TuneUp Utilities - 2011 User Manual
TuneUp Utilities
User Manual
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TuneUp Utilities Manual 3
Table of Contents
1. Welcome to TuneUp Utilities 5
New Features in this Version 6
System Requirements 7
Help & Support 7
2. The Start Center 8
The Tuning Status 10
3. Status & Recommendations 12
1-Click Maintenance and Automatic Maintenance 14
Increasing Performance 18
Fixing Problems - Details 22
Configuring Live Optimization 23
4. Optimizing the System 26
Disabling Programs 27
Displaying and Uninstalling Programs 31
Disabling Startup Programs 34
Configuring Turbo Mode 38
Cleaning the Registry 43
Defragmenting the Registry 50
Removing Broken Shortcuts 53
Accelerating System Startup and Shutdown 55
Defragmenting the Hard Disk 58
5. Gaining Disk Space 62
Cleaning the Hard Disk 63
Finding and Deleting Large Amounts of Data 67
Securely Deleting Data 74
6. Fixing Problems 77
Fixing common problems 77
Checking the Hard Disk for Errors 79
Managing Running Processes 82
Restoring Deleted Files 85
Showing System Information 88
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7. Customizing Windows 90
Changing Windows Appearance 91
Modifying Windows Settings 109
8. Overview of All Functions 132
Editing the Registry 136
Undoing Changes 138
Checking for Updates 141
Displaying the TuneUp Optimization Report 143
9. Rating Function for Programs 144
10. The TuneUp Utilities Gadget 146
11. TuneUp Utilities in taskbar notification area 148
12. Index 149
TuneUp Utilities Manual 5
1. Welcome to TuneUp Utilities
Congratulations on choosing TuneUp Utilities! You have just acquired a comprehensive collection of over
30 different tools to optimize your PC. Use this software to revitalize PCs, notebooks or netbooks with a minimum of effort!
With TuneUp Utilities can also automatically run important maintenance tasks, such as cleaning up your
hard disk and registry, for you, or you can run them yourself manually. A slow and untidy computer is now a
thing of the past for you. TuneUp Utilities recognizes whether there are any problems on your system and
offers simple solutions. You can also use TuneUp Utilities to customize the appearance of your Windows
system to your personal requirements.
This version's new feature is the TuneUp Program Deactivator™. You can use the brand new TuneUp Pro-
grams-on-Demand Technology™ to fully disable programs and thereby reduce system load, without hav-
ing to uninstall them completely.
We hope you enjoy using TuneUp Utilities and your new, revitalized PC!
The TuneUp Team
TuneUp Utilities Manual 6
New Features in this Version
With TuneUp Utilities you can make sure your PC, notebook or netbook is in the best of health – all without
any expensive upgrades! Below is an overview of the most important new features in this version:
TuneUp Program Deactivator with TuneUp Programs-on-Demand Technology™
Now, for the first time, you can completely disable programs and reduce their load on your PC: the services,
startup programs, background processes or planned tasks of a disabled program are inactive until you need
them again. This prevents a loss of performance following numerous program installations.
Improved TuneUp Turbo Mode
The TuneUp Turbo Mode now gives you an even greater performance boost whenever you need it. It now
shuts off nearly 80 hindering factors in the background to provide greater performance for your work, more
fluid gameplay and full control over the hindering background activities.
The New TuneUp Tuning Status
Thanks to the clear graphs, the TuneUp Tuning Status shows you at a glance how well you are using
TuneUp Utilities to optimize your PC. You are shown any remaining potential here by the relevant noti-
fications.
The New Rating Function for Programs
TuneUp Utilities now gives you the option of rating the usefulness of programs and seeing the ratings of
other TuneUp Utilities users. This may help you to decide which programs you really need. So that you can
apply this new-found knowledge immediately, the Rating function for programs is directly integrated in
the TuneUp Program Deactivator, TuneUp StartUp Manager and TuneUp Uninstall Manager modules.
The New-Look Start Center
TuneUp Utilities gives you full control of and access to the most important tuning steps, as well as a clear
overview. The new Start Center is now even more intuitive to operate. Thanks to the arrangement into categories, you will find the function you are looking for more easily and can check on the current status of
your PC at any time.
The New Overview of all Functions
TuneUp Utilities now has an Overview of all functions on the Start Center which gives you an overview
sorted by application area and quick access to all functions and settings.
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System Requirements
l Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or higher), Windows Vista or Windows 7 (all 32-bit or 64-bit versions)
l Min. 300 MHz processor
l 256 MB RAM
l Screen resolution at least 1024x600 pixels
l Online version: at least 80 MB of free disk space
l CD version: at least 300 MB of free disk space (and CD-ROM or DVD drive)
l Internet Explorer 6 or higher
If you have bought the CD version of TuneUp Utilities, but your netbook doesn't have a CD-ROM drive, you
can download our trial version from www.tuneup-software.co.uk and activate it using the product key
given on the CD case.
Help & Support
TuneUp Utilities has been designed to be as user-friendly and intuitive as possible. This manual provides
you with an overview of TuneUp Utilities. Taking the layout of the Start Center as a guide, it explains what
the many different functions do and how to access and use them.
Online at www.tuneup-software.co.uk, you will find more information, tips & tricks, the Program Help in
PDF format with lots of additional pictures, frequently asked questions about TuneUp Utilities and TuneUp
Support.
You can reach TuneUp Support by calling +49 6151 4938610 (Mon - Fri, 8 am - 6 pm, GMT) or via the
TuneUp Support Website www.tuneup-software.co.uk/support. It will help support staff greatly if you
know your TuneUp Utilities version number. You can find this by going to the Help & Support menu in the
Start Center and selecting About.
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2. The Start Center
The TuneUp Utilities Start Center has been completely redesigned and is now even more user-friendly, pro-
viding central access to all functions.
The five categories
The main area in the TuneUp Utilities Start Center comprises five categories, giving you fast access to the
key features of TuneUp Utilities sorted by topic.
Status & Recommendations
The Status & recommendations category shows you an overview of the current condition of your system
and gives you recommendations on how you can improve the system's health. To the far right of the categories, you can see the status of your TuneUp Live Optimization and can adjust it to suit your needs
simply by clicking Configure Live Optimization.
(For more information, see Status & Recommendations, p. 12.)
Optimizing the System
Under Optimize system, you can disable or uninstall unwanted programs and clean up your system and
your data.
(For more information, see Optimizing the System, p. 26.)
Gain disk space
Under Gain disk space, you can delete unnecessary data systematically from your system.
(For more information, see Gaining Disk Space, p. 62.)
Fixing Problems
Under Fix problems, you will find simple solutions to any problems that might occur.
(For more information, see Fixing Problems, p. 77.)
Customizing Windows
Under Customize Windows, you have many opportunities to customize your working environment to suit
you.
(For more information, see Customizing Windows, p. 90.)
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Overview of All Functions
To the right of the categories, you will see the Overview of all functions. This lists all the functions that are
available in TuneUp Utilities - clearly sorted by application area.
Turbo Mode
The improved version of TuneUp Turbo Mode, which is now even more powerful, provides an immediate
performance boost whenever you need it. When you put your computer into Turbo Mode, an analysis is performed to see which of those programs and functions currently running in the background are not strictly
necessary. These programs are stopped or slowed down, allowing the additional processing power gained
to be used exclusively by the programs you are actually running.
Tuning Status
The TuneUp Tuning Status is your personal indicator of optimization progress, i.e. it shows you how well
you are already using TuneUp Utilities and where there is still potential to optimize your system further. The
Tuning Status shows you details of both the Completed optimizations and the potential you have
exploited. The Tuning Status also helps you to recognize the remaining Unused potential and make use of
it.
The Menu Bar
The menu bar gives you access to TuneUp Utilities configuration dialogs and information on the program.
The "Settings" Menu
Use the Settings menu to go to the most important TuneUp Utilities configuration dialogs. Here you can
customize the program to suit your needs, apply maintenance settings, and configure TuneUp Live Opti-
mization, TuneUp Turbo Mode and the update check.
The "Help & Support" Menu
The Help & Support menu provides you with access to the extensive program help with detailed instruc-
tions and program information. You can also click the link there and go to the TuneUp website directly
(www.tune-up.com). Clicking on Check for updates starts the TuneUp Update Wizard module, which
checks whether there are any new updates for your TuneUp Utilities.
If you are using a trial version of TuneUp Utilities and already have a product key, click here on Activate
product and enter your product key. If you do not yet have a product key, you can click Buy product to go
directly to the TuneUp Shop website and buy a full version.
If you want to register your product, click Register product after you have successfully activated it. Enter
your name and your e-mail address.
The Footer
Clicking on the Undo changes button in the footer takes you to the TuneUp Rescue Center module, which
you can use to monitor and undo changes that you have made to your system with TuneUp Utilities. You
can also manage restore points and thereby undo system changes that you did not make using TuneUp Util-
ities.
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The Tuning Status
The Tuning Status uses a graph and associated notifications to show you how extensively you are already
using the options of TuneUp Utilities to increase performance and maintain the system and what potential
for optimization still remains.
You can find the TuneUp Tuning Status on the TuneUp Utilities Start Center beside Turbo Mode. The Tun-
ing Status is your personal indicator of optimization progress, i.e. it shows you how well you are already
using TuneUp Utilities and where there is still potential to optimize your system further.
The Graph
In the graph, the blue sections on the left represent the modules you have used to make your optimization
progress so far, and the dark gray area on the right represents open optimization options. Each section of
the graph has a message assigned to it: the letters in white boxes above the graph represent messages about
optimizations completed, the dark gray under the graph represents messages about untapped potential.
The Turbo Mode segment to the right of the graph shows you how many Turbo Mode options you have
turned on. If you have not yet configured Turbo Mode, this segment is empty. If the segment lights up
green, Turbo Mode is on.
Messages
To the right of the graph, you will see the current messages about optimizations already completed and
about untapped potential. If you click on the blue underlined text in the messages under Unused potential,
this opens the precise TuneUp Utilities module that you can use to achieve the unused potential.
Use the arrow to click through the individual messages. If you click on the blue underlined text between the
arrows, a window opens with an overview of all Tuning Status messages. This displays a complete overview
with all of the current messages on both the Completed optimizations and Unused potential areas
together with the corresponding graph sections and letters.
Even if your system is perfectly optimized today, anything could change tomorrow that could
present areas for optimization, e.g. the installation of new programs or a change to system settings.
Pay attention to the messages on unused potential in order to keep your system optimized for the
long term and therefore maintain a good Tuning Status.
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What is Used to Calculate the Tuning Status?
TuneUp Utilities performs an analysis to see which optimizations it can perform on your system. This poten-
tial is displayed in a graph showing you how close your system is to having 100% optimization. You will
achieve 100% – the perfect Tuning Status and therefore a fully filled out graph – when you implement the
recommended optimization potential for your system as much as possible.
The graph is made of different sections. The sections on the left-hand side represent optimizations completed and the sections on the right-hand side show optimization potential still remaining. The Tuning
Status is calculated based on the analysis results of the following sections:
Automatic Maintenance, 1-Click Maintenance and Manual Maintenance
For this section to be considered as optimized, one of the following conditions must be fulfilled:
l Automatic Maintenance must be activated with all the necessary maintenance tasks enabled or
l TuneUp 1-Click Maintenance is carried out within 14 days of use with all the necessary maintenance
tasks or
l TuneUp Registry Cleaner and TuneUp Shortcut Cleaner are run within 14 days and Temporary files
are deleted within 14 days of use.
To delete Temporary files, open the Gain disk space category in the Start Center. Click on Unnecessary files
under Clean hard disk and check the Temporary files box.
Live Optimization
For this section to be considered as optimized, the two Live Optimization options should be enabled. These
two options have the same weighting.
Increasing Performance - Details
Please note that you must answer the questions on your profile in order to receive appropriate recommendations for your system.
For this section to be considered as optimized, the following condition must be fulfilled:
l You have either accepted or hidden all recommendations.
Recommendations that you have hidden for 30 days will cause the status to be reclassified when this period
expires and the recommendation will be displayed again.
Fixing Problems - Details
For this section to be considered as optimized, the following condition must be fulfilled:
l You have either fixed or hidden all problems.
Problems that you have hidden for 30 days will cause the status to be reclassified when this period expires
and the problem will be displayed again.
Program Deactivator and StartUp Manager
The Tuning Status analyzes how many of your existing programs are using up your system's resources and
recommends that you optimize these through TuneUp Program Deactivator or TuneUp StartUp Manager.
In doing so, the Tuning Status takes into account the fact that you have classified some of your programs
as important despite their system load and that they should remain active. Therefore this section of the
graph is considered as optimized after a certain number of programs have been disabled.
Temporary Performance Boost from Turbo Mode
The Turbo Mode is not considered when the current Tuning Status is calculated. The Turbo Mode segment
to the right of the graph shows you the current status of Turbo Mode. When Turbo Mode is on, the seg-
ment is green.
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3. Status & Recommendations
The Status & recommendations category shows the current status for the three key functional areas that
TuneUp Utilities has to offer. In the event of warnings or recommendations, you can use the Show details
link to immediately address the problem behind the warning or view the recommendations.
"Maintain System" Area
The status in the Maintain System area shows how often your computer is maintained.
This takes into account whether Automatic Maintenance is carried out regularly with
the most important maintenance tasks or whether you have manually run 1-Click Main-
tenance recently.
Beneath the status display, you will see two options: Change maintenance settings
and 1-Click Maintenance.
If you click on Change maintenance settings, a window opens in which you can spec-
ify maintenance tasks that must be carried out by Automatic Maintenance and 1-Click Maintenance. For
Automatic maintenance you can specify when it should be carried out.
If you click on Start 1-Click Maintenance, 1-Click Maintenance will be carried out with the default TuneUp
Utilities settings or the changes to the maintenance settings made by you.
"Increase Performance" Area
The status field in the Increase performance area shows whether TuneUp Utilities has
determined opportunities for increasing your computer's performance. For example,
you may receive recommendations for increasing the speed of your Internet connection, uninstalling programs that haven't been used for a while or upgrading your
hardware.
However, in order to get the most out of performance recommendations that are personalized to your requirements, you must first answer some questions regarding your
usage profile. Click Create profile.
If there are recommendations, you can view these by clicking Show details or the link to the rec-
ommendations. Each recommendation has a detailed description and you can apply most recommendations
with just a click of the mouse. You can also hide individual recommendations. Once all recommendations
have been applied or hidden, the status for this area reverts to green.
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"Fix Problems" Area
The status in the Fix problems area shows whether everything is working fine on your
computer or whether critical problems have been detected which may affect the system's health. For example, a check can be carried out to see if key Windows settings
have been configured correctly, if there is enough free space on your system drive or
whether important security programs have been installed.
If problems have been found, click Show details. For each problem, you will receive a
description and can choose if you want to solve it now or hide it until later. Once all
problems have been solved or hidden, the status of this area reverts to green.
Configuring Live Optimization
On the far right in the category, you will see the status of your TuneUp Live Optimization. Simply click Con-
figure Live Optimization to customize the feature to suit you.
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1-Click Maintenance and Automatic Maintenance
All modifications to your system will be monitored by TuneUp Rescue Center and can be undone if
necessary.
Maintenance Tasks
1-Click Maintenance and Automatic Maintenance make sure that your computer is always kept clean, so
that the system runs quickly and reliably.
As its name suggests, Automatic Maintenance regularly and automatically performs the most important
maintenance work on your system to ensure that Windows remains fast and stable. 1-Click Maintenance
does the same - except that just one click is necessary: The link for starting 1-Click Maintenance can be
found in the status field of the Maintain system category in the Start Center.
The Automatic Maintenance is particularly useful for all users who would rather sit back or do other things
than worry about the maintenance of their computer.
1-Click Maintenance is particularly suited to those users who would rather set the time for maintenance
themselves and wish to monitor its progress. After maintenance has been performed by 1-Click Main-
tenance, further details on any problems found are also displayed.
By default, 1-Click Maintenance performs the following tasks for you:
TuneUp Utilities Manual 15
1-Click Maintenance ...
... cleans your registry
Over time, the central Windows registry becomes filled with hundreds of superfluous entries. These include
references to non-existent files, backlogs of programs deleted long ago and faulty entries. Your registry is
cleaned, making your Windows system fast and problem-free. For more information, see Cleaning the Reg-
istry, p. 43.
... defragments your registry
Even after the registry has been cleaned as described above, it is not automatically smaller because the disk
space that is freed up is not released. This feature compresses the registry by deleting these gaps. For more
information, see Defragmenting the Registry, p. 50.
... removes broken shortcuts
1-Click Maintenance checks whether there are any broken shortcuts on your desktop or in the Start menu
or Quick Launch taskbar and then automatically deletes them. At the same time, a search is also made for
faulty entries in the history lists of various programs such as Windows Media Player or Microsoft Office. For
more information, see Removing Broken Shortcuts, p. 53.
... gains disk space by deleting unnecessary files
So-called "temporary" files are something of a nuisance. Windows and programs create temporary files on
the hard disk, in order to temporarily store certain settings or data. If the program in question is closed,
these files should really be deleted from the program. However, the program in question often "forgets" to
clean up after itself so that over time your hard disk can be filled with a lot of unnecessary data. 1-Click
Maintenance reliably deletes all temporary files and folders from your hard disk. For more information, see
Cleaning the Hard Disk, p. 63.
... optimizes system startup and shutdown
Some programs that are run each time you start your system slow down the startup process to an unnecessary extent. Such known programs that are definitely not required are turned off here. For more information, see Accelerating System Startup and Shutdown, p. 55.
... defragments your hard disk
In the background, TuneUp Utilities changes the arrangement of files and folders so that they can be read
more quickly. Regular defragmentation is paramount - especially if the data structure of your hard disk
changes frequently, for example because you move or delete files or install new programs. Defragmentation
is, however, only carried out when necessary. And you can even choose whether - if it was determined that
defragmentation was necessary - a thorough or a quick defragmentation should take place, or whether this
should depend on the result of the analysis. For more information, see Defragmenting the Hard Disk, p. 58.
The Automatic Maintenance function is also configured so that it performs all these maintenance tasks.
However, it is run in the background and only the notifications tell you when it was carried out.
TuneUp Utilities Manual 16
How to Make Maintenance Settings
In the Start Center, click on the Change maintenance settings link in the Maintain system area of the Status
& recommendations category. A configuration dialog opens containing one tab for Automatic Main-
tenance and one for 1-Click Maintenance respectively. Configure your settings here.
Alternatively, you can open the maintenance settings window by going to Overview of all functions in the
Start Center and selecting the Configure maintenance entry under TuneUp settings.
Performing Maintenance
You can specify whether and when Automatic Maintenance should run automatically in the background.
You can even have automatic maintenance run only in idle mode, i.e. it only starts when you are not currently working on your computer and no programs are required in the background. This way Automatic
Maintenance will never interrupt your work. If you select this option, following the number of days spec-
ified by you, maintenance will be attempted as soon as your computer is in idle mode. Three days is selected
by default.
If, after a period of a week, it was not possible to perform full maintenance because your computer was not
in idle mode for long enough then - if you enable this option - maintenance will be carried out anyway. This
prevents your computer from not being maintained over a long period of time.
If you choose scheduled maintenance, the procedure is similar: If your computer is not switched on at the
time of scheduled maintenance, Automatic Maintenance is performed 5 minutes after you next start your
PC. This option can also be disabled.
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Maintenance Tasks
Because TuneUp Utilities preferably wants to provide comprehensive maintenance for your computer, all
maintenance tasks are activated by default for both Automatic Maintenance and 1-Click Maintenance.
However, if you do not want certain maintenance tasks to be performed, you can exclude them from maintenance. For example, if you would rather defragment your hard disk manually, simply clear the Defrag-
ment hard disks checkbox.
Tools
If the notification that appears after maintenance disturbs you, you can switch it off here. Simply uncheck
the Show maintenance report as notification checkbox.
If you work with a portable computer, you can also specify - in addition to the other options - that you
don't want maintenance to be performed when the computer is running off the battery, so as not to reduce
the battery life unnecessarily. This option is enabled by default.
TuneUp Utilities Manual 18
Increasing Performance
In the following chapters, you will find out why it is important to do so and how you can use Increase per-
formance to increase the performance of your system, by turning off unnecessary tasks and services.
All modifications to your system will be monitored by TuneUp Rescue Center and can be undone if
necessary.
Increasing Performance - Introduction
You can improve your system performance by turning off tasks and services that run in the background
and that you rarely, if ever, need for your day-to-day work. For tablet PC compatibility (i.e. the option of
operating the computer by moving a stylus across the screen) or network server technologies. You can also
increase the performance of your computer by uninstalling programs. A search is therefore run for programs
that have not been used for a long time - programs that you may not even remember you had and which
slow down your system unnecessarily. TuneUp Utilities also recognizes when your computer hardware is
not powerful enough.
Your Internet settings can prevent Windows from using the bandwidth of your Internet connection opti-
mally. Downloading two files at once or downloading data from websites can be slowed down by Windows
default settings. You will also be shown the potential for optimization here too.
Should your computer be slowed down by superfluous visual effects, this will be identified.
TuneUp Utilities checks your computer for such performance-sapping visual effects and provides rec-
ommendations for increasing performance.
To enable TuneUp Utilities to provide you with comprehensive recommendations, you must complete the
profile before running the software for the first time. The way is then clear to a rapid and simple performance boost.
All modifications to your system will be monitored by TuneUp Rescue Center and can be undone if
necessary.
TuneUp Utilities Manual 19
How to Increase the Performance of Your Computer
You can find out if you have any recommendations by going to the Status & recommendations category
in the Start Center and looking at the status fields of the Increase performance area. If you have hidden
some recommendations, these do not impact the status any more. Open the details window by clicking on
the Show details link.
When you open this window for the first time, you must answer the short questions from the profile wizard,
so that the optimization can be precisely tailored to your situation and needs (see Increase performance -
Profile, p. 19).
Overview
The details window opens on the Overview tab, where you can find out whether there is any potential for
increasing performance. In the areas Internet settings and Visual effects, you can perform all the opti-
mization recommendations found by clicking Optimize all. This will not restrict any of your important func-
tions.
The recommendations in the Hardware and software area on the other hand depend heavily on your usage
behavior. This is why you can only apply them one at a time.
Switching tabs
Click on a recommendation or on the Details button to move to the other tabs, where you can view the
details of each recommendation. Alternatively, you can click on the name of the tab you want.
Applying Recommendations
In the Internet settings and Visual effects tabs you can perform all the optimization recommendations
found by clicking Optimize all. Alternatively, you can click on a recommendation in the left column. In the
right-hand area of the window, a detailed description will appear and you can apply the recommendation
by clicking on the button on the bottom right.
In the Hardware and software tab you must answer a few simple questions on each recommendation in
order to receive suitable options to continue. If you can't answer a question or want to postpone the decision, you can hide the recommendation by clicking on Hide recommendation on the bottom right.
Please note that you cannot of course simply accept the recommendations concerning your hardware, but
can only hide them.
Hiding and Showing Recommendations
If you do not want to accept a recommendation, click Hide recommendation. Now you can select whether
you want to hide it permanently or only for 30 days. The number of hidden recommendations is always displayed in the taskbar on the right. By clicking on the number displayed, you can easily show these recommendations again.
Changing a profile
Selecting Change profile on the top right takes you to the profile, which shows the basis for your opti-
mization recommendations (see Increase performance - Profile, p. 19).
Increase performance - Profile
The first time you use TuneUp Utilities, you are prompted to complete a profile, so that it can provide you
with tailored recommendations for increasing performance. This profile contains the following questions:
TuneUp Utilities Manual 20
How is your computer usually connected to the Internet?
Select the type of connection from the list so that your network, Internet and browser settings (for example
packet sizes) can be adapted as best as possible to your Internet connection.
What criteria should be used to optimize visual effects?
If you select Maximum performance (irrespective of display quality), all effects and the colorful Luna
theme are turned off. This is highly recommended, especially for slower computers, because the display of
these sophisticated interfaces really eats up resources.
If you select Maximum performance (irrespective of display quality), all effects including the Aero glass
theme are turned off. This is highly recommended, especially for slower computers, because the display of
these sophisticated interfaces really eats up resources.
If the interface on your computer flickers and it takes a while for windows to open, choose the option A bal-
ance between performance and display quality. The attractive interfaces are retained but the performance-
sapping effects are switched off.
If you have a high-performance graphics card, your system performance will not be improved by
turning off the Windows Vista Aero desktop experience.
How Many Days Should a Program Remain Unused Before We Recommend
Removing it?
Your computer is checked for programs that have not been used for a long time. These are then displayed
with the recommendation that they are removed so that they do not slow down your computer unnecessarily. Based on your user behavior, you specify here after how many days a program that has not been
used is considered to be potentially unnecessary and displayed with the recommendation that it is removed.
TuneUp Utilities Manual 21
Changing a Profile
You can change your profile settings at any time later by going to the Start Center and selecting Change pro-
file under Increase performance in the Status & recommendations category.
Alternatively, you can click on the Change profile button at the top left of the Increase performance -
details window.
Note that you cannot confirm your profile until you have entered all the necessary information.
TuneUp Utilities Manual 22
Fixing Problems - Details
In the following section you will find out how to use the Fix problems – Details feature and why it is impor-
tant to do so to remove problems that are negatively affecting your system's health.
All modifications to your system will be monitored by TuneUp Rescue Center and can be undone if
necessary.
How to Fix Problems
To find out whether there are problems affecting your system's health, go to the Start Center in the Status &
recommendations category and look at the Fix problems status field.
For example, checks are made to see if key settings have been set correctly in Windows, if there is enough
free memory on your system drive, if important security programs are installed and if there are any new Windows updates. If you have hidden some problems, these do not impact the status any more. Open the
details window by clicking on Show details.
Overview
The details window lists the problems found. When you select a problem from the list, the detail panel gives
you a short description of the problem and a suggestion for a solution.
Fixing Problems
For each problem, you can decide whether you want to solve it straightaway or hide it. The easiest way is to
fix problems by clicking on the link for the suggested solution.
Hiding Problems
If you don't want to fix a problem immediately, click Hide problem. Now you can select whether you want
to hide it permanently or only for 30 days.
TuneUp Utilities Manual 23
Configuring Live Optimization
In the following chapters, you will find out how and why you can increase the performance of your computer by turning on TuneUp Live Optimization.
Introduction
TuneUp Live Optimization consists of two intelligent optimization methods that monitor the load your com-
puter is under in real time and can thereby intervene if necessary to avoid sudden drops in performance.
Both optimization methods work to accelerate performance - one increases the computer's response rate,
the other the speed at which programs start up - but only when necessary.
This is done by intelligently prioritizing the programs that are running. If your computer is already working
at near full capacity and you start a program, this program will start more rapidly if it is briefly assigned a
higher priority. And if a background program suddenly gets carried away and requires a particularly high
amount of computing power, it will be assigned a lower priority so that the programs you are currently
using will run more smoothly. This enables work to be carried out quickly, even at high capacity.
TuneUp Utilities Manual 24
How to Configure Live Optimization
Start the TuneUp Live Optimization module by going to the Start Center and clicking on the Configure Live
Optimization entry on the right-hand side of the Status & recommendations category.
Alternatively, you can open the module by going to Overview of all functions in the Start Center and select-
ing the Configure Live Optimization entry under TuneUp settings.
Here you can select the two optimization methods. Since both of these are intelligent optimizations in real
time, they do not always take effect immediately. Rather you specify here that from now on the load under
which the computer operates is to be monitored so that both optimizations can apply if the need arises.
Select here the optimization methods to be carried out where necessary:
Increasing the Response Rate
This optimization method monitors all background processes and gives them lower priority if they take up
too much computer power. This ensures an optimal response rate and prevents juddering by windows or
programs. This intelligent optimization identifies need and ensures that the computer's response rate is
always optimum.
The following pictures represent the inside of your computer before and after the Increase response rate
option is enabled. Here you can see how the load on your PC is reduced:
TuneUp Utilities Manual 25
In addition to those programs that you are currently using (green), many others are also running in the background that are really not that important for your work (blue). If such background processes suddenly start
to require a great deal of processing power, they are assigned a lower priority so that your other programs
can continue to run smoothly.
Speed up the startup of my programs
This optimization method intervenes if you start up a program manually when the computer is already under
heavy load. For a short period immediately after the program has started, processing power is temporarily
redistributed, giving the program in question a separate performance boost. This boost is achieved by temporarily prioritizing the program in question.
The following pictures represent the inside of your computer before and after the Accelerate program start-
ups option is enabled. Here you can see how a newly started program receives a particular performance
boost:
For a short period immediately after the program is started (orange) the processing power of the computer
is temporarily redistributed, giving the program in question a separate performance boost. This boost is
achieved by temporarily prioritizing the program in question. No other programs (green and blue) are
affected.
How do I know when Live Optimization was enabled?
The great thing about Live Optimization is that it works intelligently in the background. Whenever one of
these two optimization methods is improving the performance of your PC in the background, this is also
indicated by the icon in the notification area of the taskbar.
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4. Optimizing the System
Your computer does not always work quite how you would like it to. Often it seems to take an eternity to
call up individual programs or to save files and you start to doubt the performance capabilities of your computer. But in many cases this has nothing to do with the hardware. The problem is caused by the programs
that are started, without you being aware of them, or remnants of programs that were not completely
removed from your computer during an uninstallation process.
Reducing System Load
The Reduce system load area is devoted to dealing with your installed programs and services. Its functions
extend from disabling startup programs that have no impact whatsoever on the actual program, and manually uninstalling individual programs, to automatically turning off entire function areas. But that is not all!
In this area, you will also find a link to an unprecedented function. Have you ever had an intelligent alternative to uninstallation? Now you do – TuneUp Program Deactivator, the unique module that uses our pat-
ented TuneUp Programs-on-Demand Technology™, p. 27.
Manually Running Maintenance Tasks
Being able to disable or uninstall programs is an important criterion for optimizing system performance. But
this may not achieve a great deal if your Windows system is still full of "relics", i.e. remnants of programs
that were uninstalled long ago but were not fully removed. You can use our cleanup program to only keep
entries on the computer that really belong there - then complete your tidying with a more intelligent
arrangement of the system entries and data to ensure a quicker startup of programs and files.
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Disabling Programs
In the following chapters, you will find out how you can use the TuneUp Program Deactivator module to
disable programs that place a load on your system at various times (at system startup, during operation and
at shutdown) and why it is useful to do so.
All modifications to your system will be monitored by TuneUp Rescue Center and can be undone if
necessary.
Introduction
Until now, users only had two options for dealing with unnecessary programs: They could either remove
them from the system completely or accept that their background programs would continue to slow it
down. After a program is uninstalled, there is always the risk that files that were dependent on it will no
longer be able to be started. If the program is left on the computer, it is always available if it is needed, but
continues to impair system performance.
TuneUp Program Deactivator not only reduces the load of programs at system startup, but also during nor-
mal operation and at shutdown, where the load is a result of services and tasks belonging to one program.
TuneUp Programs-on-Demand Technology™
Thanks to the TuneUp Programs-on-Demand Technology™ there is now a third option: Disable programs
that are no longer required first and see if you can continue to work without them. If you notice that you
need a program again, it is no longer a problem. You can start the program as usual - the TuneUp Pro-
grams-on-Demand Technology™ reactivates the program in the background, as if you had never disabled
it.
Design of TuneUp Program Deactivator
TuneUp Program Deactivator is divided into three areas: the All installed programs area, the Load from
installed programs area and the Details area.
All installed programs
In the All installed programs area, you can see an overview list of all the programs installed on your system
together with their load status. In the Name column, the programs are sorted according to their load: high,
medium or low. Programs that do not place any load on the system have the status "none" and are not
listed by name. The value for the load is always the highest value for startup, operation or shutdown. In the
Status column, you can see the current status of the programs.
Load from installed programs
In the Load from installed programs area, you will find three graphs that are designed to give you a visual
overview of the load on your system: The left-hand graph shows you the load on system startup, the centre
one the load during normal operation of your PC and the right-hand one the load when shutting down. A
legend with explanations is provided underneath the graphs. If a program is selected in the list, this is
shown by a program icon next to the graph.
Details
In the Details area, you can see the name of the selected program, its current status and the load on the system from that program. You can use the switch to enable or disable the program. If no program is selected,
you will see an overview here showing how many programs are enabled/disabled or relevant to the system.
If several programs are selected, the details area shows the number of programs with the various statuses.
The status shown next to the switch is the predominant status.
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Possible Statuses of Programs
In TuneUp Program Deactivator, there are five different statuses for programs:
l Enabled: The program is fully functional.
l Disabled: The services of the program that run continuously in the background have been turned off.
l System-relevant: This is a program that TuneUp Utilities has classified as relevant for the security or
proper operation of your system and the disabling of which could have serious consequences.
l Disabling pending: The program cannot be turned off during normal operation; TuneUp Utilities will
disable it automatically the next time the system is restarted.
l No impact: The program cannot be disabled because it does not have a negative impact on your sys-
tem.
TuneUp Utilities Manual 29
How to Disable Programs
Launch the TuneUp Program Deactivator module by going to the Optimize System category in the Start
Center and selecting Disable programs under Reduce system load.
Alternatively, you can start the module by going to Overview of all functions in the Start Center and selecting the Disable entry under Installed programs.
Before the program starts, the startup screen may appear for the Rating function for programs.
Here you can decide whether to enable this feature and click OK (read more about this under How
to Turn On the Rating Function, p. 145).
The TuneUp Program Deactivator module uses TuneUp Programs-on-Demand Technology™, p. 27, which
reduces the load on your system and thereby increases system performance.
How to Disable Programs
1. Select a program in the list that has the status Enabled.
2. Disable the program using the switch in the status column or in the details area or click on the Disable
button in the toolbar.
How to Enable Programs
1. Select a program in the list that has the status Disabled.
2. Enable the program using the switch in the status column or in the details area or click on the Enable
button in the toolbar.
How to Enable or Disable More than One Program
If you select more than one program at the same time, the possible action depends on the predominant
status. For example, if two selected programs are disabled and one is enabled, you can only enable the programs. However, with two enabled and one disabled program, you can only disable the programs.
Following the action, a window is shown in the display area to the left informing you of the result of your
action.
TuneUp Utilities Manual 30
Load Points - What Are They and How Are They Calculated?
The TuneUp Programs-on-Demand Technology™ calculates the load on your system based on an internal
points system. For this, TuneUp Utilities determines the background programs associated with each pro-
gram, i.e. the programs or services that were installed together with the actual program and are then continually run without the user's knowledge, "stealing" processing power. The more background programs
there are for a program, the more this program burdens the computer. The TuneUp Programs-on-Demand
Technology™ The display in the Load column takes the highest of these three values.
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