First Aid Deluxe 2000

The interface is designed for easy navigation by even the most basic user, and shows a picture of a computer desk containing graphical representations of all the major PC components. Clicking on the printer, for example, diagnoses problems with that particular device. Other elements of the software that cater to novices include a complete glossary of PC terms, a database of technical-support numbers for a variety of PC component vendors, and a series of how-to videos that show users how to use Windows more efficiently. Better resources are available on the Internet (in more updated form), so these features add little value for anyone with Web access.

The core of the utility suite--its diagnostic abilities--is hit and miss. We had a problem after installing a new modem that was simple to fix (because we've dealt with it dozens of times), but it was beyond the abilities of First Aid 2000 Deluxe. On the other hand, we caused some printer problems that the software fixed handily, and we became dependent on the Crash Protector, a utility that intercepts program crashes and tries to patch them up. Microsoft Word crashed on us a few times when Windows Guardian was active, and we were able to save our work each time before the program collapsed completely (we recommend using the Save As command to save under a different file name in case something terrible happens).

An antivirus utility is advertised as a feature, but it only finds viruses and has no ability to remove them. The hard drive tools also are weak, but a complete copy of the useful UnInstaller software comes with this Deluxe version, making it easy to add, remove, and move programs. First Aid 2000 Deluxe won't appeal to power users, but it's a good solution for the novice who wants to do everything possible to avoid calling technical support when the PC is experiencing problems. --T. Byrl Baker