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Avast is known in the PC space for its free antivirus program. Continuously regarded among the best antivirus makers, the Prague-based software vendor has more than 435 million users actively using its antivirus software. It is more prominent among Windows PC users. One reason for its massive popularity is it offers a complete antivirus suite which includes virus protection, URL filtering, internet connection analyzer, password manager among others.
One such highly useful component is Avast “Cleanup” which is a PC tuneup package. But this only comes with the paid version of Antivirus suite. As the premium version is somewhat pricier when compared to its alternatives, it’s natural to ask whether the product is worth the price. In this article, we’ll provide an unbiased Avast Cleanup Premium review so you can make the decision for yourself.
What is PC Cleanup and why you need it?
Every time you use your PC, a lot goes on in the background which you do not get to see as a user. Files are created, modified, stored, deleted on the go. But all of these activities consume data on your hard drive. For example, the Windows’ registry database is supposed to keep a log of all configuration settings that happen on the system. Other operating systems have a similar mechanism in place.
But over time, these get larger and larger in size which can consume a lot of space on your hard drive. This often results in slowing down of the PC. The system gets cluttered and the hardware doesn’t get enough space to run its operations. That’s the reason why your PC is fast when bought but experiences a slowdown over time.
Moreover, these files can get infected with programming virus and get corrupted. This makes your entire system vulnerable to malware and privacy thefts. A PC tune-up will help you get rid of all these potential threats.
A Good PC cleanup software like Avast Cleanup free up space by clearing these unnecessary files and keep the necessary files organized in a safe manner. After running a full PC cleanup, you see a dramatic rise in processing speed if you’ve been experiencing a slowdown.
Avast Cleanup Premium Features
Now that you know what PC tuneup programs like Avast Cleanup do, it’s time to delve into some of its features specifically. Avast Cleanup free is like an all-in-one package for tuning up your PC’s performance. Avast says it can dramatically speed up your PC by freeing up disk space, fix minor issues, and monitor for regular updates. When you opt for Avast Cleanup Premium, here are all the privileges you get from Avast:
Sleep Mode
At any given moment, there are multiple apps running in the background to make your PC functional. But after a few minutes, they still run in the background even though not in use. Avast Cleanup dashboard will list all the apps that are currently running and how much resources they’re consuming. In sleep mode, you can put some of these apps to sleep to enhance PC’s performance.
Shortcut Cleaner
Every program you install on your PC creates a shortcut with your permission at the time of installation. But over time, some of these shortcuts are no longer necessary and become useless. This tune-up software from Avast will detect and delete these shortcuts for you.
Disk Cleaner
At its core, Avast Cleanup free essentially is a hard disk cleaner. All of the trash you have accumulated over the time period of using your PC will be scanned and cleared. The trash may include temporary files, traces of uninstalled apps, defective files, duplicate files, etc. So if you’re running short on disk space, running the clean up will be highly beneficial.
Registry Cleaner
As discussed earlier, the registry in Windows OS gets cluttered over time due to continuous generation and modification of data. Each time you install a new application, more and more entries get logged into the registry. Avast Cleanup Premium clears this log file from time to time which speeds up the PC’s performance by giving it more space to work with. Some people are concerned about this since the registry contains vital, necessary files as well. But there’s nothing to worry since the software only targets junk files.
Bloatware Removal
Bloatware are those pieces of software which you keep momentarily like trial version apps that you forget or toolbars. You usually delete them after some period of time. But their traces remain deep inside the files. Avast Cleanup free helps you eliminate them once and for all.
Auto Maintenance and updates
Everything needs maintenance from time to time in one way or another. Your PC is no exception. Outdated apps are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Even though modern-day PCs are equipped with the necessary software to take care of themselves, it’s better to get another layer of security to keep track of everything. To automate this process, you can schedule cleanups and checkups to keep your PC in a healthy condition.
Is paying for the Avast cleanup premium worth it?
You can a question in your mind such as “is avast cleanup premium worth it” or “does avast cleanup premium work”. When you download Avast Antivirus for the first time, more often than not, it’ll be a free version. It’ll contain a limited number of features and Avast Cleanup won’t be included. To get the complete software, you’ll have to make a purchase. And that’s how you get Avast Cleanup premium.
It ain’t cheap either. A 1-year license for one Windows PC will cost you around $60. Compare it with some other alternatives like CCleaner and you’d see that it’s priced at $14.99. An interesting fact to note here is that it is owned by Avast. So innately you’d weigh in the benefits against its drawbacks.
So here are the benefits of Avast Cleanup premium:
It’s an all-in-one package
You buy Avast Premium to get access to Avast Cleanup. The security software suite, as mentioned earlier, is a collection of a number of software each of which is designed to carry out separate tasks. So when you install the premium version of Avast antivirus software, you get a complete security package for your PC.
Effective at cleaning old files
If you’re paying for premium products, you should get a premium service. Avast realizes that and thus have put much effort into making its PC tune-up software best-in-class. The features are plentiful and do their job neatly. From temporary files to outdated apps, Avast Cleanup Premium scans everything and targets the most vulnerable ones. If you’re good at programming you can automate much of these tasks using Powershell.
Peace of mind
The main benefit that comes with Avast Cleanup Premium is psychological. You can install it once and literally forget about it. If you’re a non-techie person, this should be the preferred choice of software. It’s better to install software which will take care of all the mundane stuff related to cleaning your PC. Moreover, you’ll be getting the product from a reputed brand. So expect everything to be as smooth as possible.
However, Avast Cleanup Premium might not be for everyone. For example, if you’re even mildly experienced in running a PC, you can do much of the cleaning on your own. It doesn’t even require any coding skills.
Things you can do to clean up your PC:
- Right-click on your hard drive icon (C-drive in Windows), select properties and then “Disk Clean up.” This will remove the junk.
- Open Task Manager from Windows Taskbar and prioritize the applications you want to open when Windows starts.
- Within the Task Manager, you’ve opened, you can put running programs to sleep. This will minimize the load on the processor and improve speed.
- Open your browser and navigate to “Add-ons” from settings/options. Remove or disable irrelevant browser extensions which you no longer need.
- Select all the shortcut icons of apps you’re no longer using and press “Shift+Del” to delete them permanently.
As you can see, many of the tasks can be done in one or two clicks. So some people find it unappealing to pay for automating such easy tasks. There are free alternatives available specifically for tuning up your PC, and the computers themselves come with programs to look after themselves.
But you need to recognize that you’re paying for the full software suite which extends beyond PC cleanups. You’re paying for world-class antivirus technology which is proven to safeguard your PC. Not only PC, but Avast is also available to be installed in Mac, Android, and iPhone devices. Getting a branded, reliable product from a reputed company like Avast Cleanup Premium is definitely worth the price. It just depends on your needs and preferences. Otherwise, you have the option or running the free version timelessly. But purchasing the Avast Cleanup Premium definitely speeds up your device considerably. Hope you liked the Avast Cleanup Premium Review and let us know in comments whether you opted for Avast Cleanup Premium and the reasons for the same.