Keeping your hard drive properly defragged is one of the easiest ways to speed up your system and ensure that everything runs smoothly and quickly.

You can launch the program either via shortcut, Start menu or the command line with "QREGDEFRAG.EXE -defrag". Other command line commands you can use are "-defrag" which operates defrag in "silent mode" and "-noprogresswindow" which hides the progress window during defragmentation. Finally, you can also use "-reboot" which automatically reboots the computer when defragmentation of the registry is complete. If you're using Vista, note that you'll also have to run the program in administrator mode. The big question, as with all defraggers, is does the program operate quickly and does it have a noticable effect? Whether it runs quickly depends on how badly un-defragged your hard drive is and of course, how big it is. Generally, the program runs at an impressive speed, especially under Vista but it doesn't seem to make any particularly impressive speed improvements. However, it does make programs open slightly quicker and presents a full report on defragged files.

A quick and speedy defragger that helps programs open faster and allows you to see at a glance, those files that are slowing your system down.

Download Quicksys RegDefrag 2.0 in Softonic

From slow beginnings, BitComet has risen to become one of the most popular torrent client downloads on Softonic. For users accustomed to the often sparse interfaces of torrent apps, BitComet surprises with its flashy icons and multitude of options that give you more control over your downloads. For those that want a no-fuss client, the extra features may simply get in the way.

Once a torrent is selected for download with BitComet, a dialog pops up allowing you to determine the location to save to and select exactly which files in the torrent you want. Once downloading, the regular stop, pause, cancel, update etc options are all available plus a handy “remove torrent & all files” option which removes all trace of an unwanted torrent from your PC. Many users report the download rates are good although note no particular difference with other client speeds. The best feature however is a ‘preview media’ option, which forces the torrent to download sequentially instead of randomly thus allowing you to preview any multimedia downloads. It’s a great way to avoid broken links, but, on the downside, it will slow down your download considerably.

Another interesting feature is the ‘intelligent disk cache’ which really comes into its own on high speed connections. If you are lucky enough to get download transfer rates of 500 kb/s or higher, activating it allows BitComet to cache the data to access the disk less frequently. The result of this is that it doesn’t slow down your PC as receiving large amounts of data can sometimes do.

Forum reports from foreign users suggest that the program has not been translated properly from English, yet this doesn’t affect the capacities of BitComet. The other downside is that the uninstall procedure is not particularly clean. The application directory remains as does the registry entry although you can remove the former manually and the latter with any good registry cleaner.

There are simpler clients out there, such as uTorrent uTorrent and Azureus that offer the same download rates but with less fuss. If you have a particularly fast connection, can’t wait for your files to download before watching them and enjoy a torrent client with lots of whistles and bells, BitComet might be for you.

Download BitComet 1.05 in Softonic

Mz Vista Force is a suite of tools to help you improve the performance of Windows Vista to run faster. It includes options for optimizing the use of the CPU, disk access, startup and Internet connectivity, and allows the deleting of caches and other slow-down elements of Internet Explorer or Windows Media Player.

It also has direct access to Windows components, such as registration, DirectX diagnostics, diagnostics disks, system properties, and so on. The Mz Vista Force program manager and boot loader are very easy to use and the program allows a full backup of the registry. Non-English speaking users should be warned however that the program is not available in other languages and many of the tweaking options may be difficult to understand.

If you're already experiencing slow down problems with Vista, then this program should at least regain a small percentage of that speed back.

Download Mz Vista Force 2.1.1 in Softonic

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).

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Registry errors are one of the main reasons for the slow operation of your PC or frequent crashes. Baku can ensure that if your registry does have malicious entries, they can be removed safely. Baku also deletes empty folders, 'History' folder contents, 'Recent documents' folder contents, 'Temp' folder contents and temporary internet files. It can also search Windows log files, shortcuts to missing files and folders and user specified file types. The registry scan itself aims to remove unused and obsolete keys, including ActiveX, Application Paths, Fonts, Help files, Icon files and pesky uninstallers.

Like all such programs, it backs up your registry in case of any wrongful changes although I found that this wasn't exactly easy to restore. Probably the most useful function is the registry compacting facility which does seem to make a notable difference to the running speed of your PC. The developers claim the program uniquely works by recreating each registry hive "from scratch", thus removing any slack space that may be left from previously modified or deleted keys. Note that this function does NOT change the contents of the registry in any way, nor does it physically defrag the registry files on the drive. Be warned though that it takes a little longer than programs such as CCleaner and you'll have to wait more than few minutes for the registry backup to be made.

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The Windows Registry is one of the key system elements of the OS, meaning you should always try to keep it in perfect shape with tools like Argente Registry Cleaner.

Argente Registry Cleaner analyzes the whole Registry in just a few seconds and finds all the invalid entries that programs usually leave behind after an incomplete uninstallation process. These entries can end up collapsing the Windows Registry and causing serious performance issues, but with Argente Registry Cleaner you have nothing to fear: the program will scan all the Registry areas, create a list with all found errors and provide you with the necessary tools to erase them. And for those of you who don't like messing up with the Registry, Argente Registry Cleaner also includes a backup option to be on the safe side.

Argente Registry Cleaner includes some interesting configuration options with which you can select which areas in the Windows Registry you want to scan, but unfortunately there's no option to set automatic scans according to a user defined schedule.

With Argente Registry Cleaner you can keep the Windows Registry fully clean, optimized and functional in just a couple of clicks.

Download Argente Registry Cleaner 1.5.0.2 in Softonic

If you think Process Monitor is just a more complete alternative to the standard Windows task manager, you're wrong. This is a exhaustive control tool, mainly intended for system administrators, which tracks all the activity in Windows file system and Registry in real time.

So when you run it (no installation required, but it does ask for administrator rights) you'll get a constantly increasing list with all the processes taken place in your computer in real time. In fact, there's so much information to absorb that it makes you feel a bit lost.

Process Monitor includes many tools to manage this list: filters, a nice search tool, extended information about each process and many more. As I said, it's definitely a tool for advanced users.

Download Process Monitor 2.0 in Softonic

As USB sticks and other flash memory drives increase in storage capacity, so does their popularity as software repositories. Many applications have developed special versions for these devices, usually known as "portable". One of them is CCleaner Portable.

In a few words, CCleaner Portable is the pocket version of CCleaner, an excellent cleaning tool with which you can erase unused files, thus gaining back valuable free disk space and making Windows run faster and smoother. The great advantage about CCleaner Portable is that it allows you to do just the same without leaving any evidence of use on the computer. In fact, you don't even need to install it. Simply run it from your USB memory stick and you'll have immediate access to all of its features. CCleaner Portable does create some necessary keys in Windows Registry, but these are deleted when the program is closed, so there'll be no trace of it left on the system.

Regarding its functions, CCleaner Portable does a very satisfactory job. The program helps you to get rid of many different files such as Internet cookies, temporary files, log files or all those leftovers found after months of installing and uninstalling applications. The configuration menu features interesting options like the possibility to keep certain cookies which may be useful for you or the ability to add custom file types to the delete filter. Apart from freeing up disk space, CCleaner Portable also lets you uninstall applications, find broken registry keys and list all the programs set to run when Windows launches.

On the down side, CCleaner Portable does not allow you to undo changes, so you must be very sure about what you want to erase before clicking on "Yes". Also, the program can take a few minutes before finishing the analysis that must be done prior to deletion. However, this is probably due to the fact that CCleaner Portable runs from a USB device and that we checked all the available options when cleaning our system – the test found 558 MB of removable material, which obviously took a while to be deleted.

All in all, CCleaner Portable is every bit as good as its "big brother" and comes in really handy when you want to use it on any PC without installing anything or leaving any traces behind you.

Download CCleaner Portable 2.12.660 in Softonic

CCleaner is a small utility that will take care of a few of the important maintenance tasks that every computer user should carry out as regularly as possible to keep their systems in top shape. Fast, reliable and easy to use - CCleaner it's one of the best cleaning systems out there.

For me, the beauty of CCleaner is the speed at which it carries out the various scans and fixes. Its main purpose is to clean any unnecessary files from your hard-drive and on opening the program you see the various aspects of Windows that you can search through and clear. CCleaner will also detect your installed applications that may hold on to files which are no longer any use, such as Google Earth histories or Flash Player configurations.

The interface in CCleaner is very easy to navigate and before taking any action, you will always be asked to confirm that you are sure about what you want to do. There is a useful registry checker that will quickly check its integrity, and let you fix bad entries after making a backup. CCleaner uninstall and startup tools are handy to have and simply add to the usability of this very rounded little maintenance assistant.

The most recent release of CCleaner now works on Vista with Admin permissions where available and features various bug fixes and improvements to the translated versions.

CCleaner makes keeping your PC clean easy for beginners and experts alike. It's small, fast, comprehensive, and free to download it - get cleaning now!

Download CCleaner 2.12.660 in Softonic

Spyware Doctor removes and provides real-time protection against just about any threat you can think of including spyware, adware, trojan horses, keyloggers, browser hijackers, phishing attacks and other malware threats. For Internet Explorer users, it also provides a built-in popup blocker and malicious site guard.

Scanning is quick and covers many areas of your PC including Windows registry, file system, processes and tasks, browser, network configuration and cookies. Since the scan is pretty quick, the most effective way to use it is to install it for use on Windows startup to ensure that your system is clean before every use. However, this will make your boot-up time longer and can sometimes be frustrating as you wait for Spyware Doctor to report that there's nothing new to remove since yesterday anyway. You may also find that it conflicts with other anti-virus or anti-spyware programs and you may be prompted to remove them or find that they have been effectively disabled by Spyware Doctor.

It's also important to ensure that Spyware Doctor has constant access to the internet as it is updated daily with the latest threats. However, these threats can sometimes be exaggerated out of proportion such as in the case of keyloggers which Spyware Doctor may warn you is a high threat but in reality, is benign.

Download Spyware Doctor 6.0.0.385 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

Keeping Windows continually optimised is an ongoing challenge and the worst problem is when software conflict with each other.

PCHeal is designed to step in when you've suffered a major software conflict or system slowdown. It makes direct changes to your system registry and files to enhance memory, screen drawings, animations, refresh rates and CPU threading speeds. According to the developers, it automatically adjusts settings and changes made based on computer specifications although it's hard to tell if anything really has been done or not after running the program There is also a deep system analyzer and diagnostic tool which attempts to find and repair any potential problems with the computer which is affecting its performance. The software also focuses on over-clocking features to enhance memory and CPU priorities and there's an easy and intuitive user interface which performs all setting changes immediately. In reality, in the case of a major software conflict, there's little you can do but this program offers some hope of at least recuperating some of your system's performance without uninstalling the guilty products.

Worth a try if you've experienced a major system failure although don't expect it to perform miracles.

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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

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

Malware Defender is what is known as an HIPS (Host Intrusion Prevention System) which basically means it protects you from all kinds of malware and spyware that may try to hijack your system.

The key advantage of Malware Defender, however, is that it is very low on resources despite featuring a realtime protection system, process manager, kernel module manager, hooks detector, autostart application manager, file explorer and a registry Editor. Combined, these protect your from viruses, worms, Trojans, adware, spyware, keyloggers and rootkits.

Malware Detector doesn't seem to be the most intuitive program to use. The reason it is so lightweight is that it's very stripped down, meaning that the results are reduced to nothing more than a crude list of its functions and status. It does however run incredibly discreetly which makes you wonder whether it's really having an effect but it seems to pick up everything that Adaware, etc. finds.

Malware Detector is probably not a great starting app for beginners but if you need a lightweight malware scanner, it's a decent option as long as you know what you're doing.

Download Malware Defender 1.1.2 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

There's no doubt that the 'Add/Remove Programs' dialogue in Windows is painfully slow - it takes ages to load up all the Service Packs and programs that are installed.

Handy Uninstaller is a tool specifically designed to remove unwanted programs in a much quicker way. Handy Uninstaller looks and feels like Windows Add/Remove dialogue but it works much quicker and most helpfully, it classifies programs into different categories such as audio, games, networking, security etc.

Handy Uninstaller eliminates folders, registry entries and pretty much anything else left behind by programs. However, it doesn't really give you much info about mysterious entries in your program list. Using this uninstaller, it would be very easy to accidentally remove components or programs that you didn't mean to.

If you're left cold by Windows Add/Remove dialogue and want something quicker and leaner to clean up your PC. Handy Uninstaller is a speedy solution.

Download Handy Uninstaller 1.0 in Softonic

With Vista becoming ever more widespread, users are demanding more control over how it is installed. vLite allows you to remove unwanted components in order to make Vista run faster and to your liking. Note that this is not a hacking tool - all files and registry entries are protected as they would be if you installed the unedited version only with the changes you select.

The program works by configuring the installation directly before the installation itself, meaning you'll have to remake the ISO and reinstall it. This method is much cleaner, not to mention easier and more logical than doing it after installation on every reinstall. You can select which components to remove but note that unchecking a component will not remove it. The developers say this has been done because not all components are supported by the program and disabling the check boxes removes any confusion. Be very careful when removing components however because they cannot be reinstalled afterwards. The program warns you to be careful with major components by displaying a "Caution!" warning label when you hover over it.

This is a great tool for Vista users but use it with care because if you remove something you didn't mean to, you'll end up doing the whole Vista installation over again.

Download vLite 1.2 Final 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

HDCleaner is the easiest and most comprehensive way to keep your PC running smooth and error free. There may be many junk files in your hard disk when your computer is running. They would make the computer system work slowly and astatically. HDCleaner uses a highly intelligent engine to scan your hard disk & improve PC performance!

You needn't know about the system and file types. Only click your mouse, it will clean all the junk files quickly and safely. It safely removes Web cookies, Web history, recent documents history, any hidden user traces and more with just a click. Registry Cleaner and Optimizer: Enhanced regclean or regcleaner in short. It cleans the Windows Database Registry for invalid information such Invalid Fonts, shortcuts to files.....HDCleaner implements the US Department of Defense and NSA clearing and sanitizing standard. HDCleaner also identifies garbage files on the HDD of the network computers.

Download HDCleaner 3.152 Beta in Softonic