System Mechanic 6 Professional
Since being set up in 1998, iolo technologies has been busy producing utility programs to help enhance the performance of computers running on the Microsoft Windows operating system. One of its products that I have kept an eye over the years is System Mechanic. The latest release of this product, which is now up to version 6, is available in Standard, Professional and Mobile Toolkit varieties. This review is based on System Mechanic 6 Professional.
Actually this version of System Mechanic is more of a suite than a single product. iolo technologies has bundled together six products within this one title. Sitting at the heart of this product is the basic System Mechanic software which is made up of tools designed to help alleviate problems with the Microsoft operating system. Around this multi-featured utility are Search and Recover 3, System Shield 2, DriveScrubber 2, anti-virus protection and firewall software. You are able to cherry-pick from this list as part of the basic installation procedure.
When first firing up System Mechanic you will be presented with a screen giving you the choice of using the software in trial mode or entering your User ID and serial number before the main program kicks into operation. System Mechanic's main screen gives you the ability to have your system analysed and access the various elements making up the software. The system analysis covers areas of safety, speed, fitness, update and active care. Traffic light style symbols are used to indicate the rating of each area while appropriate tips are displayed.
It was noticeable, especially with regards to safety, that System Mechanic has been set up not to recognise any third party software you may have running. Thus is you rely on any anti-virus and firewall software that is not from iolo technologies then your system will be rated as being at risk. This is an aspect that iolo needs to look out in any future versions of the software.
New to this version of System Mechanic are a series of Power Tools. These provide a one-stop approach to dealing with different aspects of your system's well-being. The Power Tools have been designated as TotalCare, Cleanup, Accelerator, Security, Optimizer and Repair. In each case the tool can be set to run a quick or comprehensive operation and display a summary of suggested actions before they are implemented. TotalCare also has an option to select a post-task operation such as display a report, restart the computer or cause a complete shut down. No other user input is required as these tools carry out their specific task to keep your system running smoothly.
While this automated wizard-type approach will appeal to some, there are many who would prefer to pick from the individual tools for maintaining their system. For this type of approach, System Mechanic provides category tabs which give access to tools grouped under headings such as Optimise, Clean, Repair, Protect and Maintain. Using these tools you can defrag memory and recover wasted RAM; remove temporary files and unnecessary debris; repair and clean the Registry; track Windows changes; and schedule specific tasks.
The other applications in the bundle have their own entries in the Start menu. Search and Replace 3, as its name implies, lets you find and recover lost or deleted files from a variety of locations. Options are available to use a Wizard to rescue specific file types and digital media; recover lost emails; tag files and folders for secure deletion; and create an emergency disk image. Search and Replace 3 supports hard disks, floppy disks, zip disks, memory cards and USB flash drives.
System Shield 2 offers protection against identity theft by proactively finding deleted files and then permanently removing any data that remains. Preferences can be set up and schedules created while logs are kept of all activity carried out by System Shield. For a more overall approach to the removal of data, DriveScrubber 2 wipes all the data from any hard or floppy disks regardless of its format and operating system. Completing the package is a professional strength virus protection and an Internet Firewall.
System Mechanic 6 Professional is a comprehensive set of tools but it could hardly be considered a speed merchant. This is especially noticeable with the Power Tools and disk-based activity. However it does make up for this speed deficiency with a thorough approach to checking out your system for any remedial action.
Priced at £49.99, System Mechanic 6 Professional will run on Windows 98 or later. You will need 128MB of RAM with 50MB of hard disk space.
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