Software sharing

Auslogics Disk Defrag 3.1.4.110
http://download.cnet.com/Auslogics-Disk-Defrag/3000-2094_4-10567503.html

• Price: Free
• Operating system: Windows XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008/7
• Date added: March 31, 2010

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on November 07, 2008

Join your hard drive fragments together into a tight bunch with this freeware. Auslogics Disk Defrag's interface couldn't be any cleaner or easier to use.

Choose a hard drive from an easy-to-read pull-down menu, and Disk Defrag instantly displays the drive's size, and used and free space. The program even displays a pie graph for visual learners. One click starts the defragmentation process. The program's defrag process screen displays another handy visual. A sector map makes it easy to see how much of the drive is fragmented, allocated, or free. As the program churns away, the defragged sectors are displayed in blue.

We found the program fast, even on older XP systems. A handy HTML report is prepared after each defrag session. A summary displays the total files and folders defragged, while the detail section lists the defrag outcome for each file. We only wish a final sector map was included in the report. Novices to system administrators will love this easy-to-use hard drive defrag program.

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Ashampoo WinOptimizer 7.10
http://download.cnet.com/Ashampoo-WinOptimizer/3000-2094_4-10224281.html

• Price: Free to try (40-day trial); $49.99 to buy
• Operating system: Windows XP/Vista/7
• Date added: May 29, 2010

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: Jessica Dolcourt on December 16, 2008

Keeping your PC running like a champ requires a bit of maintenance now and again. For your money, you could do much worse than Ashampoo WinOptimizer, a clean, fast, and professional-looking application with a robust tool set.

The fastest route to optimization is from the One-Click Optimization feature, accessible from your desktop or from a tab on the program interface. The second fastest lets you run a quick or a full scan from the Overview tab. Either option starts diagnosing your system using common, customizable settings. For spot-checking or to oversee your own changes, you can click the Modules tab within the application and hand pick among the 21 included tools grouped smartly into six categories.

In addition to a laundry list of system tweaks you can manually or automatically configure, WinOptimizer backs up your registry so you can undo critical mistakes. New to version 6, it also stores a list of most-often used tools alongside some decent stats on your use of each module. Best of all, each tool in our tests ran quickly, smoothly and effectively without disrupting overall performance. Novices will appreciate the ease of use while pro users will find plenty of ways to get their hands dirty.

Publisher's description

From Ashampoo :

Ashampoo WinOptimizer 7 is designed to enable both novice and advanced users to cleanse and optimize their Windows system and adapt it to their own needs. The tool feels equally at home optimizing the Windows XP and Vista operating systems as it does under Windows 7. The extremely easy-to-use menus present the individual modules of the program and make it possible to measure system performance, deactivate annoying auto start entries, or delete unnecessary files, all with a click of the mouse. The latest generation of Ashampoo WinOptimizer has a fresh look and feel that is inspired by the user interface of Windows 7. The all-in-one interface allows fast access to the integrated function groups. The innovative online rating system pools the knowledge of all Ashampoo WinOptimizer users and enables direct online updating and synchronization. You benefit twofold: from our wealth of experience and the experiences of the community. The real-time system analysis that updates automatically when the program starts identifies which system components are currently in use. Redundant files and registry entries are displayed for evaluation directly. Unnecessary services are also evaluated and appropriate decision support tools are provided. Customized suggestions are put forward on the basis of existing tweaks and settings.