Tweak-10 Review - Unlock the Full Potential of Windows 10

very good
key review info
application features
  • HDD, CD/DVD and cache tweaks
  • (9 more, see all...)

In case you haven't heard the latest news, Windows 10 has just been released today, which means no more beta testing for users who couldn't hold their excitement any longer. You can easily download, install and use Windows 10 right now.

Generally speaking, it's advisable to keep a system optimization and maintenance tool around, regardless of the Windows version you're using, since we all know how slow, glitchy and unstable it can become, especially if you're a hardcore PC user who likes to experiment with all kinds of software.

Last year we reviewed Tweak-7 for Windows 7 and Tweak-8 for Windows 8/8.1. They turned out to be pretty reliable apps with an almost identical set of features dedicated to keeping the OS in shape. Now it's time for Tweak-10 for Windows 10. It preserves most of its predecessor's modules and adds new ones tailor-made for the new operating system.

License type, installation, and interface

The trial edition can be tested for 14 days. Several features are restricted during this time, such as registry and system cleaning, or automatic optimization. Once this period of time expires, you can either uninstall the tool or purchase the full package for $24.21 / €19.95. However, you can temporarily buy it from Softpedia with a 15% discount, for a total of $20.58 / €16.96 (excluding VAT).

The setup operation is fast and requires minimal user intervention. Before running it, though, Tweak-10 offers to create a system restore point, so that you can revert settings to default if you start experiencing Windows stability issues.

Powerful contrast between Tweak 10 and Windows 10
Powerful contrast between Tweak 10 and Windows 10

Unsurprisingly, Tweak-10 shares the same interface with its predecessor, complete with a well-structured layout and multiple colors to make the program look as lively as possible. The main application window has the components divided into different categories which are accessible through multiple buttons, such as system information and tweaks, miscellaneous tweaks, visual tweaks, network and Internet tweaks, utilities, automatic optimizer, snapshot tweaks, and Tweak-10 settings.

In the Home pane you can get an overview with the actual status of the auto optimizer, system cleaner, registry cleaner, registry defragger, and Internet performance.

System information and tweaks

You can check out technical details about the CPU, memory, mainboard, graphics, input and sound devices, product keys, and Windows general aspects, such as the installed service pack, start time, and install date. Moreover, you can examine CPU and RAM usage, network traffic for each network adapter, and disk space information for each drive.

It's possible to tweak the hard disk by clearing the system pagefile on shutdown, defragging Windows at boot time, or optimizing the HDD when it's idle. Adjustments are also available for the CD and DVD drive cache. To be more specific, you can select the speed of your slowest drive, as well as set either a regular, medium or large cache size, which is unrelated to the drive speed.

Optimize the CPU, cache, and RAM

As far as CPU and system cache tweaks are concerned, the tool can be asked to run a CPU checkup at the next system restart, in order to figure out whether or not your processor supports advanced features of the Windows 10 memory management system, like write-back caching. CPU usage optimization can be enabled either for applications or background tasks.

Regarding core system tweaks, you can run each 16-bit program in a separate virtual machine, automatically close non-responding processes, disable file caching for the workstation service, or turn off the program compatibility assistant. The Windows 10 prefetcher and superfetcher can be optimized too.

The software application supports an optimization module for the computer's RAM. It shows the available and used memory along with the current CPU consumption, tries to free up as much memory as possible, skips optimization if the CPU is overworked, and clears the Clipboard during optimization. Furthermore, you can use the Windows 10 memory diagnostics tool at the next computer restart.

Autostart manager, auto logon and shutdown

You can check out a list with all apps which automatically run at every Windows startup and remove the ones you don't need, in order to speed up the boot time. Otherwise, you can create new autorun entries.

If you want to personalize and password-protect Windows, you can enable the auto logon feature to input your user name, domain and key. It's possible to view information about the previous logons, limit the number of automatic logons, or create a list of users to hide from the logon screen.

Automatic PC shutdown can be seamlessly scheduled, since all you have to do is indicate the shutdown mode (power off, restart, log off, suspend, hibernate, lock) and timer (countdown, at start time, after the termination of a specific process). Plus, you can show a warning on the desktop.

Miscellaneous Windows and device tweaks

System folder settings can be easily changed and managed. For example, you can edit OEM and Windows user information (including the logo image), synchronize the system time to one of the global servers listed and set the frequency for auto-sync, as well as customize the file explorer when it comes to the context menu (e.g. show "Encryption" command, hide "Run as.."), core (e.g. disable compressed folders and Explorer thumbnail cache), and others (e.g. display the menu bar, disable CD burning features).

It's possible to turn off or configure the Windows error reporting system (e.g. don't send second-level data), manage UAC controls (e.g. only elevate executables which are signed and validated), as well as make adjustments concerning the mouse (e.g. show mouse pointer trails, detect accidental double clicks), keyboard (e.g. turn on CapsLock and NumLock by default at Windows startup), screen font smoothing (e.g. turn off ClearType for apps hosting MSHTML), together with the script output on logon, logoff, startup and shutdown.

System and application restrictions

Tweak-10 lets you hide any unused applets from the Control Panel and set restrictions by disabling Internet pages, preventing changes in the Display pages, disabling access to the Performance Center, hiding options in the Regional and Language page, and others (e.g. disable access to the whole Control Panel).

Meanwhile, Windows app restrictions can be established for Media Player, Backup and Restore, Windows Defender, Security Center, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Update. Other restrictions focus on the taskbar (e.g. hide any systray buttons), Start button, desktop (e.g. disable all desktop gadgets), CTRL+ALT+DEL (e.g. remove specific buttons), Windows Installer (e.g. always install with elevated privileges), device installation (e.g. deny removable device setups), and others.

Visual tweaks for the Start menu, taskbar and desktop

The Start menu in Windows 10 can be personalized by hiding any unwanted shortcuts. You can apply a fading effect to the taskbar that's activated on mouse movement (this works only during Tweak-10's runtime), adjust the taskbar transparency, as well as tweak the fade in and out speed. Specific icons and other taskbar items can be hidden from the taskbar, such as the Action Center icon or pinned programs. As far as taskbar restrictions go, you can lock all taskbar settings, forbid resizing and app pinning, and so on.

In the desktop you can disable window animations during minimization and maximization, hide info tips for desktop items, deactivate the selection rectangle's transparency, add system state shortcuts (e.g. shutdown, suspend), hide any special shortcuts (e.g. My Computer, Recycle Bin), or change the icon viewing mode (e.g. show icon before text or details).

Moreover, you can hide any entries from the right-click menu on the desktop or create new items, customize the shortcut overlay icon, disable combobox animations and gradient title bars, or use flat style fading. The Desktop Window Manager can be configured by slowing down or disabling window animations, deactivating 3D flipping, applying smaller title bar buttons, or disabling the window 3D effects.

Internet Explorer tweaks and restrictions

Tweak-10 supports browser customization options for Internet Explorer only. You can disable automatic or scheduled updates, set a custom IE window title and User-agent string, launch browser windows in separate instances instead of separate tabs, enable URL autocomplete, or set the number of maximum connections.

A cleanup utility is available for IE and it's capable of deleting temporary Internet files, cookies, history, form data, passwords, and all personal data.

Meanwhile, IE restrictions can be defined for the menu (e.g. disable the context menu or "Save as.." option), toolbar (e.g. lock all IE toolbars, forbid customization for browser toolbars), settings (e.g. prevent changes in "Accessibility", "Connection" and other panes), security (e.g. turn off popup management, prevent changes to the popup filtering levels), and miscellaneous (e.g. disable tab grouping and tabbed browsing).

Internet, network and other network-related tweaks

The application contains an option designed to automatically optimize your Internet connection based on its type. It's not very explicit concerning how it achieves this, though. On the other hand, the network can be configured in several ways. For instance, you can disable LAN scanning for printers and shared folders, limit the bandwidth, or turn off the Windows 10 Firewall.

The computer can be instructed to handle file attachments based on the trust logic (prefer the file handler, prefer the file type, look at the file handler and the file type). These options are also supported for Microsoft Outlook 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2010.

System cleanup and maintenance utilities

Many tools from Windows 10 are hidden and may be tricky to track down if you don't already know where to look. This is why Tweak-10 gives you the possibility to immediately launch a part of them, as well as to create desktop shortcuts for: username and password backup and restore, ClearType text tuner, display color calibration, device pairing wizard, disk defragmenter, DirectX, event viewer, magnifier, Windows Mobility Center, Performance Monitor, and Resource Monitor, to name a few.

Tweak-10: Unlock Windows 10 hidden tools
Tweak-10: Unlock Windows 10 hidden tools

A system cleanup function is developed to remove unnecessary files from the computer to free up space, including OS update backups. Depending on how much time you're willing to spend with the cleaner, you can perform either a standard or deep scan. In a similar manner, you can remove dead or redundant shortcuts from the Start menu.

It's also possible to manage system restore points, shred files and folders after selecting one of the numerous security algorithms available (e.g. US Air Force 5020, German VSITR, Gutmann), as well as remove invalid entries from the registry and select the registry areas to verify: ActiveX and COM libraries, application paths, database drivers, fonts, file types, help files, history lists, sounds, recent files, and others.

Defragmentation jobs can be performed on the registry to improve the OS response time and system access speed to its settings, options and configuration data. This covers the hives with security accounts manager, security, software, system, user configuration, and user classes. Lastly, you can restrict access to custom programs, folders and drives.

Auto optimizer, snapshot manager, and general app settings

Tweak-10 offers three optimization methods for the entire operating system: full with no optimization of visual effects, slight, or full optimization of visual effects.

Furthermore, it has a snapshot feature that permits you to save the current configuration settings from a selected module, so that you can restore them to default. It offers support for the tweaks involving the hard disk, CD and DVD drives, CPU and system cache, core system, prefetch and superfetch, file explorer and error reporting, UAC, Control Panel restrictions, and so on.

Concerning Tweak-10 general options, you can ask the tool to automatically run at every system startup until told otherwise, disable auto checkups for software updates, make the main window translucent, enable smooth transition effects, set password protection, or change the UI language. 


The Good

It contains a rich array of tweaks dedicated to system optimization and maintenance. These focus on the hard disk, CD, DVD and removable drives, CPU, RAM and cache, autostart entries, system auto logon and shutdown, virtual drives, Windows error reporting, file explorer, desktop, taskbar, systray, Start menu, Control Panel, UAC, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Outlook, Windows 10 hidden utilities, system cleanup, shortcut cleaning, restore point management, file shredding, registry cleaning and defragging, and automatic optimization.

You can take snapshots with the actual configuration settings of various modules, in order to restore them later if necessary.

More components can be activated with one click. Otherwise, it requires minimal user intervention.

Tweak-10 can be protected from other PC users with a password.

It contains a comprehensive help manual and displays feature descriptions across the interface.

The Bad

From a visual perspective, the interface is not quite suited for the new OS. One look at the Tweak-10 main window overlaying the Windows 10 desktop is enough to tell apart the powerful contrast between the two.

Internet Explorer is the only web browser supported for tweaking.

Not all features can be properly tested during the trial period.

CPU usage was high during tasks in our tests.

The Truth

To wrap up it, Tweak-10 grants you access to numerous tweaks for Windows 10. You can use it to hide or disable a lot of system features you don't use.

NOTE: You can also check our reviews for Tweak-7 and Tweak-8.

user interface 3
features 4
ease of use 4
pricing / value 4


final rating 4
Editor's review
very good
 
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Tweak-10 (44 Images)

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