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

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

Writing PHP code and testing it on-the-fly can be a real hassle but this offering from DzSoft promises to ease the pain of coding by acting as a virtual server that can process code and display the results.

DzSoft PHP Editor is primarily a code editor, and includes the majority of features that you’d expect from this type of software. However, while most rival code editors tend to generalize, offering syntax highlighting for a multitude of languages PHP Editor is specifically tuned to the needs of web programmers who are working with the Hypertext Preprocessor language. Evidence of this can be found in the inclusion of common code and functions libraries and the ability to run and preview your work.

At first glance the program doesn’t appear to have a particularly intuitive interface. The design wouldn’t be out of place in Windows 95 and the main editor window is a typical reproduction of Notepad with each line numbered for easy reference. What appears to be a navigation bar on the left offers some hope of functionality, and once you get stuck in to coding it really delivers. The explorer bar tracks everything and records the location of each include, function, variable, and class you use. Should you wish to specifically save a reference point you can add up to nine bookmarks, although you can’t assign names to them - an addition that would have helped clarify what function each snippet serves.

To use the run and preview feature you must install PHP on your PC, a simple operation when compared to setting up your computer as a server that can process PHP. With a syntax check also included, this tool comes highly recommended to anyone that will be writing significant bodies of PHP. DzSoft PHP Editor may be a little rough around the edges, but with its outstanding functionality, that can be forgiven.

Download DzSoft PHP Editor 4.2.0.0 in Softonic

Use one centralized system dashboard to automatically perform all vital PC maintenance by diagnosing, reporting, and resolving computer problems and performance bottlenecks.

This award-winning utility suite is trusted by millions worldwide to secure, optimize, repair, and tune-up their systems.

System Mechanic® 7 provides a wealth of tools to keep PCs running in peak condition. This versatile and easy-to-use product allows you to:

Run system analyses to stay informed about your PC’s condition. View any system problems detected by System Mechanic and decide which ones you want to repair. Enable ActiveCare™ to perform the automated housekeeping tasks that you specify.

Select the exact repair and optimization tools that suit your needs, and run them when you want and how you want. One-click Power Tools and guided wizards allow you to eliminate performance drains and adapt settings to boost PC and Web speed, repair hard drive errors that cause computer crashes and lock-ups, and recover from disaster if your computer ever becomes severely damaged.

Erase temporary and other junk files to reduce clutter and increase drive capacity. Eliminate dangerous spyware, block hidden malware from altering your system settings, and repair security vulnerabilities that leave your system open to attack.

Monitor, control, and fine-tune settings so that your PC is tailored to your specifications. Diagnostic tools provide detailed system reporting and allow for advanced troubleshooting.

Download System Mechanic 7.5.8 in Softonic

If you're noticing a significant slowdown in your PC's operations, then jv16 PowerTools is a full Windows optimization and tuneup utility suite which could extend the life of your PC.

As the developers say in their advertising blurb, it's inevitable that the longer a computer functions, the slower it becomes. Even regular defragging can only achieve so much so it's essential that you run some kind of optimiser. jv16 PowerTools aims to rid your system of useless files that may be slowing you down without bloating or overloading it. The program takes the format of most standard optimisers dividing it's main features in the left hand side of the interface with the sub-functions on the right. The actual look is a bit antiquated but at least the lack of flashy graphics means it remains light. The main functions are a Registry Cleaner, File Tools, System Tools and Privacy Tools. Below these, you've got options for changing the general settings and backing-up of your current settings. Below these you can see two "healthomerters" which display both the PC Health and Registry Health. However, these two measurements never seem to change that much and even when they're showing positive results, it doesn't necessarily mean your PC is running better which makes me wonder if the readings are really based on anything at all.

This is a fairly average attempt at creating yet another optimiser for Windows although if all your others have failed, you might get some joy out of it.

Download jv16 PowerTools 2008 1.8.0.444 in Softonic

BitDefender is one of the most comprehensive protection packages out there for your PC. Covering everything from an anti-virus protector to Trojan blocker, it's a package for someone who doesn't want to install lots of separate ones.

The program is updated hourly which is both good and bad in equal measure. Good in that you're always protected but bad in that it can slow your system down a bit. The good thing is if your PC does crash at all, BitDefender automatically repairs and updates itself once you've restarted your PC. For those that upgrade to the full version, there's a 24/7 helpline via phone, email or chat at no additional cost. There's a NEWGamer Mode which temporarily modifies protection settings to minimize their impact on how your game performs so that you can play games with peace of mind. The anti virus is pretty powerful which blocks unknown viruses using what the developers call "advanced proactive detection techniques". In addition to all this, it includes a CD burning backup facility plus a tuneup utility to keep your PC operating at optimum performance.

An excellent all in one package although the updates a re a bit too regular and it takes your time to find your way around.

Download BitDefender Internet Security 2008 in Softonic

Windows Explorer is often accused of being too simple. This is why using an alternative file manager is not a bad idea.

Flexkit Express is one of those alternative file managers that enable you to control all folders and files in your hard drive. Besides this basic functionality, the program hides some really nice aces up its sleeve such as a duplicate file finder, a file hash checker and a file analyzer and classifier. This means that apart from browsing the contents of your system, you'll be able to locate duplicate files, see the most frequent file types in your hard drive and check the size of your folders –which I personally found really useful. I also loved the button system to move around the folder hierarchy.

On the downside, the duplicate file tool is not as intuitive as I expected it to be. It does locate duplicate files, bit I'm not that sure about the criteria used by the program, not did I like the way you delete them, which is far from being easy.

Flexkit Express is an great file explorer with some nice extra tools, some of which could be improved.

Download FlexTk Express 1.7.10 in Softonic

This popular customization program allows you to add skins, toolbars, and interfaces to fine tune your computer. While the trial version of Window Blinds offers a restricted number of skins, you can easily choose from the thousands available from wincustomize.com and Deviant Art, which load directly into WindowBlinds. The program barely takes any space in your hard drive and loads new themes or skins rather quickly. It is quick to install and very stable. Window Blinds also gives you a preview shot of what the design would look like.

The trial version is a bit limited as it does not allow you to use the in-depth SkinStudio, with which you can normally customize your skins by changing color, size, and background. If you’re feeling particularly creative, you can also create your own from scratch. Thanks to the new blurred glass effect you can make pretty original skins. We also found it quite easy to handle animations in the skins you created.

Window Blinds is great to create original skins of excellent quality for your desktop.

Download WindowBlinds 6.01 in Softonic

A computer is very much like a car in the respect that it's all clean and speedy when you first get it but after a short while it starts to slow down. And just as your auto needs a tune-up every once in a while, so to your PC can be given the once over to speed it up. Registry Mechanic is one of a number of registry cleaners on the market, and it also proves to be one of the best.

Trawling through your registry for problems can be a tricky and even dangerous task, but this program makes it really simple to cut the crap that you don't need through its idiot-proof navigation. The app splits registry errors into categories, prioritising their importance and offering you a simple-to-understand description of what the problem is. Although the interface is great for novices, there are plenty of customisation options to keep dab-hands happy too.

Scanning in Registry Mechanic is pretty quick and seems to be very thorough (it picked up over 200 errors!) There are several scanning options, such as the ability to scan automatically or to select certain directories to examine. Solving problems is easy for beginners because the program takes you to the path of the error, allowing you to delete it manually, making it safer, to boot. Unfortunately there's no undo tool in the program so you'll need to revert registry entries yourself if you delete one in error. On the whole, Registry Mechanic provides a fast, easy solution for fixing registry problems and speeding up your machine.

Download Registry Mechanic 6.0 in Softonic

WinUtilties is a collection of tools designed to optimize your system performance and remove unneeded files and internet tracks. The application allows you to remove invalid registry entries, delete application and internet history, manage cookies and much more.

Full line-up of utilities:

• Disk Cleaner
• Registry Cleaner
• Startup Cleaner
• History Cleaner
• File Splitter
• File Shredder
• File Lock & EXE Protector
• Memory Optimizer
• Duplicate Files Finder
• Shortcuts Fixer
• Process Manager
• Uninstall Manager
• System Information
• Windows Tools
• Registry Backup/Restore
• Registry Search
• BHO Remover

Download WinUtilities 5.2.7 in Softonic

Advanced System Optimiser is a combination of tweakers, optimizers, enhancers, privacy protectors, organizers and other utilities. These utilities work in the background to efficiently manage system performance, raise system productivity, protect your privacy and contribute to the enhanced performance of your PC. Advanced System Optimizer includes around 30 tools to supercharge your PC's performance, and more than 200 tweaks for customizing Windows and improving its performance.

With Windows Optimizer you can adjust and modify the appearance of Windows, tune Internet and network performance, manage your system and its security with other hardware settings. In addition, the Memory Optimizer helps you free-up your system's memory whereas Registry Defragger streamlines your system registry. Although the program is supposed to operate discreetly, it did seem to slow down the general performance of the PC at times although the Windows customisation tool really allows you to get creative with how your OS looks.

Download Advanced System Optimizer 2.20 in Softonic

XPepius is a toolkit for tweaking, optimizing, tuning and cleaning Windows XP. It helps you increase performance and manage your system using a variety of tweaks and utilities. The program offers a series of handy tools, including a Start-Up Manager, Uninstaller, Cleanup Center, Disk Cleanup, and Designer XP.

Features of the app:

• Tweak System, Windows, Explorer, Start menu, Desktop, Files, Drives, & Control Panel
• Tweaks to Enhance your security and privacy
• Tweaks for Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and Microsoft Office
• Tool to edit registered application paths (program aliases)
• Tool to prevent users from running specified applications
• Startup Manager to add, delete, enable/disable and edit startup programs
• Uninstaller to easilymanage removal of programs
• Clean temp files, histories, logs and other tracks created by Windows and the web
• Disk Cleanup utility to find and remove temporary and junk files from disk
• Designer XP to enable new visual styles for older applications and softwares
• Skinned, user-friendly and full commented interface

Download XPepius 3.1.0.708 in Softonic

Image Eye is a quite specialized image viewer for the sole purpose of viewing images as quickly and as practically as possible - and nothing else. You don't get any menus, tool bars or other fancy - but sometimes very anoying - things cluttering up the window where you want to see a picture an nothing else.

In fact, if you want you can even have the window title bar dissapear when you don't need it, leaving just the image itself. What's more, there are many handy and practical user interface 'tricks'; e.g. hitting Ctrl-Alt-X to close all image windows - just to mention one.

Handy features:

• The only image viewer you should need for browsing images
• Small, very fast, highly tuned code, with MMX support
• Optimized display in all video modes - no compromises in image quality
• A very ‘sparse’ but at the same time powerful and helpful user interface
• Nothing unnecessarily taking up space on your desktop
• Supports all of the more common image file formats (JPG, JP2, BMP, GIF, PNG and many more)
• High-quality image resampling (resizing)
• Rotate, mirror, zoom, pan, and adjust contrast, brightness, sharpness, hue, saturation, gamma, and more
• Image adjustments can be saved non-destructively and automatically reapplied when you next open the image
• Full screen display when the window is maximized
• Index feature with fast image thumbnail creation (disk caching optional)
• Does not attempt to be any half-baked semi-editor or file format converter
• Smart background preloading and caching of images
• Includes a simple slide show scripting language - roll your own presentations
• 'Run maximized', 'auto shrink', 'auto size', 'close all' and other unique options

Download Image Eye 7.4 in Softonic

Error Fixer is an advanced registry cleaner for Windows that allows you to safely scan, clean, and repair registry problems with a few simple mouse clicks. Problems with the Windows Registry are a common cause of Windows crashes and error messages. By using PC tune-up utilities such as Error Fixer regularly, your system will be more stable, your software will run quicker, and your operating system will boot faster.

Registry problems can occur for many reasons, including references left behind after uninstallation; incorrect removal of software; missing or corrupt hardware drivers; or orphaned start-up programs. With a few easy steps, Error Fixer will scan your entire registry for any invalid entries and provide a list of the errors found. You then can choose to clean each item or automatically repair them all after making a backup without the need for a registry editor such as Regedit.

Download Error Fixer 3.0.2 in Softonic

With the Power Utilities, you can clean the hard disk and the registry, securely destroy private files, generate highly secure and extremely difficult to crack passwords, organize your desktop with Translucenter utility, manage installed programs and much more.

Features:

Disk Cleaner

Increase the disk space by cleaning up unneeded temp and obsolete files

Registry Cleaner

Utility for system registry backup and cleanup.Registry Cleaner will scan your entire registry for any invalid entries and provides a list of the errors found

Shortcut Cleaner

Clean-up your PC from shortcuts pointing nowhere

Start-Up Manager

It is the best way to handle Windows autorun programs. It provides tools to add new, view and edit, disable/enable and remove the items from Windows start-up process to optimize it in best way

Folder Drive

You can create pseudo disk drive(s). Just specify folder where you want create disk drive, choose drive letter and click on the "Create Folder Drive" button

Process Explorer

Shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened. Control and get detailed information about each Windows processes

WINner Tweak...Wizards includes Windows Performance Booster and Security Adjuster. These Wizards will step-by-step guide you through tweaks that can help you boost Windows performance and adjust security settings. WINner Tweak includes detailed description for each tweak. Just make right click on the tweak description and you will see tip with detailed explanation!

Download WINner Tweak Pro 3.6.2 in Softonic

RecoverSoft Data Rescue PC is the best data recovery utility on the market for recovering files from a problem hard drive. Other utilities can cause more damage to your hard drive and files by trying to "fix" the problem, instead of focusing on recovering your files. Do not use a repair utility until you've safely recovered your important files and stored them in a safe location. RecoverSoft Data Rescue PC should be your first option to recover your important data, before you try any risky “repair” utility.

RecoverSoft Data Rescue PC is revolutionary in both ease-of-use and power. Simply insert the CD and reboot your computer. Data Rescue PC will automatically access your drive then guide you through the file recovery process with simple step-by-step directions. With a friendly graphical user interface, you select the files you wish to recover, then they are stored for you on your external USB, FireWire, or secondary internal hard drive.

Because Data Rescue PC comes on a bootable CD, the time-consumming install process found in other utilities simply doesn't exist - you are up and running fast Since RecoverSoft Data Rescue PC's CD is equipped with its own Operating System, tuned especially for data recovery, your hard drive isn't needed for the boot process - this means that Data Rescue PC can help you even in the most serious emergencies

Download RecoverSoft Data Rescue PC End User 2.0 in Softonic

Pointstone System Cleaner is a multi-purpose utility that will scan your hard drive for unnecessary files and also perform a check of the integrity of your registry (the registry is a database that holds common information about all the software on your system and can easily become bloated with irrelevant and redundant entries). The interface is second to none and allows for quick and easy checks to be made with the minimum of fuss. The Achilles heel however, can be found in the fact that at $34.95, System Cleaner doesn’t come cheap and it should really be packed with useful features to justify being chosen over a free alternative, such as CCleaner.

It does indeed come with quite a few tools that let you realize a range of important tasks such as clearing temporary files and broken registry entries, defragging the registry, or managing your Windows start-up. However, there are many free programs that do the same thing and even Microsoft’s own versions make utilities like System Cleaner’s Uninstall Manager look more like padding than a worthwhile investment.

The scan speeds can vary but were generally sluggish, something that can be explained by the detailed and thorough results. As with all disk cleaning software, there is a risk that it may pick out some files that you don’t want to remove and we would recommend that you back up all your vital data before use. Included in System Cleaner is the option to make a system snapshot so that there will be a record of all changes made thereafter.

Pointstone has produced an extremely useful collection of tools that adds convenience to the maintenance of your system. Unfortunately the software’s functionality doesn’t really warrant such a high price tag. Anyone with a fat wallet and a shortage of time will definitely find this suite very useful but for everyone else, a quick Google search will reveal a world of free alternatives.

Download Pointstone System Cleaner 5.52 in Softonic

DesktopAlive is an advanced wallpaper managing utility, working with both - images and HTML files (even online documents). It allows you to easily manage your wallpapers, create dynamic wallpapers (slideshow), or read online news directly from your desktop. This news-page can be automatically refreshed once every so often or be mixed with other standard image wallpapers in what is called "slideshow". Now you don't have to choose whether your desktop should be beautiful or useful, because with DesktopAlive it can be both.

Besides its extended functionality, DesktopAlive is very easy and comfortable to use. It automatically adapts images or HTML files to fit your screen and allows you to tune all the wallpaper's parameters.

Download DesktopAlive 1.1 in Softonic

Advanced File Worker is a powerful file management, backup and rename utility. You can perform any number of file operations by pressing only one button.

Make your work faster and faultless. Program options give the user the possibility to perform various kinds of file operations: clean up temporary files from hard drive(s); backup at scheduled times or when program defined starts; copy, move, rename, delete files by include and exclude masks. For graphic files there are various options to select files by picture size. Script supporting gives the user great possibilities to tune the program for their own requirements.

Download Advanced File Worker 2.10 in Softonic