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Windows comes with its own built-in search feature, but many users find it to be slow and cumbersome. As its name suggests, Wise JetSearch is a speedy alternative that can quickly search for files and folders in a variety of locations. We think it's a great choice for anyone who's looking for an alternative to the built-in Windows option.

Wise JetSearch has an attractive and very simple interface. A drop-down menu reveals a series of check boxes from which you select the drives you want to search. There's a field where you enter your search terms, including … Read more

You don't need a supercharged PC to run high-demand games. Wise Game Booster will speed up your computer's gaming performance with the touch of a button. It's a little too powerful for rookie users, but the ability to change or modify how it closes programs makes it a worthwhile download.

Though the program claims to boost game performance, it really just optimizes RAM and processing speed. More often than not, this means shutting down any open programs and stray processes. If you're not careful, that could mean closing Word or another program when you haven't … Read more

When your PC is misbehaving wouldn't it be easier to press just one button instead of hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del to close programs? Wise Memory Optimizer will optimize your computer's memory on demand, as often as you like. You won't even have to close any programs.

This program's interface is very simple and neat. It graphs your system's memory on a pie chart so you know how much memory you're using and how much free memory you have. There is a large green button you need to click to optimize your memory usage. There are also … Read more

Free system care and cleaning utilities aren't uncommon these days, so there are plenty of choices. WiseCleaner's Wise Care 365 Free offers a PC Checkup, System Tune-up, Privacy Protector, and Wise Utilities. You can schedule cleaning and optimizing sessions and back up and restore your settings. Wise Care 365 Free's job is to prevent unpleasant surprises by keeping your system clean and tight. Recent updates include improvements to the Startup Manager and full Windows 8 compatibility.

Wise Care 365's four-step tutorial starts with picking a background theme and language and then walks new users through a … Read more

Uninstalling bloated programs and process-hogging applications is one of the most critical ways to keep your system's performance snappy. Unfortunately, the built-in Windows uninstaller is limited when it comes to removing leftover files and residue.

Wise Program Uninstaller takes it up a notch as an alternative solution. When you first fire up the program, you're greeted with some basic options and metrics. The bottom status bar lets you know how many running programs are installed and how much space is occupied. There are two main uninstall approaches: safe and forced.

Safe uninstall guides you through the default uninstallation … Read more

WiseCleaner's Wise Folder Hider is a free tool that can secure your data by hiding important files or folders on your disk drive or portable drive, and protecting them with a password. And Wise Folder Hider lets you go a step further by requiring a double password for special items; nothing less than the legendary "double secret password."

We clicked Wise Folder Hider's desktop icon and created a password to start using the program. Wise Folder Hider's user interface is simple but attractive, with three items in the toolbar: Hide File, Hide Folder, and Hide … Read more

With Progressive's Snapshot mileage-based tracking device, not just how many miles you drive but also how you're driving them could affect your insurance rate.

Progressive is the latest automotive insurance provider to promote a voluntary program that lets agencies offer discounted premiums based on mileage. The company recently began promoting the campaign nationally on television, and Snapshot is available in 30 states. The program uses a device that drivers plug into their cars to monitor the time of day that they're driving, the distance they travel, and how hard they're braking. Data is transmitted to Progressive … Read more

Wise Registry Cleaner Free Portable cleans, defragments, and optimizes the Windows Registry. It can create automatic backups and run at scheduled times. Since it's wise to clean your disks and system before modifying the registry, it's designed to work closely with Wise Disk Cleaner, another free app from the same developer. However, you can also use the Windows tool or another disk cleaning utility prior to running Wise Registry Cleaner.

At first run, Wise Registry Cleaner wisely suggests backing up the Windows Registry and offers to do it automatically. We agreed and selected both a System Restore Point … Read more

Wise Disk Cleaner Portable is one of the better freeware disk cleaners we've tried, portable or not. It not only cleans up your disk drives by deleting junk files, temporary files, and other dross, but also defragments and optimizes disk drives and can even recover deleted files in many cases. The program scans and analyzes your system and recommends specific actions, such as whether or not to defragment certain disks. It offers a lot of user-selectable options, too, such as the ability to deselect any file from a comprehensive view and to designate specific "junk" folders.

Wise … Read more