Microsoft Windows may have become more advanced but the need for effective maintenance is greater than ever. If you don’t houseclean your computer system regularly the digital garbage that collects over time makes it slower and can even cause inexplicable errors – usually when you need them least.

With the reliability of 11 years of experience, Ashampoo WinOptimizer 6 makes Windows maintenance fast and easy – and it works for Windows XP just as well as it does for Vista. The One-click Optimizer does what it says and you can even schedule it to run automatically so that you don’t need to think about it at all. It keeps your Windows computer running as fast and smoothly as on the first day you bought it.

In addition to efficient Windows maintenance you also get a whole suite of powerful, easy-to-use tools that enable you to configure and tune your Windows computer so that it works exactly the way you want it to.
The WinOptimizer Toolbox
AntiSpy Module New!
A growing number of Windows services and application programs like to “phone home” and inform Microsoft or their manufacturers about a variety of things, ranging from crash reports to user behavior. Many users don’t like this and at least want to be able to choose whether these programs should do this or not. The new AntiSpy module provides settings that let you control the “spying” behavior of both Windows and these programs. Configuration options are included for a number of Windows system settings, Windows Media Player, the Windows error reporting service and others.
Context Menu Manager New!
Configure and control your right-click context menus in Windows. See New Features below for full details.
Hard Disk Defragmenter New Version!
Keeps your hard disks at maximum efficiency all the time. Now better than ever with top Vista performance. See New Features below for full details.
One-Click Optimizer Improved
This is the most popular function in WinOptimizer, literally enabling you to clean up and tune up your entire Windows system with a single click, using the optimum settings to eliminate garbage data and Registry entries and defragment your hard drive. Now more efficient and faster than ever.
Drive Cleaner Improved
As time goes on Windows collects an amazing number of useless, garbage files that just clog up your system. Drive Cleaner reliably and safely identifies and deletes these files, freeing up space and removing dead weight. The new version has a significantly improved scan algorithm for even faster performance, and better cleaning results.
Registry Optimizer Improved
The central Windows Registry database contains all the configuration and performance settings for Windows and most of your application programs. Like the hard drive it too gets clogged up with garbage data as time goes on. Registry Optimizer finds and eliminates old, redundant and broken Registry entries that can slow down your computer and cause unnecessary errors. The new version is faster, delivers better performance and is even safer than before.
Internet Cleaner Improved
This tool finds and deletes all traces of your Internet surfing sessions to protect your privacy and increase your security. It also deletes the temporary Internet files that take up megabytes of space on your hard drives. The new version supports the latest generation of web browsers, including browser derivates based on leading browser engines.
Windows Tweaking Tools Improved
This amazingly useful module gives you direct access to hundreds of Windows and application configuration and performance settings, enabling you to fine-tune your system to make it behave exactly as you want. All the settings are explained and backups are made automatically so that you can return to the original settings at any time. Many settings are difficult or impossible to access in other ways. The new version adds many new options, including “secret” Windows settings and tweaks.
System Benchmark Improved
Check out the performance of your Windows computer and compare it with other users’ systems. The new version has direct access to an online database of all users who have submitted their benchmarking results so that you can see how your system stacks up.
StartUp Tuner
Lists all processes and programs started automatically with Windows and enables you to enable or disable them temporarily or permanently. Also includes Internet Explorer plugins, which you can both view and delete if you want. Eliminates the annoyance of unnecessary programs that just waste your time, slow down your computer and interfere with important applications. Also clearly identifies the essential programs that shouldn’t be disabled.
Process Manager
Lists all programs and processes running on your system and enables you to terminate them forcibly if necessary. Makes it easy to get rid of frozen windows caused by crashed applications and can help to identify malicious programs. Provides detailed explanations on the processes listed and clearly identifies essential system processes that should never be terminated.
File Undeleter
Eliminates the horror of accidentally deleted files. Works on all Windows file systems (NTFS, FAT-16, FAT-32) and even on compressed and encrypted NTFS files and deleted files on USB thumb drives. Displays the health status of located deleted files and shows the chances of full or partial recovery. Even if you only need it once you’ll be grateful forever.
File Wiper
Enables you to sell old computers and drives or provide access to your existing ones with confidence that nobody can access your data. If your hard drives and other media have ever contained sensitive information you want to make absolutely sure that it’s really gone before it gets into the wrong hands. File Wiper uses military standard deletion algorithms to completely eliminate all traces of the original data so that even hackers and data recovery labs can’t restore it.
File Splitter & Joiner
Enables you to break up large files into more manageable “chunks” that are easier to save to disks or send by email. The joiner function then puts the chunks together again to restore the original files.
Real- time Backup
WinOptimzer’s integrated Real-Time Backup system monitors everything you change on your computer with the program and creates automatic recovery backups. This makes it possible to return to your original settings at any time.
DiskSpace Explorer and System Information
DiskSpace Explorer provides detailed information on the contents of all the drives in your computer by folders and file type, enabling you to identify files that are taking up space. System Information does the same for your hardware, giving you a full list of all your computer components, system software and drivers. You can also generate reports that are very helpful for support staff when you are trying to identify errors.
File Encrypter & Decrypter
Fast and safe file protection for important information, using the extremely strong Blowfish algorithm. You can also create self-unpacking decrypted files for sending to other people – they just need to double-click on the file and enter the password to unpack it.
Vista Sidebar Gadget
This useful tool gives you direct access to all the cleaner modules of WinOptimizer from the Vista Sidebar – including the One-Click Optimizer. Just click in the Sidebar to access your WinOptimizer tools fast.
Visual Styler
Change the appearance of your Windows system and give it your own unique look by replacing system and other icons and applying transparency effects to individual windows.
Icon Saver
Have you ever made changes to the arrangement of the icons on your Windows desktop and then wished you hadn’t? Icon saver enables you to save and recover multiple Windows desktop configurations with all the icons and their positions. Just select an old setup to restore your old desktop.
New Features in Version 6
Defrag 3 Disk Defragmenter and Service As you use your hard disk the information on it becomes “fragmented”, making your computer slower. The brand-new Defrag 3 disk defragmenter does the best job ever of defragmenting your hard disks and it comes with a new background service that automatically keeps your hard drives defragmented whenever your computer is idle. The advanced new Boot Time Defragmentation makes Windows start faster. You can run Defrag 3 manually or schedule it to run at regular times or intervals. The continuous background service with a new predictive defragmentation algorithm actually prevents fragmentation before it can happen. It automatically cuts in and defragments your hard disk when your computer is idle, never interfering with your work or other programs. The result is hard disks that are always “freshly defragmented”.
New features:

    * Manual, scheduled and automatic defrag options
    * Completely new advanced defrag algorithm
    * New Boot Time defrag makes Windows start faster
    * Powerful, efficient and safe for maximum performance
    * Radically improved Windows Vista support
    * Exceptionally efficient, very low system load and memory use
    * Preview of current hard disk fragmentation with analysis
    * Include in One-Click Optimization

AntiSpy Module
This module provides a collection of settings for Windows services and other programs that like to “phone home” and tell Microsoft or their manufacturers about your computer and what you are doing. The settings let you control and stop this behavior to protect your privacy and security, for example for Windows Media Player, the Windows error reporting service and others.
Features:

    * Automatic configuration with selectable profiles
    * Additional individual configuration options for full control
    * Full support for both Windows XP and Windows Vista

Context Menu Manager
The new Context Menu Manager enables you to view and manage the contents of right-click context menus in Windows, giving you full control. Popup context menus are displayed when you click the right button on your mouse. They’re useful and configurable and many programs add entries to them to allow you to give you direct access to special functions. The Context Menu Manager gives you detailed information on all the entries and enables you to activate or deactivate them for individual and multiple file types.
Favorites Tab
The new Favorites tab makes using WinOptimizer 6 even easier by giving you direct access to the functions and modules you use most frequently. The program automatically lists the functions you use in the Favorites tab so that you can return to them quickly. Once you’ve used a function or module it becomes even easier to use it again. In addition to this the tab also displays interesting information on how you use the program functions – date of use, frequency of use, last use and so on. 



General Improvements

    * Process Manager: New more detailed performance charts
    * Disk Explorer: Much faster disk analysis for all drives
    * System Benchmark: Online database connection for comparison with all other users’ systems

One-Click Optimizer
The One-Click Optimizer really does clean up and optimize your entire computer with a single click. It’s now more thorough and efficient than ever, with new scheduling features to make sure your computer never gets the Windows blues.

    * New scheduler with automatic shutdown for regular cleanups
    * Fully-automatic cleanup of selected computer zones with one click
    * Optional results display with analysis of the items found and cleaned
    * Easier configuration and exception list management
    * Includes hard disk defragmentation

Drive Cleaner
Drive Cleaner reliably and safely identifies and deletes redundant and temporary files that are just wasting space on your hard drives. The new version has a significantly improved scan algorithm for even faster performance, and better cleaning results.

    * Improved scan algorithm – faster and more accurate
    * Even safer with additional exception options for more applications
    * Additional detailed options for individual configuration
    * New options for customized file filters

Registry Optimizer
The central Windows Registry database is where all your Windows and application settings are stored. It’s essential for proper Windows operation and when it starts to get full of garbage data your computer can get slower and less efficient. Registry Optimizer keeps the Registry clean and well-organized and the new version is faster and more effective than ever before.

    * Improved scan algorithm – faster and more accurate
    * Even safer with additional exception options for more applications
    * Additional detailed options for individual configuration
    * New options for customized file filters

Internet Cleaner
Eliminate all traces of your Internet surfing activity to protect your privacy and increase security. Also frees space by deleting temporary Internet files. The new version now supports the latest generation of browsers.

    * New support for the latest generation of web browsers
    * Also supports browser “derivates“ based on leading browser engines, with simple configuration instructions

Windows Tweaking Tools
Direct access to a wealth of Windows configuration and performance settings – many of them difficult or impossible to find in other places.

    * Many new “secret” configuration and performance tweaks
    * Many new options and settings
    * New real-time backup system for 100% security



XP/Vista