Version: 2008
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Must-have utilities for your Windows toolkit

Jessica Dolcourt Jessica Dolcourt November 5, 2009

How often do you think about the background systems that make your computer run smoothly and surely? As with most foundations, generally only when they're broken or faulty. We've assembled seven free software utilities to help keep your system in top form in times of turbulence.


There's Glary Utilities, which wraps a Registry cleaner, memory optimizer, and start-up manager in one. When files go missing, an app like Pandora Recovery can often help retrieve them. CCleaner wipes away Internet tracks, while Smart Defrag is the best disk defragger we've seen to date.


Then there's 7-Zip, which supports a range of compression file types to read and write files in RAR and ZIP formats, and more. The straightforward SyncBack backup program is ideal to help keep home users and small businesses from losing valuable files in the event of a system crash. We round out the collection with Revo Uninstaller, an uninstaller with multiple power levels for completely removing unwanted programs down to their traces.

Product Name Glary Utilities Pandora Recovery CCleaner Smart Defrag 7-Zip SyncBack Freeware Revo Uninstaller
Date Added November 04, 2009 February 04, 2009 October 26, 2009 July 03, 2009 February 03, 2009 August 13, 2008 May 07, 2009
Editor's Rating
Average User Rating
Review Date November 09, 2008 June 29, 2009 November 07, 2008 November 07, 2008 November 08, 2008 November 07, 2008 January 21, 2009
Summary This powerful application offers extensive utilities to improve your system's performance and protect your privacy. Glary Utilities' well-organized interface allows users to easily choose ... Read more File recovery has never been easier thanks to Pandora Recovery. The program's wizard-like approach to finding and retrieving lost files will appeal to all ... Read more Although it lacks a few of the bells and whistles found in other PC-cleaning applications, this free program offers more than enough features to make ... Read more It's hard to stand out in the crowded field of defraggers, but SmartDefrag is able to do so with an unexpected twist. Along with ... Read more It's easy for Windows users to forget that WinZip isn't the only file-compression utility in the world. Like its better-known competitors, the free ... Read more This straightforward backup utility makes it a snap to safeguard and synchronize your files, and its freeware price just sweetens the deal. Surprisingly flexible for ... Read more Where the built-in and sluggish Windows Add or Remove Programs option fails, freeware Revo picks up the slack. It builds out a useful feature set ... Read more
License Free Free Free Free Free Free Free
Limitations No limitations No limitations No limitations No limitations No limitations No limitations No limitations
Downloads Last Week 215505 15946 65696 91042 26265 7048 29608
Total Downloads 5605854 713983 8491533 5972742 2128093 379253 2165353
File Size 6054056 3267488 3310608 3021976 939956 1878371 1079272
Operating Systems Windows Vista
Windows
Windows 7
Windows XP
Windows 2000
Windows Vista
Windows
Windows XP
Windows 2000
Windows Vista
Windows
Windows 95
Windows Me
Windows XP
Windows 2000
Windows NT
Windows 98
Windows 2003
Windows Vista
Windows
Windows Me
Windows Server 2008
Windows 7
Windows XP
Windows 2000
Windows NT
Windows 98
Windows 2003
Windows Vista
Windows
Windows Me
Windows NT
Windows 2000
Windows XP
Windows 98
Windows
Windows XP
Windows 2000
Windows
Windows Vista 32-bit
Windows XP
Windows 2000
Windows 2003 32-bit
Windows XP 32-bit
Additional Requirements No additional requirements Windows 2000/XP/Vista No additional requirements No additional requirements No additional requirements No additional requirements No additional requirements
Publisher Glaryutilities Pandora CCleaner IObit 7-Zip Software 2BrightSparks VS Revo Group