Few Bits Of "Free" Software...

Status
Not open for further replies.
WinOptimizer? 12 years of experience? In what, deluding people?

I wouldn't touch that with a long, wooden door opening device.
 
I quite like WinOptimizer - does a great clean up job without breaking anything. (Had a few nasty experiences with CCleaner - but I seem to be in the minority there...) What is wrong with it? :confused:
 
blah blah blah, sarcastic comment, pithy comeback, mindless flame etc...

Back on track - I use WinOptimizer a fair bit to help out friends with creaky old installs - I genuinely would like to know if there are any serious issues with it as I'd hate to bring down someone's system. Care to elaborate on the issues you have with it?
 
All the software I have seen that says it optimizes has been a crock. The biggest issue I have is they originally charged money. If it is free and you feel it works, go for it.

It is not that it will break something, though I wouldn't be surprised if it did, just they make zero difference.

This is all from personal experience. I have seen plenty of "optimization" software over the years and had the dubious pleasure of fixing what it has broken on all the machines that end up in my hallway for me to fix! :p
 
cavemanoc said:
blah blah blah, sarcastic comment, pithy comeback, mindless flame etc...

Back on track - I use WinOptimizer a fair bit to help out friends with creaky old installs - I genuinely would like to know if there are any serious issues with it as I'd hate to bring down someone's system. Care to elaborate on the issues you have with it?
Click to expand...
The thing is, the Windows registry typically consists of hundreds of thousands of entries, and deleting a couple of hundred orphaned keys isn't going to have the slightest impact on system performance. The redundant entries don't do any harm simply by being there, and if an "optimiser" actually dug deep enough to reduce the overall registry size by a significant amount, it would almost inevitably cause severe collateral damage along the way.

Optimisers might have some worth as a method of deleting temp files, multiple browser caches and other individual application junk all in one convenient step, but that's about the limit of their usefulness IMO.
 
CaptainCrash said:
Optimisers might have some worth as a method of deleting temp files, multiple browser caches and other individual application junk all in one convenient step, but that's about the limit of their usefulness IMO.
Click to expand...

Exactly. There are plenty of tools to delete temp files from your system. By far the most popular is CCleaner. Windows has built-in tools that does half the job, the rest is done via your browsers and a few manual steps. CCleaner just does in one job lot. It is also free and doesn't proclaim to speed up your PC or be any other magic bullet for sluggish Windows.

It is also true about the registry. I repeat this often, but it is worth repeating again and again - the size of the registry makes no difference on Windows performance.
 
I was under the impression that CCleaner and WinOptimizer offered the same functions, the only difference was that CCleaner was free and WinOptimizer was paid for - as I said, I have personally had issues with CCleaner breaking stuff, never had issues with WinOptimizer. It does a lot more than just fiddle with the registry and I like the interface (handy for adjusting startup issues and a raft of other things, now that it's free... I just thought it was worth another look, just one guy's opinion having had specific experiences with both programmes - I do agree that it's not worth paying for though!
 
Ashampoo WinOptimizer is simply another utility (like CCleaner) for OS maintenance, and like CCleaner needs to be used with a bit of forethought, even CCleaner, if used reckessly will mess up you OS...

I was under the impression that CCleaner and WinOptimizer offered the same functions
Click to expand...

They do, basically...

Not everybody gets on with CCleaner, so Ashampoo WinOptimizer might be something for such persons to try...
 
Last edited:
I have to agree with Sirius, I wouldn't touch programs like this. As has been mentioned, messing around in the registry isn't going to do anyone any good. Startup is easily dealt with by MSconfig, the Win7 defrag is about as good as you can get anyway, you can clear any junk away with Dick Cleanup. In short, windows seems to do everything already, so there's no point installing things which won't do it as well. Heck, by installing programs like this you create more registry clutter! Think of the speed loss! :p
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom