Free Glary Utilities Is Indispensable. Really?

Glarysoft  has a blurb on their site that at first glance may seem to be a little over the top. … “To call Glary Utilities helpful would drastically understate the situation. It hopes to become your INDISPENSABLE friend with its one-stop-shop utilities for optimizing and maintaining your PC for best performance.”

Since reviewing software (both free and commercial), is a good part of what I do as a blogger, I’ve tested and evaluated more than a thousand applications in the last few years. Sad to say, 30% or so, have turned out to be “not fit for consumption”. No, you normally don’t get to read reviews on the dreck – better to focus on what lives up to expectations, and not what doesn’t.

Based on this exposure to software applications, Glarysoft’s “indispensable” statement, got me thinking – so, I put it to my personal test. First, let me point out that I get loads of free licenses for the commercial version of applications that I test. However, to avoid the disclosure/non-disclosure issue, I do not keep such software on either my home system, or my test systems. Other than the OS, all software on my home machine is freeware.

But, I could have chosen to have kept on board any one of the dozen or so licensed computer maintenance utilities I’ve had access to in the last few years. Truth is, aside from the disclosure/non-disclosure issue, I’m just not into a “one click simple” computer maintenance solution. I’d rather rely on, as I do, a collection of freeware apps which are specially designed to address specific issues.

And, first among these freeware applications is Glary Utilities. So, from a personal perspective, I find little to argue with in Glarysoft’s “indispensable” claim. Since discovering Glary Utilities years ago, it has remained my go-to application for maintenance and cleanup.

Here’s why:

Glary Utilities, (last updated May 26, 2011 – version 2.34), is a terrific collection of system tools and utilities to fix, speed up, maintain, and protect a PC.

A great deal of personal experience with Glary Utilities has convinced me, that a typical user, particularly a new user, will really benefit by having this application on their system. Twenty million+ downloads from Download.com alone, speaks to the popularity of this indispensable application (last time I reviewed this app – February 11, 2010 – this figure stood at eight million).

Using Glary Utilities, it’s easy to tweak, repair, optimize and improve your system’s performance; and its ease of operation makes it ideal for less experienced users.

You can quickly find the tool you’re looking for: disk cleaner, uninstall manager, secure file deletion, memory optimizer, (a gentle) registry cleaner, duplicate file finder, tracks eraser, empty folder finder; a very convenient feature for those of us who like to test drive new software.

Prior to making important changes to your system, Glary Utilities creates a backup copy first, a very important feature.

A quick piece of advice: never allow an application to make system changes, without creating a system restore point first.

As well, you can manage and delete browser add-ons, analyze disk space usage, find, fix, or remove broken Windows shortcuts, and manage startup programs.

A one click maintenance solution is included, but I’m not a fan of this since I like to be much more hands on. But, less experienced users, should find this feature useful.

Hands on users will appreciate the functional and easily understood GUI.

You can comfortably fine tune the application using the clear and precise Settings Menu.

Fast Facts:

Disk Cleaner Removes junk data from your disks and recovers disk space

Registry Cleaner scans and cleans your registry to improve your system’s performance

Shortcuts Fixer eliminates the errors in your start menu & desktop shortcuts

Startup Manager manages programs which run automatically on startup

Memory Optimizer monitors and optimizes free memory in the background

Tracks Eraser erases all traces, evidence, cookies, internet history and more

File Shredder erases files permanently

Internet Explorer Assistant manages Internet Explorer Add-ons

Disk Analysis provides detailed information files and folders

Duplicate Files Finder searches for space-wasting duplicate files

Empty Folders Finder removes empty folders (I love this feature)

Uninstall Manager completely uninstall programs

Languages: 23 Languages available.

System Requirements: Windows 7, 2000, XP, Vista. 32/64bit versions.

Download at: Download.com

A portable version is also available which you can download at GlarySoft.

During the install, pay particular attention to the offer to install the Ask toolbar. I suggest you reject this offer.

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Glarysoft Valentine’s Day Giveaway – 500 Licenses Each Day From Feb 12 to Feb 14

Welcome to the Glarysoft Valentine’s Day Giveaway, which will provide you with an a powerful and top all-in-one utility to fix, speed up, maintain and protect your PC.

They are giving away 500 licenses each day from Feb 12 to Feb 14 2010 to celebrate Valentines’s Day.

First come, first served, so you have to hurry!

Go to: Glary Soft Holiday Offer

A big “thank you” to Steve.

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Free Glary Utilities – Can 8 Million Users Be Wrong?

Glary Utilities, (updated January 21, 2009), a free all-in-one utility, is a terrific collection of system tools and utilities to fix, speed up, maintain, and protect your PC.

A great deal of personal experience with this  terrific application has convinced me, that a typical user, particularly a new user, will really benefit by having this application on their system. Eight million downloads from Download.com alone, speaks to the popularity of this indispensable application.

Using Glary Utilities, you can tweak, repair, optimize and improve your system’s performance; and its ease of operation makes it ideal for less experienced users.

You can quickly find the tool you’re looking for: disk cleaner, uninstall manager, secure file deletion, memory optimizer, (a gentle) registry cleaner, duplicate file finder, tracks eraser, empty folder finder; a very convenient feature for those of us who like to test drive new software.

Prior to making important changes to your system, Glary Utilities creates a backup copy first, a very important feature.

A quick piece of advice: never allow an application to make system changes, without creating a system restore point first.

As well, you can manage and delete browser add-ons, analyze disk space usage, find, fix, or remove broken Windows shortcuts, and manage startup programs.

A one click maintenance solution is included, but I’m not a fan of this since I like to be much more hands on. But, less experienced users, should find this feature useful.

This is one of my all-time favorite programs, and I highly recommend it.

Fast Facts:

Disk Cleaner Removes junk data from your disks and recovers disk space

Registry Cleaner scans and cleans your registry to improve your system’s performance

Shortcuts Fixer eliminates the errors in your start menu & desktop shortcuts

Startup Manager manages programs which run automatically on startup

Memory Optimizer monitors and optimizes free memory in the background

Tracks Eraser erases all traces, evidence, cookies, internet history and more

File Shredder erases files permanently

Internet Explorer Assistant manages Internet Explorer Add-ons

Disk Analysis provides detailed information files and folders

Duplicate Files Finder searches for space-wasting duplicate files

Empty Folders Finder removes empty folders (I love this feature)

Uninstall Manager completely uninstall programs

We’ve talked about older machines here recently, and this application is perfect to rehabilitate an older computer when one considers the minimum running requirements:

• 30 MB or more free hard disk space
• Intel Pentium 3/4 or AMD Athlon processor with 500 or above MHz
• 128 MB RAM or more
• Internet access

Languages: 23 Languages

System Requirements: Windows 7, 2000, XP, Vista. 32/64bit version.

Download at: Download.com

A portable version is also available which you can download at GlarySoft.

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Three Must Have Free System Tools

I’m always on the lookout for system utilities to improve my system performance, (I run various operating systems, including XP Pro and Win 7 RC), and protecting my privacy is a major concern for me, both on and off, the Internet.

Even though I have tested a fairly large number of free system utilities, over the years, that offer to improve system performance and help maintain privacy, I always find myself coming back to these veteran applications.

It’s just hard to beat perfection, and in my view the following free applications are as close to perfect at their assigned tasks, as a free program can be.

If you have an application you rely on, and you think it can outperform any of the following, I’d be glad to hear about it – so please let me know.

CCleaner

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system – allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it’s fast; normally taking less than a second to run.

Download at: Download.com

Glary Utilities

Glary Utilities, a free all-in-one utility, is a terrific collection of system tools and utilities to fix, speed up, maintain and protect your PC. Personal experience with this free application has convinced me that a typical user can really benefit by having this application on their system. With this free program you can tweak, repair, optimize and improve your system’s performance; and its ease of operation makes it ideal for less experienced users.

Download at: Download.com

Revo Uninstaller

Revo Uninstaller is a superior program to uninstall programs from your computer. This free program with its advanced and fast algorithm scans before, and after you uninstall an application. After the program’s regular uninstaller runs, you can remove additional unnecessary files, folders and registry keys that are usually left over on your computer. This feature is a definite plus.

Download at: Download.com

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Glary Utilities – All-in-One Free System Tool

Glary Utilities, a free all-in-one utility, is a wonderful collection of system tools and utilities to fix, speed up, maintain and protect your PC.

A great deal of personal experience with this  terrific application has convinced me, that a typical user, particularly a new user, will really benefit by having this application on their system.

With this free program you can tweak, repair, optimize and improve your system’s performance; and its ease of operation makes it ideal for less experienced users.

You can quickly find the tool you’re looking for: disk cleaner, uninstall manager, secure file deletion, memory optimizer, registry cleaner, duplicate file finder, tracks eraser, empty folder finder; a very convenient feature for those of us who like to test drive new software.

Prior to making important changes to your system, Glary Utilities creates a backup copy first, a very important feature.

A quick piece of advice: never allow an application to make system changes without creating a system restore point first.

As well, you can manage and delete browser add-ons, analyze disk space usage, find, fix, or remove broken Windows shortcuts, and manage startup programs.

A one click maintenance solution is included, but I’m not a fan of this since I like to be much more hands on. But less experienced users, might find this feature ideal.

This is one of my favorite programs, and I highly recommend it.

Fast Facts:

Disk Cleaner Removes junk data from your disks and recovers disk space

Registry Cleaner scans and cleans your registry to improve your system’s performance

Shortcuts Fixer eliminates the errors in your start menu & desktop shortcuts

Startup Manager manages programs which run automatically on startup

Memory Optimizer monitors and optimizes free memory in the background

Tracks Eraser erases all traces, evidence, cookies, internet history and more

File Shredder erases files permanently

Internet Explorer Assistant manages Internet Explorer Add-ons

Disk Analysis provides detailed information files and folders

Duplicate Files Finder searches for space-wasting duplicate files

Empty Folders Finder removes empty folders (I love this feature)

Uninstall Manager completely uninstall programs

System Requirements: Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003 and Vista.

Download at: Download.com

If you enjoyed this article, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.

Slow Computer? – 6 Free Solutions

It seems to be inevitable that a computer running a Windows based operating system will slow down over time.

There may be numerous reasons why your computer behaves badly and is no longer the speed demon it once was. Simple maintenance, practiced regularly, which is easy even for a non-expert, can keep your Windows based PC running smoothly at peak performance for years.

The most common problems that have impact on a computer’s speed and behavior are listed here, with the appropriate free software solution. This is not however, an exhaustive list.

In most cases, since a slow computer is generally being impacted by more than one problem, you will probably find that you will have to resolve the issue using more than a single solution.

Your computer takes a long time to boot and operates slowly.

Too many programs loading on system startup is a common cause of longer than normal boot up times.

Solution: WinPatrol

Using WinPatrol you can monitor your startup programs and services, cookies and current tasks. Should you need to, WinPatrol allows you to terminate processes and enable, or disable, startup programs. There are additional features that make WinPatrol a very powerful addition to your utility toolbox.

Fast facts:

Decrease CPU Usage and Conflicts

Express boot option

Download at: Download.com

A jam-packed, jumbled registry can be one of the chief causes of computer slowdown and malfunction. A messy registry can often put a brake on your system, cause programs to stop working properly, and aggravate you while you hang around waiting for the operating system to load at a snails pace.

Solution: Regseeker

Many applications, on being uninstalled, leave behind “orphan” registry entries. They don’t remove all traces of themselves; causing problems such as sluggish performance, system lockups, or a bloated registry that takes longer to load on startup. With the click of a button, Regseeker will scan your registry for these fragmented files, and safely remove them.

Fast facts:

Scans and cleans your registry

Multifunctional

Performs tweak operations

Clean out your startup entries

Add/Remove program entries

Adjust color schemes

Change personal information entries

Download at: Download.com

Disk fragmentation, especially on intensively used systems, will degrade performance over time. This is a good task to automate by using a third-party tool.

Solution: Auslogics Disk Defrag

The program is extremely easy to use, does not require any analysis phase and is faster than most disk defragmentation software I’ve tested in the past, and it’s free. In my view, it’s one more maintenance process in helping me get the maximum performance out of my hardware.

Fast facts:

Improve computer performance and stability

Increase your productivity – no more waiting for files to open

Defragment disks in minutes

Disk fragmentation map and detailed fragmentation report

Download at: Download.com

Your Hard Drive is full.

A full Hard Drive will not function efficiently since you require at least 2 – 3MB of free space for programs to run smoothly. If you lack this much free space, you should uninstall unused programs on your primary drive.

Solution: Revo Uninstaller

Revo Uninstaller is a superior program to uninstall programs from your computer. This free program with its advanced and fast algorithm scans before, and after you uninstall an application. After the program’s regular uninstaller runs, you can remove additional unnecessary files, folders and registry keys that are usually left over (those “orphaned” registry entries we talked about earlier), on your computer. This feature is a definite plus.

Fast facts:

Superior uninstaller

Free

Fast algorithm scans before, and after uninstall

Removes additional unnecessary files, folders and registry keys

Download at: Download.com

Running a Disk Cleaner will help to optimize your system by emptying the Recycle Bin, Temporary Setup Files, Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, Old Chkdsk Files, Temporary Files, Temporary Offline Files, Offline Files, and so on.

Solution: CCleaner

For a full and through cleanup, I highly recommend CCleaner. As well, you should consider copying archived files such as pictures and music, to CD’s or DVD’s to free space on the Hard Drive.

Fast facts:

Frees up valuable hard disk space

Advanced features to remove unused and old entries

Comprehensive backup feature

System tray icon

Privacy tool

Download at: Download.com

Your Internet connection is slow.

Even the fastest Internet connection is a lot slower than any relatively modern PC, so make sure your Internet settings are properly optimized.

Solution: Ashampoo Internet Accelerator 2

Ashampoo Internet Accelerator is a great little application that makes it easy to perform this simply task. Ashampoo Internet Accelerator 2 is an excellent free Internet connection optimizer.

Fast facts:

Free

Fully automatic

ISDN, DSL via LAN cable or cable modem, DSL via wireless LAN

Improvements in performance connection

Download at: Download.com

Malware Infections.

It’s possible of course, that the performance of your computer has been adversely affected by malware infections. If you believe that’s the case, read my article on this Blog, “Need Free Security Programs? – 10 of the Best!”

Once you have removed system-clogging clutter, ensured your Internet settings are properly optimized, are satisfied your system is not infected with malware, and performed the other simple maintenance, your PC should satisfy you with its capabilities.

Speedup That Slow Computer – 6 Free Solutions

It seems to be inevitable that a computer running a Windows based operating system will slow down over time.

There may be numerous reasons why your computer behaves badly and is no longer the speed demon it once was. Simple maintenance, practiced regularly, which is easy even for a non-expert, can keep your Windows based PC running smoothly at peak performance for years.

The most common problems that have impact on a computer’s speed and behavior are listed here, with the appropriate free software solution. This is not however, an exhaustive list.

In most cases, since a slow computer is generally being impacted by more than one problem, you will probably find that you will have to resolve the issue using more than a single solution.

Your computer takes a long time to boot and operates slowly.

Too many programs loading on system startup is a common cause of longer than normal boot up times.

Solution: WinPatrol

Using WinPatrol you can monitor your startup programs and services, cookies and current tasks. Should you need to, WinPatrol allows you to terminate processes and enable, or disable, startup programs. There are additional features that make WinPatrol a very powerful addition to your utility toolbox.

Fast facts:

Decrease CPU Usage and Conflicts

Express boot option

Download at: Download.com

A jam-packed, jumbled registry can be one of the chief causes of computer slowdown and malfunction. A messy registry can often put a brake on your system, cause programs to stop working properly, and aggravate you while you hang around waiting for the operating system to load at a snails pace.

Solution: Regseeker

Many applications, on being uninstalled, leave behind “orphan” registry entries. They don’t remove all traces of themselves; causing problems such as sluggish performance, system lockups, or a bloated registry that takes longer to load on startup. With the click of a button, Regseeker will scan your registry for these fragmented files, and safely remove them.

Fast facts:

Scans and cleans your registry

Multifunctional

Performs tweak operations

Clean out your startup entries

Add/Remove program entries

Adjust color schemes

Change personal information entries

Download at: Download.com

Disk fragmentation, especially on intensively used systems, will degrade performance over time. This is a good task to automate by using a third-party tool.

Solution: Auslogics Disk Defrag

The program is extremely easy to use, does not require any analysis phase and is faster than most disk defragmentation software I’ve tested in the past, and it’s free. In my view, it’s one more maintenance process in helping me get the maximum performance out of my hardware.

Fast facts:

Improve computer performance and stability

Increase your productivity – no more waiting for files to open

Defragment disks in minutes

Disk fragmentation map and detailed fragmentation report

Download at: Download.com

Your Hard Drive is full.

A full Hard Drive will not function efficiently since you require at least 2 – 3MB of free space for programs to run smoothly. If you lack this much free space, you should uninstall unused programs on your primary drive.

Solution: Revo Uninstaller:

Revo Uninstaller is a superior program to uninstall programs from your computer. This free program with its advanced and fast algorithm scans before, and after you uninstall an application. After the program’s regular uninstaller runs, you can remove additional unnecessary files, folders and registry keys that are usually left over (those “orphaned” registry entries we talked about earlier), on your computer. This feature is a definite plus.

Fast facts:

Superior uninstaller

Free

Fast algorithm scans before, and after uninstall

Removes additional unnecessary files, folders and registry keys

Download at: Download.com

Running a Disk Cleaner will help to optimize your system by emptying the Recycle Bin, Temporary Setup Files, Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, Old Chkdsk Files, Temporary Files, Temporary Offline Files, Offline Files, and so on.

Solution: CCleaner

For a full and through cleanup, I highly recommend CCleaner. As well, you should consider copying archived files such as pictures and music, to CD’s or DVD’s to free space on the Hard Drive.

Fast facts:

Frees up valuable hard disk space

Advanced features to remove unused and old entries

Comprehensive backup feature

System tray icon

Privacy tool

Download at: Download.com

Your Internet connection is slow.

Even the fastest Internet connection is a lot slower than any relatively modern PC, so make sure your Internet settings are properly optimized.

Solution: Ashampoo Internet Accelerator 2:

Ashampoo Internet Accelerator is a great little application that makes it easy to perform this simply task. Ashampoo Internet Accelerator 2 is an excellent free Internet connection optimizer.

Fast facts:

Free

Fully automatic

ISDN, DSL via LAN cable or cable modem, DSL via wireless LAN

Improvements in performance connection

Download at: Download.com

Malware Infections.

It’s possible of course, that the performance of your computer has been adversely affected by malware infections. If you believe that’s the case, read my article on this Blog, “Need Free Security Programs? – 10 of the Best!”

Once you have removed system-clogging clutter, ensured your Internet settings are properly optimized, are satisfied your system is not infected with malware, and performed the other simple maintenance, your PC should satisfy you with its capabilities.

Evonsoft Computer Repair – Free, One Click System Utility

System utilities that incorporate multiple functions such as a Registry Cleaner, Junk File Remover, Privacy Cleanup, and in some applications, even more functionality, can be intimidating to new computer users.

New users are very often unfamiliar with both the technology itself, and the technical terms involved in using this type of application.

While it’s generally true that more advanced users want/need much more control than a one click system utility provides, this type of utility can be the ideal solution for a new user.

Evonsoft Computer Repair is one such advanced system utility for Windows that allows the user to safely remove spyware, clean the registry, sweep for privacy issues, and clean junk files with a single mouse click.

According to the developers, with one click, Evonsoft Computer Repair will scan your computer and provide a list of the errors found by the application. You will then have the choice of cleaning each item individually, or allow the application to repair the errors automatically.

In my own testing, I found that the application was extremely fast and that it worked as advertised. I did find however, that the lack of a clear explanation left me feeling slightly uncomfortable. I suspect that more advanced users might also feel the same way.

On the other hand, this lack of explanation might be the very feature that the new user will find most appealing about this application. Most new computer users, in my experience, don’t want to know the details; they just want the job done.

Quick facts:

Scans and removes spyware and adware

Cleans your System and should boost performance

Repairs your PC and keeps it tuned

Very easy to use

Free – no adware, spyware, or viruses

System Requirements: 32-bit Windows Vista, XP, 2000, and 2003 Server.

Download at: Download.com

For a review, and a download link for similar free system utilities, checkout “Advanced WindowsCare Personal”, and “Glary Utilities – Perfect Collection of Free System Tools”, on this site.

Advanced WindowsCare Personal – Great Free System Optimizer

Advanced WindowsCare Personal, a free all-in-one utility, is a terrific collection of system tools and utilities to fix, speed up, maintain and protect your PC. Having tested this application, over the last year or so, I’m convinced that a typical user can really benefit by having this application on their system.

With this free program you can tweak, repair, optimize and improve your system’s performance; and its ease of operation makes it ideal for less experienced users.

You can quickly find the tool you’re looking for: spyware scanner, adware blocker, tracks eraser, registry cleaner, startup manager, junk file cleaner and more. New, or inexperienced users, will love the one click system optimizer which analyzes system configuration and suggests changes to optimize performance. Before making any system changes, Advanced WindowsCare Personal, creates a backup copy first, a very important feature.

Key facts:

Spyware removal – scans and removes spyware and adware.

Security defense – prevents spyware from being installed.

Registry cleaner – scans and cleans your registry to improve your system’s performance. System optimization – optimizes and repairs system configuration

Startup manager – manages programs which run automatically on startup

Privacy sweep – erases all traces, evidence, cookies, internet history and more.

Junk file cleanup – removes junk data from your disks and recovers disk space.

Memory cleaner – monitors and optimizes free memory in the background.

Disk manger – provides detailed information on files and folders

If you need a one click collection of system tools and utilities to help you keep your computer in tip top shape, Advanced WindowsCare Personal should meet your needs and more.

System Requirements: Windows 2000/ XP/ Vista

Download at: Download.com

Glary Utilities is another free all-in-one utility, to fix, speed up, maintain and protect your PC that offers additional feature. Check it out on this site at “Glary Utilities – Perfect Collection of Free System Tools”.

Glary Utilities – Perfect Collection of Free System Tools!

Glary Utilities, a free all-in-one utility, is a terrific collection of system tools and utilities to fix, speed up, maintain and protect your PC. Personal experience with this application for the last 10 months has convinced me that a typical user can really benefit by having this application on their system.

With this free program you can tweak, repair, optimize and improve your system’s performance; and its ease of operation makes it ideal for less experienced users.

You can quickly find the tool you’re looking for: disk cleaner, uninstall manager, secure file deletion, memory optimizer, registry cleaner, duplicate file finder, tracks eraser, empty folder finder; a very convenient feature for those of us who like to test drive new software. Prior to making important changes to your system, Glary Utilities creates a backup copy first, a very important feature.

As well, you can manage and delete browser add-ons, analyze disk space usage and find, fix, or remove broken Windows shortcuts, and manage startup programs.

Key Facts:

Disk Cleaner Removes junk data from your disks and recovers disk space

Registry Cleaner scans and cleans your registry to improve your system’s performance

Shortcuts Fixer eliminates the errors in your start menu & desktop shortcuts

Startup Manager manages programs which run automatically on startup

Memory Optimizer monitors and optimizes free memory in the background

Tracks Eraser erases all traces, evidence, cookies, internet history and more

File Shredder erases files permanently

Internet Explorer Assistant manages Internet Explorer Add-ons

Disk Analysis provides detailed information files and folders

Duplicate Files Finder searches for space-wasting duplicate files

Empty Folders Finder removes empty folders (I love this feature)

Uninstall Manager completely uninstall programs

System Requirements: Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003 and Vista.

Download at: Download.com