System Mechanic 5 Description:

System Mechanic 5 review:3 stars (Slow defrag and Registry Cleanup is buggy) - Don't bother using "speed up hard drives" on the "Optimize" tab...the defrag routine will literally run forever. Also, be aware that "Clean Registry" in the "PC Maintenance Wizard" does not do anything except identify deletable items...it does not remove them. In fact, the Wizard reports "None found" even though when running, it clearly identifies deletable items. If you want System Mechanic to actually remove old registry items, you have to run the routine separately from the "Fix" tab using "Fix Registry Problems". I reported this flaw to Iolo around the first of 2005 and they acknowledged the problem but have not released any fix (how ironic!). Overall, System Mechanic is Ok but the interminable defrag and goofy registry cleaner are real downers.2 stars (Alright Software) - The only thing that saves this product is it's registry cleaner. If you need a firewall or spyware remover don't bother with these, try Webroot's Spyswepper or Norton's or McAfee's firewall.1 stars (A DISASTER! If you must go iolo, stick with SM 4...) - "This product is full of pitfalls." I have this on very good authority (my service technicians), although I personally haven't found but ONE, I guess, since the attempted installation corrupted my hard drive to the degree that even Safe Mode was unavailable. I really liked SM 4.0 Pro but, after this nightmare (and the subsequent lack of any help whatever from iolo), I urge you to stay away from 5.0. BTW, there are no refunds under ANY circumstances so, if your pc crashes (to the tune of $150 in my case) you'll also be out the cost of the program.