win8 Do we really need third party system utility suits for Windows 8?

[Pubudu Kodikara]

While on Windows XP, Vista and 7, we used a a lot of system utility suits like System Mechanic, Tuneup Utilities and Advanced System Care. But do we really need them in Windows 8? It already does many of the optimization stuff like auto defragging. Installing something like CCleaner which doesn't have background tasks might be more than enough? What do you think?

[trek]

You didn't need that garbage even with XP.

[xWhiplash]

I have never used one of those, even with Windows XP.  They just cause more problems that they supposedly try to "fix".

[+jamwheat Subscriber²]

I'm one of the weird ones, I guess.  I like Iobit's Advanced System Care.  Use it on all my stuff, and recommend to customers.  And Malwarebytes.  But, that's about all on that stuff.

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

Kind of a multi-contextual question, isn't it?  I think the need largely depends upon your system, what you use it for, and what the system utility software does.  In some cases, adding new functionality (or restoring depracated functionality) might be advantageous to the user, or the software may do something that works better than Microsoft's own solution.  Disk defragmentation is a function that comes to mind:  All the various disk defragmentation programs out there make use of the same set of APIs to move files around on disk, but it is the various options on how they reorder the files on disk that makes a difference.

 

I certainly use a lot less third-party tools to maintain a system now under Windows 8 than I did under DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows 95 or XP, but that's in large part because newer operating systems contain more functionality than earlier versions and are largely more self-maintaining.  I deal with far less file system corruption issues than I did a decade ago, and storage has increased in capacity by about half an order of magnitude since then.

 

There are probably going to always be various system utility suites around, even if most of them do not do anything more than repackage various functions that are available separately within the operating system into a common user interface.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

[vcfan]

the last time i used something like this was in windows 98 because nhl 97 kept crashing. damn pos pentium clone (amd 5x86)

[Anibal P]

You didn't need that garbage even with XP.

 

Beat me to it, those programs are junk and caused more problems than they fixed most of the time

[Max Norris]

Depends on the utility. Need, not usually. There are some that do a better job than what's built in, there are some that provide functionality that Windows doesn't have out of the box that I need or just makes working with them easier. And yea, there's the bulk of them that are absolute junk and/or cause more problems than they're worth, namely the "registry optimizers", "performance boosters" and crap like that. It's just like any utility for any OS, use your head before you do something stupid or at least make sure you have a safety net if it goes bad.

[chrisj1968]

Hello,

 

Kind of a multi-contextual question, isn't it?  I think the need largely depends upon your system, what you use it for, and what the system utility software does.  In some cases, adding new functionality (or restoring depracated functionality) might be advantageous to the user, or the software may do something that works better than Microsoft's own solution.  Disk defragmentation is a function that comes to mind:  All the various disk defragmentation programs out there make use of the same set of APIs to move files around on disk, but it is the various options on how they reorder the files on disk that makes a difference.

 

I certainly use a lot less third-party tools to maintain a system now under Windows 8 than I did under DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows 95 or XP, but that's in large part because newer operating systems contain more functionality than earlier versions and are largely more self-maintaining.  I deal with far less file system corruption issues than I did a decade ago, and storage has increased in capacity by about half an order of magnitude since then.

 

There are probably going to always be various system utility suites around, even if most of them do not do anything more than repackage various functions that are available separately within the operating system into a common user interface.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

I agree Aryeh. There are still some things that Microsoft haven't even decided to get involved in, in terms of these "suite" software's. I used to advocate using registry cleaners however, as of lately, I have seen alot of well thought out posts on some threads on how they do more damage than good.Basically it "probably" boils down to each individual I suppose.

 

I've seen that iobit suite and used it under Win7 but I'd wait to see what materializes for win8.1. even then I might take a pass just to ensure my system integrity in preventing a catastrophic system crash

[chrisj1968]

Depends on the utility. Need, not usually. There are some that do a better job than what's built in, there are some that provide functionality that Windows doesn't have out of the box that I need or just makes working with them easier. And yea, there's the bulk of them that are absolute junk and/or cause more problems than they're worth, namely the "registry optimizers", "performance boosters" and crap like that. It's just like any utility for any OS, use your head before you do something stupid or at least make sure you have a safety net if it goes bad.

I can state for a fact alot of the people here have stated in the past that MS's defragger is lousy and that third party defraggers seem to do the job a lot better

[Pubudu Kodikara]

How about simple tools like CCleaner?

[PGHammer]

The only third-party utilities I've used since XP got their chop called with 8 - and entirely because of either improvements or new features in the OS itself.

 

1.  ImgBurn - this freeware simple DVD burning utility fell to improved native DVD burning in the OS.

2.  VirtualCloneDrive - mooted by native disc-image mounting in the OS.

3.  Diskeeper - mooted by Disk Optimizer.  (Kicking Diskeeper to the curb was, in fact, the biggest surprise for me, as I have used some version of Diskeeper since Windows 98 Second Edition - fifteen years.  However, not only does Disk Optimizer match Diskeeper feature for feature, it includes several features that even Diskeeper 12 outright lacks, and all for the cost of nothing outside of the OS itself.)

 

Diskeeper and 98SE?  Not a stretch - while Diskeeper has been known primarily for NTFS support, it's also always supported FAT, and gained FAT32 support simultaneously with the launch of Windows 98; I recommended it because it would work in any version of Windows, and kept right on doing so after the mercy-killing of Windows ME (by XP).  I still recommend Diskeeper for 7 and earlier versions of Windows - just not for Windows 8  (pointless).

[Manarift]

i tend to avoid 3rd party suite stuff as most of the time its easier to reformat/reimage the system with the same setup.

[cork1958]

Yep,

3rd party tools are mainly junk. Have almost never used any, especially back in the 95, 98 and Me days, as those OS's just crashed at the slightest things using them, it seemed!

 

Now, since NTFS and it's much better stability, I do use a 3rd party defragger and ccleaner. Have never had an issue with the registry cleaning part of that, although most people say registry cleaners are snake oil.

[The Dark Knight]

I use CCleaner for temp files, never use the Registry part of it.

 

Greenshot for taking screenshots as doing it via Print Screen/Paint is a pain.

 

Picasa photo viewer to replace the built-in Windows viewer.

 

MalwareBytes is for "just in case". Although it has never found anything to date. I don't browse dodgy sites, and if something still slips past, ESET catches it.

 

And finally K-lite Codec Pack for all the codecs. I know a lot of people say codec packs mess up things, but honestly I have not had a single issue.

[statm1]

the last time i used something like this was in windows 98 because nhl 97 kept crashing. damn pos pentium clone (amd 5x86)

I had a genuine pentium and MLB 98 still crashed..lol

[Raa]

No. You didn't need them then, you don't need them now.

[xendrome]

Beat me to it, those programs are junk and caused more problems than they fixed most of the time

 

CCleaner and Defraggler were good for XP, the built in Disk Clean up was garbage and the defrag app was worthless.

[cooky560 Veteran]

no you don't and I never really used them in XP...

[Dot Matrix]

You didn't need that garbage even with XP.

 

QFT.

 

/Thread

[TPreston]

No. You didn't need them then, you don't need them now.

Liked, These "system utilitys" are nothing more than snake oil for pseudo "power users" who have never seen real system administration tools like Secpol.msc Gpedit.msc WF.msc and the sysinternals suite.

Their authors make grand claims of speeding up your computer and increasing security to hook people gullible enough to fall for it.

Avoid them like the plague.

[cropcircles]

I have never used one of those, even with Windows XP.  They just cause more problems that they supposedly try to "fix".

Agreed.  

[Ci7]

Hell No, won't let them even 100 mile close to my system!

 

coming to think about it , MS should Block  those Registery (****ing)  optimizer , they are as bad as Viruses

[MidnightDevil]

I think a simple tool like CCleaner is enough to do simple maintenance tasks. We can only help improve it's effectiveness. 

Other utilities like System Mechanic, TuneUp Utilities (aside from the theming part) are not required IMHO but they can be considered option for a user who's looking for a specific functionality / tweak / other function. They will always be out there, but for an average user, something like CCleaner ought be enough. 

I'd settle for System Cleaner (built in tool) but doesn't doesn't have the Registry cleaner and a LOT of junk is left there.

[i_was_here]

Only utility I use is BleachBit and/or Privazer for cleaning junk files. I don't bother with registry cleaning, defragging, or other utilities.