XP Smoker Pro
 Reviewed December, 2008

What’s It Do?

XP Smoker Pro allows the user to change a multitude of settings within the Registry to5 improve computer performance. It optimizes Internet connection with a series of tests, safeguards one’s PC with extra security settings, and locks down removable storage decides so no one can use them without permission.


Does it do what it promises?

Reviewer 1: Yes, all aspects of the program functioned as advertised on the Web site.

Reviewer 2: Yes, XP Smoker Pro allows in-depth fine-tuning of one’s Windows XP settings and system in an understandable and straightforward manner.

Reviewer 3: This is a very extensive system “tuner” or “tweaker” that works on Windows XP, including SP-3. This version does not work with Vista but here is a version for Vista available on the Web site at
www.xp-smoker.com. It is designed to improve computer performance by “optimizing” one’s Internet setting, broadband or dial-up. There are 94 additional settings to explore as well. It does this by running scanning tests and making suggestions for improvements.

Reviewer 4: Perhaps. Sometimes my computer operates more sluggishly than usual, but it difficult to say that XP Smoker really does speed up usual computer activity. I do regular computer maintenance: backup my files, do scheduled Registry cleanups, check for viruses and other malware, check the startup files and services from time to time, defrag the disks every couple of months, and so on. I cannot definitely say that XP Smoker has made any significant improvements to my computer's functions. The one area that may be faster is in the Internet connection speed. XP Smoker has certainly done no harm, but I could not definitely say that my computer now "smokes" as a result of using this program.

Reviewer 5: Yes. The developer’s Web site states that XP Smoker Pro can improve the performance of your computer drastically. Note that the developer only said that it “can”, not that it will. This honesty and lack of exaggerated claims is commended. I suspect this program will in fact improve performance to some degree.


Was it easy to install?

Reviewer 1: Yes, the 4.26 MB downloaded file installed without any problems. During the testing of this program, hardware failures required a reinstall of this already registered program. I was able, to obtain my original registration through links in the program and the re-registration was a surprisingly easy and fast procedure.

Reviewer 2: Yes.

Reviewer 3: Installation was typical. It offers to put icons in the usual places: quick start, desktop and start menu. There is also a provision to reinstall an existing license if needed.

Reviewer 4: Yes. It is a standard Windows installation, allowing me to place the program and its shortcuts where I wish. During the installation, a screen appears cautioning the user in making changes suggested by the program and offering quick help from both the Users Forum and from the XP Smoker support staff. A Software License Agreement appears as a window during the installation process. However, a hyperlink to the EULA (End-Users License Agreement) is prominently displayed the first time that you run the program. I like that touch, as it suggests that before committing themselves to the program and the legal license attached to it, users should read the agreement. The two documents are similar, but not exactly the same. In both cases, it is clearly stated that the program can be installed on only one computer, although it can be used by all persons who use that computer.

Reviewer 5: Yes. It was a surprisingly small, for the number of tools and teaks offered, 3.94MB download and a nearly instant installation (once through the multiple disclaimers and repeated EULAs—see below). It used a standard familiar installation wizard. Registration also was nearly instant, and the ability to print out purchase and registration information was a nice and welcome touch. One note of warning: Microsoft Windows Visual Basic 6.0 runtime must be installed to use this program. If not already installed, it is a free download from Microsoft.


Good points

Reviewer 1: XP Smoker Pro is a customization program that changes how the installed Windows Operating Systems functions. Nearly all the functions of XP Smoker Pro can be done manually; however, I doubt that there are very many users who could make all these changes to Windows. Nearly all (if not all) the changes made by XP Smoker Pro are based upon known Registry and Group Policy changes and it uses Windows utilities already installed.

The most important item when using a program is how to use the program. XP Smoker comes with a help file and when the mouse pointer is held over a function a balloon pop-up with a brief description of the function is displayed. There is also an online forum with specific answers for specific problems in using the program and problems engaging some of the settings. Although I didn’t need any help, a review of past posting revealed that most questions were responded to within hours of being made. There is also support by direct email, which I did not use. Another nice feature to help the uninformed decide what changes to make is the Recommended Settings button in some pages of the program.

Since many of the changes involve editing the Registry or policy changes that would make some functions inaccessible after engaged, the primary axiom of first do no harm is a major concern. XP Smoker alerts the user to set a restore point before making any changes. Not only is this sage advice, XP Smoker makes setting that restore point a single click operation from within the program. I tested this function out and indeed a current restore point was made; however, even the program’s author states that in order to restore to a previous state one must use the Window’s restore function.

I already had tweaked my system with many of the performance tweaks in XP Smoker before I had installed it; therefore, I didn’t expect much performance improvement by using XP Smoker. Before using XP Smoker, I benchmarked the performance of my system under several different load situations. I utilized the Recommended Settings in XP Smoker and performed several reboots to assure all settings had been made. I benchmarked my system after XP Smoker changes under the same conditions as prior to the XP Smoker changes. I was surprised to find it made about a 25 % performance increase on a heavily-tweaked system. This means XP Smoker will typically increase performance on an already tweaked system. In testing XP Smoker, a unique situation occurred in that due to hardware problems I had to rebuild my system by installing a new power supply, motherboard, RAM, and hard drives. This required a fresh install of XP Pro. My benchmarking of this fresh installed Win XP without any tweaks demonstrated just what these performance tweaks will do for Windows. I saw a 45% increase in performance using the Recommended Settings and other tweaks available in XP Smoker Pro.

Perhaps the best feature of XP Smoker Pro is the Internet Optimizer. As a tweaker, I’m well acquainted with maximum transmission units (MTU), packets, and latency. I was surprised that XP Smoker Pro was able to improve on those settings and increase my Internet speed. Benchmarking does little in measuring Internet speed because numerous variables not related to Windows settings can affect the benchmark results. That being said, I noticed a definite increase in my Internet connection. I like the way XP Smoker customizes the settings based upon my type of connection. This feature alone justifies the purchase price of this program.

Most of the security settings are designed for multiple users of a system and since I have a single user set-up I didn’t utilize these settings.

XP Smoker allows numerous customizations which are not truly performance improvements for the system, but are user performance improvements making repetitive tasks easier and quicker to perform. These save the user a few steps each time these tasks are performed and with time add up to an enormous amount of labor saving. One I like and use a lot is the addition of Copy To and Move To in the context menu.

Reviewer 2: XP Smoker Pro provides a series of windows with logical groupings of Windows XP settings and tweaks. It allows the user to change settings, including many Registry entries, in a relatively simple way. Most major changes can be done in one click; however, the safest way, in my experience, is to go through the checkboxes one by one and only making the changes one understands from his/her own knowledge or from the information in the help section. For some technically difficult areas, such as setting services, credible links to external sources are provided in the help section.

This is a powerful program that can compromise one’s system if changes are made without understanding what is being done. A restore point is strongly advised before making changes; and even safer is a complete backup of the boot drive. This is especially true when using the “auto tuner” option to make multiple one-click changes to the system.

I have previously done much tweaking of XP on my own and by using tune-up programs similar to XP Smoker Pro. My impression is that most of the tweaks in this program are relevant and the interface is well thought out. They seem to have found the sweet spot between including every obscure tweak possible versus dumbing down the program so much that the user loses control. It is certainly easier and safer than making registry edits manually.

XP Smoker Pro will tweak or fine-tune your XP system in the following categories:

• Clean Registry entries or .DLL files pointing to invalid files or application paths.
• Tweak Registry settings for smoother operating or desired customization.
• Move most frequently used files to the most rapidly accessed areas of the hard drive.
• Move core system files into active memory so they can be accessed most rapidly.
• Provide control over Windows Services to run the ones needed without bogging down the system (or making it less secure) by running services not needed.
• Optimize Internet access speed.
• Protect the system from accessing dangerous Internet sites (Internet Explorer only).
• Remove unnecessary files from the hard drive.
• Provides some control over the programs which run when the system is started.
• Improve system security.


There is an active support forum which is actively responded to by XP Smoker staff. My e-mail request for a general support question was answered competently within a few hours.

Reviewer 3: There is a seven-day/50-use trial available on the Web site. Support is provided via a built-in Help file, email and a “Support Forum” that requires registration.

XP Smoker provides extensive capabilities to adjust various parameters. More than 94 tweaks are claimed. There are a few that are unique that I have never encountered before. One is called “Game Boost” which supposedly automatically shuts down a large number of services not needed for gaming. I gave it a try. It was hard to really tell if anything was improved. My game seemed to play the same. When you “de-activate” via the same menu it warns that some services may not have restarted and a re-boot may be required.

Another item was called “Boot Boost” to optimize boot speed by “forcing all your most commonly used applications to the edge of the hard drive for faster access”.

The menu system is broken up into a number of drop-down areas that make it fairly easy to locate a specific tweak that you wish to apply. There are divided into 6 choices: Tweaks, Maintenance, Security, Passwords, Restoration Points and Details (which is only the program’s copyright information.) The first three have 8-11 menu items and each menu item has a number of selections within it, providing the user with much to explore.

There are literally dozens of tweakable areas that XP Smoker will address. Under the “Security” drop-down one can control and restrict access or use of almost every function such as right-clicking, hiding various settings in control panel, hiding all items on the desktop, disabling folder options and accessing properties. Also included here under security is a feature called “DriveFreeze” that permits access blocking to entire drives such as floppies, CD/DVD drives and USB drives. Most of this would be useful for shared computer use since it can be very annoying to have one’s system changed by another user.
There is a function called “Firewall Control” with which applications and services can be added or removed from access by the built-in Windows Firewall. The Security section can totally “lock down” a computer and make its functionality severely restricted to that of a computer in “Kiosk” mode such as a public access unit that is used for one thing, accessing only what is desired.

Reviewer 4: As this is a program that is to be used to "tweak" the settings on your computer, you will probably need some kind of backup before you start using it, just in case something goes wrong, and you make a change that you regret. When the program runs for the first time, a dialog comes up, suggesting that you make a system Restore point: advice which I followed.

When it is started, XP Smoker presents the user with a workmanlike screen without the all-too-common fancy graphics and comic-type characters which add nothing to the functions of the program. I was pleased to see that this is not the case with XP Smoker.

From the opening screen there is access to all the modules and functions of the program. There are five main working modules: Tweaks, Maintenance, Security, Passwords and Restore Points. A sixth choice, Details, is the item which would normally appear in the "About" section of most other programs. The Tweaks > Performance module is the one which opens by default, showing the 11 separate sub-items in this section. Some items are checked by default and if other items are chosen, a warning dialog box may appear. For example, one of the default choices in the Performance section is "Disable 8+3 filenames." If "Save Settings" is selected, this warning appears: "You have selected the disable 8 + 3 filenames tweak! This setting has been reported to cause problems with Norton Antivirus Live Update and 16 bit applications. Would you like to apply this tweak?" This "safety" feature reassured me that, by being careful, I would not be likely to cause any terrible damage to the performance of my computer. I was also further reassured by the fact that one of the Main Modules of the program is System Restore.

Many of the functions offered in the program are already available in Windows itself, although they may be difficult to locate. For example, the item called "Shell Browser" under the Maintenance Module pulls together about 26 different computer functions, such as Administrative Tools, the Desktop, Fonts, Document Templates, Application Data, etc. to make access very easy. Another useful sub-module is System Info. There are about 15 choices, including BIOS information, Operating System Information, Physical Memory, Computer Fan Information, etc. and having them all in one location makes them more accessible.

Product support is very important when I choose the software that will populate my computer. My experience with support in using this program was very positive. In some cases, the response time was less than one hour. There is also an online users forum for help from the XP Smoker people themselves, or from other users. There, too, I received rapid and helpful responses to my questions. There is a direct link to the forum from the Welcome page of the Help file. This link navigates directly to the forum, using a browser built into XP Smoker itself; or, help can be obtained by accessing the forum at http://www.xp-smoker.com/phpbb/index.php .

Reviewer 5: Most “tweaking” programs either do not go far enough or go too far in the optimization adjustments (“tweaks”) they make to a computer and can leave a computer half-crippled. I quickly discovered that my worries were unfounded. Not only is XP Smoker Pro not just another limited tweaking program. It may be one the most comprehensive and safe tweaking programs that I have used. There are nearly 100 separate “tweaks” that can be made, covering just about every aspect from speed, stability, and security to appearance, usability, and maintenance with each tweak explained and with recommendations. The tweaks also run the gamut from very basic to more advanced and even offer an “auto tune,” i.e. one-click type of optimization for the beginner. Each “tweak” can be returned to the default setting, i.e. undone if the changes are not to the user’s liking. Additionally, one can allow XP Smoker Pro to set restore points, important because many, if not most of the tweaks are going to be made by making charges to the Windows Registry, something that can turn a computer into nothing more than a big paperweight if not done correctly. Since it is impossible to guarantee how any “tweak” affects an individual computer, having those restore points is essential. I found no “bad tweaks,” tweaks that will actually degrade a computer’s performance (and there are many such tweaks floating around on the Internet). In short, I believe anyone can easily use this program to improve their computing experience and do so with safety and avoid mucking around in the Registry themselves. The program is relatively light on resources (although, not as light as I would like to see it), and yet powerful enough to make it worth the investment. The GUI (Graphic User Interface) is attractive, easy to navigate, and intuitive. There is a FAQ, support forum as well as help file, and fully functional trial period.


Weak points

Reviewer 1: The key weak point in XP Smoker Pro is information about each tweak. Even though the author has gone to great lengths with help files, balloon descriptions, Recommend Settings, and Auto Tune, most users will not know the meaning of a tweak or change. There should be more explanation about each setting and what engaging or disabling would mean to a user and the advantages of each. This could be documentation available on the Web site.

The IE Spy Ads function needs detailed instructions on how to determine the address of a portion of a Web page that it is blocking. It adds a very large list to the restricted zone of IE and thus prevents any address listed from displaying. While many are pages each user would like blocked, especially in today’s security threats, it blocks some desired functions as well. I had to uninstall the entire list because it prevented the current weather radar from loading and I could not determine the address of the site that loaded the radar image so I could manually delete it from the restricted sites. I read the instructions of how to do this given in the help file which stated, “see the next question”, but there was no next question.

Reviewer 2. When the Auto Tuner is run, many changes are made simultaneously and without specific description. After I had run Auto Tuner, I found that I was no longer able to print to a network printer; however this was not my biggest complaint. Rather it was the lack of any documentation of what changes were made. I looked through the program and my directories and could not find a log or other record of the changes. That makes the changes “all or none” and leaves the user not knowing whether future malfunctions on his/her computer came from XP Smoker Pro or some other source.

Most of the internet browser enhancements are directed towards Internet Explorer. As a FireFox user, I would appreciate attention to alternate browsers.

It would be a great improvement if the help page displayed was directly related to the issues on the screen from which it was called. Currently, the help section displays the top of the help document and the user has to search for the relevant section. The help section should be arranged so that the topics covered corresponded to the order that the setting screens come up as one scrolls through the program. The help section should be expanded to include all of the subsections included in the program.

Reviewer 3: Many of the tweaks have very little noticeable improvement unless performance is measured with a stop watch. Shaving a few milliseconds off an operation is hard to quantify in “real world” improvement. While possibly being useful for the “uber-geek” among the users, it could be considered “padding” since, while functional, it is not all that useful to most average users. XP Smoker Pro displays all its information in a half-screen window and I prefer the ability to run in full screen if I want to.

Reviewer 4: Although the Help File offers a lot of information about all the functions of the program, I was surprised to find that it is not set up to be "context-sensitive.” This is unusual for a program of this type, in which one would like to have more information when making a decision about applying one or another change to the system Registry. For a very long time now, the F1 key has been used by programmers to give immediate access to the Help file, and very often, using that key would bring you to the section of the Help that relates to the part of the program that you are currently using. For instance, in the example described above concerning the 8 + 3 filename tweak, and in order to understand more clearly the warning that I was being given, I pressed the F1 key. Not only did I not get context-sensitive help, but the Help file itself did not open. Of course, it is easy to click on the Help button which is always available whenever you are using XP Smoker; but that only brings up the beginning of the Help file, and the user must then drill down to the section desired. I would suggest that the current access to Help remain as is, and the F1 key be used for context-sensitive help. Hovering the cursor over an item will cause a balloon-type tip to appear, but this, too, is short, and context-sensitive access to the fuller explanations in the Help File would be an improvement.

WareSoft Software Developers Replied: Context Sensitive Help would be a good idea.

The ability to add System Restore points directly from the Program is useful; but since some of the changes that can be made with XP Smoker can possibly adversely effect the way that the user's computer will function, XP Smoker itself should provide the user the choice of using that Restore Point function every time that changes are to be made. Since it currently does not do so, I would advise all users of XP Smoker to create System Restore points before they make any changes to their computer so that it can be restored if they do not like the changes that they have made with XP Smoker. Further, XP Smoker should give direct access to the "Restore my computer to an earlier time" function. Finally, some thought should be given to the space that is allocated to the "List System Restore Points" section, to bring it into line with the space allocated to "Please Give it a Name". Otherwise, it is not possible to see the end half of names that I would normally give to new System Restore Points.

WareSoft Software Developers Replied: XP Smoker Pro does give direct access to a restore function, labeled “Return All Settings to Defaults”. In addition any setting can be undone individually by unchecking it and clicking the “Save Settings” button.

Although I am a fairly competent computer user, I would not put myself into the Power User category. There are many possible tweaks, settings and changes available in XP Smoker; however, System Restores are system-wide, and not particularly selective so that the entire Registry is set back to where it was before. Other than doing System Restores, I do not see any Undo function. Perhaps I would like to try out something like "Restrict Access to the Event Logs;" but if I find the changes undesirable, I do not see where I would be able to "Allow Access to the Event Logs" or "Restore Access to the Event Logs". If I had made this choice a few days ago, I would not be able to use the System Restore, as it would restore the other changes which I may have made subsequently with which I am satisfied, and do not want to change back.

Reviewer 5: The only flaw I found was that the GUI will not allow resizing. Its size can be changed using the normal click and drag method but as soon as it is released, it will return back to the rather small default size. XP Smoker is not without some need for improvement. Customer support is hidden under the “Details” tab under the “about” category, and then in about the tiniest print one could find in light blue link labeled “Support.” This tends to dissuade customers from seeking support rather than encourage them. The link navigates to a customer support forum where a question can be posted. There is no other support listed. A forum or bulletin board can be a nice supplement to standard direct support through email, phone, or ticket system, but never a replacement. I have no idea who is answering my post; I have no way of knowing the turn around time to get my post answered; and, quite frankly, I should not have to repeatedly go online to check a bulletin board to see whether or not my support question has yet been answered. Quite frankly, I am much, much less interested in knowing the sexual preference of the developer or his astrological sign—all information available on his MySpace link he has strangely chosen to publish on his company website—than I am having him answer my technical support question. From the looks of the forum or bulletin board, many may feel as I do as other than three relatively recent postings, most are well over one year old. Furthermore, with only 182 users it would suggest to me that it is not very active or popular. Some of the more advanced tweaks need a better explanation as to their purpose, what they actually do, and possibly a help entry to explain even further. For example, there is a tweak to “Optimize your I/O pages.” While it does identify this further as Input/Output pages, this is a term the average user will be unfamiliar with. When one mouseover the tweak the program offers this explanation: This tweak optimizes the L2 cache based on whether or not you fit into a 256k parameter. Again, not many users will know what the L2 cache is let alone its size. Several similar tweaks need to either be eliminated or provide an adequate explanation. Using 87MB of RAM and 16% CPU resources is a bit excessive for this program when simply open on my desk top and not doing anything. There may be a memory leak that needs to be addressed here. Whenever the program was opened I would get an alert from my firewall asking me if I wanted to give the application permission to send a packet (information) through my firewall. I cannot imagine why XP Smoker needs to communicate through my firewall, or with whom. There is no auto update feature so there should be no need to communicate from my computer to anywhere. In the long, somewhat convoluted, and contradictory privacy policy, XP Smoker states that it does collect identifying information and that, depending on which paragraph you read, it does provide this information to third parties. It states, from the policy at http://www.xp-smoker.com/privacy.html  : In addition to our direct collection of information, our third party service vendors (such as credit card companies, clearinghouses and banks) who may provide such services as credit, insurance, and escrow services may collect this information from our Visitors and Authorized Customers. We do not control how these third parties use such information. . . . . I don’t believe I have ever seen a EULA so restricted or so many disclaimers as to warranty. In fact, there is one disclaimer in the form of a warning that one is not to use XP Smoker Pro if involved in the operation of a nuclear facility or air traffic control. While I probably do not want someone tweaking a computer that runs a nuclear facility, I suspect such a warning would be of little use. The developer might consider toning down his many warnings. Finally, the price as listed on the Web site is $39.95, but it seem that this is a price that few need to pay as the developer has worked out some advertising gimmick by which the program can be obtained for free by accepting offers from such advertisers as Blockbuster, The Gap, Columbia House DVD Club, etc. Such a marketing scheme seems a bit questionable and makes me uncomfortable.

WareSoft Software Developers Replied: We offer, what many consider “top notch support”. We offer our forum to registered customers, our email contact form, and phone support. Our forum has only 182 members. There’s a good reason for that. We don’t get many support requests because very few people have problems. That’s why we can answer you so quickly. We also only allow registered customers to post to the forum to combat spam. Our address and phone number are available on our contact page of our website. We welcome your calls. If our software is trying to access the internet, then you may have gotten a copy with a virus from another website. Ours doesn’t access the internet without your permission. It only accesses the internet to register, purchase, optimize the internet, or update the IE Spy Ads. I would say you got a tainted copy. Using 87MB of RAM? It uses about 14MB when running. Also you downloaded 3.94MB file? The official file is 4.30MB. Sounds like a tainted copy. The only way to ensure a safe copy is to download from http://www.xp-smoker.com directly. And no, the file hasn’t changed since you tested it. The TrialPay offer to get a copy free, is to combat piracy. XP Smoker Pro is very heavily pirated. Why buy it when you can steal it? But why steal it if you can get it free? TrialPay has worked very well to get would be pirates to be legitimate customers and increases WareSoft Software’s revenue. It is here to stay. It is not a questionable marketing scheme.

Yes, we do collect direct information through a 3rd party. Our payment processor, but only when you purchase or register your copy. It’s expected don’t you think? Other than that, we do not collect any personal information directly or indirectly.


Other comments

Reviewer 1: Considering all the tweaks, setting changes, easy access to Windows utilities and other features of XP Smoker Pro, and considering that nearly all the functions can be performed manually; one has to consider if it is worth the $39.95 price tag. Consider how much reading necessary to learn about these tweaks and the time expended to manually enter those tweaks vs. how much one’s time is worth. My rough estimate concluded that these tweaks could be done manually rather than buying this program, but consider all that you would have to do in order to accomplish this task there would be a savings of less than 25¢ an hour. I think that the program is well worth the price to gain what much more in performance and labor saving.

Reviewer 2: While the publishers do provide a warning to set a restore point before certain risky changes are made, they should provide the same warning when this software runs the first time, and before executing Auto Tuner. Used properly, XP Smoker Pro will make the Windows XP system run faster and leaner. I’m very pleased with the speed and responsiveness of my system since using it.

Reviewer 3: I found many of the more esoteric tweaks to be fun. One was the ability to quickly create a restore point whenever I wanted, a useful feature when installing new, possibly questionable software.

Reviewer 4: This is not a program that I would recommend to a newbie or with average computer knowledge. I am happy that XP Smoker is upfront and honest in its warnings that users should be careful in applying changes to their computers. An undo function related directly to individual changes would greatly improve my comfort in being able to recommend XP Smoker to a wider clientele.

Reviewer 5: XP Smoker Pro has been around for over five years and has remained actively in development, always a positive sign. It has also earned a dedicated following among users of the program. I have no way of knowing if this is still true or if we now have a program in decline and resting on its former reputation, but I would encourage the free trial, if anything, before purchasing. Because of the privacy issues, the lack of direct support, and the current marketing strategy, I am unable to recommend the program at this time.


Will you continue to use it?

Reviewer 1: Yes, most definitely.

Reviewer 2: Yes.

Reviewer 3: Yes, this one is definitely a “keeper” in my book. Some of its functions may only be needed once or on rare occasions, but having them available is great.

Reviewer 4: It will remain on my computer for the access to some of the more mysterious and difficult-to-find Windows functions, but otherwise I will not be likely to use it too often.

Reviewer 5: No, in part because of the above concerns, and also because I tweak my own system and do not want to be bound by the tweaks that XP Smoker deems as best.

OPERATING SYSTEMS USED IN THIS REVIEW
Windows XP Pro, XP Home, XP Media Edition

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