TuneUp Utilities 2014.P.3

Overview

TuneUp Utilities 2012 is the most complete optimization suite for Windows users, including a variety of features to make sure that your computer is giving its 100% every day. It can free up space on your disk, clear loaded RAM, delete junk files from locations that other programs don’t even bother looking into and even helps you customize your PC to give it a more personalized appearance. And all this is so easy to use thanks to the organized and user friendly user interface.

Installation

Installation might take a while to finish, but before you reach that point you have to choose if you want to install the AVG Security Toolbar that comes with the main program and change your browser’s homepage and search provider to AVG Secure Search. A couple of steps afterwards you are asked to make a few settings regarding new entries in context menus, updates, desktop icons and TuneUp Utilities Gadget. The installation step is the next and final step. The program can run under any Windows XP, Vista or 7 machine.

Interface

First time you launch the program a window will come up and recommend that you perform a general system scan using 1-Click Maintenance feature. Even from this small interaction with TuneUp you will see that the fonts and buttons are smooth and easy to read.

Star Center is the name for the main window, which is split into categories and gives you the ability to control all functions from there. In the first category you will see an overview of your system’s status and some general advice that you can use to improve performance and increase security. The other categories have more advanced tools dedicated to fix any area of the computer that needs attention, consequently speeding it up.

Pros

The improved TuneUp Economy Mode is a drastic way to reduce power consumption and increase battery life on your laptop by using various methods, like terminating unnecessary processes running in the background, or configuring the hardware to consume less but sufficient power.

Apart from the fixing and optimizing part, TuneUp has loads of tweaks and settings hidden in Windows, allowing you to adjust them freely. For example you can change your Windows theme, boot logo, logon screen, program icons and so many other things that you didn’t even know you could modify.

Cons

It is a heavy program with too much eye candy that makes it use a lot of of system resources, especially when Turbo and Economy Mode are enabled. You will have difficulties using it on older and slower computers.

Alternatives

Very few software on the same level as TuneUp Utilities exist, and one of them is System Mechanic (Free, Pro). It has everything you need to get rid of all errors, crashes, sudden restarts and accelerate startup process and internet connection. An equally good freeware is Sysinternals Suite, including many of the features that TuneUp has.

Conclusion

If you want to get the best software that will take care of all computer issues, stop searching because TuneUp Utilities is what you’re looking for. It contains more than 30 useful tools and unless your computer is not equipped with a decent processor and sufficient RAM, you won’t experience any difficulty in using any of those features.