REIMAGE HOME EDITION
Reviewed July 2009
| What’s It Do?
Reimage claims to fix dysfunctional and unstable software components in an operating system. This is promised in about 30 minutes, depending on RAM size and connectivity, without damaging any user data or applications. Reimage does not offer to optimize one’s PC, but will repair it if it is failing. It reportedly does this by accessing a Web repository where millions of components and Registry objects are stored, and from that data it offers to repair programs, refresh drivers, and remove buys and glitches while maintaining the integrity of user data. There is a fully functional Undo function that will revert the PC to its old condition of the user is not satisfied with Reimage’s performance. Reimage is only compatible with Windows XP on systems with recommended 394 MB or more. The developers indicate that a Vista version will be released soon. Editor’s Note: We deviate from the usual reporting format for this program due to its unique purpose/functions and the different techniques our Panelists used in reviewing it. Description of my system: Reviewer 1: Windows XP Home SP-3, running on Compaq 2.4 GHz Pentium 4, 3 GB RAM and a 128 Mb video card. Reviewer 2: Dell Computer: Pentium 4 CPU, 2.40 GHz; 1.00 GB of RAM. C: drive 52 GB (system drive with Operating System and Program Files); Drive F: 160 GB, used for data. Windows XP Home, SP 3. Secunia PSI and Windows Update are used to keep all programs fully patched and up-to-date. Security is provided by the Router firewall and Windows firewall, and by Malwarebites and Avira Anti-Virus. Reviewer 3: Custom built system with ASUS motherboard. Intel Pentium Xeon dual processor with 2666 MHz clock speed. Two 2GB DIMM RAM banks functioning at 800 ns. Two 500 GB internal HDDs connected via SATA 2 connections. Radeon X800 256MB video card with PCIe connection. On board audio and on board Ethernet connection. Internet connect through multiple outlet router and elite DSL connection with download speeds up to 6 Mbps. Two dual layered CD/ROM/DVD reader/recorders. NEC Opticlear LCD monitor. Full version (non- OEM) Windows XP Professional upgraded to Service Pack 3 with all (except IE8) current security updates. I run Zone Alarm Pro and NOD32 for security and both are updated daily. Reviewer 4: Alienware, Area 51 X58; Intel HT 3.2GHz; 4G RAM running Windows XP Professional SP2 as well as Linux “Xandros.” Was the Reimage Web site adequate to explain the repair process? Reviewer 1: The Reimage Web site has a fairly simplistic explanation of how it works by scanning one’s system, finding “broken” or missing components, and replacing them from its repository of over 25 million registry components and objects. I must say I was skeptical. Mucking about in the Registry is dangerous. Since this needs access to the full operating system, it did not lend itself to a safe “virtual machine” type of test as I often do. Even when using a program like this, one would still need to do the normal maintenance of defragging, dumping temp files and backing up one’s system. This would not have been my first venture into the area of Registry repairs to fix a malfunctioning system. I decided to give it a try in any case since any computer can usually benefit from a little “tune up” and I keep a current image of my system in case something goes awry. Reviewer 2: The claims made on the Reimage Web site set very high expectations on the program. In particular. these comments are prominently displayed: • automatically repair Windows XP systems leaving user data intact • you may never need to reinstall again • make your PC as good as new • replacing damaged DLL's and System files • prevent annoying error messages There are also some caveats on the site which I find odd, having now experienced the program. In particular, they claim not to be an anti-virus program, yet when the scan and repair processes are being run, a significant amount of time is dedicated to scanning for viruses. They also promise that if the repair that their program does is not satisfactory, it can be undone with a single mouse-click, after which one can request a refund. Reviewer 3: Yes and no. While the Reimage Web site explained the repair process, it did not indicate that the repair process would remove customizations to Windows. Reviewer 4: No. While it is an attractive, well laid out, and professionally designed Web site that at first glance is very enticing in its promises, it is more “smoke & mirrors” than practical or verifiable information. For example, it boasts of its “Patented Technology recognized by leading experts” used to make repairs but it never explains what that technology is or who are the “leading experts.” There is a very professional video that claims to explain this technology but again it is merely nothing more than a graphic representation using a Rubik’s Cube (now that is new technology!) that again tells you want the program does but not how. Furthermore, there is a “live feed” showing supposedly real customers’ praises in real time but, again, there is no way to verify these claims or the legitimacy of these “live feeds.” When I started to see claims such as “Make Your PC Run Like New,” I suspected that the results would be less than the promise. No support was needed to initiate program. My computer’s problems before using Reimage: Reviewer 1: I use this computer every day, all day. It runs fine with little or no problems considering it gets abused by installing many programs, trying them, then uninstalling them again. It’s been a stable platform for several years. Like most, it has its idiosyncrasies, but all in all, it runs fine and does the job for me with few if any problems. Reviewer 2: In spite of the high expectations, I decided that I should do an image of the computer's C: drive, before beginning the Reimage scan and repair process. I decided that I should first try the program out on a computer that is mainly used as a print server, and as a test computer for new software. It does not have many problems, although there are a few beginning to appear: • two utility programs that I use on all my computers are not functioning completely correctly on this test machine; • FinePrint is installed, and manages all print jobs; recently it has been experiencing small difficulties, suggesting that the computer will be needing a Windows reinstallation in the near future; • the computer is unable to access one of the other computers on the local network Reviewer 3: I am an experienced PC builder and PC operator who maintains a fast, clean, and efficient system. I investigate and correct problems manually as they occur. Prior to the repair, I did not have any noticeable problems with my system. My desire was to test a high-end system with no apparent problems to see if Reimage could detect unseen problems as this current system has been operating for more than a year. Reviewer 4: I had no specific problems with my computer, so I created problems for purpose of testing. I changed the settings of the APA/ATAPI controllers on the primary and secondary channel on my hard drive from the fast DMA mode to the very slow PIO mode. I disabled two Universal Serial Bus drivers, and I unregistered several System 32 DLLs and disabled some Window’s Services creating an unstable system that would cause stop codes and random BSOD (“Blue Screen Of Death”). Additionally, I removed a Registry key to disable the Windows disc defragmentation tool, and downloaded two Trojans and a keylogger. What computer problems were detected by Reimage’s initial scan? Were these problems fully detailed and explained? Reviewer 1: This is where the problems started for me. After the initial download of the scanner and first run, it pulled in an update and installed it. That part went fine. On first run, Reimage started popping up error messages about “script errors” which I carefully took screen shots of for later tech support messages. Ultimately, after about three hours, it attempted but failed to complete a scan and just hung my computer requiring a hard, power off reboot. I tried again the next day in Safe Mode after uninstalling and reinstalling the application. Similar results although it did finally complete the scan but got stuck on the “contacting server” part it needed to get the repairs. I gave this one up after over four hours. Reviewer 2: The scan reported that the hard drive is very slow (probably true, as it is quite full), that memory is "average" , security is "excellent" (i.e. no viruses were found), and "stability" problems were found. There were bar graphs which illustrated the meaning of "slowdown (60%), “stability" 50%, "Security" 100%, "Overall" 59%. Four programs were identified as problems: terracopy.exe (has never, to my knowledge, been problematic) crypt32.dll (a windows system file) nmgrve.exe a file associated with Network Magic ESET This is a company which produces a highly-rated anti-virus program, but which, to my knowledge, I have never installed on this particular computer The scan did not identify any problems related to my other two utilities, nor to the printer difficulties. So, although the graphs were attractive, I was left a bit puzzled by the “problems” listed, and with no explanation to the trouble the listed programs were supposed to be causing. Reviewer 3: The Reimage repair comes in two steps – step one is an analysis of the system followed by step two which is a repair of the detected problems. The analysis step analyzes PC information, hardware, stability (review error logs), and security (virus and Trojan scan). The analysis step on my system took 15 minutes. I did note that the analysis did not correctly detect my RAM. Although it did detect that I had two banks of 2048 MB each, it report that my memory was 2.0GB which is really 4.0 GB. Windows System Information does show the 4.0 GB with available physical memory of 3.0 GB. The remainder of the analysis reported accurate results and was very in-depth including CPU operating temperature. The majority of the time for the analysis step involves a very in depth malware detection. The bottom of the Reimage screen displays current files and the process such as virus scan of a certain file. I noted that the scan included numerous important Registry keys that would detect hidden virus or Trojan keys. It looks at current dll files and BHOs. The analysis found problems with one software component and found one malware dll file and associated Registry key. The software with the problem was a Microsoft service that I did not use and the malware detection involved a downloader from a gaming Web site that my grandchildren use. The repair function took 14 minutes including the reboot portion to alter locked files. With only two problems found, I was surprised to see in the process bar that 3,167 corrections were involved in the repair. Reviewer 4: After running for one hour and 23 minutes—far longer than the promised 30 minutes--with four interruptions due to a reported loss of connection to the server, and running my CPU at nearly 90% (caused in part because of the above referred to change to PIO mode) it found only that my disc drive was running slow due to a “bad sector” and thus could offer no repair. There was no “bad sector” on my disc drive. It was running at 2MB per second as opposed to 40MB per second suggested as “normal” by ReImage due to the change in modes I described above. (Upon changing them back to DMA mode the times were well within the normal range.) It did not discover the unregistered DLLs, the missing Registry key, the disabled drivers, stopped services, nor the intentionally downloaded Trojans or keylogger. Total time for Reimage repairs. Reviewer 1: See above, no repairs were accomplished. Reviewer 2: From the time that I installed Reimage to the time that I rebooted after the almost-complete reimage process, overall three hours elapsed. The initial scan was quite long, particularly given the relatively small size of the C:\ drive. Amongst other things, there appeared to be a Registry scan, and there was certainly a virus scan, which can be expected to be time-consuming. When the repair started, I did watch the process quite carefully, trying to work out what it was doing. At times throughout the process a heading would appear such as "downloading files", "removing faulty files", "update Registry", "virus scan" (again!) When it was "downloading files" there did seem to be many system files named, but then, the items that were flashing by on the status area at the bottom of the screen seemed mostly to be Registry keys, not programs. I did see the names of many drivers, and finally I recognized the names of some of the program files being checked. Reviewer 3: The entire analysis and repair process including rebooting took 29 minutes. Reviewer 4: One hour and 23 minutes. Situation after Reimage repair (were my computer problems repaired?) Reviewer 1: Thankfully, nothing had changed. The computer still worked as before. At least it did not cause problems. I just wasted a lot to my time with no results. Reviewer 2: No, in fact, the computer is now working worse than it did before. After the repair was completed, Reimage recommends that the computer be rebooted. At that time, it carries out a "finalized repair of exclusively locked files", then recommends "a final virus scan after repair to clean the computer.” When it had finished, I rebooted the computer, as instructed. However, I was unable to access any functions on the computer for about 10 minutes after I had rebooted the computer. I was unable to use it at all. I was finally able to call up the Task Manager, and tried to find out what the computer was doing. The CPU was extremely busy, often running at 100%, yet I had not done any more that attempt to get the Task Manager to run. Mouse clicks and keyboard input were ignored, as the computer was too busy doing something else. I let the PC run until it was finally released from whatever was going on, and was suddenly informed by Win Patrol that the computer was trying to change the programs I have affiliated with different file types: for example: from IrfanView for image files to Windows Media Player; from Thunderbird for eml to Outlook; from Firefox to IE; from EditPad for txt files to Notepad, from MSWord for .rtf files to Wordpad. In all cases, I have disallowed these changes. In most cases, it has accepted my own settings; however, it has on at least 20 occasions tried to change the txt files and log files which I have assigned to EditPad to Notepad. It will happen, on occasion, after a big upgrade of some MS products, that programs will attempt to reclaim their "default" file types, but with Win Patrol watching, I have usually been able to keep my own choices intact. But once is enough, and one instruction has always worked before. I have never before seen this fanatical insistence of Notepad refusing to take "No" from Win Patrol for an answer, and coming back time after time. I have finally succeeded in re-establishing EditPad as the default program for txt and log files. It may be that my data files have been left intact as advertised by Reimage, but certainly my settings have not. For two days, which included several computer reboots for reasons unrelated to Reimage, the computer has been mysteriously busy for ever-shorter, but longer than usual waiting periods when it was starting up. It now seems to be back to normal boot-up. The printing problems that I had previously remain and DrWin has appeared for the first time on this computer. Three days after the Reimage process, I received notification that there are 37 patches, upgrades and Service Pack features that Windows has found to be lacking on this computer. Nothing has appeared about Windows updates in the system tray of my other computer. Although Reimage offers an undo function and has placed a icon on my desktop to allow me a "one-click" solution, I will use the Acronis Disk Image, and restore that. Then, when I have the necessary time, I will reinstall Windows from scratch. Reviewer 3: After the repair, I discovered the reason why there were so many corrections. Reimage had returned Windows to the state it was upon installation. What that means is that all the numerous tweaks and modifications that I had made to Windows have been removed or circumvented. My Start Menu, Quick Launch bar, Favorites, and numerous other Windows settings had been reset to install conditions. I did test the gaming site out that had the “malware” that Reimage had detected and found that Reimage had removed the downloader (which means I could no longer access the games on the Web site). I reran the scan to see what Reimage would find after the repair and was pleased to find that there were no errors detected; however it still incorrectly identified my RAM. I did not notice any performance improvement. Other than the corrections of my customizations of Windows, I did not find any of my data files missing or corrupt. I did find a problem with Windows that did not exist prior to the repair. Prior to the repair, my shutdown process took between 15-20 seconds. After the repair shutdown took 3.5 – 4.5 minutes with 1.5 minutes before the shutdown box would displayed. This occurred each and every time I shut down my system following the repair until I undid the repair. After the UNDO the shutdown went back to immediate display of the shutdown box and total shutdown with in 20 seconds. Reviewer 4: Not only were no repairs made, but after the scan my boot time actually increased by 186% and shut down time by 163%, and my Internet connection became unstable. Only by running the UNDO function—notwithstanding that it showed having made no repairs—did my computer return to as it had been before running Reimage. Technical support evaluation. Reviewer 1: They were a bit slow to respond, taking three days on the first request. Subsequent responses were faster. They at first denied receiving the attachments or the screen shots I had included of the error messages. I had put them both in the body of the message and attached them. I resent them again. Ultimately, after several exchanges, they did not ever address the issues I was having and offered no further assistance by simply stating We thank you for your attempts at trying Reimage and am sorry you had a not so ideal experience, we do hope you'd try us again in the future. Reviewer 2: Several weeks ago, I installed the trial version of Reimage without doing the scan. A function called "Reimage Booster" appeared in the system tray, and each time that I started up a program, it claimed to "boosting" that program. The next time that Malwarebytes ran a scan, it reported two new Trojans. They were both files installed by Reimage. Later that same day, Avira Anti-virus reported the same files as being Trojans. I put them in quarantine, and sent a copy of the Malwarebytes log to Reimage. I received an automated reply with a ticket number, and the promise that they would be answering my ticket within two business days. After a week or so, I removed Reimage from my system, as I had not heard from their support staff, and the booster did not seem to be having any impact on performance. I did not relish the idea of possible Trojans on my computer, as I was entering a critical period in the work year. Recently, I sent Reimage a reminder, but I have not, as yet, heard from them. If the matter were more serious, such as a computer which did not respond at all after a "Reimaging" I would find two business days to be much too long to wait -- particularly if it is the computer that I use to do my work on a daily basis. This complete Reimage scan and repair reported here has this time installed three programs that Malwarebytes reported as Trojans, so I have again quarantined them. I still have not heard from the Reimage Support people. Reviewer 3: I contacted the developers, requesting the location of the repair log. I received a generated acknowledgement of my support request and an answer six days later. Reimage does make a log of the files to be repaired/replaced. Reviewer 4: Technical support is non-existent. The email support provided a ticket number after I attempted to answer the question myself through the worthless FAQ. It was then suggested that I use the Live Chat service but it was repeatedly off-line when I attempted to do so. Other comments (including impression of user interface, ease of use, etc.) Reviewer 1: When we first were offered this review, I was very interested in seeing how well it worked. I do a little tech support for friends and a very few clients from a few years ago. I thought this application would be a great one to use to sort out a lot of potential problems fairly quickly. I had considered getting a subscription to the unlimited license for $149/year to make my life a little easier. It seems that they may have been overly optimistic in the ad copy about the time it would take to perform the scan and subsequent repairs. ReImage – PC Repair in Minutes was not my experience to say the least. I was disappointed with problems from the onset and could not get this service to run at all. I knew that a “one size fits all” solution is just not realistic but I did not expect total failure. Reviewer 2: None. Reviewer 3: I was pleased to find that the UNDO did if fact return my system to its prior repair state. I think that the makers of Reimage should include a statement that some customizations of Windows will be modified in restoring Windows to a just installed status. I utilized the UNDO function which did return my system to its pre repair state with all my customizations restored. Reviewer 4: The software program itself is attractive and could not be easier to use due to its simplicity. It is a small download initially (160kb) but does then install an Active X component to scan one’s computer for needed repairs. The EULA was very clear with little legalese and with the normal disclaimers as to liability, but due to its length, being made printable would be an improvement. The executable, reimage.exe, consumed an excessive amount of RAM—between 136MB to 190MB on my machine. The program was extremely unstable, crashing several times and, while reportedly finished with its scan, displayed a progress bar that did not pass the 42.7% completion mark. The virus scan was exceedingly slow, and there was no progress bar to give any idea of how long it may take, and the scan only checked the Windows Registry, no files, and to the best of my knowledge only checked one hive in the Registry. In fact, during this scan it simply kept repeating a scan of the same key over and over: HKey _Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Active X Compatibility. It appears that the only place it “looks” for a virus is in any installed Active X components. In my opinion, this program is scamware. It was unable to detect, let alone repair, even the simplest problems—problems that I might add were all in areas it guarantees to detect and repair. It does, instead suggest that one’s hard drive is failing when it is simply a matter of a changed setting. In working with Reimage, I am reminded of reports of incorrect computer diagnoses, repairs, and inflated charges at various repair shops such as nationally-known Best Buy (The Geek Squad). These have been amply detailed on the Web and need not be repeated here; however, I cannot help but wonder if Reimage might be engaged in similarly unscrupulous tactics to create problems where none exist and to fail to repair genuine malfunctions. Surprisingly, major newsletters and magazines gave this program 5-star rave reviews; but, blogs, forums, and sites containing individual user comments are almost unanimously negative. This might suggest that the favorable publicity is driven by advertising revenue and should certainly not be accepted as a true indicator of the program’s performance or failures. Do I trust this process and feel it is safe for anyone to use? Reviewer 1: I would not recommend this program to anyone. They do offer a money-back guarantee, and at $65 for a single PC run, I would have been upset with an investment of money and time only to then wait for a refund. Reviewer 2: No, I do not. I will not use it on any other computer, nor would I recommend it to anyone else. Reviewer 3: Yes. Although I did not have a problem that repairing would justify the lost of my customizations, a user with severe problems would. It was clear to me while monitoring the analysis process that the process was thorough and in depth enough to find and correct problems that prevent the PC from functioning properly. This service is just what an uninformed user with a severely infected PC needs to get his system back, save his data, get the job done very soon, and in the long run save money over the traditional service repair option. What’s more, it is safer than the service route which does not include an UNDO button. Reviewer 4: Not only do I not trust this product nor recommend this product, I would in fact warn people from using this product as being at worst unsafe and spyware, and at least worthless. Even after uninstalling the program I continued to get warnings of an “Application Highjack Alert” listed as a “Critical Outgoing Executable” by my firewall [See Below].The alerts traced to IP addresses: 96.16.4.2.0 , 69.89.31.62, and 67.192.120.192 all registered to ReImage. Only after running Malwarebytes AntMalware and removing a Trojan, did the attempts cease. I would recommend staying far, far away from ReImage software.
Reimage’s developers replied: Thank you for taking the time to review Reimage. Unfortunately, besides one computer (reviewer #4) the machines selected are unsuitable for Reimage's purpose. Reimage will not repair servers and cannot fix fresh operating system installs or non- dysfunctional ones (nothing to fix). The main points we would like to elaborate on are: • Reimage is not an anti virus - Correct, an anti-virus is meant to prevent viruses from damaging the system – Reimage both does not pre-empt their appearance but rather removes them and repairs the damage they have caused. • Leading experts talking about Reimage – The source of the testimonials are business owners. Their identity is outlined in a link one click away from our home page: http://www.reimage.com/WhatTheySay.php. • Testimonials’ authenticity - The feedbacks are live comments posted by our customers, we are frankly unfamiliar with any manner in which one can "verify" these live feeds without infringing on privacy laws. If you know of such a method we would be happy to incorporate it in our site. • Reimage uploading data after the repair is completed - Reimage works by accessing a remote repository of spare parts. The reviewer suggests malicious software attacks on his computer but is actually witnessing Reimage sending the repair log to our development team in order to improve the repair quality and user experience. Reimage, by design, solves the most common PC problems, and we have tens of thousands of paying customers, top world reviewers and agreements with leading AV companies. Some repairs may be better than others, as demonstrated in repair #4, as Reimage is using a statistical approach and repairs PCs in bulk. Customers who are dissatisfied with repair results get a 100% no questions asked money back guarantee within 7 days and repair is undone via a simple 1 click process. |
