MyCleanPC.com Review
May 23rd, 2010 Tags: cyberdefender, cyberdefender review, cyberdefender scam, does mycleanpc work, does mycleanpc.com work, doublemyspeed, doublemyspeed review, doublemyspeed scam, free diagnostic, is mycleanpc a scam, is mycleanpc safe, mycleanpc, mycleanpc review, mycleanpc scam, mycleanpc.com, mycleanpc.com review, mycleanpc.com scam, registry cleaner
Posted in Antispyware, Antivirus, Registry Cleaner, Reviews, Spyware Prevention, Spyware RemovalFirst, if you found this review from eZine Articles, I apologize for not writing about the most important findings I know about MyCleanPC, but eZine Articles will not allow you to write any negative information in articles they publish (even if it is true), so I had to tap dance around the subject, and hope the reader can read between the lines. But now that you are here, you will soon discover what I really discovered about MyCleanPC.com.
As an IT Specialist performing computer maintenance in Hawaii on a daily basis, I routinely remove viruses and malware from home and business computers. If you ask me, it seems that the problem is virtually epidemic with about 7-8 out of 10 computers we check-in for repair being infected. My point is that since we are in the business of removing malware professionally, we know what works and what doesn’t, so what is up with MyCleanPC.com? Are their sensational claims true?
CleanMyPC.com Review
First of all, the “real” contenders in the security software industry, such as ESET, Kaspersky, Symantec, McAfee, Trend-Micro, Zone Alarm, AVG, Computer Associates … and many more, all have their products independently certified for product compliance and performance by an accredited 3rd party company known as ICSA Labs. To this day, I have never seen any mention of CyberDefender on their product list, which you can check out for yourself on the ICSA Labs Product List. While CyberDefender boasts about receiving many awards dating back to 2006, “none” of these awards are from the big-3 certification companies such as ICSA Labs, VB100, or AV Comparatives. It appears that the awards were for the popularity of their product which is based on the number of downloads, but this can be attributed to their aggressive TV and Radio advertising, not the actual quality or effectiveness of their products.
The folks behind MyCleanPC.com is a company called CyberDefender. It is interesting to note that Cyberdefender is also behind another website on TV and Radio called DoubleMySpeed.com which is a fraternal twin of MyCleanPC.com. And for some reason, neither of these landing page web sites lists the price you will have to pay for the actual CyberDefender products they will soon prompt you to buy. But one thing is for sure, they will not allow you to activate the additional products I call the “alleged cure” until you whip out your credit card. First they will entice you into their claws by offering a free diagnosis by prompting you to download a file currently named “InstallCyberDefenderREG-016707.exe”, but then you will have to “pay first” before you can activate the additional products that “allege” to be able to remove the threats it finds.
So why not first try one of the better known companies such as Symantec, McAfee, or Trend-Micro, etc that offers free online scanning tools as well (with some removal capability), after which you can then decide if you want to go forward and use their “free trial” software to try their full-featured product before you buy. CyberDefender only offers free scanning, it will not treat or cure anything until you buy first, which you can figure out by reading the blurb below which is an excerpt from their website about this download.
“The free download of CyberDefender Early Detection Center, Registry Cleaner and other trial product versions are intended to diagnose your computer and identify threats and/or errors that could be eliminated by the same or multiple CyberDefender products after purchase and activation. CyberDefender Early Detection Center download includes free Anti-Virus which does not require payment and will remain active as long as the software is not uninstalled. Computer performance improvements may vary depending on the software you are using and other multiple factors outside of our control.”
Notice how they say “that could be eliminated”. Virtually all the serious contenders provide instantly downloadable “free” trial versions without any limitations other than the length of the trial which usually lasts about 3o days. So why would you take a chance with an “uncertified” diagnostic-only program that you have to pay for first, when there are plenty of free trial, full-featured, certified products readily available. Also, the “real” security software companies all provide enterprise products for corporate business customers, while CyberDefender only seems to target unwary consumers. Show me one big company that consistently uses CyberDefender products and I will bow down.
The bottom line is that this company has a pattern of advertising their product for a short period of time until they get found out, then soon after they just switch to their other name. Then after a while they will start all over again. They just keep rotating their ads for the same lame CyberDefender product under different names all over the country. If their products were really that great, PC Technicians everywhere would be using, promoting and selling it themselves, and I do not know one single PC Tech who ever has. Much of the reputable software we use doesn’t cost much, and some is outright free!
The initial combination of CyberDefender products you will be prompted to purchase is affordably priced around $49.00. But they can be fairly aggressive about their backend support product called the “CyberDefender Live Help Desk” which is considerably higher. Many of the complaints we read about involve the poor performance and unreliability of their products, not to mention substandard customer service. Some just wanted to learn how to remove CyberDefender, and when a customer calls to complain, you might find yourself being asked to whip out your credit card again before they help you. This is when you may be pressured to buy the “CyberDefender Live Help Desk” product I mentioned before. Some frustrated CyberDefender customers who were reluctant to spend any more money would be left on their own. In Hawaii, many of these CyberDefender victims ultimately end up becoming our customers, so we try and educate them to avoid ever being put in this position again. I just wish the local TV and Radio Stations would do more to protect their listeners and viewers from these advertisers that over-promise and under-deliver . Checkout the Ripoff Report to read some of the complaints about CyberDefender yourself.
Conclusion
While CyberDefender is definitely ‘NOT” an outright fake security product, I firmly have reason to believe that it is surprisingly close to one. There are many reasons why a computer could be slow, and some of them can be solved very easily with no software at all with just a few Windows tweaks, something CyberDefender may actually be able to do for you, but not as if it were some miraculous program which they want you to believe. But other problems cause by severe infections is where I can assure you that CyberDefender will fail you. It is not very effective, which is probably why it has never been submitted for certification, and it is certainly not a product that could remain on the market by word of mouth alone with all the complaints. It is probably why they rely on sensational TV and Radio ads to market their product. The reality is that there are just too many similarly priced, reputable alternatives you can use than to take a chance with their product. So, in my opinion, MyCleanPC.com or DoubleMySpeed.com (whatever you know them by) which is powered by CyberDefender makes exaggerated claims about their product which doesn’t serve to help most people with their real computer problems, making CyberDefender a company to be exposed and avoided.
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35 Responses to “MyCleanPC.com Review”
[…] Dale Powell aka the SpywarePreventionGuy […]
I have used these advertized PC cleaning softwares and find that after the diagnostic you are left with many errors that alarms you and so you download their software to find that you cannot easily delete the same software. You call and they charge you for the information to delete the software. Most times the software also pops up on you and is annoying. I use McAfee and see no reason to have this software. Thanks for your candid remarks.
I wanna thank you, i downloaded it 5 minutes ago and saw your video before i even ran it, i was able to save my computer before it was even in danger, you helped me big time, With your help im now still able to run my, even though shitty, computer without being worried about countless viruses that i dont need, wich is amazing
This whole thing reminds me of a rogue antivirus security product known as WinAntiVirus (WinFixer), which also acts the same way as CyberDefender does.
Thank you very much for your candor! I was seriously considering mycleanpc.com and you saved me. I am a simple person that lives on a very modest income. You have truly helped a fellow human being. May God bless you for your kindness. Please let me know if I can ever do anything for you. Gratefully yours, Joel
I keep my families 3 computers fast and clean using these FREE software programs that are all excellent: CCleaner, Defraggler (Piriform) for cleaning and defraging. Superantispyware, and Malwarebytes for spyware and other malware, and for antivirus Microsoft Security Essentials has been wonderful. I have used many of the paid antivirus programs from Trend Micro to McAfee, who all allowed infections on a computer at some time or another. I have been using Microsoft Security Essentials and the full time protection (very affordable one time fee) of Malwarebytes for 2 years now with no infections. Even when my husband inadvertently installed Internet Security 2010 rogueware on his computer Malwarebytes and Microsoft Security Essentials blocked the infection and Superantispyware removed any trace files with only 2 hours downtime. I do my homework by researching computer help sites like bleepingcomputerdotcom and majorgeeksdotcom to stay up on the latest malware, and the best removal tools.
Being very dissatisfied with my December purchase of “Mycleanpc.com” from Cyberdefender I called the # 866-793-0454 as stated by Cyberdefender themselves on January 1, 2011. They said my refund would take approx. 7 to 10 days to be returned to my card. On the 7th day I checked, no refund. On the 8th day I checked, no refund. On the 9th day I checked, no refund. On the 10th day I checked, no refund. On the 11th day I checked, no refund. On the 12th day I checked, no refund. On the 13th day I checked, no refund. I finally called the 1st time on the 18th day and was told that a refund was never issued. Operator #3237 told me he would issue the credit today, he put me on hold for 20 min and I hung up. I called back a 2nd time on day 18 and was told that a credit was issued on the 17th. Why did the first operator not see that?
PEOPLE – DO NOT PURCHASE ANYTHING FROM CYBERDEFENDER I.E.- MYCLEANPC, ECT. IT WONT FIX YOUR COMPUTER AND THEY PLAY GAMES WITH YOUR MONEY. STILL NO REFUND AND AT THIS POINT I PROBABLY WONT EVER SEE MY $29.89 AGAIN. THEY ARE THIEVES THAT TAKE YOUR MONEY AND MAKE YOUR COMPUTERS WORSE. JUST SAY NO!!!!!
[…] 6.MyCleanPC.com Review | Spyware Prevention for Home and Small The folks behind MyCleanPC.com is a company called CyberDefender. It is interesting to note that Cyberdefender is also behind another website on TV and Radio called DoubleMySpeed.com which is a fraternal twin of … Many of the complaints we read about involve the poor performance and unreliability of their products, http://spywarepreventionguy.com/mycleanpc-review/ […]
HOW DO YOU UNISTALL EVEN IF YOU WENT TO THE CONTROL PANEL
Maybe not what you want to hear, but I would need much more information about the whole situation with your computer before I would decide which method I would prefer to use, but I don’t provide that kind of online help.
But if the program is actually installed and recognized by Windows, but isn’t removable through the Control Panel (hopefully it is listed in the Control Panel), I suggest using the free or trial version of Revo Uninstaller. I would suggest using the “Moderate” mode, but READ how to use it first because it isn’t all automatic. It will present you with a list of items in “bold” that it finds belonging to the program you want to remove, and then you have to manually check boxes for what you want to delete. When all is said and done, I would clean your temp files and registry with CCleaner. Good hunting…
,i like ccleaner,it’s free!
repairs…
MyCleanPC.com Review | SpywarePreventionGuy.com…
Remove System Tool…
MyCleanPC.com Review | SpywarePreventionGuy.com…
Dale, I feel like an idiot but yep, I got bit by them for about $250.00 dollars. I was having problems with my PC so I used the product. Next day I had even worse issues so I called and they took over my PC and told me there were so many “value errors”??? that they would need to go back inside and rebuild my Dell Windows Vista. They used remote log in and called me at 7:55PM and told me that techs go home at 8:00PM and not to touch my PC and they would work on it again in the AM. They did get it working some what but I ended having an IT trouble shooter from my friends business come to my home and I paid him $75.00 an hour and he was able to repair my PC. They removed so many things. They refused to refund my money and saidf my computer needed so much work. I cut my losses but EVERY WORD YOU SAID IN YOUR ARTICLE WAS TOLD TO ME BY A BUSINESS TECH. When I get done paying off my credit card, I will be sure to donate to your cause. If I had only found your site sooner. Regards!
I hear you. There are many good Remote PC Repair companies out there, but they are limited in what they can do remotely, no matter how good they are in person, and sadly there are some bad ones as well. There are companies you can subscribe to for unlimited remote repairs for a “year contract” for what you paid for a single remote repair. Anyway, if you truly feel they didn’t provide the service you paid for, you can do a charge back on your credit card and possibly get your money credited back. You usually have about 30 days to make a claim and they usually have 30 -40 days to respond back to their merchant account provider. Just be sure to document everything and checkout their warranty and any guarantees they offer to see if you have a valid claim.
You never know, if these are bad guys, and enough consumers complain and do charge backs, they can put their merchant account in jeopardy making it hard for them to do business. Good luck… Dale
No. Don’t use it. They play with your money, and make your already slow computer even slower. I downloaded it on my first computer, they “found” 112 “errors” that they wanted to “fix”. Whenever it popped up, it demanded my credit card number. Just use McAfee, CCleaner, or AVG. They actually work.
Beware and do NOT get suckered into using this website or downloading their software. I was dumb enough that gave them access to my computer, downloaded their program and went to sleep awaiting their completion of making my computer faster. Their added bulk of software and copies froze both computers they were working on. It took two months to get a good technician to clear the discs and get me back on line. At that time they declared NO refund was possible and wanted me to “chat” with their technicians and set up another log me in session for them to access my computer again. They said they would refund my cash, but did not.
If you can give me directions to clean out their program I would appreciate it.
Thanks for your help.
The very best thing that i have found to do to really protect my information is to put ALL important information on a flash drive that I can, be retroactive in the updates to whatever virus protection software you are running, And then if I happen to find out i have been infected I actually take the time to reformat hard drive, and reinstall OS. (the main reason why I buy my own OS. It is a little bit of a task to do this every several months, But IMHO it is the safest way to insure that my PC is always clean being as a lot of people do not know, when you wipe,reformat, and reinstall, you wipe the registry . I Just cannot put all my trust in AV programs. I deal with it this way.
I know nothing about computers, but MyClean PC was certainly a ripoff. After downloading the program I followed the advice I received and deleted all programs in the task manager that had my wifes name by them. This removed all icons and toolbars from the screen. After 10 or 15 minutes on the phone the guy finally figured out how to restart my computer in safe mode. Then the purchased progam showed I had problems which weren’t there on the original scan. The guy on the phone then tried to sell me a program for about $200 to fix the problems they caused.
I thank you for this article and wanted to share what just happened to me while dealing with this company.
Late last night my computer froze up while using Excel. It is an older DELL product and certainly needs to be updated, but I am holding off for a few more months if possible before buying another computer.
I downloaded the FREE software and tried to activate it by calling the 800 number. They were closed after 10pm so I waited until this morning.
I called a few moments ago to activate and was placed on hold. While on hold I searched the web for reviews of this service and found this blog. I am glad I did, because what I am about to share with you is quite comical!
My service Rep. finally comes back to the phone and asks if she could call me back because they are having a system error on their computers and will need to completely re-boot their systems. I agreed and waited for 40 minutes. While waiting I thought to myself…hey…they are having the same problems I am!!
Needless to say, I asked for my money back!
This is a great story I can tell every time I see their commercial. At least I got something out of the ordeal!
Wow-ok so I purchased the 39.99 version of the mycleanpc on June 4; upon finding out that the issues that were showing up on my computer could only be fix by contacting the tech team and that for them to fix them would cost an additional $200 plus $15/month for tech support(mean while, mine you, nothing is ever said on any of their advertisements anything about having to pay anything for any of their products/services; their advertisements maked it sound like everything is completely free-not); I decided to cancel my registration. I called and canceled on June 28(well within their 30day money back guarenteed time frame). They told me it would be refunded and I would recieve a confirmation email. On June 29, there was still no confirmation email, so I called back, they assured me the refund was being issued but would take 7-10 buisness days and they sent me an email then. On July 23 (15 buisness days later), there still was no refund showing on my account, so I emailed them; no responds. I called on July 24 and was told there must have been a computer communication error and that they would reissue the refund and send a confirmation email. It’s now Aug 8 (11 more buisness days) and still no email or refund. So I just called them again, and now they’re claiming that they are experiencing a lot of technical difficulties this week and that they are going to look into it and call me back. At this point I’m pretty sure I’ll never see my money again.
So warning, whatever you do-DO NOT buy this product.
I just reformatted the hd on a toshiba laptop, and did a fresh install of windows 7. then i installed and ran microsoft security essentials, which found no problems, obviously. then, without doing ANYTHING else, i went to mycleanpc and ran their “online virus scanner.” the scan “found” 1612 “issues,” including viruses/other malware, registry errors, etc. Yeah…on a completely fresh OS install. I took a screen shot of the “results” and am thinking of calling, pretending to be a scared old guy, and ask about ordering their product…before my computer is PERMANENTLY DAMAGED and my IDENTITY STOLEN! (then I’ll tell them they’re full of sh*t…i might record the phone call.) 🙂
I wish I would have seen this a day or two ago. I just got this MyCleanPc, because my computer was slow, and after, the scan has NEVER finished a single scan or clean, and my computer is slower than ever!! I’m getting rid of this, and never coming back. And they try their hearts out to sell the CyberDefender, which is $200. Rather not. Thank you for this, and they are getting a personal complaint from this “customer”.
This is more for Techs here but for those who want some real world non-biased statistics on antivirus/malware programs check http://www.shadowserver.org. They function independently and test current products daily and maintain daily, monthly and yearly statistics by scanning up-to-date samples of malware/viruses etc. collected from multiple sources. It’s about as close as you can get to some real world facts on what products are worth it and work. They also test on linux systems as well. Its the only place i look when suggesting antivirus software to others who especially use microsoft products.
I currently run Arch linux myself and do not worry too much about viruses anymore. No security is perfect or absolute but for the most part my linux experience with such has been so far largely hassle free unless it was something I deliberately done to my own systems… None of my systems have been affected once to this day in over a year since my beginning with ubuntu. Perhaps this is biased on my personal preferences. I use what works for me. to each their own. shadowserver also provides info on their test methods as well as take suggestions to improve the accuracy of thier tests.
Thank oyu so much for your research!! We..not being computer savy trust your background and experience. Thank you for your honesty ..by the way would you be interested in a politcial career?;)
Thank you so much for your research!! We..not being computer savy trust your background and experience. Thank you for your honesty ..by the way would you be interested in a politcial career?;)
Great article. I’ve directed this to my more computer-illiterate relatives to stop them from mucking about with the PC’s that I set up for them.
On a grammatical note, those quotation marks surrounding non-quoted material are interpreted as scare quotes (indicating irony or sarcasm). Please use italic or boldface when adding emphasis.
Bottom line, if it’s not a program from Kaspersky Labs, Norton, McAfee, or Avast, do NOT download or install the software. You are asking for a ton of problems.
Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time and effort for this review. It is because of honest people like you that non-computer savvy people like me can avoid scam artists like this and protect our investments in our computers! Thank you thank you thank you!
I had this service for a year it was good. But when I renewed it I had problems using it. Everytime I called in they claimed to fixed it have ever it has not worked for months. Because I didn’t cancel it with in the first 30 days you do not get a refund. Don’t waste your money.
It is crazy to have this software. They put my PC worst.I never ever advice anyone this product. They did not refund my money.Again I paid $250 to Staples they did a great job to my PC.
My advice is do not cheated with their commercial. They like you to pay there monthly fee $19.99 otherwise they put your PC in danger. I was very upset and disappointed by them. I did call couple of times. The Worst experience I have it. I lost my money so do not waste your money!
Verizon’s Premium Tech support is the only way to go for me. After 4 years, I have yet to be let down when it comes to software issues, malware or viruses.
My clean pc is a joke. They’re just a company who is looking to rob you of your money. They go into your account after claiming you’re already paid up for the month. Even after you want to cancel. DON’T USE THEM!!! Also their idea of a discount is taking a couple dollars off to butter up their issues.
I am certainly glad that I researched MyCleanPC.com on the internet. I was considering buying it. My computer crashes every so often with the screen going blue. I shut it off and restart it and it seems to be okay. I have McAfee installed but whatever is causing the crashing seems to have gotten through it.
I am just a retired steamfitter who does not no anything about malware, I had a blue screen pop up on me and I ended up buying a service for 1 year, I think i was scamed, Can you please tell if that is tha case and what is a blue screen pop up thank you very much Stephan Zobeosky.
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