My Connection is FAST, finally!

[pokeplayer984]

I was so sick and tired of my problems.  You guys probably know the frustration of a slow internet connection or a PC that keeps producing error messages, right?

Well, I saw an ad on TV called finallyfast.com.  I was a bit scepticle, but I was also desprate.  So, even though it ended up costing me $89.95 and $14.85 per month, (though I'm currently on a one year free plan right now.) I decided to give it a try.

Truns out, I had problems I didn't even know about.  For one, my connection was not optimized.  This caused problems with connecting, uploading and downloading.  Errors would happen without an explanation and I would be kicked off the net at a moment's notice.  Also, my connection was slow, even for places that usually took a while to come up on the fastest possible connection.  To be fully honest, it was a real problem.

The next thing I found out was that I had a ton of hidden junk files.  It turns out that some files, even if you click the delete option in your recycle bin and remove them, don't delete completely and cause errors within your computer.  Even files that I deleted over 2 years ago had not been fully removed.  This was taking up space and it was quite a big problem.

Finally, I had other regular errors that were causing more of a problem then noticed.  This was quite a problem.

Not only by using this did my internet connection end up being fast, but my Hard Drive increased in space from 30.5 GB to 78.1 GB.  It more than doubled.

I couldn't believe it.  IT TOTALLY WORKS!

I'm not trying to advertise anything here, but I highly recommend it to anyone who's got a slow connection.  Trust me, it'll be worth it. :^.^:

[Clawandfang]

I suppose this is a tribute to the "be daring" strategy. Good to hear you now have a good connection (it feels great, that upgrade).

[landbeforetimelover]

No offense, but that's absurdity you're talking.  They must have just done some simple cleanup techniques and changed your ISP.  The same result could have been achieved by simply reformatting your hard drive.  There is no way that hidden junk files could take up more than a gig, even on a computer that you've been using for a decade.


Format + Change ISP = what you got for all that money.  I can see why you think it's fast if you upgraded from dialup, but honestly not many people need more than 1mbps downloads and 256kps uploads, which verizon provides for only $15 a month.  I can see you went with another dialup company or a bargain broadband company.  You must understand ALL software computer problems can be easily fixed by a format.  Just spend $80 on an external 500gb hd.  Then formatting your computer won't be any big deal.


What you did was pay those people $89 to hook up a box and do a simple system cleanup.

The next thing I found out was that I had a ton of hidden junk files. It turns out that some files, even if you click the delete option in your recycle bin and remove them, don't delete completely and cause errors within your computer. Even files that I deleted over 2 years ago had not been fully removed. This was taking up space and it was quite a big problem.

Once you delete something from the recycle bin, the memory it had allocated is now shown as "blank".  Things you deleted not fully deleted?  Absurd. : Cookies being cleared is the only thing you can't really send to the recycle bin unless you physically look them up in the C directory.  The only way I can see accounting for over 30gb of files is if you just sent the files to the recycle bin and didn't delete them yet.  You must click "empty the recycle bin" to delete the files.

I just emptied my recycle bin.  I had 68gb of files in there, which now show up as empty space.


I really don't see why people would rather spend tons of money and dozens of hours trying to fix their computer problems when they can spend 2 hours formatting them.  So long as you make regular backups, you're fine.

[Kor]

Congrads on having a connection that you are happy with and find useful.

[Petrie.]

Seems Austin beat me to the punch...I was about to suggest there are free things out there like EasyCleaner that can dump all sorts of old backup files and registry values that point to nowhere.  I've dumped 2gb worth of stuff that way before (after not doing any major cleanup over a year).

Don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but that was probably $90 you didn't have to spend.  Ask us.  We know what we're doing, and knowing how you can do it yourself, makes you all the more powerful computer user.

[Kor]

I don't seem to have any problem, but this hdd if a few years old, I wonder if I should so some sort of clean up.

[landbeforetimelover]

Seems Austin beat me to the punch...I was about to suggest there are free things out there like EasyCleaner that can dump all sorts of old backup files and registry values that point to nowhere. I've dumped 2gb worth of stuff that way before (after not doing any major cleanup over a year).

Yes, and Petrie's experience is quite unusual and unique.  He must have used the duplicate file remover, which isn't exactly recommended, but it can give you a gig or two if you're lucky.  The largest registry entry in your computer is like.........19kb.  Your registry isn't big enough to get rid of 30gb unless you've got like..........100,000gb of hard drive space all full with programs that put a few dozen registry entries into your registry each.  There's no way a little crap cleaner (not as a description of how the cleaner preforms.  That's the nickname of those sorts of programs.) could free up 30gb unless you've got like I said something like a 100,000gb hd.

[DarkHououmon]

He must have used the duplicate file remover, which isn't exactly recommended

I learned that the hard way.

[pokeplayer984]

Well, they did show everything they were doing bit by bit.  It definately showed a number of things I had deleted and emptied from my recycle bin qutie some time ago. (Even Sonic X cartoon files I had downloaded, watched, deleted and emptied over two years ago, even some from before I even joined this forum.) It even showed just how serious these problems were, a number of which were marked as "severe". (A red exclamation point says alot to a person.)

In the end, it really didn't look like an ISP change of anykind.  If anything, they did remove my cookies, so I had to log back in to my account at all the forums I'm a member of. (Thank god I have my passwords stored away.  Ugh!  So hard to remember those that give you one and don't let you choose your own.)

Of course, a part of me does feel ripped off.  Luckily, they gave me a 100% satistfaction guarenteed deal.  So, if I feel it's not for me in the end, I can get my money back if I end my subscription in the pre-determined area. (I believe it to be a month like most deals, so I'll make my decision in 25 days at most.)

Understand, a bit of me is still skeptical about it all.  I'm at least giving this a try.  If I don't like it, I'll just end my subscription.  It's that simple.

[landbeforetimelover]

(Even Sonic X cartoon files I had downloaded, watched, deleted and emptied over two years ago, even some from before I even joined this forum.) It even showed just how serious these problems were, a number of which were marked as "severe". (A red exclamation point says alot to a person.)

Wow.  Sorry to say it, but all they did was use a freeware program to clean some files.  And yes, you did change your ISP.  That's what you're paying monthly for.

[Chikara]

Once you delete something from the recycle bin, the memory it had allocated is now shown as "blank".  Things you deleted not fully deleted?  Absurd. : Cookies being cleared is the only thing you can't really send to the recycle bin unless you physically look them up in the C directory.  The only way I can see accounting for over 30gb of files is if you just sent the files to the recycle bin and didn't delete them yet.  You must click "empty the recycle bin" to delete the files.

I just emptied my recycle bin.  I had 68gb of files in there, which now show up as empty space.

Actually, I believe that's not how deleting files actually works.

The fact that the memory is marked as 'blank' doesn't actually mean the deleted stuff is gone forever, it only means that the memory it was occupying is considered free to use for saving new stuff. Until new stuff is saved over that portion of the memory, the deleted stuff is still there.

This is why programs that recover deleted files work.

[Petrie.]

The fact that the memory is marked as 'blank' doesn't actually mean the deleted stuff is gone forever, it only means that the memory it was occupying is considered free to use for saving new stuff. Until new stuff is saved over that portion of the memory, the deleted stuff is still there.

This is why programs that recover deleted files work.

Yes, that is also partially why those programs say to do nothing else on your computer until you install their program (which may overwrite the files in the process) and try to recover what was originally there before.

Are they deleted?  Sort of...you can write over them and never know if you did or didn't, but not that you cared if you really wanted these things gone.  But that's really the thing--its counted as free space immediately because you've already said you don't need the files.  So we still don't get where 30gb was pulled from.  Stuff that was removed over two years ago shouldn't count as junk files removed.

[pokeplayer984]

Well, on top of that, it did find alot of bugs.  With all I saw, let's just say I had a real bug problem.  Not to mention some registry errors and a number of other problems.

I'll be able to call their questionary hotline soon so I can get some deep down info about their product.  I'll make sure we get to the bottom of how it all works ASAP.

We'll definately see if I was truely ripped off in the end.

Edit: Okay, I found their customer support link.  I'll say now that they have quite a few things here.  Yet, in the end, it all looks promising.

Anyways, let's get those links started, shall we?

First, and most important, main page: http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/manuals.phtml

Now for the products I used to achieve my goal.

First, ActiveSpeed:

ï About ActiveSpeed: http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/sales...tivespeed.phtml
ï ActiveSpeed User Guide: http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/guide...tivespeed.phtml
ï Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/manua...tivespeed.phtml

Next, PC SpeedScan:

ï About PC SpeedScan: http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/guides_pcs.phtml
ï Quick Start Guide: http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/guides_pcs_use.phtml
ï Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/manua...speedscan.phtml

Finally, PC ScanAndSweep:

ï About PC ScanAndSweep: http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/guides_sas.phtml
ï Quick Start Guide: http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/guides_sas_use.phtml
ï Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/manua...nandsweep.phtml

Most interesting thing I find is the links are all phtml.  I've heard of html and php and a bunch of others, but this kind is new to me. :unsure:

Anyways, give that a look then tell me what you think.

[Petrie.]

The program I mentioned (EasyCleaner) can do exactly what PCSpeedScan and PC Scan&Sweep can do for free.  

ActiveSpeed sounds like a whole lot of placebo....so much you'll actually believe there's a difference. :  Dial up will never go faster than 56k.  Cable/DSL are affected by how many people are online at once and what they're doing...fact.  This program isn't going to be able to do anything about those variables.

[landbeforetimelover]

The program I mentioned (EasyCleaner) can do exactly what PCSpeedScan and PC Scan&Sweep can do for free.

ActiveSpeed sounds like a whole lot of placebo....so much you'll actually believe there's a difference. rolleyes.gif Dial up will never go faster than 56k. Cable/DSL are affected by how many people are online at once and what they're doing...fact. This program isn't going to be able to do anything about those variables.

Thank you for saving me the time to say all that. Yes, everything Petrie says is true.  No matter how good a program is, it can't do miracles.  Those programs are just simple cleaning programs that you could have gotten for free if you had just wanted to spend the time to install and run them.

The fact that the memory is marked as 'blank' doesn't actually mean the deleted stuff is gone forever, it only means that the memory it was occupying is considered free to use for saving new stuff. Until new stuff is saved over that portion of the memory, the deleted stuff is still there.

This is why programs that recover deleted files work.

Everything you say is true.  I've used data recovery programs before and they are pretty efficient.  Nevertheless, once the files are deleted from the recycle bin, they are marked as gone and the free space shows up even though the files can be recovered.  Even after you've written over files they can still be recovered, so in reality you can't totally delete files.....only corrupt them and make them difficult to recover.  That's why a file shredder is useful.  It corrupts the files.  The part about the old stuff still being there until you rewrite it is incorrect because the old stuff will always be there unless you destroy your drive.  The fact remains that once something is deleted from the recycle bin it's GONE from the memory.  HD's don't have a storage buffer where they can keep the files until they are truly deleted as so many people think.  No file can be totally deleted.  The best you can do is corrupt it.

[pokeplayer984]

Hmm, so you're saying I could've gotten that stuff for FREE all along, huh?

Okay, you guys convinced me.  Only thing is that I can't cancel my subsciption as their little hotline is closed, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow.

After that, please help me with a web-wide search for the programs that are TRUELY recommended.

For now, I need to remove some programs. -_-

[landbeforetimelover]

I would seriously recommend getting verizon DSL if it's available in your area.  Trust me.  When you move past dialup, you'll wonder how you lived without high-speed.

[Kor]

Does your phone company offer cheap Dsl?  Mine does at various levels of speed.

[Petrie.]

My personal favorite: EasyCleaner

Extremely easy to use.  Do not use Duplicate File cleaner on the list of tasks....even I don't because you really can end up in trouble if you dump the wrong thing.  You can safely use the Unnecessary Files one and everything else to keep the computer going well.

Also, in C:\Windows\ there is a folder called "prefetch".  Delete everything in that folder (but not the folder itself) every month.

Finally, Disk Defragment about every month to ease strain on the harddrive and to keep files in sequence.

That right there will keep your computer up to snuff.  

[DarkHououmon]

What's Prefetch?