New FinallyFast – Same Scam – Exposed!

We Install Latest Version of Ascentive’s FinallyFast (aka FastAtLast)

Television Ads Promise Faster Downloads and Problem Free Computing

(Not a re-posting) Loyal friends of this blog, and anyone who watches cable TV, will be aware of a *wonder product* for computers that goes by the names of FinallyFast and FastAtLast (and also, a very similar product, “Stop-Sign”). FinallyFast claims to increase your Internet speed by “up to 375%”, and “cure” all sorts of “computer errors” which can make your machine seem slow.

In our original article, FinallyFast Exposed (aka FastAtLast), I had found a geeky friend who was willing to play the part of an “average consumer”, and go through the process of installing FinallyFast! on one of his machines so that we could determine if FinallyFast actually does improve performance in any measurable way. And just generally learn more about Ascentive (the parent company).
He is a braver man than I.

Long story short, we showed FinallyFast as the scareware that it is. (Click the link and see!)

Recently, Internet Security blogger Bill Mullins sent me notice of a tip he had received that StopBadware.org  had recently de-listed Ascentive. “Hey.” they said. “The new versions no longer employ scare tactics and exaggeration, so we’re going to OK them.” [See their notice, Ascentive products removed from active alerts list].
(StopBadware.org is a consumer-oriented nonprofit organization aimed at fighting malicious software, or “badware”. The organization is run by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School, and Oxford University’s Oxford Internet Institute.)

Hmmm… Could the folks at Ascentive suddenly had a change of heart about lying to people? And sometimes wrecking their machines in the process?

I contacted my fearless and intrepid undercover operative and asked him if he would be crazy enough willing to repeat the experiment with this new, okayed-by-StopBadware.org version?
He was.
Brave, brave man.

To start the process, (on a clean machine) he — again — did what anyone interested in FinallyFast would do– he went to the website and clicked on the “start free scan” button.

Clicking the scan button started three downloads. The first launched PC SpeedScan Pro (see, “Have Your PC Running Like New” — Not!) which was basically what the old version did.
It installed and ran a scan. Here is a screenshot of the results.

Whoops! That’s my earlier article’s results screenshot (Note the 7.1.2 and “August 2008 Edition”). Here’s the new one.

As you can see, PC SpeedScan Pro 7.1.4 found 278 errors.. 263 of those errors it marked as “Severe”.
Scary stuff.
That’s more than last time.
Yes, StopBadware at Harvard — this sure looks different to me. Not! (But hey. What do I know?)

Ascentive has apparently done away with ScanAndSweep. Now, the New & Improved Ascentive has “Performance Center”.

Now that this software has detected the “problems”, it was time for our intrepid reporter to click on the “Fix” button.. so, he did.

He was taken to the secure purchasing page at finallyfast.com .

.. which has changed a little bit. It is $10 cheaper. And it seems you have to buy the other three (bogus) tools via the Performance Center.

1) All this is, is a registry ‘optimizer’ (aka “cleaner”).
2) If he really had 54 “Class errors”, his machine wouldn’t run.

Besides.. the Windows Disk Cleanup tool is not only free, but has been a part of Windows since Win95 (see, More than you wanted to know about the Disk Cleanup Tool)

And, the safe and effective CCleaner will do this for you for free. As will the free Glary Utilities, or the free Advanced Windows Care, … and you won’t find user forums filled with complains of wrecked systems, if you should use one of those three.

Our conclusion:
First: You folks at StopBadware.org — I really and truly think you need to seriously rethink your decision.. I don’t see any reduction in scary (and bogus) warnings. In fact, in real installs, I count an increase. Maybe.. look at your rating criteria again?.. look in user forums, maybe?
(My first thought was you had been paid off.)

There is definite deceptive advertising here. (Ascentive is not listed on Microsoft’s Certified Partner list, for one thing. Not that I could find.)

I will say that buying PC SpeedScan Pro will NOT improve your Internet speed. I couldn’t talk our hero into trying ActiveSpeed… but why bother? The only way to truly improve your speed is to buy more bandwidth. Period.

I will also say that this whole scheme is a rip off. Pure and simple.

New FinallyFast? Still outrageous!

* A special tip of my geek hat to our fearless Secret Agent – who (again!) took all the risks. I salute you, sir.

Today’s free link: Bill Mullins has more on this, including a repackaging effort, here, Fast At Last.com or Finally Fast.com – With this Software You’re Neither!

Today’s free download: There’s three super free tools a few paragraphs up.

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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