System Optimization Tips

Does anyone have recommendations for the best software out there that can actually kill off background processes and free up some RAM? I'm looking to speed things up and just get my OS running smooth again.

Right now, I'm messing around with CCleaner and CCleaner, but I’ve been wondering—is there anything better or higher quality out there?

Thanks!

Ditch CCleaner and just delete CCleaner right now 😁.
I’d honestly suggest using Advanced SystemCare instead here's the link
It’s a great, snappy program—way faster than CCleaner and, honestly, it works 100x better for me
There is one tiny little catch, though—you won't be able to access all the cleaning and optimization features unless you upgrade to the Pro version, but I’m sure you’ll manage 😉
P.S. It even has a malware detection feature, but I usually just toggle that off since I already run Avast, but hey, whatever works for you...

Larry Ortiz5 said:Keep CCleaner around, but honestly? Just delete CCleaner immediately. Why bother with it? 😁.
Honestly, you should really give Advanced SystemCare a shot. Seriously, just try it! Here's the link!
This thing is incredibly fast! Honestly, it runs way smoother than CCleaner, and in my book, it’s easily 100 times better. Why settle for anything less?
There’s just one little snag, though—you won't be able to unlock all those cleaning and optimization features unless you're running the Pro version. But hey, I honestly think you'll manage just fine! 😉
P.S. It actually comes with malware detection built-in, too. Personally, I just toggle that off since I’ve already got Avast running on my machine, but hey, whatever works for you!

Thanks so much for taking the time to help me out! I really appreciate the advice and the quick reply!
So, I finally picked up the software and I've already "figured it out"—if you know what I mean! It arrived super fast, too. Came in this really nice, sleek packaging, complete with a sweet activation code. Hehe!
It actually looks better than CCleaner at first glance! There are way more options here, too. I still need to dive in and see how these different boost modes actually perform, though. Honestly, does it ever feel like every single one of these programs is basically doing the exact same thing? It feels that way to me. Thanks again!

Keith Lee94 said:Thanks a ton for the time, the recommendation, and the reply!
So I went ahead and picked up the software and I'm already getting the hang of it; it arrived quickly in nice packaging with a smooth activation code, haha!
At first glance, it seems better than CCleaner since there are more options, though I still need to test out how those boost modes actually perform. Honestly, most of these programs seem pretty much the same once you dig in. Thanks again!

You’re probably better off just leaving those Boost features in Advanced SystemCare alone,😁 just so you don't end up messing things up; honestly, that program isn't anything special and is actually inferior to CCleaner. You see, Advanced SystemCare is an IObit product, and they have a reputation for being shady—they actually got caught stealing from Malwarebytes a few years back, so their shady dealings are pretty well documented.🙂🙂

http://antivirus.about.com/b/2009/11...l-property.htm

Just stick with CCleaner and you won't have any issues, for sure; meanwhile, check out the link below and grab that little bundle of software and you'll be all set.☕

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=715867

Andrew Miller102 can talk all he wants about their internal drama, but that's nobody's business but theirs,

Let him keep his Advanced SystemCare; honestly, it works fine for me. My PC hasn't kicked the bucket thanks to it. If you're asking if it beats CCleaner, I’ll give you this: at least it doesn't force a bunch of junk programs onto my startup list just to stay relevant like CCleaner does. Plus, it isn't nearly as obnoxious about blacklisting registry keys as CCleaner is. 👍

Personally, I find CCleaner much more effective 👍
Besides, keys are far too easy to come by 😉

Taylor Morales31 said:Andrew Miller102 thinks their internal drama isn't our concern,

I'll stick with Advanced SystemCare; I have it on my machine and it works fine, hasn't crashed my computer once, and if we're debating whether it beats CCleaner, I’d say it actually holds its own since it doesn't force programs into my startup just to satisfy its own needs like CCleaner does, nor is it as annoying about blacklisting registry keys. 👍

You can't just brush this stuff under the rug because it matters; this isn't some playground, 😁 it's straight-up theft, and what kind of logic is that—one company stealing from another by taking a free tool like Malwarebytes and bundling it into their paid software like IObit? That's exactly why IObit earned a bad reputation they likely won't ever shake, especially since their software isn't anything special anyway; they mostly just sell smoke and mirrors to naive users online, so honestly, they can go wherever they please. ☕😉

The bottom line is that companies engaging in these shady practices 🙂 need to be called out or exposed so people know exactly what kind of amateurs or scammers they're dealing with. You should just bypass their programs entirely and let the company fail; they certainly haven't earned any other outcome. 🙂🍿

Some people swear by CCleaner, while others prefer something else entirely—but honestly, the world would be pretty boring if we all wanted the exact same thing, wouldn't it? 😲

Ugh, Andrew Miller102, seriously? Ever since I started trying to pay attention to those accent marks, you’ve been such a pain in my neck, constantly correcting me where it doesn't even matter.

Call me a child if you want, but as long as Advanced SystemCare keeps my PC running smoothly and I'm happy with the results, then it's doing its job.

Look, if you want to be part of this forum, you supposedly need CCleaner, but hey, I don't have it anymore, so I guess I'm out—that's my business. A person should just pick whatever works for them; I made my choice, and I'm deciding for myself.

None of us are actually out here buying CCleaner or Advanced SystemCare or any other software, so maybe people could get serious about who's just selling us smoke and mirrors. Personally, nobody's selling me anything.👍

Taylor Morales31 said:Look, Andrew Miller102, I’ve been trying to wrap my head around your obsession with those specific accent marks for ages now, but honestly, you really stand out for all the wrong reasons when you insist on using them where they don't belong.

I’ll happily play the toddler while Advanced SystemCare keeps my PC running smoothly. If I were actually satisfied with the situation, he’d be right here.

If you're hanging around this forum, you really ought to have CCleaner installed. Look, I don't even have it anymore, so I'm officially out of this conversation. That’s on me, and I’m fine with that. At the end of the day, people should just pick whatever works for them; I made my choice, and I'm sticking to my own decisions.

None of us are actually out here dropping cash on CCleaner or Advanced SystemCare, so maybe it’s time we start taking these companies more seriously when they try to sell us nothing but smoke and mirrors; personally, I'm certainly not buying what they're peddling. 👍

I don't own any of those tools, nor have I ever actually bothered using a cleaning program like that.😁 There isn't much point in running some utility that constantly chugs away in the background alongside a mountain of other processes just to "clean" things; it’s honestly a redundant exercise. And look, don't take it personally—I wasn't trying to insult you or anything like that.🙂 If you’re judging things based on my mention of Vrtič, you’ve missed the point entirely. I brought up Vrtič to highlight how serious this whole situation actually is. When one company starts stealing from another, everything becomes crystal clear, doesn't it?😁

It’s the exact same deal whether you’re using the Free version of ASC or that paid one they’ve got sitting there for twelve bucks; honestly, if it costs twelve dollars, it's worth exactly zero. When I say they’re selling nothing but smoke and mirrors, I mean it, because they really are just peddling hot air, regardless of whether you go with the Free edition or the paid ASC. They’ve even crammed it full of some junk cleaner that’s a complete joke when you actually compare it to something useful like Malwarebytes or SuperAntiSpyware, which is just an old story at this point.☕

Advanced SystemCare looks pretty slick on the surface—it’s definitely got that polished, high-end aesthetic designed to impress—but once you actually pop the hood, it’s nothing more than a glorified junk pile. Like I’ve said before, this entire suite of cleaning tools is absolute garbage. It’s packed with all these little bells and whistles like Quick Care and Quick Boost, just a bunch of useless fluff, and don't even get me started on the sheer number of background processes it forces onto Windows.🤷

If you look at the screenshot, it’s pretty obvious he’s running ASC in a virtual machine. On my setup, after the installation finishes, you can see three distinct processes sitting right there in Windows; ASC just tosses a process into the Startup folder and runs its own service, so what else should we expect? It’s loaded with a lot of extra junk shoved into Windows, and honestly, I don't see the point—what's the actual benefit of having it constantly running in the background to "clean" things when you can't even tell what it's actually doing.☕

Look, CCleaner is your go-to for standard cleaning and everything else it offers remains the most reliable tool on the market, so you grab that, run Defragger if you need to tidy up the drive, and you're pretty much set. Cleaning the Registry is generally a waste of time anyway, unless you're dealing with a specific issue, because it isn't like we're still running Windows XP. With a setup like this, you aren't bloating your Windows installation with unnecessary background processes or a massive pile of services, so everything stays smooth. You can keep using ASC if you want—I’m not here to force anyone to change their ways—but there really isn't a reason to bother when you should be looking under the hood to see what's actually happening with your system.🙂

When you pick up ASC from IObit, they throw in their IObit Uninstaller as part of the package, essentially giving you this free uninstallation tool alongside the main software. But let’s be honest, anyone who actually knows what they're doing knows that compared to the free version of Revo Uninstaller, which is miles ahead of anything else out there, IObit is just offering nothing of substance. They're basically trying to sell you smoke and mirrors when it comes to uninstallation tools.🙂

It runs its cleaning cycles while the PC is just sitting there idle, not while I'm actually working. It gives me a polite heads-up before starting, so I can go brew myself a cup of coffee and let it handle its business in the background.

My machine stays snappy enough given my specs, so I haven't got any complaints... As far as dealing with malware, I use a whole arsenal—everything from Malwarebytes and SAS to HitmanPro and cloud-based antimalware. Plus, I have IObit Malware Fighter Pro running in real time to cover my bases.

On top of that, I rely on their Game Booster. Without it, trying to run anything like Grand Theft Auto IV or Dirt 2 on my integrated hd3200 would be a total nightmare, but with its help and some ATI Extreme drivers, things actually move along. It’s not top-tier performance, obviously, but it gets the job done. I’ve been gaming since the days of the Spectrum, Commodore, Amstrad, and Schneider.

Bottom line: I use IObit daily and honestly, I have zero issues with it. If it were actually bad software, I wouldn't have kept it on my system for a single second to cause trouble.

And it doesn't hog resources, either. I mean, Opera eats up ten to fifteen times more than this does, and I’m stuck using Opera because I love it. 🙂



So yeah, that's my take. Everyone should just test it out and use whatever works for them. This setup works fine for me, and if it ever stops performing, we'll just look for something else. 👍

Taylor Morales31 said:It runs its cleaning routine while the PC is idling rather than when it’s actively being used, and it consistently pops up a notification beforehand so I can go brew a cup of coffee while it handles business.

My machine stays snappy enough given my specs, so I have no complaints... for dealing with malware, I rely on a different toolkit involving Malwarebytes, SAS, and HitmanPro, along with some cloud antimalware, plus I keep IObit Malware Fighter Pro running in real time.

Beyond that, I also use their Game Booster, which is pretty much essential if I want to squeeze any performance out of my integrated hd3200 to play anything like Grand Theft Auto IV or Dirt 2; with its help and some ATI Extreme drivers, things run well enough, though it isn't top-tier performance—not that I mind, since I've been gaming since the days of the Spectrum, Commodore, Amstrad, and Schneider.

So, I use IObit daily and honestly, I don't have any issues with it; if it weren't working for me, I wouldn't be keeping it around to cause trouble.

It doesn't really hog any significant resources either, whereas Opera pulls about 10 to 15 times more, but I'm not going to ditch a browser I actually like just because of that.🙂



That's basically it; everyone should just try what works for them, because this setup works fine for me, and if it stops being useful, we'll just find something else.👍

It's easy to manage the memory taken up by Opera or any single process unless it's truly excessive, and honestly, RAM is practically a commodity these days given current prices, so you shouldn't be running short. Memory consumption isn't the real issue unless you're actually starved for it, but unnecessary background processes that shouldn't be running are always a headache.☕

And look, Game Booster is often unnecessary in practice too,🤷 because whenever you sit down to play, whether your GPU is weak or powerful, you absolutely need to disable your Antivirus, shut down uTorrent if it's running, close your browser, and kill off things like MSN or Skype to clear the way. If you're working with a low-end graphics card, nothing is going to magically make it perform better, but you can certainly make it perform worse if you fail to kill off those useless background processes; that's just how it goes.🙂

Hmm, I wouldn't touch IObit Malware Fighter Pro even if they paid me,😵 I'd much rather just disable it or torpedo the whole thing and install Avira Free + WOT instead, then you're sorted.🍿

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZXW2uA1zYc

I see your computer carries the distinguished name Damir, and if that's your official name, then we're namesakes, which is just another problem easily solved with a few beers over on Chat.😂 🙂

What’s actually the best software for speeding up a sluggish PC?

Andrew Miller102 said:Easy on the memory...

I see you’re running a rig named James—if that’s official, then we’re practically twins. Honestly, that’s just another issue we could easily settle over a few beers on Slack, right?😂🙂

First off, I don't drink beer—well, rarely—and second, I can't stand people like you, so I'll pass, thanks.

Now, what's the deal? People like you who love to dictate and lecture everyone else about what they should or shouldn't have installed on their own damn computers... It's like my buddy who constantly goes, "Why don't you just switch from Opera to Mozilla?" and I'm like, "Screw you, I didn't vibe with Mozilla, I like Opera." And then he starts again: "But why? Opera is trash, blah, blah, blah..." Like, why do you even care? Is this your computer or mine?

Look, whatever I choose to run is my business, period. I see people doing this all the time—telling others, "Don't do this," or "You should do that"...

Man, just chill out. You have your own PC, right? You aren't the admin on my machine, so back off, okay? 👍

Taylor Morales31 said:First off, I don't really drink beer—rarely, at any rate—and second, I have zero interest in dealing with people like you, so thanks, but no thanks.

And what’s with this attitude? People like you who just love dictating terms and telling everyone else what they should or shouldn't have installed on their own machines... it reminds me of my buddy who constantly goes on about how he needs to swap out Firefox for Chrome, or why Mozilla isn't working for him when Opera is better, then follows it up with all this "blah blah blah" nonsense. What part of this actually concerns you? You're using your own computer, aren't you?

Look, whatever setup I have is my business, and honestly, I see you doing this kind of thing all the time—trying to tell people "don't do this" or "do that."

Man, just chill out. You have your own PC, and you certainly aren't an admin on mine, so let's leave it at that, okay?👍

I wasn't trying to force anything on you in this thread,😁 nor was I implying anything negative regarding what you highlighted. It seems you've completely misread my intentions, which is fine, but clearly, there's been a misunderstanding here.🙂

For the record, I haven't told anyone they absolutely have to use one thing or another,🤷 nor am I issuing ultimate commands; I don't dictate what anyone chooses to use.🤷 My point is simply to mention how certain programs behave, because there are plenty of users here who might not know the specifics, and since we're on a forum, that information is worth sharing.☕

A lot of people don't grasp the technical details under the hood, and unless something is explicitly banned, they aren't going to dig deeper into the mechanics of how software works—and that's perfectly fine. But you aren't the only one reading my posts; other users might find this technical info genuinely useful, and again, I'm not forcing anyone to change anything, so there's really no need for the drama.☕🙂

My approach is usually to suggest superior software as a replacement for inferior options, never the other way around. That's why I frame things as "you might want to try this instead" rather than a demand. If something is objectively better, why wouldn't I suggest it?🤷 That's how I operate, and I'll keep operating that way; it shouldn't be an issue.🍿

Taylor Morales31 said:First off, I barely touch beer, and second, I’m just not really your cup of tea, so I think I’ll pass on the thanks,

But honestly, what's with the attitude? It feels like you're one of those people who just loves dictating exactly what everyone else should have installed on their own hardware. It reminds me of this buddy of mine who constantly gets lectured—like, "Why aren't you using Firefox instead of Opera?" or "Opera is terrible because of X, Y, and Z." Like, why do you even care? You've got your own computer, right?

Look, whatever I decide to run on my machine is my business, and I see people pulling this kind of unsolicited advice all the time, trying to tell others how to live their digital lives.

Man, just take a breather. You’ve got your own setup, and you definitely aren't the admin on mine, so let's just leave it at that, okay? 👍

Ethan, regarding this Taylor Morales31 guy... 😁 Personally, I still use Norton even though I know deep down it doesn't do much more than keep things tidy; I just like to clean up the registry once in a while and make sure nothing sneaky hitched a ride on my startup list. Once a month, I'll run a quick scan with Malwarebytes and CCleaner + Norton, call it a day, and that's it. My Windows machines have been running for over a year and a week straight without needing a single format or hitting a Blue Screen of Death, and they're still humming along perfectly! 🙂

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S via Reddit

It’s the exact same deal here, ASC works just fine



except it would have been installed for over a year if I hadn't moved everything from my D drive to my C drive back then—it was running in a dual boot setup for more than a year before that 🙂

Jack Alvarez said:Ethan, this Taylor Morales31 guy 😁... Personally, I still run Norton even though I’m fully aware it doesn't actually achieve much beyond keeping things tidy—just a quick registry sweep here and there, making sure nothing has hitched a ride on my startup list, and running a monthly scan with Malwarebytes and Norton, and that does the trick; my macOS machines have been running for over a year now without a single drive wipe or a blue screen, and they feel incredibly snappy. 🙂

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy with Reddit

If you're convinced Norton provides zero benefit while it sits there constantly eating up resources as a background process on macOS, then there's really no logical reason to keep it running, is there?😁 It's like putting training wheels on a bicycle; they just create unnecessary drag when you already know how to balance on two wheels just fine.🙂🙂

Taylor Morales31 said:I tend to rely on a whole suite of tools to handle malware, ranging from Malwarebytes and Salesforce over to Malwarebytes, plus some cloud-based antimalware; I even have IObit Antivirus running in real time.

On top of all that, I make use of their SpeedBoost, which honestly feels essential when I'm trying to squeeze any kind of performance out of my integrated HD3200 graphics just to get through a session of GTA 4 or Dirt 2.

Are you really suggesting someone needs three thousand different programs just to keep a computer running smoothly? Honestly, man, my heart goes out to your operating system.

Personally, I stick to a combination of CCleaner + Norton. I used to rely on Norton quite a bit back in the day, but I feel like they've lost a little bit of their edge over the last couple of years. I did try out SpeedBoost on my laptop once and actually noticed a decent improvement, so I'm thinking about installing it on my desktop as well.😁

It’s not even three thousand 🤣

Look, I wrote those previous posts just to clear out the junk... but right now I’m putting HitmanPro through its paces. It’s that cloud-based antimalware, right? If I run a full scan, it takes maybe 5:39 and finds absolutely nothing. Then, immediately after, I fire up a Norton AntiVirus full scan—that takes an hour and 24 minutes and also comes up clean. Even MBAM shows nothing. Honestly, if this keeps up, HitmanPro is going to be my go-to because it’s lightning fast and barely puts any load on the system since it scans via the cloud. I don't even have to bother with manual updates; I just run it and go.

As for optimization, I’ve been using ASC, though I don't even keep it running constantly anymore—I just pop it open when I need to tweak something. Regarding TuneUp, I actually agree with the sentiment that the older versions were superior, which is exactly why I switched over to ASC. The newer TuneUp iterations just weren't cutting it for me, haha.

On top of that, I rely on CCleaner and Temp File Cleaner daily, and thank God for that. It saves me from having to reinstall Windows every five seconds. And of course, it isn't just those tools; I fine-tune every single one of my programs down to the smallest detail. I do it because I can't stand the thought of having to deal with a massive installation process all over again. 👍