A USB drive that promises to remove malware
Malware can attack your PC over the internet, denying you access to your files and even making your computer unusable. Protection is built into Windows 8 and 10 (Windows Defender), but this won’t catch everything.
While there are plenty of security options, including free antivirus programs from Avast, AVG, Bitdefender, Panda and more, the FixMeStick is different. Plug it in and run a scan before Windows boots, and you stand a better chance of finding even the sneakiest malware - the kind of stuff that can mess with your installed antivirus. If your PC is protected by Windows’ BitLocker file encryption or any other encryption software, however, FixMeStick won’t work unless you disable it.
As well as its own operating system, the FixMeStick comes with malware databases from Vipre, Kaspersky and Sophos (the latter two were the top performers in recent Dennis Technology Labs antivirus tests). It is is easy to use, and if you choose to ‘quarantine’ suspect files, you can still retrieve them later. You can use the stick on up to three PCs per month, so you can also help out friends and relatives. Bear in mind it expires after a year, so by the time you need it you might have to pay again.
Most paid-for security packages let you create your own ‘fix-me’ drive on a DVD or USB stick. The only advantage of the FixMeStick is that it has three malware databases instead of one. We’re not convinced that Mac users need antivirus software, but every Windows user should run it constantly - and FixMeStick doesn’t provide that level of security.
VERDICT
Could be handy as a last-ditch repair tool, but ordinary antivirus software offers the same thing as well as ongoing prevention.