If Norton Utilities is the gold standard in PC maintenance software, Iolo's System Mechanic gets the silver. It's a contender but lacks Norton's name recognition and reputation. Still, System Mechanic boasts many of the same features as Norton Utilities and it's good at what it's supposed to do.
System Mechanic, which costs $50 and is now available in version 16.5, accomplishes some impressive tasks. For starters, it will clean and repair registry problems. I've run several registry scans using System Mechanic, and it has successfully deleted dozens of entries that my PC didn't need. But be careful here: Repairing the registry and its arcane code is often best left to experts.
System Mechanic also removes junk files, which are also called bloatware and can accumulate when you surf the internet. It will likewise tell you what startup programs are unnecessary.
And if you spot it targeting for deletion programs you don't want to lose _ as I did _ you're in luck. The program lets the user make the ultimate decision. And if you delete a program by accident, it'll help you restore settings.
That said, its uninstaller, unlike the Windows uninstaller, is also capable of getting rid of all traces of programs you no longer want or need.
Iolo also claims the program will make better use of RAM and increase internet speeds. I checked my PC's internet speed before installing System Mechanic, and the speed was almost the same afterwards.
If you want antivirus protection, you have to step up to System Mechanic Pro, which also recovers accidentally deleted photos, email and other files. A while back, I reviewed that program, Search and Recover, and found it lacking; it wouldn't find or recover deleted files.
Pro costs $70 for a one-year subscription, though both products are often discounted.
System Mechanic didn't improve my computer's performance by leaps and bounds, but I was impressed with what it could do. This program updates frequently, so stay tuned.
For more information and a trial download: www.iolo.com.
