If your PC isn't motoring along at the same speed as it did when you first powered it on, you'd do well to invest in Iolo System Mechanic 12. The multi-faceted utility suite turns back the clock on worn machines by repairing the registry, defragging the hard drive, and monitoring system threats. All in all, Iolo System Mechanic remains a very solid, effective PC tune-up suite that offers informative, easy-to-understand help about the problems that plague computers, but the PCMag.com Editors' Choice award-winning SlimWare Utilities Slimcleaner scrubbed our test bed with slightly better results (and it doesn't cost a dime).
Set Up and Interface
Iolo System Mechanic 12 is compatible with all PCs running Windows XP and higher, including Windows 8.1. Unlike most PC tune-up utilities, such as PC Tools Performance Toolkit, which limit you to three licenses, Iolo System Mechanic 12 lets you install the software on any number of computers, provided that it's not for business purposes. This is a welcome feature in the age of the multi-PC household.
The interface (one that's more streamlined than SlimCleaner's) will look very familiar to anyone who's used Iolo System Mechanic 12. Like the previous version of System Mechanic, this version has several options in the left pane (Dashboard, ActiveCare, Internet Security, Toolbox, Reports) that have their own individual tool sub-categories that let you run specific apps.
Iolo System Mechanic 12 also installs a useful widget on the desktop that gives you at-a-glance PC health and security readings. From this widget, you can run a system scan to determine your computer's health, or launch any number of Iolo System Mechanic 12's features to begin the clean up process.
The Clean Up Process
The Overview screen opens by default when the program is launched, and it's here that the "Analyze Now" button lives. Clicking the arrow next to it opened drop-down box that presented two choices: "Perform Quick Analysis" and "Perform Deep Analysis." The former is a one- to two-minute scan that looks for the most common PC problems; the latter is a five- to seven-minute scan that checks for all problems. Considering the heavy use that our test laptop had received, I went with the second option. Approximately six minutes later it finished the scan and uncovered numerous problems on my testbed.
Beneath the reading appeared a highlighted message: "Boost speed and stability by removing redundant programs with CRUDD Remover." CRUDD is Iolo's acronym for Commonly Redundant or Unnecessary Decelerators and Destabilizers—fancy talk for duplicate programs that clog your system. The idea behind the enhanced CRUDD Remover is to eliminate those extra programs as each application install theoretically slows your PC's performance a bit. After running CRUDD Remover, several problems were detected on the PC, which were explained in simple detail on the "Problems" screen.
What I found truly cool was that Iolo System Mechanic 12 didn't just serve up a number—it provided blurbs that explained why these problems negatively impact performance. I checked off the listed problems, clicked the "Repair All" button, and performed the required reboot. Performing another deep scan revealed that the problems were addressed.
I ran Iolo's Program Accelerator, which smartly re-aligns all of a program's dependent files on the hard drive. It's touted as being better than disk defragmenters, which can blindly compact and separate files even more. Program Accelerator took approximately 15 minutes to work its magic, and, when it was done, I discovered that it had re-aligned thousands of files and hundreds of file fragments. There are also a ton of other tools backed into the suite such as AcceleWrite (a new real-time feature that helps organize the way data is written to the PC's HDD or SSD), IntelliStatus (which displays RAM and hard drive information and serves up cleaning tools), and the new Stability Guard (a tool that proactively stops system threats using algorithms).
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