If you want to keep your PC in good condition and running as smoothly as the very first day you switched it on, you've got two options: either you download a dozen different system optimization apps or you just use TuneUp Utilities, a nice piece of software that has turned into an essential maintenance toolkit for your PC.

The new version of TuneUp Utilities brings many exciting new features that make the program even better. It has not only improved many of the tools included in previous editions, but has also added new ones such as a defrag tool or a repair wizard. Also, you'll notice a completely revamped TuneUp Utilities interface which makes the program even easier to use: tools are classified into several categories as usual, but now there are also direct links to the most frequently used ones. As for the other areas in the program, TuneUp Utilities 2008 maintains the same clear, intuitive and eye-catching design that has made it so popular among users.

The first thing you see when launching TuneUp Utilities is a nagging window, a short message reminding you that this is not free software and that you have a 30 day trial period. It's a bit of a nuisance because it appears every time you run TuneUp Utilities, but no big deal.

Featured tools in TuneUp Utilities range from customizing the appearance of your Windows installation to editing the Registry and covering many important aspects of your system. You'll be able to optimize its overall performance, gain disk space by erasing useless files and even recover those documents you've deleted by accident. TuneUp Utilities can also generate a highly detailed report on the state of your PC. The good thing is that, no matter how many changes you make in TuneUp Utilities, you can always go back to your PC's previous state thanks to TuneUp Rescue Center.

TuneUp Utilities is seamlessly integrated into Windows. New commands are added to context menus to shred or undelete files in your Recycle Bin. Also, you'll find a new shortcut named "1-Click Maintenance" on the Desktop, which enables you to perform a quick maintenance check-up and which has also been optimized in TuneUp Utilities 2008. This is certainly a very handy tool which we recommend running every week as a periodic maintenance task.

TuneUp Utilities gathers pretty much all the maintenance and optimization tools you need into one efficient, easy-to-use application. You couldn't ask for more.

Download TuneUp Utilities 2008 7.0.7992 in Softonic

It was only a matter of time until Vista slowed down enough for it to need tweakers to keep it running at a decent speed again.

Thoosje Vista Tweaker is a free "professional" tweaking tool that's there to fill that gap and allows you to optimize various default settings in Vista. With around 60 different tweaks, it's certainly not short of tweaking options although how many of these really make a difference is debatable. However, you can go tweak crazy because the program performs a brief backup of your current settings in case the tweaks affect your system adversely.

The interface is extremely attractive and easy to use. A menu down the left side gives you options on which part of your system you want to optimize such as Internet Explorer, System UI or General Performance. However, if you don't want to go through all of these separately, you can just perform all tweaks in one go. There's nothing more to it than that - just perform your initial backup, let it run and see if it's made any difference.

Note that some of the tweaks aren't really "tweaks" at all in the strict sense - they are more like shortcuts to things such as Vista system settings that normally, you may not have used or find difficult to access

A well designed tweaker with many optimization options and should make at least some difference to the performance of Vista.

Download Thoosje Vista Tweaker 2.0 in Softonic

nCleaner is a system cleaner that allows you to clean both your system and applications, free more disk space, boost your system's speed and get more stability and privacy protection.

It contains an advanced system and application cleaner with over 90 cleaning items available, a Registry Cleaner, a Tweak Manager, an advanced Startup Manager, a Junk Finder, a Free Space Shredder, a System Resource Monitor, a System Adviser, supports logging and statistics as well as advanced Scheduling.

nCleaner has the best cleaning ration on the market due to an advance detection algorithm, also providing security and stability. With nCleaner you can free up to 2 GB of unnecessary disk space. It supports and handles all major Internet browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer (and all derived browsers), Firefox, Netscape and Opera. It also supports all major IM applications like Yahoo Messenger, Windows MSN Messenger, ICQ, AOL and Skype.

Remove unnecessary files like log files and left behind files and registry entries, scan the registry and remove invalid entries to increase performance and stability, and apply performance and privacy related tweaks to your Windows system. It also offers memory management, advanced schedule options and real time system resources monitoring.

Download nCleaner 2.3.4 in Softonic

Trying to find ways of boosting the speed of your PC is a constant uphill battle and whether you add software or hardware, any improvement never seems to last long.

With increasingly sophisticated programs putting more pressure on your RAM and CPU this is hardly surprising but sometimes, just a bit of tweaking may be all you need. PC Booster 2008 works via an interface that looks something like a virus checker although instead of checking for infections, PC Booster 2008 checks for areas of your system that could do with tightening up.

What's nice is that PC Booster 2008 gives you various options such as Optimize, Autotune, Stabilize, Customize and Benchmark your system. So for example, if you've been suffering frequent crashes, you'll want to try and stabilize your machine. If speed has been an issue, optimizing it will be better. It's not entirely clear what the difference is between Autotune and Optimize and PC Booster 2008 developers could probably have combined these two functions into one but wither way, the result is that your system should run faster.

Within each option in PC Booster 2008, you're given several sub-categories so for example, if you choose Optimize, you are given options for hard disk tweaks, network tweaks, memory tweaks etc. Although this gives you the feeling that you're really getting deep down into your system, I'm still skeptical as to exactly how much difference they really make.

If you're looking for a faster, more responsive system or are looking to iron out annoying crashes and system failures, PC Booster 2008 is worth a try.

Download PC Booster 2008 in Softonic

Computer maintenance tasks are usually boring and tiring, but you really need to spend some time on them if you want your system to run as smoothly as the first day.

Luckily there are programs like Advanced Vista Optimizer 2008, a comprehensive system optimizing application that's been specially developed for Windows Vista, and which makes computer maintenance much easier. Advanced Vista Optimizer contains all the tools you need to analyze, clean, repair and optimize your computer, all of them distributed among several categories in a very attractive interface.

These categories include optimization, security, customization and cleaning tools among others, and let you perform many different tasks in just a few steps. Advanced Vista Optimizer also analyzes your system and displays a complete report about it. Other interesting features are a mass file renamer, a junk file remover, a folder hiding tool, a file splitter and a duplicate file finder, to name a few.

Of course, some of these tools are more complicated than others – memory usage optimization, for example - and novice users may not find them that easy at first sight. Others though are quite straightforward and self-explaining. In any case, the program includes a thorough Help section that will help you with any problem you may have.

The only thing I didn't like about Advanced Vista Optimizer 2008 is the fact that it performs a system scan right away the first time you run it, without even asking for permission.

Advanced Vista Optimizer 2008 is a full featured maintenance tool that includes anything you need to clean your PC and improve its performance.

Download Advanced Vista Optimizer 2008 1.0 in Softonic

Maintenance tasks are usually tiring and boring. This is why a tool like PC Health Optimizer is such a great, lucky find.

This complete set of tools contains pretty much everything you need to perform basic maintenance routines on your system and keep it in perfect shape. You'll find a junk file cleaner, a memory optimizer, a Registry cleaner, a PC analysis tool and a file shredder, among many others. There's even an anti-spyware tool to make sure your PC is safe and clean.

All tools in PC Health Optimizer are perfectly organized in different categories and presented in an attractive, nicely designed interface. All you have to do is browse the program's categories and select the one you want, which will open in a separate window. They're very easy to use but there's also a complete help section in case you need it.

PC Health Optimizer may not include as many maintenance tools as other commercial apps, and also lacks advanced features – such as, for example, the ability to schedule tasks – but it's really a great choice for an unbeatable price.

PC Health Optimizer Free Edition will help you improve your system's performance with a complete pack of maintenance utilities, all neatly organized in a nice interface.

Download PC Health Optimizer Free Edition 2.5 in Softonic

System optimisation is a bit like security in that those who understand it, know how important it is and how to alter their browsing and usage habits to achieve it. However, there are a huge number of titles that claim to offer a helping hand in streamlining your system, many of which promise the world but don’t deliver the goods. The makers of Smart PC have put plenty of effort into making an original interface but have they carried that over and made a tool that lives up to its name?

On first opening the program, it’s not immediately obvious what you’re supposed to do - its vaguely labelled buttons are plastered left, right and centre of the interface. Thankfully, as you mouse over each, a separate window gives you a more detailed explanation and you can get started on whatever you need to do without complication. Getting stuck into the options will generally give a good idea of who the software is aimed at and judging from those of Smart PC, it has been made with inexperienced users in mind. Thanks to the very restricted level of control the user has, there are several important settings that haven’t been included. In comparison to a free alternative that does the same job, CCleaner, Smart PC is lacking secure deletion, an update check and most importantly, it only examines the cookies from Internet Explorer, totally ignoring those of Firefox.

Smart PC regains some kudos with its log file system, which by default saves fifteen log and undo files, should the registry changes have an adverse affect on your PC. The clean and optimize features are run-of-the-mill for this kind of software and don’t bring anything to the table that you wouldn’t be able to do with a few clicks in the regular Windows interface.

The most striking thing about Smart PC is that it practically holds the users at arm’s length from doing anything that could damage their computer but while doing so also limits the amount of optimisation that can take place. As a simple click-and-forget solution it’s great, but for more serious optimisation, it makes better sense to use the free CCleaner, or to start studying so you can get your hands dirty with the registry.

Download Smart PC 4.3 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 1.0.1075 in Softonic

If you're suffering from a slow PC then it's probably wither your RAM or your processor that can't handle what you are putting through it.

However, sometimes it can simply be because their are malicious or unnesscary processes hogging your system. That's where AlacrityPC steps in which is a simple solution which removes unnecessary processes system and frees-up your system resources for programs that need them. Once you've stopped the processes and finished with the program that needed the extra resources, AlacrityPC once again reallocates system resources to those that were using it previously. This is probably most useful when using video sites such as YouTube which can easily make your PC hang due to the large system resources that downlaoding and displaying video, especially in full screen mode, can require. In addition, the program comes with a small defragmentation tool which doesn't seem that efective and can ironically, slow your system down anyway so best not to use it if you've got another solution.

A useful automatic solution for those suffering from a slow PC but won't be of much use to those on higher spec machines

Download AlacrityPC 1.0 in Softonic

Repair and cure your Windows with 1 click using WindowsCare. Unlike other utilities, Advanced WindowsCare does not do simple registry cleaning. It thoroughly examines Windows system, accurately detects the bottleneck for slowing down and crashing, and fixes them. With the novel system technology, Advanced WindowsCare empowers you to run your computer faster, more stably and more efficiently than with many other system tweaking utilities.

Download Advanced WindowsCare 3 2.01 in Softonic

EasyCleaner is a small program which searches Windows' registry for entries that are pointing nowhere. EasyCleaner also lets you delete all kinds of unnecessary files like temps, backups etc.

You can search for duplicate files and you can view some interesting info about your disk space usage! You are also able to manage startup programs, invalid shortcuts and add/remove software list.

Download EasyCleaner 2.0.6.380 Blacklist Release 7 in Softonic

Has your PC been dragging its feet for the past few weeks? Give it the vitamin C treatment to boost its performance. Ace Utilities optimizes your PC with a series of simple to do operations.

Let’s take a closer look at what Ace Utilities does and how it handles. The “Clean Up” and “Optimize” options perform basic tasks like removing obsolete files, cleaning errors from your registry, erasing your program history and fixing broken shortcuts. It’s important to carry out these operations regularly not only to free extra space but also for security reasons. Registry entries tend to pile up quickly and deleting them will significantly improve the performance of your PC. You should also erase your history often to best protect your privacy on the web. A tool to remove duplicate folders also caught our attention. This can come in handy when reorganizing your music or photo library.

With Ace Utilities you can also erase any remaining traces of files you’ve previously eliminated. If your antivirus doesn’t remove the malware it finds, we suggest you use this tool to safely and efficiently root out those dodgy files. In the “Wipe Deleted File Data” option you should choose to shred files from the recycle bin as an extra precaution.

As with any other self respecting optimizer, Ace Utilities includes essential tools like an autostart manager, to add or remove applications launched at startup, an uninstall manager, and a disk analyzer. If you don’t want to worry about performing these maintenance operations you can schedule them to run at a more convenient time.

Ace Utilities is easy to use, it has all the analysis tools you need, but the bottom line is, is it efficient? Just to be on the safe side, we carried out the maintenance tasks twice. To our surprise, Ace Utilities found even more errors the second time around. Shouldn’t the program have cleaned it all up the first time around?

Ace Utilities runs smoothly and is accessible to even the most untrained of PC users but we have doubts as to its efficiency. It’s good, but it doesn’t compare to the real king of the hill, CCleaner, a free program that will tidy up your PC like no other.

Download Ace Utilities 3.0 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 beta in Softonic

Registry problems are the common cause of Windows crashes, error messages, and degraded performance. RegDoctor is designed to safely and quickly clean and repair Windows registry problems with a few simple mouse clicks.

The app uses an intelligent, high-performance detection engine to accurately identify missing and invalid references in your Windows registry. Identified registry problems are listed and rated by risk level using an easy to understand color-coded system.

You can choose to have RegDoctor automatically repair all identified problems, or choose which problems to repair immediately. RegDoctor also offers a Restore feature to create registry backup files, giving you the capability to safely undo any registry changes.

The auto-start feature of RegDoctor helps to support its regular use. By using RegDoctor regularly to clean and repair your registry, your system should not only be more stable but it will also help Windows and your software run faster.

Download RegDoctor 2.04 in Softonic

TweakVista is an all in one control panel for your Vista computer. We were slightly put off by the cluttered interface, especially the welcome screen with its lists of news and recommendations. Annoyingly, the program window can't be resized and you can't scroll down a list.

Despite this cosmetic drawback, TweakVista does offer some pretty useful tools. You can set a user profile according to what use you will make of your PC, like if you'll be playing games a lot. The program also allows you to tweak internet and power performances depending on your habits, although we suggest you leave it to default. Setting your PC to a mode which is too aggressive may cause your PC to crash.

We were well impressed by the assessment tool to benchmark your PCs capabilities against others but much less by the resources section, which all in all, equals to what you find in your PC's task manager. Many of the functions in TweakVista also link to some of your PCs default tools like the Disk Cleaner and in some ways the application those turn into some sort of dashboard for all your Vista optimization.

TweakVista is a mix of effective optimization tools and other more basic, run-of-the-mill functions that you'll find in your Control Panel. If used well, it should improve your Vista PC's performance.

Download TweakVista 1.10 in Softonic

Run PC Pitstop Optimize and identify many common problems that plague most computers. Find out what it takes to get a better performing computer without the expense or difficulty of adding new hardware.

Energize Internet speeds

Improve your internet connection up to 200% by adjusting your Windows Internet settings based on your connection type.

Recoup system resources

Eliminate unnecessary background processes and get back memory and processor cycles stolen by rogue applications.

Maximize hard drive space

Quick and easy way to find and remove unnecessary files, making your hard drive run even faster than ever.

Eliminate registry errors

Remove erroneous and leftover registry entries created by viruses, spyware, and incorrect program removal.

Revitalize system performance

Increase your system performance by tweaking Windows settings

Download PC Pitstop Optimize 1.5 in Softonic

Sparkle XP takes a radical alternative to Windows speed problems by creating an entirely new configuration for your PC. SparkleXP releases RAM and processes so that your PC operates at its optimum performance level at all times.

This program is certainly comprehensive. It takes a look at the taskbar, the Start menu, the RAM, registry, profiles of each user and hardware preferences in trying to optimise your system. It works by releasing a little bit of everything here and there so that you end up with a cumulatively faster system. The setup is very simple - a wizard will guide you through the installation of SparkleXP and depending on your needs, you can choose to preserve your Internet, AntiVirus and Firewall settings. At the next reboot you will find a new menu where you can select which System to load including your new lightweight SparkleXP desktop.

This is an effective program that certainly speeds up your PC although your new lightweight desktop will lack many tools that you may need access to.

Download SparkleXP in Softonic

If you feel your computer needs a good cleaning and some fixing, you could find PC Checkup interesting. It's very easy to run and most of its functions are also free to use. Start by pressing the Clean & Secure button which deletes unused registry keys and values entries. It also cleans up items in the network cache and in the temp folder.

The Analyze and Fix tool works partially and will fix just half of the entries unless you register and pay the subscription fee. The Speed & Defrag function though fully works and it is useful to improve the general speed of a PC. Bear in mind that this is something you can also do efficiently from the properties menu of your hard drive.

PC Checkup probably doesn't offer much innovation in the cleaning and fixing list of available programs. It is surely an extra option to check the status of your PC and operate some function to restore it to optimum health. Consider though that what the program does automatically, you could do manually with the embedded functions of your Operating System.

Are you about to have your PC Spring cleaning done? Try this easy to use application which will clean unused files, fix registry errors and defrag your PC's hard drive.

Download PC Checkup 3.25 in Softonic

Modify Windows settings, file system and services to improve system performance. Increase startup and shutdown speed, disable annoying CD autorun and unwanted error reporting features.

BoostSpeed will keep monitoring your system for possible optimizations and let you know if such optimizations are possible. You can also run the System Optimization Wizard to periodically optimize your PC. Adjust your PC for faster images, music and software downloads, increased browsing speed and reliable Internet connections. View your download speed and graphs.

Get rid of junk on the disks and registry of your PC. Remove hazardous and space-wasting files left by untidy programs and crashes of your system. Badly written applications constantly steal memory without giving it back. That's why your PC becomes unstable with time and you have to reboot. BoostSpeed automatically frees up computer memory to gain additional performance boost. You can also manually recover memory and clipboard.

Download AusLogics BoostSpeed 3.7.2.680 in Softonic

Error Doctor 2007 will fix hidden bugs and errors on your PC and increase the overall performance speed of your computer by as much as 300%. Error Doctor is the most advanced Error Remover software on the market today! Error Doctor will scan your Windows registry and give you a detailed list of errors broken down by type absolutely free.

Error Doctor will fix hidden bugs and errors on your PC and increase the overall performance speed of your computer by as much as 300%. Statistics show that 93.7% of personal computers have corrupt and potentially dangerous files with 150 or more errors on them. Let the award winning Error Doctor software repair those errors for you today so you can enjoy a faster and more efficient PC.

Auto scan

By default, Error Doctor scans the registry for all types of errors. This is the simplest way to clean up the registry. Automatic Scan is recommended for 'non-technical' users.

Manual cleanup

After the scan is complete, Error Doctor will show you a full list of errors with details, and let you fix individual invalid entries or all invalid entries of a certain type.

Backup and undo

Before scanning your registry for errors, Error Doctor gives you the option to create a backup file(s) that can be used to undo the changes.

Scheduler

You can schedule Error Doctor to scan the registry for errors every 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes or whenever you prefer. You even have the option to have your PC automatically scan for errors when your computer starts.

Download Error Doctor 2007.56 in Softonic