Getting Started With PCMaid / Basic Interface

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     The basic interface of PCMaid allows the fastest cleaning of your PC available. Simply follow the instructions, and you’re on your way to cleaning your pc within moments. Although many of the features of PCMaid are not accessible via the basic interface, the simple 2-click solution is more than enough for most users.

     From within the basic interface, you can change to the advanced interface at any time. Click the Options button, and then click Advanced Interface. You will be asked to confirm the change, and then you will be presented with the advanced interface. At any time, you can change back to the basic interface from the advanced interface via the Advanced Options button in the advanced interface. In the advanced options window, uncheck Advanced interface, and then click apply. The next time you start PCMaid, you will be presented with the basic interface.

     We recommend you remain within the basic interface unless you are sure with features of the advanced interface explained within this documentation. We also recommend you browse around the advanced interface without confirming any changes or deleting any items your first time to get a feel for the interface and layout.

     Advanced Interface

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     The most important part of PCMaid you should get to know is the scan settings, and scan type selection. The items to scan for are to be simply checked off as you desire, to prepare your scan. Click each scan type, for a full description presented to you in the right hand side of the application. If the items that scan type specifically looks for are the types of items you want cleaned, then check off that scan type for inclusion in your overall scan.

     After selecting items, if these are items you want PCMaid to have checked off for you by default every time you start PCMaid, then click the presets button, and select the option, "make default". This will save you time next time you wish to scan. But if you will most likely change your scan settings by checking and un-checking items now and then, leaving it blank might be for you.

     After selecting your items, and maybe creating a preset or setting your defaults, you will want to scan your pc for those items by clicking the scan button. Your scan will begin, and you will be required to wait a few moments (most likely 25 to 35 seconds) for your scan to finish, and your results to be returned to you. These are the items found according to the criteria you specified.

     Next, you will want to check off items in your result list which you want to remove. In most cases, you are safe to simply choose "select all" from the list menu. But, you may want to browse over your search results, and look for files you will want to keep. You can exclude items you wish to keep by right-clicking on them and selecting "Exclude This Item". This will remove the item now (from the results list), and remove it in the future from your results list until otherwise specified. To delete the checked items in your results list, click Delete now.

     Some items may not be able to be deleted due to them being in use. This is where the DNB (Delete on Next Boot) component of PCMaid comes into use. If some items cannot be deleted, you will be asked if you wish to delete the items on next boot. If you select yes, then a DNB queue will automatically be created, and DNB will be set as a start up item to delete the items next time you boot up.

     Congratulations, you have successfully completed the crash course on PCMaid's usage. Now you can move on to begin to realize the capability's of PCMaid by looking at its accessory features. A good place to start is the built-in FavoritesSafe, Secure Deletion, and Startup Manager. Feel free to tinker with PCMaid to explore any of its many built-in tools.

     Components Of PCMaid

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     PCMaid is made up of multiple components. The main one being the scan engine, which is your most-used feature which offers various scanning options to clean and protect your pc. Included are other great components such as FavoritesSafe, adding to your privacy and security by offering an encrypted and password-protected safe to keep your list of internet links. Other components are the Startup Manager, and Service manager. Secure Deletion, ONB, and System Tools finish the list of built-in components.

     Each component is available to you from within the PCMaid interface, or externally to be used independent of PCMaid. To access these components, use the included shortcuts. You may also copy and paste these shortcuts wherever you wish to access these components quickly as you need them.

     To create new shortcuts to components, create a shortcut as normal, and move it to the location you wish to have it. Then right-click on the shortcut, and in the location where the path to PCMaid.exe is shown, add the appropriate switch. For example, your original shortcut shows "C:\Program Files\PCMaid\PCMaid.exe". To change that shortcut to a direct link to the service manager, append a space and "-service_manager" to the location of PCMaid.exe. That shortcut will then appear as the following, "C:\Program Files\PCMaid\PCMaid.exe -services". Then click apply in your shortcut properties. There you go. You have just created a link directly to PCMaid's service manager. Other switches which can be used to access the components are as follows. 1) Startup Manager: -startup 2) Service Manager: -services 3) DNB: -on_next_boot 4) Secure Deletion: -secure_delete, and 5) FavoritesSafe: -favorites_safe.

     When PCMaid knows what application the user wants to access, it can load only the code necessary for those functions, rather than loading more code unnecessary for the specific task. We recommend using each component separately as needed for maximum performance.

     Startup Manager

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     When your PC boots up, applications are scheduled to run and startup automatically. Often overlooked, these items may be unnecessary, and degrade your boot up time. Not paying attention to your Startup Applications can also lead to degraded system performance during your entire computer use due to these applications constantly running in the background.

     Using PCMaid's Startup Manager, you will be able to access all areas where run at startup applications are listed. You can then remove items which you decide are unnecessary, increasing your boot-up time and overall system performance. Clicking the list of areas where startup items are stored (upper-left of the startup manager), shows a list of items in that area to the right of the startup manager. Some areas may display 0 items (optimal) whereas others will display items.

     Before removing items, we recommend you learn exactly what it is you are removing. This is made easy using our "Google It" feature. By right-clicking on a startup item, and clicking the "Google It" option, your default web browser opens up, displaying the search results for that item immediately. You will likely find within the top results the answers to your questions of what the item is and whether it is required. We would love to include all information, on all items possibly in the startup lists, but that would be physically impossible. Instead, using your own research methods, or our Google It feature, we are confident you will make the right decisions on what items to remove.

     Once you are sure you have an item which you wish to remove, select it in the list by clicking on it, and then click the "Delete Selected" button to remove the selected item(s). Removed items from your startup lists are stored in PCMaid's settings, so that they can be restored if necessary. Simply click "View Deleted Item(s)", and select your startup category. There, removed items can be viewed, and if you wish to restore them select the item and click "Restore Selected". The item(s) will then be re-entered into your startup list where specified.

     We recommend not disabling any anti-virus, or firewall startup items unless you know exactly what you are doing. For purposes of PCMaid functionality, "DNB" is now shown in your startup list. Delete On Next Boot is removed so that functionality is not lost when items scanned for and selected for removal cannot be removed during normal computer usage. However, ONB is a one time only item (Run Once) and is only run at startup when necessary. ONB is not scheduled for startup every time, but only when it is required and allowed by your own confirmations. ONB can be removed from your startup list by going into the ONB interface, and clicking "Cancel Delete On Next Boot".

     The Startup Manager can be used independently of PCMaid by selecting it from the tools folder within PCMaid's start menu entry. Also, the Startup Manager has been placed in your system’s Control Panel.

     Service Manager

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     Services are similar to items in your startup list, as they are processes slated to either start automatically, upon call, or never. There are nearly 100 services in many systems. This offers a lot of leeway in configurations. Some services are required for various applications to function properly, and some are required by your operating system. However, there are many which can be deleted, or set to not start automatically at boot-up.

     Before you dig into the service manager and start making changes, we recommend you arrange the items by startup method by clicking the "Startup Type" column of the services list. This will arrange them grouped by "Automatic", "Manual", and "Disabled". You can ignore the disabled items, and go directly to the ones shown to be "Automatic". From there, you can read the brief description on each line for each service. If any seem odd, or appear to serve purposes which you do not think you need, we recommend using the Google It feature to do a net search on that service.

     Once you have done a bit of research on each service set to "Automatic", you can make alterations to some of them if you wish to increase boot- up time, and resource availability. Right-click on the item, or select it and press the button along the bottom to set its new startup type. If you are sure of the changes you have made, and would like to create a preset, then click the "Presets" button at the top left of the Service Manager. From there, you can save and load configuration settings for all services at once, versus editing them one by one.

     PCMaid does make a saved preset from your original configuration of services the first time PCMaid’s Service Manager is run. This is just in case you want to restore the settings to original. For some system critical services, a system restart is required to properly start / stop services. For example, some services cannot be stopped, or restarted, and can only be set to disabled so that they don't start in the first place during next boot.

     The Service Manager can be used independently of PCMaid. Do this by selecting it from the tools folder inside of PCMaid's start menu entry. Also, the Service Manager has been placed in your system’s Control Panel for quick access when working in that area.

     Secure Deletion / Secure Trash Bin

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     Secure Deletion allows safe removal of files you deem as private. Our Secure Deletion system overwrites every byte of a given file as many times as you specify, making it more difficult for someone to recover files you have removed. Secure Deletion also has settings to rename the file being removed multiple times before deleting it.

     Be careful, Secure Deletion is slow because it manipulates every byte of a file. So try to use it for cookies, credit reports, and other private text files and similarly smaller files. There is no restriction against larger file removal using DNB, but we do recommend lowering the strength of the deletion for those above 100KB. Secure deletion strength of 1 is sufficient for semi-private documents and files, as where we would recommend a setting of 5 to 10 for more personal data.

     Besides the nature of byte by byte file overwriting, liberal usage of Secure Deletion can cause excessive wear on your hard drive.

     The Secure Deletion Trash Bin is available by opening the Secure Deletion window, and clicking "Launch Drop Target". This will open up a trash bin on which you can drag and drop file(s) for immediate secure removal. Secure Deletion can be used independently of PCMaid by selecting it from the list of tools in PCMaid's start menu entry.

     Favorites Safe

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     Favorites Safe allows you to keep and manage your own list of web URL's in complete privacy. Strong encryption locks your list away from prying eyes. A secret username and password which you create becomes your key to your own vault of URL's.

     The first time you run Favorites Safe, you will be asked to enter a username, and a password. From there, you are ready to start saving URL's. Once logged into Favorites Safe, drag and drop links into the list or to the "drop target". In your browsers address bar, there is an icon to the left of the url. That icon can be dragged into favorites safe or the drop target, and automatically added to your safe.

     Once Favorites Safe contains links, click them to launch them in your default web browser. You can also right-click on each item for more options. Clicking Log-Out or closing Favorites Safe logs you out, and secures your favorites. Open favorites safe again when you wish to access those links.

     Favorites Safe can be used independently of PCMaid, and launched from its link within the Tools folder inside of PCMaid's start up menu location.

     Delete on Next Boot (DNB)

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     Delete on Next Boot allows you to remove files which pose problems when trying to delete them. Sometimes, one may try to delete a file and it says "cannot remove, file in use". It becomes very frustrating when you’re trying to remove a file over and over, and it keeps giving you the same message, but you just can’t figure out what is "using" the file. In this case, drag and drop the file into DNB.

     When items are in DNB's list, DNB is set to run next time your PC boots up. If there are no items in the list, DNB will not run. DNB starts before the rest of your Windows Operating system, allowing you to remove problematic files before they can become "in use". There are often files found during your PCMaid scan which need to be deleted using DNB.

     System Tools

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     System tools are various utilities built into your operating system. Netstat's Refresh & Renew command available with one click allows you to flush your IP address, and request it again from your DHCP server. Great for high-speed internet connections which loose your IP when you unplug, or turn off your modem for safety.

     Easily view detailed information about your computers IP address tables for diagnostics information regarding your internet connection. Another command allows you to see open ports.

     (OS Tasks > System File Check) Allows you to insert your Windows XP Disk and verify the system files on your hard drives to the disk, replacing invalid system files. Great for repairing a damaged system.

     Although these System Tools are not the main focus of PCMaid, they are placed in a convenient format for a 2-click solution rather than the manual method of inputting these commands.

     Upgrading PCMaid

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     PCMaid upgrades provide fixes, optimizations, and new features. PCMaid upgrades also provide updated versions of this documentation. There are 2 ways to upgrade PCMaid. The easiest and fastest is to use the included PCMaid Web Update application. PCMaid Web Update will check for new versions, and if they are found, it will download them. The second method for updating PCMaid is to download the complete installer, and check the checkbox for "Update" during the installation process.

     WARNING: If you want to completely reinstall PCMaid on top of a previous installation, uninstall the previous version first to avoid problems. Sometimes when a user attempts to full install PCMaid over a previous installation, duplicate entries will be made in your control panel. This issue is completely avoided when you uninstall the previous installation before your fresh install.

     Good Habits

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     1) Use high speed internet? Learn how to physically disconnect your PC from the internet! Both disconnecting the cable from your PC to your modem, and turning your modem off work as the only foolproof methods of a complete disconnect from the net when not using it. Not too many things are as dangerous as constantly being connected to the internet when you’re not using it.
     2) Use PCMaid to clean your temporary files before & after internet use. Especially before and after using secure web sites for transactions such as bank account & credit information.
     3) Use PCMaid before shutting down your pc, to start up totally clean.
     4) Know your Firewall. We recommend turning off all "Allow Automatically" options. Make sure your firewall asks you before every connection no matter how annoying it may be. Believe us, it becomes second nature to allow, or disallow that connection. And we guarantee there will be times you catch an application trying to make a connection when you haven't initiated it.

     Common Questions

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     Q: Some menu items are disabled or "grayed-out" and I cannot use them. Why is this?
     A: Some options and functionality are reserved for registered users of PCMaid. If you wish to access these options, order PCMaid. Use our order preparation application for a convenient interface into your order. Alternatively, visit our Order Page for instructions on ordering & registering.

     Q: I have more than one PC in my home. Can I use PCMaid on more than one PC?
     A: No. PCMaid is licensed to 1 user, and 1 single PC. The registration method of PCMaid uses hardware information of that single PC to determine your serial number. However, ordering more than one copy of PCMaid is an option.

     Q: Does PCMaid offer Real time protection?
     A: No. Us who developed PCMaid unanimously decided we did not want to make a "run at all times" software solution. We think that software that runs at all times is no good, and only degrades system performance. We think running PCMaid after your normal computer use is far better than if PCMaid were to run constantly. Running constantly would make you encounter problems (example deleting cookies while in use, temporary files while in use, and so on.). Not only does running PCMaid after normal PC usage do just as good a job, but it only uses PC resources when you want it to. However, if PCMaid users heavily request such a feature, real time protection may be implemented in future versions.

     Q: I got a new hard drive and reinstalled PCMaid, and my serial number is now invalid. What happened?
     A: PCMaid's registration utilizes hardware information, loosely based on the hard drive which contains your Windows operating system. If you get a new hard drive and reinstall windows, you must go through the registration process again via email. Get your Unique User ID, and send it to us along with a note of your system upgrade. However, you must send that email from the email address originally used during your order. We will then provide you with a new valid Registration number.

     Q: What about the Free Upgrades?
     A: As we further develop PCMaid, fixes and additional features may be added. These changes will be made to enhance PCMaid to make it even more useful. After purchasing PCMaid, these upgrades to new versions of PCMaid for the Windows XP Operating System will be completely free of charge.

     Q: What is PCMaid Web Update?
     A: PCMaid Web Update is a small application to get you the latest version of PCMaid.exe & Documentation.htm (this file). Running the Web Update connects to DOFSoft.com and first downloads a small text file containing the currently available versions of PCMaid. Then, it looks at your current version, and compares the two. If you have an old version, Web Update connects and downloads the new version of PCMaid.exe. If there is a new version of PCMaid.exe, there is also a new version of the Documentation. Updates are usually between 780KB and 900KB in size, so if you are on a dial-up connection you may want to approach updating with some planning.

     Q: What kinds of updates are usually made to PCMaid?
     A: We are constantly looking at PCMaid, in efforts to make it faster, smaller, and filled with more options. Sometimes an update is made to simply trim off a few KB of executable size to slightly increase performance, sometimes scan types are reconfigured if we discover a slightly faster method. We are also constantly looking at the needs of our customers, which are reflected in updates to PCMaid if we feel that change is in fact appropriate. Feel free to email us an idea (visit Contact List) if you feel something should be changed or included in a PCMaid.exe update. Updates to the documentation include revised information on PCMaid's components, and this FAQ list.

     Q: I have an idea for PCMaid; can I get them to you and maybe see them included in a PCMaid update?
     A: Yes. If you have ideas, send them to us and we will be glad to look them over. If your ideas are useful or original, we may include it in a PCMaid upgrade. Visit DOFSoft's contact page for the email address designated for feature requests and ideas.

     Q: I have a web site. Can I sell PCMaid or other DOFSoft products from my site?
     A: If you have a personal web site, you can place links directly to the PCMaid web site, but not to the order page. If you wish to support PCMaid and DOFSoft, please include a link to www.PCMaid.net, and www.DOFSoft.com. If you have a commercial web site selling other software, then contact us for more information.

     Q: I build custom computers and I want to provide PCMaid's protection and functionality on those systems. Can I purchase bulk serial numbers for PCMaid at a discounted price?
     A: Yes. Depending on how many serial numbers you wish to purchase at once, different discounts apply. However, acquisition of serial numbers must take place via email using this method.

     Q: The Service manager in PCMaid says "Start Pending", or "Stop Pending". What's that mean?
     A: Some services cannot be started or stopped immediately, and take some time. In this event, you will want to refresh the service list a few seconds afterwards to see if that message has changed. If it hasn't, wait a few more moments and then repeat.

     Q: In the Service Manager, some services cannot be stopped. Is this a bug?
     A: No. Some services cannot be stopped if they have other services relying on them to run. In this case, some research is necessary. In order to successfully stop such a service, all services which require the present service you’re trying to stop, also need to be stopped. We are confident that according to your service situation, the proper research will lead you to a conclusion of why that specific service cannot be stopped, started, set to automatic, manual or disabled.

     Q: Can I manually edit the configuration files?
     A: We recommend you don't. It’s not a good idea in case of improper change to settings. This can cause a loss of registration, settings, and application failure. However if you are proficient in "tweaking programs", then be sure to make backups of the files you are about to edit.

     Q: I try to remove certain items from the Startup Manager, but they never disappear! What's Wrong!
     A: Nothing is wrong. Some items are protected, and unable to be removed. These include some firewall and anti-virus applications. However, you will find that very few items are permanent such as these. These un-removable items can often be removed from within their own applications options. Zone Alarm firewall is one for example, which must be configured from within its own options to not run at startup.

     Q: Why aren't some empty folders detected?
     A: By default, we include a list of folders which are excluded. This is because it is common for there to be empty folders in various areas of the Windows XP operating system. These folders may be required by the OS for proper functionality even though they are empty. One example is the "Administrator Tools" in the "All Users" folder of the "Documents And Settings" folder. It’s empty, but it may be required. So for some of these folders, its better just to keep them around. Another area we recommend you look closely at is your Program Files directory, and all empty folders found within there. Also, after a proper cleaning, your OS's Temp folder is empty, and theoretically would be added to the results list in your scan for empty folders. (But we added your TEMP folder to the default excludes.). Otherwise, all empty folders other than those excluded are added to your results list.

     Q: Can I create multiple accounts for Favorites Safe in PCMaid?
     A: No. PCMaid's included version of Favorites Safe is for a single account. However, Favorites Safe Pro (a separate application not included with the purchase of PCMaid) is in the final stages of development and will be released shortly. Favorites Safe Pro allows multiple user accounts, and additional options for convenience and functionality.

     Q: I found a bug; can I report it?
     A: Yes. If you find a bug, PLEASE report it. The more interaction between DOFSoft and the customers, via feedback, the better the products we can release. If your bug report is relevant, we will fix it as soon as possible. Send us an email at bug_report@dofsoft.com, and include "PCMaid Bug Report" in the subject.

     Q: I have ideas to make PCMaid better. Can I send you ideas?
     A: Yes. If you think a feature should be included, please let us know. If we think our customers would benefit from it we may add it to future releases of PCMaid. Send us an email at pcmaid_idea@dofsoft.com with a few words on the idea in the subject.

     Q: Why can’t some files be removed, and why must they be removed using ONB?
     A: Some files, index.dat for example, may be marked as a system file, or in us, and is unable to be deleted unless it is done before windows fully starts. This is where ONB comes in handy, and makes it possible to remove these items. It is common to find items which must be removed with ONB.

     Q: Using secure deletion is so slow. Is there something wrong?
     A: Nothing is wrong. The method of secure deletion is slow because it overwrites every byte (1's and 0's) of a file, a set number of times. If you wish to use secure deletion, but make the process move faster, try lowering the level of secure deletion used. Even secure deletion level of 1 is sufficient for most users.

     Q: Using the Secure Trash Bin, A file I am trying to delete is taking an extremely long time. What can I do?
     A: Right-click on the Secure Trash Bin, and click "Delete Now". Clicking Delete Now will stop the secure deletion progress, and delete the file immediately therefore escaping the commonly CPU power intensive secure delete. Even secure deletion on the beginning of the file makes your deletion secure if it is a file type dependent on every byte of data.

     Q: I deleted that file. Why do I keep finding it in my results list?
     A: Some files, index.dat for example may be recreated when your system starts up. Some files cannot be deleted during normal computer use. In both cases, these files may show up again and again in your scans. However, if you delete them using ONB, you can be sure that that exact file has been deleted, and recreated "clean".

     Q: What is "QuickStartDefrag.exe" in the settings folder? And do I need it?
     A: QuickStartDefrag.exe is a picture-based tutorial on how to open your systems disk defragmenter. If you know how to do this already, then you may delete QuickStartDefrag.exe with no negative effect.

     Q: There is a blank or empty entry inside of the Startup Manager. What is this?
     A: Sometimes when an application is uninstalled, and it is a program which had previously run at startup, it will leave an empty entry within the startup manager. Because of this, try checking the startup manager again after rebooting to see if it is gone. If it isn't, try removing the entry.

     Q: How can I back up my settings & registration information?
     A: For safety, locate 1) Your PCMaid installation folder where PCMaid.exe resides. 2) Inside that folder, the Settings folder. 3) Inside of the settings folder, "Settings.ini". Right click on Settings.ini, and select “copy”. Then paste the backup to a secure location such as a floppy diskette. We are currently developing an option for the About Screen & registration application which will allow you to easily backup and restore settings & registration information to and from a floppy diskette. This will be finished within the next 2 updates.

     Q: I already have PCMaid installed. So what is the difference between downloading the PCMaid_Installer.exe to upgrade versus the included Web Update? Is there a difference?
     A: Web Updater is for people who have previous installations of PCMaid. The web updater downloads only new versions of PCMaid.exe & the accompanying documentation. The PCMaid_Installer.exe is intended for people who have not yet installed any version of PCMaid, and includes additional files or that purpose. We recommend current PCMaid users utilize the included Web Update. However, you may also use a newly downloaded PCMaid_Installation.exe *Being sure to use UPDATE option checkbox. Reasons to use a new PCMaid_Installer.exe may be you need to reconfigure start menu items, quick launch icon, or other files you may have accidentally removed.

     Q: I'm configuring my firewall. Does PCMaid.exe ever need to connect to the internet?
     A: Not at all. Because it’s safe to block every application you can from accessing the internet if it’s not specifically required for that application to function, we recommend you do so. In Zone Alarm for example, it is safe to block all in and out traffic for PCMaid. We specifically made our Web Update application completely separate for security issues (which we recommend you set to "ask"). PCMaid's web update application needs an internet connection to be made to obtain updates from www.PCMaid.net, or www.DOFSoft.com. If you want to be very safe, block even PCMaid's web update application, and manually allow it when you feel like updating.

     Q: The web links in PCMaid are not working. Neither is the Google It Function, or Favorites Safe links.
     A: This issue has 2 possible causes, and 2 possible solutions. Either your firewall is blocking PCMaid.exe from launching your default web browser, or you have no "Default Web Browser" defined for opening web pages. If the case is your firewall, you will most likely get a firewall notification, or be savvy enough with your firewall to figure out how to allow PCMaid to launch web pages. *PCMaid.exe itself is not accessing the internet, but it IS sending out a system command to start your default browser. If the case is you have no "Default Browser", do a Google search for "How to set default browser" and your browser name. That should yield enough results to solve the problem.

     Q: I use Zone Alarm Pro, and when I close the DNB window, I get a "Suspicious Behavior" alert. It tells me "PCMaid is trying to set "PCMaid" to run each time your computer is started." What's going on?
     A: Zone Alarm Pro and similar safety applications detect this because closing DNB with items in its list cause DFAB.exe (Delete Files At Boot) to be entered in your startup list. DNB (Delete on Next Boot) removal is required for some files, and is useful for removing files which you can delete during normal computer use. Read DNB's description above in the components section. If this action is allowed, queried items for removal will be removed upon next boot up. If you deny this action, DNB will not schedule DFAB.exe to remove the items listed. In Zone Alarm Pro for example, you can check off the option to remember your setting, but because you are using that security feature anyway, you might as well just click "Allow" as the message appears. You can always elect to "Cancel On Next Boot", which will immediately remove the startup registry entry and clear the list of queried files.

     Q: The interface appears to "jump", and the cursor appears to blink rapidly.
     A: If your systems graphics capabilities are inadequate for drop shadows, blinking can be caused. However, that does not hinder the scan performance of PCMaid. Try disabling drop shadows from within the options available in the advanced interface.

     Q: The PCMaid installation has created a whole bunch of items inside of PCMaid's start menu entry. Do I really need all of those?
     A: You do not need any of them for anything other than convenience. Technically, you can access everything in PCMaid's start menu via the PCMaid interface. However, many users prefer direct links to components, links, documentation, and other options, hence PCMaid's start menu entries. Things like Advanced and Basic interface are sometimes easier accessed via their shortcuts in your start menu. However, if you find yourself not changing the interface, a Quick Launch may be all you need. If you are sure you do not want or need access to any of the items in PCMaid's start menu entry, go ahead and remove it. New start menu entries are created upon every install, and upgrade via PCMaid_Setup.exe, but not upgrade via PCMaid Web Update.

     Q: Why are there so many numbers in PCMaid's version number? Do I NEED to update?
     A: The numbers in PCMaid's version numbers represent Major version, Minor version, and Revision versions. New major, and minor versions are always released, however some revision versions are not. We may advance a few revision versions before a minor version are available for download, so do not be surprised if the last number in the detailed version jumps drastically. For the most part, our customers need to only download new major and minor versions. We do release revision versions occasionally. Using web update will always download the new version of PCMaid.exe & documentation as long as it is not the same as the version you currently have. If you wish to just download major, and minor version updates, please download the setup application from download.com, pcmaid.net, or dofsoft.com and use the update feature.

     Revision versions are usually very small, containing sometimes not even noticeable changes to PCMaid. This includes graphic optimization, space saving optimizations to the PCMaid.exe file, rewording of descriptions, and minor cosmetic changes. Minor revisions, are more obvious changes, such as more apparent GUI fixes and prominent description changes, and additions to convenience of usage. Major revisions are versions presenting completely new tools, interfaces, and utilities, such as new components, or completely re-coded components.

     If you are the type of user who prefers to update more infrequently, we recommend you check back at www.DOFSoft.com or www.PCMaid.net periodically (every 2 or 3 weeks) to see if a new major version of PCMaid has been released.

Please visit www.DOFSoft.com & www.PCMaid.net for more information. For convenient updates to this documentation, and PCMaid's main executable, use PCMaid's Web Update application. Thank you for your support.

PCMaid Copyright © 2005, DOFSoft