TuneUp Utilities - 2003 User Manual

TuneUp Utilities 2003

The Manual

TuneUp Utilities 2003 was developed by:

TuneUp Software GmbH, Donnersbergring 22, 64295 Darmstadt, Germany

Web: www.tune-up.com

The software manual was written by:

Redaktionsbüro Typemania, Carsten Scheibe Web: www.typemania.de

To receive software support, contact:

E-Mail: tu2003@tune-up.com Web: www.tune-up.com/support

Table of Contents ____________________________________ 3

1. Dear Users ________________________________________ 6

System Requirements____________________________________8

2. Software Installation_______________________________ 10

Starting the Installation _________________________________ 10

Starting the Software ___________________________________14

3. Customize & Analyze ______________________________ 15

TuneUp SystemControl _________________________________ 16

Viewing - Animations & Effects ______________________________ 17 Viewing - File Types _______________________________________ 21 Viewing - Folder Options ___________________________________ 24 Usage - Input options_______________________________________ 27 Usage - Start menu_________________________________________ 30 Usage - Taskbar ___________________________________________ 32 Communication - Network___________________________________ 34 Communication - Internet Explorer ____________________________ 36 Communication - Mail Programs______________________________ 38 Communication - Privacy ___________________________________ 39 Administration - User Logon _________________________________ 42 Administration - Drives _____________________________________ 45 Administration - Memory and Cache___________________________ 46 Administration - Start and Maintenance ________________________ 47 Administration - System ____________________________________ 50

TuneUp Icon Engineer _________________________________ 52

System Icons _____________________________________________ 52 Drives and Folders_________________________________________ 55 Appearance ______________________________________________ 57 Repair __________________________________________________ 58

TuneUp StartUp Manager ______________________________ 59

TuneUp System Information ____________________________ 61

4. Clean & Repair ___________________________________ 64

TuneUp RegistryCleaner _______________________________ 65

The Scan ________________________________________________ 66 Evaluation _______________________________________________ 67 Cleaning_________________________________________________ 70

TuneUp DiskCleaner___________________________________ 72

The Analysis _____________________________________________ 72 Evaluation _______________________________________________ 74 Cleaning_________________________________________________ 77

5. Optimize & Improve________________________________ 78

TuneUp MemOptimizer ________________________________ 79

TuneUp System Optimizer ______________________________ 83

Quick Maintenance ________________________________________ 84 System Advisor ___________________________________________ 85 Internet Optimization Wizard ________________________________ 86 System Optimization Wizard_________________________________ 87

6. Administer & Control ______________________________ 90

TuneUp Process Manager _______________________________ 91

TuneUp Registry Editor_________________________________ 94

TuneUp Uninstall Manager ______________________________ 95

7. File recovery & Destruction _________________________ 98

TuneUp Shredder ______________________________________99

TuneUp Undelete _____________________________________ 101

8. TuneUp RescueCenter ____________________________ 105

Undo changes ________________________________________106

System recovery ______________________________________ 107

9. TuneUp UpdateWizard ____________________________ 109

10. TuneUp RegistryDefrag __________________________ 111

Launching the tool ________________________________________ 112

11. Glossary _______________________________________ 115

12. Index _________________________________________ 127

1. Dear Users

Most computers used worldwide run Windows XP or one of its previous versions as an operating system. Windows is well suited to starting programs and managing files. But if users want to adapt the system, optimize it or slenderize it, they will soon realize that this is much more difficult than it might sound.

Actually, however, anything is possible. Windows controls the programs which are automatically activated during start-up. It determines the commands that are available in the start menu. Windows also determines the look of the icons on the desktop. But: How can a user change these settings?

"It's all very easy", is what the professional says. All important variables are hidden in the Windows configuration files and in the registry, after all. The registry is the central database in Windows, which both programs and hardware modules save their current settings to. Using the appropriate editors, it is possible to open these specific system files and to expertly modify the variables. The problem, however, is that only well-informed professionals know where to look for the variables they are interested in amongst all the cryptic entries. For most users, an opened registry is nothing but a mystery.

TuneUp Utilities 2003 is designed to help both the novice user and the expert in adapting Windows to their individual demands. In numerous windows, all important system options are listed. They can subsequently be activated and deactivated point-and-click. TuneUp Utilities then independently attends to changing the appropriate entries in either the registry or the configuration files.

However, TuneUp Utilities does not only meet the claim to "prettify our Windows". It is also possible to clean up and optimize the system by simply pressing a button. The program then removes all redundant entries from the registry and optimizes the existing settings, thus considerably increasing system speed.

All modules of TuneUp Utilities can be accessed from a shared graphical interface which is loaded immediately upon starting the software and makes available the following buttons:

Customize & Analyze: With this button you can attend to all cosmetic aspects in your cooperation with Windows, determining how the system looks and behaves. In addition, you can change the user interface symbols and manage the programs intended to open during windows start-up. The section is rounded off with a system analysis option.

Clean up & Repair: Two modules clean up the Windows registry and delete superfluous files from the hard drive. These activities considerably speed up the system.

Optimize & Improve: The program searches the system for speed obstacles and removes them. In addition, TuneUp MemOptimizer constantly optimizes memory in the background.

Administer & Control: Three modules help with editing the registry, supervising running programs and safely removing all applications that are no longer needed.

File recovery & Destruction: Safety is feasible. The Shredder for example is able to delete sensitive files in a way that renders them impossible to restore. On the other hand, TuneUp Undelete can be used to restore programs that had already been deleted from the Windows recycle bin.

The RescueCenter is available to revert changes and restore files deleted by the Utilities. The UpdateWizard helps with keeping the software up to date and downloads updates from the Internet point-andclick.

System Requirements

TuneUp Utilities 2003 profoundly changes the Windows system. The operating system, however, often changes considerably from one version to the next. Even so, TuneUp Utilities is able to adapt to differing Windows versions and supports the following Windows releases: Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000 and XP. TuneUp Utilities does not support Windows NT.

From a functional range point of view, the program always adapts to the current operating system. In Windows 95/98/Me for example, the module TuneUp RegistryDefrag is available for defragmenting the registry while it is not installed in Windows 2000/XP. SystemControl also adapts its functional range to the functions offered by the respective systems.

Minimal system configuration:

♦ Microsoft Windows 95 ♦ Graphics mode 640x480 with 256 colors ♦ 30 MB free hard disk space ♦ Intel Pentium or AMD K5 processor with 133 MHz ♦ 64 MB RAM ♦ CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive

Recommended system configuration:

♦ Microsoft Windows Me/2000/XP ♦ Graphics mode 1024x768 with 16.7 m colors ♦ 50 MB free hard disk space ♦ Intel Pentium 4/5 or AMD Athlon processor with 500 MHz ♦ 128 MB RAM ♦ CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive ♦ Internet access

2. Software Installation

Before you can use TuneUp Utilities on your computer, you have to install the software. During installation, program files are transferred to the hard disk. You can then start and use the Utilities without inserting the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.

Starting the Installation

If the Autoplay function is enabled for your CD-ROM drive, the TuneUp Utilities installation routine will start automatically. In this case Windows attends to calling the file.

If the Autoplay function is disabled on your computer, nothing happens after inserting the program CD into the CD-ROM drive. In this case, use Explorer or some other file management program to run the file SETUP.EXE in the root directory of the CD-ROM. To do this, doubleclick on the file.

The installation routine will now welcome you. Right at the beginning you are asked to close all other open Windows programs. To do this, switch to these applications with ALT+TAB and close them with the shortcut ALT+F4. This way, possible disturbances and interferences during the installation are prevented. In addition, TuneUp Utilities now can also update and overwrite system files which might otherwise have been in use. Press the Next button to proceed.

Please close all other open Windows programs.

The program now shows the license agreement. Please read the text once to find out about the terms for using the program. Afterwards, activate the I accept the license agreement option and proceed by pressing Next.

You have to accept the license agreement to proceed.

On the next screen you are asked to fill in the User information. The program wants to know your name and the name of your organization/company. The installation routine will attempt to automatically fill in this information for you. The Serial number can be found on the front cover of this manual.

For Windows XP and 2000 users: At this point it is also important whether the application is supposed to be available to all users of the computer or to a single user only. In order to install TuneUp Utilities 2003, you need to have administrator rights on the computer.

Please personalize your copy of TuneUp Utilities.

Now we get down to business. On the next screen you have to name a Destination folder. That is the directory on the hard disk supposed to accommodate TuneUp Utilities. As a default, the program uses the path C:\Program Files\TuneUp Utilities\. If you want to use another target directory, press Browse to select one from a file browser.

Press Next to begin copying the files. During this activity, a bar graph will show you the operation's progress. Please wait until the program reports that "TuneUp Utilities has been successfully installed". Then press the button Finish to close the installation routine.

Starting the Software

There are two different ways of starting the program.

During installation, the program creates a new icon on your Windows Desktop. To directly start the software, double-click on the icon labeled TuneUp Utilities.

Alternatively, it is possible to use the Windows Start menu. Open it and go to the Programs folder. Here you will find a new group labeled TuneUp Utilities. By clicking on the TuneUp Utilities entry, you can load the tools' menu system. You can also start each tool separately, if you already know which program module will be required. In this case, Utilities opens an additional cascading menu, where all modules are listed. Clicking on one of the names listed causes the according tool to start.

3. Customize & Analyze

The category Customize & Analyze helps you to get a grip on four different problems at the same time.

In this section, various functions are available which help you change the

appearance and functionality of Windows.

TuneUp SystemControl undertakes cosmetic changes to Windows.

Here you determine what the Desktop looks like and how it works. You will be surprised how many options TuneUp offers in this module. For the most part, they are functions innately offered by the Windows registry. So far, however, only professionals were able to activate these options in the registry.

TuneUp Icon Engineer module is responsible for the icons. It exchanges existing symbols for new ones and simultaneously changes a number of system settings.

TuneUp StartUp Manager disables annoying startup programs. These are programs which are automatically started together with Windows – often against your wishes. The module lists all startup programs and lets you decide which ones you want to have present in the background from now on.

To let you know which components are installed on your system, the module TuneUp System Information endeavors to create a status report. Point-and-click.

TuneUp SystemControl

To start the program that will help you to fundamentally change the appearance of Windows, click on the button TuneUp SystemControl in the selection menu.

TuneUp SystemControl is probably the most powerful module of the software. As soon as the program window has opened, it presents its numerous options in many different categories that are shown on the left. These categories are labeled Viewing, Usage, Communication and Administration. For each of these categories there are several subcategories as well.

As soon as you chose a category, the program lists the appropriate options on the right side – mostly again in several tabs. On the next couple of pages, we will attempt to briefly present the most important functions.

Very important: In case of doubt, the Restore Defaults button helps you to cancel all changes made and to re-establish the old status quo.

One more information: TuneUp SystemControl always adapts to your system and only offers the options that make sense. On the following pages, only the settings for Windows XP will be specified, since this is the current operating system. The context help in the program (which can be reached by right-clicking any option) is available for every operating system, though.

Viewing - Animations & Effects

• Tab Effects

Here you can activate settings which are used for showing and operating Windows elements. In the Settings section, numerous options are listed. The options marked with a check are active at the moment. If you want to deactivate an option, simply click into the box with your mouse to erase the checkmark.

The individual options are divided into the subject areas Visual Effects and Usage. Here options like Show window contents while dragging, Show color shading in the title bar or Show mouse pointer shadow can be activated. They all show nice optical effects, but slow the system down considerably as well. If you want to know more about an option, select it with the mouse. In the Description field, a short explanation will be shown immediately.

Press the Best Appearance button to select all options in a way to have Windows show really excellent looks. If you prefer performance, press

the Best Performance button. With Restore Defaults, the original settings are reloaded.

Enabling and disabling visual effects.

• Tab Animation

When using windows and lists, animations may come into operation.

In the Window and Note Animation section you can determine whether windows or tooltips will be animated or not. Here you can specifically enable Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing. If the option Use the following animation with tooltips is activated, you can for example choose an option like Fade effect from the Effect pull-down menu.

In the Animation of Elements section you can decide in which display and control elements both scrolling and opening will be animated. You can activate the three options Animate list view & tree view, Slide open combo boxes and Smooth-scroll list boxes.

Click on Best Performance to disable all options that are only straining after effects. With Restore Defaults you reactivate the predetermined Windows status quo.

Care for some animation?

• Tab Menu Appearance

Here you determine the look and behavior of context menus and of the application standard menus.

In the Animation section you decide whether menu elements will be hidden after being called. In addition, you can select to Use the following display effect from the pull-down menu.

In the Effects section you choose whether Windows will use flat 2D menus or if open menus ought to cast a small shadow on the area underneath.

• Tab Font Smoothing

Texts on screen can actually only be read smoothly, when they have been smoothed in the Standard mode. Otherwise they show ugly jagged pixel edges which are particularly obvious in large headlines. The font smoothing technique ClearType is quite modern. It smoothes the character more precisely than usual and is particularly suited for LCD monitors.

In this section you decide on one of the three available modes. Preview the characteristics of an option and then determine the Smoothing in a pull-down menu.

What form of Font Smoothing do you prefer?

Viewing - File Types

• Tab Menu Operations

In the Drives and Folders section you chose which of the entries listed are supposed to be shown in the folders' context menus. The Show

"Explore from here" option opens a folder in a new window. The Show "Prompt here" option opens the prompt at the location desired.

In the Files and Folders section you determine which commands are to be shown in the context menus of both files and folders. Here you can upgrade the four commands Show "Send To" menu, Show "Copy To

Folder…", Show "Move To folder…" and Show "Encrypt" and "Decrypt" (not available for XP Home Edition) if required. Commands

already active are marked with a check.

And again: The Restore Defaults button will re-establish the original Windows settings.

You can influence the context menus of both folders and files.

• Tab New Menu

In the desktop, explorer and save dialog context menus, the command "New" can be found. It opens a cascading menu and offers various file types which can be newly created point-and-click.

With TuneUp Utilities you can determine which Templates are to be shown in the "New" menu. If you want to disable individual file types, click into the according checkbox to remove the checkmark there. Remove completely eliminates entries from the list. With Add more file types can be added to the list.

Under Options you can decide whether the "New" menu will be shown in the context menus of both the desktop and the free space in folder windows.

Changing predetermined settings for the "New" menu.

• Tab Opening Files

Here you decide how Windows is to react when opening unknown file types. In the Default Application field you determine one of two options. Either the "Open with…" dialog will be shown or a file will automatically be opened with a predetermined program, for example Notepad. To pick the second option, enter the application path/start name in the Open with field.

• Tab Advanced

In the New Shortcut Prefix section you can choose whether the "Shortcut to" text will automatically precede each new link name. If you do not want this to happen, simply disable the option offered. If the text is to remain, leave the option enabled.

In the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer section you determine if picture and fax files will continue to be loaded into the Windows Picture and Fax viewer via double-click. If this is the case, leave the display enabled.

Here you can disable the shortcut prefix.

Viewing - Folder Options

• Tab View

In this section you can decide how folder windows and the objects contained in them will be shown.

In the Save View Settings section you can determine if Windows is to remember the position and size of windows and symbols when closing the windows.

The Pop-up Description section deals with tooltips windows which can show further information matched to desktop elements and folders. Here they can be inserted for the elements mentioned.

In the File and folder Names View you either enable or disable the option Enable capitals in file and folder names.

• Tab Navigation

Here you determine the settings for navigating folder windows and decide how the Explorer is to react to user input.

In the Opening of Folders section you can enable the Show compressed ZIP archives as folders option if you want a double-click on a ZIP archive to show its compressed content – as if the archive was a normal folder. The Always show tree view in folder windows option can either be enabled or disabled as well.

In the section Automatic Completion on the Address Bar you decide if and how entries into the Explorer and Internet Explorer address fields are to be completed automatically. Originally the options Use inline AutoComplete and Show list with suggestions (sorted by similarity) are active. You can also determine that lists are opened upwards – instead of downwards.

• Tab Thumbnails

In folders, Windows can show you small thumbnail previews matched to a picture collection. Here you decide how these preview pictures will look like.

In the Thumbnail Size you determine the dimensions of the thumbnails. The default is 96 pixels. You can, however, enter any other value.

In the Picture Quality section, use the slider to determine the quality of the generated thumbnails. The better the picture quality, the more disk space the previews will need.

In the Thumbnails section you decide if the thumbnails will be stored intermediately in a file called THUMBS.DB . The file is then simply saved with the folders and can later be read out particularly quickly.

• Tab Colors

This is another place where we deal with the look of folder windows. You can determine the color which individual elements will be highlighted in on mouse-over. If you are using the NTFS file system on your partition, you can let the system show encoded and compressed files in a very particular color as well.

• Tab Advanced

In the Desktop section you determine which typical Windows modules with an Icon should be present on the Desktop . Press Settings to show a selection of the possible elements in a separate window. You can, for example, check the Recycle Bin and the Planned Tasks and thus accept their icons for the desktop.

In the My Computer section you can scan an overview of all drives shown from the Windows module My Computer with Settings. If you remove a check in front of a volume entry, the according drive will no longer be shown on My Computer.

Usage - Input options

• Tab Mouse Functions

In the Swap Mouse Buttons section you can exchange the left and the right mouse button. You then basically do mouse-clicks with the right button and activate software context menus with the left one.

Many mice are equipped with a scroll wheel by now. Convenient for the Microsoft Intellimouse and compatible models you can, in the Scroll Wheel section, determine what is to happen when using the wheel. The default is Scroll by 3 lines, whereas you can still change this number. Alternatively you can extend to Scroll one screen page or enable the No scroll option which deactivates scrolling completely.

A rewarding function is offered in the Set Pointer Automatically section. If this option is active, the mouse pointer automatically moves to the button highlighted when a dialog box if opened, enabling you to immediately click the button.

Changing mouse settings in TuneUp SystemControl.

• Tab Mouse Sensitivity

In the Mouse Sensitivity section you determine the mouse movement tolerated in a double-click and necessary for dragging. The values are given in pixels, the default is four pixels. Try the new settings on the Test Icon immediately.

In the Hover Settings section you can also change the Movement tolerance and the Hover time of the mouse pointer - based on the hover effect. This occurs as soon as the mouse pointer rests on an icon for a certain time span. A Test Icon is available here, too. It lights up as soon as the mouse pointer rests on it.

• Tab Active Window Tracking

In this section you can enable a function which some users value as very helpful and others deem particularly annoying: The automatic window activation.

If you enable the Activate active window tracking option, it from then on suffices to simply move the mouse pointer over an inactive window to activate it so that you can work with the program. If the function is enabled, it is possible to enable Delay before activation. This determines for how many milliseconds the mouse pointer has to hover over a window for it to be activated. The option in the Foreground section also has to be enabled. It makes sure that the activated window is moved to the top.

• Tab Keyboard

The settings in this section refer to work with the keyboard. You can, for example, Activate flashing cursor in the Flashing Cursor section. In a word processing program the cursor will then blink and thus be easier to detect. You determine the flashing frequency via a slider. The Preview shows the changes made. If desired, the cursor width can be adapted to individual notions by entering a new pixel value.

Enable the Activate key combinations with the Windows key in the Windows key section to enable Windows to create hotkeys including the Windows key.

Usage - Start menu

• Tab Special Menu Items

In the Special Elements section you can specifically determine which commands are to be shown in the Windows start menu. Simply mouseclick into a checkbox to set a check or to remove it again.

In the Search section you chose the elements which will be listed under the start menu command "Search". You can highlight individual entries and remove them from the overview with Delete.

Determine the commands that should be shown in the start menu.

+ 97 hidden pages