Norton Utilities has come out of retirement, and while it’s a decent choice for average computer users who don’t want to be bogged down with a bunch of confusing options, it doesn’t have nearly as many features as the older versions of Norton Utilities.

The main interface is divided into four pages. The first—Optimize—has a Registry cleaner and defragmenter, a startup program manager, a hard drive cleaner, and a shortcut that launches Windows’ built-in hard drive defragmenter.

The Monitor page includes a Registry monitor that doesn’t seem to do much of anything and a performance test that lets you benchmark your computer’s performance. The nicest feature here is a process viewer that shows all the programs currently running on the computer and describes them in much finer detail than Windows’ Task Manager does. A Monitor Your System option opens a one-click optimization wizard that Symantec claims tweaks the Registry for improved performance, but clicking it had no noticeable effect on our test system. A Windows defragmentation scheduler is also included here, and Monitor Your System provides a unified interface for the same process, system performance, drive space, and system information you’d get by using the various tools that come with Windows.

The next page, Windows Tools, is the most disappointing of the lot. It merely collects a lot of shortcuts to various Windows utilities in one spot, which is handy, but we prefer suites that come with proprietary tools that improve on basic Windows utilities.

Finally, the Administer page lets you undo repairs Norton Utilities has performed and includes a settings page that lets you manually adjust the way Norton Utilities works. Overall, we ended up wishing this software relied less on the tools that already ship with Windows and had tools that did a better job of noticeably improving overall Windows performance.

System Mechanic 8.5

System Mechanic has been a go-to utility suite for years and for good reason. The Dashboard provides single-click scanning for problems along with easy repairs, but there are tons of options under the hood for those who want to make manual adjustments. In version 8.5, the ActiveCare component is improved and does an even better job of automating common system maintenance routines than it did in the past.

The real meat of the program is in the Tools section, which includes Power Tools buttons that combine a series of related tasks but also has an Individual Tools section that lets you run discrete utilities. These include a hard drive defragmenter, a startup program manager, an Internet optimizer, and other defragmentation tools designed to improve boot times (although this tool had little impact on our test system). Junk file and Internet file cleaners are also included, as are a variety of repair tools that can fix hard drive and Registry problems. The Manage System Configuration page is also useful, as it includes a more advanced startup program manager, provides access to Windows settings that are otherwise difficult to manage, and lets you uninstall programs faster than the tool built into Windows. The entire suite is rounded out with nice touches such as a duplicate file finder and secure file eraser, and every utility we tested had a terrific interface and provided plenty of feedback. Best of all, the included SafetyNet utility can undo most of the changes System Mechanic makes to the system, letting you recover from unintentional errors and providing a rollback option not found in most other utility suites.

For a little extra money, you can upgrade to System Mechanic Professional 8.5 ($69.95), which comes with iolo AntiVirus, iolo Personal Firewall, a file recovery tool, and a Drive Scrubber utility.

Tuneup Utilities 2009

TuneUp Utilities 2009 offers such a large set of tools that it would be overwhelming if not for the terrific interface and such features as automated scheduled tune-ups and a one-click health scan. Instead of barraging the user with an endless series of checkboxes and sliders as some products do, its Speed Optimizer wizard asks a few simple questions and then suggests settings based on how you use the computer. You can then let it adjust everything automatically or manually tweak each option to your liking.

A Disk Space Explorer tool analyzes the hard drive and provides a pie chart showing which files and folders are taking up the most space so you know where you can make the most impact when clearing out the drive manually, and the automatic drive cleaning tools are thorough. Registry cleaning and defragmentation tools also are included.

TuneUp comes with a program uninstaller that works much faster than the similar tool included in the Windows Control Panel and also has a zippy hard drive defragmenter with a nice interface and scheduling options. The start-up program manager isn’t nearly as thorough as some of the better standalone utilities we’ve tested but made up for that with ease of use. Programs are separated into Unnecessary, Optional, and Necessary categories so it’s very clear what you should leave alone, and clicking an entry shows a detailed description so you know exactly what it does and the hardware or software with which it is associated.

Other nice touches include an undelete utility that recovers files that were accidentally erased, a file system checker that diagnoses hard drive problems before they get out of control, and a secure file deletion utility that overwrites sensitive data you’ve selected so that it cannot be recovered. Overall, this is one of the most fully featured suites we tested, but the streamlined interface and excellent documentation keep everything accessible.

Fix-It Utilities 9 Professional

As with most of the other suites tested here, Fix-It Utilities 9 Professional has a two-layer interface that provides one-click maintenance for those who don’t want to make any manual adjustments, along with individual tools for those who prefer to get hands-on. It includes antivirus and antispyware features that seemingly haven’t affected the price. If you’d prefer not to use these features, you can opt not to install them via the Custom Install option.

The One-Click Solutions page is straightforward and easy to use; all of the individual components are available via the Maintenance Menu. The Diagnosis screen lets you check the hard drive for errors or run a system diagnosis, while the Fix & Maintain screen lets you fix hard drive and Registry errors or schedule Fix-It to perform automatic maintenance. The Optimize screen has the most comprehensive set of features, including a nice startup program manager, JETDefrag for hard drive defragmentation, an Internet speed optimizer, and access to Windows tweaks.

The Cleanup screen has basic hard drive and Registry cleanup utilities and a secure file-deletion utility, but the options on the Recovery screen are extensive. There’s a file recovery tool, a CreateCheckpoint utility that lets you step the computer back to a known working state, and UndoIt, which lets you undo any changes Fix-It makes to the computer.

Winoptimizer 6

Like all the better utility suites, WinOptimizer 6 can be as simple or complex as you prefer. It defaults to an Overview tab that automatically scans the computer and recommends optimizations in a variety of categories, and you can either drill down into the suggestions and pick and choose or click Start Optimization to apply everything.

The Modules tab grants access to the main interface, which provides direct access to a number of tweaking tools. Separate drive, Registry, and Internet cleaning utilities are available, as are file tools such as an undeleter, secure file eraser, and file encrypter that applies password protection to sensitive files. The DiskSpace Explorer tool also shows all the files and folders that take up the most space on the hard drive.

Entries in the Optimize Performance section are impressive and include a proprietary hard drive defragmenter, an Internet tuner that applies settings that can improve Internet performance, and a Process Manager that provides more info than does Windows Task Manager. The most useful tool in this section from a performance standpoint is the StartUp Tuner, which is more comprehensive than most and lets you manage startup programs, Windows Services, and Internet Explorer plugins.

If you really want to roll up your sleeves and take control, the Tune System Settings page has a Tweaking entry that provides access to numerous Windows settings that are otherwise difficult to access and fine-tune. Most of these entries are explained well, and none of them can do any damage (unlike some of the more advanced standalone tweaking software), so feel free to experiment.

Keep It Automated

No matter what system utility suite you decide to use, make sure its automatic update features are enabled so that the latest patches are automatically applied and it runs in peak condition. These programs can’t do a good job of fixing Windows if they’re broken.

By Tracy Baker

Buying Tips • You can only run one antivirus product on your computer, and the best utility package doesn’t necessarily come with the best antivirus, so be sure to perform a custom install and leave the antivirus off your computer if you already have a program that does that. • If someone tells you the increasingly popular myth that a certain file system or version of Windows doesn’t benefit from hard drive defragmentation, don’t listen. Defragmentation can take a long time on today’s high-capacity hard drives, but it is one of the best ways to improve overall Windows performance.

Product Information Price Company Contact Information URL Notable Features Systems Supported Norton Utilities 14 $49.99 Symantec (408) 517-8000 www.symantec.com Processes viewer describes running programs in detail XP/Vista System Mechanic 8.5 $49.95 iolo (323) 257-8888 www.iolo.com Single-click scanning; automates common system maintenance routines XP/Vista TuneUp Utilities 2009 $49.95 TuneUp Online only www.tune-up.com Simple interface; one-click health scan XP/Vista Fix-It Utilities 9 Professional $49.95 Avanquest (800) 395-6682 www.avanquest.com Extensive optimization options XP/Vista WinOptimizer 6 $34.99 Ashampoo Online only www.ashampoo.com Easy-to-follow recommendations XP/Vista

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