Jump to content

Welcome to Geeks to Go - Register now for FREE

Need help with your computer or device? Want to learn new tech skills? You're in the right place!
Geeks to Go is a friendly community of tech experts who can solve any problem you have. Just create a free account and post your question. Our volunteers will reply quickly and guide you through the steps. Don't let tech troubles stop you. Join Geeks to Go now and get the support you need!

How it Works Create Account
Photo

Tuneup XP PC


  • Please log in to reply

#1
mikeyj

mikeyj

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 11 posts
Which progarm is the best for maximizing the performance of my Dell running XP? I ran PC Pitstop Optimizer and it recommended a number of fixes that it would perform if I purchased. Are they any good? Are there any free programs out there that are any good?

mikeyj
  • 0

Advertisements


#2
Slikkie

Slikkie

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPipPip
  • 192 posts
If I were you, I'd purchase Norton System Works. It's the only Symantec product that actually does good. :whistling:
  • 0

#3
-espresso-

-espresso-

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 18 posts
There is a pretty cool set of features in TuneUp Utilities for example. I think that junk files cleaner is the most important feature in every optimizer. Registry can grow big in time but you won't feel any difference if you clean them once a week. You need to let it pile up first and then clean :whistling:

There is another tool called system mechanic which I do not recommend (especially not version 7). I used to be a big supporter of Sytem Mechanic until version 6 when they started making junk.
System mechanic has some good stuff too. For example, unlike tuneUp utilities it has a disk defragmenter but at the other hand it doesnt have System Styler like RuneUp where you can change icons, themes, bootscreens.
All other features are pretty much the same. I've noticed that System Mechanic has a better junk cleaner. I never had problems with it.
And finally there is this Ashampoo WinOptimizer 4 (which looks like TuneUp utilities). I havent been able to test it, all I saw was a screenshot.

Edited by -espresso-, 26 January 2007 - 03:35 AM.

  • 0

#4
starjax

starjax

    Global Moderator

  • Global Moderator
  • 6,678 posts
we, at GTG, recomend TuneUp Utilities. They have just released version 2007. They have a free trial period. I would recomend giving it a try.
  • 0

#5
-espresso-

-espresso-

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 18 posts
And in the meantime I have tested Winoptimizer 4 from Ashampoo. This app looks very much like TuneUP utilities. Almost as if TuneUp's clone. The differences are:
File encrypter (you can do the same with Winrar or most of other archivers)
File splitter&joiner (same thing again ...)
Disk defragmenter

But the rest looks totally like TuneUP! Amaizing similarity. They even have Disk Space Explorer and virtually every other feature.

Are there any other famous all-in-one tools except these?

Edited by -espresso-, 27 January 2007 - 03:47 PM.

  • 0

#6
starjax

starjax

    Global Moderator

  • Global Moderator
  • 6,678 posts
tuneup utilities 2007

norton utilities (custom install and install utilties only, the rest of the software isn't needed and is considered bloatware).

# jv16 PowerTools 2006

Honestly, all the other all-in-one tools (including those you mentioned) don't perform as well. I'll say that the pc pitstop stuff does work, but I have personal issues with it and can't, in good conscious, recommend them.

honestly, as a pc technician with over 20 yrs experience, I have used all of the above successfully. In fact I like tune up so much I purchased it this year.

If you have a specific task in mind, then a specific tool for that task is probably better.
  • 0

#7
mikeyj

mikeyj

    Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 11 posts
So I believe that the consensus is to use TuneUp if I'm to use a general optimizer. What benefit do people usually get? I know it probably depends, but do most five year old computers get a noticeable pickup in performance?

When Starjax says "we, at GTG, recomend TuneUp Utilities" what exactly does that mean?

Thanks for all the feedback.

mikeyj
  • 0

#8
starjax

starjax

    Global Moderator

  • Global Moderator
  • 6,678 posts
it means that we (the tech staff) use it as part of our tool set to help you, the end user, with issues. Mileage will vary. Over time, adding and removing software, moving files and folders around and so forth will cause things to become messy in the registry and hard drive. By cleaning up the temp files you gain much needed disk space. By cleaning the registry your system will perform faster.
  • 0

#9
-espresso-

-espresso-

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 18 posts
I don't know if I'm right but I think that size of the registry has a great impact on the performance. So if you have a lot of stuff on your PC, no optimizing tool will help you. Fastest Windows is the one that doesn't have much software installed (in my experience).
So... these optimizing tools do make your life easier (especially if you are a beginner) but one cannot expect miracles. System tuning is a good thing because it has all settings from Windows in one place.
But if you keep installing software all the time your system will crash at some point.

A good thing if you wanna keep your system clean after uninstalling software is Ashampoo Uninstaller. It removes all contents left out by the original uninstallers by making a system screenshot before and after every installation.
  • 0






Similar Topics

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

As Featured On:

Microsoft Yahoo BBC MSN PC Magazine Washington Post HP