nCleaner

This freeware system optimizer is fast, fairly flexible, a bit gaudy, and most importantly, inaccurate.

NCleaner's interface sports a crowded layout and clunky icons. You'll find the standard functions in this utility. The Clean System function removes invalid registry entries and deletes select types of temporary and log files from certain software titles. The program makes it easy to select what types of files to clean. nCleaner found the majority of correct files in this function, but wasn't as flexible as we hoped. Scanning without automatically cleaning is available, but the function is buried in description text.

We were disappointed with the Find Junk function as it often incorrectly reported files that didn't fit the chosen criteria. However, the Tweak function was very useful. nCleaner offers 49 tweaks to improve system performance or help with privacy. Each tweak rates a quick explanation and can be easily toggled to set or not set. However, some tweaks can't be undone. The Startup Manager function lists programs set to start with your OS, but the list isn't easy to sort.

nCleaner is too complex for novice users and too inflexible for advanced users, and its results aren't unique or accurate enough for us to recommend this title.