Sandra’s skepticism saves her $29.95
What do you think about the software mentioned in this article:
http://www.howlifeworks.com/Article.aspx?Cat_URL=technology&AG_URL=faster_pc_v2&ag_id=333&wid=EE8E5FA7-DA0E-4F55-898C-7281896A3465 /.
They are referring to ARO 2012 fixing registry errors and bringing your. Bring your computer back to like new status. Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Maybe, maybe not.
Our answer
Hi Sandra. Your skepticism is totally appropriate. Either the article was written by someone with very little knowledge of computers — or it was written to sell a product in order to generate a commission. In any case, the article is without merit. And CNET continues to show us why you can’t trust much of what they say when they review a product or program. Obviously CNET cares more for its bottom line than it does about their Website’s visitors.
But lets get back to the article you referenced on How Life Works. Apparently this site knows how life works but doesn’t have a clue about how computers work.
Here’s a snippet from the article:
“Lose the Lag: How to Make Your PC Run Like New Again
One of the most frustrating things in life is a slow computer.
Every few years, we buy an expensive new PC and love how fast it starts up, runs programs, and loads websites. Inevitably though, it starts to slow down until eventually we are pulling our hair out waiting for it to do routine tasks.
Why is this? It turns out the answer is actually quite simple and you don’t even need to be “technical” to understand the causes and solutions.
The good news: It’s not the computer hardware that’s the problem. In most cases, the hardware you have is perfectly capable of being restored to its original glory and kept in fast running condition with minimal effort.
Rather, the problem lies with changes that occur to the PC’s software. The two most common causes of slowdown (along with easy solutions) are:
1. The most common problem: register (sic) errors
Every time you (or your kids) load a program, game, or file, your PC’s software register (sic) is updated with new instructions needed to operate that item. However, when the item is removed, these instructions usually remain on your PC. Every time you run your computer it tries to execute these instructions but, because the related program can’t be found, it causes a registry error. Your PC is doing a lot more work than it should be and the result is a significantly slower computer.
One of the best ways to manage this is with a neat little tool from Support.com, a Silicon Valley based company. It’s called ARO 2012 and it scans, identifies, and fixes registry errors–resulting in a computer that’s a lot more like it was when you first bought it. On top of the amazing results it offers, it’s so easy to install and use that it was recently awarded a coveted 4.5 star rating (out of 5) by CNET’s editorial staff and has been downloaded more than 30 million times. ”
CNET’s editorial staff must have been eating hallucinogenic mushrooms on review day — or the writer’s boss ordered him to generate some revenue. ARO 2012 is nothing more than another registry cleaner and optimizer — which isn’t even as close to being the caliber of Registry Commander. Yes indeed, we took the plunge and downloaded ARO and ran it (we created a restore point which turned out to be unnecessary since the “free” version doesn’t do anything but give you a exaggerated listing of registry errors (and fixes “100 of them”), cleans junk and garbage files, (like many free system cleaners do) and promises to optimize and protect your PC.
ARO2012 would do very little to make your computer “… like it was when you first bought it”. No registry cleaner / optimizer is going to do that and anyone who believes that deserves to be out the $29.95 this program costs — the full version. And to add insult to injury, not only does ARO2012 cost $29.95 — but they try to smooze you into installing one of the worst (malware) toolbars “Support Toolbar” from the infamous Ask.com people. Ask is owned by IAC which is the Web’s largest purveyor of adware, spyware and scumware — they make FunWebProducts — SmileyCentral and all that other garbage that eventually causes a computer major problems – not to mention the privacy concerns those programs raise.
It’s hard to believe that CNET would publish a glowing review of product like this and encourage people to download it without even mentioning that it’s also a software bundler. We all know by now that CNET is not above deceiving its users. They only stopped bundling software after a huge outcry caused them a lot of embarrassment last year (2011). CNET which is owned by CBS, really needs to regain their credibility, but their review of ARO2012 only makes them seem unreliable.
No registry cleaner/optimizer is going to make your computer work like “it was when you bought it”, maybe the author was referring to a four-year-old used computer. Any such wild claims should not be believed, and credible sources wouldn’t even suggest them. It wouldn’t even be forgivable if ARO2012 was a really good registry cleaner/optimizer, but it’s not. It’s a run of the mill registry cleaner which makes far-fetched claims which could never substantiated.
We’ve recommended Registry Commander for a long time. Registry Commander makes legitimate claims for what it can do:
From Registry Commander’s site: “Constant computer use, installing & uninstalling applications, and surfing the web creates corrupt and obsolete registry entries that slow down your PC. In order to keep your PC running smooth these entries must be removed. Registry Commander safely cleans, fixes and optimizes the Windows registry while backing up all changes for future recovery.”
That’s the truth and that’s the best any registry cleaner/optimizer can do. It can help speed up your system and it can prevent annoying error messages. With proper use, it can help your computer run better longer. But it’s not going to make your computer like it was the day you bought it. Such claims are not true. The only way you can make your computer like it was the day you bought it is use your manufacturer’s recovery disk or partition and restore your computer. But one thing is for sure ARO2012 isn’t going to do it. No registry cleaner/optimizer is.
I totally agree with your assessment of ARO2012 – it’s definitely JUNK; however, I take exception with your criticism of CNET for their ‘endorsement’. Apparently, the CNET ‘endorsement flag’ on the ARO2012 site is somewhat dated since it indicates ARO2011 (review date 3/21/2011)… CNET’s current review rating is 2/5 ‘stars’, with NO POSITIVE user reviews. CNET’s site Download.com lists it as a ‘#2 utility’ which for Download.com means that it has been downloaded by a lot of unsuspecting users without reading the posted ‘User Reviews’ – caveat emptor!!
CNET’s current posting for ARO2012 at http://cnet.co/HBhkit DOES NOT include any ‘editors review’ or endorsement ‘rating’… the only reviews are from users and they’re not in the least bit kind in their personal comments and experiences. Again, caveat emptor!!
Any user that blindly accepts anyone’s endorsement of a product or service without additional research on the many, many search engines for web content, then most likely has bigger ‘user issues’ than worrying about the condition of their PC!
Thanks for all your hard work, I do enjoy your product reviews, app suggestions, along with your ‘tips & tricks’ and will continue to subscribe to your newsletters.