The Good
* Jack of all trades...
o Has many, many tools/modules (24 in total) including but not limited to registry cleaner, registery defrag, junk/disk cleaner, disk defrag, startup manager, file undelete, secure delete, and EXE password protector.
* Almost no learning curve.
* Automatically creates backups before doing any changes to registry and gives user options to create automatic backups for other tools such as the junk/disk cleaner.
* Has a '1-click' system maintenance option.
* Users can schedule times when maintenance will run automatically.
* Each tool/features/module is treated as if it is independent of the others so user can use multiple modules as the same time.
* "WinUtilities Registry Backup" creates non-proprietary .REG backups so user can restore without needing WinUtilities.
* "WinUtilities Privacy Eraser/History Cleaner" has a "plugin" feature which users can use to define custom files/folders to delete.
* Has a portable version.

The Bad
* ...but master of none.
o Uninstall manager is simplistic and not much different than the normal uninstaller run by Windows/programs.
o Memory optimizer is the stereotypical, undesirable memory-overloading type.
o "Document Protector" is a cumbersome encryption tool.
o Startup manager does not have the ability to delay startup programs.
o "File Undelete" is a simple MFT reader, no real in-depth recovery of files.
o "Disk Defrag" doesn't give users the option to first analyze, then defrag - both are done together (one after another) after the user starts the defrag.

* Opens module windows underneath the main program window.
* Comes bundled with Ask Toolbar.
* Portable version is outdated and not kept-up with the latest version.

Free alternatives
jvPowerTools 2009
IObit Toolbox
WinUtilities Free Edition

For final verdict, recommendations, and full review please click here.

Ashraf  –  13 years ago  –  Ritieni questo commento utile? sì | no (+235)

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Note that the "Ask Toolbar" is optional and during setup, on the screen "Install Ask Toolbar", you should unselect the option "I accept the license agreement and want to install the free Ask Toolbar" Screenshot

You will be prompted that there is an update available - from 9.95 to 9.96. You can install this update without affecting the giveaway (it will still be licensed).

This will update the database from 2010-12-21 to 2011-01-07

BuBBy  –  13 years ago  –  Ritieni questo commento utile? sì | no (+146)

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One of the problems with registry fixing programs is the developer assumes why registry keys exist.

In the event of "Missing or Invalid Path" - the developer works on the principle that anything that looks like a pathname or a filename that doesn't already exist - should be deleted as it is obviously invalid. Of course not all programs agree on what data should be stored in the registry and how it should be used.

But what of a program that has options like "The path where temporary workfiles should be created" - when the registry gets deleted - the option is then "broken" and the program may crash.

The registry cleaner cannot know why the file or path doesn't exist - and the fact the file isn't present may not be an error at all.

When hundreds of these registry keys are deleted, that is when the behaviour of your computer "changes" and previously working programs now crash, freeze, or may appear to work but the errors might be more subtle.

But developers of some registry cleaners (or registry key "mass deleters") work under the assumption that users will believe that the more keys they delete - the better their tool is.
Don't forget there is no rulebook on what is valid or invalid for all registry keys. Certainly some of the core registry keys that Windows relies on are expected to be present and in a certain format - but outside of these core areas, when you start to scan inside areas that are "private" or specific to applications written by other third parties, the registry rulebook no longer applies. A developer can use registry keys for whatever purpose, and if a registry key refers to a file or pathname that doesn't exist - this is usually handled by the application itself. When a registry cleaner comes in and starts wiping data it clearly has no idea about you have the potential for a very sick system.

Unfortunately these problems don't always appear straight away - for example maybe you have a payroll system and you won't see the results of your "cleaning" until you try to do end of quarter reporting - or maybe it might be something as simple as losing the ability to print documents in Microsoft Office - and you manage for three weeks because you don't have to print - but three weeks later when Office no longer works properly - you have forgotten about that "cleaning" you did - and the automatic backup you made is useless to you now (too much time has passed to go back three weeks) - your PC is broken and you have no idea why... Damn you Microsoft... It was their fault, right?

Don't run Registry Cleaners unless you are already experiencing a problem that you can identify by reading the output of a registry scan. If you cannot identify the registry keys that are causing your problem (ie. you actually know what you are doing and you are comfortable working with the registry) - don't just select all the items and hit clean. The developer doesn't know what "your problem" is. He/She isn't sitting at your keyboard - all he can give you is a general set of (sometimes flawed) rules that might suggest some possible problems. The developer cannot forsee all the problems you may face by deleting those keys.

If your PC is running OK - don't treat a registry clean as a "spring clean" - it is not a general tidy up it is a destructive operation deleting data from a critical database that windows and almost all applications rely upon. I know having said this, there will be users who will have problems after doing a registry clean. It happens every single time we have a registry cleaner as a giveaway. If GOTD gave away guns, the following day there would be reports that computer users were found dead "just trying them out".

BuBBy  –  13 years ago  –  Ritieni questo commento utile? sì | no (+128)

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why is it these programs always add on a tool bar..i dont want another tool bar added to my computer and this program when installing makes it so you have to install the "ask" tool bar..wont install software were i cant make the choice..didnt install

jwest  –  13 years ago  –  Ritieni questo commento utile? sì | no (+106)

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@9 - The differences between the Free and Pro versions of Winutilities?

http://www.ylcomputing.com/content/view/336/143/

BuBBy  –  13 years ago  –  Ritieni questo commento utile? sì | no (+45)

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