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Iolo System Mechanic 8
Price: £29. Licence for three computers

Features
Performance
Ease of use
Value for money
Overall

Reviewed By: JJ O’Donohue

This review updated: 31/07/2008
Featured in magazine:
Issue 193
Manufacturer Contacts:
Supplier: Iolo
Web Address: www.iolo.com


If you know what you're doing, then spending time tuning up your computer can be a rewarding process that results in a faster, improved PC. But for those of us who aren't familiar with the process, it can be a daunting task. System Mechanic is there for people who don't have the time or the enthusiasm to learn the tricks recommended by the experts. It combines the skills of a PC mechanic with the organisation of a housekeeper – whizzing through your computer, chucking out the clutter and freeing up memory to enhance both speed and performance.

Features:
System Mechanic is in the business of fine-tuning your computer. The software will repair faults and errors, enhance speed, clean up both Windows and the Registry, and perform basic security and privacy tasks, though it should be used in addition to – rather than in place of – traditional security software. It also reports directly to your email Inbox on problems and performance issues, letting you know when you should run it.

Performance:
The software,which works straight out of the box, didn't take long to identify a raft of unwanted programs and files on our test computer. Set it running and it'll happily perform its tasks, one of which is a handy defrag (rearranging the files on your hard disk to make it easier for the computer to find them). As it's a heavy-duty process, the software undertakes this cumbersome work during computer downtime, so it shouldn't impact on your PC while you're doing other things.

Ease of use:
Mechanical tune-ups, whether they're on a car or a PC, can prove difficult for users to understand. Thankfully, Iolo has opted to present everything in a graphical manner that's simple to navigate, using easy-to-read monitors, rather like those you get on the dashboard of a car. On installation, the software performs a diagnostics test, so you immediately know what work it intends to carry out. The program allows for many levels of customisation, so you can optimise the defragging process and schedule things to work when you want them to.

Value for money:
The program incorporates a decent set of features so, at £30, it offers good value for money. Add that to the fact that you will be restoring your computer to its optimum performance and prolonging its life, and System Mechanic becomes a pretty valuable purchase. Your subscription lets you run it on three computers for a year.

More Clean-up software reviews:

• Iolo System Mechanic 8
• System Checkup
• Symantec Norton 360 Version 2.0
• Microsoft Windows Live OneCare 2.0
• Norton SystemWorks (Premier Edition)