Yep, they skipped System Mechanic 9.5.4 … probably because of my quip that we will have 9.5.4 by Jan. 1.
Last night, around 11:30 pm US Eastern time I got System Mechanic 9.5.5. [By the way, it wasn’t a clean install. As ever, System Mechanic wanted to restart Windows 7 after its install. I said “OK.” But, Windows 7 wouldn’t restart because it said System Mechanic wasn’t closing down. Windows 7 actually has a very eye-catching black-themed screen that informs you of its inability to restart until you force the shutdown of a ‘rogue’ app. — in this case System Mechanic. Once, I forced the shutdown of System Mechanic … Windows 7 restarted and all was well … though System Mechanic did not automatically start-up as it had done in other instances after such a restart.]
So here is the release schedule that I have seen as a ‘loyal,’ fully paid-up legit customer:
System Mechanic 9.5.0 November 27, 2009
System Mechanic 9.5.1 December 3, 2009 (6 days between releases)
System Mechanic 9.5.2 December 10, 2009 (7 days between releases)
System Mechanic 9.5.3 December 21, 2009 (11 days between releases)
<< No System Mechanic 9.5.4. I will miss you. RIP >>
System Mechanic 9.5.5 December 21, 2009 (18 days between releases)
5 releases in 42 days; a new release every 9 days … and that over the holidays. My hat off to you iolo. You have been busy. Thank you … I think.
So far, so good. Ran it a few times. No hangs yet … but it is early days.
I could be wrong but I think this release has a bunch of new tools under ‘Manage System Configuration.’ Looks interesting. But, not going to mess with any of these right now.
I ran System Mechanic 9.5.5 a few times last night and this morning.
I ran ‘Deep Analysis.’ Much to my amusement it did not tell me I had fragmentation on my C-drive. I think the last time around, with 9.5.3, it had claimed I had 10%.
This morning I ran de-frag on both C- and D-. I did get 10% residual fragmentation on C- … though I know that Windows 7 defrag says this drive has 0% fragmentation. That 9.5.5 no longer harps on me having high fragmentation could mean that iolo is finally coming in line with Microsoft’s revised guidelines for disk fragmentation.
Bottom line, I still get the feeling that System Mechanic is operating in ‘lock-down’ mode. I think I have established my credentials as having a fairly good sense of System Mechanic’s cadences. Both 9.5.3 and now 9.5.5 seem unduly restrained. That might not be a bad thing. So rather than being aggressive about identifying border line issues, it appears to stick with what it knows it is really good at: registry errors, registry fragmentation and disk clutter. So, let us see what transpires. I hope 9.5.5 is more stable than 9.5.3. I really would be bummed if I get any more System Mechanic hangs.
Cheers.
Anura Guruge
www.guruge.com
You know, I have been using System Mechanic for years, since around….version 5 when they were partnered with Kaspersky anti-hacker. I just updated last night the updates that were out and I first of all wanted to point out there was a version 9.5.4. It came out for me just before the 9.5.5 and it was called 9.5.4 (Hotfix). So it appears it wasnt some major update but a critical fix for something. It required I restart the computer, I did and then bam! Another update 9.5.5 was already eager to be installed as well. Both updates were clean for me, no forced shutdown or process kills for me. Nerdy as I can be with this stuff, I follow System Mechanic stuff pretty closely as well, submitting bug reports and such on a basis when I find them. Some nasty ones included where x64 machines such as Vista and 7 seemed to render inoperable after running a Registry restore feature and restarting the computer back with I believe…version 9.5.2, until it was fixed in 9.5.3 it seems. Anywho, the only ‘complaint’ I would have is it would be more than great if they would provide a readme for these updates. As far as i’m concerned, customers are in the dark about what these updates are doing and we have to just tinker with it to find out what’s new, fixed, and so forth.
Thank you. You raise a VERY pertinent point … that I had hoped to address.
Yes, it would be so wonderful if we had README files for the various releases.
You know, before I did the post (and I will confess, I am always in a hurry since I am trying to get a book on popes done) I did visit iolo.com trying to see if I can find Release Notes.
That they do not publish Release Notes is kind of sad and a testament to the cut-throat competition that they face. They don’t want to make it easy for their competitors to see what they are doing — though I would have to think, having been in the software game for way too long, that the competition probably has a very good handle of what each release did or didn’t do.
Great comment. Made my day. I am very SURPRISED that I did not get 9.5.4. Another confession. I didn’t activate System Mechanic daily over the 12 days of Christmas — somehow seemed sacrilegious. <> Maybe that is what happened.
Thank you. All the best. PLEASE, if you can, use this blog to post your EXPERTISE on System Mechanic, Window 7 or whatever. Only so much I can do … and I am really not that technical.
Cheers,
Anura
The interesting part is, I had raised a support issue with an actual tech employee via online chat about a year about with Iolo regarding where I could find the readme for version updates. I was simply and almost shockingly told that there simply are no version update history published. A problem I have been facing with the Drive Accelerator tool is that it constantly reports a high number, even now after the 9.5.5 update. It’s a 26% defragmented drive C. I use the deep analysis and then perform the defrag. Then if I analyze the system again (whether it be without restarting or with a restart) I still get that the percentage as that same 25% or 26% or whatever it may report initially. I’m not sure what to make of it. I’m a user of Windows 7 Professional x64 by the way. Very good operating system I find.
Tyler,
Thanks for another enlightening post.
Please refer to my latest post [i.e., Jan 10] for my recent woes with Windows 7 Professional. Tyler, please check the ‘Test Rig’ Tab at the top of this blog to see what I am running and compare/contrast it with yours system(s).
It is 12:30pm on Sat. The kids have decided that we are going to Boston China Town for Dim Sum in the morning and then to the Museum of Science (me are members). So an early start, for me. I will be gone much of the day. When I get back I will respond more about iolo and release notes. OK. Have a great Sunday. Great ‘chatting’ with you. All the best. Cheers.
Anu
Instead of using the next numeric sequence and, of course, to avoid your prediction, maybe the 9.5.3 ‘Hotfix’ was in fact the missing 9.5.4 😉
All I know is that I had two download sessions and 3 system restarts before I could actually go ahead and give the wife’s laptop its regular scan – a little tiresome I feel.
My subscription has 2 months left to run and unless one of their special $14.99 messages pops up on the main page I may just have to let them go.
Thanks for keeping an eye on everything PC. Happy New Year from a very snow covered Scotland.
From an adopted Scot, who misses hogmanay in Glasgow where all the girls wanted me to kiss them given my dark, chimney-sweeper looks so very much, HAPPY NEW YEAR to you, from a snow covered and rather cold NEW Hampshire. I am sorry to hear what you had to go through on your wife’s laptop. Was it running Windows 7? I feel that maybe things might turn the corner with 9.5.5. Let us see. PLEASE keep in touch. By the way, this year’s Chinese New Year, yet again on a Sunday, is on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day. Thank You. All the best.
Just to confirm Bryan, the 9.5.4 was an officially marked hotfix, which was the first update from 9.5.3, which then had a 9.5.5 right afterwards which is rather a curious treat for us subscribers to the service. Anywho, I wanted to post that I have submitted an official support ticket with Iolo requesting the readme/change log for the patches that have been released. So keep fingers crossed that maybe this time around we can find out some more under the hood information about our product.
Tyler,
‘Hi’ and greetings. Hope you had a great Sunday. I am back from Boston. Great day. Saw the best ever juggling show [http://www.mos.org/exhibits_shows/live_presentations&d=2535], at the museum … and I have seen lots of juggling.
Sorry, I didn’t respond earlier. Had to first update the detailed demographics of the College of Cardinals I maintain at http://papam.wordpress.com/. Another cardinal died today. Third in 10 days.
OK. I wanted to think about iolo and their ‘readmes.’ You had said that the iolo tech had told you that “version update history published” — and I think the key word here is PUBLISHED. They must have them, but are LOATHE to publish them.
Your comments yesterday got me thinking. I really no NOTHING of iolo. About a month ago, I did check, on a whim, whether they were US based. They are. In LA, CA.
But that was all I knew. (Now, you got me thinking. How come I got System Mechanic c. 2002 without checking them out. Very unlike me. I think, my then PC tech, a ‘Scotty,’ may have talked me into it.)
I checked iolo.com today … as you no doubt have done. Nothing REALLY about the company. Found two names:
Noah Rowles [CEO] and Ed Ilas [COO]. Both were in LinkedIn.com. I had a 3rd party connection with the latter, so I sent him a ‘can we connect’ invite.
Both these guys do NOT list nay history PRIOR to iolo. But, they have both been there for 8 years or more.
iolo could be a shell.
Unless they really are out-and-out cowboys, I can’t see any development outfit putting out software releases, for relatively complex software products, WITHOUT in-house RELEASE NOTES. Check FireFox. That is the the kind of level; i.e., at a minimum, a laundry list of the bugs fixed.
You have to assume iolo has an exit strategy — get acquired or go public. If they are to be acquired, they need to show that they run a tight R&D shop. So, I am sure that they have decent release notes. JUST loath to release them … for competitive reasons.
What you have done is GREAT. Bravo. Maybe we can file a Freedom of Information act against them. <>
Great stuff. Lets keep on top. Thanks. All the best. I could be wrong, but I think iolo must know of this blog since we come up on most searches for SM 9.
Cheers,
Anura
P.S. Chinese New Year is Feb. 14. Valentine’s Day … plus another Sunday. Second time it has fallen on a Sunday in the last 4 years. We try to go to China Town for New Years’s since I like to celebrate ALL New Years I can find. If it is a Sunday, China Town, as you could imagine, is mobbed.
I’ve been doing a lot of trying to ‘get inside’ with the information to these products. The company is pretty successful in keeping itself in a bubble that the customer is clearly left out of. I’m going to keep trying to get in and see what I can find out. As you said, and I know for a fact, they certainly do have a list of changes to these patches. The engineers would not be able to collaborate very well on what they are doing without obviously having some sort of task list to complete. Therefore there must be a recorded list somewhere in records.
I just dont understand why it isnt public. It makes me as a user question the integrity of the product itself. Are the updates not changing as much as we’d like to believe? Clearly they are progressing because attentive users like ourselves take note of what works differently and changes that we can spot. I’d like to know the nitty gritty of what’s happening though. Iolo is the only software company I know that doesnt clarify what the updates do.
Tyler,
To further this cause, I too went to iolo.com today and used their ’email’ feature to send a note requesting READMEs and referencing this thread to show that people do want this information.
Nothing back from them as yet.
Hope you are having a good day. IF you use FireFox try 3.6 RC1. So far, so good. I got my wife to start using it too … albeit with XP SP3. My daughter has been using it since Dec. 31. She hasn’t complained.
All the best. Cheers.
Anu
Very good! That’s great news to hear, hopefully this cause will produce a positive ongoing change for Iolo users. I have heard nothing back yet. In past experience with submitting an email with them about a problem I have had, it had taken sometimes 1 day, up to a week or 2 before i’d get a reply. I’m sure they are super busy, so it’s understandable.
I am in fact using 3.6 RC1. I am happy with it and have been very indecisive with what Theme to keep changing my browser to. It runs quite well in mechanics and I have yet to experience a crash or bug. I’m not usually too fond of Beta and RC software, but this one I felt I had good reason to trust.
Tyler,
Greetings. Have you heard anything back from iolo re. your request for ‘readme’ files?
I have NOT heard back from them, though I too followed your lead.
On Friday, I started evaluating TuneUp Utilities 2010. I created a CATEGORY. So, If you are interested you can quickly find the posts.
Have you tried TuneUp Utilities? Right now I am not convinced.
All the best. Thanks. Cheers.
Anu
No, unfortunately I have not received anything in regards to that email. I did however, email them also about a problem it appears in Windows 7 where the Action Center reports that System Shield 4 (in my System Mechanic Professional version) is not reporting to Windows in a supported way. The reply back did confirm that Windows needs to update compatibility with System Mechanic and that it is not from Iolo’s end.
I have not tried TuneUp Utilities before, nor heard of them. That may be interesting to look at.
By the way, RC2 for Firefox has been released. Hopefully we do hear back from Iolo, I am beginning to doubt they will reply to such an email.
Tyler,
Thanks for the update. Tyler, re. System Shield 4 issue, PLEASE, if you are interested, check my December 6 post re. ‘Another Demonstrable BUG.’ Windows 7 is INCONSISTENT about recognizing Avast. So I think these are related.
YOU should try TuneUp Utilities 2010. Free 30 day eval. Seems to work alongside SM. So nothing to lose. But would be interesting if you too find that TuneUp Utilities and System Mechanic don’t get their stories straights. I am supposed to be talking with an actual TuneUp Utilities developer, in Germany, this Thursday. I will let you know.
Yes, I got FireFox 3.6 rc2 yesterday. I even did a quick post.
Many thanks. Keep in touch. All the best.
Anu
Tyler,
I had another HANG with System Mechanic 9.5.5 this morning, i.e., Jan. 21. I am beyond bummed. I really had hoped that SM hangs were history with 9.5.5. I wrote a post. Please read IF you are interested. I am in a quandary. Don’t trust TuneUp Utilities 2010 and SM is continuing to be a PIG. What now? I should look. There must be other tools.
Did iolo contact you as yet? I have not heard from them. Also would appear that the TuneUp Utilities folks do not want to talk to me. I do NOT blame them.
All the best. Good luck. Cheers,
Anura
Ok, so update on the System Mechanic inquiry I had submitted in regard to release notes. I (finally) got a reply from Iolo and this is what they had to say in regards to release notes, and I quote
“Dear Tyler,
You can see the description of the update in the update window before proceeding with the update.”
So, this is a bit disappointing in that it appears they have completely disregarded the original question of release notes and replaced it with an imaginary one about seeing the ‘version number’. So, this still leaves us up in the air with everything. Hopefully we can get something else in the future.
Thanks Tyler,
But as WE both know, this type of intentional ‘dodge’ is just a symptom that a company is having issues.
I experienced something similar with them in late Oct. When I first told them that SM 9.5.3 was hanging with Windows 7 … I got a one line email about 4 days later that asked “Does it only hang when you do a registry compact?”
Tyler, I removed System Mechanic from my Windows 7 machine last week — after its last hang. I had enough.
Trying out auslogics. Not convinced. But I had it with SM. We still have SM on about 4 machines. My wife, when she read the blog post was SHOCKED. She knows I have had SM from before I met her. She has used SM ever since we have been together. So she thinks of SM as ‘family.’ But it became the black sheep.
Tyler, try out the FREE auslogics. You may like it.
Thanks for the UPDATE. All the best. Cheers.
Anu