registry

This program provides utilities to quickly tidy up your Registry, but lacks some features of competing applications. Wise Registry Cleaner 3 Free has an intuitive interface and is relatively easy to use.

The program works quickly, using very few of the computer's resources. This cleanup tool offers an undo option, which is important any time you deal with the Registry. Users can even set the program to check the Registry automatically, although there is no option to set a specific time for this function. One feature this program lacks is a severity level warning. A harmless entry from a … Read more

This diagnostic utility quickly scans your computer looking for any problems. The biggest problem is there's nothing you can do to fix those issues unless you purchase the full version of PC MightyMax.

PC MightyMax is a colorful, well designed program that's easy to use. Users only have a few options, highlighted by very large, very visible buttons. You can diagnose problems, speed up your computer, or manage previous actions you may have taken. Choosing to scan the system for problems, prompts the program to spend about five minutes scanning the entire system looking for broken shortcuts, invalid … Read more

If you've noticed your system is running slower, or you've just purged your hard drive of several programs, this registry scanner may be the program for you.

Registry Cleaner provides an intuitive design and a quick scanning tool that is easily mastered. We were happy to see that users can choose to back up the current registry files before scanning, just in case something critical gets deleted or misplaced. While this seems like an obvious feature for a registry cleaner, we've seen quite a few without this must-have safeguard. After the back up, scanning is just a … Read more

David Nash's Startup Manager is a free utility that lets you choose the programs you want to run at start-up. We had to visit the Help feature to make sure we were on the right track, but in the end it worked well for us.

The program's user interface uses a tree menu to locate the different start-up sections--StartUp, Registry, and WinINI. Depending on what you select, the individual files appear in the main panel. All of the command buttons were within quick reach at the top of the window. But even though the interface appeared to be … Read more

The too-simple features and operation can leave users lacking confidence in this system tweaking and cleaning application. Advertised as a free version, this is merely a limited 14-day demo of the Magic Speed tools. Of course, the demo won't remove problems without registration. A Wizard moves users through a series of plainly designed information interfaces.

Magic Speed's first function is a basic list of start-up programs. Each gets a simple indicator that marks it as a system requirement, virus, or user's choice. Clicking the detail link opens a Google search for each item. It's mostly the … Read more

Adding, deleting, or upgrading files on your computer, especially when they're executables, can cause changes that aren't easily identified. This program makes it easier to see what's going on with snapshots you can compare side-by-side.

SysTracer has a well-designed user interface, but it still took a visit to the Help menu for us to get started. But after that, we found it easy to navigate. The nice thing about the interface is that only the buttons you need are activated. Basically, you take a snapshot of your PC's Registry, files, and applications that serves as your … Read more

This utility offers a one-stop-shop for cleaning and maintaining your computer for better overall system performance. The interface is very simple, featuring only a few buttons, which makes it easy to get down to cleaning immediately (in fact, it automatically runs on start-up) and doesn't confuse you with multiple steps.

The Maintain Windows section focuses on four areas of maintenance: spyware removal, Registry cleaning, a privacy sweep, and deletion of junk files. The Diagnose System button provides system optimization tools, detects spyware, defragments your disk, and scans for hijacked Windows settings. In our tests the scan and clean for … Read more

Since its early days, WinOptimizer has folded a ton of PC-optimizing tools into an attractive, compact, and easily navigable interface. WinOptimizer 6, released on Wednesday exclusively on CNET Download.com, adds some new tweaks to keep things interesting and efficient. We've got the summary and pros and cons below.

What's new AntiSpy module: This tool claims to "deactivate potential spy functions." Upon closer inspection, the module really goes after apps and services that send data back to Microsoft. That's ideal for privacy nuts, but sensationalistic if that kind of app behavior doesn't bother you. … Read more

Keeping your PC running like a champ requires a bit of maintenance now and again. For your money, you could do much worse than Ashampoo WinOptimizer, a clean, fast, and professional-looking application with a robust tool set.

The fastest route to optimization is from the One-Click Optimization feature, accessible from your desktop or from a tab on the program interface. The second fastest lets you run a quick or a full scan from the Overview tab. Either option starts diagnosing your system using common, customizable settings. For spot-checking or to oversee your own changes, you can click the Modules tab … Read more