CNET Editors' note: WinUtilities Free Edition includes optional bundled software that may trigger alerts from security software. WinUtilities Free Edition has been tested for malware by the CNET Download.com team and meets our security requirements.
CNET Editors' review
In our duties reviewing software for Download.com we install and uninstall a lot of programs. As we're sure you can imagine, this creates a bit of a mess on our PC. Many programs leave files behind when they're uninstalled, and since we're constantly downloading and deleting things, we end up with a lot of invalid shortcuts, broken registry entries, etc. For this very reason, we were excited about trying WinUtilities Free Edition, a suite of tools designed to free up disk space and improve system performance. We were quite pleased with the program's results.
Some of what WinUtilities does--disk defragmenting and cleanup, for example--can be accomplished using the System Tools that come with Windows. But we liked the way the program combined these and other functions into one clean, intuitive interface, making all of the most useful Windows maintenance utilities easy to access. The program contains a full complement of features to help you manage your computer's performance and security, including a file shredder, duplicate file finder, task scheduler, and much more. The program's One-Click Maintenance feature allows users to run a variety of customizable buttons with the click of a single button. The program's built-in Help file is well written and thorough. Overall, we were quite impressed with WinUtilities, and we think it's a great tool for keeping your system in good shape and free of performance-hindering junk.
WinUtilities Free Edition is free. The program installs and uninstalls without issues. We highly recommend this program to all users.
Publisher's Description
From YL Software:
WinUtilities (Free Edition) is a multi-functional system performance and optimization suite for Microsoft Windows. This collection of tools lets you supercharge your PC's performance, enhance its security, tweak and optimize its settings, and customize and personalize your screens. Registry Cleaner makes your system more stable by cleaning out the bad Registry entries that build up each time you install and uninstall software. The program's Registry Optimizer defragments and rebuilds your Registry, making your entire system run more smoothly and quickly. The program includes powerful tools to clean and optimize your hard drives. The Disk Cleaner removes clutter and unnecessary files from your PC, allowing it to run more quickly. The DiskDefrag module defragments your hard drive, keeping it running efficiently. WinUtilities's Windows Optimizers keep Windows running faster. The Memory Optimizer ensures that memory is released properly when you stop running each program on your system.
What's new in this version: Version 10.41 has improved language package, updated database, and process security module improvements.
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All versions:
3.9 starsout of 549 votes
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Current version:
4.0 starsout of 10 votes
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My rating:
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Results 1-10 of 10
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"It does what it says."
Version: WinUtilities Free Edition 10.41
Pros
It is all good.
Cons
None at this time
Summary
Good to use.
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"Simple, clean, fast, and effective"
Version: WinUtilities Free Edition 10.41
Pros
Works fast.
Doesn't just find-and-fix errors but tells you what they are, and gives you an option to leave them if you want.
Simple, clean, user-friendly interface.
Breeze to install.
Doesn't seem to take a lot of CPU power.
Doesn't push you to buy the premium edition.Cons
Has some utilities that are duplicates of what already comes with Windows, notably disk defrag. Duplicate functions = larger-than-necessary program.
Summary
I've had an excellent experience with this software. I've downloaded other "system optimizer" programs, such as Game Booster, with limited or poor results (for ex. Game Booster crashed my system and I had to do a system restore). WinUtilities, on the other hand, literally did exactly what it promised - it cleaned up and sped up my system. I mean remarkably sped it up - literally my boot time was cut by over half, my CPU is rarely maxed out anymore (leading to less overheating), and my previously unplayable games, both online and off, now run like a breeze.
The only utility I've tried so far that I haven't found much use for is the memory optimizer...but then I don't have a lot of demands on my RAM, and I also have quite a large paging file so memory is rarely, if ever, a problem to begin with.
Overall this is a free utility that doesn't act like your typical adware/spam-riddled junk, guncking up your system with more useless bundles of crud...this is a clean, simple, and quite effective small piece of software. Highly recommended if you're experiencing lag, start-up crashes, BSoD (oh yeah I don't get those anymore either - I was getting 4 a day until I installed this!), CPU max-out, etc. -
"pitiful performance"
Version: WinUtilities Free Edition 10.41
Pros
None found but limited use because of see below.
Cons
Only used it for two things and it did poorly on both. Ran the computer profiler and not only did it not give much useful information it identified my CPU as an Intel when in fact it is an AMD. Secondly I ran the "Check for Duplicate files leaving the "check bit by bit" unchecked since it said that slowed it down a lot. Started it when I went to bed at Midnight and when I checked it in the morning at 10 am it was still chugging away! I only have a 500 GB disk with on 100 GB of information on it so saying this application is slow is like saying a hurricane is a mild breeze.
Summary
I've found that movie reviewers do not always watch the movie they review in it's entirety. I have discover many factual errors about the movies they review that they wouldn't have made if they actually watched the whole movie. I'm beginning to wonder if the same cannot be said of reviews of software from such places as Cnet. I think I will still with user reviews from now on.
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"This system software really works and works well."
Version: WinUtilities Free Edition 10.41
Pros
There are differant Modules for seperate issues or you can use the One Click Maintenance Module to complete the many seperate repairs concurrently.
Cons
I didn't find out about this software sooner.
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"Best I've ever used !!!"
Version: WinUtilities Free Edition 10.41
Pros
Easy to use !!!
Cons
No Cons !!!
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"Works really well"
Version: WinUtilities Free Edition 10.41
Pros
Has all the tools and is very stable
Cons
If I have to think hard about this question, then no. No cons that are consequential.
Summary
I use other programs as well, but WinUtilities always gets the final cleaning, and usually finds things that other programs don't. Whenever I help someone with their computer, I always install WinUtilities for them. Very Stable, reliable and will not do more than what you want it to.
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"good-still learning"
Version: WinUtilities Free Edition 10.41
Pros
easy to use
Cons
have none --
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"Ineffective"
Version: WinUtilities Free Edition 10.41
Pros
-Cleans
-Optimizes
-RepairsCons
VERY ineffective when compared to similar products. Worst product ive seen.
Summary
Get something else
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"A utility I can rely on to keep me safe and efficient"
Version: WinUtilities Free Edition 10.41
Pros
Easy to install (via CNET) and can work invisibly. However, I chose their option of displaying Memory Optimizer in my tool tray. When things go slowly, I check to see the status of my memory usage, then choose to have it optimize fairly often. It's easy to check on an easily-read graph memory can CPU status in real time. Quite a good deal for free for my home PC.
Cons
It seems updates are frequent. But with all the new software changes is that such a bad thing? At least I feel confident they work to keep it working well with other current software.
Summary
I've used other similar programs. But they sometimes become a problem to keep working. WinUtilities Free Edition seems to handle well what I use to keep things running well together. Running quietly in the background yet easily accessible when I want it. I don't see ads or anything that I have to give up in trade either.
It keeps working for me. So I try to keep it up to date, which is made easier by getting notifications from CNET.
Updated on Feb 1, 2012 -
"Quick and efficient"
Version: WinUtilities Free Edition 10.41
Pros
nothing to say
Cons
Just 1 problem: one-click-maintenance scratches my igoogle login & password and no other login/password.
Results 1-10 of 10
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