The Best Windows Maintenance Tools

Dustin Wright has been writing seriously since 2007. He has reviewed and reported video game news
for the websites Realm of Gaming and Gamer Syndrome. Wright holds a bachelor's degree in
journalism with a minor in creative writing, and is currently working on finishing his first novel as well
as several short stories.
By Dustin Wright, eHow Contributor

updated: June 29, 2010

1.

o PC maintenance is more complicated than it used to be.

With the ever-expanding problems (viruses, spyware and Trojans) plaguing PC users, proper PC
maintenance has become somewhat of an art form. Gone are days when proper PC maintenance consisted
of simply running an anti-virus scan once a week, defragmenting once a month and being in constant fear of
opening email attachments. Nowadays, proper maintenance is more complicated and many people do not
know how to properly maintain a PC. Luckily, you can find programs to keep your PC running smoothly for
years to come.

2. Anti-Virus Program
o It is almost 100 percent guaranteed that when you received your PC, anti-virus software was already
included. It is also guaranteed the anti-virus software included was some form of software offered by either
Norton or McAfee. While these ant-virus programs can be decent they are also bloated (they use a lot of
computer resources, making your computer slow). Do yourself a favor and buy better anti-virus software.
One go-to choice of anti-virus software is Avast Anti-Virus, but there are other programs that are just as
good (Kaspersky Anti-Virus and AVG Anti-Virus, just to name two more). Because the proper choice of anti-
virus software depends on what level of protection you want, there is not "one" program that will work for
everyone. Therefore, simply research different programs to find which one is right for you.

Spybot Search and Destroy

o While most modern anti-virus programs scan for spyware, many of them cannot find as many threats
as this free program. Spybot Search and Destroy has time and again proven that it is one of the best anti-
spyware utilities available. In addition to removing spyware, it also removes other types of threats your anti-
virus scan may miss (Trojans, rootkits, keyloggers and adware for example) and will also give you the option
to deny changes being made to your system via the Tea Timer.

CCleaner
o Next to a good anti-virus and spyware program, CCleaner is arguably the most important piece of
software you can have on your PC. Think of CCleaner as a maid for your PC. It cleans the temporary files,
history, cookies, download history and form history from every browser on your PC. It also cleans out the
Recycle Bin, temporary files, recent documents, log files and the Registry. In short, CCleaner saves you
hours of time by removing the muck that clutters your PC over time.
Windows Installed Utilities
o Some of the most important utilities you can use are already installed on your PC. Windows Disk
Defragmenter has come standard in just about every version of Windows and for good reason: it is
imperative that you defragment your hard drive regularly. Running Disk Defragmenter once a month should
do the trick. Secondly, ensure Windows Update automatically checks for updates on a regular basis. Some
of the worst PC headaches can come from simply failing to update Windows on a regular basis, so it is a
good idea to get updates regularly.

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System Nucleus Consolidates Multiple Windows

Maintenance Tools

The How-To Geek — Windows

only: Portable system maintenance utility System Nucleus consolidates multiple tools into a single package—process
management, startup program editors, backup and recovery tools, and more.

You can use the installed version of the application, or just use the portable version instead—either one includes the main
interface with backup & recovery, system auditing, process management, and more. There's also a handy system tray icon
that gives you quick access to just about any maintenance tool you would want to use—including built-in Windows tools
that aren't easy to get to. It's a useful tool that should be a great addition to your flash drive toolkit.

Five Best Windows Maintenance Tools

 Adam Pash —
You download, create, delete, and move around countless files and endless piles of data on your PC every day. While your
PC would ideally handle all of this data for you, it doesn't take long before you end up with a disorganized, cluttered
computer. On Tuesday we asked you to share your favorite Windows maintenance tools, and today we're back with the five
most popular answers. Hit the jump for an overview of the five best Windows maintenance tools, then cast your vote for
the best of the bunch.

CCleaner

Any application called CCleaner where the first 'C' stands for Crap has
to be good, right? Okay, maybe not, but this one is, thoroughly cleaning out your web browser, Recycle Bin and temporary
files, registry, unnecessary third-party application trash, and oh so much more. Running CCleaner on your system
promises to free up space, keep your computer running smoothly, and protect your privacy. It's also very fast and very
easy to use. (Read more)

Revo Uninstaller

Revo Uninstaller is a feature-rich replacement for the Windows default

Add or Remove Programs feature (or Uninstall Programs in Vista). Why use Revo Uninstaller instead? Because not only
does it just uninstall a program—it also removes all traces of the program from your system where the basic uninstaller
may not. Revo also boasts a Hunter Mode for uninstalling apps by dragging a cross-hair onto the app you want to
uninstall, whether it's the app's system tray icon or just a shortcut. It even helps manage your startup applications. (Read
more)
Auslogics Disk Defrag

Auslogics Disk Defrag is a fast and effective disk defragmenter

intended to replace the Windows default. It's quick and easy to use, and Auslogics DD provides a nicely formatted report
of the latest defrag, including a motivating "Defragmentation has increased this computer performance by X%" message.

JkDefrag

JkDefrag is an open-source disk defragmenting tool. Unlike Auslogics

DD, JkDefrag boasts command line support to allow you to set up your disk defrags on a schedule. Perhaps even better,
JkDefrag has an installable screensaver that will automatically start defragging your hard drive whenever the screensaver
is launched—it even displays the defrag process. Out of the box JkDefrag isn't the most attractive application you'll ever
use, but when teamed with the previously mentioned JkDefrag GUI, it's just as attractive and easy to use as any defragger
you'll find.

Spybot - Search & Destroy

Even if you're using one of the best antivirus applications available, you
may still end up with some form of malware on your computer. Spybot-S&D will ensure that it isn't there for long. Apart
from removing spyware, adware, dialers, keyloggers, and trojans, Spyware-S&D can also cover your usage tracks—like
browsing or file history—to give you enhanced privacy on your computer.

Now that you've seen the most popular five Windows maintenance tools as chosen by your fellow readers, it's time to vote
for the best.

6 Handy Windows Maintenance tools

1 Sep 2009

Most of us use our Windows computers daily and do lot of things like Internet browsing, installing and uninstalling
applications, copying and deleting files, etc., all these will leave some traces on the computer disk. Most of us don’t
know to fix some problems and all the routine work we do like installing and uninstalling programs may affect the
performance of windows cleaning these traces and fixing problem will help improve the system performance.

Here in are some of the popular tools which help in this regard they scan and allow you to fix issues, delete unwanted
programs and reorganize your computer to perform better. All the listed softwares are available to download for free.

CCleaner: This tool enables you to clean any temporary files on the computer and also any temporary data that is
stored on your computer by other software’s. You can also delete browser history, cookies etc., using this application
even remove recently view documents and other unwanted information. This application allows you to fix Registry
issues if any on the computer it scans for the issues and fixes them automatically. You can also uninstall unwanted
programs that refuse to do so using the windows uninstaller and disable or delete any unwanted startup programs
such that your computer speed can be increased.

Revo Uninstaller: Using this application you can easily uninstall applications, manage startup programs and also
effectively clean the hard drive fixing any issues. This application removes the programs quickly without a trace of the
removed application on the computer by using an advanced fast algorithm. It scans the computer before and after the
uninstall process and checks for any left over’s of the uninstalled program like the registry keys, files and folders, etc.,
and remove them completely such that the computer performance is not affected.

Auslogics Disk Defrag: Due to heavy copying and deleting data on to the hard disk, disk fragments are formed they
make the data scatter throughout the hard disk. And hard disk is the only component that contains moving
component and data fragments effects its performance as the header as to move constantly to fetch the data.
Defragmentation of the disk makes date to be organized such that data can be retrieved much quicker.
Auslogics Disk Defrag is the perfect tool for this processes this tool will help you to defragment the disk much faster
and effectively then the Defragmentation tool that is available in the Windows. After the defragmentation is completed
you notice that your system speed has improved significantly. This tool handles modern hard disk drives effectively.

PC Optimizer: This is the effective tool to fix errors in the system and makes it run smooth and error free. Using this
you can also protect your privacy by cleaning the history help to improve the system speed by fixing the registry
issues. There is a system backup option using which you can restore the system in case of a system failure. It
removes any unwanted registry entries that are left by other programs and also helps to remove any fragments left
by the virus that has been deleted by the anti-virus program and compact the registry entries such that your system
speed improves and runs error free.

Spybot S&D: Even though you use any of the advanced anti-virus, antispyware or any other security software some
of the spywares. Adware’s and malwares manages entry into the system. Spybot automatically detects these
programs and remove them in addition it protects your privacy by hiding content like browser history, keystrokes,
etc., such that you can work safely on the computer free from spywares and others.

Registry Easy: This is a powerful tool to fix all kinds of windows errors and helps Windows faster than before. Using
this tool you can set restore points, back-up registry such that in the event of a system crash you can restore the
system to the last known good configuration such that you can effectively invade virus and other treats. This program
also allows you to install and uninstall applications effectively helps to clear memory to improve disk space you can
also remove private data like browsing history and any other windows history to protect your privacy.