WEB_ SEPDY!...

---

Most people would probably agree that PC maintenance isn't as high a priority as it
used to be. As such we'd expect the success of software like TuneUp Utilities to
suffer from the fact that people either don't need to (or can't be bothered to)
optimise a machine or are happy to make do with the tools supplied with Windows.

This is a shame, in a way, since TuneUp Utilities 2009 really is an impressive
collection of utilities that'll help you clean, streamline and tweak various areas of
the operating system to help improve performance and generally avoid the inevitable
build up of clutter. The main problem here is that, as suggested, much of this can
be done with the rather rudimentary tools supplied with Windows
(if you know where to look) and the new version doesn't bring anything
revolutionary to the table.

A revised interface and a bit of tweaking of the existing toolset is all you can
expect for 2009, which isn't enough for an upgrade but the suite should still
have distinct appeal to those who like to keep a clean PC.


The main interface splits tools into useful categories to cover functions such
as cleaning and repairing the registry and hard drive and optimising system
settings, startup and performance. The 1-Click Maintenance solution is still
available for those who want to search for and fix common problems and there
are tools included, such as file shredder and undelete, that you won't find within
Windows.

These can be run individually if you have a specific task in mind, but the software
also monitors your machine for you and can present you with a list of suggestions
for areas of your system that can be optimised. These are split into System
Maintenance, Speed and System Status on the main interface with notifications
that range from ‘optimised' (everything's fine) to recommendations for
improving performance or critical areas that should be addressed immediately.

Most individual tools work by scanning the relevant area of your machine to
prepare a diagnosis before allowing you to fix or optimise as need be. This is
rarely more than a two or three step process and there's plenty of information
on offer that explains detected problems and gives you some idea of what to expect
after a fix. If you encounter problems after running any of the tools the Recovery
Centre can ‘undo' changes to restore your system and this also doubles as a System
Recovery tool that's more powerful and comprehensive than that supplied with Windows.

Beginners will certainly appreciate the fact that each of the components is very
approachable and in nearly all instances improves on the alternative available as part of Windows' system tools. For these reasons we can see the target market for
such a product being people with older machines that still struggle with
day-to-day tasks and beginners who aren't confident enough to trawl through
the free solutions available.

In this light it's an excellent collection of tools and there are few similar suites on the
market that trump TuneUp Utilities in terms of usability and the range of varied
solutions on offer.


Reviews
TuneUp Utilities optimizes the performance of your computer, corrects problems and
helps you to customize your system to suit your needs. It combines important
aspects of system configuration, security, cleaning and maintenance under a
modern interface. You can remove unnecessary files from your hard disk(s),
clean and optimize the registry, tweak your internet connection settings, recover
deleted files, optimize memory and more. In addition, you can analyze your
system, receive automatic suggestions for potential performance improvements
and view detailed hardware information. TuneUp Utilities also includes an Uninstaller,
Registry Editor, Task Manager and even an Undelete tool to recover files that
have been deleted from the recycle bin. A very nice tool, with many features
that will appeal to novice as well as advanced users.


Cnet Review (Download.com)
To call TuneUp Utilities 2009 useful would drastically understate the situation. The app provides users with a powerful, well-designed utility that accesses the entire Windows maintenance tool set and more in a fast, organized, and easy-to-use series of connected
modules.

Temp file management, registry cleaners and start-up program controls are the bread-and-butter of these utilities, and these basics work in TuneUp more quickly and
easily than most. However, the app also sports great add-on tools you don't usually
see in a utility program. It offers a variety of Internet and program-acceleration tweaks
as well as Windows performance enhancers. The crash-preventing MemOptimizer, a file shredder,
deleted file recovery, and a respectable uninstall utility round out the suite. You even can automate maintenance tasks with the scheduler or tweak Windows' appearance with the
styler tool. The built-in RescueCenter can restore all changes completely or one by one.

The system-analyzing wizard, with its thorough reporting and upgrade suggestions, is
worth the program price alone. Between the guts of steel and the stylish, logically arranged interface, TuneUp Utilities suits all users--from complete beginners who will appreciate the one-click optimization to more daring users who will experiment with all the settings.