What’s new in System Mechanic 10.8 Pro®

Latest version update includes Windows 8 compatible upgrades and enhancements

Nothing evolves faster than computer technology: programs and services change every single day. That’s why iolo technologies works round the clock to make sure your PC stays ahead of the technology curve. This System Mechanic Pro® version update includes over 200 fine-tuned enhancements designed to give you the best computing experience possible.

New in version 10.8
	Optimizes the pre-released version of Windows 8				Improved disk defrag and program file alignment technology
	Improved operational efficiency and resource footprint				Improved overall product stability
	Speed up DriveScrubber operations

System Mechanic 10.8 Pro keeps your PC at the cutting edge

System Mechanic Pro automatically maintains, optimizes, repairs, and secures Windows PCs to keep your computer running like new. Multiple independent lab tests continue to prove that System Mechanic restores more power, speed and stability than any other tune-up product or service—which is why nearly 9 out of 10 people in North America who use PC tune-up software rely on System Mechanic.

Key Benefits
	Performs a 229-point Diagnostic Computer Inspection				Ranked as most effective in improving PC performance by independent lab tests
	Automatically fixes 27,000+ different types of problems and errors				Relied on by 9 out of 10 people who use PC tune-up software
	Cleans up system-clogging junk and clutter				#1 best-selling product in its class worldwide
	Boosts PC start time and web speed up to 300%				Over 75 million PCs repaired since 1998
	Makes even old PCs run like new again				Windows 8,7, Vista, and XP compatible
	Disinfects harmful viruses and other internet threats				Rescues accidentally deleted files from any drive
	Access files anywhere with 5 GB online storage				Securely and permanently deletes sensitive data

Uunmatched performance-tuning and problem-solving power

• Packed with 229 critical diagnostic tests, System Mechanic Pro goes deeper to identify and repair an ever-growing list of over 27,000 different types of problems and errors discovered by iolo Labs researchers.
• The latest version, designed to work with new Windows 8, continues to maximize performance gains and proactively prevent slowdowns over time.
• iolo’s patented ActiveCare® technology automatically identifies and fixes problems when a computer is on but not in use, eliminating unwanted interruptions to work or play, and ensuring the PC is always ready for action.
• Industry-first Whole Home Licensing delivers unmatched value by allowing families to install one license of System Mechanic on all the PCs in their home.
• Version 10.8 includes an upgrade to 5 GB of secure online storage so you can access, edit, and save even more of your files from any PC or mobile device.
• System Shield’s performance-focused malware protection packs a powerful punch in a light footprint, and is certified by the industry’s top three security labs: VB100, West Coast Labs (WCL) and ICSA.

What’s more, only System Mechanic resolves all root causes of PC slowdown that have been identified and documented through iolo Labs research:

Simply put, System Mechanic 10.8 Pro is the most complete, effective, and cutting-edge PC performance software available today.

New and Enhanced Tools and Features:

NEW: Windows 8 Integration

iolo Labs tested the developer preview of Windows 8 and determined that System Mechanic’s core tools can effectively maximize all speed gains from the latest Windows operating system. In fact, early Labs research has found that System Mechanic’s performance optimization technology actually increases Windows 8 start up speed even more than with previous versions of Windows.

Despite being positioned as the most powerful operating system Microsoft has ever offered, iolo’s testing has also determined that Windows 8 uses less memory and system resources than Windows 7. In addition, Windows 8 appears to align much more with iolo’s high-performance focus with exciting new architectural enhancements that enable System Mechanic to make even more direct improvements to speed and reliability.

NEW: Designated Drivers™ – Maximum Security and Stability

Device drivers are files filled with critical information that instruct your computer and the devices connected to it how to operate together effectively. All of the hardware on a PC—from the keyboard and mouse to the CPU and WiFi adapter—require an up-to-date driver to keep them in good working order. Because they perform such an essential task, keeping your drivers updated and in good working condition is central to ensuring your PC’s overall stability and performance.

However, determining where and when to start searching for the latest driver updates can be a daunting and time-consuming task. Hardware manufacturers will often release updates to fix bugs or ensure compatibility with new programs, but these driver updates are not automatically installed on your computer. Additionally, the process of manually updating drivers can be frustrating and time-consuming: for each device driver that you wish to update, you’ll need to visit the device manufacturers’ web site and scour their technical bulletins for recent updates to install.

Designated Drivers™ lets you update all of your PC’s drivers with just one click, now making driver updates a painless process. Even better, Designated Drivers is the only tool of its kind to exclusively use Microsoft-approved driver updates, which have gone through two rounds of quality assurance testing to help ensure the updates are safe, reliable and broadly compatible.

NEW: SSD Accelerator™ – Keeps SSDs at Peak Performance

In the recent years, solid state drives (SSDs) have emerged as a faster alternative to traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). SSDs store their information electronically using ultra-fast flash technology, while HDDs use moving parts that are susceptible to mechanical wear and tear and slowdowns caused by file fragmentation or data entropy.

However SSDs initially enjoy a significant speed advantage over HDDs, lab tests and user reports clearly indicate that these drives begin to suffer from incremental performance loss over time, most particularly during information storage operations. The longer SSDs are used, the slower basic computing tasks like saving and copying files, downloading photos or music, and installing new software become. Over time, an unoptimized SSD can lead to artificially accelerated degradation of the drive itself, which translates into greater chances of early equipment failure and data loss.

Experts agree that traditional disk defragmentation methods—designed for the mechanical moving parts of an HDD—don’t work on SSDs, and can actually reduce the operable lifespan of the device. An entirely new approach to SSD optimization has been pioneered by iolo’s engineers to ensure maximum ongoing SSD performance without wearing out the drive. This new technology is included in System Mechanic 10.8 as the new SSD Accelerator tool, which dramatically improves SSD speed and efficiency while ensuring the extended life and performance of these modern drives.

SSD Accelerator has also been carefully designed to work alongside System Mechanic’s other drive optimization processes and together with iolo’s patented ActiveCare technology, so users with both traditional hard drives and SSDs can enjoy the convenience of optimizing their entire system at once, and keeping it at peak performance automatically thereafter.

NEW: Program Accelerator™ – Supercharges Your Programs

A major breakthrough in PC performance technology, Program Accelerator, the world’s first Program Realignment Tool™, uses a newly discovered patent-pending calibration technology to supercharge program performance by intelligently realigning programs with their dependent files for maximum speed. The result is significantly – and very noticeably – faster program launching and far more responsive overall performance.

Prior to Program Accelerator, all programs experienced an irreversible and progressive slowdown over time as the related files that make up a program installation became increasingly scattered around the hard drive, from repeated Windows and software updates and other file moves. Disk defragmenters can’t solve this problem, and in many cases actually make it worse, but after years of study and an intense laboratory and testing effort, System Mechanic engineers finally solved the problem, filed a patent, and made the technology available to the public exclusively through the new Program Accelerator tool in System Mechanic.

This revolutionary invention uses a proprietary method to scan for misaligned program files, then determines how they should be grouped together for fastest access. Program Accelerator then groups and re-aligns each program’s related files for the absolute fastest program load and run time possible. Lab tests clearly indicate that significant overall gains can be achieved by optimizing the entire system in this way, ranging from a 25-30% boost on even new PCs, to incredible leaps of 200-500% (or more) in startup and program performance on highly misaligned systems.

NEW: CRUDD Remover™ – Eliminates System Drag

CRUDD, which stands for Commonly Redundant or Unnecessary Decelerators and Destabilizers, acts as system drag that creates the inevitable slowdown computers are subject to as more and more of these types of programs are installed (either knowingly or otherwise) over time.

The new CRUDD Remover tool uses a proprietary algorithm developed by iolo Labs to analyze your PC for unnecessary, superfluous, unused, or redundant programs. It then presents a comprehensive list of all potential speed-leeching culprits so you can easily understand their impact on speed and resources, and then uninstall those that you are not using.

Experts agree that removing unused programs that are weighing your PC down is one of the best ways to unlock lost performance. In the past this process was something reserved only for PC technicians and experienced power users – and even then it was time-consuming, cumbersome, and even dangerous, often with unpredictable results.

System Mechanic’s CRUDD Remover eliminates the guesswork and puts the control – and PC performance – back in your hands.

NEW: Internet Connection Repair™ – Gets You Back On the Web

We’ve all experienced the frustration of being abruptly disconnected from the internet – usually right in the middle of something important. Many of us upgraded from dial-up to broadband with the promise of an “always-on” connection. However, even with broadband your connection can sputter, hiccup, and even mysteriously go dead – which always seems to happen when you need it most.

System Mechanic’s Internet Connection Repair technology detects bad connections and uses a battery of proprietary technology to not only repair and reconnect your computer, but also ensure the connection is as clean, fast, and reliable as possible.

This new tool digs deep to bring your PC back on the web and keep it moving down the information superhighway at maximum speeds.

NEW: Whole Home License™ – Breaks the 3-PC Barrier

Welcome to the first software license that is good for every PC in your single family household. As more of us are reusing older PCs and adding new PCs for other family members, we decided it was time to reward our customers with the Whole Home License.

For many years, an “Up to 3-PCs” approach was the standard home licensing model for many software products. This old model was originally intended to amply cover your entire house; however, iolo recognizes that these days many of our users actually have more than three computers in their homes. iolo solves this problem with Whole Home Licensing, which enables you and your family to install one System Mechanic license on ALL the PCs in your household to keep them running at maximum performance.

  ENHANCED: Secure Online Backup (Professional version only)

iolo has upgraded Secure Online Backup (available exclusively in the Professional version of System Mechanic) to bring you 5 GB of online “cloud” storage, which lets you upload, access, edit, and save your files from any PC or mobile device.

Cloud computing gives you constant access to your data, so you can work, play, and create whenever (and wherever) inspiration strikes. Your information is automatically backed up online, and your data remains secure yet available to you—even if the PC holding the original files is misplaced or stolen.

All you need to do is sync up selected folders to their secure online location in the cloud—and you’ll be able to access, edit, save, and share your files anywhere, at any time.

  ENHANCED: Tune-up Definitions™ – Raises System Mechanic’s IQ

Introduced in 2001 as the first technology of its kind and a critical part of System Mechanic’s automatic weekly intelligence updates, the latest Tune-up Definitions are packed with even more essential data that continues to make the product more effective.

Tune-up Definition updates include up-to-the-minute intelligence in all vital categories:

• Program Information Database: Comprehensive information on tens of thousands of programs and how they affect your PC
• Program Redundancy Database: Critical knowledge about which program functions can conflict and impact performance when multiple programs are installed
• Registry Reliability and Problems: Data about all varieties of potential registry problems and conflicts along with their safe and effective remedies
• Security Vulnerability Patches: Instructs System Mechanic on how to detect and repair the latest Windows and program security vulnerabilities that can put your PC at risk
• Junk Files Database: Constantly updated database that informs System Mechanic how to locate and safely purge hundreds of newly discovered types of files that can litter your PC and clog its performance

  ENHANCED: DriveAccelerator™ – Revs up Hard Drive Performance

System Mechanic’s DriveAccelerator advanced disk defragmentation technology has been improved and re-engineered from the ground up for enhanced speed and effectiveness:

• DriveAccelerator is the first and only disk defragmenter that knows how to intelligently work together with the breakthrough file alignment technology in Program Accelerator so that individual files are made contiguous without disrupting their alignment.
• Hard drives are now intelligently defragmented more thoroughly and in less time.
• Drives with nearly zero free space can now be completely optimized.
• Even the largest modern drives with multi-terabyte capacities are easily defragmented.

  ENHANCED: Memory Mechanic® – Rescues 25% More Memory

System Mechanic’s innovative memory-reclaiming tool has been re-engineered to work up to 85% faster and regain up to 25% more orphaned RAM from leaky programs.

• Memory Mechanic tackles both of the basic, systemic corruption issues that cause RAM to decline: memory leaks and fragmented memory.
• Locates and reclaims all improperly reserved and inadvertently leaked memory from programs that are no longer using it.
• Reassembles memory into streamlined and contiguous order for maximum access and processing efficiency—helping your PC run faster and better than ever.

ENHANCED: Hundreds of Overall Improvements Throughout

Starting from the first time you begin exploring the product’s new features, System Mechanic will not only make your PC run faster than ever, but will feel more intuitive, responsive, and even more user-friendly than ever before. iolo incorporated hundreds of overall enhancements and customer suggestions, some of which include:

• PowerTools™, System Mechanic’s unique all-in-one solutions, have new detection, repair, and optimization functions.
• Patented ActiveCare® technology adds more automated repair tasks, enabling System Mechanic to monitor and automatically fix even more problems, effortlessly keeping your PC running like new for as long as you own it.
• System Mechanic has been re-engineered to launch and start up even faster, making it more convenient to use whenever you like, right from your desktop.
• You can now launch tools, actions, and optimizations directly from the System Mechanic Desktop Gadget and Windows 7 Jump Lists without waiting for the product to load first.
• Hard drive file scans for various tools now run up to 600% faster, allowing you to perform optimizations and repairs quickly and efficiently so you can get back to work right away.

Simply put, we’re confident that our market leadership and ongoing innovation have resulted in the most complete and effective PC performance-tuning software ever available.

*According to NPD data