SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- CyberMedia®, Inc. (NASDAQ\NMS: CYBR) today announced First Aid® 98 , a major new version of the best-selling, award winning, automatic service and support software for Windows 95 Personal Computers (PCs). The new version now utilizes CyberMedia's new ActiveHelp(tm) Center to take full advantage of the power of the Internet to automatically detect, diagnose and fix most common PC problems.

First Aid 98 is expected to appear on software dealer shelves in North America by October 1 with a $39.95 estimated US shelf price. International versions will follow in coming quarters.

Originally introduced in 1994, First Aid is used by over 2.5 million users and is now available in seven International versions. It is now the world's best-selling automatic problem-fixing software product, consistently a top 10 best seller since May 1996.

Introducing ActiveHelp(tm)
ActiveHelp is a powerful technology recently developed by CyberMedia that uses a knowledge base and a standards-based scripting language to record PC problems and their solutions. Unlike normal help that provide passive instructions, ActiveHelp automatically diagnoses a problem and then dials the modem and finds the right answer script to correct it.

CyberMedia's ActiveHelp Center is a central repository of PC related problems and automated solutions. Software and hardware companies as well as CyberMedia's engineers use a specially designed tool, the ActiveHelp Studio(tm), to describe new problems and corresponding solutions as soon as they are discovered. These problem-solving solutions are then submitted to the ActiveHelp Center so they can be added to the knowledge base.

First Aid 98 automatically taps into the continually updated knowledge base at the ActiveHelp Center so that it can help users resolve new PC problems as they are discovered. This is a significant enhancement over previous versions of First Aid which required users to manually update it when needed.

``This access to ActiveHelp's rich source of up-to-date information places First Aid 98 in a class by itself,'' said CyberMedia CEO Unni Warrier, ``By collaborating with our software and hardware partners, First Aid 98 users can keep up with rapid technology advances and the problems caused by these.'' First Aid 98 has also been refined to reflect the natural ways customers use the product. It now integrates all of the popular features found in First Aid 97 into a single area so users can diagnose a larger set of PC problems more easily than ever before.

First Aid: Antidote for PC problems
First Aid is designed to run continually and silently on a user's PC without impacting normal operations in any way. However, when First Aid detects a catastrophic failure, such as a crash or General Protection Fault, it automatically jumps to the rescue. First Aid intercepts the crash so that users can save their work and continue with their work.

Users can also run First Aid when needed to diagnose any hardware or software problems on their PCs. First Aid can automatically detect and diagnose most common PC problems using its built-in knowledge base. Once First Aid reports the problems it finds, users can view any problem in detail or can fix it by simply ``clicking'' on the AutoFix(tm) button.

• Powerful New Upgrade Fixes More Problems -- At the Click of a Button
• Taps Into the ActiveHelp Center

First Aid 98 automatically resolves today's and tomorrow's most common frustrating PC Problems by plugging into CyberMedia's ActiveHelp Center. It is maintained by a team of highly trained researchers working closely with the top hardware and software manufacturers.

Fixes Web Connections
First Aid 98 enhances its capability to repair Internet access problems. It examines the entire PC Internet setup - modem, browser, and Internet Service Provider (ISP). If a problem is identified, First Aid 98 fixes it by readjusting the system or, reinstalling or updating files.

Fixes Corrupted Applications
First Aid 98 now identifies damaged or corrupted program and system files, and replaces them with the original files from the manufacturer's CD, alleviating the need to reinstall entire programs, or even Windows itself

Simplified User-Interface
Following exhaustive usability tests, First Aid 98's user interface has been redesigned to make it far simpler and more natural. Resembling a user's desk, the interface features easy-to-identify, graphical representations of a complete system - from the PC to the printer. Users can click on one button to perform a complete system ``Check-Up'' or simply ``click where it hurts'' for focused diagnosis.

First Aid 98 now categorizes the problems it finds as critical (must be fixed immediately) or likely (may cause problems in the future). It also provides tips and suggestions on improving the PC's performance and usability.

Emergency Recovery
When a PC does not start up correctly, its Emergency Recovery System checks every critical component of Windows. If a problem is found, First Aid 98 fixes it by readjusting the system or reinstalling missing or damaged files.

Installs Updates Needed To Resolve Conflicts
First Aid 98 employs CyberMedia's Oil Change(tm) Internet update technology to retrieve and install updates to drivers and software that are known to be in conflict.

``How Do I ... '' Videos and ``Automated Tasks''
The consumer-friendly ``How Do I ...'' button provides easy access to informative videos that demonstrate specific functions such as how to adjust settings. It also includes ``automated tasks'' that give users access to controls to adjust settings directly from the First Aid 98 environment.

First Aid 98: Gets Smarter Over Time
The computer industry is continually changing, and new problems and conflicts emerge on almost a daily basis. Consequently, problem-fixing software is only as good as the content it must rely upon to recognize and fix problems. This content -- a knowledge base of fixes, updates, known conflicts and other detailed information -- must be continually updated as new operating systems, products, problems and versions of software and hardware are shipped by manufacturers.

First Aid 98 builds in capabilities for users to contribute their feedback and thereby continually improve the content. When users encounter a problem that First Aid 98 does not yet diagnose, such as new hardware or software conflicts, First Aid can help the user write and send an ActiveHelp Support Email to the concerned manufacturer with complete details regarding the user's system configuration, a log of everything First Aid has done to try to solve the problem, and a description of the problem by the user. This information can help the support technician resolve the problem far quicker than possible today.

Additionally, the user can easily notify CyberMedia's ActiveHelp Center and help update the knowledge base with solutions to these new problems as they become available. These are made available to First Aid 98 users as automatic Internet ``Updates'' to automatically resolve new problems as they are discovered, in effect making First Aid even smarter over time.

``Technical support has always been a two way street. With this feedback loop, customers can help the ActiveHelp Center so it continues to automatically fix most common problems,'' said Warrier.

System Requirements
First Aid 98 runs on any IBM or 100-percent fully compatible 486 or higher PC. It requires Windows 95, 8 MB RAM minimum, hard drive with minimum 26 MB free disk space, and 256 colors VGA or higher monitor. An Internet connection, modem, and a 4X CD-ROM drive are recommended.

Pricing and Availability
First Aid 98 is expected to appear on software dealer shelves in North America by October 1 with a $39.95 estimated US shelf price. International versions will follow in coming quarters.

First Aid is available pre-installed on hardware products offered by many of the industry's leading companies, AST, CompUSA, Fujitsu, Motorola, Packard Bell-NEC, Phoenix Technologies and Sony.

About CyberMedia
CyberMedia's mission is to help computer users, anytime, anywhere with a complete set of products and services that provide the highest quality of immediate help to computer users at home and work, all over the world.

The products include First Aid, to fix Windows problems automatically; Oil Change, to update PCs with the latest bug fixes, patches and drivers; UnInstaller, to clean Window's applications; and Guard Dog, to automatically safeguard Internet security and privacy.

Founded in 1991, CyberMedia (Nasdaq:CYBR) employs more than 250, with company headquarters in Santa Monica, CA., and offices in San Jose, CA.; Portland, OR; Washington, D.C.; Japan; Ireland and India. For additional information contact CyberMedia, Inc., 3000 Ocean Park Boulevard Suite #2001, Santa Monica, CA 90405; phone (310) 664-5000; fax (310) 664-4720; e-mail info@cybermedia.com or visit the CyberMedia Web site, http://www.cybermedia.com.