I have been using the old standard hooks with white backing for years with great sucess. There have been several problems with the clear tapes and hooks. First, it doesn' t seem like the sticky part goes all the way up to the top of the plastic back on the hook. This is where they always pull away from the wall and fall off. I carefully prep and follow the instructions with the same results on ceramic tile, smooth painted walls and varnished wood surfaces. Maybe I got a bad batch! Second, when used on a window ledge, it removed the polyvinyl (varnish) from the wood! I refinished the wood over a year ago! Not happy.