Every computer user wants his operating system to function correctly and without any errors and freezes, but not everyone is ready to make specific efforts for this. For a single year in the user segment, various Windows optimizers have gained enormous popularity, and for a "nominal fee" they are ready to speed up the operation of the operating system in just a few clicks. And in another part, the expediency of using this kind of software causes skepticism and a significant degree of distrust, since they adhere to several established opinions of the following content:

1. “Do you want the operating system to function normally?” Then do not bother her to do it. "
2. “Windows’s best friend is a computer operator, but it’s also its most dangerous enemy.”

But in practice, it has long been proven that both sides are right in this matter, with only a few reservations. In this article we will focus on the correct use of one of the leaders of the software in this category about the program "Ashampoo WinOptimizer" to achieve the best result of cleaning and optimizing Windows (hereinafter OS or OS) without damage for the operating system itself.

Setup and work with the application Ashampoo WinOptimizer.

Optimizers are true or myth

It would be a "crime", considering the topic of using third-party software to manipulate the structure of the OS, not to touch on the issue of security and the principal benefits of this action, since not everything is obvious and transparent here. But at once it is worth noting that all of the below is only the opinion of the author and is not positioned as the only true truth.

Arguments for"

It makes no sense to argue with the fact that more than half of computer operators, besides a few basic applications, do not use it functionally. Now, which has been repeatedly confirmed by various statistical studies, there are only four main options for applying the capabilities of the OS and the computer as a whole:

1. "For web surfing."
2. "For games."
3. "To watch movies and listen to music."
4. "For workflow."

For many, optimization becomes relevant only when the usual mode of functioning of the computer is broken and any software stops working properly. What are temporary files and how do they affect the speed of the OS? What are the files with the extension "lnk"? What errors can be in registry entries? Why bother with these difficulties and try to find answers to these and many other questions if there are programs that can fix everything with one click of the mouse without including the computer owner in this chain? This approach is guided by choosing one or another software from the category "Optimizers". Is it possible to reproach them for this? The question is ambiguous.

Arguments against"

Before you entrust access to Windows and all content to the optimizer, and even more to spend any money on it, you should ask one key question: “Where do optimizer developers know the details of the operating system?”. For example, how can they know the available values ​​of all registry keys? They are not published in the public domain, Microsoft does not advertise most of their work. It is highly questionable assumption that Microsoft in every way shares its confidential information with third parties, even if it is licensed developers.

It should be understood that at least in the Microsoft product structure there are thousands of different registry keys embedded in the system for further updates and innovations. Among them there are many "dummies", that is, those that do not carry any benefit at present for the user. It is these keys that fall under the “hammer” of optimizers and are simply deleted by them. What will the OS do when it needs these keys after the upgrade? Of course, it will try to return them in any available way, which, if it does not lead to errors and its inoperability, then at least it will significantly reduce productivity. A similar example applies to other situations:

“You are the owner of a BMW car or a smartphone from Apple. Auto or smartphone began to work worse after a while. For help, contact a BMW or Apple service center? Or will you contact Mercedes or Samsung? ”

The answer here suggests itself - “Where can Mercedes know the subtleties of BMW ?!” Only the developers themselves know the aspects of the operation of their product, and in addition, all the tools that can speed up the work of Windows are available in standard assemblies and are available to everyone for free.

Are optimizers dangerous?

But this is the main question of the whole topic. In fact, optimizers have a standardized set of functions, among which stand out:

• Cleaning up temporary files.
• Registry cleanup.
• Cleaning up trash.
• Check hard drive.
• Uninstaller programs.

Of course, such tools can be extremely useful, but, as mentioned earlier, they are already in the public domain. But in order to “lure” as many users as possible to themselves, development companies stuff their programs with dozens of other functions, the work of which causes some doubt and apprehension.

First, such a “vinaigrette” cannot function properly by definition. Somewhere we should expect a dirty trick or “blank”, which will be simply veiled by a catchy and memorable name without an explanation of the actions applied to it. For example, some optimizers have many tools without explanation. What the “Optimization of the local network” or “Optimization of the DNS” function does is known only to developers, since the corresponding explanation of the tasks performed by them is far from always present. But the consequences will have to cope with the owner of the PC. This is where the main concerns lie. There is no specifics in the actions they use, until the consequences come, it is extremely problematic to understand what exactly the program did. To some extent, this also applies to the main issue of this article - the program "Ashampoo WinOptimizer".

Where to download and how to install

Immediately it should be noted that the considered program “Ashampoo WinOptimizer” is distributed free of charge only in the form of a demo version for a period of ten days. A full license for one PC will cost (at the beginning of April 2019 a discount is applied) for the user a little more than 1, 100 rubles, which corresponds to the established pricing policy in this category. To buy and download, you should visit the official website of developers - //www.ashampoo.com/ru/rub/pin/5206/system-software/Ashampoo-WinOptimizer-16. The installation file weighs a little more than 20 MB, the installation does not take much time and does not take a significant amount of free space on the computer HDD / SSD. So, Ashampoo WinOptimizer is software that offers each user a whole set of tools for servicing Windows. Most of these tools (about 40 of them in total, as the developers claim) are designed to speed up the computer by cleaning / deleting temporary files that are not important for the user, as well as by reallocating resources between the components of the PC in the way the software itself sees it.

Interface

The Ashampoo WinOptimizer interface is fully localized and outwardly meets all modern standards, representing a kind of futuristic control panel, stylized in a bright black and blue gamut. There are 10 main tabs available:

1. "Overview" - a brief announcement of the main tools of the program and a brief summary of the CPU load. There is also available initiation of analysis of existing problems.
   

2. “Automation” - this section proposes to enable automatic scanning and correction of found (importantly, according to the software itself) problems in the OS. It is necessary to treat this functionality rather carefully.
   

3. "All modules" - a more detailed list of tools for configuring and administering Windows.
   

4. "System Maintenance" is a category designed to identify and correct errors in the registry and remove traces of Internet activity, as well as free up the space of the hard disk.
   

5. "Performance" - the manipulation of services and optimize boot processes.
   

6. “Windows Setup” is a section for more in-depth Windows settings, for example, changing file associations, changing privacy settings, and most importantly, there is a built-in tweaker.
   

7. "System Analysis" - a full and comprehensive testing of computer components and OS.
   

8. “File utilities” - delete and restore files, encrypt them and check for virus activity.
   

9. “Administration” - restoration functionality, delineation of user rights, as well as statistical summaries of the work of Ashampoo WinOptimizer since the first launch.
   

10. “Backups” - accordingly, this section offers work on creating and managing backups.
    

As you can see, “Ashampoo WinOptimizer” is equipped with an impressive functional set, but does the user need all this? Here is the key question.

Optimization and cleaning

In fact, it is possible to carry out our plans exclusively with the help of the “Analysis” functional, which is presented in the first section. For each tool and for each problem found, you can see detailed information. In fairness it should be noted that for an ordinary user, this information will not give anything, as there is no specific explanation of why a particular file and registry entry software considers unnecessary or erroneous. If you decide to trust Ashampoo WinOptimizer, then pay attention to the following sections:

1. To get started, open the first section and click on the “Analyze” button to display information about existing computer problems.
   

2. Next, go to the "Maintenance" section and open the "Drive Cleaner" tool. Initiate a search for "unnecessary files", carefully review what the program suggests to delete (each object can be expanded and view information on it), then click on the "Delete Now" button.
   

3. Open the “Performance” tab - “StartUp Tuner” and see which processes start automatically. Click on unnecessary or suspicious options and click on the "Delete" button.
   

4. In the same section, select the “Uninstall Manager” and remove all the unimportant (or unused) software for you.
   

No wonder, but that's about it. Yes, exactly, these actions are called optimization of the Windows operating system. Someone may note that the section “Service Manager” was not considered, but the question of the advisability of disabling services to improve Windows performance is so controversial that it simply does not make sense to consider it.

Conclusion

The screenshots show that Ashampoo WinOptimizer was run on a fairly “old machine” with 2 GB of RAM and an Intel Celeron CPU G530 processor. Was there any noticeable minimal increase in the speed of the OS? The answer is no. In conclusion, it is worth adding and repeating that the tools that were mentioned above are available in the form of standard tools, as well as many are highlighted as separate utilities from Microsoft itself and work absolutely as well. Therefore, a logical question arises: "Is it worth paying that kind of money for what you can get for free?" And the same applies to all paid optimizers without exception.