Software
System utilities softwareThis website is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
AVG PC TuneUp Review
| Reviewer: | Stephen Qualtrough |
| Developer: | AVG Technologies |
| Ranked: | 3rd |
| Overall rating: | |
| Price: | |
| Purchase: |
|
Review summary
Good points
Light on system resources
Features an easy, effective one-click-repair tool
Comprehensive set of system-optimization tools
Bad points
Lacks protection against spyware
Our verdict
AVG PC TuneUp is one of the best system-utility suites available, especially considering the number of optimization tools included. While it is somewhat lacking in the system-security department, its maintenance and optimization features perform exceptionally well. Those looking to breathe life into an old, slow PC may be pleasantly surprised by the results that AVG PC TuneUp can provide.
Full review
Setup
After browsing through the EULA, we were ready to move on with the installation of PC TuneUp. During the installation, some of the software's primary features were highlighted by the install wizard; this was a nice touch. In under three minutes, the installation process was complete, and we were ready to optimize our system with PC TuneUp.
Repair
To get started, we decided to use a few of PC TuneUp's system-repair utilities. First, we used its registry tools to clean and defragment our system's registry. Then, we ran a scan that searched for problems with drivers, update settings, security settings, and more. The scan did detect a few problems, and we opted to let PC TuneUp resolve them, which it managed to do quite well.
Optimization
Following our tests with PC TuneUp's repair-focused tools, we decided to utilize some of its optimization features. In addition to a disk defragmenter, TuneUp Utilities features a disk cleaner. The disk cleaner searches for and removes old, unnecessary files, including duplicate files and old backups. TuneUp Utilities also removes broken shortcuts and speeds startup and shutdown times by disabling unnecessary processes. Once we had optimized our system, we were pleased to find that our startup and shutdown times had been reduced by nearly 20%.
Management
PC TuneUp includes several useful management tools, including an uninstall manager, a program manager, and a utility that manages startup programs. In most respects, the uninstall manager is similar to Windows' native uninstall feature, and it does not provide any added functionality. However, it is nice to have this included for the sake of convenience. The program manager, which is called TuneUp Program Deactivator, makes it easy for users to disable unneeded programs to boost system performance. Finally, the startup-program manager prevents certain programs from booting with Windows, reducing boot time, and increasing the availability of system resources.
Security
In the security category, PC TuneUp is slightly lacking. It does not protect from spyware, and it does not offer any file-encryption capabilities. Fortunately, it does provide users with a file-deletion utility that can be used to remove sensitive files securely.
Features
Scheduler – With this feature, users can schedule various optimization processes so that they run while the system is idle.
TuneUp Styler – This handy feature makes it possible for users to easily customize the Windows theme. With TuneUp Styler, users can change window borders, buttons, icons, and more.
Rating function – Removing certain startup programs can have a noticeable impact on system performance, but it is hard to know which programs should be removed. This feature, a community-ratings system, provides users with information concerning each startup program. This information helps users decide which programs should be allowed to boot with Windows and which programs should be disabled.
Ease of use
PC TuneUp features an excellent interface that is clean, intuitive, and simple. When started up, users are presented with the PC TuneUp main menu. From there, users can easily access all of the program's key components, which are labeled in an easy-to-understand manner. Running these components is very easy, usually, only a few mouse clicks are required. The options are also easily customizable.
Help & support
PC TuneUp does have support staff, and inquiries can be made by telephone during the workweek. Additionally, technical-support inquiries can be submitted via e-mail through the PC TuneUp website, which also features an FAQ section.
Overall
AVG PC TuneUp is one of the most experienced developers of system-utility software, and this experience clearly shines through with their latest version of PC TuneUp. PC TuneUp offers a wide range of useful system tools, and its top-notch optimization capabilities make this a piece of software that all PC users will be able to appreciate.
Looking for more system utilities software reviews?
See our side-by-side comparisons and in-depth reviews