![]() (To be fair, Comodo does not list Windows 8 as a supported OS.) The utility would launch properly, but never fully initialize or scan the system properties, so no cleanup options became available in its interface. COMODO System Utilities wouldn’t run properly on the Windows 8 test machine, so I do not have any before and after numbers for that tool. Our benchmark tests were conclusive, but ultimately uneventful. Disk space was assessed by simply recording the amount of free disk space being reported by Windows 8’s File Explorer. Boot times were recorded by using the free BootRacer utility to take any guesswork and potential human error out of the equation. To get a general measurement of system performance, I used the PCMark 7 Productivity benchmark, which tests things like web browsing performance, starting applications, and data decryption. The OS image was restored, and the process was repeated again for each utility. Finally, I ran one of the clean-up utilities, let it do its thing, then re-tested the system’s performance and recorded free disk space. Next, I ran some benchmarks on the PC and recorded some pertinent information, like used disk space and boot time. Then I created an image of the entire OS installation that could be used to easily restore the PC back to pre-test conditions. Also, a couple of toddlers had a field day installing numerous apps from the Windows Store.īefore testing began I installed all of the clean-up utilities in this roundup onto the PC, but didn’t run them. The machine has been regularly used to browse the web, check social networking sites, watch videos, play casual games, and do a bit of writing. None of the stock bloatware was removed, with the sole exception being a trial version of Kaspersky Antivirus that constantly threw up so many nag screens that they just became too annoying to ignore. The Sony VAIO Tap 20 is designed to be an all-in-one, shared family PC/oversized tablet, and that is exactly how it was used. ![]() ![]() Storage duties are handled by a Hitachi 750GB, 5400 RPM hard drive and the system is outfitted with a 20-inch touchscreen that packs a native resolution of 1600-by-900.Īshampoo WinOptimizer is somewhat conservative with the junk data it will purge from a system, but it also recommends services to disable that may hinder boot times. The system is powered by an Intel Core i5-3317U 1.7GHz processor (2.6GHz with boost) with integrated Intel HD 4000 series graphics and 4GB of RAM. The test machine is an off-the-shelf Sony VAIO Tap 20 Windows 8 system that hasn’t been maintained at all for the last few months, save for automatically installing Windows Updates when necessary. To replicate real-world conditions I stuck to a straightforward test routine while evaluating the effects of each of the cleanup utilities featured here. The other tools can be used to manually tweak startup items as well, which might be more palatable to experienced PC users who want to get their hands dirty. One of them-namely Ashampoo WinOptimizer-will also automatically check for superfluous startup items or services and disable them to free up memory and improve boot times. They also scan the registry to find any unnecessary keys that can be removed. ![]() They scan your system for junk or useless data that’s just wasting space and mark it for deletion. SlimCleaner uses community-sourced information to determine what data is safe to purge from a system.Īll of the utilities featured here work in roughly the similar fashion.
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