Features

• Quickly resolves helpdesk and server support problems
• Remote utilities: Regedit, Task Manager, Command Prompt, and NT Event Log
• Work uninterrupted while files transfer in the background
• Easy-to-use, graphical user interface provides consistent navigation
• Queue up multiple files and DOS commands with new Command Queue

Reviews (3)

Clunky Upgrade
There is a definite downturn with this new release- screen draws are noticeably slower and simply starting the application takes longer. The new interface has the task-based side bar found in newer applications, but it adds no benefit while robbing me of valuable screen space - the old toolbar at the top was much better. I applaud Symantec's fixing odd behaviors (non-invasive, such as strange 'quick' popups to handle internal routines, etc), and I appreciate their attempt at making the user experience more consistent and smooth, which they did, but the overall value of the product has dropped. For the core features I use (connect, control, end session) the performance has dropped- and I have no need for the new features. I'll be selling this on ebay... right after I go back to the odd but faster 10.5.

I regret upgrading
I upgraded several systems from 10.5 to 11.0 and have found that the new version does not work nearly as well as the old version. My biggest complaint is that in cases where the host computer has a dynamically updating screen, the remote computer may not receive updates at all making it look as if the host computer is either stuck or is still processing something when it has in fact finished.

There is an interface change that added a navigation panel to the left of the remote display that oftentimes makes the entire window too large thereby forcing me to scroll through windows that I didn't have to scroll through using the old version. The addition of the 'Remote Management' tools would be helpful if they worked properly. The command line tool very often didn't respond properly at all, making it not worth attempting to use when I can just open a command window through the remote window.

I am going to have to go through the extra work of uninstalling 11.0 and reinstalling 10.5 on several systems. Very disappointing!

Step backward from 10.5
I regret spending the money for the "upgrade" from 10.5. PcA 11 no longer shows time remaining for file transfer, nor does it show transfer speed. It hangs, giving a "Cannot create directory" message for no discernable reason, where there was no problem with 10.5 If 11 has some advantages, I find nothing that does me any good. It has a different interface, but I don't see that as either better or worse. I'm going to remove it and go back to 10.5. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Remotely accessing computers--whether from the next desk over or in aremote office thousands of miles away--is an essential part of business life. Keeping things running smoothly and safely, Symantec's pcAnywhere 10.5 allowsusers to work where they like without worrying about slow file transfers ormalicious hackers. The package is designed for two sets of users: help deskstaffers who want to watch what their clients are doing or even take overoperations remotely, and mobile professionals who need to access files or runprograms while far from their desks.

Installing and setting up the software can be tricky for novices, so most usersshould have competent IT staff on hand to take care of glitches. Once installed,it's easy to remotely control machines or quickly drag and drop files via cableor modem using the simple, intuitive interface. Essentially, the remote machineopens a window into the host computer to watch or take over its functioning.While this may take a bit of adjustment at first, it quickly becomes secondnature.

The security features for pcAnywhere are strong, varied, and impressive,including basic authentication, roaming network search for unauthorizedconnections, and comprehensive logging. IT professionals will appreciate therebootless install feature, which lets them put the software on employees'computers transparently. Remote access should be safe and painless, andpcAnywhere 10.5 is both. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Problems with XP
After many days of trying I have finally had to give up the attempt to get this product working with our single machine running XP pro.

There have been two main issues:

Firstly there seems to be issues with the shipped product that requires a download from symantec to fix (blank screen after reboot).

Secondly (and terminally) when a disk check is carried out post install, the machine checks the disk and then hangs. Aborting the check also causes a hang. If you do get a successfull reboot by using Last Known Good then the disk increasingly incorrectly reports file & folder sizes.

No viruses seem to be present (boot sector or otherwise).

Installs via the recommedend Clean Boot method were tried.

Obviously this may be peculiar to the system we were using (we could not find any reference to this type of problem on the Symantec site or elsewhere):

Toshiba Satellite 1800, XP Pro (Retail Upgrade, clean install), NTFS volume, PCanywhere 10.5 from CD.

Pcanywhere seems to work fine in other cofigurations, on other machines that we have tried - win98, win 2k on Compaqs & Panasonics.

I have to agree with other reviews I have read that Symantec products are shipping less and less robust (we also have had problems with NIS 2002).

Never changes
You would think that a product would improve with time -- but no, not pcAnywhere! It is, always has been, and probably always will be deeply flawed. I installed this product on two Windows 2003 Servers. On one of them, the host service kept failing whenever I tried to initiate a file transfer. On the other server, file transfers worked fine but the visual display was a distortion of black and white lines. It's amazing -- every single version I work with has some problem that keeps me from being able to move it into production. And version 10.5 is no exception. Save your money!

Saved my company a lot of $$$$
Being a Systems Engineer for our network users, I love this product. It has made my life so much easier. Instead of walking the end users through some steps over the phone, I just log in and take care of the issue. Here's where the money savings comes in... I no longer have to send a computer in for software issues because someone couldn't follow the instructions and my company doesn't have to pay to fly me to the different sites. The only issue I have ever had is with 10.5 and XP. It always installs fine, but it leaves an item in the tool bar that you can't close (more annoying than anything else). I imagine vers. 11 will fix this. Over all I give this product a BIG thumbs up!

Install PCAnywhere 10.5 on Windows NT at your own risk.
I recently got a new home computer with Windows XP on it. I had currently been using Windows 98 and had PCAnywhere 8.0 running on it as well as on my PC at work running with Windows NT 4.0. It ran perfectly for years, however the only version of PCAnywhere compatible with XP is 10.5.. So, I got this program and decided to load it at work as the documentation said it ran with NT. BIG MISTAKE!!!! Program installed fine, but when I went to reboot my machine at the end of the night it Blue Screened on the reboot. Then it continually rebooted and blue screened. Couldn't bypass it. Tried starting the machine in VGA mode. No good either. Blue screen. Went to Symantec site and there is a known bug with NT and 10.5 that can cause a Blue screen due to some video driver crud. Bottom line, their fix involved installing parallel version of NT on machine and doing all sorts of manual stuff with the Registry. Send my Machine off to company LAN department. Guess what. MACHINE IS TRASHED. Unrecoverable. The have to reimage the entire box. Everything on my machine is gone. Nice of Symantec to (NOT) warn me before I installed about potential problems with NT 4.0. If they had I would have kept my 8.0 on my work PC. Bottom line, I have been without a machine for a day, all my work is lost and I have nothing by disdain for this software. DO NOT install 10.5 on an NT machine if you value your PC. You have been warned.

Slow, slower, slowest!
I've used PC Anywhere in all its iterations. As a professional software analyst, I used to require that all my clients purchase a copy.

But not anymore. My biggest beef is that even when both the host and remote connections are high speed Internet, this product responds too slowly. When using this product, I can click with my mouse, go to the bathroom, get a second cup of coffee and pet my dog before the command will take effect.

I much prefer using WebX or VPN as a tool of choice for remote support.

On the plus side, remote support after hours, while slow, is relatively painless. ... Read more

Features

• Super-fast file transfer between portable and desktop computers
• Manage remote users or servers
• Connect via modem, TCP/IP, Internet or cable
• Full-spectrum Windows compatibility
• Control access to drives and folders

Reviews (9)

Long Time User
Four stars, mostly because I have always liked Laplink, and have used it since the "DOS Days". A problem I am having now though, is that my transfers are stopped before they are completed. The error message says the transfer is stopped because the path (or is it the file name?), is too long. I have Win XP on both machines. Once it stops I don't know what was, and what was not, synchronized (updated). If this problem "is real"(and not unique to my setup), then my rating becomes "zero". This problem totally defeats the purpose of the software. Also, I cannot synchronize against my external storage device (Maxtor) because file names are too long (the Retrospect program that comes with the device can, though).

Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here
This is one touchy software package. I've used LapLink products before and loved them, but an upgrade to Windows XP necessitated an upgrade here, too. It's taken a week of support "chat" and emails with support staff to arrive at the conclusion that the reason my machines can't share files is my Ontrack NetDefense firewall software. The solution? "Uninstall the firewall," (and the virus protection and the rest of the SystemSuite), suggests LapLink support even though the firewall provides network settings that are supposed to permit browsing and exchange of files over the LapLink USB connection when I specify it. It wasn't this particular firewall, necessarily; it could be any firewall, apparently. Uninstalling network protection doesn't seem to be a great solution in this day and age. I guess I'll keep wrestling with the LapLink configuration. I'll see if the folks at Ontrack have any suggestions. Otherwise, I own a hundred dollars worth of non-functional sofware and proprietary USB cabling. I'll let you know if things turn out better and a higher rating is deserved.

Great Product
This product is fairly easy to setup and use and is a great file transfer, synchronization, and remote control tool. I initially had problems with the ip address configuration of the USB cable, but the friendly online tech support promptly got me straightened out. I now use LapLink to keep my work files synchronized between my desktop and laptop computers and it seems to work reliably so far.

Forewarned is Forearmed
I am trying to set up to do a transfer from Windows 98 to Windows XP, so had to order the USB cable which took two weeks from Seattle to Las Vegas! Once I got it, I went to the internet doc., and it told me that it does not work with USB 2.0!
There's no mention of this in any of the printed documentation! (ie: You can't get there from here!)
Don't bother reading the printed documentation; it's a waste of time.
The USB cable comes with a software install CD. After getting into the install process, a Windows error message appears which says that if I continued I might do irreperable damage to my machine, so I quit. After going to the internet, I found documentation which said to "go ahead, we have covered that." [THAT'S] VERY PROFESSIONAL!
The unfortunate thing about this whole fiasco is that I know of no other way to move software from one machine to another. The Windows XP product won't do it. (So what's new from Microsoft?!)
I wish Amazon.com had a negative star ranking because this product deserves it!
If you want to talk with 'live' support, it will cost you $.../hr. You can do a live chat, but if you say the wrong thing or ask the wrong question, they stop responding and there is NO phone no. for warrenty support. You must go to the net and spend 2 to 4 hours wading thru the mess of subjects looking for what you need, then hope it works!!
---
Don't bother sending e-mail to ANYONE ... that also is ignored! This product is 5 thumbs DOWN!

Prepare for some frustration
I'm a long-time Laplink user who bought this version with the USB cable specifically to transfer all the data files from my old Win98 computer to the new Win XP machine. I DID get it working, but only after a substantial amount of frustration.

The USB connection didn't work at all when first installed. I gave up and went to the Serial connection only to discover that it was spontaneously disconnecting every transfer after about two minutes. When I went back to solve the USB problem, I found that telephone tech support ...available only by appointment. While the documentation included with the software was useless for troubleshooting and solving the problems, the online tech support (eventually) yielded enough detailed info to get things going. I now (at this minute) have the USB connection working with transfer rates at upwards of 3 Mbits per second.

Oh, I also encountered some files that would not transfer becuase the path was too long. What's that about? If windows can handle the file name, why can't Laplink? ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

LapLink Everywhere is for anyone on the go. Simply install LapLink Everywhere on your workstation and you can access your Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express e-mail, contacts, and calendar--even access the drives on your PC and transfer files--from anywhere, using any device. Leave your laptop at home and access your PC from the Web browser on your Web phone, PDA, an Internet café, airport kiosk--anywhere you have access to a Web browser. LapLink Everywhere is a service, and a full year's subscription is included in the box.

Use any browser-based device to send, receive, and manage e-mail from Outlook clients. Send the same file to several e-mail addresses simultaneously, efficiently forward attached files, and view attachments. Security features include user-defined computer names, user names, and passwords; a secure connection; the ability to monitor connected clients; and encrypted transfers (40-bit or 128-bit SSL). ... Read more

Reviews (2)

LapLink
LapLink Everywhere is awesome! In a just few minutes I was able to download the application, connect to a remote computer through a web browser and exchange files -- super fast. Since that initial experience I've used Everywhere at the office to get my home computer files and keep up with my personal e-mail. Either from home or from any web browser I easily get access to my work PC (through the firewall) and retrieve files, even use remote control my office PC to launch and use business applications when unable to be there...

Laplink bankruptcy
This may be a nice product, but Laplink declared bankruptcy on March 18, leaving users with pending rebates (which are slow to process) in the lurch. Despite this, they do not post this information on their web site, and expect people to subscribe to a service. Your money is better spent elsewhere. ... Read more

Features

• Remote management tools for running vital utilities remotely
• Supports 13 different authentication methods
• Queue multiple files and work uninterrupted while files transfer
• Redesigned user interface makes navigation easier than ever
• PKI and symmetric encryption protect confidential data

Amazon.com Product Description

Timbuktu Pro 2000 puts the power of remote control, file transfer, andInternet communications on your desktop. It provides a solution for mobileworkers, telecommuters, day extenders, and users who need to connect and communicate with other computers across the Internet, over directtelephone lines, and across multiple platforms.

Timbuktu Pro 2000 works over Internet, LAN, WAN, dial-up, DSL, or RAS connections. The interactive keyboard chat feature provides text-based communication ease and increased personalization. Multiple Access Mode Technology, operating over the Internet, network, DSL, dial-up, and from dial-direct connections, provides a choice of connectivity options for virtually any environment, ensuring that any mobile worker, telecommuter, or collaborator can connect and communicate. It's simple to check on your Windows NT or Web server with Timbuktu Pro 2000 from any location, using any platform, including Macintosh. You can establish connections to multiple machines to simultaneously troubleshoot a server, collaborate with acolleague, and transfer files to your home computer.

Timbuktu Pro 2000 integrates directly into the operating system to help make management and deployment of the software easy. Timbuktu Pro's security provides secure screen blanking, password encryption, user-level defined privileges, password aging, event logging, master password protection, and more. The attendant access feature prompts users to ask for permission before attempting to control your computer or being admitted as a temporary guest. For administrators, Timbuktu Pro 2000 integrates with NT Security Lists to help ease password management and administration. Exchange files with anyone with Timbuktu Pro 2000--you can access the hard drive of a remote machine and transfer to or from it. If you can't find the file, Timbuktu Pro 2000 can find it for you with its File Find feature built into Timbuktu Pro's exchange. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good for most remote control uses on a LAN
I've used the Timbuktu line for quite a few years now and have had good success overall. I recommend it highly for people who want remote control on local area networks. What truly stands out with this product is that it runs on all Windows computers (95 and above), as well as MacOS computers. Timbuktu 2000 brings some nice features for Windows platform computers. I've seen a few small quirks here and there on Win 2000, but nothing major. Overall, a good product! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Break the language barrier! SyncTalk Pro enhances the capability of your devices to send multiple items and transfer all your information to another device with SyncTalk Pro technology. It's compatible with Palm OS, Pocket PC, and EPOC devices. SyncTalk Pro enables you to instantly beam all contacts, appointments, and memos to different mobile devices without device-specific cradles or connections cables. You can easily transfer your data from an old handheld to your new device, and exchange contact information, schedules, and memos with colleagues. ... Read more

Features

• Industry-leading remote control, combined with remote management and file transfer capabilities
• Use Remote Management tools to solve problems without the need for a full remote control session
• Use pcAnywhere Command Queue to send files, folders, and DOS commands to computers
• Create customized installation sets with Symantec Packager
• Multiple levels of security protect host against unauthorized access