System Mechanic - Opinions

Hello

I have been advised to purchase System Mechanic, what is your opinion of this software? Is it worth the money and does it pose any risks?

I would be using it for clearing spyware, incorrect registry entries etc.

Many thanks

wjsdunne

 

Hello wjsdunne...

First, that is probably not an easy question to answer, as not everyone would have it.

However, I can give some personal opinions of previous versions I have owned.

I first purchased it around 3 years ago, version 3d [went thru to e f g h i j] I think at the time.

It was then an *excellent* program I found, as it's main task was cleaning of Temp/IE Cache/Cookies and Registry.

It also had inbuilt an Installer for installing programs whereby you could monitor what it installed and if needed revert back cleaning out ALL of the crud a program may have installed if you no longer wanted it. Handy.

Now, it's one-of payment always allowed to upgrade to new versions, regardless FREE [don't know if that still applies]. I went thru several version upgrades no hassles at all.

Back then, performance: 9/10
Upgrades hassle free: 10/10
Program problems: Nil 10/10
Cost: Pretty expensive at the time, I paid $58US I think. 3/10 but remember, that DID include FREE version upgrades, so I suppose it was a good buy, as you have to pay for each year's subscriptions/upgrade on a lot of the current apps.

The new one [which I do have a trial version of, but never bothered to install] has a lot of extra features in it now I believe.

AV/FW, etc. etc. I cannot vouch for that. Haven't tried it.

Now, to be perfectly honest, I would go with a lot of other FREE [donations accepted of course] apps out there that do the same.

For eg: Javacools' programs [SpywareBlaster; SpywareGuard, MRU Blaster]; Some good AV's free, AVG/AVAST; AdAware, Spybot S&D, get good hosts lists like IESpyAds. Make sure ALL MS Critical Patches are deployed and don't be reckless surfing. [Check my signature at bottom to see what I have]

Just my opinion.

I can see you have not long joined [or not posted a lot], so have a browse in each of the dedicated threads to learn more about some of which I mentioned.

HTH,
Cheers, TAS

 

dear wjsdunne, its a good program but a bit pricey if you ask me. the AV part is Panda which is not the best regarding spyware. but as a registry cleaner its very nice. i agree with Tassie, you can get the same facility for free in some great softwares. just tell us about your praticular requirements and we'll post our suggestion for the softwares.

 

Hi Wjsdunne


I am using System Mechanic 4 Pro and it does nicely what it says here:

Keep your PC running faster, cleaner, and error-free with new System Mechanic's award-winning arsenal of tools designed to prevent problems before they arise. Defragment hard drives, eliminate spyware parasites, clean and optimize the registry, stop annoying popup ads, get rid of system and internet debris, increase download speeds up to 300%, and much more with System Mechanic's comprehensive arsenal of tools.

Award-Winning Virus Protection:
Complete protection from viruses, trojans, worms, and other disastrous PC enemies. Includes totally integrated email protection and daily virus updates. The ideal anti-virus for those who want maximum security and ease-of-use. Automatic updates, low memory use, and advanced technology for Internet and email protection.

Ultra-Secure Personal Firewall:
The latest generation firewall that stops hackers from destroying, stealing, or corrupting your information. Turn your computer into a fortress against Internet threats, keeping your data in and unwanted viruses and other threats out.

Search and Recover:
Easily recover lost or deleted files, folders, documents, pictures, programs, music, videos, and many other items from hard drives, floppy drives, zip drives - even digital cameras, MP3 players, USB memory drives, and more!

System Shield Professional:
Protect against identity theft and ensure personal privacy by wiping away dangerous leftover data from your system that builds up over time and remains after files have been removed.

DriveScrubber Professional
Securely wipe all data from any hard or floppy drive, regardless of its file format or operating system. Clean up after data corruption or stubborn virus attacks. Donate, sell, or dispose of hard or floppy drives with confidence.

I have to say I dont use the Firewall and Antivrus. They are both integrated as Panda Platinum. You can use the AV however as a second one as an on demand scanner. I both use my own firewall/router and AV.

I noticed that defragmentation took a hell of time to finish. Did it only once, maybe they using another technique, dont know, no clue to that.

But all the other things smoothly working.

As said already there are a bunch of free tools as well i.e. here: http://lists.gpick.com/

I think the price is not too high if you want an allinone packet.

Maybe you can experiment with a 30day trial.

Wish you succes.

Gerard

 

Hello

Thanks for your feedback, it is much appreciated.

The main reason I ask is because I have a (now expired) trial version of System Mechanic 4 on my PC and it happily tells me that I have extensive incorrect registry entries and invalid uninstallers, although it will not remove them anymore.

A friend of mine recommended that I bite the bullet and pay the money for the software, although I have always been a little dubious of whether it is as good as it appears or whether it is liable to cause more trouble than it saves by deleting incorrect files etc. Is my concern justified?

Is there other free software that offers similar registry cleaning, invalid uninstaller removing, and general cleaning and optimising utilities? I am not interested in the AV and FW utilities as I already have Norton AV 2004 and Internet Security with FW.

Many thanks

wjsdunne

 

Hi,

I gave you the link in my post above. It's worth to have a look around there!

Gerard

 

Well, as to alternatives, there are a few out there that may/may not be to your liking.

One of the very good ones around is JV16 Power Tools but the latest versions are 'pay'.

However, there is still available the 'free' version of it from:

http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/

Also RegCleaner from same link just below the jv16

I use RegSupreme PRO.

MaceCraft bought out jv16 power tools and RegCleaner and now package it as my above RegSupreme PRO.

http://www.macecraft.com/regsupreme_pro/

RegSupreme PRO has a lot of options in it. You may want to trial it.

It's also only like $17...

====================================

Key features
Clean your computer's registry with one of the most advanced registry cleaner available today
Find and remove hidden traces of any installed software

Manage which programs automatically start with Windows

Uninstall or remove software from the Windows' Add/Remove software list

Remove the operating system's interface features you don't need

Remove unneeded file types

Remove unneeded shell extensions

Remove items from the IE's context (right click) menu

Modify the Windows' Open With menu

Automatically tries to fix the found problems
Multi-lingual user interface, you can use the program in all the major languages but also to translate it to your own language very easily
Automatic backup feature backups everything the program removes or modifies
Comes with a full documentation
====================================================

Cheers, TAS

PS: Check out the link gerardwil gave

 

dear wjsdunne, if you're looking for free registry cleaner checkout the following sites.

http://www.tweaknow.com
http://www.ccleaner.com
http://home.tiscali.de/zdata/hdcleaner_e.htm