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Want to maintain strict control over what’s running on your computer, keeping an eye on the use of your resources and restricting the operations of any process all the way to the farthest depths of your system?

WinPatrol Plus is a popular and extremely powerful tool that allows Windows users to monitor every aspect of their system, taking the core features of your Task Manager and amplifying them considerably. From controlling what launches at your startup to alerting you of any sudden change in your system, this is for the you users who always exercise vigilance when operating your system.

Normally retailing for $40, the developers of WinPatrol Plus have announced a special promotional offer, making it available for just 99 cents!

Good for ONLY today, this is an offer you might find difficult to ignore.

You can read about what this tool does at the developer’s site.

If you’re interested in owning this, visit either their site or purchase it off the Yahoo! Store.

When booting up your computer, it’s probable that the startup process is weighed down by the inclusion of programs that aren’t needed. They aren’t necessarily programs you don’t use, but they’re not critical when booting your computer up, making their addition to the startup process something of a strain – when all you want to do is have your computer boot up as fast as possible.

There are several good startup managers available, all of which are free. They all work in much the same way, allowing their users to select only those programs that they desire to be included in the startup routine.

The first choice is CCleaner, a utility that isn’t just for managing your startup, its main function being the removal of needless clutter that builds up over the span of your computer’s life. It’s a very helpful tool that cleans your system of the unwanted litter that’s strewn about during your use of the system – cookies, broken registry files, temporary internet files, etc. Included in this tool is an option to remove programs from the startup process. It’s not as customizable as other solutions, restricting your startup management to just the deletion of items from your startup list, but it’s still more than serviceable.

Autoruns is one of the more robust options, giving you control over everything from programs to the various processes that creep their way into your startup process. Singling out everything, this startup manager shines its light on anything accompanying your computer’s startup routine. As thorough as this tool is, its comprehensive features might be too powerful, resulting in an inexperienced user toggling off something that may be critical to the computer’s boot process. While highly recommended, because of its strength, we’d advise users to be cautious when using this.

One program that’s a bit different from your standard startup manager is Startup Delayer, which offers users the ability to delay the startup of an application – rather than terminating it completely. Many of the programs included in your startup routine aren’t necessarily bad, the real problem stemming from having all of them commencing at the same time.  Instead of seeing several programs starting up at once, Startup Delayer allows you to stagger their launch, freeing up your resources when booting the computer up.

No one wants to wait five or ten minutes while their computer boots up, but that’s just what many users experience if they aren’t attentive to what’s occupying their startup list. These tools are just a few of many startup managers that Geek Choice recommends to its users. Should you have any questions, we’re always here to assist you.

Over time, whether they’re a relic we still rely upon or a recently purchased powerhouse replete with cutting edge technology, our computers are home to needless software – rubbish, essentially – that would be best disposed of. Those old computers collect outdated software through the years, while brand new systems are often filled with trial software that most people end up ignoring upon use.

Aiding in the cleanup effort is a helpful utility that quickly removes unnecessary junk from your computer, freeing you from the task of uninstalling them individually.

Called PC Decrapifier, this program requires no installation, commencing with its task once you run the executable.

Once you’ve moved past the end user agreement, the program will alert you to its inability to distinguish between trial software and the full version of the same application. You should be mindful of what you’re selecting, which will save you the headache that’ll surely arise when you realize that you’ve removed an application that you use often.

You’re then asked to specify if the computer you’re “decrapifying” is old or new.

It then offers you a chance to create a restore point, which will return your computer to a previously saved state should the removal of certain programs result in the occurrence of certain errors. Doing this is critical, as the removal of any program brings with it the removal of ancillary files – drivers, libraries, etc. – that may be used by other applications. However, you should know that the creation of a restore point will guarantee the recovery of any programs you remove.

After you’ve done that, the clean-up begins.

Although there’s a possibility the program will not detect any programs that need to be removed, which can happen on computers owned by those who are more pro-active in monitoring what’s installed, it does provide you an opportunity to select all of the programs you’d like to dispose of.

Once you’ve selected the programs, PC Decrapifier commences with its job, eliminating all of the programs you’ve checked as unnecessary. Doing this frees up your hard drive and may remove programs that impair your system’s performance with unnecessary processes running in the background.

For those of you who want to get a head start on spring cleaning, PC Decrapifier is certainly up to the task.

You can download it here