I'm a representative from FixMeStick Technologies and just wanted to clear up some confusion. The FixMeStick is not any form of scareware nor does it prompt you with a problem and then ask for money for remote connections. It's purely an external virus-removal device that is configured to run off its own operating system, run multiple anti-virus scanners that detect malware, and then quarantine detected infections. There aren't any hidden, duplicitous charges, and those reviews quoted above were from independent reviewers. We're also very well reviewed on Amazon, so you can read more reviews there if you'd like.
Please feel free to ask any questions as well and I'll try to respond as best I can.
Which OS does it boot? Is it Windows PE? Linux? Which malware scanners are used? ClamAV? AVG? Avast? McAfee Stinger? Hitman Pro?
Does the FixMeStick remotely mount the registry from the hard drive, similar to UBCD4Win? If not, then how does it deal with malware that has messed with the Explorer shell or similar? A couple years ago there were rampant variants that would associate themselves with .exe file types. Removing the infection would render a machine unusable, since Windows didn't know what program to use to open .exe files. The same would go for HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell.
Here's a list of others.
Mr. Stick, it's good to know the FixMeStick isn't a racketeering scam. I now see
how you make your money, and I'll edit my knee-jerk assumptions above.
The $60 per year license seems a bit steep to me, though, considering Windows Defender / MS Security Essentials, AVG, Avast, ClamWin, and others can be installed for free.
Plus, here's a little known fact. All you other people reading this, your Internet provider does not want you putting infected computers onto their service. ISP's dislike infected clients so much that they almost all offer some sort of commercial antivirus for free for their subscribers. For example, as an Xfinity subscriber, I can log into xfinity.com, click "Support" then "Download security software", and install Norton Security Suite. If you want second opinion software, there are many freely available malware scanners that won't interfere with your primary -- Malwarebytes, SUPERAntiSpyware, Spybot Search & Destroy, and ClamWin, to name a few.
The best prevention comes from paying attention to what you are freaking agreeing to. When you go to download something, don't use that website's recommended download manager to do so. If you're downloading a song or video and the Save As dialog asks you to save an .exe file, cancel the damned download, for goodness sake! When clicking next, next, next, finish on an installer, read! If the installer recommends a toolbar, I recommend avoiding that toolbar with every fiber of your being (even if the opt-out radio button appears grayed out and in 8-point font). Make an effort to notice whether that Google search result is an advertised link or a normal search result. If someone emails you an attachment or hyperlink you weren't expecting, politely reply and ask whether they intended to send that to you before opening it. Be skeptical.
Web browser ad blockers such as uBlock Origin can also help; and NoScript prevents any malicious code from running at all unless you explicitly trust it. (NoScript can be a pain when you first install it, making sure to trust scripts from each legitimate website you visit; but it does help you avoid shooting yourself in the foot.)
