Ron Schenone

Big Fix Fixes Things That Need Fixing, Or Fixes Unfixed Things?

Posted by on Jun 28, 2007 | 13 Comments

I don’t personally use Big Fix software, but I found its press release on being awarded the 2007 eWeek Excellence Award interesting. I also do recall that originally my Gateway notebook came with Big Fix preinstalled, but it was one of those softwares that I uninstalled with the other crapola stuff. Which makes me now think, should I have left Big Fix on my system?

The Big Fix press release states:

BigFix Inc., the only converged IT security and operations platform that enables real-time visibility and control of globally distributed desktop, mobile and server computers, today announced that eWEEK has selected BigFix as the winner of the 2007 eWEEK Excellence Award in vulnerability assessment and remediation. BigFix was recognized from a field of more than 800 entries for product excellence and industry-leading innovation.

“BigFix continues to win reviews, awards, and new customers because our technology is 180 degrees different from parts and pieces legacy solutions,” said Dave Robbins, president and CEO at BigFix. “Legacy point tools and frameworks can’t solve the problems they need to solve for today’s global enterprise because they were built to work in yesterday’s static, predictable, client-server networks. BigFix rescues IT organizations from massive investments in new hardware, bloatware software, and intrusive endpoint agents. Only the BigFix Platform delivers real-time visibility and control of all your computers anywhere, any time, and this award provides further validation.”

“The Excellence Awards program allows us to make recommendations about the strongest security products, such as BigFix, that respond to the complex and dynamic demands that eWEEK readers are facing,” said eWEEK Editorial Director Eric Lundquist. “Opportunities are being created by new technology and by customers’ interest in new ways of using that technology.”

According to eWEEK, BigFix impressed the judges “…with its knack for enabling real-time visibility into and management of desktop, mobile and server computers within an organization via a single infrastructure and single-agent architecture under a single console. It provides automation and optimization of IT operations, IT security, and compliance and audit.”

OK. So I downloaded a copy of Big Fix, ran it, and my system came up with everything being OK. So I really don’t have anything to report on whether Big Fix fixes problems nor how well it works.

I’m hoping that somewhere can provide us with additional information on their experience using Big Fix.

Comments welcome.

Complete Big Fix press release can be found here.

Download Big Fix software from here.

[tags]big fix, repair, fix, problems, [/tags]

  • Den

    Hi……..Ron

    I Uninstalled it too………..

    Geeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzz

    Let me know if it ever-does Find something…

    Thanks For the INFO,
    Den

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Den,
    You’re welcome.
    Ron

  • http://ryanlrussell.blogspot.com Ryan Russell

    Hi Ron,

    What you have installed is the BigFix Consumer Edition, which comes bundled with Gateway machines. The eWEEK award is for the BigFix Enterprise Suite (BES), a different product. BES is used for managing large networks of computers.

    Ryan Russell, BigFix QA Manager.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hello Ryan,
    Thanks you for the clarification.
    Regards, Ron

  • Don Naphen

    I too installed the Big Fix, ran it and had the same results as others commenting on the utility … it found nothing. Of course, that’s Good news, as I try and maintain a clean system. I also depend mainly on good solid utilities such as JV16 to keep it that way. Since the BF doesn’t hog any resources and only runs in the background if I choose to do so, It’s just another app when I need it.

    Don’t think I’ve ever seen this in your articles Ron, but you and your readers might find useful an excellent site by the Gibson Research people ( http://www.grc.com ). Contained within the site is a section called SHIELDS UP, and will do a complete scan of ones ports (options here for other things too). It might be a rude awakening for some who thought their systems were secure!

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Don,
    Thanks for the information. Steve Gibson has provide this valuable site for many years, and I also use it to test network protections as well. I also highly recommend it.
    Thanks again, Ron

  • Dee

    Big Fix sounds compelling, only I’m having a hard time trying to decide which one to download. I’m a new user and my apprehensions are enormous…Who Do I Trust? :-)

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Dee,
    It is hard sometimes trying to figure out what software[s] to use on your system. But if your system is running well and you are pleased with tis performance. I would leave it alone. OR seek assistance from a friend or family member who is knowledgeable about computers.
    Hope this helps,
    Ron

  • BOB

    I had trouble installing a printer and when I uninstalled it, I believe some remnants remained making it difficult to reinstall the drivers – will bigfix consumer edition in this gateway machine find and correct this for me?

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Bob,
    I don’t believe so. I’d check on the manufactures website to see what they recommend. Usually they will have a procedure for doing a complete uninstall.
    Hope this helps, Ron

  • rick

    Don’t bother, folks, they are discontinuing the free service. I used it for years and really appreciated it, but ahh, those poor, beleaugered souls.

    Their “get lost” message http://help.bigfix.com/cgi-bin/kbdirect.pl?id=9 is a lot of fake, nicey corporo-babble that boils down to this:

    PROFIT > LUSERS.

    Their once noble “help the world” chatter is being dropped like a rock all over the net. The info highway will save us all! – for a price.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Rick,
    Thanks for the heads up.
    Ron

  • Kima

    Hi,
    This is my 2nd Gateway. My 1st one had “Go back” and you could enter a date prior to the problem and it would take your system back as needed. My new one has “Big Fix” but I can’t ever get it to do anything. IE: I recently loaded new IE 8.0 and have had problems ever since. If I still had “go back” I could put in a earlier date, and be happy, but big fix don’t really fix anything, that I can see.