Ninite is a free program that makes loading up a new computer fast. It offers a custom installer for dozens of popular programs and automatically declines the bundled bloatware so many free apps try to sneak onto your computer.
Microsoft’s PowerToys suite is packed with utilities to simplify all sorts of PC hassles. From batch resizing images to quickly finding your mouse cursor to always keeping a window on top of others and even remapping keyboard keys.
Speccy
Speccy is a free system information tool for Windows, developed by Piriform, the company behind CCleaner and Defraggler. It analyzes your computer to provide a list of specifications for you to review. The software competes with other systems profiling tools like AIDA64, HWiNFO, and CPU-Z in terms of functionality.
Unlike most programs that require you to dig through the OS to get information about your PC, Speccy gathers the necessary details in one interface. You can view a summary of your hardware and see real-time temperatures. Speccy also allows you to save scan results as text or XML for easy sharing.
With a dark and sleek UI, Speccy neatly organizes the gathered information in distinct categories like Summary, Operating System, CPU, RAM, Motherboard, Graphics, Storage, Optical Drives, Audio, and Peripherals. You can click on any section to display its detailed information. This information can come in handy if you’re planning to sell your PC or are on the phone with tech support.
IObit Advanced SystemCare
IObit Advanced SystemCare is a utility software for Windows that helps speed up your PC by cleaning temporary files, removing unused programs, and optimizing the registry. It also features Turbo Boost, which frees up memory by stopping background processes, and Deep Optimization, which improves the performance of the hard disk and network.
The new IObit Advanced SystemCare Pro has a number of interesting functions, including FaceID that uses your webcam and facial recognition technology to determine whether it is you or an intruder trying to access your computer. There is a program updater that will detect any programs that are outdated during the system scan and allow you to update them.
Unlike some other utilities that can cause performance change, IObit Advanced SystemCare does not have any 3rd party downloads or other adware. It is completely safe to use on your computer and does not pose any threats. It is easy to use and provides useful information about your computer.
System Information Tool
System Information Tool is a program that gathers detailed data about the hardware of your PC. It has a clean interface and features three primary tabs – Hardware Resources, Components, Software Environment. The Hardware Resources tab shows you important details like the BIOS/EUFI name and version, Operating System, CPU model number, CPU clock frequency, motherboard model, total memory and RAM, IRQs and more.
It also gives you a breakdown of your computer components, including the storage drives, optical drives and network adapters. It can help you decide what hardware upgrades are needed, create a list of components when selling a computer and much more. It also has a feature that compares the past and present configuration of your PC. It can save the configuration to a file for use at a later date. Other useful tools include a MMCSnapInsView to list all the MMC snap-ins installed and an EDID emulator. The last one allows you to retrieve EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) from your monitor.
Norton Utilities Ultimate
Norton Utilities Ultimate is a great option for those who want to optimize their computer’s processing power, memory and hard drive. It offers many one-click optimization tools and can even turn a sluggish PC into a machine that runs like new.
Its various features include Internet Cleanup to find and remove Internet junk files, private browsing data and broken shortcuts, Windows Cleanup to close Windows junk files and more. It also helps speed up startup programs, optimizes system settings and automates maintenance tasks.
The software’s dashboard provides a breakdown of various issues detected on the device, such as errors in the registry, junk files wasting space and unnecessary startup programs slowing down boot times. Its easy-to-use interface makes performing 1-click optimizations simple. It also offers a free trial and a money-back guarantee, plus it provides excellent customer support. Its live chat, email and phone support help users troubleshoot any issues. It also offers a comprehensive knowledge base, FAQs and articles.