- Why would I
need PCCare?
PCCare is an
automated maintenance and error prevention tool. Just like going to
the dentist for regular teeth cleaning or your car dealer for regular
maintenance, PCCare keeps your PC clean, healthy and running at peak
performance.
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- What is PCCare?
Just like
the dashboard in your car that lets you monitor many “functions”
that tell you how your car is running, PCCare is a simple,
user-friendly “dashboard” that lets you manage, automate and
monitor multiple PC maintenance and security tools, all in one place.
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- What does
PCCare do for my PC?
PCCare Premium is a simple, user-friendly tool that
automates proactive management of your computer for issue prevention.
The software:
-
Automates updates and control of existing
anti-virus software. Support currently is available for
Norton AntiVirus, McAfee VirusScan, and Computer Associates eTrust
EZ Antivirus software. The anti-virus software must already
be installed and you must have an active subscription for updates.
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Automates temporary file and web cache folder
cleanup for improved online performance and stability
-
Automates regular disk drive cleanup and
defragmentation, for improved performance
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Automates ScanDisk execution and monitoring, to
minimize disk errors and improve system reliability and stability
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Automates system clock synchronization with
certified time server to maintain accurate time keeping and
time/date stamping of activity on your machine for system
consistency
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- How does
PCCare Premium work?
PCCare is on the job from the moment you complete
installation. The automatic task default schedule provides a preset
time when PCCare™ runs your maintenance and security tasks. The
default times are as follows (all times are based on the local time to
which you have set your PC):
-
Run Anti-Virus Software: Every Wednesday and
Friday at 3:00 am
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Update Anti-Virus Definitions: Every Thursday at
3:00 am
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Folder clean up: Every day at 10 in the morning
and 2:00 pm
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Scan Disk: Every Monday at 3:00 am
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Defragment Hard Drive: Every Tuesday at 1:00 am
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Correct System Clock: Every Monday, Wednesday and
Friday at 9:00 am
You may also personalize PCCare by changing the
times in the “Settings” page. See the FAQ “How do I change the
automated task schedule?”
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-
What
does PCCare Premium cost me?
PCCare™ Premium is available for
only $59.95 for a full year of coverage – compared to $75.00 -
$100.00 for a single hour of technical support.
PCCare™ Premium may be ordered directly from the
Digiticians web site. Click here to buy now.
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- Do I need PCCare if I am already running other maintenance
software?
Yes. Other maintenance applications are designed for
fixing individual problems once they have already occurred. PCCare is
a preventative tool that lets you automatically run your standard
maintenance software to ensure the health of your PC proactively.
PCCare comes with a preset schedule or you can personalize the task
schedules to fit your personal preferences.
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- Does PCCare include antivirus or security software?
No, PCCare Premium does not include antivirus or
security software. PCCare brings these many software tools under
management, to help insure that you are making the best use of what
you do have installed.
All PC users should have some kind of antivirus
software protection, so if you do not already have it please purchase one first.
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- What are the minimum system requirements to install and run
PCCare on my PC?
PCCare works on any desktop or laptop running
Microsoft Windows, 98, ME, NT, NT/2000 and XP Professional and Home
editions. PCCare Premium is not compatible with Apple Macintosh or Linux
based computers. In addition, hardware requirements include:
- Intel Pentium or higher processor
- At least 32MB of RAM
- At least 15 MB of free space on Hard Drive
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- How will PCCare interact with my other Security Tools tools such as Norton Antivirus, McAfee Antivirus, eTrust EZ Armor Antivirus software?
PCCare has been designed specifically to work with
and automate management of Norton Antivirus, McAfee Antivirus and ezTrust Antivirus software.
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- How is PCCare different from Microsoft Scheduler?
With MS-Scheduler, you must set individual schedules
for each task. You must know the command lines, parameters, control
options, and other various technical details for each task separately.
Additionally, log files and interfaces for each unique task or
application must be checked independently to verify the results and
outcomes of a scheduled task. In contrast, PCCare provides a single
location to run and monitor these tasks. In addition, many
MS-Scheduler tasks require you to designate a user name and password
account. Many home computer users do not use the login feature;
therefore you may not be able to schedule a task in this way.
Furthermore, some PCCare tasks (such as internet file and folder
cleanup) do not have a corresponding Microsoft Scheduler task and
generally must be completed within each web browser application –
thus adding effort and complexity to managing or maintaining your
system.
With PCCare, one simplified environment allows you
to manage all your preventative maintenance tasks – including native
Windows functions or those available from other software tools - from
one simple, user-friendly dashboard – simplifying effort and saving
you time. In addition, PCCare presents the results and impacts of all
the tasks under management in one place, so you can see for yourself
how healthy your PC is.
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- Can I run the same copy of PCCare on more than one PC?
No, one unique copy of PCCare must be installed on
each PC in your home or office.
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- Can I install PCCare if I am running a firewall?
Yes, but during the PCCare installation process, you
may need to disable your firewall or respond to firewall or security
software prompts allowing PCCare component installation to proceed.
MS Windows and other firewalls may detect the
installation of PCCare and BLOCK it from access. This is a normal and
expected behavior with any new software installation. A warning
message should pop-up stating that PCCare is currently being blocked.
Follow the on-screen instructions in the firewall pop-up window,
select “UNBLOCK” or “ALLOW INSTALLATION”, and continue with
the installation process. For more help with firewall and other
security tools issues see Security
and Privacy FAQs.
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- Is PCCare
safe to install?
Yes, PCCare has been fully tested and is free of all
known viruses and Trojan horses as of the date of software release.
PCCare uses Microsoft established windows installer methods to
download, install and register itself.
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- How
do I download and install PCCare?
Follow the instructions sent to you via email to
download your copy of PCCare.
Once the download is complete, click on the
setup.exe icon. Read and accept the End User License Agreement and
follow the onscreen instructions to complete installation. PCCare™
will begin running. You will see a message regarding rebooting your
PC, please reboot. Initial results will be available after 5 minutes.
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Another
family member installed PCCare but when I log on I do not see desktop
icon. Is PCCare running? What do I do?
PCCare™
runs even if the person who installed it is not logged on, but only
the person who installed PCCare™ typically has full access to PCCare™.
1)
The person logged in must be an administrator or have software
installation privilege to install PCCare™ not every family member
has such access or privilege. Only those persons
listed as administrators may install some software, including PCCare™.
2)
PCCare™ launches as a service when ANY user logs-in.
It does not always launch on system boot, but does at the time
of log-on.
3)
If the person logged in is the person who installed PCCare™:
a.
The desktop icon will be displayed and the user has full access
to PCCare™
b.
The program group PCCare™ is displayed and the user has full
access to both PCCare™ and the uninstall option
c.
The PCCare™ managed, automatic task schedule will execute in
the background.
4)
If the person logged in is not the person who installed PCCare™:
a.
The desktop icon will not be show.
b.
The program group PCCare™ will not be displayed to this user.
c.
The PCCare™ managed, automatic task schedule will execute in
the background, unless the user has insufficient rights to execute
some programs (for example a user logged on as a child will not be
able to access some internet sites so the anti-virus update
definitions tasks may not execute.
5)
When a user logs off, PCCare™ is still running in the
background.
a.
ALL scheduled tasks execute according to schedule
6)
I am not the user who installed PCCare™ but I wish to change
the schedule. Please reference the FAQ “how to
create a PCCare Desktop Icon.”
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- How do I get help if I have a problem Installing PCCare?
You can reach PCCare Premium product and customer
support in three ways:
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- Can
I run two or more tasks at one time?
This is not advised. Many PC management and
maintenance tasks require discreet or unique access to system
resources and some maintenance tasks may not run properly if they are
competing with each other for those needed resources.
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- How much time should I allow between scheduled tasks?
If you change the automated task default schedule
you should allow at least thirty(30) minutes between each task, as
some tasks will conflict with one another if they attempt to run
simultaneously.
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- Do I have to change the automated task default schedule?
No, the automated task default schedule is
pre-configured to run upon successful installation of PCCare, so that
it is “set-it-and-forget-it”. You must leave your PC turned on
in order for tasks to run at the scheduled times.
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- How do I change the automated task default schedule?
If you want to personalize the automated task
default schedule to run a task at a different time, click on the “Settings’
tab at the top of the PCCare dashboard.
A new screen will appear with a scheduling window
for each automated task.
To change the task schedule follow these steps:
Make sure that "Run Task
Automatically" box is checked
-
For tasks with weekly and monthly schedule
select desired option by clicking on the radio button
-
If choosing weekly schedule select a day from
drop down menu (see weekly schedule image below)
-
If choosing monthly schedule select a date by
clicking on it (see monthly schedule image below)
-
Chose desired time, make sure that you leave
about 20 minutes between each task so that they do not run at the
same time
-
When you are finished, click on “Update Settings”.
It will take a few moments for the new settings to be acknowledged and
set by PCCare.
-
Follow the
instructions provided
After it has done this, a new window will appear
stating, “Settings updated successfully, All PCCare results will be
displayed in the PCCare Status tab”.
Weekly
schedule
Monthly schedule
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- How do I restore the automated task default schedules?
From the ‘Settings’ page of PCCare, select the
task you wish to change.
Click on the ‘RESTORE TO DEFAULT’ button by that
task, watch for the values to change, and then click ‘Update
Settings’.
Please note this is a two-part operation - you
must first ‘Restore to Default’ and then ‘Update Settings’ or
the change will not take place.
As when changing any setting, you will have to wait
for the “Settings updated successfully, All PCCare results will be
displayed in the PCCare Status tab” window to appear in order to
ensure that the system has recognized the change.
Restoring a setting to the default must be done for
each task; there is no “restore all” control.
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- When I set multiple tasks, why is my second change sometimes
erased?
It can take a few moments for the PCCare Premium
application to process changes to settings. When you change a setting
in the task scheduler of PCCare please be sure that the new window
indicating, “Settings updated successfully, All PCCare results will
be displayed in the PCCare Status tab” has appeared before you
change a second task schedule – you must change task settings one
at a time.
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- Why is ‘Internet Folder Cleanup’ set to run twice a day?
Internet Folder Cleanup is set to delete unused or
old Internet folders and files that are older than 14 days twice every
day to improve your Internet performance. Old or unused Internet
folders and files clog up your PC’s temporary memory capacity and
slow down your daily web surfing. Internet folders and files that are
less than 14 days old are often from web pages that you frequently
visit and PCCare will not delete these files. You may also change the
minimum number of days for cached files to be kept, if you desire.
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- Why does ‘Correct System Clock’ report that it fails
before completing?
The automatic system clock synchronization task
searches for up to four Internet clock servers: all maintained by the
National Institute of Standards and Technology’ (NIST) . If the task
is unable to connect with at least one server because many other PCs
are trying at the same time, PCCare will try to connect with the
others.
If your PC is still unable to connect with any of
these four clocks, it will report a failure, this usually means that
you were not connected to the internet at the time the task ran.
If this is a recurring problem, please try setting a
different time to execute Correct Clock to avoid these busy times.
Since many commercial systems are set to synchronize
with these time servers at 1:00 am local time, we suggest you avoid
scheduling Correct System Clock around this time, as the servers are
often very busy then.
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- What does the error “Scheduler failed to run 2 times”
mean? What is the reason it failed?
Either the PC was busy doing too
many other things and could not launch the scheduler or a component
needed to run the task was unavailable.
If you only occasionally get this
error message and most of the time your task executes, then there is
nothing to worry about.
If you constantly get this error,
try scheduling the task to another time when the system is less busy.
If you still get this message
after changing the schedule, then perhaps you simply have too many
applications loaded at startup and running in the background. You may wish to temporarily
disable some tasks or not load them at startup.
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- Why does ‘Update Anti-Virus Definitions’ sometimes report
that ‘Virus definitions were not updated'?
If you have already set your antivirus software to
update definitions, and the anti-virus definitions are current or
up-to-date, PCCare will NOT run this task and the PCCare status
summary dashboard will read ‘definitions were not updated”.
If your antivirus subscription has run out, the
status details dashboard will show that the definitions files are many
days or weeks old but they have not been updated, you should contact
your antivirus vendor to renew your paid subscription.
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- Why are the ‘detail’ listings for ‘Folder clean up’
and ‘Defragment Hard drive’ and some other functions so long?
PCCare searches all locations under the Windows
operating system where temporary files may reside. Although these are
different on different PCs, PCCare searches them all. PCCare also
looks for folders and files stored by different Internet browsers.
Each of these browsers may store multiple temporary folders and files
in different locations. PCCare cleans all of them. As a result, PCCare
may find hundreds of old or unused Internet folders and files that may
be slowing down your Internet performance.
When PCCare Premium has launched Defragment Hard
Drive, it restructures and organizes how free and occupied space is
used across your entire drive – this also results in a large
quantity of activity on the drive which is shown in the “detail”
listing. Running Defragment Hard Drive regularly should result in
faster disk access times, yielding improved performance.
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- After
the system clock synchronization, my clock is set to an incorrect
time. What do I do?
Your PC Clock time zone may be set incorrectly. If, for example you are
physically in the US-Eastern (GMT-5) Time zone, but bought your PC
mail-order from California, it is possible that your Time zone setting
will be US-Pacific (GMT-8). If
you set the time to match your watch (say 2:00 pm) and then
synchronize the system clock using PCCare™, your system clock will
now read 11:00 AM.
This is especially important with PC’s running
PCCare in non-US countries. You may still connect to the NIST time
servers, but you must be certain that your time zone is set correctly.
To reset your time
zone:
-
Click on START
-
Click on Help
and Support
-
Enter your local
Time Zone in the search window and click Go arrow
-
Click on “Change
your computer’s time and time zone”
-
Follow the
instructions provided
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- What happens when I click the update button?
Your browser is directed to the PCCare Premium Home
page may find out more information about available updates for PCCare
Premium.
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I am upgrading from PCCare Basic to PCCare Premium, what do I
need to do?
We assume that you have already purchased and downloaded
PCCare Premium. If not, you can do so by clicking here.
-
PCCare Premium requires activation code. It is sent to
you with email purchase confirmation, which also includes detailed
download and install instructions.
-
If
more help is needed see How do I get help if I have a problem Installing PCCare?
Click on the link to see how you can get more help with
PCCare.
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- How can I make sure that PCCare downloads and installs
properly if I am running a Firewall or other security tools?
When you first choose to download
PCCare™, you will typically see a warning similar to this.
-
We recommend you choose Save.
-
You will then be presented with a dialog asking you where
you want to save the installer program. We recommend simply using
the defaults (either desktop or My Downloads).
-
When the download is complete, your antivirus program may
run a scan on the file, it doesn’t contain any viruses, spyware
or any other malicious code.
-
After the download, you may be prompted to run the
program automatically, if not:
-
Double clicking on it to begin the install process
You may get another security warning:
Once the installer has started,
other security system software such as anti-spyware or other security
products may detect changes to your system as part of the installation
process.
If your operating system is
Windows XP you will see the following security prompt, please make
sure that you click on Unblock button, PCCare will not
run properly if it can not communicate with internet.
NOTE: For all firewall, antivirus,
antispyware and other security tools you should accept changes and
allow uninterrupted internet access for the following PCCare™
components:
-
setup.exe
-
cust.exe
-
capp.exe
Please refer to sections below for more detailed instructions
on installing and configuring PCCare if you have:
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- How can I make sure that PCCare runs properly if I have
Norton Internet Security Firewall?
and
