TuneUp Utilities
Posted by: Tim Tibbetts on: 04/04/2004 12:00 AM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
TuneUp Utilities 2004 comes to us from TuneUp Software GmbH in Frankfurt, Germany. They previously had other versions of this software dating back to 1997 selling over 300,000 copies of TuneUp 97 alone. This was followed by TuneUp Utilities 2003. This latest version can correct problems, customize, optimize and even tell you what hardware is installed on your computer.
The interface of the program is attractive and easy to navigate using a familiar XP look.
There are 5 categories to the program, Customize & Analyze, Clean up & Repair, Optimize & Improve, Administer & Control and File recovery & Destruction. Each of these categories offers 2-4 different subcategories to choose from. Each category opens a small welcome window (which can be shut off) that explains what that section does. This is a great feature for someone unfamiliar with drive cleaning or registry defrag, for example. There is also a Rescue Center that allows you to reverse changes made with the program. The restore is broken into categories and dates and you can select which items to monitor for backup. All are enabled by default. An update wizard is also available to update your program online. Finally, for the main interface, there are links to the TuneUp Utilities 2004 website, support and program options. A nice feature of the program options allows you to make installation changes to the program. For example, if you wanted shortcut icons on the desktop and did not add them, you can change that in the options.
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[thumb]tuneuputilities1.jpg[/thumb] [thumb]tuneuputilities2.jpg[/thumb]
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The Customize & Analyze section allows you to change effects, animations, font smoothing and more. It properly detected my current settings. Many of these tweaks are registry edits found in programs like X-Setup. The startup manager offers a bit more detailed then I normally see, like company and product name if available and can be helpful in determining what a program actually is. System information showed all sorts of information on my computer right down to the right motherboard and Windows XP key. It even goes as far as to show dialup throughput as well as processor, physical memory and page file statistics live. WinStyler allows you to customize and repair system icons, logon screen and visual styles.
Cleanup & Repair allows you to clean your hard drives from unneeded files as well as a registry cleaner. The hard drive cleaning tool works well and is quick, but it does lack any sort of option to select from the standard known “safe to delete” files. It also lacks the option of being able to add in your own wildcards for removing known files. This is one weak spot of the program. While it is safe and works well, it really needs more options. The registry cleaner also works very well and is fast. It breaks down all of the problems it finds, so you can view before deleting. A shortcut to the registry editor is also provided.
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[thumb]tuneuputilities3.jpg[/thumb] [thumb]tuneuputilities4.jpg[/thumb]
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Optimize & Improve includes MemOptimizer to free up ram as needed. Registry Defrag can reduce fragmentation, repair defects and recover unused memory space. System Optimizer offers the "1-Click Maintenance" that can clean the registry and drives for you, as mentioned above, in one click. It also includes other tools like optimization suggestions. This is a tricky area, but it had some suggestions that could be useful. It also did not detect my anti-spam software and anti-virus program. Additionally, it offers internet optimization, but lacks any options for fine tuning.
Administer & Control lets you manage currently running programs, though you can do this by using ctrl-alt-delete on any NT based operating system. The registry editor is handy for this category, but again, Windows also comes with a registry editor. Finally, there is the Uninstall Manager; The functions of this can also be done with add and remove programs in your control panel. One thing it does add is the ability to remove a program entry without removing the program. This is handy, for example, if you have a lot of Windows Updates listed in your addremove programs. Removing the entry can make your addremove programs shorter and easier to read.
<center>
[thumb]tuneuputilities5.jpg[/thumb] [thumb]tuneuputilities6.jpg[/thumb]
</center>
Finally, we have the File Recovery & Destruction category. This simply consists of two tools. The Shredded and the Undelete. The Shredded makes it so you can securely delete files, so they can not be recovered later. The Undelete recovers files that have been deleted from the recycle bin. Both of these tools are very easy to use and walk you through the process.
TuneUp Utilities 2004 is an excellent all in one system cleaning and tweaking tool. I was able to improve the speed of my machine by a fraction by cleaning up my hard drive and registry as well as by following a few suggestions that reminded me of a few recently installed programs that were wasting memory and drive space. TuneUp Utilities 2004 combines an attractive interface with excellent documentation to make it a handy all in one tool for the novice or expert. TuneUp Utilities 2004 is currently is priced at $39.99; A reasonable price for such a utility and upgrade pricing for previous owners is offered.
Score: <img src="http://www.majorgeeks.com/images/review/star.gif"><img src="http://www.majorgeeks.com/images/review/star.gif"><img src="http://www.majorgeeks.com/images/review/star.gif"><img src="http://www.majorgeeks.com/images/review/star.gif"> (4/5 Stars)
The interface of the program is attractive and easy to navigate using a familiar XP look.
There are 5 categories to the program, Customize & Analyze, Clean up & Repair, Optimize & Improve, Administer & Control and File recovery & Destruction. Each of these categories offers 2-4 different subcategories to choose from. Each category opens a small welcome window (which can be shut off) that explains what that section does. This is a great feature for someone unfamiliar with drive cleaning or registry defrag, for example. There is also a Rescue Center that allows you to reverse changes made with the program. The restore is broken into categories and dates and you can select which items to monitor for backup. All are enabled by default. An update wizard is also available to update your program online. Finally, for the main interface, there are links to the TuneUp Utilities 2004 website, support and program options. A nice feature of the program options allows you to make installation changes to the program. For example, if you wanted shortcut icons on the desktop and did not add them, you can change that in the options.
<center>
[thumb]tuneuputilities1.jpg[/thumb] [thumb]tuneuputilities2.jpg[/thumb]
</center>
The Customize & Analyze section allows you to change effects, animations, font smoothing and more. It properly detected my current settings. Many of these tweaks are registry edits found in programs like X-Setup. The startup manager offers a bit more detailed then I normally see, like company and product name if available and can be helpful in determining what a program actually is. System information showed all sorts of information on my computer right down to the right motherboard and Windows XP key. It even goes as far as to show dialup throughput as well as processor, physical memory and page file statistics live. WinStyler allows you to customize and repair system icons, logon screen and visual styles.
Cleanup & Repair allows you to clean your hard drives from unneeded files as well as a registry cleaner. The hard drive cleaning tool works well and is quick, but it does lack any sort of option to select from the standard known “safe to delete” files. It also lacks the option of being able to add in your own wildcards for removing known files. This is one weak spot of the program. While it is safe and works well, it really needs more options. The registry cleaner also works very well and is fast. It breaks down all of the problems it finds, so you can view before deleting. A shortcut to the registry editor is also provided.
<center>
[thumb]tuneuputilities3.jpg[/thumb] [thumb]tuneuputilities4.jpg[/thumb]
</center>
Optimize & Improve includes MemOptimizer to free up ram as needed. Registry Defrag can reduce fragmentation, repair defects and recover unused memory space. System Optimizer offers the "1-Click Maintenance" that can clean the registry and drives for you, as mentioned above, in one click. It also includes other tools like optimization suggestions. This is a tricky area, but it had some suggestions that could be useful. It also did not detect my anti-spam software and anti-virus program. Additionally, it offers internet optimization, but lacks any options for fine tuning.
Administer & Control lets you manage currently running programs, though you can do this by using ctrl-alt-delete on any NT based operating system. The registry editor is handy for this category, but again, Windows also comes with a registry editor. Finally, there is the Uninstall Manager; The functions of this can also be done with add and remove programs in your control panel. One thing it does add is the ability to remove a program entry without removing the program. This is handy, for example, if you have a lot of Windows Updates listed in your addremove programs. Removing the entry can make your addremove programs shorter and easier to read.
<center>
[thumb]tuneuputilities5.jpg[/thumb] [thumb]tuneuputilities6.jpg[/thumb]
</center>
Finally, we have the File Recovery & Destruction category. This simply consists of two tools. The Shredded and the Undelete. The Shredded makes it so you can securely delete files, so they can not be recovered later. The Undelete recovers files that have been deleted from the recycle bin. Both of these tools are very easy to use and walk you through the process.
TuneUp Utilities 2004 is an excellent all in one system cleaning and tweaking tool. I was able to improve the speed of my machine by a fraction by cleaning up my hard drive and registry as well as by following a few suggestions that reminded me of a few recently installed programs that were wasting memory and drive space. TuneUp Utilities 2004 combines an attractive interface with excellent documentation to make it a handy all in one tool for the novice or expert. TuneUp Utilities 2004 is currently is priced at $39.99; A reasonable price for such a utility and upgrade pricing for previous owners is offered.
Score: <img src="http://www.majorgeeks.com/images/review/star.gif"><img src="http://www.majorgeeks.com/images/review/star.gif"><img src="http://www.majorgeeks.com/images/review/star.gif"><img src="http://www.majorgeeks.com/images/review/star.gif"> (4/5 Stars)
