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AVG PC TuneUp Review

AVG PC TuneUp

Reviewer: Stephen Qualtrough
Developer: AVG Technologies
Ranked: 3rd
Overall rating:
Price: $64.99 $29.99 - $35 off
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.


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