PC Tools

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section reads like an advertisement.
Please help rewrite this article from a neutral point of view per Wikipedia policy. Mark blatant advertising for speedy deletion with {{db-spam}}. (help, talk)

Since 1998 PC Tools, formerly known as WinGuides.com, has developed and distributed PC security and optimization software for the Microsoft Windows platform.

Products include:

Spyware Doctor [1] — an anti-spyware and malware removal product
Registry Mechanic [2] — a repair and optimization product for the Windows registry
PC Tools AntiVirus — an antivirus program
Privacy Guardian — a privacy product to clean up internet and PC usage history
File Recover — a file recovery and undelete program
Spam Monitor — an antispam program

Prior to 1994 PC Tools was a collection of software utilities from Central Point Software. In June 1994 Central Point was acquired by Symantec who ultimately discontinued the product line. The original PC Tools package was first developed as a suite of utilities for DOS, but by version 7.0 of the package in 1991 several Windows programs had been added to it. Though the 7.0 version sold well, it was blasted in computer trade publications for being overly complicated and riddled with bugs. It was widely considered to have been rushed to publication, despite the objections of many of Central Point Software's employees. ^{[citation needed]}

Utilities in the package included:

PC Shell — a file manager, capable amongst other things of displaying the contents of data files used by various popular database, wordprocessor, and spreadsheet packages
PC-Cache — a licensed disk cache of HyperCache from the HyperDisk Speed Kit
Central Point AntiVirus — an antivirus program.
Central Point Backup — a backup utility for archiving and restoring data to and from disc or tape.
DiskFix — a utility for repairing on-disc filesystem data structures of a disc volume
Unformat — a utility that attempts to reverse the effects of a high-level format of a disc volume
Undelete — a utility that attempts to recover a deleted file
Mirror — a tool for storing the File Allocation Table to permit recovery of high-level formatted disks in combination with Unformat
Compress — a disc volume defragmentation utility
FileFix — a utility for repairing corruption to the data files used by various popular database, wordprocessor, and spreadsheet packages
Commute — a remote control utility
VDefend — a memory-resident computer virus detection utility
SysInfo — a system information utility, incorporating diagnostics from 1993 onwards. The diagnostics were licensed from the Eurosoft product Pc-Check
Central Point Desktop (CPS) — an alternative MS Windows desktop shell, supporting nested icon groups, powerful file manager, resource monitoring dashboard, virtual desktops, launch menus and many other features.

The Mirror, Undelete, and Unformat utilities were licensed by Central Point to Microsoft for inclusion in MS-DOS version 5.0. Central Point AntiVirus and VDefend were licensed as Microsoft AntiVirus and VSafe, respectively, in MS-DOS versions 6.0 through 6.22.