Ashampoo WinOptimizer 28 28.00.12

Overview

Ashampoo recently released version 11 of its popular product WinOptimizer, which includes improved features that make this program one of the fastest and most efficient system maintenance software available. It includes several tools that can help you free up space in your drive, fix broken registry references, adjust settings of your applications for maximum speed, wipe internet traces and other data securely, as well as set restrictions to system changes.

Installation

When you run the installer you will be prompted to select the language you want to use during installation. Then the installation wizard will appear and guide you through the whole procedure, which consists of a few steps and no difficult settings. Be careful however, because in one of the steps you’ll be asked if you want to download and install an additional software called myPCBackup, so make sure the opt-out option is selected if you don’t want it (it’s selected by default). The main installation process will start right after that step.

Apart from myPCBackup, there is nothing else that gets installed in your computer other than WinOptimizer.

Supported operating systems are Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8.

Interface

In the last step before the setup window closes you’re asked to choose which skin you would like to use (the choices are Classic and Modern). They have no difference regarding the organization of the features in the program’s interface, but it’s purely a matter of style (plus the modern skin uses a few more resources than the classic). After selecting skin and opening the program for the first time you’ll have to answer a few questions before you can use the program; for example, if Windows was installed on a SSD drive, if Hibernation is one of the features you use, and a couple of others (if you’re not sure of the answer to a question just select the “Leave settings untouched” option for that question). Click OK to close that screen and go to the main window of the program. At the top of it is a toolbar with 5 buttons: Overview, Modules, Favourites, Backups and Statistics, plus a drop-down menu located at the end of the toolbar (Main menu). Those 5 buttons navigate you to other screens with different tools and features, and the Main menu drop-down button shows all included tools in one place.

Pros

With a single click, WinOptimizer’s feature called One Click Optimizer can search your computer for unneeded items, security issues and optimizations that can be made, and then proceed to fix them.

Live Tuner is a basic feature of WinOptimizer since it can boost any running application’s speed. It works in the background and does everything automatically (although you can change its settings from the options menu).

The program can analyze your system and give you detailed information about it, as well as make benchmark tests (and compare results online), view disk space usage, detect issues with your hard disks and let you manage installed fonts.

The file tools included in the toolset give you the power to completely wipe, encrypt, decrypt, split, join and undelete files. In addition, it can also find and remove any existing duplicate files from your computer.

Customizing Windows is possible too, with the help of the several tools included in WinOptimizer such as File Associator, Context Menu Manager, Icon Saver and User-Rights Manager.

Game Booster is a really useful feature for gamers, since it ends all unnecessary Windows processes to free memory and reduce CPU load.

The developers of WinOptimizer have improved the algorithms used in the program and now it is not only faster, but lighter too.

Cons

If you want to use WinOptimizer to its full scale, then you’ll have to spend some time and get familiar with it first.

Alternatives

There are many programs available for optimizing and keeping your system in good health. Some of the best and most known are: CCleaner (free), Glary Utilities (free), TuneUp Utilities (paid), Wise Care 365 (freemium) and System Mechanic (paid). For Mac users, CleanMyMac (paid) is a good alternative.

Conclusion

WinOptimizer is fast and has a ton of tools that can make your computer fly. Just remember to use it regularly to keep your PC in shape.