PowerTools Lite (New!!!)

[rdsu]

PowerTools Lite: http://www.macecraft.com/news/182/

14.05.2009 - Macecraft Software Goes Freeware With Its Popular jv16 PowerTools Utility Suite


HELSINKI, Finland, May 15. - - Macecraft Software has today launched PowerTools Lite, a freeware version of their professional grade jv16 PowerTools utility package, to help all Windows PC users easily yet effectively to fix system errors and delete unnecessary data.

Screenshot:
http://www.macecraft.com/images/ptlite/main.png

Based on the jv16 PowerTools 2009 utility suite, PowerTools Lite enables even the least technically skilled of PC owners to benefit from a safe system and registry cleanup. PowerTools Lite also clears unnecessary data from the registry, MRU and history data from all major applications and Windows itself, along with deleting any unnecessary temporary files to clean up the entire PC.


Furthermore, released under license as freeware, home and commercial PC users alike can benefit from PowerTools Lite without having to pay for the application - allowing a saving on other comparable registry repair applications and the cost of professional IT support.


Mr. Faisal Habib of Macecraft Software USA believes the release of PowerTools Lite will cause a stir.


"Especially in the current economic climate we feel that all users should benefit from our technology and know-how of keeping Windows running smoothly. PowerTools Lite, or PT Lite as we like to call it, is an extremely powerful application that comes with a very simple user interface so all Windows users can use this program. We designed this program to be so easy, you will only need two mouse clicks to perform the an entire system clean!"


PowerTools Lite comes in English, Arabic, Dutch, French, Italian and Japanese, as a built-in feature of the application, and is available for download immediately:
http://www.macecraft.com/download/ptlite/.


Translations to other languages will also be made available shortly.

[virtumonde]

Thanks for the info.I'm not a fan of cleaners,but i've used JV 16 in the past and it was safe.
Only the price kept me from purchasing it.I'm definetly gonna try this.

[rdsu]

Originally Posted by virtumonde

Thanks for the info.I'm not a fan of cleaners,but i've used JV 16 in the past and it was safe.
Only the price kept me from purchasing it.I'm definetly gonna try this.

I've the same opinion as you, but this progra from jv16 author seems great and it's free...

[MikeBCda]

Anyone knows what's different in the lite version compared to the full-featured registered one? I couldn't find anything on the Macecraft site -- I've used JV-16 for several years but obviously wouldn't mind switching to the free version if it does what I need.

[rdsu]

Originally Posted by MikeBCda

Anyone knows what's different in the lite version compared to the full-featured registered one? I couldn't find anything on the Macecraft site -- I've used JV-16 for several years but obviously wouldn't mind switching to the free version if it does what I need.

From Macecraft Software Forum: PowerTools Lite - an introduction

Originally Posted by jv16

Macecraft Software is currently developing a new program that will basically clean and fix a Windows based PC with two mouse clicks. First click starts the scan, and the second click OK's the fixes.

The program will clean out unneeded files, clean left-over data from the registry and fix registry errors. These features are based on the engine of jv16 PowerTools 2009.

These features will also be added to PowerTools as a new tool, to give the possibility of easy and simple Windows cleanup to the users of PowerTools as well. We are mainly developing the new features to PowerTools, therefore development of this new program does not delay or interfere in any ways the normal development of PowerTools.

jv16 PowerTools started as freeware, but because we all had bills to pay it was later changed to shareware. Now we want to give something back to the community as a freeware program again, and thus the idea of a new freeware program.

[Saraceno]

Gave it a go on the safest setting, and it found some software entries I wanted to remove awhile ago.

Ran CCleaner afterwards, mainly the registry cleaning function, and it found only one or two entires. The standard CCleaner junk files removal didn't find anything either.

Then ran PowerTools on the recommended setting, found several more.

So far, seems to be as thorough as CCleaner. Good program.

[Baldrick]

Its big brother jv16 PowerTools 2009 is an excellent program which I use as my mainstay Registry cleaner. I think the even better news is that the Lite version functionality, ie, 1 or 2 click cleaning is going to be included in the paid version which will gives all options.

Looking forward to it...

[cet]

Unfortunately this program does not work for me.I uninstalled and installed 3 times and put PTLite.exe in the omitted processes in Antivir but always Power tools lite comes to the middleway while scanning and stops responding.No luck.I put Outpost in learning mode and disabled superantispyware it still does not work.I never had problems like this before with any kind of program.I can not even run a quick system analysis.
It does not work in Safe Mode too.

[rdsu]

Originally Posted by cet

Unfortunately this program does not work for me.I uninstalled and installed 3 times and put PTLite.exe in the omitted processes in Antivir but always Power tolls lite comes to the middleway while scanning and stops responding.No luck.I put Outpost in learning mode and disabled superantispyware it still does not work.

You can report that on its forum...

[cet]

I wrote to the forum and I am waiting for the answer.

[Steven Avery]

Isn't "one-click" or "two-click" registry cleaning conceptually flawed ?

[rdsu]

Originally Posted by Steven Avery

Isn't "one-click" or "two-click" registry cleaning conceptually flawed ?

Why?

You can see the result before clean...

[Fuzzfas]

Wow, thanks for the heads up! I have still installed the old last free version of it! I can't believe that i can now use the new one!

[Fuzzfas]

System analysis, without having ran CCleaner first to clean temp files etc. Just after a run with my beloved Argente Reg Cleaner:

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/4849/97607762.png



And the 1% is trivial stuff (MRU, and some software entries that i have some doubts if to be removed).

NOTE: At every launch, it tries to phone home and there isn't a way to disable it.

[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks,

Originally Posted by rdsu

Why? You can see the result before clean...

You have to go all or nothing. So you will be tempted to not bother to say "no" to all .. if you are not really sure of a few.

Imo, the only registry cleaning that is sensible is "each item selected, viewed and individually confirmed" (eg. What Revo Uninstaller does with its limited and directed and highlighted registry entries that relate to a specific uninstall). At times you might say "ok" to a full section, like all the CLSIDs. Note, I'm no expert, I vaguely remember those are relatively harmless. On the other hand, the amount of good their deletion will do is nothing-ish as well.

99 out of 100 user may have no problem .. even then .. that 1% can still be hundreds or thousands of major problems created ... all for little purpose.

And that 1% (or whatever the actual number is) will mostly be un-Wilder's people. Folks who do not have much recognition awareness when they see a list of 100 registry entries ready to be deleted.

Clearly a backup of the registry helps, yet it has its own aspects. Such as the need for a bootable CD, the confidence and savvy to use it for a restore, the possibility of not finding the problem for awhile making the restore problematic and the question of registry areas that don't back up due to user permissions.

Then the last question is this .. the anti-virus programs have a built-in put-back method ... "quarantine" reversal. Why not something similar on registry finagling ?

btw, JV16 is well-known as an excellent software. However, as with CCleaner, that does not mean that the registry cleaner should be used. At least not by those who are not all imaged and multi-backup ready for bear. (98% of real-world users.)

Shalom,
Steven Avery

[rdsu]

Steven Avery,

These kind of programs required some user expertise, so...

In this application you can also define what will be the search level...

For those that want to clean their registry I think this program is very simple to use and have all items required.

About bootable CD, I think you can use System Restore, Safe Mode and hard disk imaging to restore.

Even AV's can't assure you 100% system restore...

To finish, is just a matter of opinions, like in so many other types of programs.

[gerardwil]

Originally Posted by Steven Avery

Hi Folks,

You have to go all or nothing

You can (un)check whatever you want

[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks,

Originally Posted by rdsu

In this application you can also define what will be the search level...

Which alleviates the difficulty, some. If you stay in a safer mode. However there will always be that little psychological temptation to scrub the tub a bit more.

Originally Posted by rdsu

For those that want to clean their registry I think this program is very simple to use and have all items required..

Personally, I do not think that any tool that does not have individual item selection/deselection should get a general recommendation. Maybe a Wilder's techie ok, but not a "for the public" recommendation. The downside is greater than the upside.

(Note: even with individual entry selection, I am dubious whether most of this registry stuff is worthwhile, if you simply don't go haywire and use a Revo-style uninstaller. Why bother risking a system for a couple of dozen entries that barely add a nano-second ?)

Originally Posted by rdsu

About bootable CD, I think you can use System Restore, Safe Mode and hard disk imaging to restore.

Right, the Wilder's techie is unlikely to smash down their system too bad, the home user .. he might get into a real bind. All of the suggestions have difficulties. Time elapses before the problem arises. System restore and disk imaging can fight each other, this and that. All for what ? The satisfaction of having 49.880 entries in the registry instead of 50.000

Originally Posted by rdsu

Even AV's can't assure you 100% system restore...

Most definitely not, especially if the malware has already taken root. That is why preemptive steps are emphasized so much at Wilder's, once a puter is compromised, full restoration can be difficult.

Originally Posted by rdsu

To finish, is just a matter of opinions, like in so many other types of programs.

I agree, and I just want to offer counterpoint. When a group of techies get all involved with registry cleaning discussions, it is because they are .. likely .. image and system restore and backup and bootable CD ready. They almost consider those issues as fun, if they occur.

For the basic home and small biz user, all of that is a potential disaster, so the home user should not follow the techie down the primrose path.

Shalom,
Steven Avery

[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks,

Originally Posted by gerardwil

You can (un)check whatever you want

Thanks. I was going by the stated push to the "two-click" option, mentioned above. Clearly when you are checking or unchecking you are multi-clicking, and hopefully being very careful.

Shalom,
Steven Avery

[cet]

Still waiting for a response from the Macecraft forum.I think I will have to stick with Tune Up Utilities.At least it is working.

[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks,

The tools like JV16, CCleaner, TuneUp Utilities, Registry Mechanic, Auslogics, EasyCleaner-ToniArts (I think they all have reg cleaners) are all possible tools, appear to be fully honest and above-board, are not scareware, don't have ugly billing practices, and have varying degrees of support. And there might be a few others as well that are usable, the utility bundles tend to have one included. (Wise, Glary, Advanced System Care, WinUtilities, Tuneup mentioned above). However even these better and generally integrity products (allowing that some have toolbar-install-attempt problems) all have a significant chance of causing harm, depending on how used. This warning is 95%+ their registry product, 5% their tweaks or file cleanups or other stuff. In general, it is the registry area where the harm is done. So the newbie getting involved should always get a nice reminder.

Overall, I am not at all against threads that discusses which of these handful of reputable products a techie might use (or exposing the scams and shams) I just hope there will be some reminder warnings about the dangers and lack of necessity of any of this.

Who knows, I might try one out myself again (when I was a beginner one crashed my OS about five years ago) on a very slow day. Recently I actually loaded an open source one (Little Registry Cleaner, mentioned in Lifehacker) on a fairly clean system and saw that it was essentially a horrid "one-click" operation. Yoiks. Open source can be open danger.

Then there are dozens of registry cleaners that are various levels of scam and scareware -- whose results are totally unreliable and who are part of a google-ad-based parasite industry. (A starting point on that was the Fred Langa analysis, mentioned in Ask Leo and DonationCoder and various places.) We generally know the distinction, many users, understandably, do not. The parasite industry is very sophisticated, and place google-ads on many otherwise reputable forums. Some even compromise tech folks, hungry for $ and otherwise reputable, into an affiliate status.

Clearly the tools that are honest are the only ones to use, free or paid. (I think my list above is all-ok companies, the Auslogics registry cleaner is largely untested.)

Whether any registry cleaner is worthwhile is an individual decision. The number of reputable alternatives is thin. JV16 is one of a few.

Shalom,
Steven Avery

[zfactor]

jv16 2008 works flawless for me, the 2009 version doesnt work very well imo but im trying this

[layman]

Originally Posted by zfactor

jv16 2008 works flawless for me, the 2009 version doesnt work very well imo but im trying this

I have been critical of the quality of Jouni Vuorio's work, because he's an amateur when it comes to software development process. He's especially clueless about quality control. He's been fiddling with this same registry cleaner functionality for ten years or more, but nevertheless manages to crank out a release every year that is chock full of significant bugs [he tends to label any bug that doesn't trash the registry as "small"]. You could wink at that when the software was shareware, but now it's not. If you peruse the postings on Macecraft's forum, you'll learn that this new freeware version is basically their fallback to having a quality control function. Because the 2009 release of PT is so horrible, still bug-ridden many months after release, the natives (customers) are getting restless. So, Macecraft is now releasing a free version using the same basic engine as the product. This gives them something they can throw out into the wild for testing by users, who can't complain about bugs in a freebie. I don't know if the problem is that Macecraft doesn't know how to test software, or they simply find it boring.

I used to suppose that Jouni was just a kid - a diamond in the rough, possibly - who over time would improve his workmanship by learning to follow a more professional process. I've reluctantly come to the conclusion it ain't gonna happen, so I'm giving up on jv16 PowerTools.

[twl845]

Originally Posted by zfactor

jv16 2008 works flawless for me, the 2009 version doesnt work very well imo but im trying this

In what way doesn't jv16 2009 work well for you? I was using Reg Supreme Pro, and Mace Craft informed me they were doing away with it and I could have jv16 2009 free. I installed it and have been using parts of it with no problems.

[cet]

I still do not have any response from the Macecraft support forum.I found a solution and it worked.I installed jv16 version 2008 trial and cleaned my registry.Than installed powertools lite.Afterwards uninstalled the trial version.Now it is working.