Winutilities? Alternatives? Looking for PC maintenance apps

[splunge]

Hi all! I use CCleaner to remove junk files, uninstall apps, fix registry. I have defraggler for (duh) defragging the hard drive. Avast free is my antivirus and checks for out of date programs. I use on demand antispyware with Malwarebytes and Superantispyware. I'm using Win 7 (still hesitating to switch to 10) and use the included windows back up program for back ups.

I used to use Winutilities for 1 click maintenance but haven't reinstalled it. Do I need anything more? Am I looking for trouble with freeware? I put a driver updater (can't recall the name) on my son's laptop but have been told that's a waste.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ralston18]

I avoid using such utilities.

Never sure what they may actually be doing. And many are poorly designed, sloppily coded, and perhaps not so user-friendly.

Hard enough with just Microsoft "doing things" sometimes.

Freeware is always risky as, again, you do not know what it is really doing. With the exception of well known products such CCleaner, Malwarebytes, and BelArc Advisor: all three of which I do happen to use.

I may test one or two utilities for a specific purpose from time to time but that is done very carefully and only after a backup has been done and verified.

You probably have very little control or limited control over the drive updater. It may update drivers that you do not wish to have updated because only an earlier version works or a version from Windows 7 perhaps. Plus there is little certainty about the real source of those drivers and how up to date they may be.

Barring a specific problem if things are running well then I leave the drivers alone/as is until the newest version has been somewhat vetted. Then I update.

If you learn to use Task Manager, Performance Monitor, and the Event Viewer and base maintenance on specific issues then you will both understand your system better and you be able to react to and fix problems that occur. Based on your knowledge - not some generic software that pops up on the web claiming to fix whatever problem you are currently researching.

My response is more subjective than I would normally prefer. The fewer the applications on my machines the better - simple and practical for me.