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The Best System Utilities for 2022

Give your computer a comprehensive maintenance check. System utilities software is designed to clean up, update, fix and inject a speed boost to any Windows PC. With the addition of cutting-edge security features, your PC will be just as fast (if not faster) than the day you bought it.

See also:

What to look for

FAQs

Jargon explained

System utilities software comparison chart for 2023

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Norton Utilities Premium
Iolo System Mechanic
AVG PC TuneUp
Fix-It Utilities Professional
Total Defense PC Tune-Up
Auslogics BoostSpeed Pro 13
Glary Utilities PRO
Nero TuneItUp PRO
Excellent
Five stars means excellent
Very good
Four stars means very good
Good
Three stars means good
Average
Two stars means average /
Poor
One star means poor
Norton Utilities Premium has been awarded best buy Product image of norton utilities premium Product image of iolo system mechanic Product image of avg pc tuneup Product image of fix-it utilities professional Product image of total defense pc tune-up Product image of auslogics boostspeed pro 13 Product image of glary utilities pro Product image of nero tuneitup pro
 
 

*$49.95
$9.99 off

*$64.99
$35 off

*$49.99
$20 off
Ratings
Overall
norton utilities premium has a rating of four  overall iolo system mechanic has a rating of four  overall avg pc tuneup has a rating of five  overall fix-it utilities professional has a rating of four  overall total defense pc tune-up has a rating of four  overall auslogics boostspeed pro 13 has a rating of four  overall glary utilities pro has a rating of four  overall nero tuneitup pro has a rating of five  overall
Setup
norton utilities premium has a rating of four  setup iolo system mechanic has a rating of four  setup avg pc tuneup has a rating of five  setup fix-it utilities professional has a rating of five  setup total defense pc tune-up has a rating of four  setup auslogics boostspeed pro 13 has a rating of four  setup glary utilities pro has a rating of three  setup nero tuneitup pro has a rating of five  setup
Repair
norton utilities premium has a rating of five  repair iolo system mechanic has a rating of five  repair avg pc tuneup has a rating of five  repair fix-it utilities professional has a rating of four  repair total defense pc tune-up has a rating of four  repair auslogics boostspeed pro 13 has a rating of four  repair glary utilities pro has a rating of four  repair nero tuneitup pro has a rating of five  repair
Optimization
norton utilities premium has a rating of four  optimization iolo system mechanic has a rating of five  optimization avg pc tuneup has a rating of five  optimization fix-it utilities professional has a rating of five  optimization total defense pc tune-up has a rating of three  optimization auslogics boostspeed pro 13 has a rating of four  optimization glary utilities pro has a rating of five  optimization nero tuneitup pro has a rating of five  optimization
Management
norton utilities premium has a rating of four  management iolo system mechanic has a rating of four  management avg pc tuneup has a rating of five  management fix-it utilities professional has a rating of four  management total defense pc tune-up has a rating of three  management auslogics boostspeed pro 13 has a rating of four  management glary utilities pro has a rating of four  management nero tuneitup pro has a rating of five  management
Security
norton utilities premium has a rating of four  security iolo system mechanic has a rating of four  security avg pc tuneup has a rating of five  security fix-it utilities professional has a rating of four  security total defense pc tune-up has a rating of four  security auslogics boostspeed pro 13 has a rating of four  security glary utilities pro has a rating of five  security nero tuneitup pro has a rating of five  security
Features
norton utilities premium has a rating of four  features iolo system mechanic has a rating of four  features avg pc tuneup has a rating of five  features fix-it utilities professional has a rating of five  features total defense pc tune-up has a rating of three  features auslogics boostspeed pro 13 has a rating of four  features glary utilities pro has a rating of five  features nero tuneitup pro has a rating of five  features
Ease of use
norton utilities premium has a rating of four  ease of use iolo system mechanic has a rating of four  ease of use avg pc tuneup has a rating of five  ease of use fix-it utilities professional has a rating of five  ease of use total defense pc tune-up has a rating of three  ease of use auslogics boostspeed pro 13 has a rating of three  ease of use glary utilities pro has a rating of three  ease of use nero tuneitup pro has a rating of five  ease of use
Help & support
norton utilities premium has a rating of four  help & support iolo system mechanic has a rating of four  help & support avg pc tuneup has a rating of five  help & support fix-it utilities professional has a rating of four  help & support total defense pc tune-up has a rating of four  help & support auslogics boostspeed pro 13 has a rating of four  help & support glary utilities pro has a rating of four  help & support nero tuneitup pro has a rating of five  help & support
Repair
File recovery
norton utilities premium  file recovery iolo system mechanic  file recovery avg pc tuneup  file recovery fix-it utilities professional  file recovery total defense pc tune-up  file recovery auslogics boostspeed pro 13  file recovery glary utilities pro  file recovery nero tuneitup pro  file recovery
Hard drive repair
norton utilities premium  hard drive repair iolo system mechanic  hard drive repair avg pc tuneup  hard drive repair fix-it utilities professional  hard drive repair total defense pc tune-up  hard drive repair auslogics boostspeed pro 13  hard drive repair glary utilities pro  hard drive repair nero tuneitup pro  hard drive repair
Registry repair
norton utilities premium  registry repair iolo system mechanic  registry repair avg pc tuneup  registry repair fix-it utilities professional  registry repair total defense pc tune-up  registry repair auslogics boostspeed pro 13  registry repair glary utilities pro  registry repair nero tuneitup pro  registry repair
Shortcut repair
norton utilities premium  shortcut repair iolo system mechanic  shortcut repair avg pc tuneup  shortcut repair fix-it utilities professional  shortcut repair total defense pc tune-up  shortcut repair auslogics boostspeed pro 13  shortcut repair glary utilities pro  shortcut repair nero tuneitup pro  shortcut repair
System restore
norton utilities premium  system restore iolo system mechanic  system restore avg pc tuneup  system restore fix-it utilities professional  system restore total defense pc tune-up  system restore auslogics boostspeed pro 13  system restore glary utilities pro  system restore nero tuneitup pro  system restore
Optimization
Cleans hard drive
norton utilities premium  cleans hard drive iolo system mechanic  cleans hard drive avg pc tuneup  cleans hard drive fix-it utilities professional  cleans hard drive total defense pc tune-up  cleans hard drive auslogics boostspeed pro 13  cleans hard drive glary utilities pro  cleans hard drive nero tuneitup pro  cleans hard drive
Defrag hard drive
norton utilities premium  defrag hard drive iolo system mechanic  defrag hard drive avg pc tuneup  defrag hard drive fix-it utilities professional  defrag hard drive total defense pc tune-up  defrag hard drive auslogics boostspeed pro 13  defrag hard drive glary utilities pro  defrag hard drive nero tuneitup pro  defrag hard drive
Defrag registry
norton utilities premium  defrag registry iolo system mechanic  defrag registry avg pc tuneup  defrag registry fix-it utilities professional  defrag registry total defense pc tune-up  defrag registry auslogics boostspeed pro 13  defrag registry glary utilities pro  defrag registry nero tuneitup pro  defrag registry
Duplicate file remover
norton utilities premium  duplicate file remover iolo system mechanic  duplicate file remover avg pc tuneup  duplicate file remover fix-it utilities professional  duplicate file remover total defense pc tune-up  duplicate file remover auslogics boostspeed pro 13  duplicate file remover glary utilities pro  duplicate file remover nero tuneitup pro  duplicate file remover
Driver updater
norton utilities premium  driver updater iolo system mechanic  driver updater avg pc tuneup  driver updater fix-it utilities professional  driver updater total defense pc tune-up  driver updater auslogics boostspeed pro 13  driver updater glary utilities pro  driver updater nero tuneitup pro  driver updater
Internet history cleaner
norton utilities premium  internet history cleaner iolo system mechanic  internet history cleaner avg pc tuneup  internet history cleaner fix-it utilities professional  internet history cleaner total defense pc tune-up  internet history cleaner auslogics boostspeed pro 13  internet history cleaner glary utilities pro  internet history cleaner nero tuneitup pro  internet history cleaner
Memory optimizer
norton utilities premium  memory optimizer iolo system mechanic  memory optimizer avg pc tuneup  memory optimizer fix-it utilities professional  memory optimizer total defense pc tune-up  memory optimizer auslogics boostspeed pro 13  memory optimizer glary utilities pro  memory optimizer nero tuneitup pro  memory optimizer
System analyzer
norton utilities premium  system analyzer iolo system mechanic  system analyzer avg pc tuneup  system analyzer fix-it utilities professional  system analyzer total defense pc tune-up  system analyzer auslogics boostspeed pro 13  system analyzer glary utilities pro  system analyzer nero tuneitup pro  system analyzer
Windows optimizer
norton utilities premium  windows optimizer iolo system mechanic  windows optimizer avg pc tuneup  windows optimizer fix-it utilities professional  windows optimizer total defense pc tune-up  windows optimizer auslogics boostspeed pro 13  windows optimizer glary utilities pro  windows optimizer nero tuneitup pro  windows optimizer
Management
Disk diagnostics
norton utilities premium  disk diagnostics iolo system mechanic  disk diagnostics avg pc tuneup  disk diagnostics fix-it utilities professional  disk diagnostics total defense pc tune-up  disk diagnostics auslogics boostspeed pro 13  disk diagnostics glary utilities pro  disk diagnostics nero tuneitup pro  disk diagnostics
Erase partitions
norton utilities premium  erase partitions iolo system mechanic  erase partitions avg pc tuneup  erase partitions fix-it utilities professional  erase partitions total defense pc tune-up  erase partitions auslogics boostspeed pro 13  erase partitions glary utilities pro  erase partitions nero tuneitup pro  erase partitions
Hardware diagnostics
norton utilities premium  hardware diagnostics iolo system mechanic  hardware diagnostics avg pc tuneup  hardware diagnostics fix-it utilities professional  hardware diagnostics total defense pc tune-up  hardware diagnostics auslogics boostspeed pro 13  hardware diagnostics glary utilities pro  hardware diagnostics nero tuneitup pro  hardware diagnostics
Processes manager
norton utilities premium  processes manager iolo system mechanic  processes manager avg pc tuneup  processes manager fix-it utilities professional  processes manager total defense pc tune-up  processes manager auslogics boostspeed pro 13  processes manager glary utilities pro  processes manager nero tuneitup pro  processes manager
Startup manager
norton utilities premium  startup manager iolo system mechanic  startup manager avg pc tuneup  startup manager fix-it utilities professional  startup manager total defense pc tune-up  startup manager auslogics boostspeed pro 13  startup manager glary utilities pro  startup manager nero tuneitup pro  startup manager
System information
norton utilities premium  system information iolo system mechanic  system information avg pc tuneup  system information fix-it utilities professional  system information total defense pc tune-up  system information auslogics boostspeed pro 13  system information glary utilities pro  system information nero tuneitup pro  system information
Uninstall manager
norton utilities premium  uninstall manager iolo system mechanic  uninstall manager avg pc tuneup  uninstall manager fix-it utilities professional  uninstall manager total defense pc tune-up  uninstall manager auslogics boostspeed pro 13  uninstall manager glary utilities pro  uninstall manager nero tuneitup pro  uninstall manager
Security
File encryption
norton utilities premium  file encryption iolo system mechanic  file encryption avg pc tuneup  file encryption fix-it utilities professional  file encryption total defense pc tune-up  file encryption auslogics boostspeed pro 13  file encryption glary utilities pro  file encryption nero tuneitup pro  file encryption
File shredder
norton utilities premium  file shredder iolo system mechanic  file shredder avg pc tuneup  file shredder fix-it utilities professional  file shredder total defense pc tune-up  file shredder auslogics boostspeed pro 13  file shredder glary utilities pro  file shredder nero tuneitup pro  file shredder
Spyware remover
norton utilities premium  spyware remover iolo system mechanic  spyware remover avg pc tuneup  spyware remover fix-it utilities professional  spyware remover total defense pc tune-up  spyware remover auslogics boostspeed pro 13  spyware remover glary utilities pro  spyware remover nero tuneitup pro  spyware remover
Features
Automatic updates
norton utilities premium  automatic updates iolo system mechanic  automatic updates avg pc tuneup  automatic updates fix-it utilities professional  automatic updates total defense pc tune-up  automatic updates auslogics boostspeed pro 13  automatic updates glary utilities pro  automatic updates nero tuneitup pro  automatic updates
Help & support
Telephone support
norton utilities premium  telephone support iolo system mechanic  telephone support avg pc tuneup  telephone support fix-it utilities professional  telephone support total defense pc tune-up  telephone support auslogics boostspeed pro 13  telephone support glary utilities pro  telephone support nero tuneitup pro  telephone support
Email support
norton utilities premium  email support iolo system mechanic  email support avg pc tuneup  email support fix-it utilities professional  email support total defense pc tune-up  email support auslogics boostspeed pro 13  email support glary utilities pro  email support nero tuneitup pro  email support
Live chat
norton utilities premium  live chat iolo system mechanic  live chat avg pc tuneup  live chat fix-it utilities professional  live chat total defense pc tune-up  live chat auslogics boostspeed pro 13  live chat glary utilities pro  live chat nero tuneitup pro  live chat
Manual
norton utilities premium  manual iolo system mechanic  manual avg pc tuneup  manual fix-it utilities professional  manual total defense pc tune-up  manual auslogics boostspeed pro 13  manual glary utilities pro  manual nero tuneitup pro  manual
FAQs
norton utilities premium  faqs iolo system mechanic  faqs avg pc tuneup  faqs fix-it utilities professional  faqs total defense pc tune-up  faqs auslogics boostspeed pro 13  faqs glary utilities pro  faqs nero tuneitup pro  faqs
Forums
norton utilities premium  forums iolo system mechanic  forums avg pc tuneup  forums fix-it utilities professional  forums total defense pc tune-up  forums auslogics boostspeed pro 13  forums glary utilities pro  forums nero tuneitup pro  forums
Operating systems
Windows 11
norton utilities premium  windows 11 iolo system mechanic  windows 11 avg pc tuneup  windows 11 fix-it utilities professional  windows 11 total defense pc tune-up  windows 11 auslogics boostspeed pro 13  windows 11 glary utilities pro  windows 11 nero tuneitup pro  windows 11
Windows 10
norton utilities premium  windows 10 iolo system mechanic  windows 10 avg pc tuneup  windows 10 fix-it utilities professional  windows 10 total defense pc tune-up  windows 10 auslogics boostspeed pro 13  windows 10 glary utilities pro  windows 10 nero tuneitup pro  windows 10
Windows 8
norton utilities premium  windows 8 iolo system mechanic  windows 8 avg pc tuneup  windows 8 fix-it utilities professional  windows 8 total defense pc tune-up  windows 8 auslogics boostspeed pro 13  windows 8 glary utilities pro  windows 8 nero tuneitup pro  windows 8
Windows 7
norton utilities premium  windows 7 iolo system mechanic  windows 7 avg pc tuneup  windows 7 fix-it utilities professional  windows 7 total defense pc tune-up  windows 7 auslogics boostspeed pro 13  windows 7 glary utilities pro  windows 7 nero tuneitup pro  windows 7
Windows Vista
norton utilities premium  windows vista iolo system mechanic  windows vista avg pc tuneup  windows vista fix-it utilities professional  windows vista total defense pc tune-up  windows vista auslogics boostspeed pro 13  windows vista glary utilities pro  windows vista nero tuneitup pro  windows vista

System utilities software explained

When we talk about ‘system utilities’, the term describes any software program that’s designed specifically to improve and/or maintain the performance and stability of your computer. They go by various different names: system optimizers, PC tools, and Tune-up suites. But they typically address most of the same problems and deliver similar benefits.

What problems do they solve?

There are plenty of niggles and errors that can afflict your computer as you use it. You might not notice them directly, but there might be certain symptoms you’ve spotted or concerns you might have, such as:

  • Your PC takes more than five minutes to boot up
  • Windows performance is sluggish when opening programs
  • Lack of hard disk space (even though you’ve deleted unwanted files)
  • You've accidentally lost files and want to recover them
  • You're worried about viruses and spyware
  • You want greater security when using the Internet
  • You realize you haven't backed up your important files
  • You've encountered a 'registry' error and don’t know how to fix it

System utilities can solve all of these problems and benefits include: speeding up the overall performance of your computer; cleaning your hard disk drive of unwanted software; and fixing various PC problems.

What else can they do?

That's not all these powerful products can do. They can also effortlessly fix hundreds of Windows errors, free up disk space, back up your important files, even unearth problems you didn't know you had, like lurking viruses, malware, and spyware.

And they can do all this automatically - with a few clicks of your mouse, you can launch a comprehensive IT health check that could keep your computer running as smoothly as the day you bought it.


What to look for in system utilities software

PC optimization and speed boost

Most of the products here claim to “optimize and speed up your system” or claim to be able to “find and fix problems that slow your computer.” How exactly do they do it?

Rather than one magical process, it’s a combination of several approaches. These programs will typically check your hard drives and free up disk space by deleting unwanted and unused files. They will also attempt to update any out-dated hardware drivers and repair common Windows errors (usually caused by missing files) by downloading replacements from the Internet.

Registry cleaner

For Windows computers, the ‘Registry’ is a storehouse of configuration settings and options – it’s a blueprint for all the hardware and software that you use.

Unfortunately, as you install/delete software from your computer, this Registry can get bloated with unused files or essential files can sometimes be deleted, affecting system performance. Registry cleaners are designed to find and fix any Registry problems, backing up the data and streamlining it to eliminate future errors, crashes, and freezes.

Viruses, malware and spyware detection

If you spend any time on the Internet, then you need to protect your computer from the threat of viruses, malware and spyware. Not all system utilities offer this option. But those that do will help you to safeguard your personal information, block hacking attempts, warn you of unsafe websites and detect/remove dangerous bots, malware, viruses, worms and Trojan horses.

Of course, you might not even need this option. Microsoft provides free virus and spyware scanning via its Microsoft Security Essentials software.

Ease of use

An important consideration when looking at system utilities is whether they are easy to use. Looking over the products here, there is an almost overwhelming amount of jargon to negotiate – registry cleaners, disk defragmentation, partition tables and surface scans.

The good news is that you don’t need to understand these terms to get the benefits that a system utilities package can provide. All pride themselves on ease of use and feature set-up ‘wizards’ that walk you through each process and take care of the hard work for you.

Help and support

As we’ve mentioned, it can be a lengthy process to pick your way through the features of the various system utilities packages that are available. It’s why we’ve broken down the features of each product on this page, so you can see what you get (and what you don’t).

It’s also important not to underestimate the value of on-going technical support. Not all products offer FREE support (via either email ,chat or over the phone) as part of the price. So make sure you pay particular attention to the star ratings on this page.


FAQs

Q. What are the biggest advantages of buying system utilities software?

Just as a car requires yearly checks to keep it running efficiently, so your computer can benefit from regular maintenance. System utilities like the products featured on this page combine several powerful clean-up/optimization processes into one easy-to-use application. Best of all, these processes are automatic so you can spring-clean your PC’s registry or vacuum out the clutter on your hard disk with a few mouse clicks.

Q. Can’t I clean up my computer manually?

Of course, you can. You could edit the registry manually, not to mention defragment your hard disk, back up your data and delete unwanted files all by yourself. But some of these processes are extremely complicated. Investing in system utilities software is akin to having a knowledgeable friend who can just do it all for you.

Q. How do I know if the registry in my computer needs cleaning?

The more you use your computer, the more the registry gets cluttered. Imagine a pack of playing cards, neatly ordered in groups of 13 cards according to the four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades). It’s easy to find a card when the deck is organized in this way. But try shuffling the cards and mixing them up. It now takes longer to find the card you want. A cluttered registry can similarly slow down your computer and seriously affect performance.

Q. Can I protect more than one computer?

This will depend on the product that you buy. Most provide a license to cover one computer, but some will enable you to protect multiple household PCs.

Q. Will these system utilities conflict with my existing software?

Generally, no. Although if a system utilities software has a virus/spyware component (and you are already running alternative software), this could cause problems.

Q. Will any of these products work on a Mac?

Some manufacturers, such as Norton, do provide Apple-specific products. But due to the nature of Apple’s OS X operating system, there is less need for system utilities software to improve performance, perform maintenance, auto-create backups and provide anti-virus/anti-malware protection. All of the products here are designed to tackle problems with Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. Some support for older Microsoft operating systems (i.e. Windows Me, Windows 98) might also be available.

Q. Will I have to pay a yearly subscription?

The majority of the prices here reflect a one-off cost. Yearly subscriptions are usually offered when a product contains a specific anti-virus component. The extra cost typically covers the supply of updated virus, spyware, and malware definitions as new threats are detected.

Q. Can I try before I buy?

Yes. Several companies offer free trials of their software, enabling you to download it and test their various claims before buying the full package.


Jargon explained

Defragmentation

Fragmentation of your hard disk occurs with extended use and it’s an unavoidable (but easily fixed) problem that affects every computer. As you create and delete data from a hard disk you fill-up the available space. When Windows can’t store new data together, it splits it up and finds gaps on your hard disk to slot in this information. Split files like these can take longer to access. Disk defragmentation is the process whereby these split files are reorganized on the hard disk so that they are grouped together, making them quicker to access.

Driver

Drivers are small pieces of code used by Microsoft’s Windows operating systems and they enable your PC to talk to (and control) its own hardware and any plugged-in devices. Drivers that are out of date or that have been accidentally uninstalled can lead to Windows errors, non-functioning hardware, and poor performance.

Malware & spyware

Malware is short for ‘malicious software’. It covers a wide range of nasty and potentially harmful computer programs, including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, adware, keyloggers and any other form of software that you didn’t install or allow to be installed on your PC.

Malware is designed to access your computer without your knowledge or consent. A ‘keylogger’, for example, is a malicious piece of code that will secretly monitor and track the buttons you press on your keyboard, with the express aim of stealing login details.

Secure deletion

Did you know that when you delete a file on a Windows PC it’s not actually gone? It might look like it’s been erased and you won’t be able to access it. But the file is actually still there. Deleting the file simply tells Windows that the space the file occupies can be used for other data. It might not be used for weeks, months, even years.

Secure deletion is often a feature of system utilities software and they often employ the same comprehensive 5220-22M shredding technique as used by the US Department of Defense.

Startup programs

Many modern applications or services can be set to auto-start whenever you switch on your computer, including the likes of Spotify, Dropbox, and Windows Live Messenger. The more programs that ‘start up’ during the boot sequence, the longer it takes before you can use your PC. System utilities software will typically include a feature to optimize your PC’s start-up sequence, getting rid of unnecessary applications that can create a performance bottleneck.

Wizards

In computer terms at least, a ‘wizard’ is a user-friendly program designed to walk you through a process. It might be setting up a new piece of software, creating a document, or running an anti-virus scan. What all these wizards have in common is that they can break complicated tasks down into easy-to-understand, step-by-step processes.


Related categories

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