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Computer viruses have always seemed like a theoretical thing for me. Reportedly, something like 32% of the world’s computers have been infected with a virus at one point or another, but it’s not really something I worried about. As far as internet users go, I’m pretty boring. I stream legally, never click ads, and my hard drive is pretty small, so I barely ever download new apps. So, when I had the chance to use the FixMeStick, it was more out of curiosity than anything else. If this plug-and-chug virus fighter could make my old computer run faster, then what’s the harm?
What the FixMeStick says it will do
- Find and remove infections that got past my antivirus
- Reboot my system to “remove infections”
- Does not replace or conflict with existing antivirus software
FixMeStick Review
How to use
Using the FixMeStick sounded simple enough. The directions on the package break it down into a few steps. I just plugged the FixMeStick into one of the rear USB ports on my desktop, then waited for it to pop up like any other drive. After that, the directions on the back of the package told me to click into the languages tab, which had more directions.
The whole process of setting up the FixMeStick was fast. Once I had the digital directions open, it just told me to run the FixMeStick and that it could take a little while. My only issue at this stage is there are a few different points where the FixMeStick seems like it has completed its work. There’s an initial scan of your computer, which took about five minutes for me. I ran it during a meeting, and my computer worked fine with the FixMeStick running in the background.
Then, the FixMeStick rebooted my computer and opened a new virus scan window. This looked like the antivirus scanners I’m familiar with: a big loading bar and a constant stream of file names flashing by. This stage of the process took about an hour. I did note that there was a way to exit the scan if I needed my computer urgently.
There’s also a way to use the FixMeStick outside of Windows, but I didn’t have to do that.
The results
The FixMeStick told me I had a virus. Naturally, I was a little suspicious. I’ve used a lot of different antivirus programs, and some of the less reputable ones would say I had dozens of viruses, and they were the only way to protect myself, but the FixMeStick said I only had one. Not only that but the file it highlighted actually made sense as a virus. It was an executable file from a PDF reader I’d downloaded and forgotten about. The FixMeStick led me through the process of deleting it.
There wasn’t any noticeable change in my computer’s performance after deleting the suspect file, but it was a little comforting to know I have a really easy backup in case something like this happens again. Because it’s so easy to use, I could definitely see myself using the FixMeStick every few months just as a security backup.
Favorite features: I never felt like I had to figure out how to use the FixMeStick. At any point, there were either clear directions or a simple, accessible interface. The whole process was quick and easy, and unlike other antivirus programs, I’m not constantly bombarded with reminders and unplanned scans and notifications and emails. I just unplugged the FixMeStick and then it was done.
Least favorite features: I didn’t realize until late into using the FixMeStick that the software it uses is subscription-based. If I wanted to use the FixMeStick regularly, the one-year subscription isn’t prohibitively expensive, but it’s still a subscription, and I prefer to buy things outright.
Recommendation: If you want a quick, low-impact way of checking your computer for Malware, the FixMeStick is easy to use and doesn’t come with the drawbacks of many low-cost antivirus tools. While I didn’t notice any changes in performance on my computer, I’m more comfortable knowing I have another level of security I can pull out whenever I need it.
What: Antivirus tool
Price: From $20 USD ($28 CAD)
Where to buy: FixMeStick Antivirus
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