topic Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC. in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

dgk — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:25:08 GMT

I'm thinking of buying a Chillblast Fusion Quasar PC. Is it worth paying for their Windows optimisation service this is what Chillblast say about it.
“Windows Optimisation Service
Unleash the power of Windows by ordering our Windows Optimisation service which will dramatically increase the performance of your OS! You can expect your system to start up faster, start applications more quickly and run more smoothly! We do this by optimising services and features for each individual PC spec, which makes the OS feel far more responsive. The tweaks we perform depend entirely on the components you select. If you choose a fast solid state drive or a powerful video card, for example, we will optimise the OS to make best use of these features. Your operating system will also be fully updated and any new drivers released since our installation images were created will be installed. Optimisation takes a Chillblast engineer around an hour to complete and the resulting system will be noticeably more responsive!
Windows 8:
- Install Classic Shell Start Menu replacement
- Optimise power management for maximum performance
- Optimise Aero Interface
- Tweak services and registry for optimal performance
- Change idle hard disk usage patterns and Virtual Memory settings
- Install all updates, service packs, hot fixes and ensure correct integration
- Shipping day driver check for any new updates”
If I want Classic Shell Start Menu it's a free download, I'm used to adjusting power management Aero interface and virtual memory settings. I'm not sure what they mean by change idle hard disk usage patterns anybody any ideas but I am used to altering time before hard disks go to sleep.
“Tweak services and registry for optimal performance” it is worth having I have never messed with the registry so it's something I wouldn't be doing myself.
Chillblast charge £30 plus VAT for this service which would bring the price of the PC to£530 (£636 with vat)
So is it worth paying the extra £36

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

Mav — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:33:12 GMT

I wouldn't go for it.
Any optimisation they may do before shipping would soon be rendered useless after some use as fragmentation starts, new programs get installed, etc.
Much, if not all, of what they would do can be done yourself with a little bit of searching and using these forums for more (better) advice.
Personally I'd save the money and ask around here for advice on anything you are unsure of.

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

NedLudd — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:57:43 GMT

I'm with Mav on this one. They aren't doing anything that you can do yourself for free.
In fact, some of what they're offering (Install all updates, service packs, hot fixes and ensure correct integration; Shipping day driver check for any new updates) they should be doing anyway.
Ask away on here when you get it and you'll get any help you need!

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

Alex — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 16:02:26 GMT

True - ask on here if you have any questions.
You've got to question their service when technically by not taking their 'Optimisation' service they're selling you an inferior product.
Rather like buying a car from a garage and them offering to clean it first for an extra £36.

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

Mav — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 16:20:56 GMT

I think it's more like buying a car then being charged extra by the garage so the vehicle can reach it's maximum speed and perform to it's expected potential

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

Alex — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 16:24:00 GMT

But that would be a tank of fuel then Mav

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

HPsauce — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 17:07:21 GMT

Quote from: dgk
Windows 8:
- Optimise Aero Interface

They clearly don't have a clue as Windows 8 doesn't have Aero at all!

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

TORPC — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 17:39:49 GMT

Quote from: dgk
<snip>
I'm not sure what they mean by change idle hard disk usage patterns anybody any ideas but I am used to altering time before hard disks go to sleep.
<snip>

This may help to explain.PDF

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

rongtw — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 07:00:18 GMT

altho i have never tried Chillblast , looks like they just trying to con extra money from customers :(.
they also Offer to Optimize your grahics ,,, for £50 remotely !!

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

Kevin — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 09:39:12 GMT

Solid state drives are going to be difficult to adjust the spin down/spin up time on......

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

Den1 — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 20:45:24 GMT

As a pc engineer of some 30 years experience, don't bother with it just a means of extracting more cash from you besides there are plenty of free programs out there that do the same thing for free

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

Glenn — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 13:48:14 GMT

I'm going to get a custom build pc later in the year and I've been checking out a lot of these custom build places.I've seen that optimization service on a few of them.
I've been using a fantastic programme on my XP pc for years called XP Smoker Pro...which optimizes Windows...it has an auto feature on it if you wanna just do it with one click....it has sped up my XP very noticeably and I've used it on 2 XP pc's.
They have versions for Windows 7 and Windows 8 called 7Smoker and 8Smoker Pro and they a freeware.
I've never seen any ads or anything unwanted on XP Smoker Pro and I imagine the others are the same.
http://www.xp-smoker.com/8smokerpro.html

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

rongtw — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 17:40:56 GMT

WARNING !!!! do not download 7Smoker !!!
Browser hijack !!
full of Bloatware !!
took 30 mins to clean my PC ,, Malwarebytes found 99 PUP files

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

TORPC — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 17:50:50 GMT

That being the case, is why it is aptly named smoker, as it will make you smoke

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

Glenn — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:49:10 GMT

@ rongtw...
I haven't used 7Smoker Pro but it's been given awards by the likes of PC World and Softpedia and been scanned with multiple anti virus programmes and had the results posted online with a clean bill of health from what I can see from a google search on it.
Malwarebytes is notorious for giving false positives....I tried it once and dumped it for that very reason.

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

rongtw — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 22:57:05 GMT

@ Glenn
sorry to say but was the worst ever software i have ever used as suggested from PN forums , in fact i would say it worse than you get from DL.com
and i decline all the bloatware that was included in the DL and still got infected !!
i had in the end to uninstall FF and reinstall it !!! because i couldn't get rid of the search BHO included , yes i did try " Hijack this" as well as MAlwarebytes
It may have been good but didnt try because of the poop included

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

Glenn — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 04:09:39 GMT

I'll be getting a custom built pc later in the year and I'll be getting Windows 7 Pro for it, I'm wondering if you got the exe file for 7 Smoker Pro from the xp smoker official site or a third party site.
I'll be looking into it more before I get a new rig....thanks for the heads up.

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

rongtw — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 06:54:27 GMT

I download from the link you provided .

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

Glenn — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 12:38:28 GMT

Oh gawd right...I thought you'd tried it before and were telling us about it.I've had the 7smoker.exe scanned by online virus and malware scanners and the two sites I used give it a clean bill of health...Virus Total scans it with many different anti virus and anti malware programmes and Dr Web gives it the ok as well.
https://www.virustotal.com/en-gb/file/17bd875b76b60688fabb72bdecb71e5281b3fa186e0391bb9260dd6abc7147f1/analysis/1397303956/
http://online1.drweb.com/cache/?i=f436f314106e50f7abff11ad2f1d1021
PUP's don't mean you're infected, they're given as something you might want to look further into but don't mean they're necessarily harmful.I think you said a search bar was installed in your Firefox browser, that's happened to me before, there's no need to reinstall the browser to fix it, a quick google search will give you instructions on how to easily remove it and put your browser back to how it was.
As I said previously, I have XP Smoker Pro on my pc and I didn't get any browser guff and I don't even see any ads when I use it.

Re: Is it worth paying extra for a Windows optimisation service with a new PC.

rongtw — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 16:08:00 GMT

it wasnt Smoker that was the problem ,, it was the other add on free unwanted auto installs that came with download package