Windows PCs can be choked by programs that
don't properly uninstall, with temporary files and Registry entries often left
behind. Optimisation suites such as Winoptimizer aim to clear out the redundant
data and keep your PC running smoothly.
To our knowledge, no other optimisation
suite offers more analysis and tuning tools than Winoptimizer. Even so, the
interface is arranged in such a way that the wealth of options on offer won't
be offputting to novice users
Ashampoo
Winoptimizer 9.0
The 29 separate modules are divided into
six groups: Maintain system, Improve performance, Customize Windows, Analyse
system, File tools and General. Each category encompasses both major and minor
tweaks.
One-Click Optimizer, which has its own
desktop icon, has three components: Internet Cleaner, Drive Cleaner and
Registry Optimizer. The first clears out temporary files and cookies, the
second removes temporary and redundant files from your drives, and the third
finds and deletes redundant Registry entries. The tool did all the above in 33
secs on our Windows 7 machine.
But system optimisation doesn’t always
result in huge performance improvements. We ran three tests before and after
the One-Click Optimizer, and found starting up Windows took 20 percent longer
following optimisation. Shut down time was a third faster, while the Norton 360
scan time was constant.
Some of the suite's other tools, such as
its ability to alter what programs load with Windows, will affect the startup
time, of course.
Other modules that caught our eye include
Process Manager, Tuning Assistant and System Benchmark.
Process Manager offers more information
than Windows' Task Manager, and helpfully includes the source of each process.
Windows
PCs can be choked by programs that don't properly uninstall, with temporary
files and Registry entries often left behind.
Tuning Assistant makes recommendations for
altering your Windows configuration, such as allowing hibernation, removing
administrative network shares and changing the polling rate on USB ports from
every millisecond to every five milliseconds.
System Benchmark performs a number of speed
tests and returns scores that can tell you whether the machine is slowing down
over time.
Some suites simply link to Windows' own
disk defragmenter tool, process controller and other tools; Winoptimizer
provides its own. Its defragmenter, for example, is quick, apparently thorough
and shows a useful display as it works.
All optimisation duties can be scheduled
using the Taskplaner (sic).
Verdict
Winoptimizer 9.0 is a comprehensive suite
of useful optimisation utilities. Our performance improvements were small, but
your experience may be different.
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Details
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Price
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$40 (1 PC)
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Contact:
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ashampoo.com/uk
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Read more:
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tinyurl.com/8ye3wbp
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System requirements:
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Windows XP/Vista/7; 90MB drive space
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Grab a free copy of Ashampoo Winotimizer
9.0 on our DVD!
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Usability
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4/5
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Features
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4/5
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Value
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3/5
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