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Step-By-Step: Get a Free Tune-Up for Your Windows PC

Stan Miastkowski

Is your PC growing sluggish, acting strangely, or even occasionally locking up? Although these symptoms could indicate a serious problem, it's more likely that a quick Windows tune-up is all you need to return your PC to tip-top health.

There are a legion of add-in utilities available for Windows, and you might have to lay down the bucks (if you haven't done so already) for a comprehensive utility suite such as Norton SystemWorks or Ontrack's SystemSuite 4 to iron out any thorny problems. In most cases, however, you can get by with Windows' built-in tune-up utilities. Other applications (such as virus checkers) are available for free. If you decide to go with a full-fledged utility suite, check out our review of SystemSuite, SystemWorks, and other popular packages.

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