By Jeffrey L. Wilson Traditionally, PC tune-up utilities have performed a very basic, straightforward function—improve your computer's overall system performance via a number of behind-the-scenes tweaks that ditch unused files. You ran it and moved on—it was a solitary experience. That changed with SlimCleaner's debut. The free tune-up utility uses aggregated data collected from its user base to recommend the optimal settings for your PC. It even rewards you with badges for contributing accurate information back to the community. In short, SlimCleaner is a mashup of social network and utility that does a fine job of cleaning gunked-up PCs.
System Requirements and Interface
Compatible with Windows PCs, SlimCleaner requires just an Internet connection for downloading the software and any updates that may be required during installation. Like Comodo System Utilities and Iolo System Mechanic 12, SlimCleaner gives users permission to install the software on an unlimited number of systems. This gives it the edge over TuneUp Utilities 2013 and other tools with the three license industry standard.
SlimCleaner's attractive interface features a pleasant color scheme that deftly balances blacks and grays with a bright blue gradient. Clicking one of the categories located in the column located left of the main content area—Cleaner, Optimize, Software, Browsers, Disk Tools, Windows Tools, and Hijack Log—highlights the selection and displays that individual interface to the right. SlimCleaner also displays your PC's operating system, CPU, and GPU information just south of that. A gripe: I didn't like that SlimCleaner sometimes opens secondary windows when you click an option. Clicking "Disk Tools," for example, opens another window that lets you run disk utilities—I didn't dig that. I prefer a tighter interface that keeps everything in one place (such as Iolo System Mechanic 12's interface).
Cleaner, Optimizer, Social Features
The "Cleaner" area—the section that contains tabs for Windows, Applications, Browsers, Advanced, and Registry—is what you'll encounter upon firing up the application. Clicking the "Analyze" button causes SlimCleaner to run and spit back a list of problems—my initial scan uncovered dozens upon dozens on my test computer. The "Clean" button removed all the problem files and Web cookies, but I preserved the log-in cookies of Facebook and other sites I frequent using the IntelliCookie Filter. That's a great touch.
That's far from the only tool at your disposal. "Optimize" lets you alter which programs boot at launch—handy for those who may not realize that resource hogs are slowing the boot process and hindering the overall system performance. Here you can find detailed file information so you know exactly what it does before taking action, sort software (based on user feedback) using an adjustable, color-coded slider, and rate programs yourself using drop-down menu selections and mini-reviews—all very useful. I especially liked that SlimCleaner gives you a warning if you are about to remove software that's been well-received by the community; it's a nice way to safeguard yourself from removing a file that may prove vital to the computing experience. Unfortunately, because the feature is community-based, your PC has to be connected to the Web to get the crowd-sourced software ratings.
Taking a cue from popular social networking sites like Facebook, SlimCleaner gives users a wall where they can display personal information and view badges, awards that are given for users with helpful useful reviews. In order to have badges saved to your wall, you need to create an account from scratch, or log in with your Facebook account. Personally, I could do without the badges, but I suppose they're carrots that will entice some users to contribute ratings, which improves everyone's experience.
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