Program Sleuth for Windows

Form overshadows function in this less-than-useful process manager. Program Sleuth's dual-window interface lists visible programs and hidden processes with a bare minimum of information. Rather than the usual information-laden display, this utility barely lists more than the process or program name. CPU and memory usage is obscured in short bar graphs beside each program name.

Program Sleuth promises to simplify program and process lists, but it goes too far. There are no quick ways to sort items by CPU or memory use. The bar graphs are too short and not labeled for quick recognition of process CPU cost. It's possible to hover over a bar graph to get detailed information, but even that data isn't precise or accurate. There is no method to save process lists of memory or CPU use. Information icons open online data sheets of known processes, but most simply open Google search windows. You can kill any listed process with a couple of clicks, but during the procedure you're given no process information save a standard warning.

Program Sleuth is less beneficial than most programs in the genre; common information is absent or difficult to discern, expected functions are unavailable, and display screens are not friendly. We see nothing to recommend this application to users of any skill level.