Forget about purchasing a new PC, re-install Windows and you’ll find everything runs way more smoothly. You system boots swiftly, applications launch immediately and your system just seems to work more efficiently. The problem is, like anyone, you want to get new software on to your computer, so you’ll spend time downloading, installing and removing applications, until you get your computer setup as required.

You might as well not have bothered. Unless you have major problem with your system, we do not advise you re-install Windows. By the time you’ve re-installed all your favourite apps and configured your PC, it will quickly degenerate and slow, due to an expanded Registry and fragmented hard drive.

A more obvious solution would be to install a system optimisation and maintenance tool and there are few better than System Mechanic 8. This application is feature-packed and designed to get the most from your PC, including defragmenting your hard drive, optimising your Registry, removing temporary files, sorting out unnecessary start-up applications and more.

This new version of System Mechanic is designed to operate in the background, if required. The new ActiveCare feature will keep your system in top condition, without affecting your work. It will automatically detect CPU usage and work when you are away from your machine. The new DriveSense module will keep an eye on your drives and will warn you if there are any potential problems, enabling you to purchase a new drive and copy across your data, to prevent against drive failure.

There are a number of additional features in System Mechanic 8. However, we also must add that this version is extremely stable and credit must go to Iolo for working hard to improve stability on both Vista and Windows XP. Iolo received some bad press for the previous revision – primarily as it was difficult to produce a system optimisation tool for Vista – but this version work as specified and is recommended.

This is the latest and brand new System Mechanic 8.5 which now supports Windows Vista 64-bit, amongst other features.