There's nothing quite like the speed of a brand-new computer and with minimal startup basic installed software with no data and no mess. A new computer performs like an F1 supercar on a race track. Unfortunately things change and your new computer starts to slow down until you want to chuck it out of the window in frustration.

This doesn't have to be the case, though - Ashampoo Winoptimizer 2007 - can help you clean up your computer so it works almost like new. The program contains 12 modules that address and fix typical problems you may encounter and which affect the speed and smooth running of your computer.

These modules are arrayed into four groups; cleaning tools, tuning tools, file tools and tweaking tools. The cleaning tools help you remove duplicate and unnecessary files and Registry entries. These accumulate as you work, for example, programs load duplicates of system files that are already on your computer, plus files and Registry entries remain after the programs they relate to are removed from your computer. Even as you surf the Web you'll accumulate a trail of temporary Internet files, all of which reduce your computer's efficiency and consume disk space. Often these files are difficult or impossible to easily locate and remove with the standard Windows tools, but Winoptimizer can easily find and remove them.

Winoptimizer also contains a set of tools similar to Windows tools Scandisk, Defrag and System Restore. The Defrag tool, for example, can be run to defragment your hard disk while you work, unlike its Windows equivalent it's not affected by programs that are already running and will not restart when files are saved to your disk. Defragmenting your disk ensures that files are optimally located on the disk surface so they can be read quickly when needed. The file tools are a handy bunch of apps that can permanently delete files from your computer, encrypt and decrypt them for security and even split and rejoin them so they can be copied to more than one disc where necessary.

There is also a One-click Optimizer that runs three tools automatically; the Drive Cleaner, Registry Cleaner and Internet Cleaner. It's designed for beginners without any experience in optimizing or cleaning up a computer. If you use the default settings for these tools, you can clean your computer in a safe and secure manner. You can also opt to run only one or two of the tools if desired, so the One-click Optimizer is a great peace to start.

The program designers caution you not to make changes to the default settings unless you're sure you know what you are doing. The defaults have been configured to operate in a safe manner and make only conservative changes to your computer.