[September 14, 2011] A master mechanic for your PC Tweet Sep 14, 2011 (McClatchy-Tribune News Service - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) -- Sad to have to tell you this, but your PC is bloated. It's running slowly, and your memory is leaking. Malware has infected your system, and your Internet speed is so slow, you could revert to snail mail instead of using email, and it would get there faster. Websites come up so slowly you could grab a latte and drink it before you get to your chosen site. But I have a solution: System Mechanic. The newest version will take care of most of your PC's ills. After running a quick scan, it will tell you why your PC is bloated, for instance, and it will get rid of the bloat faster than you can say "lap band surgery." It will check for malware, tell you if your system is vulnerable and will check to see if you have an active firewall, the program within Windows that keeps out Internet intruders and hackers. And don't get me started about all the wonders it will do for your registry files, those mysterious lines of code that can make or break your system's health. It will get rid of the bloat (the manufacturer aptly calls it crud) _ files that slow down your system, turning your elephant into a gazelle. Temporary files disappear, along with startup programs you no longer need or use. This will make your PC run faster (see gazelle, above). System Mechanic will check for hard -drive errors that could put you out of business. It will update drivers, essential files that are needed, for example, for your new printer to work. If you have a half hour or so, it will optimize your PC's huge hard drive so that programs run faster, and files come up in a flash. It claims your PC will run 300 percent faster after your system is optimized. And it will do all these things and more automatically, if you wish. In my tests, the automatic analyses worked as advertised, although if you're a control freak, you can choose which tests you want to run. After you're finished, you can print out reports, just like the big-shot IT professionals do. Your gear-head diploma is just a mouse-click away. In a crowded field of fix-your-PC utilities, System Mechanic does its job so well that I'm keeping it on my hard drive. The latest version of System Mechanic can be purchased from my website for $39. That will get you a plain, brown wrapper installation CD, directions and license activation, but not a fancy box. It also can be ordered from several Internet sites, and you'll get the fancy box. The license is good for one year, which gets you updates to the program. Installation is fast and simple. The interface is intuitive enough for newbies, and advanced users will want to delve deeper into the program. System Mechanic will run on Windows 7, Vista and XP. I reviewed it on Windows 7. ___ (For other utilities, educational and business programs, visit the author's website at www.washingtoncd.net.) Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]