PCKeeper

Key takeaways

PCKeeper belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PCKeeper to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PCKeeper from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PCKeeper is advertised as an optimization services package featuring a set of software utilities for Windows OS owned by Essentware S.A. (company based in Bratislava, Slovakia). It includes 2 separate products for Windows: PCKeeper Live and PCKeeper Antivirus. PCKeeper was originally developed by Zeobit LLC which was founded in 2009 by Slava Kolomiychuk. PCKeeper was released in September 2010. Kromtech Alliance acquired PCKeeper and MacKeeper from Zeobit in May 2013. In 2015, PCKeeper has changed its legal owners from Kromtech Alliance Corp. to Essentware S.A. Kromtech Alliance has made the decision to focus on the products for Mac users only. Essentware S.A. office registered in Panama. The principal officers and developers of the company remain in Ukraine.

Exaggerated warning messages Two class action lawsuits have been filed against Kromtech for the Mac OS version of PCKeeper, MacKeeper. The first lawsuit, filed in Illinois, alleges that "Contrary to ZeoBIT's marketing and in-software representations, however, neither the free trial nor the full registered versions of MacKeeper perform any credible diagnostic testing of a user's Mac. Instead, ZeoBIT intentionally designed MacKeeper to invariably and ominously report that the consumer's Mac needs repair and is at-risk due to harmful errors, privacy threats, and other problems, regardless of the computer's actual condition." The second complaint, filed by Holly Yencha of Pennsylvania, alleges that the free starter version of MacKeeper identifies harmless programs as "critical" problems. The complaint claims that "under MacKeeper's reporting algorithm, even brand new computers are in 'critical' condition and require repair by purchasing the full version." PCKeeper Live is sometimes installed on users' PCs with other partner programs, which can cause unwanted pop-up windows.

PCKeeper Live

PCKeeper Live offers 13 different PC services in 4 categories: Human Assistance (Find & Fix, Geek on Demand, Live Support), Security (Anti-Theft, Data Hider, Shredder, Files Recovery), Cleaning (Disk Cleaner, Disk Explorer, Duplicates Finder, Uninstaller) and Optimization (Context Menu Manager, Startup Manager).

Popup ads PCKeeper is sometimes advertised with pop up ads. Many of their pop up ads occur on pornography websites.

Reviews PCKeeper Live is rated "Good" (3.5 out of 5) by the PCMag editor, stating "improves PC performance", and "great for novice users", "The utility won't clean your PC as well as Iolo System Mechanic, but considering its accessibility and wallet friendliness, it's one to check out" and "Kromtech PCKeeper Live's human specialists and unique price plans make this tune-up utility worthy of consideration, but rival applications offer better PC improvement". Techradar.pro rates its 3 out of 5 stars and that noted, that "Overall, PCKeeper is a light-weight tool that won't annoy you with pop-up windows", "When you consider the fact most of PCKeeper Live's optimization features are easily found on most free tools, and that some were simply not useful at all, the price for the Kromtech solution seems unreasonably high." and "Kromtech's 24/7 support is what elevates PCKeeper Live from an overpriced utility program to a tool that even a non-geek can use to optimize his/her computer." PCKeeper was reviewed by a wide range of tech experts. It was reviewed in Turkish, French, Portuguese, Spanish, German". Review at PCMag thus described PCKeeper Live: "Improves PC performance. Multiple price points. Advice from Microsoft-certified computer specialists. Anti-theft technology". It gained 3,5 out of 5 points."

PCKeeper Antivirus PCKeeper Antivirus integrates the Avira's Secure Anti-Virus API (SAVAPI), the official interface for Avira’s anti-malware scanning engine. PCKeeper Antivirus does not block malware-hosting URLs or phishing URLs. According to Virus Bulletin, PCKeeper Antivirus PRO has scored 96.1% in RAP tests and set a stability level at Stable. PCKeeper Antivirus got a VB100 award. PCKeeper Antivirus (version 1.x) received 2 OPSWAT Gold Certifications in the Antispyware and Antivirus categories. The German organization AV-Test.org tested 25 anti-virus programs. The testers found that AhnLab, Microsoft Windows Defender and PCKeeper Antivirus were the lowest performing anti-virus applications for Windows 8.1.

Lab testing results

Reviews PCMag rated PCKeeper Antivirus Good (3 out of 5), noting that PCKeeper Antivirus has a "Streamlined, attractive interface. Easy to use for non-techies. Good score in our hands-on malware blocking testing". However, it scored poorly in independent lab testing and the chat based support was "soured by the fact that they served me misinformation." PC Mag concluded "you'd be better off with Panda Free Antivirus 2015, an Editors' Choice for free antivirus. It slightly edged PCKeeper in my own tests and swept the field in lab tests, with high marks across the board. For the same price as PCKeeper, you could have Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2015 or Kaspersky Anti-Virus (2015), both of which we named Editors' Choice for paid antivirus. Any of these is a better choice."

Social campaigns In May 2013 PCKeeper let its customers decide how much to pay for the software, launching a pay what you want campaign.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PCKeeper

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PCKeeper claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PCKeeper before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PCKeeper ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PCKeeper

In research: PCKeeper appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses PCKeeper in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: PCKeeper is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Antivirus software, Computer performance, Computer system optimization software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PCKeeper outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study PCKeeper in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PCKeeper means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain PCKeeper out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PCKeeper in simple terms?

PCKeeper is advertised as an optimization services package featuring a set of software utilities for Windows OS owned by Essentware S.A. (company based in Bratislava, Slovakia).

Why does PCKeeper matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PCKeeper?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PCKeeper.