2008-Feb-5 - PC Tools Registry Mechanic Product Review

PC Tools Registry Mechanic Product Review

What It Does Makes your computer run faster by cleaning and compressing your registry. Who Needs It * Use if you frequently install and uninstall software * Use if you've been using the same computer for a year or more * Use if you've recently removed a lot of spyware

The Windows Registry is a database containing important configuration settings and is an integral part of your computer. It is used heavily by the operating system and by virtually every program that you may run on your PC.

Whenever you install a new program, entries are created in the registry, and as it gets larger your computer becomes slower. Invalid registry entries that are left behind due to software malfunction, spyware infection, or removal of programs are a common cause of computer slowdown and fatal Windows crashes. Windows updates and updates from your computer manufacturer also tend to create and delete registry entries all the time.

PC Tools Registry Mechanic is a utility designed by PC Tools that's intended to keep your registry in the same optimal condition it was when you first started using it. Not only does it identify and remove invalid entries, it also compresses your registry making it (and your whole computer) faster.

We found PC Tools Registry Mechanic to be easy to use. There are three options you can select (and you should select all of them). The first performs a deep scan on your registry to identify and fix problems. The second makes changes to registry settings to make your computer run faster. The third compresses and optimizes the registry to make it run faster.

Running all three options on a PC takes less than five minutes and should be done regularly (probably about once a month).

PC Tools Registry Mechanic checks the entire registry, not just portions of it.

We decided to test PC Tools Registry Mechanic on two PCs. The first was a low-use desktop PC less than a month old. The second is a kid's high-use gaming laptop that frequently has games and toolbars installed and uninstalled on it. We took measurements on both PCs, installed and ran PC Tools Registry Mechanic, and then remeasured the difference.

In our first test, we measured the Windows startup time. On the new desktop computer, startup time decreased from 57 to 49 seconds, a savings of 8 seconds or 14%. On the second high-use laptop, startup time decreased from 41 to 31 seconds, or a 25% improvement. PC Tools Registry Mechanic definitely had an effect.

We then used a tool called Sisoft Sandra to benchmark both machines. This tool measures CPU, memory, network, and file system utilization and is a good overall measure of how well the operating system and hardware are working. On the newer desktop, the Sisoft Sandra benchmarks didn't change much at all - there was a slight improvement, but not enough where one could tell the difference in normal, everyday use.

On the gaming laptop however, the difference was amazing. Three of the four Sisoft Sandra benchmarks increased by over 80%! The computer was noticably faster and more responsive. Here are the before and after benchmarks:

PC Tools Registry Mechanic 5.2 has a number of minor features, but a few stand out. For instance, it will look for and remove file fragments temporary files (*.tmp and *.chk) often left over from installation and windows disk recovery operations. And it also defragments the windows boot file and sorts and refreshes the Windows Start Menu items list. All of these features help help to increase the speed at which Windows starts up and runs.

The Windows registry is an essential part of your operating system that must be kept in good condition for your computer to run optimally. PC Tools Registry Mechanic 5.1 is an effective tool that will improve performance of older and heavily-used PCs, sometimes dramatically. Highly recommended.

Other PC Tools products:

PC Tools Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus , PC Tools Desktop Maestro - Registry Cleaning, System Monitoring & Privacy Cleaning , PC Tools Registry Mechanic - Improves PC Reliability & Performance , PC Tools Free PC Scan - Spyware Doctor , PC Tools All-in-one Security featuring , PC Tools Software Awards , PC Tools Internet Security product information

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