Should I use System Optimization software and which?

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Stardust018

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Apr 29, 2015
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Hello,
this is my first thread on MalwareTips. I have few questions about system optimization software like CCleaner, Glary, Privazer,Wise 365(about Privazer and wise I read Here on MT) because I'm confused. On some site like HowtoGeek(here & here) and LifeHacker(here) say that this software is usless but again many people recommed to use some optimization software and also here on MT. So my questions are:
  1. Which optimization software should I use?
  2. Can I use registry cleaner should I use and wich?
  3. Which defrag software should I use?
  4. Which uninstaller should I use?
  5. Do I need the optimization software use daily or weekly?
I also have few questions about security. A few days ago I made clean Install of windows and for my AV i choose Avast free but it cause slowdown of internet and it slowed Chrome start time(From extension I only use uBlock) I asked about this problem on Avast Forum(but no one helped me) For test I test I tryed other AVs(AVG, Avira, 360TSE, Defender) and there was no such problems. So I decided me for TSE and I want to know should I use the default setting or should I Switch to security mode(BitDefender and Avira engine? Will it cause sistem slowdown and heavy ram use? Or I shouldn't care of ram usage because I have 8gb of ram?
CPU: FX 8320
CPU Cooler: ZALMAN CNPS10X OPTIMA
MBO: ASUS M5A97 R2.0
RAM: TRANSCEND 2X4 GB 1600 MHZ (8GB)
HDD: WD BLUE 1TB SATA 3
GPU: MSI GTX 760 2GB TF IV GAMING OC
PSU: FORTRON FSP RAIDER 550W 80+ SILVER
CASE: ZALMAN Z3 PLUS ATX USB 3.0
OS: WINDOWS 8.
Sorry for my English I hope you understood everything
 
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BoraMurdar

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Which optimization software should I use?
None that doesn't tell you what it will do to your system. Better way is to manually disable some services that you don't need on your PC, like Smart Card Service and similar... Auslogics and Kerish Doctor could help you to determine that. Cleaning out junk files can improve performance also... CCleaner, Wise Disk Cleaner and Privazer are good to go with.
Can I use registry cleaner should I use and wich?
If you are installing and uninstalling programs on your system often, you could clean your registry from time to time for residual traces. It won't improve performance but it can save you from some unexpected errors. CCleaner's Registry Cleaner is enough in most cases.
Which defrag software should I use?
Windows 8 Disk Optimization is enough to optimize your HDD or SSD. Any other good defragmenters are Piriform Defraggler and Auslogics Disk Defrag Free
Which uninstaller should I use?
IObit Uninstaller, Wise Uninstaller and Geek Uninstaller are good free choices.
Do I need the optimization software use daily or weekly?
It's your decision. Just don't defrag too often and you can clean junk every day if you want.
 

Tony Cole

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May 11, 2014
1,639
Hello Stardust018 and welcome to MalwareTips, it's great this forum is able to reach across the globe:

I have tried Wise 365, and I found it to be okay the same can be said for Glary Utilities. I now stick with CCleaner, and believe the general consensus on this forum is CCleaner is very good.

As for security, I have only really used Kaspersky and find it to be the best, and offers bullet-proof protection. With 8GB you could run Kaspersky. I am surprised avast! slowed down the internet, it's suppose to be very light.

Tony.
 

Venustus

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Hello!:)
Just my POV
1.I wouldn't use one!
2.CCleaner is the best of the bunch!Having said that, beware of "registry cleaners" as they can damage your registry!!
3.Windows built in!
4.Iobit/Geek uninstaller
5.You don't need it!

As for an antivirus I use Eset on my gaming rig, if you are willing to pay for it!
 

Ink

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Jan 8, 2011
22,361
Welcome, if you use Windows 7 or later. Windows will automatically optimise your OS and HDD/SSD without any user interaction, via the Task Scheduler. Therefore, I only recommend using CCleaner and Geek Uninstaller to keep your PC clean from junk files and maintain some privacy.

CCleaner is a junk file and registry cleaner, basic uninstaller (no advanced removal), cookie manager, startup manager and more. It can can be used daily or weekly, depending on your needs.
I recommend using the Slim or Portable builds and can be downloaded here:
https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/builds
** CCleaner Free is suitable for the majority of home PC users.


Geek Uninstaller can be used during the un-installations of old or unneeded software, followed by a scan with CCleaner's Registry cleaner.
Geek Uninstaller (FREE and Portable only) - http://www.geekuninstaller.com/
Direct Download: http://www.geekuninstaller.com/geek.zip
 
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Stardust018

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Apr 29, 2015
18
Thanks everyone for helping me. I decided me for @Huracan recommendation but I have one more question: how can clean Windows update backup files because Windows disk cleanup takes very long time on Windows 8.1(test on several pcs)
 
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viktik

Level 25
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Sep 17, 2013
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Optimization software : wisecare 365 , ashampoo winoptimizer
Registry cleaner : wisecare 365, ccleaner, auslogics registry cleaner, ashampoo winoptimizer
Defrag software : Smart defrag, wisecare 365, auslogics defrag,
Uninstaller : i use iobit uninstaller

you don't need to run optimizer software daily,
run it once in a week or once in two weeks



Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/OS-Enhancements/Ashampoo-WinOptimizer.shtml

Additionally you may use advanced system care
 
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Ink

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Thanks everyone for helping me. I decided me for @Huracan recommendation but I have one more question: how can clean Windows update backup files because Windows disk cleanup takes very long time on Windows 8.1(test on several pcs)
Thank you, let us know how CCleaner and Geek Uninstaller go.

I only use the slow and safest method I know, and that's with Windows Disk Cleanup. It might be a good idea to change power settings to High Performance during that time.

I cannot comment on other third party tools that claim to clear WU files.
 

jamescv7

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Mar 15, 2011
13,070
When it comes on cleaning ability don't forget CCleaner or Privazer, since as always mentioned; the algorithm are not too depth and very safely so use in such daily basis.

Registry cleaners are part of dangerous component cause it can provide exaggerated results so far CCleaner again proves without problem but try to test other products on isolated computer if its totally safe,

For defragmentation they varies on detecting fragments and in my experience you can try Auslogics Disk Defrag, safe to use and no issue at all.

You don't need a full cleaning optimizer unless you want so cause other components will cause problems like Registry Defrag and Drive Scanner.
 

Vipersd

Level 6
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Dec 14, 2014
285
1. None, they are pretty much useless now-days and could potentially harm PC, manually disabling some services is much better option and also to turn off some programs so they don't start with system.
2. You don't need one it is also useless now-days and could potentially harm PC, you won't get any increase in performance if you delete some registry entries.
3. Windows built in is enough.
4. All of them are fine when you find a stubborn piece of software that won't uninstall, but even they leave some things behind like hidden files and folders, they are good to delete registry entries if you have issues with that problematic software and need to reinstall and such. It is better to learn how to manually uninstall software and how to check registry for left over entries and how to look for hidden files and folders by yourself.
5. As you don't need optimization software there is no need to run it.
 
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Maxxx58

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Dec 20, 2014
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Hi Stardust018, Welcome to MalwareTips. I will answer you base on my computer using
  • Which optimization software should I use?
I think you only could use CCleaner, I try lots of maintenance software and most of them give me nothing (some of them can slow down your computer). Better, you don't need to use them except CCleaner to clean junks
  • Can I use registry cleaner should I use and wich?
Again, CCleaner is your choice. If you don't use the right software which can safely clean registry, maybe, you need to reinstall Windows reguraly. In my opinion, Cleaner tool for registry is not neccessary (It can harm your machine)
  • Which defrag software should I use?
I'm using Raxco PerfectDisk for defragmentation. Windows built-in defrag tool gives me nothing in my opinion. For free, you can use Defraggler or Aulogics Disk Defrag free
  • Which uninstaller should I use?
I'm using Revo Uninstaller Pro (Luckily, I won a license of it in MalwareTips :D) and feel really happy with it. For free, you can use Windows built-in uninstaller or CCleaner uninstaller (maybe having traces, junks after uninstall but it's safe to use)
  • Do I need the optimization software use daily or weekly?
CCleaner will monitor your machine and notify you when junks file seems over 0.2 GB (for default). When it notifies you, you can run cleaner to remove junks
This is my experience on my own machine, hope it can help you.
Regards.
 
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Exterminator

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CCleaner & a good 3rd party uninstaller should be just fine.Defraggler is a decent free defrag program
 
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D

Deleted member 178

i will reply in red


Hello,
On some site like HowtoGeek(here & here) and LifeHacker(here) say that this software is useless (I agree) but again many people recommed to use some optimization software and also here on MT. So my questions are:
  1. Which optimization software should I use? not needed , almost all they do , you can do manually
  2. Can I use registry cleaner should I use and which? yes if you know what you are doing but the gain is visible only after a year or more of computer use.
  3. Which defrag software should I use? latest Windows defrag itself in a certain way, so what the software will defrag , windows will rearrange it again. but if you still want a soft , the one of Piriform is often recommended
  4. Which uninstaller should I use? i used to use Iobit one.
  5. Do I need the optimization software use daily or weekly? monthly at minimum, doing it daily is more a burden to your system than a gain.


I also have few questions about security. A few days ago I made clean Install of windows and for my AV i choose Avast free but it cause slowdown of internet and it slowed Chrome start time(From extension I only use uBlock) I asked about this problem on Avast Forum(but no one helped me) For test I test I tryed other AVs(AVG, Avira, 360TSE, Defender) and there was no such problems. So I decided me for TSE and I want to know should I use the default setting or should I Switch to security mode(BitDefender and Avira engine? Will it cause sistem slowdown and heavy ram use? Or I shouldn't care of ram usage because I have 8gb of ram?

RAM is made to be used. the real deal is OS responsiveness. If you can open a window or a folder full of executables faster (i means really really faster, not just an 1/10e seconds) , then shift to the lightest setting if not , keep the more secure one.
 
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WinXPert

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2hogplh.jpg


I am content with CCleaner and 360 TS's Speedup and Cleanup

I would recommend WiseCare 365 too.
 
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roger_m

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  1. Which optimization software should I use?
  2. Can I use registry cleaner should I use and wich?
  3. Which defrag software should I use?
  4. Which uninstaller should I use?
  5. Do I need the optimization software use daily or weekly?
1. With Vista and later versions of Windows there is not much of a need for optimization software. Also, as I will explain below they should be used with caution because the registry cleaner components, quite often want to remove valid registry keys. Also, while optimization software often comes with impressive claims about how it will make your computer run like new, or fix problems. The truth is that while such software can speed up your computer, the chances are it won't make it run like new. As well as this, there are very few problems, that optimization software will actually fix.

One exception, however is Kerish Doctor, as it can actually fix a range of issues. It is the only optimization software I recommend.

If you are looking for free software, Clean Master For PC, does a good job of cleaning junk files, and you can use MSCONFIG (or Task Manager in Windows 8 or later), to remove unneeded startup items, to make your computer boot faster.

2. The short answer is never use a registry cleaner.

Now for the long answer. For the most part there is no need to clean the registry. While a registry cleaner will usually find hundreds of "errors" and sometimes even thousands of errors, around 99.9% of the time these "errors" do no matter, and there absolutely no benefit gained from cleaning them. While the publishers of registry cleaners claim that cleaning the registry will increase PC performance, Windows is designed so that excess registry entries will not slow down a computer, and due to this, cleaning the registry should not make a computer run faster. Once, I deleted around ten thousand keys with several different registry cleaners, and then did a registry defrag. After rebooting, there absolutely no noticable increase in speed. In many years of using registry cleaners, even on computers which are running much slower than they should, only once have I ever seen a noticable speed increase from cleaning the registry.

Also, cleaning the registry usually won't fix any PC problems. I can only think of four instances out of hundreds (possibly even thousands) of times I used registry cleaners that they have actually fixed any problems. I often have problems with my PCs due to constantly installing and uninstalling new software, and never doing clean installs of Windows. I often fix computers for others as well, and no matter what weird problems they have, using a registry cleaner never fixes them.

To make things worse, just about all registry cleaners mistakenly delete valid registry keys. Understandably, doing so is not a good idea, and can cause problems. Probably 99.9% of registry cleaners identify some valid registry keys as being errors.

3. If you're running Vista or a newer OS, then the included deframenter is more than adequate, and there is not going to be a lot benefit gained from using a third party defragmenter. The Windows defragmenter is scheduled to run a defrag in the background once a week, so there is no need to run it manually.

As an example of how well the included defragmenter works, the results of an extensive test and benchmark of defragmenters can be found here, and the conclusion about the Windows 7 defragmenter was:
The Windows 7 Defragmenter does quite a decent job. Unlike its Windows XP counterpart, it does not perform as well at the boot optimization, but scores in the disciplines defragmentation and consolidation of free space. Thus, the Windows 7 Defragmenter is competitive with the other defragmenters. In other words, other defragmenters are struggling to make the system noticeably faster. An advantage of the Windows 7 Defragmenter is that it automatically works in the background. The user does not need to worry about anything in that regard

4. If you want to scan for leftovers after uninstalling software, Revo Uninstaller is excellent and usually finds more leftover files and registry keys than any of the alternatives, but only the paid Pro version supports 64 bit versions of Windows. For a free uninstaller, IObit Uninstaller is very good. It's often not quite as good at finding leftovers as Revo, but still does a good job, and a major new release is going to happen soon. However, if you are going to use any other these uninstallers, you should manually verify the found leftovers before removing them, as on occasion they will find data not related to the program you are uninstalling - which can cause problems. If you're not prepared to do this, stick with softwares included uninstallers.

Another option for uninstaller software is uninstallers which monitor any changes made when you install software, and then use this information to cleanly uninstall the software. They work better than uninstallers like Revo becuase they have a record of exactly what files and registry entries are created when you install software.

5. Kerish Doctor runs in the background has realtime protection against issues. If you open it, every few days it will recommend you run a full scan.

As a final note, if you ever have any computer problems, Windows Repair from tweaking.com, does an excllent job of fixing issues with Windows, is reguarly updated and is free unless you opt for the Pro version.

I hope this helps.
 
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