The malware definitions are updated regularly, and there’s behavioural analysis to pick up suspicious files before they’ve been officially catalogued.

This lets you check your entire system, a specific folder (particularly handy for scanning your Downloads folder) or just an individual file. However, Iolo System Mechanic Pro's standout feature has to be its superb malware scanner (part of Iolo System Shield, included with System Mechanic Pro). If you’re planning to sell or recycle a PC, it’s a great way to ensure peace of mind, and something you won’t find in most system optimization software.

You can run this without booting into Windows, effectively erasing the contents of your system drive. Not only can this securely erase files, it includes a tool for making a USB drive cleaner. We were also particularly impressed by Iolo System Mechanic Pro's DriveScrubber. The standard Startup Manager only shows you programs that can be safely disabled at startup without causing system stability issues selecting Expert View includes drivers and low-level programs that might cause problems if disabled, so heed the warnings and only proceed if you’re absolutely sure you know what can be disabled safely. Each program listed includes a rating from Iolo's community to help you decide whether to prevent it running at startup for faster boot times. The excellent Startup Manager is also a huge cut above the one included with most Windows tuneup applications. System Mechanic Pro's Speed Up tools are impressive, including options to help boost the speed of your internet connections (all of which can be easily reversed if necessary). Our only quibble here is the software uninstaller, which only lets users select one program to remove at a time. This includes a combination of tools unique to System Mechanic, plus a few convenient links to the best of Windows' own utilities without the need to trawl through the Control Panel. Things get more interesting when you begin exploring Iolo System Mechanic Pro's Toolbox. Thankfully the settings are easy to change just deselect the tickboxes beside anything you'd like to keep, or disable ActiveCare entirely if you'd prefer to take matters into your own hands.

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