What is RDS-Lookout?

RDS-Lookout is like taking your computer to a doctor for a regular checkup. It's a way to scan for and find existing and potential problems before they affect your system.

How does RDS-Lookout work?

Every time you turn your computer on, RDS-Lookout will automatically scan for various settings and status changes and send the secure report to our servers. After that, real flesh and blood people look over the status on the hard drives, system settings, installed software, event logs, and the status of your antivirus software. If you have suspicious software installed, major changes in system settings that may indicate a problem is brewing, or your hard drives start running low on space, we will send you an e-mail or a phone call. Subscribers will also be notified any time new software is installed or if we see your antivirus is out of date.  We will also go through common error logs looking for trouble when it first starts.

So how do you get RDS-Lookout?

Step 1, set up a service call or let us know when we are already working on your computer. It takes only moments for us to set up the services on your computer so that they talk to our servers.

Step 2, choose how many months you want to subscribe to the service.

What happens when RDS-Lookout finds a problem?

If we find a problem, we will send you a message either via e-mail or by phone. We'll tell you what the problem is and the impact it is likely to have on your computer. If the problem is serious, we will schedule a time to come to work on your machine to correct any problems.  If it's something small, we'll tell you how it can be fixed or just add it to a personalized list. If you choose, the next time we work on your computer we'll take care of the things on your personal list.

What if I move or my Internet service changes?

Your physical location and Internet provider have no effect on the RDS-Lookout service. It is suggested that you have a DSL connection that is active when the computer first turns on, but a solution for dial-up and Wi-Fi customers is available.

What does RDS-Lookout cost?

The Lookout service is $10 per month.

When you sign up, it is suggested that you order several months at one time, since we will not automatically renew your subscription.

What happens when my subscription expires?

The software will sit dormant in your system until you choose to renew your subscription. The software used is very small and will not impact your system by staying put. It is designed to run in the background and not be a nuisance, so it won't constantly bug you about renewing your subscription.

What about my personal information and the security of my data?

The way the software works is similar to visiting any website and viewing the first page. We open no security holes in your system and we do not bypass your firewall except to send data out. None of the data that is sent contains what most people would consider sensitive information.  If you are concerned about the data that will be sent, please contact us for more information.

Exactly what information do you collect?

*Tech term alert*

 Computer Name: This is usually assigned by the computer vendor.
Manufacturer:   Company that made your computer (i.e. Dell, HP, Acer).
Model: Your computer model number.
Product Id: This is an ID tag set by your computer manufacturer.
Product type: Is this a laptop, desktop or server machine?
Motherboard serial number: This is the identifier for your primary system component.
Bios version: The version of your motherboard operating system.
Processor: The type of processor you are using.
Memory: The amount and type of ram you are using.
Operating system: The operating system you are using.
Os serial number: This field is set during installation.
Owner: The name of the owner for the operating system.
Last login: The date and name of the last user to log into the system.
Last reboot: The last time the computer was turned on.
Storage device data: The total size and % free space of all storage devices.
User list: A list of all system user accounts and their last login.
Screen resolution and monitor used: Setting that controls your viewing image.
Video controller: Also known as your video card, and the driver used with it
Network shares: These can let rogue data into your machine if not monitored.
IP config: The IP address, gateway, dns, dhcp settings your system is using.
Installed printers: Which printers you have installed.
Sofware: The name of the software and date installed.
Hotfixes: Your installed windows hot fixes.

Lookout plan summary

$10/ month for 1st machine
$5/month for each additional machine on same network (optional)
Scan at every boot 
Monitor hard drive space
Monitor for all software installations
Monitor changes in system settings
Monitor installed software that may cause problems
Monitor event logs
Monitor antivirus update status
Notification by e-mail and phone