Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchPC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11“Clearwell expanding as legal discovery fuels fast document search” was a VentureBeat story published on December 10, 2009—not a current company announcement. It described Mountain View-based Clearwell Systems, whose e-discovery software processed large collections of email and business records for litigation, investigations and regulatory matters. Clearwell later became part of Symantec and then the Veritas/Arctera product lineage, so the name is now mainly a historical reference rather than an independent vendor.
The problem Clearwell was built to solve
By the late 2000s, the evidence in a lawsuit or regulatory inquiry was increasingly electronic: email and attachments, network shares, databases, office files and scanned documents requiring optical character recognition. Multiple custodians and preservation obligations could turn a matter into millions of records.
VentureBeat reported one customer example involving 1.2 terabytes across 10.2 million documents. That was a reported case example, not a universal case size. The operational challenge was to reduce that volume while being able to explain what was searched, which filters were applied, why records were excluded, and how duplicates, attachments and document families were handled.
Manual review by lawyers and outside service providers was expensive and slow. E-discovery software promised to make the process more repeatable, but speed alone could not satisfy preservation, privilege, production and audit requirements.
#1 Best Overall
- PORTABLE SCANNER FOR USE ON-THE-GO — The fastest and lightest mobile single-sheet-fed compact document scanner in its class¹
- QUICK DOCUMENT SCANNING ― This Epson ultra-fast scanner scans a single page as quickly as 5.5 seconds²; Windows and Mac compatible
- VERSATILE PAPER HANDLING ― Portable scanner scans documents up to 8.5 x 72 in; Also easily digitizes receipts and ID cards to make accounting, bookkeeping, and organizing simpler
- INTUITIVE, HIGH-SPEED SOFTWARE — Epson ScanSmart Software³ is a smart tool allowing you to easily scan, review, and save; Stay organized easily with the help of this Epson scanner
- EASY SETUP — USB-powered connect to your computer for quick and simple scanning; No batteries or external power supply required to operate portable document scanner; Standard Connectivity: USB 2.0
What Clearwell actually did
Clearwell positioned its platform as a system covering the e-discovery lifecycle rather than a standalone search box. A typical matter involved:
- Identification: map likely data sources and custodians.
- Collection and preservation: gather electronically stored information and support legal holds.
- Processing and indexing: extract text and metadata so large collections could be searched.
- Early case assessment: estimate scope, risk and likely responsiveness.
- Search and culling: apply terms, dates, custodians and other filters to reduce volume.
- Review and tagging: code relevance, issues and privilege.
- Export and production: create deliverables with associated metadata and family relationships.
- Auditability: document operations so the process could be explained to opposing counsel, a court or a regulator.
The platform’s reported “transparent search” emphasis distinguished it from a generic enterprise search engine that simply returned relevance-ranked results. Users could inspect the filtering and culling decisions and repeat them. That improved traceability; it did not automate attorney judgments about relevance or privilege, and no software can guarantee that a court will accept a process.
Why ordinary enterprise search was not enough
Legal discovery has requirements beyond locating a file. A defensible workflow must account for preservation, collection methodology, deduplication, parent-child relationships, time zones, OCR quality, privilege controls, production formats and chain-of-custody records.
Rank #2
- FAST SPEEDS - Scans color and black and white documents a blazing speed up to 16ppm (1). Color scanning won’t slow you down as the color scan speed is the same as the black and white scan speed.
- ULTRA COMPACT – At less than 1 foot in length and only about 1. 5lbs in weight you can fit this device virtually anywhere (a bag, a purse, even a pocket).
- READY WHENEVER YOU ARE – The DS-640 mobile scanner is powered via an included micro USB 3. 0 cable allowing you to use it even where there is no outlet available. Plug it into you PC or laptop and you are ready to scan.
- WORKS YOUR WAY – Use the Brother free iPrint&Scan desktop app for scanning to multiple “Scan-to” destinations like PC, Network, cloud services, Email and OCR. (2) Supports Windows, Mac and Linux and TWAIN/WIA for PC/ICA for Mac/SANE drivers. (3)
- OPTIMIZE IMAGES AND TEXT – Automatic color detection/adjustment, image rotation (PC only), bleed through prevention/background removal, text enhancement, color drop to enhance scans. Software suite includes document management and OCR software. (4)
- Broad keyword searches can create overwhelming false positives.
- Narrow terms can miss relevant evidence.
- Attachments can be separated from parent emails.
- Scanned pages may not be searchable if OCR fails.
- Near-duplicate handling can remove useful context if configured poorly.
- Metadata or family relationships can be lost during production.
Conceptual search and technology-assisted review can improve recall or reduce manual effort, but they require validation and human oversight. Clearwell’s contribution was workflow control and explainability, not replacement of lawyers.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
What the December 2009 article reported about growth
The figures below were statements attributed to Clearwell or reported by VentureBeat at the time. They were not presented as independently audited current metrics.
| Item | Reported detail |
|---|---|
| Launch | Service launched in 2006, according to the article |
| Product maturity | Fifth version reported by December 2009 |
| Staff | About 100 employees, with a plan to exceed 200 the following year |
| Customers | Approximately 350 corporate customers |
| Revenue | Clearwell said revenue tripled during 2009 |
| Profitability | The company said it was profitable |
| Funding | Approximately $33 million across three rounds |
| Future sales | The company targeted quadrupling sales in subsequent years |
| Survey outlook | A company survey cited by the article said 81% expected more e-discovery requests in 2010 and 73% expected to bring more of the process in-house |
These claims should be read as a snapshot of startup momentum and market expectations in 2009. The original story is available at VentureBeat.
Rank #3
- FAST DOCUMENT SCANNING — Document scanner with feeder allows you to speed through stacks with a 50-sheet Auto Document Feeder (ADF); Efficient office scanner to help you scan more productively
- INTUITIVE, HIGH-SPEED SOFTWARE — Quickly scan with this desktop document scanner; Epson ScanSmart Software lets you easily preview scans, email files, upload to the cloud, and more; Plus, automatic file naming saves even more time
- SEAMLESS INTEGRATION — Easily incorporate your data into most document management software with the included TWAIN driver; Office document scanner integrates seamlessly with business workflows
- EASY SHARING — Duplex scanner allows you to scan straight to email or popular cloud storage2 services like Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive, and OneDrive for simple storage and sharing
- SIMPLE FILE MANAGEMENT — Scanner allows the creation of searchable PDFs with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and convert scans to editable Word or Excel files effortlessly; Designed for home and office document scanning
The historical pricing and deployment model
VentureBeat reported a price of $65,000 for the ability to search 100 GB, including service and support. That is a 2009 price point, not a current Clearwell or successor-product rate.
The model was portrayed as software-led and similar to software as a service because it could reduce hourly review and outside-provider work. Clearwell’s product history also included appliance-based and enterprise deployments. An appliance installed near corporate data could suit organizations with strict residency requirements, predictable recurring volumes and existing IT support. It also imposed hardware maintenance, backup, disaster-recovery and upgrade responsibilities, with less elasticity than a cloud service.
Competition and why the category consolidated
The article placed Clearwell alongside enterprise-search and litigation-support names including Autonomy, Kroll Ontrack, Kazeon and Metalincs. Those companies represented overlapping but distinct approaches: broad search, outsourced litigation services and purpose-built e-discovery platforms. Kazeon and Metalincs were later acquired, reflecting consolidation as e-discovery became an enterprise software category.
Rank #4
- Scanner type: Document
- Connectivity technology: USB
- With Auto Scan Mode, the scanner automatically detects what you're scanning
- Digitize documents and images
Clearwell’s strategic appeal was the combination of large-scale processing, culling, review workflow, information governance and integration with archiving or data-protection systems. For an enterprise buyer, connecting retained data to litigation response was more valuable than adding another isolated search index.
What happened to Clearwell?
- Clearwell operated as an independent e-discovery company during the 2000s.
- Symantec announced a purchase for approximately $390 million in 2011, as reported by VentureBeat. Forrester discussed the strategic rationale in its contemporaneous analysis at Forrester.
- The technology continued through Symantec’s e-discovery products and later Veritas documentation.
- Current support materials use names including Veritas Alta eDiscovery and retain references to the older eDiscovery Platform and Clearwell utilities. See the Veritas product documentation, Alta eDiscovery support and the eDiscovery Platform Upgrade Guide 10.2.
The lineage is clear, but a current successor should not be assumed to have identical architecture, hosting, features or pricing to the 2009 product. Historical company background is also preserved in the Clearwell Systems profile.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What a Clearwell-era organization should evaluate today
A legacy installation is a lifecycle and migration issue, not a fresh purchase of “Clearwell.” Preserve more than native files when moving matters: extracted text, metadata, custodians, document families, deduplication decisions, coding and privilege tags, Bates ranges, production histories, load files and audit logs.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteBest Value
- OUR MOST ADVANCED SCANSNAP. Large touchscreen, fast 45ppm double-sided scanning, 100-sheet document feeder, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, automatic optimizations, and support for cloud services. Upgraded replacement for the discontinued iX1600
- CUSTOMIZABLE. SHARABLE. Select personalized profiles from the touchscreen. Send to PC, Mac, mobile devices, and clouds. QUICK MENU lets you quickly scan-drag-drop to your favorite computer apps
- STABLE WIRELESS OR USB CONNECTION. Built-in Wi-Fi 6 for the fastest and most secure scanning. Connect to smart devices or cloud services without a computer. USB-C connection also available
- PHOTO AND DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION MADE EFFORTLESS. Easily manage, edit, and use scanned data from documents, receipts, photos, and business cards. Automatically optimize, name, and sort files
- AVOIDS PAPER JAMS AND DAMAGE. Features a brake roller system to feed paper smoothly, a multi-feed sensor that detects pages stuck together, and skew detection to prevent paper damage and data loss
A migration guide from GoldFynch warns that work product and production information may not be captured by exporting documents alone. Treat that vendor-authored guidance as practical advice and validate the behavior of the specific legacy environment.
Current choices depend on data location, matter size, workflow complexity and licensing:
| Platform | Typical fit | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| RelativityOne | Large corporate, law-firm and service-provider programs with complex matters and integrations | Pricing is generally quote-based rather than a simple public rate |
| Everlaw | Cloud collaboration, connectors and modern review workflows | Predictable case or annual pricing is promoted, but exact rates require a vendor discussion; it is not an on-premises product |
| GoldFynch | Small firms and occasional matters seeking self-service and published storage tiers | Free trial limits are one case, 90 days and less than 512 MB uncompressed; data above 300 GB is described as increasing in 50-GB increments at $275 per 50 GB |
| Microsoft Purview eDiscovery | Organizations whose evidence is primarily in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft advertises Purview Suite at $12 per user per month paid yearly, with prerequisites; premium operations, non-Microsoft data, storage and exports can add usage charges explained at Microsoft’s billing documentation |
For Microsoft-centered environments, review the Purview pricing details and confirm licensing before assuming the platform covers every source. Organizations with mixed sources may need managed providers, forensic collection specialists, implementation partners or production-quality-control services.
Why the 2009 story still matters
Clearwell mattered because it helped turn e-discovery from a largely outsourced, labor-intensive service into a repeatable enterprise software workflow. Its historical promise was not simply “Google for legal documents.” It was the ability to process huge collections, narrow them transparently, manage review and production, and retain an explanation of what happened.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →That is why the 2009 expansion story remains useful—and why it must be read as history. The independent startup no longer sells the product described then, but the underlying buyer question remains current: can a discovery system reduce data volume without sacrificing preservation, legal judgment, metadata integrity and a defensible audit trail?
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
