Reviewed July 2008

What’s It Do?

TuneUp Utilities 2008 represents itself as “the complete Windows optimization package” for solving problems, increasing performance, freeing up disk space, and customizing Windows. The suite of programs helps optimally accelerate performance and speed of Windows, programs and games; shortens startup time and boosts speed with hard drive and Registry defragmentation; prevents unwanted startup of programs and provides recommendations and descriptions of several thousand programs; deletes sensitive files making them unrecoverable; provides detailed system information; edits Registry but allows changes to be undone through its TuneUp Rescue Center; and, uninstalls unnecessary applications and removes superfluous entries.


Does it do what it promises?

Reviewer 1. TuneUp Utilities 2008 is a suite of utilities with functions in six main sections: Increase Performance, Free Up Disk Space, Maintain Windows, Solve Problems, Customize Windows & Additional Tools. This program combines most if not all the various tools needed for smooth operation all in one interface. While these tools are available elsewhere, this makes it much easier than searching for all the various tools from different places. In my testing, it worked very well and was flexible enough to be able to adjust the settings and actions to suit my needs.

Reviewer 2. TuneUp Utilities is a package of individual utilities to improve and maintain a wide variety of issues in a PC running under Windows. While no single package can be the best in all categories, I found TuneUp Utilities to address many of PC issues in a good to excellent manner. The graphic user interface was clear and the functions were easy to execute. Overall, it delivers what it promises.

Reviewer 3. There are two modules of the program that are complementary to each other. The “TuneUp 1-Click Maintenance” makes me think of the weekly sweeping and dusting of my house: get the main stuff done to preserve basic order and cleanliness. (Of course, the sweeping and dusting takes a bit more than one click!) Three categories are quickly scanned: the registry, temporary files and disk fragmentation and a report is issued. The program can then “Correct Problems”. The useless Registry keys are removed, temporary files are deleted and the files on the disk are reordered, so that they may be found and used more efficiently. This is not a “deep” cleaning, but it deals with the “obvious.” The other module is more detailed, allowing the user to modify, change and fine-tune Windows and its operation. More than 40 different tools are classified into six general modules. As each module is opened, a description of the module is presented, so that anyone, even new users, will have a good idea of what they will be able to do with that set of tools. I had no difficulty in understanding or in using any of these tools.

Reviewer 4. Yes. The developer’s web site states that TuneUp Utilities 2008 will: Improve system performance, thoroughly clean up your hard drives, solve your PC problems with a few clicks, and customize windows to your personal requirements. My use and testing of this program over four months indicates that it does all of this and more. In fact, the developer’s claims, if anything, are understated. TuneUp Utilities is a large but compact PC tool box containing a large number of individually named tools—some automatic and some manual--to automatically detect and correct different problems as well as a number of tools to allow some renovation and customization manually if preferred. Performance can be increased and boot time sped up by preventing the automatic startup of applications as well as scheduling automatic defragmentation. Unnecessary “junk” files can be removed. If there are hidden system errors, TuneUp Disc Doctor will find them and fix them, and the TuneUp Repair Wizard will fix display problems such as incorrectly displayed icons, problems working with files, and problems related to programs and installations. Additionally, TuneUp Utilities helps customize Windows with TuneUp System Control and TuneUp Styler which will allow changing Windows and Internet settings; configuring the system appearance; replacing icons, logon, and boot screens; and more. There are also additional tools for secure file deletion, program uninstall, and running process management.

Was it easy to install?

Reviewer 1. Yes, it was a typical install procedure.

Reviewer 2. Yes, installation was straightforward.

Reviewer 3. Yes, it is a standard Windows installation procedure that took only a couple of minutes on my computer. I was able to place the programs and shortcuts where I chose. The programs asks permission to put a couple of shortcuts on the desktop. It also asks if it can install the Shredder function in the Right-click menu.

Reviewer 4. Yes, it was a relatively small 13.8MB download that needs a frugal 60MB of disc space considering the program’s feature set and power. It installs smoothly and easily using the standard, and by now familiar to most computer users, wizards which more or less lead one by the hand step-by-step. The registration process is likewise just as quick and easy. It also asks first and allows choosing the placement of icons, if any, on the desktop. It updates regularly and either automatically or manually, and does so quickly. Additionally, the program uninstalls cleanly and thoroughly leaving only a remarkably few empty registry entries--the mark of a well written program and something that anyone who has nightmares trying to remove a program such as McAfee or Norton will appreciate.


Good points

Reviewer 1. When maintaining my computer, I find it useful to be able to do all the required and optional tasks from one “front end” rather than needing to open many different utilities, one by one. Tune-Up Utilities provides this capability nicely. All the needed tools are right there in the main screen, ready to use as needed. Automation of these tasks is available with the “One-Click Maintenance” feature. This feature is customizable via a settings page and can be scheduled to run automatically at a selected time and day of the week. There is also an option to “catch up” any tasks that were scheduled but did not run because the computer was off at the scheduled time.

Reviewer 2. The Rescue Center keeps a clear log of the changes made to the system and allows changes to be undone. The TuneUp Start Manager provides good descriptions of known programs. It gave Trustworthy ratings to programs I know were good. Free Up Disk Space listed the top 100 files by size and allowed me to find and clean out large files I thought were long gone. The process to update TuneUp Utilities was automatically started and efficiently executed.
There are a host of other utilities that identify and allow one to tweak most of the Windows and Internet configurations and functions. I found most of them to be simple to use and of potential usefulness in other systems if not my own.

Reviewer 3. The changes that Tune-Up Utilities can make range from “eye candy” to tinkering with some of the basic functions of the Windows Operating System. Some of them are mostly for fun, while others have the potential of significantly altering the way that one’s computer carries out its functions. Because of this, the developers have wisely included a “Rescue Center” as an option in all of the main screens of the program. Each time changes are made, the program automatically keeps track of the changes and backs up the current settings. The Rescue Center can be used to restore the computer to its previous state, either by resetting all the changes, or by resetting the ones chosen. Good programs also will allow quick access to the help and support functions. From the Help button on the Main Screen, one click navigates to the Web site’s support section. Navigation around this site is very easy – the hallmark of this program, in fact. One item that I particularly like is the ability to recover a lost registration key. Even the most organized among us can lose this vital piece of information, and there are very few programs that I have seen with such a simple retrieval system. Most programs offering such a service require a payment for it; here it is included in the price of the program. The first time I started TuneUp, it asked if I wanted to check for an update. Also, periodically, a screen pops up with the title “Update Check Recommended”. I like this feature, as it suggests that the developers continue to work on and improve the program. It also suggests that they are keeping up to date with the fixes, patches and updates in the Windows operating system. I had changed the default Windows opening screen, and the updates noted that this would interfere with the installation to the Service Pack 3 for Win XP. One of the functions that I had fun playing around with was “TuneUp Styler” where I could change icons, modify the appearance of the desktop and explorer screens, change the boot-up screen, and so on. Over time, I have learned how to do many of these same functions in Windows itself, but here many interesting effects are gathered together under one umbrella, and can be implemented quite easily even by new users. To increase the options available in Windows, from within many of the modules of the program, scores of different styles can be downloaded from the TuneUp Web site Online. This enables customizing the appearance of one’s computer, from the log-on screen, through the boot-up screen, to the elements of the desktop, the icons, the file types and so on.

Reviewer 4. This is one of those all too rare rock-solid programs; however, this comes as no surprise since its developer, TuneUp Software GmbH of Darmstadt, near Frankfort, Germany, has been continually perfecting this program since it first appeared in 1997—over eleven years ago—when even in its first permutation sold over 300,000 copies. Before I get to its performance, one of the first things about this program that is strikingly refreshing is its EULA (End User License Agreement), those license agreements that have deservedly come under such attack of late. Rather than being anti-consumer, the EULA for TuneUp Utilities is quite the opposite. In addition to not only allowing but encouraging the user to make a backup copy of the program, the developer guarantees a refund of the purchase price if a problem cannot be corrected through technical support. Even more remarkable, the EULA further allows for compensation for any damage to one’s computer through a fault of the program. As to its performance, the computer I am using booted from a cold start to a usable desktop in 53 seconds prior to using TuneUp Utilities and before my testing, Task Manager showed 731MB of available physical memory. Using the TuneUp Memory Optimization tool’s auto-optimization feature, Task Manager indicated available physical memory of 788MB so it freed up approximately 57MB of physical RAM memory and did so without stripping the page file as so many of these “memory recovery” tools tend to do. TuneUp Utilities responded: This module is only applicable in Windows XP and elder versions of Windows, not in Windows Vista. In fact, each of the optimization tools demonstrated positive results. The Internet Optimization showed that my TCP/IP Internet Protocol was not optimal and after allowing it to be optimized, my browsing and download speed did seem to improve. I next ran the System Optimizing Tool and it was able to discover an additional 22.13MB of junk files after running the very popular CCleaner. One note of caution here : take care in selecting files to be deleted as one category of files are all System Restore points. TuneUp Utilities responded: This feature does not remove all restore points because we do not want to leave the user unprotected. Under Windows XP, a new System Restore Point will be automatically created. Under Windows Vista, the last System Restore Point will be preserved. Only older ones will be deleted. While the Registry Cleaner left many empty keys and fragments that the much more robust jv16 program discovered, that TuneUp Utilities is not quite as thorough is not necessarily a weakness as for all but the more experienced; it is much safer to have a Registry cleaner that is a little less aggressive. On the other hand, the Registry Defrag did, in fact, reduce the size of my registry an additional 4% after a similar operation had been run by the previously mentioned jv16. In short, after running all of the optimization tools, I reduced the size of my hard drive by over 42.44MB, increased my download and browsing speed, decreased the size of my registry, freed 57MB of RAM memory, corrected or “fixed” 27 system errors, and decreased my boot time by approximately 8 seconds or 15%. It did what it claimed it would do and did so using a small almost unnoticeable footprint and few resources for most of its operation. The GUI (Graphic User Interface) will be familiar to any Windows user and will, after some practice, become easy to use. One especially nice feature is the popup window that opens each time one clicks on a particular tool. The window tells in detail what that particular application does. This can be turned off later if desired but is particularly useful for the new user. In fact, features such as this is what makes this program attractive to both the beginner as well as the intermediate user. Finally, all changes made can be undone by an undo feature built into the program. The cost of $49.95 I think is good value as competitive software programs sell for as much as $30.00 more and do no better. I highly recommend this program. with only very few reservations.

Weak points

Reviewer 1. I did not discover any issues in using this program. It worked well for all the tasks I set it to do.

Reviewer 2. The Rescue Center can only restore changes in the batches that they were performed in; it cannot restore individual entries. This is noted in the documentation. It would be nice if there was a way to protect the change one wants to undo from being redone by TuneUp Utilities in the future. TuneUp StartUp Manager did not recognize all of the startup programs on my system. For example, I was surprised that ClearType was not on its known list. Registry Cleaner found only a few Registry errors (16) compared with 70 found by jv16 Powertools 2007, my gold standard. TuneUp Utilities responded: This is not a flaw of our scanning routine, but a question of security: We use a whitelist approach and only scan those keys that have a documented structure and therefore are safe to clean. In contrast, jv16 uses a blacklist approach, scanning the entire registry for anything that looks like a reference to another key or file and suggests everything that seems to be invalid for deletion (even inside the private keys of applications which should better be left untouched when the structure is unknown) – this approach is less safe and in our opinion only recommended for experts as the software cannot safely tell what is an error and what is still required. Disk Doctor: reported that all of my partitions were in use and required a system restart to analyze/repair. TuneUp Utilities responded: This was most likely due to another program blocking the system restart. Unfortunately, Windows does not always indicate which programs block a system restart (this has been improved in Windows Vista). I know from using Windows’ disk tools that some of my partitions containing files which are not in regular use can be analyzed while Windows is running but TuneUp Utilities would not do this. After clicking on the appropriate boxes/links to activate the analysis, Disk Doctor gave the warning box that Windows would be shut down for the analysis; but then it did not shut down. In the first two paragraphs of the descriptive part of the display in the Internet Connection section of TuneUp System Organizer, the program slipped into German and then back to the desired English language for the remainder. TuneUp Utilities responded: This should have been fixed in the latest version.

Reviewer 3. A minute or so after I had installed the program, WinPatrol informed me that TuneUp wanted to add the disk defragger “Service” to the startup process. The “Further Info” button on WinPatrol provided this comment: “Tuneupdefragservice.exe doesn't necessarily need to be running all the time. But it will be running and should be left alone while you're defragging your hard drive. Fragmented files can slow down your system so defragmenting now and then is recommended.” I decided that this service does not need to be constantly running, as I prefer to defrag only occasionally, and at a time of my own choosing. Others might prefer to set it up, and then let the defrag run without their having to think about it. TuneUp Utilities responded: In contrast to what is stated in this paragraph, the TuneUp Drive Defrag service does not start automatically and is not constantly running all the time, but is rather set to a "manual" start. It is only started when the user decides to execute a defragmentation or when the scheduled 1-Click Maintenance feature automatically defragments the drives. As I wanted to use TuneUp to customize some of the Windows operations, I decided to allow the TuneUp Theme Extension service to be installed. However well-intentioned, I maintain that software installations should inform users about automatic services such as these, so that they can decide themselves what will run or not run on their systems. This is possible, as I have installed many programs that do exactly that. The best ones, in addition to explaining what the service or program is, will also inform the user how to get to that service or function in the future, if they decide not to install it at present.

Reviewer 4. There are no serious flaws and only very few weaknesses in this quality program. The only serious weakness I encountered was with the Disk Defrag utility. On a volume of only 80GB and already defragmented, TuneUp Utilities began the defrag process and showed 5 hours remaining. Not only was five hours unconscionable to defragment an already defragmented volume of 80B, but it ran my CPU at almost 87% while attempting to defragment. While I did not intend to invest five hours to defragmenting my disc let alone investing this many CPU cycles, I cannot say how well this tool worked. Additionally, the disc defrag screen needs some improvement as it was washed out and difficult to read. TuneUp Utilities responded: We haven’t heard this from other users yet and have asked the reviewer to send us a screenshot. This tool is a recent addition to the suite of utilities and needs a bit more work before it is ready for prime time. In its current state it detracts from the excellence of the program. My second complaint is that it installs to running services on the computer notwithstanding that I adjusted all settings for no automatic scheduling or updating. I was able to go to the services applet in Windows an change these settings to run as “manual” (only when I start the program) as opposed to automatic (always running) with no adverse effect to the program so why they are set to run automatically and thus using system resources for no reason is a mystery. TuneUp Utilities responded: Only one service is configured for automatic starting. I found the GUI (Graphic User Interface) less intuitive than it could be with confusion possible between the listing of tools in the column to the left and the icons and listings of tools in the main part of the screen. I also thought the location of the help tool was less than intuitive as it was totally hidden on the interface. Also, a built-in back button would be very helpful. I would also like to suggest removing System Restore files from those files the program suggests deleting for improved system performance. This is irresponsible because for the vast majority of Windows users these files are essential. Very few people would want these deleted so it seems to me that this is just a way to artificially increase the size of found files for effect and not practicality. TuneUp Utilities responded: As stated before, we do not remove all restore points, but keep the last one – so if anything bad should happen, you can still use system restore to go back. The idea why we included the restore points here is that, judging by our own experience, you notice serious system errors almost immediately (system doesn't boot, driver problems, blue screens after installing some software etc.). We didn't see the need to keep more than one system restore point if your system is running as expected, but we're always open for discussion. We would not include a harmful option just for effect because this is completely contrary to our philosophy. Support was limited for such an excellent program with email turnaround time averaging two days, minimal help files, and a virtually non-existent FAQ (seven questions and answers). In fact, the only technical support offered was by telephone or by direct email and even those options had to be discovered and were not obviously apparent. In fact, had the program not been so solid, problem-free and excellent overall, such lack-luster support would have prevented me from recommending the program.

Other Comments

Reviewer 1. I was delighted to find many unexpected tools that I found useful included in the one location. One was “Tune-Up Uninstall Manager”. I discovered it when using the “System Optimizer” tool. I was a bit surprised to discover that I have 353 programs installed, some of which I haven’t used in years. Tune-Up Uninstall Manager helped me clean house. Again, this function is available under Windows Control panel|Add Remove but here it was in the same place I would be when doing a maintenance cycle on my computer. It seemed to work faster than Add-Remove as well. Along with a multitude of utilities to increase performance, maintain Windows, free up disk space, solve problems, customize Windows, and additional tools, TuneUp Utilities also provides a “Rescue Center” application that backs up any changes so that if something unexpected happens when changes are made, they can be undone easily. This is a very complete and useful application.

Reviewer 2. The tool that would make this set of utilities more complete would be a guide to Windows Services. Some Windows Services consume unnecessary resources and others open security risks. While this is a difficult area to navigate because services used on one system are unneeded on others, a strong guide in this area would be helpful and would complement this suite of utilities nicely. There are many parts of this program which are difficult or impossible to judge because there is simply not enough information or transparency. One example of this is the TuneUp Memory optimizer. The portion that clears the Clipboard memory is straightforward. The other portion transfers “unneeded DLL’s and other files” from active memory to virtual memory (storage on disk). There is a slider that allows one to choose how much chip memory to free up. The dilemma is this: virtual (disk) memory is much slower to access than data stored on a chip. If frequently-used files are transferred into virtual memory, there may be a significant performance hit. There is no description about how the program chooses which files to transfer, nor guidance about what the most optimal settings might be.

Reviewer 3. Overall, this program is well-designed and carries out each of its functions satisfactorily. In some modules, though, such as Registry Cleaners, Startup Programs Management, and File Management Utilities, there are other good programs that offer those same functions – sometimes in greater depth and effectiveness than TuneUp Utilities. As well, there are quite a number of modifications that can be made quite easily in Windows itself. However, these caveats do not take away from the many tweaks and improvements that TuneUp offers users, particularly those who are perhaps a bit nervous about fooling around “too much” with system functions. TuneUp makes some of these changes very easy to carry out, particularly if one does not know where to find them in the Windows Operating System itself. And the Rescue Center will always help return to a previous setting if changes are not liked. As well, the TuneUp site offers scores of downloadable “styles”, which greatly increase the fun of using that segment of the program.

Reviewer 4. TuneUp Utilities 2008 is a superb tweaking and optimization program, and I was quite frankly impressed. It’s packed with many very useful tools, most of which only the most advanced computer user could do from within Windows. Most programs designed to tweak Windows elicits more problems than they correct. TuneUp Utilities proved to be reliable and helpful for getting the most out of Windows be it performance or appearance, and was able to adequately repair faulty settings and system problems that arise from normal use.


Will you continue to use it?

Reviewer 1. Yes, it’s great to have all the tools in one application/location and have them work well and quickly.

Reviewer 2. Yes.

Reviewer 3. Yes. It has been added to my toolbox, but more for the tweaks and styles, as I have other programs that I use for the Registry, disk cleaning and file utilities.

Reviewer 4. Yes. While many of the optimizations I am able to make manually from within Windows, the ease of use and simplicity of this program makes doing so more trouble than it is worth.

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

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