you want to change the name or location of the log file, type the new
path and/or name in the appropriate box. Click the Browse button to
locate the appropriate folder.
104 • Keeping Track of Error Messages Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Viewing System Information
Overview
System Explorer™ provides a tremendous amount of essential
information about your computer at the time that you run it.
Besides the standard information that you can get from Device Manager
and other Windows tools, System Explorer can display and give you a
hard copy of the following:
• Contents of basic configuration files, like Autoexec.bat, Config.sys,
System.ini, and Win.ini
• Detailed information on every window and icon on your Desktop
• A list of all hardware and software drivers running on your computer
• Data on all your physical hard drives and logical partitions
• Information on your version of DirectX, which is very useful in
diagnosing problems with games and multimedia programs
• A list of all running programs, with the amount of RAM each 32-bit
Windows program uses
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Viewing System Information • 105
Starting System Explorer
3. Click the System Explorer button to open System Explorer.
To view information, click the plus sign (+) next to the category in the
left pane.
If necessary, continue to click the plus signs until you reach the
category you want to view.
4. Click the device or category name to display the system information
in the right pane.
You can print this information or save it to a text file.
• To print the text displayed in the right pane, click the Print
button.
• To export the displayed description to either a text file or rich text
format (RTF) file, click the Save button. Microsoft Word,
WordPad, and many other text editors can read RTF files.
• If you want more detailed information on the category, click the
Create Report button (see “Making Reports with System
Explorer” on page 106) to include all the data in the
subcategories.
5. Click Done to return to the home window.
Making Reports with System Explorer

The Create Report button expands descriptions you see on the right side
of the window. If you click an item that has “child” items under it, and
then click the Create Report button, information for that item and all of
the items under it appears.
For example, if you click Printers, you see information about the print
queues. If you then click Create Report, you see detailed report
information about each printer.
You can’t use the Create Report option for the Desktop Windows
category. This category is so large that the resulting text would be too
unwieldy. You can create a report based on the System Information
category (that is, everything System Explorer can describe). Be aware that
printing this report would also result in hundreds of pages of data.
106 • Viewing System Information Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Validating Removable Media
Overview
If you ever need to send out a disk or CD and want to be sure that the files
you are sending are readable, MediaVerifier can help you. MediaVerifier is
especially designed for removable media such as diskettes, CD-RWs, flash
drives, and Zip disks.
MediaVerifier reads every directory and file to make sure that all data on
the disk is accessible. This is especially useful if you have a critical project
and are sending a disk out for someone else to use. There are few things
more frustrating than having the media prove to be unreadable when the
recipient tries to retrieve the data.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Validating Removable Media • 107

Running MediaVerifier
3. Make sure that the disk to be verified is in the drive.
4. Click the MediaVerifier tool button.
5. Check the box next to the drive to be examined and then click Next.
NOTE: Only removable media drives appear here.
MediaVerifier then reads every directory and file on the selected drive
and ensures that it can be read into memory without any errors. You
can track the progress of the operation with the progress bar at the
bottom of the screen. You can stop the process at any time by clicking
the Stop button.
When it’s complete, a results report showing whether it succeeded or
failed appears. You can print this report or save it to a text file by
clicking the appropriate button.
6. Click the Back button to verify another disk, or click Done to return
to the Diagnose window.
If MediaVerifier can’t read a file or directory, it attempts to explain
the cause of the problem in the Results dialog. However, you should
recreate the data on another disk.
108 • Validating Removable Media Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Monitoring Your Hard Drive
Overview
While the vast majority of hard drives will preserve your data for as long
as you own your computer, occasionally a drive will fail. Fix-It Utilities
can help you identify if your drive is about to fail in time for you to
preserve your data.
Modern disk drives use Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting
Technology (SMART), a standard procedure for checking on the physical
health of the drive and report potential problems. The Fix-It Utilities Hard
Disk Failure Warning System uses this technology to tell you if your drive
is in trouble.
NOTE: Be aware of strange noises coming from your hard

drive. If you hear a strange noise or grinding sound, turn off
your computer immediately. Further operation might
damage your hard drive beyond repair or cause irretrievable
data loss.
If you have mission critical data on a drive with hardware damage we

recommend using in-lab data recovery services rather than any software.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Monitoring Your Hard Drive • 109

Running SMARTDiskCheck
3. Click the SMARTDiskCheck tool button.
4. Select the drive(s) you want to test.
5. Select the level of test you want to run.
• Return SMART Status checks with the drive(s) to see if any
SMART limits are being exceeded.
• Short SMART Test briefly tests for problems.
• Extended SMART Test is recommended if you have been seeing
serious problems running programs, opening data files, etc.
6. Click Next to test your drive.
You’ll receive a report on the status of your drive. If the results are
anything but OK, your drive is in serious trouble. You should back up
your data immediately before the drive fails.
7. Click Done to return to the System Diagnostics menu.
You can run the SMARTDiskCheck short test as part of the FixUp or
Comprehensive wizards, or use the Scheduler to periodically check your
computer.
110 • Monitoring Your Hard Drive Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Monitoring Your Computer
Overview
The SystemMonitors constantly monitor your computer, keeping a
watchful eye on your system resources and warning you if one of the
monitored resources reaches or exceeds a specified limit.
The SystemMonitors can be completely customized. You can decide how
often you want the SystemMonitors utility to update the displayed
information, what resources to display, what the “exceed” alarm levels
are, and more. You can even choose the type of alarm that appears when
resource levels are exceeded—an indicator diode light, or a more intrusive
and noticeable pop-up message.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Monitoring Your Computer • 111

Learning About the SystemMonitors
The SystemMonitors run separately from the rest of Fix-It Utilities.
Label Main SystemMonitors Bar
Panels
Monitors
Below is a list of the parts of the SystemMonitors and a brief description.
• Label is part of the Main SystemMonitors bar, you can customize the
label. Click the label to roll the panels up or down.
• Panel is a holder for the monitors. You can roll them up or down by
clicking on the label.
• Monitors display current information about a resource. You can
display monitors as either metered date, or as a moving average,
sometimes called a histogram.
• Main SystemMonitors Bar is the part of the monitor that shows when
all of the panels are rolled up. The symbols on the right side of the
SystemMonitor Bar are used to:
• Change the display from horizontal to vertical and back again.
• Minimize the SystemMonitors display.
• Close the SystemMonitors.
• Drag and Move the SystemMonitors.
With the panels rolled up, SystemMonitors is a slim bar that takes up a
minimum of desktop space.
If you are really in need of desktop space, you can “dock” or “edge snap”
the SystemMonitors to the edge of the screen. You can also put it on Auto-
Hide, which makes it “slide off” the edge of the screen when you’re not
looking at it, leaving only a slim line to show its location. It reappears
when you move your cursor to the screen edge. For more information, see
“Changing SystemMonitors Settings” on page 117.
112 • Monitoring Your Computer Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Starting SystemMonitors
The SystemMonitors can be started from the Fix-It Utilities window or
automatically when you start your computer (see “Auto-Starting
SystemMonitors” on page 118).
Starting the SystemMonitors Manually

3. Click the SystemMonitors button.
4. Click the Launch SystemMonitors button.
With the panels rolled up, SystemMonitors is a slim bar that takes up a
minimum of Desktop space.
You can “dock” or “edge snap” SystemMonitors to the edge of the screen,
and you can also put it on Auto-Hide, which makes it “slide off” the edge
of the screen when not being actively viewed. It reappears when you move
your cursor to the screen edge.
NOTE: If you are running more than one program of this

type, the programs might clash with each other, showing
inaccurate information.
Reading the Display

The SystemMonitors feature information about available system resources
in two formats:
• Meter displays the current resource level. The display shows a visual
graph of the current resource level, as well as the exact number.
• Moving Average displays a history of the resource levels over some

period of time. The extent of time shown in a Moving Average varies
depending on the resources.

Rolling the Panels Up or Down
To roll up the panels, click the panel label. To roll down a panel, click the
label again.
Switching Between Horizontal and Vertical Display

You can change SystemMonitors from a horizontal display to a vertical
display.
To change the display, click the curved arrow in the SystemMonitors Main
Bar. To change it back, click the curved arrow again.

Moving SystemMonitors
To move SystemMonitors to another area of the screen, click anywhere on
the SystemMonitors bar and drag it into place. Release the left mouse
button when SystemMonitors is in the correct place.
Click and drag to move the
System Monitors display.
Closing SystemMonitors
To exit SystemMonitors, click the X.
Modifying the SystemMonitors

If you want to change the way SystemMonitors looks, you can modify the
appearance by moving monitors and panels, or by adding and removing
monitors and panels.
Rearranging the Monitors

You can change the order of the monitors within a panel or move monitors
from one panel to another by clicking on each monitor and dragging it to
the desired location.
Adding New Panels

You can add new panels following the steps listed below.
1. Right-click SystemMonitors.
2. Select Add Panel from the context menu.
3. Enter a label (Name of Panel) and click OK.
The new panel with its label will show up as part of the main bar. After
you have created the new panel, you can add monitors to it. (see “Adding
Monitors” on page 116)
Changing a Label
The panel labels can be changed by following the steps listed below.
1. Right-click the panel label or a blank area of the panel.
2. Select Rename Panel from the context menu.
3. Enter the new label in the dialog, and click OK.

Removing Panels
If you need to remove panels from the display, follow the steps listed
below. Removing a panel also removes the monitors in the panel.
Right-click the panel to be removed, and then click Remove Panel from
the menu.
If there are monitors in the panel, a dialog appears asking if you really
want to remove the panel. Click Yes to confirm, and No if you changed
your mind.
The panel will then be removed from the display.
Adding Monitors
If you want to add monitors to an existing panel, follow the steps list
below.
1. Right-click the panel label or a blank area of the panel.
2. Select Add Monitor to Panel from the context menu.
To select multiple monitors, hold down the CTRL or SHIFT key as you
select them.
3. Click OK.
After you have added a new monitor, you might want to view and modify
its settings (see “Changing Individual Monitor Settings” on page 120).
NOTE: To get data for the Performance Data/Logical Disk

and Performance Data/Physical Disk monitors, type:
diskperf -y at the command prompt and restart your
computer.
Removing Monitors
If you want to remove a monitor from a panel, right-click the monitor that
you want to remove, and then select Remove Monitor from the context
menu. The monitor will disappear from the display.

Changing SystemMonitors Settings
SystemMonitors initially sets up a default group of devices and resources
to monitor, depending on your system configuration. However, you can
change these so that SystemMonitors tracks only the resources you want,
and monitors the thresholds you specify. You can also change the labels
on the main bar, add new panels, or remove panels.
There are two levels of settings:
• General SystemMonitors settings (see “Adjusting the General
Settings” on page 117)
• Individual monitor settings (see “Changing Individual Monitor
Settings” on page 120)
Adjusting the General Settings

The General SystemMonitors settings allows you to add, remove, and
rename panels, as well as changing the display of the utility.
To Access the General SystemMonitors Settings
Right-click any part of the SystemMonitors, and then select
SystemMonitors Settings from the context menu.
The settings dialog displays the panel names, as well as the properties that
govern its behavior.

Panels
The panel setting lists the current panel titles. To make a change to the
number of panels, you can click the Add Panel or Remove Panel buttons.
You can also rename panels by clicking on the Rename Panel button.
Options
• EdgeSnap causes the SystemMonitors to “snap to” or dock at the
edge of the screen. This way, when you drag the monitors near the
edge, they automatically move to the very edge of your screen. See
also “Docking SystemMonitors with EdgeSnap” on page 119.
• Always on Top forces the SystemMonitors display to always appear
in front of any other windows on the screen.
• Auto Hide causes the monitors to slide off the edge of the screen
when the SystemMonitors are not being actively viewed and there are
no warnings. You should have the EdgeSnap feature turned on to use
Auto Hide, because the Monitors have to be positioned exactly at the
edge of the screen for it to work.
• Load at Startup loads the SystemMonitors display every time your
computer starts.
Visual Effects
• Show Tab Text displays the name of the panel down the side of the
panel if there is enough room.
• Show Grip Glow, if the SystemMonitor display has been shrunk
down, causes the left and right grips to glow green instead of grey.
• Full Window Drag allows you to click and “drag” the
SystemMonitors display to another location on the screen.
Make any changes you want, and then click OK to exit and save your
changes.
Auto-Starting SystemMonitors
You can change the SystemMonitors properties to start automatically at
start-up. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Right-click anywhere on the SystemMonitors display.
2. Select SystemMonitors Settings from the context menu.
3. Make sure the checkbox labeled Load at Startup is checked.
4. Click OK to save your change.
The SystemMonitors should now start up every time you start your
computer.

Docking SystemMonitors with EdgeSnap
You might want SystemMonitors to “snap to” or dock at the top or side
edge of the screen whenever you move it close to the edge.
1. Right-click the SystemMonitors main bar.
2. Select SystemMonitors Settings from the context menu to open the
COnfigure System Monitors dialog.
3. Make sure that EdgeSnap box is checked.
4. Click OK to save the change.
Drag SystemMonitors close to an edge of the screen and release it. It
should immediately snap to the edge.
NOTE: If Auto Hide is also checked, the monitors will

slide off the edge of the screen after a short time of
inactivity, leaving only a thin line to show where it is. If it
doesn’t edge-snap, try moving SystemMonitors a little
closer to the edge.
Auto-Hiding SystemMonitors
You can set up SystemMonitors so that when it isn’t being actively viewed
and there are no warnings, it slides off the edge of the screen. This feature
works best if you also have the Docking (EdgeSnap) feature turned on,
because the monitor has to be lined up perfectly with the edge of the
display or it won’t auto-hide. With EdgeSnap turned on, you can move the
Monitors close to the edge, and it will snap to the edge and then auto-hide.
When it auto-hides, only a thin line at the edge appears to show its
location. To view SystemMonitors, move the cursor to the edge and the
SystemMonitors will reappear.

To Auto-Hide the SystemMonitors
In the Configure SystemMonitors dialog, make sure that the Auto Hide
box is checked.
TIP: For best results, make sure that the EdgeSnap box is
also checked.
Click OK to save the change.

Now, when you move SystemMonitors to the edge, it slides off, leaving a
thin line showing its location.
Changing the Visual Effects

These options affect how SystemMonitors appears:
Show Tab Text displays the name of the panel down the side of the panel
if there is enough room.
Show Grip Glow, if the SystemMonitors display has been shrunk down,
the left and right grips glow green instead of grey.
Full Window Drag allows you to click and drag the SystemMonitors
display to another location on the screen.
Changing Individual Monitor Settings

Individual monitor settings can be made by placing the cursor over the
desired monitor, clicking the right-mouse button, and selecting Monitor
Settings from the menu.

To Change the Individual Monitor Settings
1. Right-click the monitor you want to change.
2. Select Monitor Settings from the context menu.
The Monitor Settings dialog appears, where you can make the
changes you need.
3. Make the changes you want and click OK to finish.

The following sections explain how to modify settings for individual
monitors.

Setting Alarms
System Monitor Alarms provide you with a warning system when
computer resources reach a certain threshold. You can create one to three
alarms for each monitor.
You can choose the type of alarm you want to see when any given resource
level has been exceeded—a red diode light on the System Monitor, or a
more intrusive and noticeable pop-up message.
1. Right-click the monitor and select Monitor Setting from the context
menu to open the Monitor Settings dialog.
2. Click New Alarm.
To modify an existing alarm, click the alarm to select it. After you do
that, the other fields in the dialog become active.
3. Select If Over or If Under from the Threshold drop-down list.
4. Enter the threshold level in the box to the right.
The units are always the same as the monitor display. For example, if
the monitor displays units as a percentage, then you can assume that
the threshold is also a percentage.
5. Select the priority (Low, Medium, or High) from the drop-down list.
6. Select the action to take:
• The Diode alert only action turns the diode display red.
• The Pop up window warning action displays a message with the
warning information if the resource exceeds the specified level.
• If you select Launch corrective measure, you’re asked for a
program name. This would be used if you have previously
installed a program to run. For example, if the level of available
disk space becomes low, you might want to run a DiskCleaner
program that deletes unneeded files.
7. Click OK to save your changes.
SystemMonitors will now display its warnings based on the new
threshold information.

Keeping Track of Two Thresholds for One Resource
You might want to keep track of two thresholds, or alarm levels, for one
resource. For example, you might want to receive a medium-level warning
when available disk space is at 20%, and a high-level warning when
available disk space is at 10%.
1. Create a new monitor for c:\% free.
2. Right-click the new monitor and select Monitor Settings.
3. Click New Alarm.
4. Change the new alarm threshold information to if under and enter 20
for the amount.
5. Set the alarm level to Medium.
6. Set the Action as Diode alert only, and then click Apply.
7. Click New Alarm again.
8. Set up the new alarm with the next level of threshold information.
For example, change the threshold to say if under, and change the
amount to 10.
9. Set the Priority to High Priority.
10. Set the action as Pop up window warning.
11. Click OK to save the new monitor information.

Viewing Program Log Files
Overview
The SystemLog keeps track of many Fix-It Utilities results, whether the
utilities are run manually, via the SystemScheduler, or from the FixUp
Wizard.
Viewing the SystemLog

All of the utilities are automatically logged. There are individual log items
for both the start of the utility and for the finish, whether or not it finished
normally.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Viewing Program Log Files • 125

To View the SystemLog
3. Click the SystemLog tool button.
At the Log window, you can review any of the logged items by
selecting it. The description of that item appears in the bottom pane.
You can clear all items from the log by clicking the Clear log button.
The location of the Log file can be changed in the Settings.
4. When you have finished reviewing the log, click Done to return to the
Fix-It Utilities home window.
Viewing the SystemLog Settings

You can change the name and location of the Log file in the SystemLog
Settings. Click the Settings button from either the Fix-It Utilities home
window or the SystemLog screen to make this change.
You can also specify that the warnings and errors be recorded in the NT
Event Log.
• Log File Name is the name and location of the log file. You can
change this or leave the default.
• Echo messages, when checked, this option echoes the warning and
error messages in the Windows NT Event Log into the Fix-It Utilities
Log.
126 • Viewing Program Log Files Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

FIX & MAINTAIN
Repairing the Registry 129
Editing the Registry 137
Maintaining Your Hard Drive 143
Scheduling Maintenance 149
Updating Your Operating System 153
Synchronizing Your Clock 155
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Fix & Maintain • 127

128 • Fix & Maintain Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Repairing the Registry
Overview
RegistryFixer searches the registry for invalid links and can either repair
or remove them.
Changes made to the registry can be undone in Windows using UndoIt.
Running RegistryFixer
The first step of running RegistryFixer only scans the registry. It doesn’t
actually modify the registry.
2. Click the Fix & Maintain category button.
3. Click the RegistryFixer tool button.
4. Select the sections of the registry that you would like RegistryFixer to
scan, and click Next to continue.
By default, all sections are scanned. This is the best way to ensure that
all registry problems are fixed.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Repairing the Registry • 129

Learning About the System Registry
The System Registry consists of several different sections and settings.
Below are descriptions of the different parts of the system registry.
User Software Settings
This section of the registry holds software settings for your computer.
These entries often contain lists of programs last run and documents
opened by each user, as well as the Sound section of the registry.
Machine Software Settings
This section of the registry holds computer-specific settings for programs.
This section contains all of the other registry sections, except the User
Software Settings section and the Sound section. When searching this
section, RegistryFixer looks only for entries not in any other sections.
ActiveX and COM Settings
This section contains information about the programs that Windows uses
to work with known file types and the components that extend the
functionality of Windows. ActiveX and COM programs are generic
programs called and used by other software. The Windows operating
system comes with hundreds of these programs already installed in the
registry. This is why this section often takes the longest to process.
Programs you install might also add more ActiveX and COM programs.
Fonts Section
This section of the registry stores a list of the fonts available for use in
Windows. These entries usually point to files stored in the Windows/Fonts
folder. The same font name might be installed by multiple programs,
creating duplicate registry entries. Font entries might also become invalid
if the font files are deleted or moved. RegistryFixer locates invalid entries.
Sound Section
This is a sub-section of the User Software Settings section of the registry.
This section associates Windows “events” with sound files. For example,
you might hear a beep signaling an error. There are also sound “themes,”
which set up a group of sounds attached to specific events.
This is in the User Software Settings section because sounds can be
customized for each user on a computer. If sound files are manually
deleted or moved, their registry entries become invalid. RegistryFixer
checks the registry for invalid sound schemes.
130 • Repairing the Registry Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Run Section
This registry section lists the programs to be run automatically at startup
(and are not in the Windows Startup list). Often these programs are meant
to be run early in the boot process rather than when Windows starts up.
Uninstall Section
This section of the registry lists the programs that Windows knows how to
uninstall. Any program you install on your computer is supposed to make
an entry in this section that tells Windows how to uninstall it.
Occasionally programs put invalid uninstall entries into the registry; or a
manually-deleted uninstall program might leave an invalid uninstall entry
behind.
Services and Device Drivers Section
This section of the registry lists the services and device drivers for
Windows. This might be the most critical part of your system registry. It
tells the computer how to communicate with every device—the monitor,
the mouse, the hard drive, floppy drives, etc. Without this section, your
computer wouldn’t run.
Invalid entries might occur during the replacing and exchanging of
hardware. For example, if you replace your video card with a newer, better
card, there might be two video card entries in the registry. Or if you
remove a piece of hardware, such as a network card, there might be an
invalid entry. RegistryFixer locates and resolves conflicts and invalid
entries. All invalid entries located in this section are flagged with either
the yellow or red icons. You should always verify these before deleting
them.
Application Paths
This section of the registry lists the default paths to find programs if they
have been moved. If a program looking for another program can’t find it
in the current directory, it checks this section of the registry looking for an
entry that will tell it the location. Uninstalled programs often leave these
links behind.
If RegistryFixer locates what it thinks is the same file, it tries to determine
whether the located file is really the correct program. You then have a
choice of re-linking to the located program(s), or deleting the link.

Shared Files
This section of the registry lists files that are shared between several
programs. Each file has a counter attached to it that indicates the number
of programs using that file.
RegistryFixer ensures that, for each shared file entry in the registry, the
shared file exists and there is a valid counter for the file. If the file has
been moved or deleted, breaking the link, RegistryFixer attempts to find it.
Help Files
This section of the registry associates help files with their install directory.
Usually help files are located in the same directory as their programs, but
sometimes they are installed in a different location. The registry contains
an entry pointing to the help file location, and Windows uses this to find
help files that are not in the current directory.
Viewing the RegistryFixer Scan Results

The RegistryFixer Scan result displays all invalid registry entries located
during the scan. By default, a list of each problem identified in a list
format appears, showing you the problems identified regardless of the
section of the registry where it was found. To see the list in a “tree”
format, showing which section(s) of the registry had problems, click the
Show as Tree button in the lower right corner. In the tree view, click a
plus sign (+) to expand a category, and click again on the minus sign (-)
sign to contract it. Fix-It Utilities automatically checks the boxes of all
entries considered safe to remove.
Select the entries you want to have repaired and click Apply when ready.
CAUTION: Any entries that are marked with a yellow or

red icon are potentially harmful to remove. If you are not
sure, don’t select these entries.
The Show Key button opens the Windows Registry Editor and displays
that entry in the Registry for the selected entry.
The Select All button checks only entries flagged green or yellow. It is
potentially hazardous to select red-flagged entries. You should look at the
description of each red-flagged entry and be certain it refers to a file that is
no longer on your computer before tagging it for removal.

Applying the RegistryFixer Repairs
Each individual registry entry has two important pieces of information:
• A safe-to-fix icon indicates how safe it is to allow RegistryFixer to
remove the entry.
• A brief description of the registry entry and a recommendation as to
what to do with it.
Notice the green, yellow, and red icons next to each item.
• A green icon indicates that the registry entry is safe to remove.
• A yellow or red icon denotes varying degrees of warning and danger,
and removing one of these entries could cause computer problems.
If you want to view the list in tree-form, click the Show as Tree button.
If you are not sure, don’t remove the entry. Green-marked entries are
automatically selected for removal. If you click the Select All button,
yellow-marked entries are added to the total. Red-marked entries must be
selected individually. You can also protect certain keys by clicking the
Protect Keys button (see “Protecting Registry Keys” on page 134).
CAUTION: It is safe to remove any items with a green

icon, but you should be familiar with the registry before
deleting yellow or red items. If there is any uncertainty, it is
safer to leave the item in the registry.
NOTE: Deleted registry keys can be restored using the Fix-

It Utilities UndoIt tool (see “Undoing Changes” on page
231).

To Apply the Changes
1. Click the Apply button and RegistryFixer fixes the selected items, and
then displays a summary report.
Because the registry is a heavily cross-referenced file, removing some
registry entries often makes other entries invalid as well. We
recommend running RegistryFixer a second time, or until the number
of automatically selected items reaches zero.
2. To repeat the process, click the Back button.
3. Click Done when you’re finished.
NOTE: You can also run RegistryFixer from the FixUp and
Comprehensive Wizards. It will remove only safe items
from the registry.
Protecting Registry Keys

Before you apply the repairs to the registry keys, you can protect
individual or groups of keys from being changed. This is handy if you
encounter specific keys you want to lock from modification or deletion by
the Registry Fixer.
To protect keys, while on the screen showing all the problems found,
highlight the key and click the Protect button. A tree view of the keys
appears with the highlighted key.
Click the key name to display a red lock on the selected group or item.
You can select other items to lock, or type in a specific key in the Add
dialog.
The next time you scan the Registry, any locked keys will not be checked
and will not appear in the list of problems.

Blocking Registry Keys
When registry items can’t be repaired, you have the option to block these
items from being scanned again. Click Block Items to add keys to an
ignore list, so the next time RegistryFixer is used these keys are not
examined.
About the RegistryFixer Display

The Show as Tree/Show as List button switches between display types.
This allows you to display the registry items either as a non-hierarchical
list, or as a tree structure. The tree structure shows you in which section of
the registry the particular problem was located. If you display the items in
the tree structure, you can click the plus and minus.
Changing RegistryFixer Settings

The RegistryFixer Settings allow you to select the drives you would like
examined and determine if moderate and high level danger files are
displayed in the scan.
To Change the RegistryFixer Settings
4. Click the Registry Fixer tab to view the available settings.

5. Choose the drives to examine by checking the box next to the drive.
6. Choose to scan Fixed and/or Network drives to verify that all links
are valid.
7. If you want see yellow or red items, choose to Show yellow items or
Show red items by checking the box next to the option.
Click the Protect Keys button to lock registry keys preventing their
modification. You can Lock All keys, Unlock All, Expand All, and
Add a registry key to the list to protect (see “Protecting Registry
Keys” on page 134).
8. Click OK to close the dialog.

Editing the Registry
Overview
RegistryMagic lets you edit specific parts of the Windows system registry.
You should be an advanced user with a complete knowledge of the
registry (or working with a support technician) before using
RegistryMagic. Modifications to the system registry can potentially
damage or negatively affect your computer. If in doubt, don’t delete or
modify items in the system registry.
Similar to when you run the Windows registry editor (REGEDIT), you
can use RegistryMagic to create, delete, rename, and modify Keys or
Values. You can also copy a key name to the clipboard and paste it into
another program.
In addition to the basic REGEDIT functions, the RegistryMagic tool also
has an advanced find feature, an easy-to-use toolbar, features to copy and
paste entire keys, and the ability to display value names, their data, and the
size of the data.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Editing the Registry • 137

Learning About the System Registry
The registry is a database used by Windows to store configuration
information. The registry has a hierarchical structure, similar to the
directories or folders on your hard disk. The registry contents pane
displays the following rows and columns:
• Value. Each horizontal row is referred to as a value. The contents
pane displays the Value Name, Value Data, and Value Size.
• Data Type Icon. In each row, the icon to the left of the Name column
indicates the format of the information in the Data column: String,
Binary, and DWORD.
• String is any data enclosed in quotation marks, with the
exception of the (value not set) data and other parenthetical
remarks that indicate an empty data block or null value.
• Binary is any data that appears in hexadecimal format. This
format can be recognized by the distinctive xx space yy space zz
space format, where xx, yy, and zz are hexadecimal numbers.
Example:
Name Data
Settings 60 00 00 00 00 01... 04... ff ff
ff... 00 00
• DWORD is any hexadecimal data that appears as double-word
format, also know as a 4-byte sequence. The dword format is
recognizable by 0x, followed by an unspaced 4-byte hexadecimal
sequence, followed by a space and then followed by its decimal
equivalent in parentheses. Example:
Name Data
Height 0x00000240 (576)
138 • Editing the Registry Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Learning About Registry Keys
Each branch in the registry is indicated by a folder called a Key. Each key
can contain other keys, as well as Values. Each value contains the actual
information stored in the Registry. The Registry has six main branches,
each containing specific information:
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT: File associations and OLE information.
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER: All preferences set for current user.
• HKEY_USERS: All the current user information for each user.
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE: Settings for hardware, operating
system, and installed programs.
• HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG. Settings for the display and printers.
• HKEY_DYN_DATA. Performance data for use with the Windows
Plug-&-Play feature.
Using RegistryMagic
Only advanced users with expert knowledge of the system registry should
make modifications to the system registry. Don’t edit your registry unless
it is absolutely necessary. If there is an error in your registry, your
computer might stop working. If this happens, you might want to restore
the registry to its state when you last successfully started your computer
using “Restoring Computer Functionality” on page 241.
Adding a Key
1. Expand the registry list to the folder where you want to add the new
key.
2. Right-click the folder.
3. Open the Edit menu and choose New > Key to display the new key
with a temporary name.
4. Type a name for the new key, and then press ENTER.
If you make a mistake that results in your computer not starting properly,
you can restore the registry.

Adding a Value
1. Expand the registry list to the location where you want to add the new
value.
2. Right-click where you want to add the new value.
3. Open the Edit menu and choose New.
4. Select the type of value you want to add: String Value, Binary Value,
or DWORD Value.
The new value appears with a temporary name.
5. Type a name for the new value, and then press ENTER.
Changing a Value
Open the Edit menu and choose Modify, or you can double-click the value
you want to change. In the Value data box, type the new data for the value.
Deleting a Key or Value

In the registry list, locate the key or value you want to delete. Right-click
the key or value, and then choose Delete.
Renaming a Key or Value

1. Locate the key or value you want to rename.
You don’t need to open it.
2. Right-click the key or value you want to rename, and then choose
Rename from the context menu.
3. Type the new name, and then press ENTER.
Copying a Key
Select the key you want to copy. Then, open the Edit menu and choose
Copy Key.
Pasting a Key
Copy the key you want to paste. Then, select the location where you want
to paste the key. Open the Edit menu and choose Paste Key.

Finding a String, Value, or Key
1. Choose the item you want to search.
If you want to search the whole registry, then make sure the My
Computer item is selected.
2. Open the Edit menu and choose Find.
3. In the Search for text box, type the text you want searched.
4. Choose the Search criteria you want searched.
5. You can search for Keys, Value Name, and/or Data.
• If you want the search to consider the capitalization of the text,
check the Case Sensitive box.
• If you want to match the text string exactly, check the Match full
string box.
6. Click the Start button.
When the search is completed, you can double-click an item to open it in
the registry.
Refreshing the Registry

You might want to refresh the registry after making changes. Refreshing
the registry will resort the contents in the view.
To refresh the registry, open the View menu and choose Refresh.
Using the Bookmark List

RegistryMagic can save registry key names into a Bookmark List so you
can revisit the keys quickly later.
To Save a Registry Key in the Bookmark List
Choose the item you want to bookmark. Then, open the View menu and
choose Add Bookmark.
To Revisit a Registry Key
1. Open the View menu and choose Bookmarks, or click the View
Bookmarks button on the toolbar.
If the View Bookmarks button is gray, the Bookmarks feature is
already selected.
2. Choose the down arrow on the right of the drop-down list below the
toolbar to view a list of bookmarks.
3. Choose the bookmark you want to view.

To Edit the Bookmark List
1. Open the Edit menu and choose Edit Bookmarks.
2. Choose the bookmarks you want to remove from the list and click
Remove.
To remove all bookmarks from the list, click Clear All.
3. Click the Close button.
Using the History List

RegistryMagic saves registry key names you have visited in a History
List.
To Visit a Registry Key Saved in the History List
1. Open the View menu and choose History, or click the View History
button on the toolbar.
If the View History button is gray, the History feature is already
selected.
2. Click the down arrow on the right of the drop-down list to view a list
of registry key names you have visited.
3. Choose the bookmark you want to see.
To Edit the History List
1. Open the Edit menu and choose Edit History to view the History List.
2. Choose the registry key names you want to remove from the History
List and click Remove.
To remove all registry key names from the list, click Clear All.
3. Click Close.

Maintaining Your Hard Drive
Overview
DiskFixer is a great maintenance tool for your hard drive. It can perform
Tests, AutoFixes, and Surface Scans. Running the disk surface test can
often move the data to a normal sector, solving the problem. Running the
disk surface test monthly on a healthy computer is also a good
maintenance policy and can prevent more serious crashes down the road.
Using DiskFixer
The most common data damage problems can usually be resolved by
running the default tests. DiskFixer can perform a complete check of the
entire disk surface, reading each sector to verify its quality. This check
will identify any physical damage to your hard drive, but takes
considerably longer to run. If the computer crashes whenever you open a
particular file, has any program crash, or gives you a blue-screen error, a
likely explanation is that part of the file is sitting on a damaged sector.
DiskFixer supports NTFS, FAT32, and FAT16 partitions, and performs
many of the same functions as the Microsoft product ScanDisk in older
versions. However, it goes several steps further:
• DiskFixer is faster than ScanDisk.
• DiskFixer does a more complete and thorough analysis of partition
tables and boot sectors.
• DiskFixer catches and fixes many minor file errors.
• DiskFixer can fix multiple drives; not only one at a time.
• DiskFixer can notify you each time it finds a problem, allowing you
to address each problem or issue individually.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Maintaining Your Hard Drive • 143

To Run DiskFixer
3. Click the DiskFixer tool button.
4. Select the drive(s) to repair by checking the box next to the disk.
The checked box
indicates which
drive is selected.
If you are checking a drive with removable media, place the media in
the drive.
5. Choose from the following options:
• Automatically fix errors fixes errors without asking. If you don’t
check this box, DiskFixer will ask before fixing any problems it
finds.
• Save Undo Information gives you the ability to undo any
DiskFixer changes.
• Scan disk surface for read/write errors makes sure that each
cluster on the hard drive is readable and writable, by checking the
option at the bottom of the window. Bad clusters are set aside so
they can’t be used again. This is a lengthy scan.
144 • Maintaining Your Hard Drive Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

DiskFixer checks and repairs the disk, displaying progress on a disk
map.
• If you choose not to have DiskFixer automatically fix problems,
it displays a dialog when it finds a problem. You have a choice to
fix or ignore each one. You can also cancel the operation and
return to the home window.
• If you asked for the disk surface scan, DiskFixer goes through the
complete scan, verifying that each sector of the disk is readable
and writable. This process takes some time to complete.
When DiskFixer is finished, you will get a report on what DiskFixer
found. You can print this report or save it to a text file.
7. Click Done to return to the Home window.
NOTE: You can also run DiskFixer from the FixUp or

Comprehensive Wizards. It will run all the tests, except for
the surface scan, and will automatically fix any problems.
DiskFixer Difficulties
If the process keeps restarting with the message:
“Disk volume modified…restarting”
This means that there is at least one process running on your computer that
is writing or modifying data on the disk. Every time this happens,
DiskFixer has to restart the drive mapping process. To get DiskFixer to
continue without restarting, stop the program that is causing the disk
access. If you’re not sure which one it is, close each running program one
by one until DiskFixer is able to continue.
Physical Disk Damage
Physical damage to a disk might be a piece of dust or a tiny scratch on the
disk. Physical damage is reported as bad clusters on the disk.
Although no repair program can retrieve the data that was originally in the
bad clusters, DiskFixer can set those clusters aside and ensure they are
never used again.

Changing DiskFixer Settings
The DiskFixer settings allow you to change which tests are run, what files
are fixed automatically, and what areas are scanned.
3. Click the Settings button from the main menu bar.
4. Choose the Disk Fixer tab to display the available settings.
Tests
• Partition tables check checks the individual partition boot records
and header data structures against the master boot record.
• Boot records checks boot records for valid information and structure.
• File allocation tables looks for invalid entries in the FAT (FAT/
FAT32 systems only) and, if possible, fixes them.
• Files verifies the directory structure, looking for invalid directory
contents and file sizes. Also, makes sure that the entries refer to valid
data and checks that two files don’t both refer to the same data
(crosslinked files).
• Dates and times verifies that every file is stamped with a valid date
and time. Any files with invalid information are given the current date
and time.
• File names verifies that every file has a valid file name. Occasionally
a corrupted file might contain invalid characters in its name, making it
inaccessible to the operating system. This test locates these files and
fixes them.
• Lost cluster chains locates lost clusters and either recycles them as
free space or makes them into files so you can review the data.
By default, DiskFixer runs all of these options. To customize these
options, change the DiskFixer settings by clicking the Settings button
from the Fix-It Utilities home window, and then clicking the Fix &
Maintain category button. You can also have DiskFixer automatically fix
all of the problems it finds, or notify you about each problem individually
so you decide what to do on a problem-by-problem basis.

AutoFix
• Cross-linked files allows DiskFixer to separate two different files
that point to the same area on the disk. On very rare occasions, the
File Allocation Table (FAT) can have two entries pointing to the same
area of the disk. This creates the situation where two different files
contain data on the same area of the disk.
Since the computer can’t determine which file has the correct data and
which has a corrupted link, DiskFixer can separate the two files so
you can examine them at your leisure to determine which has correct
data and which is corrupted.
When DiskFixer finds cross-linked files, this setting tells DiskFixer
how to handle it. The default Duplicate option creates a copy of one
of the cross-linked files so you can examine each one to determine
which is the good file. The Ignore option ignores the cross-linked
files but does report them as a problem. The Delete option removes
the cross-linked file.
• Lost Clusters gives you two options:
The default Delete option deletes lost cluster chains, restoring the free
space.
The Save as Files option saves lost clusters as files so you can check
the contents for data.
Surface Scan
DiskFixer can perform a complete (and lengthy) check of the entire disk
surface, reading and writing each sector to verify its quality. You can
choose the areas to scan. This test should be run monthly for good
maintenance. You can use this setting to only scan portions of the surface,
if you want.
• Scan System Areas: These are boot sectors, reserved sectors, and
FATs.
• Scan File Areas: These are clusters that are in use for storage of files
and folders. If you are having problems with individual files crashing,
this scan will determine if part of the problem file is sitting on a bad
cluster. While the data on the bad cluster is lost, DiskFixer allows you
to access the remainder of the file.
• Scan Unused Areas: Areas of the drive not currently in use.
Scanning these areas periodically will help identify bad clusters
before data is stored on them.

Scheduling Maintenance
Overview
The SystemScheduler lets you automatically schedule Fix-It Utilities
tools to maintain and tune your computer, either on a regular basis or one
time only.
You schedule each tool individually. For example, you can schedule the
RegistryCleaner to run at 4:00 am on Tuesdays.
• You don’t have to be running the main Fix-It Utilities program for the
SystemScheduler to run programs at their appointed times. The
scheduler runs in the background, separate from Fix-It Utilities.
• After starting, the SystemScheduler runs in the background, checking
every now and then to see if it needs to run something.
• You can view the results of the tools run by clicking on the View
Scheduler Results button.
If you schedule items to run at the same time, Scheduler actually runs
them sequentially, in an order it picks. If you would rather choose the
order of events, you should vary the times. To be on the safe side, you
should also give each utility plenty of time to run before the next
scheduled event occurs.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Scheduling Maintenance • 149

Opening the SystemScheduler
3. Click the SystemScheduler tool button.
The utilities shown in this window are the only ones you can
schedule. You can’t add any others. At the Scheduler window, choose
the first tool to schedule.
NOTE: To allow JETDefrag to do its best job, you

need to disable all third-party anti-virus software
programs before running this tool. Running other anti-
virus programs, while using JETDefrag, can result in
slow running or locking the file preventing JETDefrag
from optimizing the drive properly.
4. Click the Schedule button or double-click the scheduled item.

Clicking the View scheduler results button shows the results of all
scheduled utilities that have run (see “Viewing SystemScheduler
Results” on page 152).
NOTE: If you run ClockSync through SystemScheduler,

your scheduled events might change if your computer date
or clock are drastically different than the actual time and
date.
150 • Scheduling Maintenance Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Scheduling a Utility
You can adjust the scheduler settings for the selected tool in the Settings
window. The settings allow you to check or uncheck individual tools and
adjust their settings for the frequency, time, and start date of when and
how often the tools run.
1. Click the down-arrow of the frequency menu and choose a frequency.
2. Choose the Start Time.

To change the time, select the hour first and then click the up or down
arrows to change the hour. Then, select the minutes and then click the
up or down arrows to change the minutes.
You can also click the Now + 2 minutes button to run the selected
tool in two minutes (if you’re finished configuring the scheduler in
that time).
3. Choose the start date to begin running the tool.

To change the start date, click the date and enter a new value, or click
the down-arrow next to the date to open the calendar. You can click
any day to make that day the start day.
The framed date
indicates today’s date,
while the day you
choose is highlighted.
4. Click OK to return to the Scheduler window.

5. Repeat this process for each item you want to schedule.
6. Click Next to turn Scheduler on.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Scheduling Maintenance • 151

Starting the SystemScheduler
After you schedule a process and click Next, a list of scheduled items
appears in the main window.
• If you want to start the scheduler immediately, check the Load Now
option.
• If you want to wait and start scheduler the next time you restart
Windows, check the Unload Now option.
• If you want a warning dialog to appear before scheduler runs a tool,
check the Show dialog when starting a component box.
SystemScheduler doesn’t have to be running to run scheduled modules.
However, if SystemScheduler is running, you can right-click the tray icon
to display a summary dialog showing scheduler information without
having to open Fix-It Utilities (see “Viewing SystemScheduler from the
Tray Icon” on page 152).
After you have scheduled an item, SystemScheduler automatically starts
every time you start your computer.
Viewing SystemScheduler from the Tray Icon

The SystemScheduler dialog summarizes Scheduler information without
having to run Fix-It Utilities first. It shows all scheduled modules, their
frequency, when they were last run, and when they are next scheduled to
run.
To view the SystemScheduler dialog, right-click the Fix-It Utilities tray
icon and choose Scheduler from the context menu.
Click OK when finished with this dialog.
Viewing SystemScheduler Results

The Scheduler saves the results of all processes in a special Results Log
(this is different from the Fix-It Utilities log). The Results Log is available
from the Scheduler. Click the View scheduler results button, and choose
the item you want to view in the top pane. The details of that item are
displayed in the bottom pane.
• To print out the details, click the Print button.
• To save the results as a text file, click the Save button.
• To delete an entry, select the item from the list and click the Delete
button.
• To delete all entries, click the Delete All button.
Click Done when you have finished viewing results.
152 • Scheduling Maintenance Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Updating Your Operating System
Overview
Software developers are constantly finding and fixing problems that
inevitably appear when programs are used in the “real world.” Anti-virus
programs update their definitions weekly to try to keep up with the 200
new viruses that appear every month. Someone else discovers a security
hole in another program. New versions of existing products come out
every year. Keeping up with all these changes can be hard on the average
user. WindowsUpdate makes it easier.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Updating Your Operating System • 153

Updating with WindowsUpdate
WindowsUpdate connects you with Microsoft’s Windows Update service.
This will keep your Windows operating system updated with the latest
fixes and security improvements from Microsoft.
Running WindowsUpdate
3. Click the WindowsUpdate tool button.
Your computer connects to the Internet and checks if your version of
Windows is up to date. If updates are available, follow the onscreen
instructions for downloading and installing the updates.
NOTE: If you haven’t updated before, or it’s been a long

time since you last updated your computer, you might get a
message that you need to install new software for updating.
If you get this message, click the Install Now button. The
program then installs the update software.
154 • Updating Your Operating System Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Synchronizing Your Clock
Overview
Most of us live our lives by the clock. We have clocks on the wall, clocks
on our wrists, clocks in our telephones, and a clock in our computer.
The problem with most clocks is that time is somewhat subjective; it
depends in part on where you are on the earth, and what you’re using to
keep time. There are other environmental factors too. For most of us, the
level of subjectivity isn’t important.
For scientists, though, nanoseconds matter. So it came to be that scientists
found out that a particular cesium atom pulsated at an extremely
dependable rate. In 1967, an international standards body declared that a
second of time would be equal to one spin around the block for this atom.
Across the planet, thousands of these “atomic clocks” have been set up.
Many of them are connected to computers called time servers. These time
servers are accessible to other computers across the Internet. ClockSync
lets you connect to a public Internet time server to keep your computer’s
clock accurate. It uses the Day Time Protocol to keep your computer
within a second of the atomic time.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Synchronizing Your Clock • 155

Connecting to a Time Server
1. Connect to the Internet.
4. Click the ClockSync tool button.
The first time you run ClockSync, you should choose a time server
closest to your location, and in your time zone. The closer the server,
the faster the results come back.
5. Click the Settings button to choose a server.
By default, ClockSync selects the nist1.aol-va.truetime.com server.

You’ll see a list sorted by country names first. If there are multiple
servers in your country, view the Location column to find a server
closest to you.
6. Click the Test Selected Server button to check if your selected
server is responsive before continuing.
If the server doesn’t respond, choose another server and repeat the
test.
NOTE: Some Internet time servers might not always accept

a connection request from ClockSync. If this should
happen, choose another time server in your time zone before
synchronizing.
156 • Synchronizing Your Clock Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Adding a New Time Server
If you are aware of a time server that isn’t on the list, and know it’s URL
information, you can add the time server to the list.
4. Click the ClockSync tool button to view the ClockSync window.
5. Click the Add New Server button to view the Time Server dialog.
6. Entering the following time server information:

• Private server URL
• Port number
• Timeout interval.
7. Click OK to place the new time server on the list.
8. Choose the new time server from the list.
9. Click OK to confirm the selection and return to the main ClockSync
window.
NOTE: You can schedule ClockSync to run at regular

intervals (see “Opening the SystemScheduler” on page
150).
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Synchronizing Your Clock • 157

Updating Your Computer Clock
ClockSync allows you to connect to a public Internet time server using the
Day Time Protocol to keep your computer’s clock accurate within a
second of the atomic time.
NOTE: Before you update your computer clock, you need

to connect to a time server (see “Connecting to a Time
Server” on page 156).
To Update Your Computer Clock

4. Click the ClockSync tool button to view the ClockSync window.
The main ClockSync window displays the time registered on the time
server (Atomic Time) and the clock on your computer (System Time).
The status line tells you if your computer clock is running slow.
5. Click the Synchronize button to connect to the time server and
update your computer clock.
158 • Synchronizing Your Clock Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

OPTIMIZE
Using SystemOptimizer 161
Using Startup Commander 165
Defragmenting the Registry 177
Defragmenting Your Hard Disk 179
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Optimize • 159

160 • Optimize Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Using SystemOptimizer
Overview
SystemOptimizer provides a simple interface that allows you to select a
specific profile to optimize your computer’s performance for a specific
task.
In addition to the profiles, you can also choose from additional

performance options to modify and improve the performance of your
computer.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Using SystemOptimizer • 161

Selecting a Performance Profile
The first time you start the SystemOptimizer, the No Profile option is
selected. You can change the performace profile by selecting one of the
following profiles:
• The Office profile optimizes the performance of your computer for
running office programs, such as word processing and email, and for
collaborating with other employees.
• The Security profile optimizes the performance of your computer to
improve security and minimize the chances of being infected by a
virus or spyware.
• The Multimedia profile optimizes the performance of your computer
to improve processor-intensive programs, such as digital media
editing, video compression, and high-definition video playback.
• The Gamer profile optimizes the performance of your computer for
running graphic-intensive gaming applications.
NOTE: If you choose a profile that doesn't provide the

performance improvements you expected, you can select
another profile or disable the optimization at any time by
selecting the No Profile option.
To Choose a Profile
1. Choose one of the profile options.
2. Click Next to apply your changes and view a report of the changes.
Your changes take affect the next time you reboot your computer. If
you close the window without first clicking Next, your changes are
cancelled.
3. Click Done in the Final Report dialog to close the window.
If you don’t want to be asked to reboot your computer after clicking
Done, you can uncheck the Reboot the system option at the bottom
of the Final Report dialog.
162 • Using SystemOptimizer Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Selecting Performance Options
You can check any of the performance options to enable them. These
options are not linked to the profile options and don’t change as you select
different profiles.
Regardless of the profile selected, even if no profile is selected, you can
still enable additional options. These options can vary depending on your
operating system.
To Set Performance Options
1. Choose one of the profile options from the list.
2. Click Apply to apply your changes and view a report of the changes.
3. Click Done in the Final Report dialog to close the window.
You might be required to restart your computer before the changes take
effect. It you close the window without first applying your changes, your
changes are cancelled.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Using SystemOptimizer • 163

164 • Using SystemOptimizer Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Using Startup Commander
Overview
Whenever you start or restart your computer, certain programs start
automatically. Many of these programs are helper programs that allow
other programs to start more quickly, or look for program updates on the
internet. Generally, these startup programs don’t noticeably slow down
your computer. However, if you have a lot of programs that start when you
start Windows, your computer that might start slower than you want.
In addition, Windows loads a number of drivers and services, many which
run necessary services as part of Windows, while others items can be
excess baggage slowing the system down.
StartupCommander allows you to choose which programs, services, and
drivers start automatically when you startup your computer. This allows
you to optimize your startup and shutdown times as well as improve the
overall system performance by disabling or removing unnecessary startup
items.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Using Startup Commander • 165

Viewing the Startup Commander Window
Startup Commander is divided into five main parts:
• The Menu Bar (see page 166)
• The Tool Bar (see page 166)
• The Options Pane (see page 166)
• The File Pane (see page 167)
• The Details Pane (see page 167)
The Menu Bar
The Menu Bar is located at the top of the screen. It contains drop-down
menus with commands and keyboard shortcuts. These commands are also
available in the Tool Bar.
The Tool Bar
The Tool Bar is located at the top of the screen just below the Menu Bar
and contains short-cut buttons to items found in the Menu Bar. In addition,
the Enable and Disable buttons have drop-down menus that allow you to
enable or disable all items in the File Pane.
The Options Pane

The Options Pane is located on the left-side of the window and contains
three sections for viewing the content displayed in the File Pane (see “The
File Pane” on page 167).
For more information, see “Learning About the Options Pane” on page
168.
166 • Using Startup Commander Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

The File Pane
The information in the File Pane is separated in the following columns of

information:
• Name is the display name of the program.
• Filename is the full path to the program.
• Startup location is the location of the startup program.
For example, LM Startup folder means the program starts from the
Local Machine in the Startup folder. For more information, see
“Startup Areas” on page 168.
• Rating is the safety rating assigned to the item by the Startup
Commander (see “Understanding Rating Types” on page 170)
• Memory is the amount of memory being used by the program.
• Description is any additional comments about the startup item.
The Details Pane
The Details Pane displays the type, filename, description, and a source for
the information for the selected startup item from our database of items.
Some items also have links for more information about the item.
For information on rating types, see “Understanding Rating Types” on
page 170.

To Find More Information
If you want to find out more information about a startup item, select the
item from the File Pane, then click the Find info button in the Tool Bar.
Your default web browser opens and searches the web for information
about the item.
For information on changing the search settings, see “Changing the
Startup Commander Settings” on page 173.
Learning About the Options Pane

The Options Pane containing three main sections:
• Startup Areas (see page 168)
• Include Ratings (see page 169)
• Documentation (see page 169)
Startup Areas
The Startup Areas contains four sections used to display the programs that
start automatically when you start your computer and login in.
Folder
The Startup option displays all the programs that are in your Startup
folder in the Windows Start menu.
Registry
The Registry stores information about the Windows setup, including file
types and their associated programs. In Windows XP, this file basically
replaces the win.ini file used in Windows 3.x, 95, or 98 systems.
• The Run option displays programs that run each time you start your
computer.
• The Run Once option displays programs that process after your
computer has restarted due to software installation, allowing for the
registration of DLL or OCX files. This item might also exist for
cleaning up temporary files from an install or an uninstall. RunOnce
items are removed from the registry after they have completed.

• Run Once Execute options displays programs that process after your
computer has restarted. This entry is typically used for a process that
can’t use the RunOnce option, or requires that your computer be fully
operational. RunOnceExecute items are removed from the registry
after they have completed.
• The Services option displays computer services that start before you
login. This option is unchecked by default.
• The Drivers option displays a list of all the drivers currently installed
on your computer.
Win.ini
The win.ini file loads various initialization settings each time a Windows
3.x, 95, or 98 system starts. This files is still used in Windows NT 4.0,
2000, XP, and Vista, primarily for compatibility with Windows 3.x
programs.
• The Startup section option displays a list of entries in the Startup
section of the file.
• The Load section option displays a list of entries in the Load section
of the file.
Coverage
When you install a program, you are often given the option of installing
for All Users or for the Current User Only. The options below allow you
to choose which program you want to display, based on how the software
was installed.
• Local Machine lists the programs that where installed for all users.
• Current User list only those programs that where installed for, and
by, the actively logged in use.
Include Ratings
The Include Ratings section includes a list of options for displaying items
with the selected rating type. Only the items with the selected rates will
appear in the list. The ratings for startup items are assigned by Startup
Commander based on their safeness to disable and remove.
To choose the rating types to display, check the appropriate box next the
rating type. For more information, see “Understanding Rating Types” on
page 170.
Documentation
• Help opens Help for this program (see “Getting Help” on page 55).
• About opens the About dialog with program version information.

Managing Your Startup Programs
Startup Commander allows you to manage how your computer starts by
allowing you to choose which programs run automatically, as well as
adding and removing items to the list.
Understanding Rating Types

The ratings for startup items are assigned by Startup Commander based on
their safeness to disable and remove. Any item that the program isn’t sure
about are assigned an Unknown rating.
OK/Required are items that are required or usually needed for your
computer to operate properly. Disabling these items might stop
programs from functioning, or might be critical to the stability of
Windows.
Not required are items you can safely disable and aren’t required for
most users.
User choice are items that you can safely choose to enable or disable
without harming your computer‘s functionality. However, these items
might effect the related specific program.
Not recommended are items that should be disabled or removed.
They can reduce your computer performance and create security risks.
In some cases, they are signs of a virus infection or malware. You
should run your Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware deep scan to remove the
offending program and related links.
Unknown are items that are not cataloged in our database. Often the
filename path can give you a clue to the program that owns the item.
You can also use the Find Info feature to research more information
about the selected item. While we maintain an extensive database of
over 12,000 items, it is impossible to list every item, so you might have
quite a few items shown as unknown.
NOTE: Our ratings come from a number of sources, and

are believed to be accurate. Be aware that some viruses and
malware use similar names or even overlay valid program
names. Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware should be used to
ensure your computer is clean.

Enabling and Disabling Startup Items
Changing the startup status of programs on your computer gives you the
ability to fine-tune how your computer starts. This ability can help you
decrease start time, start only the programs you want, and even locate
spyware, adware, or other malicious programs.
You can also disable items as an alternative to removing them. This gives
you the added flexibility of restoring these items in the event that the item
turns out to be essential to the operation of your computer, or other
required programs.
To Enable or Disable Items
1. Select the item you want to change from the list in the File Pane.
2. Check or uncheck the box to the left of the item to change the status.
• A checked box is enabled.
• An unchecked box is disabled.
You can also click the Enable or Disable buttons on the Tool Bar to
change the status.
3. Click the Apply button to finalize the change.
NOTE: If you quit Startup Commander before applying

your changes, they won’t take affect.

Adding Items to the Registry
If you want a program to start automatically, or you want to have the
choice enabling or disabling an item, the item must be in your startup
registry.
In unusual cases, expert users can add an item to the registry using this
dialog, or a registry editor, such as RegistryMagic (see “Using
RegistryMagic” on page 139) or Windows RegEdit.
To Add an Item to the List
1. Click the Insert button on the Tool Bar.
2. Enter a name for the item and the path to the file, including the file to
run.
You can also click the Browse button to locate the file.
3. Click the Section drop-down list and choose where to add the item.
• LM Run adds the item to the local computer.
• CU Run adds the item to the Current User only.
For more information, see “Startup Areas” on page 168.
4. Click OK to add the file to your registry.


Removing Items from the Registry
CAUTION: After you remove an item from the registry

and apply the change, it can’t be undone. We recommend
disabling an item first to ensure that its removal won’t have
an adverse effects on your computer.
To Remove and Item

1. Select the item to remove from the list in the File Pane.
2. Click the Remove button, or open the Edit menu and choose
Remove.

Changing the Startup Commander Settings

The settings in Startup Commander allow you to choose the internet
search engine used for researching startup items, changing the display of
the startup item filenames, and setting the program warnings.

Choosing Your Search Engine
Startup Commander has several search engine options for you to choose
from. It uses the selected search engine when you want to find more
information about a selected file (see “To Find More Information” on page
168).
To Choose a Different Search Engine
1. Click the Options button on the Tool Bar, or open the Edit menu and
choose Options to display the Options window.
2. Click the drop-down list and choose a search engine from the list.
• If you want to use a different search engine, choose Other from
the drop-down list (see “Adding a New Search Engine” on page
174).
• If you want to restore the default settings, click the Defaults
button.
3. Click OK to apply your change and close the window.
Adding a New Search Engine

If your favorite search engine isn’t on the list of default search engines,
you can select the Other option and assign a search engine to it.
To Assign a Search Engine
1. Click the Options button on the Tool Bar, or click the Edit menu and
2. Click the drop-down list and choose Other from the list.
3. Enter the website search address and the search key argument for the
new search engine (see “To Find the Search Key Argument” on page
175).

To Find the Search Key Argument
1. Open your internet browser and go to the search engine main page.
2. Type in a search term, such as mobsync.exe, and run a search.
3. After the search completes, copy all the text that appears in the web
address location box.
http://www.ask.com/web?q=mobsync.exe&qsrc=0&o=0&l=dir
4. Click the Options button to open the Startup Commander Options
window.
5. Open the Search drop-down list and select Other from the list.
6. Paste the text from the web address location box here.
7. Delete all the text after the equals sign (=).
http://www.ask.com/web?q=
Startup Commander automatically fills in the rest of the search text
after the equals sign when it performs a search.
NOTE: Since different search engines use different

argument keys, it’s important that you perform an actual
search to acquire the correct search engine argument key.
Changing the Filename Display Length

By default, filenames are displayed as long filenames. You can change the
display of filenames to display as 8.3-character filenames, like those of
DOS and versions of Microsoft Windows prior to Windows 95 and
Windows NT.
To Change the Filename Display
1. Click the Options button on the Tool Bar, or open the Edit menu and
2. Uncheck the Show long filename option.
You can repeat this process and check the Show long filename option to
turn the long filenames back on.

Setting the Program Warnings
The Options window has additional options that allow you to set when
warning messages appear and permit the disabling of drivers and services.
• To turn off the confirmation message that appears when you apply
your changes, check the Skip information notice after apply option.
• To permit the disabling of drivers and services, check the Expert
Mode - Allow drivers and services to be disabled option.
CAUTION: Disabling drivers or services can have

adverse effects on your computer. This should be done
only by expert users.
• To turn off the confirmation message that appears when a driver or

service is disabled, check the Skip recommended warning when
item is changed to disabled option. This option is only available
when the previous options is checked.

Defragmenting the Registry
Overview
The system registry is a complex and sophisticated part of the Windows
operating system, and your computer accesses it constantly, updating,
adding, and changing data. After a while, the registry becomes
fragmented, with empty gaps and randomly-placed registry entries.
Standard disk defragmenting programs don’t defragment the registry files.
RegistryDefrag reorganizes the system registry to remove the gaps and
reorganize the entries. This tool can also be used with Windows 2000/XP
to defragment the registry, though it isn’t required as these operating
system have a built-in method of defragmenting.
Closing All Running Programs

When you first start the RegistryDefrag tool, a message appears with a
warning that you must exit from all programs, including those running in
the background, except Fix-It Utilities, before defragmenting your system
registry.
To Close Programs Running in the Background
Press CTRL-ALT-DELETE to access the Task Manager. Then, choose End
Task on every item listed there, except Explorer, Fix-It Utilities, and
SysTray.
It is important to follow the instructions, as registry defragmenting with
open programs might create invalid links and possibly crash your
program.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Defragmenting the Registry • 177

Running RegistryDefrag
Before running RegistryDefrag, it is important to exit all programs,
including those running in the background. Defragmenting the registry
while programs are open could create invalid links and possibly crash your
program.
To Defragment Your System Registry
1. Close all running programs (including those running in the
background) except Explorer, Fix-It Utilities, and SysTray (see
“Closing All Running Programs” on page 177).
3. Click the Optimize category button.
4. Click the RegistryDefrag tool button.
5. Make sure all programs have been closed and then click Apply to
continue.
6. Click Yes at the message to re-verify that all programs have been
closed.
Analyzing the RegistryDefrag

The first thing RegistryDefrag does is analyze the fragmentation of your
registry. RegistryDefrag will then make a copy of your existing registry
and defragment it.
If you want to cancel the process, click the Cancel button.
NOTE: Stopping the registry defragmentation process

before if completes doesn’t harm your working registry
because RegistryDefrag defragments a copy of your current
registry.
After RegistryDefrag has completed, a finish message appears.

Click OK to restart your computer. Restarting allows your defragmented
registry to replace the old, fragmented one.
178 • Defragmenting the Registry Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Defragmenting Your Hard Disk
Overview
As you read from the hard drive and write to it, your computer has built-in
processes that allocate and de-allocate hard drive space as needed. When
you write a new file to the disk, space is allocated for the new file. If there
isn’t a chunk of space big enough, the file might use several non-
contiguous smaller chunks of space. When you delete a file, the space the
file used is returned as free space.
When you add and delete files from your hard drive, the available disk
space becomes more and more fragmented. Files can become scattered
across the disk. This makes the reading and writing of files take longer,
potentially shortening the life of the hard drive motor.
NOTE: To allow JETDefrag to do its best job, you need to

disable all third-party anti-virus software programs before
running this tool. Running anti-virus programs
simultaneously can in slow-down JETDefrag or lock files,
preventing it from optimizing the drive properly.
You don’t need to disable the Fix-It Utilities Virus Scanner.

It turns off automatically and then restores after JetDefrag
completes.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Defragmenting Your Hard Disk • 179

Learning about Fragmentation
The following fragmentation diagram shows a simplified concept of a
fragmented disk, and what it looks like after being defragmented. The dark
area represents data and the light area represents free space.
A fragmented disk A defragmented disk
JETDefrag defragments the hard disk, combining the chunks and

fragments of available space into one contiguous free space area, and
moving files and other data into another area of the disk. When it runs, it
first scans the disk to make sure that the file tables are indexed into the
disk correctly and that there are no broken indices (Pre-XP Windows
systems only).
JETDefrag significantly improves the overall storage system performance.
It shortens the time it takes for software programs to load from the hard
drive.
NOTE: The first time you run JETDefrag, the process

might take a long time, particularly if your disk has never
been defragmented before. Be patient—it will be much
faster the next time you use it.
IntelliCluster for Pre-XP Systems Only

IntelliCluster is a Avanquest technology that can further improve
computer performance and operates in a similar manner to the Windows
defragmenter. IntelliCluster isn’t available on XP systems, since XP has
its own built-in program optimizer.
If you enable IntelliCluster, it keeps track of the programs you run, how
often you run them, and all of the associated files that programs call while
launching or running (the exact cluster loading sequence). This
information is then used during the defragmentation, and clusters are
aligned according to the loading sequence, thereby dramatically
improving I/O throughput and reducing random disk access.
180 • Defragmenting Your Hard Disk Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Recommended Method of Using IntelliCluster
3. Check the IntelliCluster data collection box to enable IntelliCluster.
4. Start up the programs that you use the most, open the largest or most
common files, and then shut everything down.
5. Uncheck the IntelliCluster data collection box to turn it off.
This ensures that JETDefrag has the most critical information without
running an extra process in the background.
Our goal is to increase the performance of your computer drastically. The
programs you run most often should start up more quickly, and the
computer should be more responsive than before the defragmentation.
Running JETDefrag
While you can run other programs while JETDefrag is defragmenting your
computer, any files you have open will not be defragmented. This is to
preserve any changes you make to a file, and to make sure a running
program doesn’t crash during the defragmentation. In general, we
recommend closing all running programs before running JETDefrag
CAUTION: DO NOT restart your computer or turn off the

power during JETDefrag. If you want to stop the defrag,
click the Stop button.
To Start JETDefrag
2. Click the Optimize category button.
3. Click the JETDefrag button.
A dialog appears asking to run DiskFixer before using JETDefrag.
We recommended that you run DiskFixer.
4. Click Yes to run DiskFixer, or No to skip running it. For more
information, see “Using DiskFixer” on page 143).

Viewing the Disk Selection Dialog
Choose the drive(s) you want to defragment by checking the appropriate
box.
If you want to see a disk map and a Drive Analysis Details window
showing the current disk fragmentation, check the box labeled Analyze
Drive. This displays a disk map similar to the following:
Learning about the Defragmenting Dialog

• Blocks Legend is the legend of colors you might see on the disk map
as JETDefrag is defragmenting your drive.
• The Disk Map displays the current state of your disk during the
defragmentation.

Viewing the Analysis Results
When the analysis is complete, you’ll see a graphic describing the level of
fragmentation on your drive. It also lists any problems that JETDefrag
might have encountered. You can click the Details button again to view
the Analysis Results window.
1. Click the Fragmentation Details tab to view a graphical
representation of the selected hard disk.
2. Click the Volume Information tab to check the total size of your
drive, the cluster size, the number of files and folders on the drive,
amount of free space and the largest block of continuous free space.
3. Click the Fragmented Files tab to see a detailed list of the files to be
defragmented.
This tab also lets you see how many separate pieces each file is in.
4. Click the Legend button to show a legend of the colors in the disk
map.
5. Click Boot Defrag to schedule a defragmentation of the paging files
and registry files during the next computer restart.
These can’t be defragmented while the operating system is running.
6. Click Next to start the defragmentation process.
Defragmenting the Hard Drive
After you analyze the hard drive(s), click Next to start defragmenting your
hard drive(s). If you selected more than one drive, it defragments the
drives one at a time, in the order in which they appear on the screen.
Move the Process Priority slider to adjust the processing priority during
the defrag process compared with other tasks running on the computer.
• The High setting gives the defrag process a higher priority than any
other programs, but will probably slow your other programs.
• The Low setting makes the defragmentation process slower if other
programs are running, but your other programs will have better
response.
When it is finished, click Done to return to the Optimize window.
TIP: You can also run JETDefrag from the SpeedUp and
Comprehensive Wizards.

Changing JETDefrag Settings
You can configure JETDefrag in several ways. To change JETDefrag
settings, click the Settings button from the home window or the first
JETDefrag screen.
JETDefrag Drive Analysis

JETDefrag analyzes the selected disk drive, the Analysis Results dialog
appears and displays a complete list of drive details.
• The Fragmentation Details tab displays information about the
fragmentation of the selected drive.
• The Volume Information tab displays all the data about the disk that
JETDefrag could gather. This information will vary slightly,
depending on your operating system.
• The Fragmented Files tab lists the files on the disk that are in at least
two non-contiguous areas of the disk. The Clusters heading shows
the number of clusters on disk the file takes up. The Fragments
heading shows the number of non-contiguous chunks.
If you don’t want this dialog to appear automatically, you can uncheck the
Show details after analysis option. You can also set up this dialog from
the JETDefrag Settings.
Scheduling Defragmentation on Restart

The Boot Defrag button on the JETDefrag dialog allows you to schedule a
special defrag the next time you restart your computer. Since system files
and the paging file can’t be defragmented while Windows is running, Fix-
It Utilities allows you to perform this special defragmentation in the early
stages of the start process.
The list of files shows which system files and paging files will be
defragmented. If you have more than one local drive, a paging file listed
for each drive appears.
To Schedule the Boot Defrag
Check the box labeled Defragment paging files and registry log files at
next boot. This schedules the boot defrag for the next computer restart
only.
NOTE: The Boot Defrag flag is deactivated after your

computer has been restarted, so you must set it each time
you want it to occur.

CLEANUP
Cleaning Your Hard Drive 187
Cleaning the System Registry 197
Shredding Files and Folders 201
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Cleanup • 185

186 • Cleanup Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Cleaning Your Hard Drive
Overview
Unused files often remain on your hard drive when software is uninstalled,
programs crash, or from normal daily use. These files usually don’t do
direct harm to your hard drive, but they can take up a lot of extra space on
the disk and slow computer performance. The Fix-It Utilities file-cleaning
tools search your hard disks for unnecessary files, and then deletes them.
Recovering Disk Space Using DiskCleaner

DiskCleaner allows you to search the entire disk for unused files, and then
gives you choices of what to do with them. You can select the type of files
to clean out, edit the file types, and add new categories to the list. You
should run DiskCleaner when you need more space on your hard drive.
After the files are found, you can then delete them, move them, zip
(compress) them into a single archive file, or leave them where they are.
You can also run DiskCleaner as part of the CleanUp and Comprehensive
Wizards (see “One-Click Solutions Wizards” on page 49). It will remove
only files that are completely safe to remove.
CAUTION: DiskCleaner tries to determine which files are

safe to remove and which are not, but the choice is really up
to you. DiskCleaner can’t determine which files won’t
cause computer problems if removed. Since one person’s
junk file might be another person’s valuable data, you
should be careful to review any files to be deleted and not
just accept the DiskCleaner’s evaluation that a file is safe to
remove.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Cleaning Your Hard Drive • 187

Cleaning Up Your Disk
2. Click the Cleanup category button.
3. Click the DiskCleaner button.
NOTE: You can also run DiskCleaner from the

CleanUp and Comprehensive Wizards (see “One-Click
Solutions Wizards” on page 49).
The list of drives shows any fixed or removable drive that Windows
knows about. Normally, you will only need to clean a fixed disk.
4. Select the drive(s) to clean by putting a check in the box next to it.
You can select the diskette
drive after inserting a disk.
The hard drive is selected.
5. Click the Next button to continue.

6. Select the categories to use as criteria for locating unused files.
Selected
Not Selected
7. Check any of the category boxes that apply.

• If the categories listed don’t meet your needs, you can create your
own by choosing the Add button (see “Adding Categories to the
List” on page 193).
• If you want to change the configuration for a category, select the
category and click the Edit button. You can change the name,
action taken, and the parameters (see “Editing the Category
Configuration” on page 194).
188 • Cleaning Your Hard Drive Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

8. Click Next to start scanning the selected drive(s) for files that match
these criteria.
9. After the scan completes, choose what to do with the selected files,
and then click Next to continue.
10. Review the Results screen for a summary of the files and the actions
performed on them.
DiskCleaner Search Results

After DiskCleaner runs, it then display a list of files matching the criteria
you specified to search for. You can then select the files to remove. If you
are uncertain about whether a file is safe to remove, then you should
probably leave it.
The list of files is similar to the Windows Explorer. Click the plus (+) sign
next to the category name to display the list of files in that category.
A checked category
means that all files in
that category are
initially selected.
Check a file you want

to remove or
otherwise deal with.
Uncheck a file you

want to leave alone.
DiskCleaner pre-checks files it is certain you can safely delete.

• A check next to the file name means that you intend to do something
with the file.
• No check means that the file isn’t selected.
You can select the category (such as Backup Files) to select everything
within that category, or you can deselect the category to deselect
everything within that category.
Select or deselect the files until you are satisfied with the results. When
ready, click Next to continue.

DiskCleaner Safety Criteria
Files found in the DiskCleaner searches are marked with one of the
following icons:
This icon means that the file is probably safe to remove. Removing
it won’t do damage to the computer, and it is most likely not a file
that you are currently using or editing.
This icon means that the file might not be safe to remove. Removing
it could cause damage. You should be careful about deleting these
files.
This icon means that the file is locked by another program and can’t
be deleted at this time.
DiskCleaner uses the following criteria for marking files as Safe to

Remove:
• The file can’t be in the Windows folder or a subfolder (usually this
means C:\Windows or C:\WinNT), with the exception of Internet
Explorer folders.
• The file can’t have a modify date newer than 3 months.
• The file can’t have an extension of .dll, .exe, .com, .sys, .386, .vxd, or
.ocx. These are all potentially important system or program files.
• The file can’t be a system file, hidden file, or read-only file.
If you are uncertain about whether a file is safe to remove, then you should
probably leave it.
After you have selected the files to remove, choose Next to go to the next
dialog.

DiskCleaner Actions
After DiskCleaner searches, you tell DiskCleaner what to do with the files
you have selected. You can delete the files, send them to the Recycle Bin,
zip the files, or move the files.
Select the action to take:
• To delete the files and bypass the Windows Recycle Bin, select the
Delete option.
• To move the checked files to the Windows Recycle Bin, select the
Delete to Recycle Bin option.
• To move the checked files to a different location, select the Move
option. DiskCleaner displays a field for you to enter the location
where you want to move the selected files.
Enter the path to where you want the files moved, and click Next.
When files are moved to the new location, they are given a new,
synthetic name. You can see the old names in the Undo-It log (see
“Running UndoIt” on page 231).
• To archive the selected files, select the Zip option. DiskCleaner
displays a field for you to enter the name and location for the zip
archive:
Choose the desired option and click Next.

Delete the Files Permanently
The Delete option bypasses the Recycle Bin and frees up the space
immediately. You would need FileUndeleter to recover these files (see
“Undeleting Files with FileUndeleter” on page 208.
Delete to the Windows Recycle Bin
The Delete to Recycle Bin option removes the files, but makes them
easily retrievable until you empty the Recycle Bin.
Zip the Files
Zip the files into an archive file, to be stored where you specify. The Zip
option keeps the files around, but taking up less disk space. DiskCleaner
displays a field for you to enter the location to move the selected files.
Enter the path where you want the files moved, and click Next.
The current path for the files is included in their new location, so if a file is
located in c:\mydir, its new location for the example above would be
c:\windows\temp\mydir.
DiskCleaner also displays a drop-down list with options so you can choose
whether you’d like to overwrite any previous zip file you have created.
Move the Selected Files
Move the files to a new location so you can quickly determine what they
are. If you select the Move option, DiskCleaner displays a field for you to
enter the location to move the selected files.
Enter the path where you want the files moved, and click Next.
The current path for the files is included into their new location, so if a file
is located in c:\mydir, its new location, for the example above, would be
c:\windows\temp\mydir.

Viewing the DiskCleaner Results
DiskCleaner performs and displays a report with the results of the actions
you requested.
• To print this information, click the Print button. Be aware, though,
that this could be a substantial amount of information if you deleted a
lot of files.
• To restore any zipped, deleted, or moved files, use the UndoIt tool
(see “Undoing Changes” on page 231). If you want to restore deleted
files, you should do that as soon as possible before they are
overwritten with new data.
Click Done to return to the home window.
Adding Categories to the List

If you would like to remove some files and there isn’t a category for them,
you can create your own category in DiskCleaner.
3. Click DiskCleaner tool button.
4. Select the drive and choose Next.
5. Click the Add button to display the Category Configuration window.
Category Name: Enter a descriptive name, such as “Really Old
Files” or “Old Documents.”
Action: Select an action from the drop-down list in the dialog. Notice
that the Parameters category changes depending on the action you
take (see “Choosing What to Do With Files” on page 195).
Initial file selection: This field determines whether some “safe” files
are pre-selected when DiskCleaner has finished searching.
Other Parameters: These are different depending on the Action.
6. Enter the new category information and then click OK to add the
category.

Editing the Category Configuration
If you would like to change the parameters of an existing category in
DiskCleaner, you can the category configuration to change the name,
action taken, and other parameters.
1. Start up the DiskCleaner utility (click Cleanup and then choose
DiskCleaner).
2. Select the drive and choose Next.
3. Select a category from the list.
4. Click the Edit button or double-click the category name to display the
Category Configuration window.
Category Name: Enter a descriptive name, such as “Really Old

Files” or “Old Documents”
Action: Select an action from the drop-down list in the dialog. Notice
that the Parameters category changes depending on the action you
take (see “Choosing What to Do With Files” on page 195).
Initial file selection: This field determines whether some “safe” files
are pre-selected when DiskCleaner has finished searching.
Other Parameters: These are different depending on the Action.
5. Change any category information you want, and then click OK to
apply the changes.

Choosing What to Do With Files
Below is a list of the options that might appear under the Action
drop-down list when choosing how to handle files flagged by
DiskCleaner.
• Empty FileUndeleter Bin: Choose this action to permanently remove
the files from your computer.
• Empty Recycle Bin: Choose this action to empty the recycle bin.
There are no special parameters for this option.
• Find broken shortcuts: Choose this action to locate any shortcut
files that no longer point to valid files on disk. Since shortcut files are
only “pointers” to “real files”, deleting them doesn’t affect the “real”
files. There are no special parameters for this option.
• Find by date: This action searches for files that have been last
accessed or modified either before or after a specified date. You’ve
accessed a file when you open it; you modify a file when you make
changes to it.
Parameters:
• Older than: Select only files that haven’t been accessed or
modified (depending on how you have the first box set) after the
specified date.
• Newer than: Select only files that have been accessed or
modified (depending on how you have the first box set) since the
specified date.
• Find by name: This action locates files based on their names.
Parameters:
• Semicolon separated list of wildcard names: Enter the names or
partial names of files you are searching for. Use the asterisk (*) as
a wild card, and separate entries with semicolons. Examples:
*.doc - All files with the extension .doc.
*.doc;*.tmp - All files with the extensions .doc or .tmp.
vac*.* - All files beginning with the letters “vac.”
• Find by size: This action locates files based on their size.
Parameters:
• Greater than: With this option, you can enter a size in the MB
field. Disk cleaner will then locate all files that are larger than the
size you specify.
• Zero: With this option, you don’t enter anything in the MB field.
DiskCleaner will locate all zero-size files.

• Find duplicate files: Since files of the same name are not necessarily
duplicates, and files with duplicate contents might not always have
the same name, there are several ways to search for duplicate files.
DiskCleaner displays all file names when it finds two or more
duplicate files.
Parameters:
• Matching names: Checks for duplicate file names only.
• Matching names and sizes: Checks both the file names and file
sizes.
• Matching names, sizes and contents: Checks file names and
files sizes. If these are the same, DiskCleaner performs a binary
compare of the files to see if the contents are the same as well.
NOTE: The binary compare takes a long time to

run.
• Matching sizes and contents: Checks for duplicate file sizes. It

then compares the contents of files with duplicate sizes using a
binary compare method.
• Find empty folders: Locates any folders containing no files. There
are no special parameters for this option.
• Find files in folders: Locates and displays all files in any folder(s)
you specify. Disk cleaner locates all occurrences of the folder(s) you
specify, no matter how deep in the directory structure.
Parameter:
Semicolon separated list of wildcard names: You can enter the whole
folder name, or use asterisks as wild card characters. Some examples
are:
• TEMP;MY DOCUMENTS
Display files in c:\temp, c:\window\temp, and c:\my documents.
• P*
Displays file in all folders beginning with the letter “p” or “P”
• Find Web cache folders: This feature is essentially the same as the
“Find files in folders” action. However, choosing the Find Web
Caches button inserts the current web cache folder name in the
names field. You can append file names to the web cache folder name.
For example: C:\WINDOWS\temporary internet files\*.htm
If you don’t specify any files, DiskCleaner lists all files in that
directory.

Cleaning the System Registry
Overview
The Windows registry contains information about settings and options for
software, hardware, and preferences. Over time, the registry can be
cluttered with leftover information. The RegistryCleaner can remove
unnecessary items from your Windows registry.
Using RegistryCleaner
Cleaning out registry reduces the size of your registry and potentially
increases responsiveness of your computer.
The Advanced mode provides access to more items in the registry;
however, you should not remove any items in the Advanced options unless
you are an experienced user and absolutely know what you are doing.
NOTE: You can also run RegistryCleaner from the

CleanUp and Comprehensive Wizards (see “One-Click
Solutions Wizards” on page 49).
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Cleaning the System Registry • 197

To Run RegistryCleaner
3. Click the RegistryCleaner tool button.
4. Select the items you want removed from your registry.
If you have already removed a particular item, the box is grayed-out:
• Recent Documents List: Windows keeps a list of recently
opened documents for easy access. You can see this list on your
Windows Start menu. The list rebuilds again as you open more
documents, so you might want to select this option to clear this
list periodically.
• Tip of the Day: The Windows Tip of the Day file is installed with
Windows 2000 and XP, and is controlled by the registry. It
displays a tip when you start your computer. Many people turn
this tip off soon after installing, but the file is still there. Choose
this option to eliminate the Windows Tip of the Day. This option
is not available in Windows Vista.
• Find Computer List: Select this option (for networks) to remove
the list of computers you have recently searched for on your
network. To see this list, open the Start menu, select Find >
Computer, and then choose the down arrow in the Named box.
This list rebuilds again as you continue to search for computers,
so you might want to clean this list periodically.
• Run List: Select this option to remove the list of programs you
have recently run from the Windows Run command dialog. To
see this list, open the Start Menu, select Run, and choose the
down-arrow in the Open box. This option cleans that list. This
list rebuilds itself again when you use the Run command, so you
might want to clean this list periodically.
• Documents Find List: Select this option to remove the list of
files that you have recently searched for. To see this list, open the
Start menu, select Search > Files and Folder, and choose the
down arrow in the Named box. This option cleans that list. The
list rebuilds again, so you might want to clean this list
periodically.
A “grayed-out” option means it is unavailable and that there are no
items to remove, or you have already cleaned it.
198 • Cleaning the System Registry Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

5. If you want to run more advanced options, choose the Advanced
button.
The Advanced options should be used with care, because you can
potentially cause harm to your computer. For more information, see
“Setting the Advanced Options for RegistryCleaner” on page 199.
6. After you have selected your options, choose Apply to continue.
RegistryCleaner cleans out the items you have specified, and then
produces a summary report.
• To save the report as a text file, click the Save button.
• To print the results, click the Print button.
7. When you are finished, choose Done to close the wizard.
NOTE: You will not see the effects of RegistryCleaner

until you restart your computer. If you don’t like the
results of your selected registry clean, you can undo the
actions (see “Undoing Changes” on page 231).
Setting the Advanced Options for RegistryCleaner

Each option in the Advanced RegistryCleaner tool has a color-coded icon
next to it. Green indicates that you can select the option with no negative
consequences, while yellow or red indicates that you should be careful—
you could potentially do harm to your computer.
Advanced options include the following:

• Remove unnecessary registry items: This option is the same as the
standard CleanRegistry tool. It cleans out the Recent Documents list,
the Find Computer history list, the Run history list, and the Find Files
& Folders history list.
• Clean out unused Desktop Schemes: This option cleans out the
group of colors and background patterns that Windows 2000 and XP
use to display your desktop. Desktop schemes can be changed from
the Display icon in the Control Panel. You might want to eliminate
some schemes you know you will never need; be sure not to delete all
of them. This option is not available in Windows Vista.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Cleaning the System Registry • 199

• Clean out unused International Keyboard Settings: This option
removes the settings that allow you to map your keyboard to other
countries’ standard settings. Be sure not to delete your settings.
• Clean out unused Time Zones: Windows contains a list of every
time zone around the world. If you are reasonably certain that you or
your computer will never be in Astana, Yakutsk, or Nuku’Alofa, you
can remove those time zones. Be sure not to delete your own time
zone, or any time zone you might access with your computer.
• Clean out invalid Add or Remove Programs and Microsoft
Installer entries: This option allows you to remove items from the
registry that haven’t been properly uninstalled or deleted. Be sure not
to delete any items for currently installed programs, or you might not
ba able to access those programs.
CAUTION: The Advanced options can seriously affect

your computer’s operation by removing the wrong items
from the registry. Skipping the Advanced options will
ensure that you remove only safe items.
Viewing the RegistryCleaner Results

This dialog displays the success level of the RegistryCleaner. If there is a
problem, Fix-It Utilities attempts to determine the problem and
recommend a solution.
The results of RegistryCleaner can be printed by clicking the Print button.
Click Done when finished.
200 • Cleaning the System Registry Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Shredding Files and Folders
Overview
The data saved to your hard drive is left on the drive after deleting or
sending the data to the Recycle Bin. Deletion only means that the
operating system no longer has access to the data, not that the actual
information has been removed. It’s like removing the specific entry in a
book’s table of contents without going out to the chapter area to rip out the
associated pages. All operating systems currently employ this timesaving
method of deletion.
File Shredder is a permanent means to remove unwanted files from your
hard drive.
CAUTION: After you shred a file or folder, there is NO

WAY to retrieve the data. We recommend backing up any
important files before shredding any files or folders.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Shredding Files and Folders • 201

Permanently Deleting Files and Folders
If you want to remove permanently delete files and folders from your hard
drive, click the Cleanup category and choose the Shreder button to view
information about using Shredder, or follow the steps listed below.
To Shred Files and Folders
1. Open Windows Explorer and locate the files or folders to shred.
2. Right-click to view the context menu.
3. Choose Fit-It > Shred Files from the menu.
A dialog appears listing all the files you’ve selected to shred.
4. Click OK to shred them, or Cancel to abort.
202 • Shredding Files and Folders Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Changing the File Shredder Settings
The Shredder settings allow you to change the level of shredding to
perform each time to shred files or folders. By default, the shredding level
is set to 1 pass. However, if you need to shred files even more sercurly,
you can choose the 3-pass option.
To View the Shredder Settings
3. Click the Shredder tool button.
4. Click the Settings button at the bottom of the window.
NOTE: You can also access the Shredder settings from

the Home window by clicking the Cleanup catagory
and then clicking the Settings button.
5. Choose the level of shredding.

• Normal Shredding (1 pass, quickest)
• Enhanced DoD Shredding (3 passes)
6. Click OK to apply the changes.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Shredding Files and Folders • 203

204 • Shredding Files and Folders Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
RECOVERY
Recovering Lost Data 207
Creating a Checkpoint 215
Restoring a Checkpoint 221
Managing Checkpoints 223
Making a Rescue CD 225
Backing Up Critical Information 227
Emergency Manual 261
Undoing Changes 231
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Recovery • 205

206 • Recovery Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Recovering Lost Data
Overview
After you delete a file, you might realize that you want it back. If you want
to recover a file you have deleted, FileUndeleter might be able to restore it
for you. This is possible because deleted files are not actually removed
from your drive. The disk area occupied by that file becomes available to
be overwritten, but until that happens, the old data is still there.
You should run FileUndeleter as soon as you know you want to recover a
file, because the deleted data could be overwritten at any time.
When you delete a file through Windows, it is first moved to the Windows
Recycle Bin. When you empty the Recycle Bin, or delete files in other
ways, the deleted files can be moved to the Fix-It Utilities Deleted Files
Bin. This is a small “cache” or receptacle that is a last-chance place for
deleted files. After they have been removed from the Deleted Files Bin,
the space those files occupy on disk can be overwritten by other data any
time. For more information, see “About the Deleted Files Bin” on page
211.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Recovering Lost Data • 207

Undeleting Files with FileUndeleter
Deleted files might be in any of the following locations:
• The Windows Recycle bin are 100% recoverable.
• The Fix-It Utilities Deleted Files bin are also 100% recoverable.
Except for certain temporary files, files are moved to the Fix-It
Utilities Deleted Files Bin when you do any of the following:
• Empty the Windows Recycle Bin
• Delete files manually using the command prompt
• Delete files using a program
• Delete files in any way that bypasses the Windows Recycle Bin
• Marked as available space might or might not be recoverable
depending on whether they have been overwritten.
To Start Searching for Files
2. Click the Recovery category button.
3. Click the FileUndeleter tool button.
4. Select the drive from which to recover the file, and click Next.
A checked box
indicates which
drive is selected.
The next window shows you all of the files in the Windows Recycle
Bin and the Fix-It Utilities Deleted Files Bin. Look for your file here
first; if it is in this list, it’s 100% recoverable.
5. Choose the file(s) you want to recover, and then click the Recover
Files button.
You can also use this window to empty both bins if you prefer.
6. If the file you want to recover isn’t on this list, click Next to narrow
your search.
208 • Recovering Lost Data Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Narrowing the Search
The FileUndeleter Search window gives you another chance to look for
the files. If you know anything about the file name, enter a pattern for
which FileUndeleter will search. The more you know about the file, the
better. If you know the entire file name, enter that. Since deleted files are
renamed when they are moved from the Windows Recycle Bin to the
Deleted Files Bin, you might also want to further define your search by
entering a “wild card” name, such as *.bmp. You can enter multiple
patterns, separated by semi-colons.
File Name Match Pattern allows you to enter search parameters. The
more you can narrow the search, the more likely you are to locate the
correct file quickly. If you don’t enter anything into this field,
FileUndeleter searches for and reports on all deleted files it can find.
t* All file names beginning with t or T.

*.doc All file names with the extension .doc.
*atm* Any files with the characters “atm” anywhere in the
file name.
m*;p*;*.bmp All files beginning with m, M, p, or P, and all files with
the extension .bmp.
Report Zero-Length Files enables files with a zero-length to be included

in the search. By default, FileUndeleter doesn’t report on files of zero
length even if the file names match the search criteria. If you check this
option, FileUndeleter will report all files, even zero-length files
NOTE: Windows automatically renames files that are

emptied from the Windows Recycle Bin to the Fix-It
Utilities Deleted Files Bin, although it usually keeps the
same extension (.doc, .bmp, etc.). Keep this in mind when
searching for deleted files.
Click Next to scan using your search criteria.

Viewing the Recovery List
When FileUndeleter completes searching using your defined search
criteria, a list of potentially recoverable files matching in the Windows
Recycle Bin, the Fix-It Utilities Deleted Files Bin, plus any deleted files
that are still on the disk. If your file is in either the Recycle Bin or the
Deleted Files Bin, they are 100% recoverable. If they are on the disk, but
not in either of the bins, they might not be completely recoverable. The list
can be sorted by any category by clicking the column heading to change
the sort.
• Name is the current name of the file. In some cases, file names are
changed by the Windows operating system, so your file might begin
with different characters.
• Confidence is the level of assurance that FileUndeleter has that it can
completely recover the file. Levels are: poor, fair, good, very good,
and excellent.
• Size is the current size of the file.
• Date is the date the file was deleted.
• Time is the time the file was deleted.
• Path is the original directory path of the file.
If the file being recovered has new characters in the name, you might see a
message like the following:
The first character of this file’s name cannot be determined. Please
enter a new first character for the file’s name.
This is the result of the computer changing the file name when it was
deleted. Enter any character (be sure to remember which one), and
FileUndeleter will try to restore the file with the new name.

Restoring the Deleted Files
Be aware that the FileUndeleter program can only recover data that is still
on the disk. If it has been overwritten, then a file might not be recoverable.
To Restore a Deleted File
Select the file to be recovered, and click the Recover File button. In this
step, you can recover only one file at a time.
Fix-It Utilities then recovers all of the data it can, and puts recovered files
into their original locations.
If you want to select more files to recover, you can return to the
FileUndeleter window, click another file to be recovered, and then click
the Recover button.
Click Done when you are finished.
NOTE: The best way to help FileUndeleter recover files is

to run DiskSnapshot regularly and use the Deleted Files
Bin. You can run DiskSnapshot every time you start
Windows (see “Changing the DiskSnapshot Settings” on
page 229).
About the Deleted Files Bin

Although there is no menu item that refers to the Deleted Files Bin, this is
a feature that temporarily stores your deleted files once you have emptied
the Windows Recycle Bin and increases the chances of recovering deleted
files. To use this feature, you must enable it in the FileUndeleter Settings
window.

Viewing the FileUndeleter Settings
The FileUndeleter Settings dialog allows you to set aside a certain portion
of your disk for the Deleted Files Bin. Any files that are in either the
Windows Recycle Bin or the Deleted Files Bin are 100% recoverable, so if
you accidentally delete a file, your chances of recovering it are much
higher than if you didn’t enable the Deleted Files Bin.
To activate the Deleted Files bin and change the maximum size, click the
Settings button from either the Recovery home window or the first
FileUndeleter screen.
At the Settings window, click the File Undeleter tab.

When you enable the Deleted Files Bin on a particular drive, files on that
drive are moved to this bin when you do any of the following:
• Delete files from DOS
• Delete files from a program
• Delete files in any way that bypasses the Windows Recycle Bin.
NOTE: Windows automatically renames files that are

emptied from the Windows Recycle Bin to the Fix-It
Utilities Deleted Files Bin, although it usually keeps the
same extension (.doc, .bmp, etc.). When searching for
deleted files, you should keep this in mind.

Drive Settings
Select the drive(s) you want to have the Deleted Files Bin active on.
The Maximum % of drive to use for preserved files slider allows you to
allocate the percentage of your drive to be reserved for deleted files. When
the bin fills up, the oldest files in the Deleted Files Bin are removed as
other files are added. If you don’t want to activate the Deleted Files Bin at
all, uncheck all drives.
Max preserved file count: You can change the maximum number of
preserved files. The deleted files kept in the Deleted Files Bin will never
exceed the percentage of the drive allocated for that purpose, but you can
also limit the total number of files in case there are a lot of very small or
zero-length files deleted.
The File Types button allows you to see and modify the list of file types
that don’t go into the Deleted Files Bin when they are deleted. It displays a
list of current file extensions (such as TMP or BAK) for those saved in the
Deleted Files Bin when they are deleted
• To add more file extension types, click the Add button.

• To remove extensions from the list, select the item and click the
Remove button.
When you’re done, click OK to close the window.

Creating a Checkpoint
Overview
Checkpoints are markers that store information about your computer at the
time they are created. These checkpoints contain information that allows
you to return to a past configuration by restoring the checkpoint (see
“Restoring a Checkpoint” on page 221).
Creating Checkpoints Manually

Use the CreateCheckpoint tool to manually create a checkpoint. You
might use this option if you have turned off scheduled checkpoints or have
the checkpoints scheduled infrequently.
2. Type a name for the checkpoint and choose OK to create it.
3. Use the Create a System Restore Checkpoint if you would like to
create a System Restore checkpoint as well as a Recovery
Commander checkpoint.
4. Click the Next button.
The program starts creating the checkpoint. Making a checkpoint
typically takes less than 30 seconds.
When completed, a report appears indicating the results of the tool.
5. You can Save or Print this report using the associated buttons at the
bottom of the screen.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Creating a Checkpoint • 215

Activating Recovery Commander
To activate Recovery Commander, place the cursor over the Fix-It
Utilities tray icon and right-click to display the context menu to display
the Recovery Commander Settings window.
A check next to Checkpoint Monitor in the context menu indicates that it

is currently active. To deactivate Recovery Commander, choose the option
again from the menu to view the settings for Recovery Commander and
change the settings as needed (see “Changing Checkpoint Settings” on
page 217).
Scheduling Checkpoint Creation

Checkpoints can be scheduled for creation using SystemScheduler in the
Fix & Maintain tool group. For more information, see “Opening the
SystemScheduler” on page 150.
216 • Creating a Checkpoint Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Changing Checkpoint Settings
The settings options for creating checkpoint are accessed by clicking
Recovery category button and then clicking the Settings button. Click the
Recovery Commander tab.
You can also access the settings by right-clicking the tray icon and
choosing Checkpoint Monitor from the context menu.
The following options are available from within the settings:

• Run Recovery Commander monitor
• Detect when a setup program is launched and offer to create a
checkpoint
• If a setup program is launched, create a checkpoint automatically
• Show warnings when the disk layout has changed or there are no
checkpoints
• Create a System Restore checkpoint every time Recovery
Commander creates a checkpoint

Adding Custom Directories and Files
Along with the standard files stored with the checkpoints, you can also
add custom directories and files to be placed in every checkpoint.
1. Click the Add button.
2. Browse to the desired folder and select the folder or file to include.
3. Click OK to add the folder or file.
The selected item appears in the list at the bottom of the Recovery
Commander settings tab.
Setting the Checkpoint Storage Policy

Click the Storage Policies button to make changes to how checkpoints
are stored on your computer. When you click this button, the following
options are available to you:
• Limit number of checkpoints stored to:
• Limit percentage of system drive space used for storing
checkpoints to:
• Set amount of system drive space to remain available to:
• Limit length of time checkpoints are stored to:
Check the box next to each option you want to modify, and then enter a
value in the box. Click OK to apply the changes.

Creating Checkpoints When Installing New
Programs
If you have enabled the Detect when a startup program is launched and
offer to create a checkpoint in the Checkpoint Settings, a dialog appears
each time you attempt to install any new programs asking you if you want
to create a new checkpoint.
The Setup and Checkpoint Description boxes give you information

about the program you are about to install.
In this dialog, you are also given the options to:
• Automatically create a checkpoint next time
• Do not detect installation launches
To create a new checkpoint, click the Create button.
To save changes, but not create a checkpoint, click the Close button.
To not save changes or create a checkpoint, click the (x) in the upper-right
corner.
Creating Checkpoints After Hard Drive

Configuration
If you’ve made configuration changes to your hard disks on your
computer since the last checkpoint was created, the next time Fix-It
Utilities starts, a dialog appears asking you to create a new checkpoint.
For example, yesterday you created a Recovery Commander checkpoint,
and today you added another hard drive and restarted your computer.

Restoring a Checkpoint
Overview
If you want to return your computer to a previous state, you can use one of
the checkpoints you’ve create. These markers store critical Windows files,
system registry data, and disk information about your computer at the time
they are created, which allow you to return to a past configuration.
NOTE: Fix-It Utilities also has the ability to restore

Windows System Restore checkpoints. For more
information, see “Managing System Restore Checkpoints”
on page 224.
Running RestoreCheckpoint
The RestoreCheckpoint tool is used to restore the computer data stored in
a checkpoint. When you select this tool, it scans your computer for
available checkpoints and displays a list with the checkpoint name, and
the date and time is was created.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Restoring a Checkpoint • 221

To Run RestoreCheckpoint
3. Click the RestoreCheckpoint tool button.
4. Choose the desired checkpoint from the list.
5. Click the Next button to display the following message:
Do you want to create an Undo checkpoint before the checkpoint
you selected is restored?
• Click Yes to create an Undo checkpoint that allows you to undo
the restore feature.
• Click No to not create this undo checkpoint.
NOTE: After the checkpoint is restored, you must

restart the computer to complete the restore. If a
ScanDisk starts when you restart your computer, we
recommend that you allow it to finish
Undoing a Checkpoint Restore

Undoing a checkpoint restore is just like doing a regular checkpoint
restore. The only difference is that when you list the checkpoints, select
the one with the name Undo checkpoint and with the correct date.
To Undo a Restored Checkpoint
3. Click the RestoreCheckpoint tool button.
4. Choose the desired undo checkpoint from the list.
5. Click the Next button to display the following message:
Do you want to create an Undo checkpoint before the checkpoint
you selected is restored?
• Click Yes to create an Undo checkpoint that allows you to undo
the restore feature.
• Click No to not create this undo checkpoint.
After the undo checkpoint is restored, you must restart the computer
to complete the restore.
222 • Restoring a Checkpoint Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Managing Checkpoints
Overview
The ManageCheckpoints tool is used to view, restore, and delete
checkpoint created on your computer. There is an option to view either
Recovery Commander or System Restore checkpoints, and the ability to
restore a checkpoint from the manager.
Managing Recovery Commander Checkpoints

When you start ManageCheckpoint, it scans your computer for available
checkpoints created using Fix-It Utilities. It then displays a list with the
checkpoint name, and the date and time is was created. From this list, you
can restore or delete Recovery Commander checkpoints.
To Work with Recovery Commander Checkpoints
3. Click the ManageCheckpoint tool button.
4. Choose the desired checkpoint from the list.
• Click Go To Restore Checkpoint to restore the checkpoint.
You are directed to the RestoreCheckpoint tool page to restore
the checkpoint you selected (see Restoring a Checkpoint (see
page 221).
• Click Delete to delete the checkpoint and display the following
message:
Are you sure you want to delete the checkpoint you
selected?
Click Yes to delete the checkpoint or No to cancel the delete
operation.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Managing Checkpoints • 223

Managing System Restore Checkpoints
On Windows XP sand Vista systems, you can also use the
ManageCheckpoints tool to review the list of System Restore checkpoints
on your computer. From this list, you can restore or delete System Restore
checkpoints.
To Work with System Restore Checkpoints
1. Click Home button to view the Home window.
3. Click the ManageCheckpoint tool button.
4. Click the System Restore Checkpoints button.
The tool scans your computer for System Restore checkpoints and
displays a list with the System Restore checkpoint name and the date
and time is was created.
5. Choose the desired System Restore checkpoint.
• Click Restore to restore the checkpoint.
After the System Restore checkpoint is restored, you must restart
the computer to complete the System Restore.
• Click Delete to delete the System Restore checkpoint.
A message appears with a question:
Are you sure you want to delete the System Restore
checkpoint you selected?
Click Yes to delete the System Restore checkpoint or No to
cancel the delete operation.
224 • Managing Checkpoints Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Making a Rescue CD
Overview
The Rescue Disk is a bootable CD that contains tools and information to
help you repair your computer if it doesn’t start property.
The following are some of the problems that a Rescue CD can help repair.
• Damaged Configuration Files
• Deleted System Files
• Corrupted Registry
To determine if you need to create a Rescue CD, check below to see which
category you fall into:
• If you purchased your copy of Fix-It Utilities as a boxed program, the
installation CD also acts as your Rescue CD. Even if you are having
problems with your Windows system before you install Fix-It
Utilities, you might be able to start from this CD if your computer
won’t otherwise start up.
• If you don’t have an installation CD, you can create a Rescue CD for
yourself. You must have either a CD or DVD burner, or access to one,
to create the Rescue CD. You should create your own Rescue CD as
soon as you install Fix-It Utilities.
In addition, you can use the Rescue Disk to perform basic partitioning
operations such as Create, Delete, Format, and Verify; correct a defective
BOOT.INI file; and securely erase drives or partitions.
After you have a Rescue CD (or Installation CD), see “Getting Started if
Your Computer is in Trouble” on page 263 and “Starting from a Rescue
Disk” on page 264.
NOTE: The Rescue Disk file is encrypted in the program

folder. When you click OK on the RescueDisk window, the
file is decrypted and placed in the Fix-It Utilities folder.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Making a Rescue CD • 225

Creating a Rescue Disk CD
To create a Rescue Disk CD, you need a blank CD or DVD and a CD or
DVD-drive.
TIP: If you don’t have a CD/DVD ready, the encrypted

Rescue Disk file can still be decrypted by clicking OK. You
can locate the RescuDisk.iso file later in the Fix-It Utilities
program folder to create the Rescue Disk.

3. Click the RescueDisk tool button.
A window displays some detailed information about Rescue Disk.
4. Click OK to load our Rescue Disk ISO image into your computer’s
CD or DVD burning software.
Rescue Disk Selection Dialog

Before creating the Rescue Disk, you must prepare the drive and disk.
1. Insert a recordable disc into your CD/DVD burner.
The Rescue Disk ISO file image file accesses your CD/DVD burning
software to write the file to the disc.
2. Click OK to create the Rescue Disk.
The Rescue Disk file will then be copied to the disk. You’ll get a
report when it’s complete.
If the file doesn’t load automatically, you can locate the Rescue Disk ISO
image in the Fix-It Utilities install folder. Its filename is:
Rescue_Disk.iso
After you locate it, you should burn a CD or DVD using this image file.
Viewing the Rescue Disk Results

Another screen appears after the Rescue Disk has been burned.
• If you have some blank disk labels in your printer, click Print to make
a label. Otherwise clearly label your Rescue Disk yourself and keep in
in a safe place.
• Some of the saved information is specific to your computer, so you
can also label the computer it was created on.
226 • Making a Rescue CD Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Backing Up Critical Information
Overview
DiskSnapshot grabs an image (a type of copy) of the File Allocation Table
(FAT), boot sectors, and other critical disk structure information on your
computer. Running DiskSnapshot regularly ensures that if you have to
rescue your computer after a crash, the recovery will be as easy as
possible. It also increases the likelihood of success when recovering files
with FileUndeleter.
Data Damage
Most programs don’t cause problems. However, there is a chance that a
badly designed program might overwrite critical files such as the boot
sector, the system registry, or the File Allocation Table (FAT).
If this happens, your computer might not start up without the Fix-It
Utilities Rescue Disk. It might also crash before you can realize what
happened.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Backing Up Critical Information • 227

Running DiskSnapshot
You can run DiskSnapshot manually, or have Fix-It Utilities run it
whenever you start your computer. For more information, see “Changing
the DiskSnapshot Settings” on page 229.
3. Click the DiskSnapshot tool button.
4. Select the disk(s) to be imaged (typically your main hard drive) and
click Next.
Fix-It Utilities saves the disk files to its own default folder for
safekeeping (C:\_Backup\IMAGES\ by default). The image file is
always stored on the same drive that is being imaged. For example, if
you are imaging drive F:, the image is saved to F:\_Backup\|IMAGES\.
NOTE: The _Backup folder is a hidden folder. By

default, Windows doesn’t display hidden files or
folders to protect them from accidental deletion. If you
need see this folder in Explorer, you must select the
Show hidden files and folders option in the folder
view options. For more information, see the
documentation for your operating system.
228 • Backing Up Critical Information Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Changing the DiskSnapshot Settings
The DiskSnapShot settings let you select what drive(s) you want to take a
snapshot of, and whether to take a DiskSnapShot each time you start your
computer.
To Open the DiskSnapshot Settings
3. Click the Settings button to display the settings window.
The Create snapshots on startup option creates a new snapshot of the

disk structure every time Windows starts. Checking this option gives
FileUndeleter a higher likelihood of success at recovering deleted files.
Be sure that the drive(s) containing system files are checked in the Drives
to Snapshot window.
NOTE: If you have only NTFS-formatted partitions, you

don’t need to use DiskSnapshot at startup.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Backing Up Critical Information • 229

Viewing the DiskSnapshot Results Dialog
The DiskSnapshot Results Dialog shows the results of taking a snapshot of
critical system files. It also gives you the location of the snapshot file.
• To print the results, click the Print button.

• To save the results as an RTF or TXT file, click the Save button.
Click Done to return to the main Recovery window.
230 • Backing Up Critical Information Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Undoing Changes
Overview
The UndoIt feature allows you to undo the results of some Fix-It Utilities
programs, but not all. It looks at the Fix-It Utilities log, determines which
actions you have run that can be reversed, and displays a list of those
actions.
After you select which actions to reverse, you can undo them.
Running UndoIt
When you start Undo-It, you are given the choice of which utility you
want to reverse the changes for. Follow the steps below for running
UndoIt.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Undoing Changes • 231

To Undo Change by Fix-It Utilities
3. Click the UndoIt tool button to display the undo list.
4. Click one of the buttons on the left to select the utility you want to
undo.
A tree-view of log files appears for each time the utility was run.
5. Check the box next to the items to be backed out.
6. Click Apply to continue.
When UndoIt completes, the results report appears (see “Viewing the
UndoIt Results” on page 232).
Viewing the UndoIt Results

The results of the UndoIt feature appear in the window with the date of the
action and a list of the items that were undone. These results can be
printed or saved.
Click the Done button to close this dialog.
Saving UndoIt Log FIles

The log file can be saved after completing the UndoIt utility.
1. Click the Save button.
2. Enter a new name for the file, or use the default name.
3. Select the type of file to save the report as:
• Rich Text Format (*.rtf)
• Plain Text (*.txt)
4. Select the location to save the file.
5. Click the Save button to save the file.
232 • Undoing Changes Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

RECOVERY
COMMANDER
Recovery Commander Overview 235
Recovering a Non-Starting Computer 237
Restoring Computer Functionality 241
Managing Files and Folders 247
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234 • Recovery Commander Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Recovery Commander Overview
Overview
Recovery Commander helps you repair your computer if Windows
becomes unstable or unable to start. It works by saving checkpoints
automatically both on a periodic basis and before you install new software
(see “Creating a Checkpoint” on page 215). These checkpoints save
critical computer information, important system files, and boot record
information. In the event Windows becomes corrupted and fails to start,
you can start from the Rescue CD and select which checkpoint you want
to restore. In only a couple of minutes, you can be up and running.
Key Benefits
Recovery Commander provides a number of unique capabilities:
• Automatic periodic saves of critical system information
• Recovery from failures such as:
• Corrupt or damaged registry
• Damaged boot record
• Missing system files
• BOOT.INI and BCD (Vista) configuration errors
• Works with all Windows file systems
• Fixes Windows when it can’t start.
• Automatically creates checkpoints for new program installations
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Recovery Commander Overview • 235

Technical Highlights
• Supports the latest Windows operating systems.
• Supports all Windows file systems.
• Enhances Windows Recovery Console features.
• Creates multiple checkpoints.
• Features BootFixer to correct configuration problems in Boot.ini and
Vista’s BCD.
• Compares checkpoints to current working environment.
• Restores checkpoints from within Windows or from Rescue CD.
• Views, Restores, and Deletes System Restore checkpoints.
• Selectively restores parts of a checkpoint.
• Logs all actions in an internal log file.
• Creates manual and automatic (when a new program is installed)
checkpoints.
• Supports viewing and editing files in Text mode.
236 • Recovery Commander Overview Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Recovering a Non-Starting
Computer
Overview
When you recover from a computer failure using a checkpoint, any
programs installed after the checkpoint date will need to be reinstalled.
Your data isn’t affected by a restoration.
Starting from the Rescue CD

The Rescue CD is a bootable CD that contains the tools you need to repair
your computer and return to a state in which your computer was operating
properly.
To Start the Rescue CD
Insert the Rescue CD and restart your computer.
• If you haven’t made the Rescue CD, see “Making a Rescue CD” on
page 225.
• If you have the Fix-It Utilities installation CD, you can also use it as a
Rescue CD.
Restarting the computer can take 15-30 seconds to start up.
When the program first starts, it does a general scan to analyze your hard
drives and partitions before displaying the Rescue Disk Wizard.
NOTE: If the computer doesn’t start from the Rescue CD,

check that the System BIOS is set to boot from a CD. For
more information, refer to the documentation that came
with your computer.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Recovering a Non-Starting Computer • 237

Viewing the Rescue Disk Wizard
The Rescue Disk functions and appearance is similar to a Windows
operating system. When Rescue Disk starts, it displays a group of tools in
the Rescue Wizard.
• Recovery Commander is a group of tools that allows you make full

or partial restore from checkpoints, as well as manage your files and
folders (see “Restoring Computer Functionality” on page 241 and
“Managing Files and Folders” on page 247).
• BootFixer - Fixes BCD/BOOT.INI attempts to repair problems with
the Windows boot configuration files (for more information, see
“Fixing the Boot File” on page 245).
• Manual Partitioning creates and deletes partitions on your hard drive
(see “Manually Partitioning Your Disks” on page 253).
NOTE: Be sure to remove any bootable media before

restarting your computer.
Select one of these options, or close the Recovery Commander Wizard.

You can also access the tools listed in the Wizard from the Start Menu
(see “Choosing Tasks from the Start Menu” on page 239).
238 • Recovering a Non-Starting Computer Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Choosing Tasks from the Start Menu
The Rescue Disk Start Menu looks and functions much like the Windows
Start menu.
The Start Menu contains the following options:

• Partitioning opens the Manual Partitioning tool. (see “Manually
Partitioning Your Disks” on page 253).
• Recovery Commander opens the Recovery Commander Wizard to
select the Windows installation you want to use (see “Choosing the
Windows Directory” on page 240).
• Rescue Disk Wizard opens the main Rescue Disk Wizard. (see
“Viewing the Rescue Disk Wizard” on page 238).
• The Settings option contains two choices:
• Settings opens the Settings dialog to make changes in the way
Manual Partitioning functions (see “Manually Partitioning Your
Disks” on page 253).
• Regional Settings allows you to select the time zone and the
language of your operating system.
• Help displays help and version information about Rescue Disk.
• Exit restarts your computer.
NOTE: Be sure to remove any bootable media before

restarting your computer.
When your computer restarts, it might start ScanDisk or CheckDisk.

Let the program finish to ensure the restoration is completed properly.
Canceling it might make Windows unable to start.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Recovering a Non-Starting Computer • 239

Choosing the Windows Directory
When you select the Recovery Commander option from the Rescue Disk
Wizard, the program scans your computer to detect existing Windows
installations and their versions, including service packs. A window
appears with a list of all available installations.
1. Select the Windows directory you want to use Recovery Commander
for.
The different operating system installed on your computer display the
Partition, Directory, and Windows Version.
2. Click the Next button to continue.
3. Click Yes to create an Undo checkpoint.
An Undo checkpoint allows you to undo any restore changes you
make to the computer. If you don’t want to create the Undo
checkpoint, click No.
4. Choose from the following options:
• Restore the functionality of the system (see “Restoring
Computer Functionality” on page 241)
• View, edit, or copy files/folders (see “Managing Files and
Folders” on page 247)
240 • Recovering a Non-Starting Computer Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Restoring Computer Functionality
Overview
When you select the Restore the functionality of the computer option,
from Recovery Commander, you are given the following options:
• Restoring a Recovery Commander Checkpoint (see page 242)
• Restoring a System Restore Checkpoint (see page 243)
• Restoring with Windows File Protection (see page 243)
• Undo a Previous Restore (see page 245)
Restoring Checkpoints
The Restore the functionality of the system option allows you to restore
Recovery Commander and Windows System Restore checkpoint. These
checkpoints contain vital system information. A Recovery Commander
checkpoint can be fully or partially restored.
NOTE: Restarting your computer is required after restoring

a checkpoint or undoing a checkpoint restore.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Restoring Computer Functionality • 241

Restoring a Recovery Commander Checkpoint
A Recovery Commander checkpoint is created by Recovery Commander
in Windows. These can be created automatically or manually from within
Fix-It Utilities. For more information, see “Creating a Checkpoint” on
page 215.
Select the Restore Recovery Commander checkpoint option to view a
list of available checkpoints.
Choose the desired checkpoint from the list and then click Next.
NOTE: You can choose the Identify Differences option to

compare the information in the checkpoint to that currently
on your computer.
To Perform a Full Restore

If you don’t check the Identify Differences option, clicking Next
automatically restores all information from the selected checkpoint.
To Identify Differences
If you check the Identify Differences option and click Next, a window
appears listing the contents of the checkpoint compared to that currently
on your computer. A status of either Same or Different appears with each
line item.
• To select only the files you want restored, hold down the CTRL button
and click the files.
• To restore the selected files, click the Restore Selected button.
• To restore all the files, click the Restore All button.
Click Finish to complete the restore.
242 • Restoring Computer Functionality Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Restoring a System Restore Checkpoint
System Restore Checkpoints are those create by Windows. Recovery
Commander can read these checkpoints as well, and use them to restore
your computer. System Restore Checkpoints don’t contain as much
information about your computer as Recovery Commander Checkpoints.
1. Select the Restore a System Restore Checkpoint option to view a
list of available System Restore checkpoints.
2. Select the desired checkpoint from the list.

3. Click the Restore Selected button.
4. Click Finish to complete the restore.
Restoring with Windows File Protection

Restoring your computer using Windows File Protection compares all the
system files currently on your computer to those of the Windows Cache.
The initial scan can take a considerably long time, depending on how
many system files it must compare.

To Restore Using File Protection
Choose the Restore the System Using Windows File Protection option
to view a list of available System Restore checkpoints and the status of
each file.
In this dialog you can choose to do the following:

• Choose to not hide valid files.
• Select only the files you want restored by holding down the CTRL
button and clicking the files.
• Restore the selected files using the Fix Selected button.
• Restore all the files using the Fix All button.
Click Finish to complete the restore.

Undo a Previous Restore
Each time you start Recovery Commander, you are given the option to
create an Undo checkpoint. These checkpoints allow you to undo a restore
operation if you decide that the files you restored where not the correct
ones.
To Undo a Previous Restore
1. Select the Undo A Previous Restore option to display a list of all
available Undo checkpoints.
2. Select the checkpoint you want to undo from the list.

3. Click the Next button.
4. Click Finish to complete the restore.
Fixing the Boot File

The BootFixer™ utility allows you to automatically correct problems in
Windows boot.ini file.
To fix the boot file, choose BootFixer from the Rescue Disk Wizard. The
tool starts automatically scanning the boot.ini file for problems. If you’ve
closed the Rescue Disk, click the Start menu and choose Rescue Disk
Wizard.
When BootFixer completes, a status window displays indicating actions
taken by BootFixer. Click Close to close the window.

Managing Files and Folders
Overview
When you choose the View, Edit, or Copy files/folders options from
Recovery Commander, there are three options available to choose from:
• File Explorer - View, edit, delete files/folders (see “Exploring Your

Files” on page 248)
• Backup the contents of a folder (see “Backing Up Folder Contents”
on page 249)
• Restore the contents of a folder (see “Restoring Folder Contents”
on page 250)
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Managing Files and Folders • 247

Exploring Your Files
File Explorer looks very similar to Windows Explorer. The pane on the
left displays your available partitions and drives. The pane on the right
displays the the contents of the selected partition or drive.
File Explorer allows you to do the following:

• To delete files and folders, select the file(s) or folder(s) and
then click the Delete button at the top of the dialog.
• To browse the files and folder of your computer, click the
Move Back button to move up the directory, or double-click
a folder to move down the directory.
• To creating a new folder, browse to the desired directory and
then click the New Folder button.
• To copy files and folders to another partition, hard drive, or USB
drive, select the file or folder and then drag a copy of it to the new
location.
• To edit text files, browse to their location and then double-click the
text file to open it in the text editor.
248 • Managing Files and Folders Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Backing Up Folder Contents
Backing up the contents of a folder allows you to make a copy of a
directory and place it in a different location. When this option is selected,
a dialog appears with four Source options:
• All file on the system drive backs up all files on the local drive
where Windows is installed.
• All files in the Windows directory backs up all files in the Windows
directory.
• All files in user profiles backs up all the files in the Documents and
Settings folder.
• Custom Directory allows you to browse to a new location and choose
the folder to backup. You can click the Browse button or type in the
known path in the text box.
Select a source directory, and then browse or type in the path for the
Destination backup. The typed path can be either an existing or a new
directory.
TIP: You can also backup files and folder to an external

USB drive.
NOTE: The Overwrite only if source is newer option only

overwrites a file in the Destination directory, if the file is
older than the files in the Source directory.
Click Next to start backing up the selected files.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Managing Files and Folders • 249

Restoring Folder Contents
Restoring the contents of a folder allows you to copy files from a Source
directory to a Destination directory. This tool is a reverse function of
backing up files (see “Backing Up Folder Contents” on page 249). When
you select this option, the Restore Folder window appears.
Browse or enter the path for the Source restore folder, and then choose
from one of the following Destination options:
• All files in user profiles restores all the files to the Documents and
Settings folder.
• All files in the Windows directory restores all files to the Windows
directory.
• All files on the system drive restores all files on the local drive
where Windows is installed.
• Custom directory allows you to browse to a new location and choose
the folder restore destination. You can click the Browse button or
type the path for an existing or a new directory.
NOTE: The Overwrite only if source is newer option will

only overwrite a file in the Destination directory if the file is
older than the files in the Source directory.
TIP: You can also restore files and folder from an external
USB drive.
Click Next to start restoring the files.
250 • Managing Files and Folders Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

MANUAL
PARTITIONING
Manually Partitioning Your Disks 253
Changing Manual Partition Settings 259
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Manual Partitioning • 251

252 • Manual Partitioning Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Manually Partitioning Your Disks
Overview
There might be times when you want to create, delete, format, or validate
a partition manually. For example, you might want to format a partition
for data or delete a partition that is no longer useful to you. The Rescue
CD allows you to access these features when you start directly from the
Rescue CD.
CAUTION: It is important that you make a backup of all

essential files prior to deleting or formatting partitions.
Formatting a partition deletes any data on that partition.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Manually Partitioning Your Disks • 253

Viewing Your Partitions
The Partitioning tool doesn’t have all of the functionality associated with
the full version of Partition Commander. The Rescue CD version allows
you to only format, delete, set the active partition, and make repairs or
property changes to existing partitions. For more information on Partition
Commander, please visit http://www.avanquestusa.com on the internet.
1. Turn on your computer and insert the Rescue CD.
You might need to restart the computer to start from the CD. If your
computer doesn’t start from the CD, you must change the System
BIOS to boot from the CD. For information about changing your
System BIOS, see the documentation that came with your computer.
2. Select Manual Partitioning at the Rescue Disk Wizard screen, or
click the Start menu and choose Partitioning.
The Partitioning window always opens displaying the first physical

drive, labeled as Drive 0 in the graphical display. The legend in the
lower-right uses colors to indicate the type of file system installed on
the partition. Both FAT12 and FAT16 partitions are displayed as
FAT.
• The Select Disk toolbar section shows the selected drive
information.
• The General tab shows the selected drive, partition information,
and used disk space.
• The Details tab shows the same information, but shows cluster
and sector information for the selected drive.
The Main Window shows the entire drive divided into partitions. The
primary partitions are all on the left and logical partitions (partitions
within a partition) if any, shown on the right. The logical partitions
are contained inside of the extended partition.
254 • Manually Partitioning Your Disks Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
3. Click the desired partition in the graphical display to select it. An
arrow appears to the left of the selected partition.
4. Select the drive from the drive drop-down list to change drives (if you
have multiple hard-drives).
If you have more than three hard drives, you can select one of the first
three drives by clicking the buttons labeled, 0, 1, and 2 on the Select
Disk toolbar. Open the drop-down list to select from additional
drives.
From the selected drive you can:
• Delete existing partitions.
• Create new partition from Free space.
• Use the Advanced Tools to perform a variety of tasks.
Creating Partitions
To create a partition on the drive, you must first have free space available.
Free space for partitioning is space on the hard drive that hasn’t been put
into a partition. This isn’t the same as unused space within an existing
partition. Free space is identified by the word Free in the drive diagram.
1. Click the Free area on the diskmap.
White bars appear on each side when it is selected.
2. Click the Create button and a dialog opens indicating the maximum
size allowed.
3. Specify the size of the partition you want to create.
The program automatically double-checks to make sure that you
haven’t entered an invalid value. The partition can’t be made any
larger than the maximum size indicated.
4. Enter a volume label for the partition.
5. Check the Enable surface scan option, if you want to check for
errors in the partition area.
6. Check the Custom Partition Type option, if you want to select a
specific file system for the partition.
• FAT is usually automatically selected for Windows and DOS
partitions.
• FAT32 is usually chosen for Windows partitions over 2 GB.
• NTFS is usually chosen for Windows 2000/XP/2003 partitions.
7. After you have entered the necessary information, click Next to create
and format the partition.

Deleting Partitions
If you have a partition on your hard drive that you no longer need, you can
delete it and gain some extra storage space. Deleting a partition removes
references to the partition from the Partition Table, causing the
information from the deleted partition to become inaccessible. This results
in disk space that can be used to create new partitions.
Contents of the deleted partition don’t immediately disappear from the
disk, but are merely unavailable for the operating system. This enables
you to undo an accidentally deleted partition prior to reformatting the
deleted partition.
To Delete a Partitions
1. Select the partition to delete on the diskmap.
White bars appear on each side when it is selected.
2. Click the Delete button.
A message appears with bold warnings and other information about
the partition, such as its size, type, and volume label.
CAUTION: After a partition is deleted, all data in the

partition is no longer accessible. Make sure important
data is backed up in another location before deleting a
partition.
3. Enter the current volume label exactly as it appears and then click
Next.
If the label names don’t match, an error message appears and no
changes are made to the partition.
4. If you are ready to delete the selected partition, click the Proceed
button. Otherwise, click Cancel to abort the deletion.
TIP: If you’ve accidentally deleted a partition, and haven’t

reformatted it, you can recover it by opening the Undo
menu and selecting Undo Delete.
A deleted partition is converted to Free space on the diskmap and

automatically combined with other free space. Free space can be used to
create new partitions (see “Creating Partitions” on page 255).

Using the Advanced Tools
The Advanced Tools allow you to make changes to the partitions, such as
determining which partition is used for starting, hiding partitions from
other operating systems, fixing the Boot File, and assigning SIDs.
Setting the Active Partition

The Set/Toggle active/bootable option allows you to assign a bootable
active status to a single partition. An active bootable partition is one that
the computer uses to start your computer from and start the Operating
System.
To Activate a Partition
1. Click the desired partition in the graphical display to select it. An
arrow appears to the left of the selected partition.
2. Chose Set/Toggle active/bootable from the Advanced menu.
A window pops up and tells you that the selected partition’s active/
boot status has been changed. Repeating this process switches back to
the previous status.
Hiding and Unhiding Partitions

A hidden partition’s data is still on the hard drive, but no Operating
System (OS) can see it. This feature is useful when you have more than
one OS on your computer and as you select a different OS, the other
partitions are hidden.
To Hide a Partition
Click the desired partition in the graphical display to select it. An arrow
appears to the left of the selected partition. Then, open the Advanced
menu and chose Hide.
A message appears and tells you that the selected partition is marked
hidden.
To Unhide a Partition
Click the desired partition in the graphical display to select it. An arrow
appears to the left of the selected partition. Then, open the Advanced
menu and choose Unhide.
A window appears with a message that the selected partition is now
visible.

Changing the Security Identifier
The Change SID option allows you to update the security identifier (SID)
for the selected partition, all partitions on a drive, or all drives and
partitions. A unique SID is required in every Windows partition. If you
perform a partition copy, the SID should be updated so the computer can
recognize the new one as a different partition.
To Change the SID
Open the Advanced menu and select Change SID. Then, choose from the
two available options:
• All Drives and Partitions
• All Partitions on this Drive
After an option is selected, the tool starts automatically and changes the
SID for the selected partitions.

Changing Manual Partition Settings
Overview
The Manual Partition settings are used to change how partitions are
created and to set the various processes that run as a result of partitioning
operations.
Accessing the Settings

Open the Start menu and select Settings. You can also open the
Advanced menu and select Settings to displays the settings dialog.
General Options:
• Auto Format on create allows you to automatically format newly
created partitions.
• Enable Surface-tests allows you to perform error checking on a
partition. It is similar to the ScanDisk program in Windows.
• Disable auto-save allows you to make these option settings apply
only to the current session—they are not saved.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Changing Manual Partition Settings • 259

• Auto BootFixer automatically runs the BootFixer tool after major
partitioning operations.
• Confirm NTFS time-zone settings allows you to receive questions
about the local settings each time this information is used, such as
converting from NTFS to FAT or back. If the local settings don’t
match your operating system, file date/times and file names might
change during the conversion.
• Allow multi-undo formatting allows you to save the information
about undoing formatting for the BackStep Wizard. This has no effect
in this version.
• Always change SID after copy allows you to update the 2000/XP/
2003 SID (Security Identifier) after a copy operation. This insures the
copy doesn’t have the same SID as the original.
• Enable Restart checkpoint allows you to recover during the middle
of a critical partitioning operation in the event of a power failure or
computer reset.
• Enable USB support allows Rescue Disk to access external hard
drives, mice, and keyboards connected to a USB port. If you
experience problems with your USB devices, you can disable this
option.
NOTE: We recommend that you wait to attach any

USB hard drives until after your computer reboots.
Even if you disable this option, your system BIOS
might still detect your USB hard drives. However, the
BIOS emulation is extremely slow and can cause long
delays when starting the OS Wizard or Partitioning.
Video Mode Options allow you to select your screen resolution, or use the
Auto-detect option to detect it automatically.
Mouse Speed allows you to adjust the on-screen speed of your mouse.
Reset to defaults button allows you to return the settings to default
values.
260 • Changing Manual Partition Settings Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

EMERGENCY
MANUAL
Your Computer is in Trouble 263
Dealing with Other Common Problems 269
Troubleshooting 275
Booting from a Rescue Disk 277
Recovering From a Data Disaster 281
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Emergency Manual • 261

262 • Emergency Manual Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Your Computer is in Trouble
Overview
Fix-It Utilities works best as preventive maintenance. That is, you’ll find
that running the tools regularly on your computer keeps you out of most
trouble that computer users find themselves getting into.
That said, not everyone has the luxury of buying “just in case” software.
Sometimes your computer goes down, you panic and look for something
that will get you out of whatever trouble you’re in.
Fix-It Utilities can, in many cases, get you out of your temporary jam—
and then help keep you out of trouble for years to come.
If you can’t start Windows, but don’t have Fix-It Utilities installed, there is
information here to help you use this product and the tools included with
your operating system to diagnose the problem with specific instructions
for your Windows version.
We can’t fix every problem known to keep you from starting, such as
hardware failures. If your hard drive has suffered serious damage, see
“Recovering From a Data Disaster” on page 281 for help in recovering
data that might otherwise be lost.
Getting Started if Your Computer is in Trouble

If you have a computer that has crashed and won’t start up, or if you
suspect a virus has infected it, you can’t install Fix-It Utilities on your
computer until the problem has been fixed.
Your most important priority at this point is probably to clean your
computer (if there is a virus), to get back up and running as quickly as
possible, and to make sure you haven’t lost any data. You might want to
save data to a diskette or other removable media. Then, you need to make
sure your computer is able to start.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Your Computer is in Trouble • 263

Starting from a Rescue Disk
Turn on your computer and insert the bootable Rescue CD (either the
installation CD or a Rescue CD).
For full instructions on how to make a Rescue CD, see “Making a Rescue
CD” on page 225.
Restart your computer so the computer can start from the Rescue CD.
NOTE: Eject all removable media from other drives to

ensure that only the Rescue CD is accessed during restart.
If your system won’t start from the CD, refer to instructions that came
with your computer to change the System BIOS.
Your computer uses the Rescue CD (or installation CD) as its boot disk. A
graphical menu appears after the computer starts, with a number of
options. The Rescue Disk Help can assist you with the various Rescue
Disk options.
If your mouse doesn’t work: The Rescue CD installs a generic mouse
driver that allows most users access to their mouse. If your mouse doesn’t
seem to be working, it might be that the driver is incompatible with it. In
this case, you will have to use only keyboard commands. Notice that each
button also has its keyboard option on the button label.
• Consult “Troubleshooting” on page 275 and “Dealing with Other
Common Problems” on page 269 for advice on how to resolve your
problem. Use the available options to recover your data and diagnose
your computer. See “Booting from a Rescue Disk” on page 277 for
detailed information about the Rescue Disk tools.
• Some problems can’t be fixed by even the best rescue programs. If the
problem is caused by a hardware malfunction, you might need to have
the computer serviced by a technician. If your computer remains
unable to start, go to “Recovering From a Data Disaster” on page 281
for information on other options.
Install Fix-It Utilities after the computer starts normally.
264 • Your Computer is in Trouble Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Getting Started in Windows 2000/XP/Vista
Recovery Commander
Avanquest’s Recovery Commander, included with Fix-It Utilities, will
often be the quickest and easiest way to recover from startup problems.
Best yet, Recovery Commander can even restore a Windows restore
checkpoint, even if you never installed the Windows Recovery Console or
Recovery Commander
Recovery Commander’s saved checkpoints can also recover from a
number of serious problems that Windows’ Recovery Console can’t solve.
Unlike the Windows Recovery Console that drops you to a command line
interface, Recovery Commander will quickly walk you through restoring a
checkpoint.
For more information, see “Recovery Commander Overview” on page
235.
Windows Recovery Console

You can start into Safe Mode and use the Recovery Console to repair
some problems if you had previously installed it. It’s not installed as part
of the default Windows installation.
For Windows XP, you will use the Windows installation CD to access the
recovery console if it hasn’t been installed. Using the CD is the safest way
to use this tool, since none of the files can be tampered with, such as by a
virus.
To create or update an Emergency Repair Disk (ERD) in Windows 2000,
use the Backup utility:
Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Backup
The Emergency Repair Disk isn’t bootable. To use the ERD to repair your
computer, you must first start using Disk 1 of the 4-disk Windows 2000
Setup set. You might be prompted to change to Disk 2 before seeing the
Setup menu. Select Repair from the Setup menu. Select to use either the
Recovery Console or ERD to handle the repair.

Starting in Safe Mode
If you’ve just installed a new program or hardware driver and now can’t
start, getting into Safe Mode can be your lifesaver. Safe Mode loads a
basic version of Windows with only the hardware drivers the operating
system needs to run.
NOTE: You must be able to log in as Administrator to

successfully start Windows 2000/XP Safe Mode. You will
be asked for the Administrator password at the end of the
start process.
As the start process begins (before the Windows startup screen appears),
press and hold the F8 key to get to the startup menu. If you are dual-
booting, press F8 when the boot menu appears. There are several choices:
Safe Mode is the standard option. Safe Mode with Networking gives you
access to your network volumes (and possibly your system-state backup).
Safe Mode with Command Prompt doesn’t load your desktop, but gives
you a command prompt instead. You can also use this menu to start to the
Last Known Good Configuration.
Be aware that starting in Safe Mode takes longer to start than normal.
When the process is ready (and after you have logged in as
Administrator), Windows will put up a message briefly explaining what
Safe Mode is. Click OK to clear this message and begin working.
You can use the Add/Remove Programs utility in Control Panel to
uninstall the program or driver that caused the problem.
Using the Windows Emergency Repair Disk

If you are not an advanced user, you can should choose the Fast Repair
option from the Emergency Repair Disk (ERD) menu. This option will
work by itself, automatically checking and, if possible, repairing problems
with the registry, system files, the partition boot sector, and startup
environment. If the problem was in the registry, Fast Repair will restore
the section from the backup registry created at setup. If you want to restore
from a later backup, you should use the Recovery Console instead. See the
next section for information on the Recovery Console.
The Manual Repair option should be used by advanced users and
administrators. This functions much like the Windows ERD, but doesn’t
give you access to the registry. Use the Recovery Console to repair
registry files.

Using the Recovery Console
The Windows Recovery Console offers advanced users command-prompt
access to their computer, with a number of commands available to fix
startup problems. You can use Recovery Console to perform many tasks
without starting Windows, including: starting and stopping services,
reading and writing information on a local disk drive (including NTFS file
system drives), formatting drives, etc. Recovery Console is particularly
useful if you need to repair your computer by copying a file from a
diskette or CD to your hard drive, or if you need to modify a service that
prevents your computer from starting properly.
If you haven’t already installed Recovery Console as a startup option, you
should start your computer from your Windows 2000/XP installation CD
or Windows 2000 setup disk. To use the Recovery Console to repair your
computer. Be aware this process is quite slow, often taking 2-5 minutes to
get to the Welcome screen.
To Start Using Recovery Console
1. At the Welcome to Setup, press F10, or press R to repair, and then C to
start the Recovery Console.
You are asked to identify the Windows installation to logon to.
2. Enter the Administrator password for the correct installation to enter
the Recovery Console.
3. Recovery Console offers access to only these folders:
• The root folder (C:\)
• The SystemRoot folder (usually C:\WINNT) of the installation
you are logged into, and its subfolders
• The Cmdcons folder
• Removable media (CD, DVD, Zip, etc.) drives
4. Type help to see all the commands available to you.
In addition to many standard DOS commands, some of the more
useful Recovery Console Commands are:
• Enable/Disable services: type listsvc to get a list of all
services and drivers. The enable and disable
(servicename) commands turn services on and off,
respectively.

• Disk partitioning: Diskpart is similar to the FDisk command
in DOS. Get information on your existing partitions, delete
damaged partitions and add new ones.
CAUTION: Changing hard drive partitions with

this tool will destroy all data on your disk. This is
only to be used on new hard drives that haven’t
been formatted, and on older drives that have
completely failed and can’t be fixed any other way.
• Repair boot sectors: Fixboot writes a new Windows boot

sector. Fixmbr is similar to the fdisk /mbr DOS command
and rewrites the master boot record on the disk. If these sectors
have been infected by a virus, or otherwise corrupted, these
commands will help. They don’t change the partitioning of the
drive.
A list of all Recovery Console commands and switches can be found
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Article Q229716.
When you have completed your repairs, type exit to quit the
Recovery Console and restart your computer.
Using the Vista System Recovery Options

Windows Vista has several tools located in the System Recovery Options
menu. This menu is also on the Vista installation disc. The menu might
also be located on your hard disk, if the manufacturer of your computer
installed the recovery options.
You can use these tools to repair startup problems, restore your system
files from a time the system was working correctly and run memory tests.
Some versions of Vista also allow you to restore your computer and
system files from a backup. For more information, see the documentation
that came with your system or contact the computer manufacturer.

Dealing with Other Common
Problems
Overview
Not every emergency is catastrophic. You might be able to start up fine.
Yet there can be panic-stricken moments when things seem to be going
wrong at all times. Fix-It Utilities can handle these problems most
effectively, but there are occasionally other ways to solve these problems.
This chapter will help you sort out some of these more common and
aggravating problems.
Stability Issues
Does your computer crash frequently? Does the “Blue Screen of Death”
rear its ugly head a lot? Does Windows freeze or hang up? Do you restart
the computer several times a day to get things back to normal? These are
the stability issues many computer users have to deal with. However, there
are ways to resolve these problems.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Dealing with Other Common Problems • 269

General Practices
Run Windows Update. Microsoft releases updates to Windows regularly.
These updates can be fixes to security and stability problems to the latest
Media Player version. You can even set up your computer to check for
“critical updates” when you sign on to the Internet. If stability is your
concern, however, don’t download any software labeled “beta.” By
definition, these pieces are not ready for prime time. They are likely to
promote instability, not lessen it.
Keep multimedia and other hardware drivers current. If you install a
new game or other software and your sound or graphics start going
haywire, it might be time to update your video-display or sound card
driver. Contact your computer manufacturer, or the maker of your card (if
you bought it elsewhere). Drivers are software that allows your operating
system to communicate with the other pieces of hardware on your
computer). They are generally available (at no charge) on the
manufacturer’s website.
New drivers are usually written to resolve a particular problem, often
interactions with a changed operating system or widely used program.
While new drivers can often bring new features, the old rule of thumb “If
it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies here.
Have enough random access memory (RAM) to do what you want
with your computer. If you like to run a lot of different programs at the
same time, pay attention to the system requirements of those common
programs. If you regularly work in your word processor while connected
to the Internet, with your web browser, email program open, and your
anti-virus program is running in the background, this uses up a lot of
RAM. Windows itself will be using a lot of that memory as well. It adds
up. If the above describes your typical computing behavior, you want at
least 128 MB of RAM on your computer, 256 MB or more is even better.
If you have Fix-It Utilities, the SystemMonitors can track your RAM
usage. If you find yourself running out of resources frequently, an upgrade
might be in your future.
Maintain your File Allocation Table. Running Windows 2000/XP/Vista
ChkDsk or DiskFixer in Fix-It Utilities regularly will help keep your disk
structure in shape. These tools make sure your computer can find the files
it needs, and protect you against data loss from bad clusters.
270 • Dealing with Other Common Problems Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Crashing and Blue Screens
Keep applications updated. Software developers are constantly finding
and fixing problems that inevitably occur with use in the “real world.”
Many software bugs are fixed in free updates from the software developer.
Watch for interactions between programs that lead to trouble. If your
computer becomes problematic whenever Program A and Program B are
running at the same time, contact technical support for both programs.
There might already be a fix or a work-around available.
When you get a crash, or illegal operation, message from Windows, click
the Details button. You will usually see a message that “Program A
caused a general protection fault in Module B,” or something similar. This
can help you identify software conflicts.
Regularly remove temporary files. Programs often create temporary files
on your computer. These are usually files with a .tmp extension that help
the program run. When you exit the program normally, these files
disappear, not to be heard from again. If a program crashes, or otherwise
doesn’t close properly, these temporary files stay on your computer. One
day, the program will try to create a temporary file with the same name as
a file that is already present, and suddenly the program crashes again.
The Fix-It Utilities DiskCleaner can be scheduled to remove all these
types of files on a frequency you decide (see “Cleaning Your Hard Drive”
in the online help or in the user’s guide on the CD). Using Windows’ file
finder to locate and remove *.tmp files can also help remove some of these
temporary files.
Performance Issues
Computers are not like people. They don’t get tired and they don’t need
sleep. Yet, sometimes it can seem to take forever for Windows to start up,
or for a program to load.
There are a couple of general causes for slow performance: a lack of
system optimization or a lack of disk space.

Optimization
Keep your hard drive defragmented. As you read from the hard drive
and write to it, your computer has built-in processes that allocate and de-
allocate hard drive space as needed. When you write a new file to the disk,
space is allocated for the new file. If there isn’t a chunk of space big
enough, the file might use several non-contiguous smaller chunks of
space. When you delete a file, the space the file used is returned to the
computer as free space.
As time goes by and you add and delete files from the hard drive, the
available disk space becomes more and more fragmented. Files can
become scattered across the disk. This makes the reading and writing of
files take longer, potentially shortening the life of the hard drive motor.
Running JETDefrag can keep your drive organized in the best way
possible.
Install and maintain an anti-virus and anti-spam program. If you
suddenly begin to get strange and erratic behavior from your computer,
you could be infected with a virus. VirusScanner can give you solid
protection against these undesirables.
If you think you already have a virus, but don’t have an anti-virus program
on your computer, there is hope. Trend Micro’s HouseCall service
(housecall.com) will scan your computer over the Internet free of charge.
Have enough random access memory (RAM) to do what you want
with your computer. As mentioned in “Stability Issues” on page 269,
things can slow down tremendously if Windows regularly has to dip into
“virtual memory” to keep the computer up. Virtual memory, also called
the swap file, is hard drive space reserved by the operating system to be
used if too much RAM is being used.

Low Disk Space
Keep at least 20 percent of your C: drive free at all times. Windows
needs a lot of breathing space to operate properly. It creates temporary
files, stores the Internet Explorer cache and history files and maintains the
swap file (virtual memory) all on its install drive. If Windows or some
other program has to search high and low for empty sectors on the drive, it
will slow the computer down.
You can use the Fix-It Utilities Cleanup tools to remove unnecessary files
from your drive.
Use the best file system for your operating system. Users of Windows
2000/XP users can choose between FAT32 and NTFS. Avanquest’s
Partition Commander (an optional purchase) can safely convert partitions
between the various formats and back.
Watch out for multiple software installations. Sometimes when you
upgrade a program from an earlier version, the new one installs to a new
folder. This leaves the old version intact and taking up space on your
drive. If, for example, you open Windows Explorer and find folders
labeled AOL70, AOL80 and AOL90 on your hard drive, you can safely
uninstall the earlier versions and delete all the files in those folders.
These tips and resources should help you recover from your emergency,
and keep you out of trouble in the future.

Troubleshooting
Overview
Check this chart for tips to common computer problems and solutions.
Problem/Symptoms Possible Causes What to Do

The computer won’t start up. Missing or corrupted system See “Your Computer is in Trouble” on page 263.
file(s). Check the section for your operating system for
Crash during software or troubleshooting hints.
driver install.
Corrupted registry. Data recovery experts might be able to help if
Potential hardware problem. you can’t retrieve your important data.
Computer seems slow, The hard drive is either very See “Optimization” on page 272.
sluggish. fragmented, or getting full.
The program you were Run SpeedUp, CleanUp, or Comprehensive
running needs more RAM than Wizard to clean and optimize. You might also
your computer has. want to run DiskFixer to locate and fix any
problems on the hard disk.
Run JETDefrag to optimize the hard drive.
Check to see that you aren’t trying to start up

too many programs when you start your
computer.
The computer is exhibiting Possible virus. Run Comprehensive Wizard with all options.
erratic, unpredictable Possible corrupted file This will fix system files and check for viruses.
behavior. allocation table.
Computer freezes or hangs. No The program you were See “Crashing and Blue Screens” on page 271.
mouse or keyboard control. running encountered an
internal error. Press CTRL-ALT-DEL to bring up the Task
The program you were Manager. Select the Applications tab and close
running needs more RAM than End Task on the problem program.
your computer has. If you have an older computer, you might need
to install more RAM.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Troubleshooting • 275

Problem/Symptoms Possible Causes What to Do
The “blue screen of death” Usually caused by a fault in a See “Stability Issues” on page 269.
appears, with the message that driver file.
your program crashed. This is a Windows crash, which you usually
have to restart your computer.
Your disk drive is making an The drive bearings or other Run SMARTDiskCheck. Back up everything
unusual grinding noise. part of the drive might be important to removable media NOW, and then
going bad. turn off the computer. Get the computer checked
out by a good hardware technician. You might
have to replace the hard drive.
Your Word files are being This is a known virus. Run VirusScanner.
saved as .dot files.
Your program crashes Program might be trying to See “Crashing and Blue Screens” on page 271.
frequently, especially when create a temporary file leftover
trying to use a particular on your computer from an Run DiskCleaner to remove all *.tmp files.
feature. earlier crash.
Your program crashes a lot, You might have the wrong See “General Practices” on page 270.
especially when certain driver for your video card.
graphics are displayed. You might have the right Contact your computer (or video card)
driver, but the wrong settings manufacturer and get the latest video driver
for the type of monitor. (these are usually downloadable from the Web).
Make sure your settings are correct.
You try running a program Did you move the program to Run RegistryFixer. You might need to delete
that you have run before, but a new location? Possible program files and reinstall the program.
the computer can’t find it. invalid registry link.
Not enough room to install Low disk space. See “Low Disk Space” on page 273.
new software Run Fix-It Utilities DiskCleaner.
Not enough room for Low disk space. See “Low Disk Space” on page 273.
programs that write to temp Run Fix-It Utilities DiskCleaner.
files to run successfully
Files left over on disk after The program’s uninstall Run Fix-It Utilities DiskCleaner to remove
uninstalling a program program didn’t completely unused/temporary files.
remove all files.
Unwanted files in the cache normal operation Run Fix-It Utilities DiskCleaner to remove
after a web browsing session unused/temporary files.
Old files, especially normal operation Run Fix-It Utilities DiskCleaner to remove
intermediate files, left over unused/temporary files.
when changing to a new
directory or project.
Old files that are no longer normal operation Run Fix-It Utilities DiskCleaner to remove
needed or wanted accumulate unused/temporary files.
because they are forgotten,
buried in non-accessed folders
Duplicate files accumulated normal operation See “Low Disk Space” on page 273.
when programs are moved or
reinstalled Run Fix-It Utilities DiskCleaner to remove
unused/temporary files.
276 • Troubleshooting Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Booting from a Rescue Disk
Overview
The Rescue CD is primarily intended for use if you can’t start your
computer into Windows Safe mode.
If your computer refuses to start up, it might have any of a number of
problems. The Rescue Disk can fix some of these; others might require the
services of a computer technician. In any case, the Rescue Disk might help
you recover important files and restore system files.
The Rescue Disk program is designed to do everything possible to help
you restore your computer so you can start it up normally again.
NOTE: If you haven’t made a Rescue Disk, you might be

able to access the tools directly from the Fix-It Utilities CD.
You must have your system BIOS configured to allow you
to start from the CD, however. Check with your computer
manufacturer to see how to do this.
For more information, see “Recovery Commander” on page 233.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Booting from a Rescue Disk • 277

Booting from the Rescue Disk
The Rescue Disk installs a generic mouse driver that allows most users
access to their mouse. If your mouse doesn’t seem to be working, it might
be that the driver is incompatible with it. In this case, you will have to use
only keyboard commands.
1. Turn on the computer and the monitor.
2. Insert the Rescue CD (or installation CD) into the drive.
NOTE: You might be need to restart your computer to

start from the CD
A graphical menu with several options appears.

3. Click the Help button to view a complete document describing the
features of the Rescue Disk.
Each button also has its keyboard option on the button label.
Viewing the Rescue Disk Menu

When starting from the Rescue CD, the Rescue Disk Wizard first displays
with the following options:
• Recovery Commander
• BootFixer - Fixes BCD/BOOT.INI
• Manual Partitioning
Recovery Commander
Recovery Commander allows you to restore functionality to your
computer by restoring both Recovery Commander and System Restore
checkpoints.
BootFixer
The BootFixer utility scans your computer’s installation for updating/
repairing the BOOT.INI file.
278 • Booting from a Rescue Disk Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Manual Partitioning
This program lets you create or delete partitions on your hard drive.
CAUTION: Deleting or Formatting Partitions will destroy

all data within the partition. This is only to be used on new
hard drives that haven’t been formatted, and on older drives
that have completely failed and can’t be fixed any other
way.
For more information, see “Manually Partitioning Your Disks” on page

253.
Learning about the Start Menu Commands

Rescue Disk, much like Windows, has a Start menu. A list of the
commands located on the Start menu is explained below.
• Partitioning opens the Manual Partitioning tool (see “Manually
Partitioning Your Disks” on page 253).
• Recovery Commander opens the main Recovery Commander
Wizard (see “Restoring Computer Functionality” on page 241).
• Rescue Disk Wizard opens the main Rescue Disk Wizard (see
“Viewing the Rescue Disk Wizard” on page 238).
• The Settings option contains two choices:
• Settings opens the Settings dialog to make changes in the way
Manual Partitioning functions (see “Changing Manual Partition
• Regional Settings allows you to select the time zone and the
language of your operating system.
• View allows you to view the computer boot files.
• Help opens a dialog for information about using the Rescue Disk.
• Exit restarts your computer.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Booting from a Rescue Disk • 279

280 • Booting from a Rescue Disk Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Recovering From a Data Disaster
Overview
Even if you’ve had the worst possible disaster happen to your computer,
you might still be able to get the data from it. There area companies with
experience recovering data resulting from severe software corruption, hard
drive failures, viruses, user error, and natural disasters including floods,
fires, and earthquakes. So if you’re reading this chapter because your
computer is in real trouble, the first thing to remember is Don’t panic.
Even in the worst of circumstances, data can often be recovered from a
damaged disk.
Of course, making regular backups of your critical data is very important.
Even with JETDefrag, DiskCleaner, and the other tools that clean,
optimize, and reorganize your disk, a computer can be subjected to
unforeseen and uncontrollable events. If you back up your data regularly,
you might lose only a few hours to a few days’ worth of work, in the worst
case. However, even if the worst should happen, there are tools and
services that can help you recover from your data loss situation.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Recovering From a Data Disaster • 281

Levels of Recovery
There are two levels of data rescue and recovery:
• Level 1: Recovery Commander™. This advanced recovery tool can
restore critical system files from a prior saved checkpoint. It support
all Windows file systems including NTFS.
• Level 2: Data Recovery Services. There are several companies that
office data recovery services both Remotely and In-Lab.
• Remote Services: Many software-related data loss situations
can be solved remotely. This includes situations where the
computer’s operating system doesn’t even start. Through an
Internet or modem connection, a professional data recovery
engineer will diagnose and repair severe data loss corruption.
• Lab Services. This service is the right choice for the toughest,
most intensive data recovery problems, including hard drives that
have suffered from mechanical failure. This also includes severe
software corruption, water damage, and fire damage.
What if There is Serious Physical Damage?

If you ever find your computer’s hard drive making unusual noises,
submerged in water, buried under rubble (say from an earthquake), sitting
amongst the wreckage of a fire, or otherwise physically compromised, the
first course of action should be to contact a professional data recovery
service. Never assume that lost data is unrecoverable, because in most
cases it can be retrieved.
282 • Recovering From a Data Disaster Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Help, My Disk is Dead
“Now what do I do? I can’t afford to have my computer down, or worse
yet, lose all the information on my computer.”
You might be surprised to learn that when a hard drive isn’t working or
your computer won’t start, you still have a good chance of at least
recovering your data. This chapter, is a tutorial on data recovery and how
to go about it. Your data might still be recoverable, and we’ll step you
through the various data recovery methods.
Evaluate the level of damage

There are varying levels of data recovery situations, from accidentally
deleting an important file, to losing critical disk information, such as a
NTFS Master File Table, all the way to severe physical disk damage.
If you seem to have lost data or even your operating system, but the disk
itself seems to be spinning correctly (no strange noises when the computer
is running), the chances of recovering data at a minimum of cost are very
good.
On the other hand, if your disk has obvious physical damage, then you
must send the disk into a data recovery service that has cleanroom
facilities to clean the disk and can recover as much data as possible.
Create a Plan of Action

You should have some viable options. We suggest that if you have a
choice, you begin with the least expensive option that meets your needs.

Recovering Data Remotely
For critical situations the expertise of an engineer is required. Recovering
Data Remotely allows specialized engineers to perform data recovery
services modem-to-modem or over your Internet connection. The cost of
this type of service depends on the nature and severity of your data loss
situation. With remote services, users often get their data back within a
few hours.
When Would I use a Remote Recovery Service?

The following is a list of situations in which you might consider a Remote
Recovery Service. Don’t forget that Avanquest’s Recovery Commander
and the Fix-It Utilities Rescue Disk can also recover lost data in some of
these situations.
• Unbootable operating system
• Deleted files
• Reformats/repartitions
• Invalid boot sectors
• Invalid volume tables/definitions
• Deleted partitions
• Virus damage
• FDISKed drives
• Damaged file tables (File Allocation Table, Master File Table)
• Drives damaged by software
How Does it Work?

Armed with a suite of advanced tools and techniques, a Remote Service
engineer can repair damaged data on your disk drive through a modem or
Internet connection. You can use this service even if you can’t start your
computer. The only requirement is that the computer and hard disk drive
are not damaged or malfunctioning.

In-Lab Data Recovery
In the most serious of data loss situations, you might need to send the hard
drive into a data recovery lab. Hard drives that are malfunctioning,
physically damaged, or have been exposed to a disaster (flood, fire, power
surges/spikes) would require this level of service. Severe software damage
that can’t be solved using other levels of service would also qualify for in-
lab data recovery.
After the hard drive has been sent in for a data recovery, engineers will use
the most advanced software and hardware tools available to recover the
data.
NOTE: You can take your computer to a standard computer

repair shop, which can probably fix the hardware; however,
repair shops generally don’t guarantee the safety of your
data. If the data is critical, you should use a data recovery
service before having the computer repaired.
Disaster Recovery
Catastrophes happen—no doubt about it. When they happen to you, one of
your priorities is probably to get back to normal as soon as possible.
Whether it’s a serious data loss situation, or physical damage from flood,
fire, or earthquake, we can help recover your important data.
Flood Damage
Computer data storage media submerged in water suffers not as much
from the water itself as from all of the impurities found in the water. If it is
suspected that computer equipment has been contaminated with water, the
data must be recovered in a clean room, where the contaminants can be
removed by a data recovery professional in a particle-free environment.
After the media is completely cleaned the data recovery process can begin.
If your data has been damaged by water, it is important to get your media
into the hands of professionals as quickly as possible.

Fire and Smoke Damage
Fire damages data storage media when the internal components are
contaminated with airborne smoke particles. Storage media can be further
damaged by the water used to extinguish the fire.
If it is suspected that computer equipment has been contaminated, the data
must be recovered in a clean room, where the contaminants can be
After the media is completely cleaned the data recovery process begins.
Earthquake Damage
Earthquakes can not only shake computer data storage media components
out of alignment, they can trigger additional disasters as well, including
fire and water-related damage. When water or smoke particles find their
way into data storage devices and contaminate the surface the data is
stored on, data integrity can be compromised.
If it is suspected that computer equipment has been contaminated, the data
Lightning/Electrical Damage
Electrical storms can cause considerable damage when lightning strikes
result in electrical surge. If the electrical surge reaches a computer
terminal, it can wipe out the internal electronics of the computer data
storage media. If this happens, and the computer is subsequently powered
up, the media can malfunction and render data inaccessible. Lightning can
also trigger other catastrophic events such as fire, the smoke particles from
which can reach the inside of a computer and contaminate the area where
the data is stored.
If it is suspected that computer equipment has been contaminated the data

Cleanup Tips
The following tips have been put together by data recovery professionals
to assist you in the recovery of damaged media:
• Never assume the data is unrecoverable, no matter what it has been
through.
• Send the media to a professional data recovery facility as soon as
possible.
• Don’t attempt to power up your computer if you suspect there was an
electrical surge, as internal or external electronic failures could result
in data storage device malfunction.
• Don’t use storage media that might have been exposed to heat,
moisture or soot. The media might be irreversibly damaged if not
treated and recovered in an air- and static-controlled room by data
recovery professionals.
• Don’t shake the media, or in the case of hard disk drives, remove the
cover of the assembly.
• Don’t attempt to dry water-damaged media by opening it or exposing
it to heat.
• Don’t attempt to freeze dry media.
• Don’t attempt to operate visibly damaged media, or media that has
been exposed to water. Caution: waiting for the media to dry out and
then operating it on your own can cause irreversible damage.
• Don’t attempt to clean the media yourself without using proper
solutions applied in a clean room environment. Contaminated media
requires immediate and thorough cleaning. In fact, professionals
prefer to receive media in the clean room before it has had a chance to
dry out.
• Don’t attempt to recover severely damaged data with commonly
available software utility programs.
• Hard drives flooded in salt water require special treatment. Because
data can be damaged quicker due to salt oxidizing on the media, the
drive should be express-shipped in an airtight container to a
professional data recovery facility. To reduce the risk of further
damage, drives can be “bathed” in distilled or fresh water, although
they should not be agitated.

REFERENCE
Hints and Other Issues 291
Glossary of Terms 297
Index 305
Complimentary Technical Support 311
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Reference • 289

290 • Reference Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional
Hints and Other Issues
Overview
This section deals with hints and other issues with Fix-It Utilities. For
more information see the following topics:
• Updating Fix-It Utilities Manually (see page 291)
• Uninstalling Fix-It Utilities (see page 292)
• Known Issues and Problems (see page 293)
Updating Fix-It Utilities Manually

If you are not able to use EasyUpdate to update Fix-It Utilities, you can
download the latest update EXE files manually from the Avanquest
website.
http://www.v-com.com/virusinfo/index.php3
To Install the Updates

1. Click the file from the list and save it to your disk.
2. Browse to the location of the saved EXE file.
3. Double-click the EXE file to start the installation process.
4. Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions.
5. Click Finish to complete the update.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Hints and Other Issues • 291

Uninstalling Fix-It Utilities
If you want to uninstall Fix-It Utilities from your computer, follow the
steps listed below for your operating system.
NOTE: After the program is uninstalled, a few data files

created while you used Fix-It Utilities might remain. These
include log files, lists created for cleanup, DiskSnapshot
images, etc. You can leave these if you plan to reinstall, or
can go ahead and delete these files.
To Uninstall Fix-It Utilities in Vista

1. Make sure the program is closed, and the Fix-It Utilities tray icon
isn’t showing.
2. Open the Windows Start menu and choose Control Panel.
3. Under the Programs heading, click the Uninstall a program link.
4. Select Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional from the list.
5. Click the Uninstall button at the top of the list.
To Uninstall Fix-It Utilities in XP
1. Make sure the program is closed, and the Fix-It Utilities tray icon
isn’t showing.
2. Open the Windows Start menu and choose
Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.
3. Choose Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional from the list.
4. Click Remove and follow the instructions to uninstall Fix-It Utilities.
292 • Hints and Other Issues Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Known Issues and Problems
Typically, if the User’s Guide and Online Help differ, the Online Help file
is correct as the Online Help is updated when new updates to the software
are created. Printed documentation might not be updated as frequently as
the software.
Browsers
Most features work with all browsers. A few features, such as Windows
Update, only work with Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or later installed
on your computer. You can download a current version of Internet
Explorer from the Microsoft web site at www.microsoft.com.
ErrorTracker Settings
If you typed a new path for the ErrorTracker log directly into the location
box without using the Browse button, you might get an error message.
You must type in an existing directory and a name for the log file. The
Browse button allows you to make a new directory. If you get this error,
you must re-open the ErrorTracker settings dialog to enter the proper path
and file name.
PCDiagnostics
If you are having difficulty with some of the diagnostics, we encourage
you to get updated drivers from your computer vendor.
It is possible that a diagnostic test will appear in the descriptive text for the
diagnostics, and not be available on your computer. Diagnostic tests might
be disabled on a computer for one of the following reasons:
• A device is being used (such as a COM port), and the Diagnostics
doesn’t attempt to test a device which is currently in use,
• A diagnostic test might require a newer version of a driver than is
present (for example, some video tests require DirectX 3.0b or later),
• A diagnostic test might require a specific type of hardware (for
example, the Joystick Tests doesn’t appear on your computer unless
you have a joystick installed)
Loopback connectors are required for some COM and LPT tests. These are
inexpensive connectors, which can be put together or purchased (see
“Diagnostics Needing Loopback Connectors” on page 101). Without these
connectors, those tests requiring loopback connectors will fail.
During the keyboard tests you will need to press all the keys on your
keyboard. When you are done with the test, you might want to press the
NUMLOCK, SCROLLLOCK, and CAPSLOCK keys again to return them to their
original state.

No Sound
If you have speakers and a sound card in your computer, but are unable to
hear sounds from your speakers, we suggest you check the following:
• Verify that the speakers have power (battery or AC) and that the
speakers are turned on.
• Verify that the speaker cables are connected from the speakers to the
correct jack on your sound card. This is one of the most common
problems encountered.
• Set the volume and balance controls on the speakers to the middle of
their range.
Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel > Multimedia and then verify
that your audio settings are approximately midrange and not muted.
DiskCleaner
This tool can be very dangerous if misunderstood—it doesn’t have the
ability to determine if a file is truly safe to delete. It finds files according
to the rules defined in the categories and gives them a rating of ‘probably
safe’ or ‘use caution’ based on some simple criteria, like location and last
modified date. Most categories will find files that should NOT be deleted,
but it is up to you to recognize which ones are safe and which ones are not.
See “DiskCleaner Safety Criteria” on page 190 for more information.
When zipping or moving selected items, zero length files and empty
folders are not preserved.
SystemScheduler
The status display in the main Fix-It Utilities program doesn’t update
dynamically as the scheduler runs programs. To refresh it, close the
Scheduler tool and reopen it.
Programs that are scheduled, but not run, because the Scheduler was
unloaded, might appear to have been run in the Scheduler status window.
Use the View Results dialog to determine which programs actually ran.
The results files accumulate over time and must be deleted manually.
There is no automatic deletion.
SMARTDiskCheck
SMARTDiskCheck won’t work in all versions of all supported operating
systems. If you are having trouble running SMARTDiskCheck, you
should update to the most current version of your operating system. Run
Windows Update or go to the Microsoft web site for more information on
updating your computer at www.microsoft.com.

JETDefrag
To allow JETDefrag to do its best job, you need to disable all third-party
anti-virus software programs before running this tool. Running other anti-
virus programs while using JETDefrag can cause the following
conditions:
• JETDefrag to run slow.
• If a virus is found, the third-party anti-virus software might lock the
file causing JETDefrag the inability to optimize the drive properly.
This occurs when JETDefrag is run alone, or through the Fix-It Utilities
wizards, and SystemScheduler.
Using Fix-It Utilities with Multiple Users

Windows 2000, XP, and Vista are operating systems designed for multiple
users, with the System Administrator responsible for making sure the
computer is running properly.
In this environment, Administrators are the only users able to install and
configure Fix-It Utilities and its specific tools. If you are logged into your
computer as a restricted user, there are only a few Fix-It Utilities tools you
can use. These are:
• Anti-Virus: the on-demand and context menu VirusScanner.
• Anti-Spyware: QuickScan DeepScan
• Diagnose: MediaVerifier
• Cleanup: DiskCleaner
Administrators can run all the tools and set up these tools to run in the
background for all users:
• AutoFileScan and AutoEmailScan real-time virus protection
• ErrorTracker
• The Deleted Files Bin
EasyUpdate/Automatic Updates
Only Administrators can update Fix-It Utilities and the VirusScanner
signature file. AutoUpdate will also only check the Avanquest server for
updates when the Administrator is logged in. We recommend that
Administrators log in regularly to get the current virus files. Typically,
VirusScanner signature files are updated once a week, and usually more
often.

Glossary of Terms
Atomic Clock
This is an extremely accurate electronic clock regulated by the frequency
of cesium atoms.
BIOS Clock
The BIOS clock interacts between the hardware and the operating system.
Boot
Boot means to start up your computer.
Boot Record
The boot record’s main operate is the loader routine, which initially starts
the computer into operation and then loads the larger operating system.
Boot Sector
The Boot Sector is the first track of a hard or diskette drive. This track tells
the computer what to load at the start of the boot process, and can be
infected by a virus.
Click
When the instructions in the user’s guide or online help say to “click” a
certain on-screen button, that means to move the mouse pointer over the
button and press the primary mouse button (the left button if you’re right-
handed) down quickly. As soon as you let the mouse button up, the desired
action should take place.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Glossary of Terms • 297

Cluster
Windows allocates space to files in units called clusters. Each cluster
contains from two to eight sectors, depending on the type and size of the
disk. A cluster is the smallest unit of disk space that can be allocated for
use.
Context Menu
A context menu is the menu that appears when you right-click. The
Windows desktop has several context menus depending on whether the
mouse pointer is on an icon or on a blank area of the desktop. Many
programs have context menus, sometimes several different context menus.
Programs can also customize the Windows context menus, so you might
see your context menus change over time as you add and remove software.
Windows Explorer and PowerDesk both have context menus, which are
customized by Avanquest software.
NOTE: The context menus you can run VirusScanner from

are in Windows Explorer and in PowerDesk.
Crash
Crashing is when a program terminates, sometimes with error messages.
Programs can crash for any number of reasons: data conflicts, memory
problems, bugs in the software, problems with the hardware or hardware
drivers, and more.
Cross-Linked Files
On very rare occasions, the File Allocation Table (FAT) can have two
entries pointing to the same area of the disk. This creates the situation
where two different files contain data on the same area of the disk.
Since the computer can’t determine which file has the correct data and
which has a corrupted link, DiskFixer can separate the two files so you can
examine them at your leisure to determine which has correct data and
which is corrupted.
298 • Glossary of Terms Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Deleted Files Bin
This is a Fix-It Utilities feature. It is an area of your disk reserved for
deleted files. Any files you delete are moved into this area. As the area
fills up, the oldest files are overwritten.
Except for certain temporary files, files are moved to the Deleted Files Bin
when you do any of the following:
• Delete files from DOS
• Delete files via a program
• Delete files in any way that bypasses the Windows Recycle Bin
Desktop
Your desktop is the entire background area of your screen, including the
icons.
Directory
This is an index into the files on your disk. It acts as a hierarchy, and you
see them represented in Windows looking like manila folders.
Diskmap
The Diskmap is a graphical representation of the disk allocation for the
selected drive or partition when using the Recovery CD. It displays each
of your partitions by size, disk location, and type.
DOS
Disk Operating System (DOS) is a microcomputer operating system
developed by Microsoft.
FAT
This is a table on your hard drive that keeps a complete index of all of the
known files on disk. Windows can’t run without this table. Also see the
File Allocation Table.
FAT32
This is a table on your hard drive that keeps a complete index of all of the
known files on disk. Windows can’t run without this table. Also see the
File Allocation Table for 32-bit Windows.
File
This is a collection of data grouped into one unit on disk.

File Allocation Table
(FAT or FAT32) Windows uses the FAT to manage the disk data area. The
FAT tells DOS which portions of the disk belong to each file. The FAT
links together all of the clusters belonging to each file, no matter where
they are on disk.
Hang (or freeze)

When a program hangs or freezes up, you suddenly you have no keyboard
or mouse control, and no control whatsoever over the computer and/or the
program. Often the CTRL-ALT-DEL keys don’t work.
Image
Creating an image is essentially the same thing as making a copy. A disk
image is similar to a disk copy.
Invalid links (System Registry)

An invalid link in the system registry is an entry that should point to a file
on disk, but doesn’t. It is pointing to a location where there was a file, but
the file is no longer there.
Often invalid links occur because uninstalled programs don’t completely
remove their registry entries, programs were not correctly uninstalled, a
user views a file attached to email without saving them to disk first, and
programs have been moved without uninstalling and reinstalling them.
Invalid links are common in system registries, and it is always a good idea
to clean them out regularly.
Lost Cluster Chain

Lost clusters (or cluster chains) are clusters on the disk that are
represented in the FAT as belonging to a file, but are not actually attached
to any file. These are essentially wasted space on the disk, since the FAT
will never reallocate them to a file until a program such as DiskFixer finds
them and reallocates them as free space.
My Computer
The My Computer folder is a Windows special folder that contains,
among other things, the control panel, printer information, and the drives
configured on your computer. If you double-click the My Computer icon,
you can traverse directories by opening up successive folders.

“New” Submenu
When you right-click a blank area of the desktop, you see a context menu
that contains a number of options, including New. This option gives you a
list of different types of files—documents, graphics, spreadsheets, and
others—to create.
NTFS
The name given to file systems for Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista.
Paging File
The paging file (in Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista) is a special file that
your computer uses as an extension of your RAM. If the RAM fills up, the
computer offloads some of the RAM data into a swap file on disk.
This file can’t be defragmented or optimized while Windows is running.
JETDefrag allows Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista users to set a flag to
defragment the paging files and other system files during the next restart.
Partition
This is a section of a physical hard drive that has its own drive letter and
looks as if it were separate from the original physical drive. High-capacity
hard drives often have multiple partitions.
Partition Table
The partition table tells the operating system how the hard disk is divided.
Each partition on a disk has a corresponding entry in the partition table.
Path
The location of a file. The path consists of directory or folder names,
beginning with the highest-level directory or disk name and ending with
the lowest-level directory name.
Example: c:\My Documents\Company\photos
PowerDesk
PowerDesk is the ultimate desktop enhancement utility for Windows.
There is a Portable Document Format (PDF) version of the PowerDesk
User Guide included with the PowerDesk program. You will need the free
Adobe Acrobat Reader (also included on the CD) to read the guide.
To see the help for PowerDesk, install it and then select the online help
from the Help menu.

Right-Click
When you see an instruction to “right-click” on something, that means to
move the mouse pointer over that area on the screen and press the right
mouse button (if you’re right-handed).
RTC Clock
The Real Time Clock (RTC) maintains accurate time even when the
computer is turned off. When the computer starts, the other clocks initially
get their time from the RTC.
Safe Mode
If there is a problem starting Windows that can’t otherwise be solved, you
can start to Safe Mode. This loads Windows with a generic video driver
and no other programs at startup. You can frequently diagnose and solve
start problems in Safe Mode and then restart normally. If you can’t start to
Safe Mode, use the Fix-It Utilities Rescue Disk to troubleshoot the
problem.
Sector
This term refers to the divided tracks on a disk.
Shortcut
Often the icons you see on your desktop, Windows Explorer, or
PowerDesk are shortcuts rather than the actual programs. This means that
they are really a very small file that points to the real program.
Usually the way you can tell it’s a shortcut is if it has a shortcut overlay
graphic, which resemble a folded-over edge on the lower left corner.
Shortcuts are a great way to save space. The shortcut is a file, but all it
contains is the location of the real program. If you double-click it to run
the program, it actually tells Windows where the real program resides. A
shortcut file typically takes up only 1K.
Special Folders
Special folders are Windows directories that are created and maintained by
Windows to contain specific types of files. Normally you can’t move them
or change their contents manually.

Spyware
Spyware are programs that can significantly slow down the performance
of even the fastest computer and threaten your security. They have been
placed into a group of potential internet threats known as “Gray Area”
threats: Spyware, Adware, Dialers, Joke Programs, Hacker Tools, Remote
Access Tools, Password Cracking Programs, and Others.
Start Menu
The Start menu appears when you click the Start button on the Windows
desktop. You can run most programs from the Start menu.
System Registry
This is a database that contains and maintains information about the
hardware, software, network, and general computer details. The registry
updates every time you add new hardware or a new program to your
computer. When the registry becomes “broken,” it can cause serious
computer problems.
System Tray
The System Tray is the area in the lower-right corner of the Windows
display, to the left of the computer clock. Fix-It Utilities and many other
programs place icons there for ready-access to tools.
Time Server
A Time Server is a computer server on the Internet that is connected to an
atomic clock.
Virus
A virus is a program written to cause mischief or damage to a computer. A
mild virus might only be a slight nuisance. However, most viruses do
damage to your files, your registry, or even your hardware. Viruses are
hard to detect, easy to propagate, and difficult to remove. Your computer
can pick up a virus when you copy a seemingly normal file from
removable media such as a CD or download it from the Internet.
Windows Clock
The Windows clock gets its time from the BIOS clock. Most Windows
programs get the date and time from the Windows clock. The clock on
your desktop also gets its time from the Windows clock.

Index
A CleanUp wizard 49
running 50
about the program 21
settings 51
Acrobat Reader 24
clock 155
Add/Remove Tools 31
ClockSync 155
AutoEmailScan 72
Comprehensive wizard 49
settings 79
running 50
AutoFileScan 69
settings 51
disabling 70, 70
CPU diagnostics 98
settings 78
crashed computer 263
automatic checking for updates 38
Crisis Center 281
B Custom Scan
settings 81
boot record 143
boot sector D
image 227
damage to a hard drive 282
BootFixer 245
data recovery 287
C FileUndeleter 207
in-lab 285
categories, in DiskCleaner 188
defragmenting
CD-ROM diagnostics 98
hard drive 179
CD-RW 107
registry 177
checkpoint
Deleted Files Bin 207, 211
settings 217
settings 212
checkpoints
deleting files 94
creating 215
desktop schemes
restoring 221, 241
removing 199
undo 222
diagnosing problems 275
diagnostics 97
disaster cleanup 287
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Index • 305
disaster recovery 285 fire damage 286
disk damage 282 Fix Wizards 49
disk space settings 51
recovering 187 FixUp wizard 49
disk, rescue running 50
see system rescue disk 263 settings 51
DiskCleaner 187 flood damage 285
categories 188, 193 floppy drive diagnostics 98
diskettes
verifying contents 107 G
DiskFixer 143 generic system rescue disk 225
FixUp wizard 49 getting started 263
running 144 glossary 297
diskmap 254
DiskSnapshot 227 H
settings 229 hard drive
DVD diagnostics 98 defragmenting 179
diagnostics 98
E
failure warning 109
earthquake damage 286 fragmentation 179, 181
EasyUpdate 24, 24, 36, 36 hardware diagnostics 98
automatic checking 38 header data structures 143
Emergency Repair Disk help 55
Windows 2000/XP 266 HouseCall 272
Windows 2000/XP/Vista 265
ErrorTracker 103 I
settings 104 image, of the disk 227
event status 25 in-lab data recovery 285
installation 263
F
installing bonus products 24
Fast Repair installing the program 22
Windows 2000/XP ERD 266 IntelliCluster
file allocation table (FAT) 143, 227 see JETDefrag 180
File Shredder 201 turning on and off 31
settings 203 international
files removing keyboard settings 200
temporary 187 removing time zones 200
undeleting 207
unused 187 J
FileUndeleter 207, 213 JETDefrag 179, 184
and DiskSnapshot 227 in SpeedUp wizard 49
running 208 running 181
settings 212 settings 184
Find Computer list
removing 198
Find list, removing 198
306 • Index Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

K partitions
creating 255
keyboard
deleting 256
diagnostics 98
hiding and showing 257
removing international settings 200
security identifier 258
L setting active for booting 257
viewing 254
lightning damage 286
PCDiagnostics 98
Log 125
FixUp wizard 49
settings 126
loopback connectors 101
loopback connectors 101
running 98
M settings 102
test groups 98
maintenance tests 102
PCs 22 PCs
maintenance, of PCs diagnosing 275
scheduling 149 maintaining 22
manual partitioning 253, 253 preventing problems 30
settings 259 problems 22, 275
master boot record 143 troubleshooting 275
MediaVerifier 107 preventing problems 30
memory 270, 272 printer port diagnostics 98
memory diagnostics 98 problems
modem diagnostics 98 PCs 22
motherboard diagnostics 98 program tray icon 31
mouse diagnostics 98 programming patches 24, 24, 36, 36
N programs
tracking usage 180
network Protect wizard 49
diagnostics 98
removing Find Computer list 198 Q
O QuarantineManager
deleting files 94
online help 56 restoring files 93
P QuickStatus 25
parallel ports diagnostics 98 R

partition RAM 270, 272
tools on system rescue disk 279 RAM diagnostics 98
partition table 143 real-time virus scanner
see VirusScanner 69
recent documents list
removing 198
recently searched files
removing 198
recovering data 207

recovering disk space 187 settings
recovering from disaster 285 AutoEmailScan 79
Recovery Commander 235, 265 AutoFileScan 78
creating a checkpoint 215 checkpoints 217
restoring a checkpoint 221, 241 CleanUp Wizard 52
settings 217 Comprehensive Wizard 54
undoing a restore 222 Custom Scan 81
Recycle Bin 207, 211 DiskSnapshot 229
registry EasyUpdate 37
defragmenting 177 ErrorTracker 104
editing 137 File Shredder 203
invalid links in 129 FileUndeleter 212
Registry Editor 137 FixUp Wizard 54
RegistryCleaner 197, 200 JETDefrag 184
advanced options 199 Log 126
RegistryDefrag 177 manual partitioning 259
RegistryFixer 129 One-Click Solutions 51
display 135 PCDiagnostics 102
FixUp wizard 49 Recovery Commander 217
RegistryMagic 137 SpeedUp Wizard 52
Remote Data Recovery 284 Startup Commander 173
removing SystemMonitors 117, 121
recently searched files 198 VirusScanner 77
repairing a registry 129 setup program 22
Rescue Disk 238 Shredder 201
BootFixer 245 shredding files 201
rescue disk 225, 253 SMARTDiskCheck 109
creating 226 FixUp wizard 49
system rescue disk 263 sound card diagnostics 98
restoring SpeedUp wizard 49
files 93 running 50
Run list settings 51
removing 198 spyware 41, 89
running the program 25 spyware scan results 91
starting the program 25
S Startup Commander 165
safe mode settings 173
Windows 2000/XP 266 support, technical 311
ScanDisk (see DiskFixer) 143 system board diagnostics 98
Scheduler System Diagnostics 97, 104
running 150 System Explorer 105
viewing results 152 reports 106
scheduling maintenance 149 system health 25
scheduling tools 149 system memory diagnostics 98
sensors 111 system protection 25, 226
serial ports diagnostics 98

system registry 178 undoing changes 231
defragmenting 177 UndoIt 231
editing 137 uninstalling 292
invalid links in 129 universal serial bus (USB) diagnostics 98
removing unwanted items 197 unused files 187
system requirements 22 updating 24, 36
system rescue disk 225, 226, 263, 277 updating the program 24, 36
creating 226
system tray icon 31 V
SystemMonitors 111, 123 video diagnostics 98, 102
adding monitors 116 viewing
adding panels 115 partitions 254
alarms 122 virus information (pattern files)
auto-hide 119 updates 24, 36
changing labels 115 VirusScanner 59, 272
closing 115 AutoEmailScan 72
display 113, 114, 120 AutoFileScan 69
docking 119 context menu 67
moving 115 disabling AutoFileScan 70, 70
removing monitors 116 real-time 69
removing panels 116 running in background 69
reordering monitors 115 settings 77
running at startup 118 wizards 61, 65
scrolling 114
settings 117, 121, 123 W
starting 113 welcome 21
unscrolling 114 Windows tip of the day
SystemScheduler 149 removing 198
Windows Update 270
T
Windows 2000/XP
technical support 311 Emergency Repair Disk 266
temporary files 187, 271 safe mode 266
test groups Windows 2000/XP/Vista
PCDiagnostics 98 Emergency Repair Disk 265
time server 155
time zones Z
removing 200 zip disks
tip of the day verifying contents 107
removing 198
tools description 39
tray icon 31
Trend Micro HouseCall 272
troubleshooting 275
U
undeleting files 207

Complimentary Technical Support
Before contacting Avanquest technical support, please review the User’s

Guide or the Online Help from the Help menu within the program. We are
also pleased to offer you 24/7 access to our complimentary web support at:
support.avanquestusa.com
Here you can access the latest product updates, extensive FAQs, and other
information about your product. The FAQs might have information and
helpful hints that are more current than the user’s guide and Online Help.
If the FAQs don’t help, you can submit a free email incident from the
FAQ page.
When reporting a difficulty, please include any information that might
help us diagnose the problem. The following details are often the most
helpful:
• The version of the software you are using (check Help > About).
• The version of Windows that you are running.
• The circumstances and sequence of steps that led to the problem.
• The text of the exact error messages (if any appeared).
• A list of other Windows programs that you were running when the
error occurred.
Avanquest is dedicated to quality and fast support. Most email incidents
are handled within one business day.
NOTE: This technical support policy is subject to change

without notice. Support services are provided according to
the prices, terms, and conditions in place at the time the
services are used.
Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Complimentary Technical Support • 311

312 • Complimentary Technical Support Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

User's Guide: 3132 Dwight Road Suite 500 Elk Grove CA 95758-6469 USA

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User's Guide: 3132 Dwight Road Suite 500 Elk Grove CA 95758-6469 USA

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User’s Guide

3132 Dwight Road Suite 500

Copyright ©1998–2007 Avanquest Publishing USA, Inc.

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional End User’s License Agreement • 3

4 • End User’s License Agreement Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional End User’s License Agreement • 5

6 • End User’s License Agreement Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional End User’s License Agreement • 7

8 • End User’s License Agreement Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

Starting the Program 25

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Contents • 9

Automatic File Scanning 69

Viewing the VirusScanner Results 73

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Contents • 10

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Contents • 11

Viewing System Information 105

Validating Removable Media 107

Monitoring Your Hard Drive 109

Monitoring Your Computer 111

Viewing Program Log Files 125

Fix & Maintain

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Contents • 12

Maintaining Your Hard Drive 143

Scheduling Maintenance 149

Updating Your Operating System 153

Synchronizing Your Clock 155

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Contents • 13

Defragmenting the Registry 177

Defragmenting Your Hard Disk 179

Cleaning the System Registry 197

Shredding Files and Folders 201

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Contents • 14

Creating a Checkpoint 215

Restoring a Checkpoint 221

Managing Checkpoints 223

Making a Rescue CD 225

Backing Up Critical Information 227

Undoing Changes 231

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Contents • 15

Recovering a Non-Starting Computer 237

Restoring Computer Functionality 241

Managing Files and Folders 247

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Contents • 16

Dealing with Other Common Problems 269

Booting from a Rescue Disk 277

Recovering From a Data Disaster 281

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Contents • 17

Glossary of Terms 297

Complimentary Technical Support 311

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Contents • 18

Getting Started with Fix-It Utilities 21

Starting the Program 25

One-Click Solutions Wizards 49

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Getting Started • 19

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Getting Started with Fix-It Utilities • 21

Installing Fix-It Utilities

NOTE: If you are having problems starting your computer,

22 • Getting Started with Fix-It Utilities Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional

NOTE: If you downloaded the program, locate the file

1. Turn off any disk utilities or anti-virus program running in the

TIP: If you purchased and downloaded the program

Fix-It Utilities 8 Professional Getting Started with Fix-It Utilities • 23

Installing Other Bonus Products