Software Review - iolo Technologies System Mechanic
My computer runs really slow, sometimes unbearably so. When I turned it on it would take between five and ten minutes to boot up and be ready to use. When I shut down it would take more than ten minutes to shut down, if it shut down at all. I’d get all kinds of messages when shutting down, about things quitting or not quitting. When I was offered the opportunity ti try iolo technologies System Mechanic I accepted, figuring I had nothing to lose. After all, I depend on my computer and need it working.
A recent report by the CMO Council’s Customer Experience Board found that 94% of consumers depend on their computer in their personal lives, and nearly two-thirds (62%) have a high level of dependency. Undoubtedly the computer is one of the most expensive and necessary product in our lives. However, 64% say their computer has caused them anguish or anxiety (the irony?). How can we keep the PC running the best condition without breaking the bank??
System Mechanic combines more than 40 robust tools enabling novices and experts alike to clean out their computers and keep them in peak condition. It’s four main functions are to:
- speed up your pc
- clean your pc
- fix your pc problems
- ensure your privacy
Speeding up your pc
iolo Labs researchers state that the top 5 causes of PC slowdowns and bottlenecks are:
- Hidden startup programs
- Registry errors and bloat
- Memory leaks and fragmentation
- Unoptimized internet settings
- Hard drive fragmentation
The steps System Mechanic takes to speed up your pc are to:
- Cleans, defrags, & repairs registry
- Accelerates PC startup 19 ways
- Defrags & recovers orphaned RAM
- Boosts internet speed
- Complete low-level drive defrag
- Turns off unused background programs
Cleaning your pc
iolo Labs researchers state that the top 3 ways clutter degrades performance are:
- Critical indexes Windows maintains to organize its files become bloated with meaningless junk, causing overall sluggishness during file and program access.
- Useless files are included when defragmenting your hard drives, adding to the time and processing power required.
- Hard drive space is unnecessarily reserved, leading to premature upgrade costs or replacements.
The steps System Mechanic takes to clean up Windows are:
- Cleans over 50 different types of junk files
- Removes invalid installers and programs
- Wipes internet history, clutter and cache
- Regains thousands of megabytes of hard disk space
Fixing your pc problems
iolo states that over 98% of PC problems are caused by clutter and faulty settings that are the result of everyday PC use.
The steps System Mechanic takes to fix your pc include:
- Repairs and compacts registry
- Eliminates memory leaks
- Fixes random crashes and restarts
- Revives unstartable systems
- Repairs and prevents corrupted drives
- Fixes security vulnerabilities
- Automatically maintains PC health with patent-pending ActiveCare®
Ensuring your privacy
iolo reminds us of the fact that virtually everything you do on a PC is stored in activity logs or leaves a trail, even long after it’s been “cleared.”
The steps System Mechanic takes to ensure your privacy include:
- Employs multi-pass military-grade wiping to ensure complete removal of all deleted data
- Defeats forensics recovery techniques
- Permanently and completely removes internet history and cache
- Integrates Incinerator® technology with Windows Recycle Bin for high security
- Cleans up after all major web browsers, online chat, and web toolbars
System Mechanic is easy to install and easy to use. To install it you just place the cd into your computer and the installation should begin on its own. Once installed the first thing System Mechanic will do is scan your computer. This took about fifteen minutes on my computer.
Once System Mechanic is finished analyzing your system it will tell you the health of your computer. Mine wasn’t great.
Once your system status has been determined System Mechanic gets to work fixing the problems. What I liked about this is that I had the option of letting System Mechanic fix everything itself or letting me see each problem and choose to fix it myself.
Once all of the problems were fixed I restarted the computer. I noticed that restart was much quicker - I was up and running in under two minutes. Shut downs have become faster as well, they take about two minutes and I don’t get the messages about programs quitting or not quitting anymore.
While my computer isn’t the fastest (it’s pretty old), it is running better than it has in some time. I have been running the computer for about two weeks now since installing and haven’t encountered any problems. I’d say this is a good software to pick up if you’re trying to speed up an old computer or if you want to clean up your system and don’t have the know how or time to do it manually.
System Mechanic is designed to work on Microsoft Windows Vista, XP, and 2003 Server operating systems and has been tested to work on the latest releases of Windows 7. System Mechanic is both 64-bit and 32-bit compatible. iolo System Mechanic may be installed on up to three pcs. It can be purchased online. It’s regular price is $49.95 and it is currently on sale for $39.95.
The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.
