At Microsoft, we're working hard to protect your privacy, while delivering products that bring you the performance, power and convenience you desire in your personal computing. This privacy statement explains Microsoft’s data collection and use practices for PCPal (“PCPal”); it does not apply to data collected through other online or offline Microsoft sites, products or services. Microsoft does not share the data collected with third parties except for the aggregate data described in this privacy statement.

PCPal is an application that checks for problems in your computer’s configuration in various areas like security and performance, and offers solutions for problems found. PCPal also offers you products that can help improve your computer’s health or other products and services that may be of interest to you.

If we need information that personally identifies you or allows us to contact you, we will explicitly ask you for it. Internet-enabled features in software send information about your computer ("standard computer information") to the websites you visit and web services you use. This information is generally not personally identifiable. Standard computer information typically includes information such as your IP address, operating system version, browser version, and your regional and language settings. The information collected by Microsoft is used to provide and improve the PCPal services.

Information collected by Microsoft software, sites, and services may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries or agents maintain facilities, and by using Microsoft software, sites or services, you consent to any such transfer of information outside of your country. Microsoft abides by the safe harbor framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of data from the European Union. Microsoft may disclose this information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on Microsoft or the site; (b) protect and defend the rights of Microsoft (including enforcement of our agreements), or (c) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, users of Microsoft software or services, or members of the public.

Microsoft occasionally hires other companies to provide limited services on its behalf, such as providing customer support, processing transactions, or performing statistical analysis of reports. Microsoft will provide these companies only the information they need to deliver the service. They are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information and are prohibited from using it for any other purpose.

Microsoft is committed to helping protect the security of the information we collect. PCPal uses a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect the information collected from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. For example, we store the information you provide on computer systems with limited access, which are located in controlled facilities.

We may occasionally update this privacy statement. When we do, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top of the privacy statement. We encourage you to periodically review this privacy statement to be informed of how Microsoft is protecting your information.

If you have any questions or comments about this privacy statement, please use our web form or send postal mail to the following address:

Microsoft Privacy
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052

1. Automatic Update Feature

PCPal updates automatically for your convenience to ensure that you are running the most current version of the software and will receive the latest fixes for any problems that PCPal finds.

Each time the Automatic Update feature runs, information is sent to Microsoft about whether the update succeeded or failed. Microsoft uses this information to analyze trends and troubleshoot problems in the event that updates are failing. Microsoft may also use the information to help improve our products and services.

Since this feature is essential to providing you with the PCPal services, you must uninstall the software if you wish to turn this feature off.

2. PCPal Offers Feature

This feature will display pop-up offers for Microsoft and/or third party products and services, such as for products that may help you address problems you’re having with your computer or other products and services that may be of interest to you. Microsoft may collect information about the pages you view and the links you click in connection with these offers. This information helps us gauge the success of an offer but will not be used to personally identify you. We may also share aggregate reports about the success of an offer with third parties, but these reports will not contain any of your personal information.

During installation, you can choose whether to turn this pop-up feature on by selecting Receive offers recommended by Microsoft in the PCPal InstallShield Wizard. To later turn it on/off, go to PCPal Support Center, select Option/Setting, select Offers, and under Status click either the Start button or the Stop button, as applicable. For more information about configuring your Offers settings, go to eHelp, select the Contents tab, select How Tos, and select How to configure the Offers service settings.

If you choose to turn off the pop-up offers, you may still view offers by going to PCPal Support Center and selecting Offers.

3. PCPal Improvement Feature

This feature sends reports to Microsoft about how you use PCPal and about some of the problems you encounter. In addition to standard computer information, these reports generally include information about:

Configuration, such as how many processors are in your computer, how many network connections you use, which programs are installed on your computer, which version of Windows is running, and if some features such as Bluetooth wireless technology or high-speed USB connections are turned on.

Performance and reliability, such as what are and how many problems you experience with a program or a device, whether you have problems with your network connection, whether your OS configuration poses any risks, and whether or not a problem is fixed.

Program use, such as items you view, items you click on, and items you delete.

Microsoft uses this information to learn about how our customers use PCPal so we can provide the service, help solve problems, and improve the product. We may also share aggregate reports about PCPal usage with third parties, but these reports will not contain any of your personal information. We don’t use the information collected to identify or contact you.

During installation, you can choose whether to turn this feature on by selecting Allow PCPal to collect quality of service data in the PCPal InstallShield Wizard. To later turn it on/off, go to PCPal Settings, select General, and select or unselect Allow PCPal to collect quality of service data.

4. PCPal Feedback Feature

You can choose to provide feedback about your use of PCPal by opening PCPal Support Center and selecting Feedback/Send Feedback. The feedback form will ask you questions about the usefulness and effectiveness of PCPal, and will give you the option of telling us how we can improve the service. Microsoft uses your feedback to help improve the PCPal service. You may also enter your email address if you wish us to contact you. If you choose to provide your email address, we will only use it to contact you about your feedback and will not use it for marketing purposes.

Providing any of the information on the feedback form is optional. The feedback is not sent to Microsoft unless you click the Send Feedback button.