Fine-tune your Vista PC's performance

PC users don't agree on much, but they're close to unanimous in their low opinion of Vista's performance. There are plenty of manual tweaks you can make to grease Vista's skids--I ran down five of them a couple of weeks ago. You can also use one of the many Vista utilities to optimize the operating system. I described the free Ultimate Windows Tweaker and $29.95 Vista Smoker Pro in a post last week.

Two other commercial Vista system tools are Stardock's $19.95 TweakVista and System Mechanic from Iolo Technologies, which costs $39.95 for the first year as part of a limited-time promotion ($49.95 is the regular price) and $29.95 per year thereafter. Unfortunately, TweakVista does little to automate Vista system-tuning, and while System Mechanic provides a range of Vista tune-up and customization options, casual PC users may find the program's price tough to justify.

Vista tweaker's trial version is pretty worthless
Several years ago, I discovered Stardock's $19.95 WindowBlinds utility that customizes the appearance of Windows XP (there's also a version for Vista). Based on my experience with that program, I had high hopes for the company's TweakVista utility, but using TweakVista was a big letdown.

The first unpleasant surprise was that many--if not most--of the program's features are unavailable in the trial version. My impression of TweakVista didn't improve much once I got the full-function release. The program displays plenty of system information, but it lacks the one-click performance and maintenance tools found in similar utilities.

For example, the Assessment Overview screen shows the same information as Vista's Performance and Information Tools applet in Control Panel. Likewise, the start-up screen's Programs tab merely lists your start-up apps. I expected to see more information about each entry when I clicked its question-mark icon, but instead I saw a pop-up indicating that no information about the program was available.

The Profile tab on TweakVista's Services screen lets you select from a handful of preconfigured user types, including games, media center, or server. However, the various options don't give you any information about the configuration beyond one descriptive phrase.

TweakVista's Services screen lists options for tweaking system performance but lacks details on what each choice does.

(Credit: Stardock)

You get more information when you mouse over the options listed under the Features tab of the Services window, but clicking the question-mark icons for the entries under the Advanced tab generated the same "no information available" pop-up as in the Startup Programs entries.

You get more customization options under the Features tab of TweakVista's Services window.

(Credit: Stardock)

While TweakVista puts plenty of system information in one place, the shortage of information about the program's options and the lack of clearly defined one-click fixes limit the utility's usefulness. Vista Smoker Pro does a much better job in both areas for just $10 more.

A wealth of system tools at a high price
System Mechanic's lineup of performance and maintenance helpers is impressive, and the program's single-click tuneup options are real time-savers. Even with these useful tools, the program's big price tag makes it difficult to recommend for your average, everyday Vista user. Still, anyone looking for the full complement of system tools in a single package will be pleased with this utility's breadth and depth.

I started by using System Mechanic's one-click repair option, which reported that my Registry had 221 "problems." Since I had recently tuned up my test system, the high number of Registry orphans surprised me. The scan also pointed out 14 security vulnerabilities, multimegabytes of system clutter, and three unnecessary start-up items.

System Mechanic's one-click repair tool identified security, Registry, start-up, and other problems.

(Credit: Iolo Technologies)

You get more granular control over the program's cleanup tools by choosing one of the Automated Tasks in the ActiveCare section. These include disk cleanup, Registry scrubbing, start-up optimization, disk defragging, and Internet-connection tweaks. I was particularly impressed with System Mechanic's disk defragger, which completed the defrag in just a few minutes and shows its progress in a multicolored graph.

You get plenty of feedback via the graph used by System Mechanic's disk defragmenter.

(Credit: Iolo Technologies)

Browsing the tools and system information offered by System Mechanic made me wish Vista had the same fast and easy-to-use system tools. As helpful and informative as the program can be, its initial license--even with the $10 discount--and the subsequent $30-per-year fee make System Mechanic an extravagance for most PC users.

[deecee]

Vista can be tuned to run better without any of the tools mentioned here by disabling the silly User authorization scheme, turning off constant hard drive search indexing, and a variety of background processes, phishing filter, etc, depends on savvy you're with what you do on the internet. All of these can be achieved with windows directly. This is just a shameless promotion for some of the products here listed here, lame!

[c|net Reader]

There are many people *not* sufficiently savvy to do such things for themselves. Many that have an idea, would be afraid to make such changes anyway. Such people have always paid for what they cannot do themselves. Consider an analogy: when a car isn't working right, those with knowledge and skill can effect repairs and save money while those without pay someone to do the work.

Dennis is not shamelessly promoting products. He denigrates the one while complaining about the price of the other.

[doreilly]

Dear deecee,

Thanks for your input. I researched shutting off Vista's indexing--I even described how to do it in the past--and other background processes, but in the end I decided that most of the processes serve a useful purpose and don't slow the PC down very much. Better to clear out the sludge. The constantly whirring hard drive may cause the device to wear out sooner than it would otherwise, but you could say the same thing about any mechanical device. I'm most interested in productivity. If you spend hours tweaking your system so it saves you seconds a day, how has that improved your productivity? (I'll forgive you for that line about shameless promotion. Do you really think I would sell my soul for a piece of software? C'mon!)

Respectfully,
Dennis O'Reilly

[sweaty_taco]

If it aint free...it aint for me. I agree with the poster above. Cnet is getting paid by these companies to promote their products. Shame on you Cnet.

[doreilly]

That's bull. Nobody pays me but CNET, and I'll never, ever get rich from these posts, believe me. You negative-thinking people have to wake up! I'm trying my best to represent the needs of the average office PC user, and you accuse me of selling out to a software company? You're simply not thinking clearly.

Respectfully,
Dennis O'Reilly

[BigGuns149]

While cnet writes some stupid things, if they really were shilling for said products they would write a positive review. When you write a negative review it is hard for me to see them getting any money from the vendor.

Honestly, negative reviews provided that they are honest can be more useful than positive reviews insofar as they prevent you from wasting your time and in some cases money to find out that something isn't worth the cost.

[Renegade Knight]

eGads man. this is one of the columns that I subscribe too. Do I use every post? No. Are more than a few helpful? Yes.

My personal experience with system mechanic is negative. At one time I had their pro version with firewall and anti-virus. it caused more problems than it was worth and because I was on a subscription I lots the use of the tools when time ran out. Past versions didn't have a clock but then I bought a a license to use the version and not the subscription. Overall I have destroyed my system a couple three times using System Mechanic and so I've backed off using it.

What drew me to System Mechanic is that it still does a lot of what Norton's used to do. Over time they have been paring back the Utility part of Norton Utilities.

[lvs269]

Everything that everyone has to do with our life's has to do with $$,if it was you would you not try and make money as much as you could??
Every aspect of everyone's life in some way or another will touch on $$,as messed up as that is that's just everyday life now!!
So why would the both of you be upset at them for trying to make a dime who the hell cares obviously the people who no how to do it without buying any stupid programs product whatever u wanna call it won't and those that aren't savvy as urselfs might, so why or how would it make a difference in ur lives...

[c|net Reader]

System Mechanic is much too expensive. There are other tools available that cost less, though one may have to assemble a collection of different tools to provide the same functionality. There's value in a full array of capabilities that all work well and work well together, but they want much too much and won't get my business.

[keano12]

Guys, if you have a problem about the posts they do, then don't read them in the first place. I mean if you already understand what they are trying to say from the beginning and you have nothing better to say for it, then don't say anything at all. Your looking like big whiners.

[Dam89]

Many People use applications like these, a few of my friends did for a long time. I always tune my system myself and seem to get better performance - but then that's me. These app's do work, but for the price of some of them, i can't see the benefit when free ones work just as well! The maintainence softwares i use are ; smart Defrag, ccleaner and revo-uninstaller. But Glary Utilities are a sure bet for tuning a windows pc.

[quan7um]

System Mechanic is far more superior to TweakVista. I have used both and TweakVista to me is not work a penny. System Mechanic is a good program for people that don't want to search for the tweaks and clearing up the system cludder. But personally if everyone is saying it isn't worth the money then use something like Auslogics Boost speed. It has all the functions and capabilities that System Mechanic has but for a far much cheaper price. Personally I have used both and Auslogics is the one I have been going with because of the one button checkup, and the variety of other tweaks you can turn on the enhance your performance, as well as, optimizing. But for the non-experienced users that want everything done for themselves with hardly no searching then System Mechanic is the program for you, but the others with more tweaking at there fingertips, then I would say Auslogics bc of the cheaper and more options at your disposal.

P.S. And as far as people thinking that the reviewers on here are "selling out" trying to promote sofware is just naive. These people are paid to review the software and tell us there opinions and that is it. It is no different than you buying the software and giving a review about it. So what is the difference? They get paid by Cnet to voice there opinion. If you don't like it, then you try.

[ArsFragica]

Both of these suck, trust me, I have used them both, they are not good as TuneUp utilities 2009

[cstpierre06]

Ok, applications like this do nothing more than corrupt your registry. You can't use third party software like this or some you might find on Hiren's Boot CD (which is an extremely useful cd for windows) to fix a windows registry. Only windows can do this, why would require you to have the installation disk like Windows XP Pro or Windows VIsta Ultimate to do. Giving this to a user is like giving a set of keys to a 10 year old and say "Here, have at it." Even though they don't know how to use it, they will try and someone or something can get damaged. The truth is, most people bog their PC's down with instant messengers and other useless tools that they either don't need, or they downloaded by mistake (ie, malware and crapware.) If you scan your computer regularly, and do a little preventative maintenance here and there, you should be fine. Vista can run perfectly on 1 GB of RAM and a Pentium 4. I know, I did it when I was in college. If you want to keep your computer running smoothly, just install an antivirus, keep you hard drive clean, and watch what your download and mind your browsing habits.

[volcomusa]

Wow, that was hardcore. You seem to know A LOT about this stuff. Thanx!

[hotballs30]

System Mechanic is a alright program, but I wonder why there not making it better it gets worse and it makes me lag besides their tech support is bad. Norton has better tech support some times PcTools dose but thats not often. Also why not use Advanced System Optimizer 2009 as well as Advanced Vista version their both good programs better then system mechanic.

[Ben_Tyrer]

Dennis,

I'd like to apologise on behalf of all the people who DO appreciate your articles and CAN see that you are not simply flogging whatever software is dictated by the highest bidder!

As for the article itself, System Mechanic's interface strikes me as very tidy and easy to use. I currently use Tuneup Utilities, and I must say that while it's nice, I'm tempted to trial System Mechanic if it provides the same level of functionality.

[jake3373]

agreed

[wojx]

Word. Dennis does a great job telling us about software that is out there. I'm wondering too though, Tuneup Utilities or System Mechanic? Also, lol at how he replied to those negative posts.

[artakchino]

System Mechanic is OK, but it's too expensive. I'd rather combine two paid programs like History Killer Pro ( http://www.historykillerpro.com ) and Tuneup Utilities ( http://www.tune-up.com ) instead of using SM. Any way thanks for informative article on the program.

[josephfuentes]

I really don't see why people are paying for most of the software when equivalent functions can be had for free and quite ofen they're good! Don;t want to pay for MS Office? Get Openoffice. Don't want to pay for antivirus? Get Avira or Avast. Don't even want to pay for an OS (Mac or Windows)? Get Linux.

More to the point here, there are so many free good Vista Tweakers. Ultimate Vista Tweaker (askvg.com), Vista Services Optimizer (VSO) from CNET's sister publication TechRepublic. Want a one click "fixer-upper" how about Advanced Systems Care (iobit). so on and so forth.

These are what I use. And I keep my money for things that really matter. LIke my family.

[chengyiyu]

This got to be one of the worst "Fine-tune your Vista" article I've ever read. The title should be "TweakVista VS System Mechanic" instead. I didn't gain anything other than "Oh, I have to buy some tolls in order to improve my Vista performance?"

[BigGuns149]

I agree with you that the headline was misleading.