WinRescue promises to help you recover from a crash in just 2 minutes. WinRescue backs up the Registry and important configuration files, packs the Registry, troubleshoots problems, provides fivefold protection from system crashes, backs up any and all files that you desire, and much more.

It offers five backup options. Full Backup backs up all of the specified files. Incremental Backup only backs up files that have changed since the last Full or Incremental backup. Backed up files will not be backed up again until they change.

Differential Backup only backs up files that have changed since the last Full or Incremental backup. Backed up files will be backed up again on the next Backup. Replace opens up the Backup File and replaces any of the specified files that are different.

Finally, Full (Archive not reset) Backup backs up all of the specified files, but does not reset the Archive attribute (this is for programs like Quicken which do not like the attributes of their files changed).

Download WinRescue XP 1.08.44 in Softonic

One of most common reasons for your PC slowing down is processes that are hogging your system and taking all your CPU.

Process Lasso aims to solve this problem by reducing the priority of those processes that are not important and returned to a responsive level. It also works with multiple processes that are causing a problem so it can deal with more than one program at once. If you think that the program is prioritising the wrong processes, then you can define default processes that you want to be controlled or kept an eye on. Process Lasso also displays graphs and other graphical represeantations to show you which processes are requiring the most CPU usage. You can blacklist those processes that are showing rather high graph readings or that are clearly taking up more CPU usage than they deserve. Although the program requires no experience, it does offer advanced settings and twesking options to make sure that it only blocks those processes that are specified or targeted by yourself. Fortunately, the program itself is very low on resources so it will not add to your CPU hogging problems.

A very useful process monitor than will ensure your CPU only dedicates itself to those programs that really need it.

Download Process Lasso 3.14 in Softonic

The task manager that comes bundled with Windows by default should be enough for most people but others, mainly power users, will definitely prefer something like Anvir Task Manager.

This highly detailed task management tool analyzes everything that's currently active on your system and displays it on a tabbed interface: running applications, active processes and services, programs that are scheduled to run upon Windows start, percentage of CPU and RAM in use, and more. No wonder the program's interface looks so confusing the first time you launch Anvir Task Manager... I wouldn't be surprised to see beginners being scared away.

Besides what you can see at first sight, there are a bunch of context menus and balloon tips in Anvir Task Manager that come up only when you hover the mouse over or click on certain elements. So my advice here is to try clicking everywhere and keep on finding new tools and functions.

Apart from the program's own tools, Anvir Task Manager also includes quick shortcuts to Windows' built-in system maintenance tools. I especially liked the two icons the programs puts on the system tray that enable you to control RAM usage and CPU load at a glance.

Anvir Task Manager is certainly much more than just a management tool for active processes: it's a complete app that lets you control everything that's going on while you're using the computer.

Download AnVir Task Manager 5.2.0 Free in Softonic

The default Windows Task Manager has often been criticized for offering very scarce information about the currently active processes and apps on your system. This is why Task Manager Extension comes in very handy, chiefly for the most tech-savvy users.

Task Manager Extension is a standalone application – no installation required – that adds a bunch of new data to the Task Manager window, you know, the one you open by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del. As soon as you launch it, you'll notice some slight differences when comparing to the default task manager.

To begin with, each process is identified with the program's icon, which makes the list easy to browse. If you right click on any entry, a context menu opens up with a wide variety of commands: from a Properties window with highly detailed information about the selected process to the possibility to see associated threads, loaded drivers and other data.

Like I said before, while Task Manager Extension is certainly a very useful add-on for power users, it may be a bit too technical for more computer-challenged people. A good way to solve this gap would be to have two modes or interface types in the program: one for beginners, one for advanced users.

With Task Manager Extension you can power up the Windows default Task Manager, adding more functionality and information to it.

Download Task Manager Extension 2.1 in Softonic

UltraMon is a utility for multi-monitor systems, designed to increase productivity and unlock the full potential of multiple monitors.

Features:

• Efficiently move windows and maximize windows across the desktop
• Manage more applications with the Smart Taskbar
• Control application positioning with UltraMon Shortcuts
• Multi-monitor support for desktop wallpapers and screen savers
• Mirror your main monitor to secondary monitors for a presentation

Download UltraMon 3.0.3 Beta in Softonic

The overall feeling after testing XdN Tweaker is disappointment. As a "tweaker", I expected to have more options –and also more interesting ones- to customize my operating system, and not just being able to remove context menu commands or disable Outlook Express's splash screen.

In spite of the fact that I found most of the included tweaks not really that useful, there are some interesting ones, like the possibility of adding new commands to context menus or the very necessary file association management that enables you to control which program opens what.

On the upside, XdN Tweaker is very easy to use and includes the option to undo all the changes you make.

Download XdN Tweaker! 0.9.0.9 in Softonic

GameThrust sets the standard for PC and internet optimizing software. GameThrust increases overall speed and performance your computer and internet connection is capable of. Very easy to use, fully compliant with all versions of Microsoft Windows and adjusts itself to your computer specifications.

Makes direct changes to system registry and system files to enhance memory, screen drawing, animations, refresh rates, CPU threading speeds, internet speed. Automatically adjusts settings and changes made based on computer and internet specifications, complete fault tolerance system implemented.

Deep system analyzer and diagnostic features which attempt to find and repair any potential problems with the computer affecting its performance. Bring your gaming to the next level.

Download GameThrust 1.9.29.2008 in Softonic

If you're a serious gamer then you'll need some help to get the most out of your system and ensure your graphics card is performing to the peak of it's abilities.

Game Gain 2 is the latest version of this popular gaming assistant which attempts to take gaming to the next level. It can help you enjoy games like you never have done before by using those parts of your processor and graphics card that had formerly laid dormant. The program is remarkably easy to use requiring just the tweaking of a few throttles and switches to blast your PC into the gaming stratosphere. However, you should use this utility with caution because it does change registry settings that could unbalance your system if your registry is already damaged. It works by making direct changes to system registry and system files to enhance memory, screen drawing, animations, refresh rates, CPU threading speeds. However the developers assure that it only optimises based on the capabilities of your system and won't try and push it past anything it can't handle. If you do experience problems afterwards, the system analyzer should help remedy them.

A great tool for gamers although if you've got the latest Intel Quad processors, you'll probably have little use for it.

Download GameGain 2.9.29.2008 in Softonic

TweakVI was designed for easy tweaking and optimizing a Windows Vista based computer. It allows you to tweak hundreds of hidden features of Windows Vista, optimize your machine and customize it to your needs.

Unlike other tweaking utilities, TweakVI bundles lots of different utilities in one. It was developed to combine both tuning and optimizing features to increase the speed of your Windows Vista system. It's the worlds first software for Windows Vista to combine both customization, tweaking and optimization features.

The main application of TweakVI together with 13 plugins is available completely for free. Additional plugins can be downloaded after subscribing.

Take a look at what TweakVI has to offer:

• Activate hundreds of hidden Windows Vista settings
• Clean your registry
• Activate system and software restrictions
• Display detailed system information
• Create a 256 MB RAM drive
• Protect your privacy
• Clean your harddrive
• Manage TrueType fonts
• Improve your internet connection
• Optimize your CPU
• Optimize your RAM

Download TweakVI Basic 1.0.1090 in Softonic

Some people like to be in control of everything, including computer data and resources. If you fall on this group I'm sure you're going to love TinyResMeter.

TinyResMeter is a little app (as you can infer from its name) that tracks many different computer resources and other data in real time, and displays the gathered information on its interface. You can easily fit this window anywhere on your desktop without disturbing your current work, thanks to its reduced size and transparency.

Despite its apparent simplicity, TinyResMeter does include tons of fields you can add to its interface to keep an eye on them: CPU speed, RAM usage, uptime, user name, active processes and threads, hard drives, removable drives, network connections… are only a few parameters you can control with TinyResMeter. What's more, each one of them displays even more information if you right-click on them, though I must say I was lost among so many techie data.

The one thing that this program needs to improve is the way you select fields to be displayed. A context menu, especially when there are so many options, renders simply unusable.

With TinyResMeter you can easily control many different resources and parameters on your computer in real time.

Download TinyResMeter 0.97 in Softonic

A system analyzer is often overlooked as the toy of PC modding fanatics, but the reality is that these applications are very effective at dissecting your PC and giving you the hard truth about its performance. PC Wizard aims to explore the insides of your system and give you the complete low down on its strengths and weaknesses.

Once you launch PC Wizard you’ll notice it takes some time to detect all the hardware installed on your PC. Use the left side of the interface to navigate through the different categories. PC Wizard reveals all the basic details of your hardware, like ports, drivers and processors, but you’ll soon realize there’s much more to it, like analyzing system files or investigating the configuration of elements such as your Internet connection or your Control Panel. Over-sized icons make it fairly obvious what you can inspect, however we would have appreciated an explorer type window to navigate through components and select exactly what to analyze.

The core of any self-respecting system analyzer is the benchmarking tool and that is where PC Wizard excels. The application lets you inspect everything from processors to cache, RAM and multimedia like DirectX, MP3 compression and video. Benchmarks provide the results as a list of information or via comprehensible graphs. These will show you straight away where you’re PC stands and the “compare with” button will let you measure your processor up against well known models. We have to warn beginners though that the information is fairly technical and will be more relevant to experienced users. Just for fun, test out the video benchmark to obtain a swarm of multicoloured balls and lines all over your screen.

That’s the only bit of excitement you’ll get with this application though. PC Wizard is not here for fun it's here to be effective. The detailed information and thorough benchmarking tests give you reliable data on all the characteristics and components of your PC. The complexity of this type of application means beginners are best kept away from it altogether, however advanced users will revel in the wealth of knowledge it will uncover on their PC’s performances.

Download PC Wizard 2008 1.86 in Softonic

Chameleon Startup Manager helps you to control which applications are being started each time you log in Windows. By checking this list periodically and deleting any entries that are not really necessary, you can improve your system's performance and start up speed.

The program features two working modes, Easy and Expert, for each type of user. The Expert mode shows information about the Registry and gives the user more options to choose from. In any case the interface looks quite cluttered with data and symbols of all kinds.

In all, Chameleon Startup Manager can be useful for a quick system optimization. Besides controlling start up applications, it also includes a task schedules and a task manger, although these seem secondary tools.

Download Chameleon Startup Manager 2.64 in Softonic

If you need to keep an eye on the usage of your CPU then PerfMonitor allows you to see what's happening at all times.

PerfMonitor is basically a processor performance monitoring tool which allows you to track the frequency of up to four processes. It can be used to identify performance bottlenecks or to monitor a program that may be hogging your CPU.

There are no fancy touches to this app and it could do with a few more tips as to what the various parameters are. It displays in graphical format - a bit like a graphic equalizer - the activity of your CPU at any one time.

PerfMonitor is a great tool for system administrators or those that need to get to the bottom of a CPU hogging issue.

Download PerfMonitor 1.0.0.8 in Softonic

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No detecta los procesadores Intel de tres PC probado en el PC de Luis, el mío y en el portátil de pruebas.

18-marzo-2008 - vuelve a fallar 0.97.1

Download Core Temp 0.99.3 in Softonic

When it comes to system maintenance, why have a separate tool for each element when you can have everything you need in Mz Ultimate Tweaker?

This amazing toolbox features an impressive selection of tweaks and apps with which you can dramatically improve your system's performance with the minimum risk. It's very easy to use – even for the not-so-experts. What's more, it creates a backup copy of your system right before changing anything, so that you always have a way back in case something goes terribly wrong.

The program's interface is divided into two main sections: Tweaks and Useful tools. The first one contains a bunch of system tweaks you can apply in different areas such as general performance, services, visual appearance or your Internet connection. They're all neatly organized in categories on the left-side pane.

The Useful tools category includes a selection of tools that have been especially developed for certain maintenance tasks. You'll find a CPU accelerator, a RAM booster, a start-up manager and a registry optimizer, among others. Any changes you make are automatically applied, but you need to restart the computer in order for them to take effect.

Mz Ultimate Tweaker is probably one of the most complete tookits you can find to keep your computer in perfect shape in an easy way and with the minimum effort.

Download Mz Ultimate Tweaker 5.6.1 in Softonic

Though Windows has a quite high degree of customization, there are certain features that are way too hidden for the average user. This is when a tool like TweakNow WinSecret comes in really handy.

With this Windows tweaker you'll be able to access even the most remotely customizable option in Windows XP or Windows Vista, changing not only visual elements that modify the system's appearance, but also its behavior and level of security. All tweaks are conveniently categorized in an easy-to-browse interface that lets you find any of them in just a couple of clicks.

On the one hand, I liked some of the options offered by the program a lot, like the security tweaks that allow you to restrict access to certain system's functions and tools. On the other hand, to be honest, I was disappointed with some categories, such the Applications one for only enabling me to tweak Internet Explorer and Outlook Express or some other tweaks that are easily accessible without using this program - even for a novice user. Nevertheless the overall impression is a very positive one, as TweakNow WinSecret can really make a difference in your daily work with Windows.

TweakNow WinSecret features many varied tweaks, some of them quite obvious, some of them not, with which you can fully customize the system's appearance and behavior.

Download TweakNow WinSecret Professional 1.5.3 beta in Softonic

Tweaking Windows is something of a mini cottage industry since the operating system quickly slows down once it's out of the box.

TweakNow PowerPack is another utility along those lines which lets you fine-tune every aspect of your computer's operating system and Web browser. It deals with everything from temp files to a memory manager which optimises your RAM by allocating spare slots to programs that need it most.

If you've got a power manager then you won't really need it but there's also an AutoShutdown program lets you suspend, hibernate, or shut down your computer after a specified period of time. In addition to saving resources, this simple function us designed to keep your PC more secure because as long as it's offline and switched off, it's obviously not vulnerable to attack.

However, probably the most useful features are the CD AutoRun function which works as an extension of Windows' CD and DVD autorun features and The Virtual Desktop program lets you run as many as four custom-designed desktop configurations simultaneously. With this tool, you can tailor your computer screen to your mood and work requirements - so for example, one for social needs and one for work.

As a way to both tweak and improve the working speed of your PC, TweakNow Powerpack packs a powerful punch.

Download TweakNow PowerPack Professional 2.2.0 in Softonic

Vista Manager is a powerful software tool to tweak, optimize, maintain and tune up your Windows Vista, it bundles more than 20 different utilities in one. It will help your system to be stable, fast, secure and personal.

Information

Get detailed system and all hardware information on your system; show all detailed information of running processes and threads on your machine; Vista Manager offers 1-clicking and cleans your system automatically.

Optimizer

Tweak your system to improve windows startup and shutdown speed; tweak your hardware to increase system speed and performance.

Cleaner

Find out which files or folders engross your disk space and shown with chart; Find and clean junk files to increase Hard Disk space; Duplicate Files Finder can scan your computer for files with the same size, name and modification time; Registry Cleaner can easily checks your registry and repair incorrectly linked registry entries, automatically remove invalid entries; Registry Defrag rebuilds and re-indexs your registry to reduce application response time and registry access time.

Customization

Control what is started on Windows startup; edit context menus of mouse Right-Clicking; customize system desktop, menus, toolbar and notifications settings; automatically change your desktop wallpaper on background.

Security

You can improve desktop, menus, Windows logon securities, and enable numerous hidden performance options of system, disable system updates and error reports; hide and restrict to access drives, specify which applications are not allowed to be executed on your computer; encrypt/decrypt and shred files, change the location of system folders; Privacy Protector can maintain your personal privacy by eliminating the tracks that you leave behind; create lots of randomization password once.

Network

Optimize your Internet connection speed, manage all shares items; tweak your Internet Explorer easily.

Download Vista Manager 1.5.6 in Softonic

Fresh Diagnose is a utility designed to analyze and benchmark your computer system. It can analyze and benchmark many kinds of hardware, such as CPU performance, hard disk performance, video system information, mainboard / motherboard information, and a lot more besides.

System Information: Scan your system and get a complete report about your computer's hardware and software, for example: motherboard information, video system information, PCI / AGP buses information, peripheral (keyboard, mouse, printer, etc.) information, network information.

System Benchmarks: Test your system performance, such as CPU, hard disk, CD/DVD ROM, and compare it with other systems.

Download Fresh Diagnose 7.90 in Softonic

Have you ever thought about how cold your computer screen looks in artificial light? ScreenWhite is designed to give you a truer, warmer representation of white on your display.

The application allows you to tweak your monitor settings to find your preferred white balance. This is done very simply using the two sliders that appear in the simple ScreenWhite interface. You simply drag the sliders up and down to control the green/red balance and left and right to tweak the blue/orange warmth balance. It's suggested that you hold a white piece of paper to the screen in order to accurately set up the right white.

If you want to get a little more technical you can, because ScreenWhite boasts a number of extra settings such as the ability to enter color values manually, along with a feature for storing and managing your own schemes.

There isn't much of a help system in the program, but then it's fairly straightforward to use ScreenWhite anyway.

If you're looking for a way to get your white balance right then ScreenWhite is just the program for the job.

Download ScreenWhite 1.3.2 in Softonic