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PROS:
CONS:
Ashampoo WinOptimizer produced similar results to our highest scoring registry repair software, with the exception of finding more than 1200 errors more during its initial scan. While it sped up the overall performance of the test PC by 5 percent, it caused a minor lag in the process to other areas it was tested for. It comes with dozens of amazing premium features, and it’s very easy to use.
Ashampoo WinOptimizer is among the five best registry cleaners we had the chance to review. Aside from it being reliable and very expedient, it also comes with many more features than your average registry cleaner. Although it didn’t produce the highest results when we tested it, it deserved its high ranking due to more than 30 tools and features available to you with its entry level version. Considering most registry cleaning software comes with only a few features, Ashampoo WinOptimizer is basically a suite at the fraction of its price.
WinOptimizer prides itself in being lean meaning it’s designed in a simple, accessible way so that anyone can use it with great ease. Although most registry cleaning software is easy to use, with the WinOptimizer the scan and repair option is just a few clicks away. The software allows you to roll back on any fixes that might have caused you problems allowing you greater flexibility with fixing selected Windows registry errors. Included in the app, you can also schedule registry scans for a more thorough – less hands on approach. Unless you’re an advanced registry repair software user, you probably won’t notice WinOptimizer is missing an option for selective error handling. While most other software we looked at give you the opportunity to individually (de)select and check each error found in the scan, WinOptimizer simply lists the issues without the option of affecting its selection in any way.
The additional 30 features Ashampoo WinOptimizer offers are what makes it such a great software package. As a standard with registry cleaners, the software has a startup optimizer that prioritizes apps that start up with your system. If you’re in the habit of installing apps with preexisting settings, this feature will come in useful since most apps you install are pre-programed to start with your system thus causing significant lag. It features and uninstall feature that allows you to remove unwanted software more thoroughly from your PC. You can clean out junk files that accumulate over time and can impact your PCs performance. There is a file shredder and a tool to encrypt your files if you’d like to keep them at an elevated safety level.
Although Ashampoo WinOptimizer is regularly marketed for $49.99, there are sometime promotions where you can get it for a lot less. Considering this is one of the fullest registry cleaning software packages we reviewed, you’re paying the price of entry level software for what is effectively a suite.
To test the overall value and performance of each product, we tested each piece of software under equal conditions on an older computer for added strain. The main focus for us were the registry repair capabilities, since the app is supposed to scan and repair any errors found in the Windows registry. Then we measured how efficient the software was at optimizing the test PC’s performance after fixing various issues it came upon. Only the best registry cleaning software made onto our list. Focusing mostly on its registry repair capabilities we found that Ashampoo WinOptimizer is efficient, but a bit rough around the edges.
During our review we found that although all software we tested did improve the test PC’s performance, it did so in a minimal way. It’s important to note that while registry repair software will fix crucial Windows registry issues, it won’t change your user experience significantly. Tested on the same computer as all other reviewed software, Ashampoo WinOptimizer found 1.604 issues with the Windows registry, five times more than RegistryCleanerKit. After resolving all the errors it found, the software improved the test PC’s overall performance by a little more than 5 percent - almost 2 percent less than the first in its category. While it improved the speed at which word and data were processed by less than 8 percent, WinOptimizer actually slowed the test PC down in other areas it was tested for (graphics processing, web surfing speed and video chat quality). Although we did register the lag with the benchmarking software installed on the test PC, the slowdown was so minimal an average user wouldn’t be able to register it during everyday use.
Support page: www.ashampoo.com/en/usd/sup
Website: www.ashampoo.com
While Ashampoo WinOptimizer is a great overall product, it’s lacking a more personal customer support approach to make it excellent. Although you can contact an agent by submitting a ticket, if you need a more personal approach or if you’re problem is too complex to write about it might be annoying to find out there’s no phone or live-chat support. There is however a FAQ section, but it’s only useful if you haven’t run into a problem that requires expert advice.
Our editorial staff evaluates products and services independently, but Best Review Guide may earn money when you click on links. Read our advertising disclosure.
By: Cristina | Last updated January 23, 2021 
