PC Matic User Guide

PC Matic User Guide Version 2.0.1 July 2017

Table of Contents Introduction ..........................................................................................................3 Optimal System Requirements ...........................................................................3 Scan Components ...............................................................................................3 Where to Purchase PC Matic..............................................................................4 Launching PC Matic ............................................................................................4 Additional Installations ........................................................................................5 Removing Existing Computers ...........................................................................6 PC Matic Home Screen .......................................................................................6 Logging In .............................................................................................................7 Creating an Account ............................................................................................8 Scan Options ........................................................................................................8 Icon Legend ........................................................................................................10 After the Scan ....................................................................................................10 PC Matic Dashboard .........................................................................................12 Maintenance Stats Overview ............................................................................14 Scheduling a New Event ...................................................................................15 Master Scheduler...............................................................................................16 Reversing Changes............................................................................................16 PC Matic Ad Blocker .........................................................................................17 Super Shield Protection ....................................................................................18 Super Shield Options .........................................................................................19 Android Application ...........................................................................................20 Frequently Asked Questions.............................................................................22 Uninstalling PC Matic ........................................................................................24 Support ...............................................................................................................25

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Introduction PC Matic is for consumers that are looking to protect 10 or fewer endpoints. It is available as a 5 or 10 license per year subscription or lifetime subscription (Evergreen).

PC Matic consists of several parts: •

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Real time whitelist based malware protection known as Super Shield. o Super Shield is active and protects the computer 24/7; the scans will be scheduled to meet your needs.

An on demand scanner that will clean and maintain each endpoint. o You can schedule scans at several different intervals: one time, daily, weekly or monthly. Choose a start day and time and insert an email address to receive the clean reports after the scan completes.

Optimal System Requirements •

• • • • •

Computer Operating System: Windows 10 (32/64-bit), Windows 8 (32/64-bit), Windows 7 (32/64-bit), Windows Vista (32/64-bit) and Windows XP (32/64-bit) Smartphone Operating System: Android 4.0.3 and up Processor: 1 GHz or faster Memory: 1024 MB or more Hard Disk: Need 1 GB or more of free space Active Internet Connection

Scan Components • • •

• •

Disk Defragmentation: Choose full or partial optimization (scanner has built in intelligence to not defrag SSD drives) On Demand Malware Scan (Quick, Full, Selective): Choose to clean up malware (viruses) and/or PUAs (pests).

Benchmarks: Benchmark processor speed, memory speed, and disk speed against all other endpoints we see to come up with a World Rank score. This is how this endpoint compares to all other endpoints scanned with PC Matic.

Drivers: Update drivers to the latest version if necessary.

Update Vulnerable Apps: We will automatically update about 30 third party applications and make sure to keep each on the latest version in 3

• • • • • • • •

order to maintain the security of the program. (Java, Adobe, iTunes, Skype, etc.)

Optimize System Restore Points: Will ensure that restore points do not take up too much hard drive space.

Clean Junk Files: Cleans out the recycle bin and temp directories.

Registry Fixes: Light cleaning of orphaned entries in registry.

Internet Settings: Modifies registry settings to speed up Internet and increase security.

Performance Tweaks: Tweaks OS to run faster (ex: remove animation in start menu).

Services: Turns off auto start of services that are deemed unnecessary.

Scheduled Tasks: Turns off scheduled tasks deemed unnecessary.

Startup Programs: Turns off startup programs deemed unnecessary.

Where to Purchase PC Matic PC Matic can be officially purchased from our website www.pcmatic.com. Click on the Buy Now button from our website to begin the purchase process. From the purchase screen, you can select the number of computers you have, 5 or 10, and the annual license or Evergreen, which is a lifetime license.

You can also download PC Matic as a free download, which will give you limited features of the program. The free download only has access to scanning and will not implement any fixes after the scan or provide real-time protection. If you download the free version and decide to purchase a license open PC Matic and click the Shop icon in the upper right corner to begin the purchase process.

After purchase, you will receive an email receipt with the link to download PC Matic and install it on your computer. If you do not receive this, you can also download PC Matic by clicking the “Free Download” button on PCMatic.com and after installing click “Login” in the lower left hand corner of the program.

Login with your email and password just created during purchase.

Launching PC Matic After your initial installation, PC Matic will launch automatically. This provides you the ability to immediately do a scan after install, and install Super Shield protection. If it does not launch automatically, there are several ways to open PC Matic.

Desktop Shortcut If you elected to have a desktop shortcut added during installation, look on your desktop for the green PC Matic shield shown on the 4

right and double click it.

Start Menu Click the start menu in the lower left hand corner of your desktop and choose all programs. Look for the folder titles PC Pitstop, and then PC Matic. Double click the PC Matic entry with the green shield.

Additional Installations You can install PC Matic on as many computers as you have purchased with your annual or lifetime license. It’s very easy to install the program on another computer after you’ve made the initial purchase. In order to install it on the additional computer, you must visit www.pcmatic.com from the computer you wish to install the software on.

Choose the Free Download option from our website and install the downloaded file. After installation, click the “Log In” button in the bottom left corner of PC Matic and log in with your email and password used to purchase the license. It’s very important that you log in with the account used to purchase and not a new account, otherwise the new computer will not be on your paid account.

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Removing Existing Computers You can remove existing computers from your account if you are no longer using that computer, it has died, or you no longer wish to protect it. To the right of the computer name on your dashboard is an option to remove any computer that has not been optimized within the last 60 days. Computers that have been on the license more than 90 days can be removed without having to wait 60 days from the last scan and clean. Just click on the X. If you need additional assistance removing computers, please reach out to our support team at pcmatic.com/help. Make sure to include the name of the computer that you are looking to remove from the account.

PC Matic Home Screen The PC Matic Home Screen gives you an overview of all of the computers you currently have on your account, along with the ability to scan your current PC. We will walk through all of the options in the Home Screen below.

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1. Support – To access the only official and free PC Matic support click the Support icon.

2. Shop – To add licenses or purchase a license if you are using the free version, visit the Shop.

3. Logout – To change accounts, logout of PC Matic.

4. Master Scheduler – Schedule a scan for all computers on your account at the same time.

5. Master Reports – View reports across all computers on your account.

6. Details – View in depth details of the current endpoint.

7. Super Shield – Install or turn on Super Shield protection on your computer.

8. Options – Change and customize PC Matic including current scan settings.

9. Scan – Run a scan with the current settings customized in the options window.

10. Add a Computer – Easily add more computers to your PC Matic account.

Maintenance Stats The refreshed PC Matic 3.0 UI comes with a new change to the Maintenance Statistics window. This change hides the maintenance stats by default and will only show them when you expand the window by clicking the arrow at the bottom of PC Matic. This allows you to have a cleaner view of the computers on your account with the option of viewing maintenance stats if you would like to.

Edit Account Information To edit information on your PC Matic account, click “Edit” under your name and license expiration date at the top of the program. This will allow you to adjust the email and password on your account.

Scan Information For each computer you will find the Last Test and Next Test listed underneath the name and operating system. This allows you to see the full scan report from the last test that ran on your computer, along with editing the current settings or scheduling a new scan for your computer.

Logging In If you don’t currently see the Home Screen of PC Matic when you open the program you are not logged into your account. If you have an account from a purchase that you made, click the Log In button on the bottom left corner of the PC Matic program and login with the email and password you used when purchasing the program.

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Creating an Account If you do not already have a PC Matic account from a purchase on pcmatic.com, you can create an account from within PC Matic. This would be necessary if you purchased the program from another vendor, such as Amazon.

Choose login in the bottom left corner of PC Matic and choose I Do Not Have A PC Matic Account at the bottom of the login screen.

Fill out the form with your license key you received after purchase, along with your email address and password you would like to use for your PC Matic account. When you’ve completed the form click Create Account to finish.

Scan Options There are two different places that you can customize your pre scan options from within PC Matic. The first location is from the Options button on your Home Screen. After clicking this button, you can select Scan Options in the menu on the left side. This gives you the ability to adjust all of the settings for the scan before you run it.

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There are a lot of customizations that can be made to the scan before you run it, but if you would like to keep it on our suggested defaults you can leave this screen unchanged and click save and run your scan.

The second place where you can customize the scan is at the pre scan options window right before the scan runs. This screen will pop up right after you click the scan button on your home screen. It allows you to quickly adjust the settings for the scan you are about to run. If you would like to not see this screen before scans in the future, check the box at the bottom of the pop up window for “Do not show this option screen again�.

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Icon Legend PC Matic is interactive and color-coded for your convenience. Mouse over and click all information to see more details. This is available after the scan and also after the fix has completed, providing excellent detail and overview information for you.

Dashboard Icon Legend All tests in this series have passed.

At least 1 test in this series failed.

This item contains information gathered from your scan.

This item contains advice about information gathered from your scan.

Non-Essential Tweak: At least 1 item in this series of tests can be tweaked, although it is not a required tweak.

Detail Icon Legend This item has passed.

This item has passed and has sub data under it. Click to expand.

This item has passed and is expanded to show its sub data. Click to collapse.

This item has failed.

This item has failed and has sub data under it. Click to expand.

This item has failed and is expanded to show its sub data. Click to collapse.

We recommend that you follow the advice listed.

This item is advice and has sub data under it. Click to expand.

This item is advice and is expanded to show its sub data. Click to collapse.

This item meets the requirements for a non-essential tweak.

This item meets non-essential tweak requirements and has sub data under it. Click to expand.

This item meets non-essential tweak requirements and is expanded to show its sub data. Click to collapse.

After the Scan After the scan finishes and before clicking next, you will see the scan results.

Color-coded rectangles are provided for each item. Each rectangle is interactive so that you can click to receive information and suggestions. You will also so general scan information without having to click for details, including the world rank and the scan summary.

In the lower right hand corner, you can click the orange Summary box to see all of the suggested changes and advice items from the scan. Advice items are only suggestions and are left for you to complete.

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Within the summary window, you can review each of the items that are suggested to you. If you hover over the item, it will also provide you more detail about the change.

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After you’re finished reviewing the proposed changes and advice items, click the x to close the window and choose next to begin the clean up. After the clean finishes, you will be presented with a summary screen which gives an overview of all changes made by the scan and clean. On the right side you can also set up a weekly scan right from the results page. You must reboot the computer after the clean has finished for changes to take affect.

PC Matic Dashboard From the home screen of PC Matic, you can click on the computer name of any computer on your account and view a dashboard with in depth details on the endpoint including: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Maintenance Stats Overview Super Shield Status PC Matic Scan Scheduler Scan History Performance Trends Live Performance Stats

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(See Image below for details)

Scheduler Create, edit or delete scheduled scans.

History View all previous scans done on this endpoint along with all Super Shield activity.

Performance Trends View processor speeds, disk trends, CPU trends, memory speeds, and network trends measured over time.

Maintenance Stats Here you can track a variety of stats from your dashboard. Get an overview or a filtered look at a specific time period using the All Time dropdown.

Scan Results Results from your most recent scan are always available on your PC Matic dashboard. If you click on last test underneath your computer name you can 13

view the interactive scan report.

Maintenance Stats Overview Viruses Removed PC Matic’s real time protection uses whitelisting within Super Shield to stop unknown and bad applications from running. Once an application is found to be bad, PC Matic will remove it using a scan and clean. This tally shows total malware removed by PC Matic.

Patched Vulnerabilities Malware can enter your system through vulnerable third party applications. PC Matic will detect the applications that need to be updated to assure the safety of your system.

SuperShield Analyzed & Blocked Files Super Shield analyzes every file that runs or tries to run. This tally will continually increase and assures you that Super Shield is running and checking applications for you. The blocked tally represents either unknown applications that were stopped for analysis by our team, or malware that was stopped.

Registry Corrections PC Matic makes a limited number or registry corrections to reduce risk and keep your system stable. PC Matic is not a deep registry cleaner and we do not suggest using one.

Recycle Bin The Recycle Bin is not an extra storage area. PC Matic will empty the recycle bin of unwanted files.

Files Defragged Files located on a spinning disc drive become fragmented. This slows your computer as it searches for hard to find data. PC Matic will defragment and then optimize the location of information and files on the disc. PC Matic identifies and does not defrag SSD drives.

Services Stopped Services run in the background or on demand. Too many services starting with Windows can significantly slow your boot times. PC Matic will stop those unnecessary services.

Scheduled Tasks Disabled Scheduled tasks that have been disabled by PC Matic to maintain your 14

computer’s performance.

Startups Disabled Startup programs are queued each time you boot your system. Removing programs from startup may improve performance and reduce memory usage.

Drivers Updated Drivers keep your various hardware items running properly. Occasionally updates are required to repair vulnerabilities and meet new demands. PC Matic chooses drivers according to what is best for your computer and updates them automatically. PC Matic does not update drivers if they provide no clear benefit.

Scheduling A New Event Before setting up a scheduled scan in PC Matic you must make sure that you are currently logged in, and have run at least one manual scan and clean. Then from the dashboard, click the None Scheduled link underneath your computer name. This will open the scheduled tasks window where you can view and edit scheduled events in the future. Click the green Schedule New Event button at the bottom of that window.

From this screen we can totally customize our scheduled scan including adjusting the frequency, scan type, drives to scan, start date and time, and 15

more. Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the window to view all available options, and click save when finished customizing.

Master Scheduler The Master Scheduler is available for users with more than one computer. It allows you to schedule scans for all the computers on your license to scan at the same time. The Master Scheduler uses the same settings for all of the computers so that you don’t have to create an individual scan for each computer on the account.

Choosing the Master Scheduler button, which is above and to the left of the large Scan button on your dashboard. At the top of the new window (shown below) you can see that you are now scheduling a new event that will scan all computers on the license.

Now again click Schedule New Event and set the time, frequency, and option to receive an email notification. Click Save and close the screen.

Reversing Changes You can always undo the changes made by PC Matic. The utilities in PC Matic can be completely reversed. However, the hard disk cleanup permanently removes unnecessary files and cannot be undone.

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The very first action PC Matic does before making any registry setting changes is to make a backup of these settings. When you run PC Matic it will give you the option to restore the registry settings back to any point before the application. If this fails to correct your issue then we suggest you use Windows System Restore to restore Windows from issues that stem from another source.

To access the registry restore function, click the options button on your PC Matic dashboard and choose the top item in the list on the left side Restore Settings. Here you can choose a previous date and time before the recent scan that caused an issue and restore the previous settings.

PC Matic Ad Blocker To protect our customers from fraudulent activity and malware that can be concealed inside web advertising, we have developed an ad block tool as part of PC Matic.

This ad blocker will be installed in your browser after installing PC Matic. If you do not currently have it installed the only way to reinstall the ad blocker is to reinstall PC Matic as well.

1. Download the latest PC Matic version at https://pcmatic.com/download 2. Run the installer, it will prompt to uninstall, and then launch the reinstall.

For Internet Explorer users, the ad blocking feature will run on it’s own with no prompts. Firefox and Chrome users will see a pop up that will prompt you with 17

“PC Matic is trying to install an extension/add on, click allow to allow this”. Once you allow it, there will be a Super Shield logo on your browser, if it is green it is blocking, if it’s red it is not blocking.

If you need to disable the PC Matic ad blocker on a certain web page that may be having issues or may require you to disable the ad blocker to view the page, just click the green Super Shield icon in your browser and click the large blue power button. This will keep the ad blocker disabled on this page forever until you turn it back on while on that page.

Super Shield Protection Super Shield is an additional protection component that comes with all paid PC Matic licenses. This component provides your real-time protection against malware using our proprietary automated global whitelist. Using the whitelist, Super Shield is able to stop all unknown and bad applications from executing on your computer keeping you secure.

There are several ways to check if Super Shield currently protects you. Look in your system tray, which is in the lower right hand corner of your desktop where a Super Shield icon will be displaying the current status. You may need to expand the system tray using the arrow next to it to view all icons currently in it.

If the Super Shield icon is green you are currently protected. The Super Shield icon may also be red, which would signify it being turned off or currently not running. A yellow Super Shield icon means that it is currently updating. You can also view Super Shield’s current status by clicking the options button and then selecting Super Shield at the bottom of the list on the left side.

Here after having done at least one manual scan and clean, you can choose to install Super Shield protection if it is not installed yet. Be sure to remove all previous real-time antivirus products before installing Super Shield. Running two protection products simultaneously can cause issues between both and may result in you not being protected at all.

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Super Shield Report You can view a report from Super Shield that will display all applications that are trying to or are running on your computer. This will allow you to see if any unknown or bad applications have tried to execute. You can view the Super Shield report by clicking the green shield icon in the middle of your dashboard.

The green icon to the left of each file designates that the file was good and allowed to execute. If that icon is yellow it was unknown and blocked, if the icon is red that application is bad and was blocked. You can view more details about the status of each file by hovering over that icon.

Super Shield Options Super Shield settings can be adjusted to change the protection method by clicking the green Super Shield icon in your system tray. Your system tray is in the bottom right corner of your desktop, and you may need to expand it with the small arrow to see the shield icon.

After clicking the shield you will get a full list of options that begin your ability to customize Super Shield.

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To adjust the protection level of Super Shield, hover over protection level and choose from Super Shield Protection or Industry Standard. Super Shield Protection uses our proactive whitelist based protection and we strongly recommend you use that to stay secure.

To override Super Shield’s protection and whitelist an application you know is good but it is being blocked, hover over protection level and then block notification method. Choose Prompt For Override from the list and then run your program again. From the window that pops up choose if you would like to whitelist the file one time or permanently. Remember to only use this feature for software you absolutely know is good.

Android Application PC Matic is now offering protection for your Android devices! Our Android application provides real-time malware protection as well as on demand scanning for your tablets or smartphones. To use the application, visit the Google Play Store on your Android device and search for “PC Matic for Android”.

System Requirements Android Versions 4.0.3 and up PC Matic requires access to your phone state in order to uniquely identify your device After installing the PC Matic application on your Android device, open it to view the log in screen. Here you need to sign in with the same email address and password used to purchase your PC Matic license on your computer. This will associate your paid licenses with this new Android device and allow you to enable protection and scanning.

If you do not have an account yet, you must purchase PC 20

Matic using the buy now link at the bottom of the login screen. Purchasing PC Matic will allow you to use it on your Android devices along with your computers.

Malware Scanning In PC Matic for Android you are offered two different scan types, scan all files and scan applications. Scanning all files may take longer, as every file on your device will be scanned. Scanning applications will check each app currently installed on your device and remove any malicious applications.

While the scan is running, you will see live updates with what is being checked on the phones screen. You can put the screen to sleep while your device scans.

After the scan has completed you will receive a completion screen that shows details of the scan including how many applications were scanned and removed.

Real-Time Protection PC Matic for Android will provide real-time protection for your device once it has been installed. Each and every time that you visit the Google Play store and install an application, it will be scanned by PC Matic, and you will see a small box at the bottom of your phone that reassures you the app has been scanned.

If it is a known bad application, PC Matic will prompt you to uninstall the application before it is able to cause any harm to your device. If you don’t want it to be uninstalled choose cancel in the pop up window and it will be whitelisted.

Settings There are some minor customizations that can be made to the PC Matic application to ensure it is working to suit your needs. Using the menu button on 21

your phone, you can select settings. Here you have the ability to adjust data usage, schedule scans, and whitelist applications.

• Data Usage: Select Update over Wi-Fi Only to conserve cellular data usage. Any signature updates required by the application will wait until it is connected via Wi-Fi. • Scheduling Scans: Selecting Scan Interval allows you to choose between several options for your scan, including daily, every two days, weekly, and more. After selecting your scan interval, select Scan Type to choose an application scan or all files scan.

• Whitelisted Apps: View and add applications to your whitelist on your device.

Whitelisting Applications In order to view whitelisted applications, visit the settings menu and choose Whitelisted Apps. Here you can view all applications you have previously whitelisted.

Frequently Asked Questions Will PC Matic protect my phone or tablet?

Yes! PC Matic is happy to announce our android application to protect your android phones or tablets. Each phone or tablet will use 1 license of your 5license account. Unfortunately there is no application for iOS (Apple) devices.

What files does PC Matic delete?

Windows often forgets to clean up many files that are no longer needed by the system. The space taken up by these files can clog your disk and cause slower disk access. These files are in three major categories: Recycle Bin - Files are not actually removed from the drive when you delete them with explorer. Instead, the files are moved to the recycle bin where you can retrieve them if you later decide that you should not have deleted them. PC Matic empties your Recycle Bin to reclaim this disk space.

Internet Cache - Internet Explorer creates temporary files that are not needed after you’re finished surfing. These files can take up large amounts of space and should be removed periodically. Although you can clear the cache in Internet Explorer, PC Matic uses a more thorough method that deletes files left behind by your browser.

Temporary Files - Windows and applications create various temporary files that 22

are not needed after the application exits or Windows is shut down. In many cases however, the applications do not always clean up after themselves.

How many installations do I have?

The amount of computers you have available depends on the license purchased. PC Matic can come in a 5 or 10 license package. In the top left hand corner of your dashboard you will see “1 of 5 PCs licensed” for example. All computers will use the same email and password that you assigned at the time of your purchase.

In the event of outdated installations you can remove these from your account using the X located in the top right corner of each computer’s information box on your dashboard. You can also contact our support team to assist with the removal of old computers.

How do I install to additional computers?

To reinstall PC Matic or install the program on an additional computer, download and install the program from pcmatic.com by clicking on the “Free” button.

Once the program is installed, launch the application, and login with the email and password used for purchase to run the scan. Do not click on 'Register' or 'Edit'. Do not use the license key.

How do I remove old installations?

To the right of the computer name on the first screen of PC Matic is an option to remove any computer that has not been optimized within the last 60 days.

Computers that have been on the license more than 90 days can be removed without having to wait 60 days from the last scan and clean. Just click on the X. If you need additional assistance removing computers, please reach out to our support team at pcmatic.com/help.

How do I reset my password?

You can reset your account password by visiting the link below: http://www.pcpitstop.com/support/#/kb/login-issue You can also click on forgot password from the PC Matic login screen. If you do not receive the password reset email in just a few minutes, be sure to check 23

your junk mail folders both on the local email client and also at the online email program.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We currently accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, PayPal and eCheck from PayPal. We also accept rechargeable credit cards. You can purchase rechargeable cards locally. All orders must be placed over the Internet, as we do not accept phone orders.

Can you call me?

PC Matic does not solicit by phone and we do not offer phone support. PC Matic is designed to correct your computing issues automatically.

Our Customer Service desk is available 7 days a week to answer questions regarding the use of PC Matic or any of our software programs. Simply open PC Matic and click on Support. Follow the prompts to provide information and receive accurate, concise, instructions.

Is my email protected?

Yes, SuperShield blocks all known bad or unknown files from executing regardless of their attempted point of entry. If the malware cannot execute then the infection is blocked.

How often does PC Matic Update?

PC Matic resides in the cloud and is up-to-date each time you open the program. The changes are made here at our location and your program is always up-to-date.

How does Super Shield Update?

Super Shield definitions are updated twice daily to keep your computer up to date with our latest global whitelist even when you are offline.

Uninstall PC Matic To uninstall PC Matic, just go to the Uninstall a Program (Programs and Features) link through the Control Panel and uninstall these applications:

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PC Matic PC Matic Super Shield PC Matic Info Center Reboot your computer after these applications have been uninstalled to complete the uninstall process.

Support To get support from our team, you can click the Support button, which will always be in the upper right hand corner of your dashboard. From here you can visit the forums, view the user guide, and choose get support now to contact our team. You can also go directly to pcmatic.com/help and fill out a ticket to contact our team.

Our support team will always reply within 24 hours but typically during business hours will reply very quickly. Immediately after your ticket has been submitted you should see a confirmation from csticket@pcpitstop.com. If this message does not appear in your inbox, check your junk or spam folders and be sure to whitelist the email csticket@pcpitstop.com with your email client so you receive future communication.

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