Buyers' Guide: PC Maintenance/Utility Software

What to look for in software to enhance your PCs performance

Written by PCW Staff

Personal Computer World, 15 Feb 2006

Just like your car, PCs need regular maintenance to keep them in good working order. There are tools within Windows that can help, but a dedicated suite of maintenance or utility software should do a better job.

Utility software often comes with a virus scanner, but you may already have one, so concentrate on one with the following features.

It should offer a simple overview of system and application performance, the ability to clean out the Registry and restore it easily if any mistakes occur, defragment the hard disk drive and memory, and optimise application performance. It should have some form of reporting and let you simplify the control of key Windows settings.

Other common tools will back up data, recover deleted files and speed up your Internet surfing.

Recommended PC Maintenance/Utility Software:

Winzip 10 Pro
The Standard version will do for most, but Winzip 10 Pro houses some useful features
Read review >

Allume BoostXP
BoostXP makes tweaking your system much easier than doing it manually
Read review >
Check prices >

Orlogix Replace MyPC Suite
A useful migration suite, but there is room for improvement
Read review >