FAQ
Questions, answered.
Including the ones where the answer is no.
01FAQ
Is this right for us?
What is 365 IT Guard?
A small app on each Windows computer, and one portal for whoever looks after them. The app fixes everyday problems with one click and checks that the computer is protected. The portal shows every computer, its health score, and what needs attention.
Who is it built for?
Owners and office managers of businesses with 5 to 25 computers and no IT staff, and it works fine for more. There is also a Home & family plan for your own computers.
Is it available outside the US?
Not yet. 365 IT Guard is available to US customers only for now.
Is it an antivirus?
No, and you don't need to change the one you have. 365 IT Guard checks that your antivirus is on and up to date, whether that's Microsoft Defender or another product like ESET. If it's Defender, your staff can also start a scan with one click.
Is this an RMM?
No. RMM platforms let a technician work on computers remotely. 365 IT Guard doesn't. Every fix is clicked by the person at the computer, and nobody can start one from the portal.
Is this an Intune alternative?
For most businesses, no. If you need what Intune does, you need Intune or something like it. If you looked at Intune and decided it was more than your business can run, that is the situation this was built for.
Can we run it alongside the tools we already use?
Yes. It doesn't install Windows updates, take control of computers, or enforce policy, so it doesn't conflict with the tools that do.
When is this the wrong purchase?
If you want a person to do it for you, if you want instant alerts (not yet), if you need Windows updates installed for you, if you use Macs, or if you have a full IT department. Any of those means you need something else.
Does it work on Macs, Linux, or phones?
No. Windows 10 and 11 only.
02FAQ
Getting started
How long does setup take?
Download the app, run it, sign in, and the computer appears in your portal. There is no server to set up.
What do I need before I start?
Windows 10 or 11, an email address, a phone that can receive texts, and a few minutes. No server, no IT person, and no admin rights for staff.
Do I have to install it on every computer myself?
No. Copy your signup code from the portal and send it to your staff with the download link. That's the whole rollout.
What is a signup code?
It's how your staff add their computers without you setting up an account for each person. Your business has one code. Send it to your staff with the download link, and they enter it when the app asks. The code doesn't expire and can be used as many times as you need. If it ends up somewhere it shouldn't, make a new one in the portal. The old one stops working, and computers that already joined stay connected. When everyone's set up, you can turn signups off.
What happens when the trial ends?
If you haven't subscribed, the app locks on every computer and stops reporting. Nothing is deleted. Subscribe from the portal and everything picks up where it left off.
Can I uninstall it?
Yes. Uninstall it like any Windows program. Your saved reports stay in your Documents folder until you delete them.
03FAQ
The Windows app
What does the app do?
It has a Dashboard with a health check, a Fixes page with 14 one-click fixes sorted by urgency, the assistant, a Security page that checks antivirus and firewall, pages for hardware, disk usage and apps, and reports. A weekly report is saved on the computer automatically, and the last 12 are kept.
Does my staff see it, or does it run invisibly?
They see it. It is a real application they open, showing their own computer's health in plain words.
Do my staff need admin rights?
No. No fix needs them. The only change that asks for administrator approval is turning the firewall on or off.
Does it work when a computer is offline?
The app still works on the computer, and the portal shows when it was last seen.
Can I see a computer's history?
The portal shows the last 24 hours of CPU and memory for each computer, and keeps 14 days. Each computer keeps its own detailed history for up to 90 days, plus a weekly report. Health score, issues and online status in the portal show the current state only. Keeping history for those is on our roadmap.
04FAQ
The assistant
What does the assistant do?
The person at the computer asks in their own words, and the answer is about their computer. If it's something the app can fix, they click to fix it.
Does it make changes to the computer?
We fix it for you, with your permission. Most everyday problems take one click, and nothing changes until the person at the computer says yes.
If we can't fix it, we take you straight to it. One click opens the right Windows setting.
If it needs a person's hands, we show you how, step by step, with a short video from Microsoft or PC makers like Dell, HP and Lenovo.
Nobody, including you or us, can run anything on a computer from somewhere else.
The fixes it can run:
- Clear out temporary files to free up space
- Empty the Recycle Bin
- Clear Edge and Chrome's stored web files (keeps passwords and logins)
- Fix websites that won't load after an internet hiccup
- Stop a program from opening every time you sign in (can be undone)
- Put back a startup program it turned off
- Switch Windows' power setting, for speed or battery life (can be undone)
- Stop a program that's misbehaving
- Close programs that say "Not responding"
- Bring back a frozen taskbar, Start menu or desktop
- Repair an installed app without reinstalling it
- Fix Microsoft Store apps that won't download or update
- Run a quick Microsoft Defender virus scan
- Get Microsoft Defender's latest virus updates now
Will it ever fix things automatically?
No. By design, fixes are always done by the person at the computer.
What information is sent when someone asks it a question?
The question goes to OpenAI, along with a summary of that PC's health so the answer fits the actual computer. We never send files, folder paths, browsing history or passwords. Chats aren't saved on our servers, and you (the admin) can't read your staff's chats. OpenAI doesn't use this data to train its models.
Each question includes the last few messages from the same chat and a snapshot of the PC: its name, the Windows user name, Windows version, memory and disk use, and the busiest programs. Questions about security, the network or crashes add what they need, such as firewall status, which programs are connecting to which internet addresses, or which programs crashed recently. The chat stays on the PC until the app closes. We keep a record that a question was asked (not what was asked) and a log of fixes that were run, for 365 days. OpenAI keeps requests for up to 30 days to watch for abuse, then deletes them.
Can we turn the assistant off?
You can quit the app or uninstall it, but that turns off the whole app, not just the assistant.
05FAQ
The portal
What does the portal show?
Every computer with who uses it, online status, when it was last seen, and a 0 to 100 health score. Detected issues in plain words with the suggested fix, a protection card for antivirus and firewall, the last 24 hours of CPU and memory, and an Online Help page with videos.
What can I see about my staff, and what can't I?
You see: each computer's name, whether it's on and protected, its health score, memory and disk use, which programs use the most power, and which apps connect to the internet.
You never see: their files, their browsing history, their passwords, or their chats with the assistant.
They stay in control: nothing changes on their computer unless they click it.
Can staff see other people's computers?
No. Staff use the app on their own computer only.
Will it alert me when something goes wrong?
Today you check the portal yourself. A red card tells you which computer needs attention. Email alerts are on our roadmap.
07FAQ
Security and privacy
Can anyone take control of a computer?
No. Nobody, including you or us, can run anything on a computer from somewhere else.
What data leaves the computer?
Hardware, Windows version, disk use, running program names and their CPU and memory use, installed apps, which apps connect to which internet services, Windows event log errors, Windows Security settings and Defender detections, and folder sizes when someone runs a disk scan.
What does it not collect?
Files, browsing history, keystrokes or the screen.
How does sign-in work?
You confirm your email when you create your account. Each time you sign in, we text a one-time code to your phone.
Can other businesses see our computers?
No. Access is limited to your own business, and each business's data is kept separate.
Are you SOC 2 certified?
No. We do not hold a SOC 2 certification and we do not claim readiness for one.
Do you keep a log of what happens?
We keep a log of fixes that were run, and a record that a question was asked (not what was asked), for 365 days.
Can we use Microsoft or Google sign-in?
Not yet. Accounts are 365 IT Guard accounts.
Where is our data stored?
Amazon Web Services, in the US West (Oregon) region.
Is data encrypted at rest?
Yes.
How do I report a security issue?
Email security@365itguard.com.
08FAQ
What is coming
Do you have a roadmap?
Yes, and it is public. See the roadmap page.
Why do you not publish dates?
Because we would rather not promise you a quarter we might miss. Items are grouped by status and move up as they get built.
Will it install Windows updates?
Not yet. Today 365 IT Guard doesn't install Windows updates. See the roadmap for what is coming.
Will you support Macs?
Not yet. Today it runs on Windows 10 and 11 only.
How do I request a feature?
Use the Talk to us form on any page. Tell us what you need and we will tell you where it sits, or whether it is already on the roadmap. Requests are what set the order things get built in.
09FAQ
For home users
How much is it for a household?
$30 a month covers up to five computers, with a 14-day free trial and no credit card.
Do I have to change my antivirus?
No. 365 IT Guard checks that your antivirus is on and up to date, and it works with any antivirus Windows recognizes.
Can I add a family member's computer?
Yes. Your family's signup code is the easy way: send it with the download link, and they enter it when the app asks.
Can someone else change things on my computer?
No. Nothing changes on your computer unless you click it, and nobody can run anything on it from somewhere else.
Still deciding?
Install it on one computer. That answers more than this page can.
14-day free trial, no credit card.
Administrators can sign in to the portal.