Raxco
Defunct software company in Gaithersburg, Maryland, US
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Raxco Software Inc. was a Gaithersburg, Maryland software company. Founded in 1978,[2] the company's products were sold internationally.[3]
PerfectRegistry, PerfectGuard, InstantRescue, PerfectFileRecovery
 Raxco Software, Inc. | |
| Industry | Software |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1978 |
| Defunct | May 2024[1] |
| Products | PerfectDisk, PerfectUpdater, PerfectRegistry, PerfectGuard, InstantRescue, PerfectFileRecovery |
| Website | www |
In 1995, a division of the company was split into the spin-off company Axent Technologies[4], which was later acquired by Symantec in 2000.[5] Raxco continued with its own product offerings. PerfectDisk becoming its flagship software package.[6][7]
Raxco transitioned away from its 1980s and 1990s VAX[8][9]/pre-OpenVMS VMS[10] and OpenVMS[11][12] software product lines, and became private after a management buyout in 2001.[2][13]
Interim ownerships
From the later 1990s through the early 2000s, corporate ownership of the two organizations transitioned:
- 1995: Axent is formed as a spin-off company of Raxco[4]
- 1995-2000: Axent Technologies Inc functions as an independent company[14]
- 2000: Axent is acquired by Symantec[5]
- 2001: Raxco becomes private after a management buyout.
Raxco then changed its course from VAX/VMS to the PC/Server industry in 2003.[15]
Raxco closed operations in May, 2024. All their standalone products will continue to work, but no product activations will be made, and no updates or support will be offered. Subscription-based products will remain functional until their expiration date.[16]
History
During the 1980s, using the collective name RAXCO Rabbit Software,[17] the company marketed a series of nine software packages for the VAX:[9]
Raxco's VAX product line was still active in the 1990s,[18] even as it was building and expanding its PC Product line.[19] By 2003 the PC desktop and server market became the company's focus.[20]
Product line
Aside from PerfectDisk,[21] the company also marketed:
- PerfectUpdater - improves system stability/minimizes hardware conflicts by detecting/installing appropriate drivers for unknown devices[22]
- PerfectRegistry - Fix registry errors that slow down booting up[23][NB 3]
- PerfectGuard - Blocks/removes spyware, helps protect privacy[24]
- InstantRescue - quicker rollback/system restore
- PerfectFileRecovery - an advanced undelete tool
Notes
- prior to PerfectDisk, which came a decade or so later!
- full title: V.A.S.T. - VAX Accelerator Software Technology
- noting that it "automatically creates a system restore point before fixing anything so you can undo the changes if needed."