System analysis
1: This toolbar lists all modules grouped by category.
2: The status of the current system analysis along with details on current available RAM, CPU and GPU is shown here.
3: The results of the most recent system analysis are displayed here.
Click an entry to review results in more detail. Maximize the program window for an even more detailed list.
4: If enabled, the system analysis will be run on each program launch.
5: Runs the system analysis again.
6: Optimizes your PC according to the selected settings.
Extended
This module allows you to clean individual system areas that not affected by regular system analyses. This allows you to reclaim additional disk space, better protect your privacy, and fix some system issues (Windows Explorer, DirectX). Note that, depending on the affected area, applications/updates may initially perform slower after cleaning.Automatic
You can enable/disable the various automatic features of WinOptimizer here and review the 10 most recent actions. If needed, you can also export or delete the history of all actions. While automatic features are enabled, a tray icon will be shown. Right click the icon to access the settings for each feature.
Auto-Clean
Many running applications store temporary data as various files that will continue to take up space once their applications are closed. Auto-Clean removes application-related temporary files as soon as the applications are closed to regain disk space.Live-Tuner
Live-Tuner adjusts process priorities to speed up application launches.Game-Booster
Modern games are heavy on memory and CPU resources. Simultaneously running applications also require resources and may slow down your games. Game-Booster automatically terminates all processes/applications that are non-essential to the game to free up resources.You can access the settings for the three tools through the ![]()
icon in the system task tray. At least one of the tools must be running for this icon to appear.
Clean / Optimize / Inform
These dashboards bundle core features of related modules in an easily accessible interface. The affected modules will run as soon as you open a dashboard. Use the right-aligned circular buttons to perform a rescan for the affected module and the other buttons to make fine-adjustments or to access additional features.Use the arrow button to run another analysis for the associated section and the toggle switch to enable/disable the section.
Clean
These modules help you clean the Registry, remove web browsing traces and to track down no longer needed files.
Optimize
Here, you can speed up boot times, defragment mechanical hard disks for faster access times and adjust essential privacy settings for added protection.
Inform
This dashboard provides essential details about your installed hardware and software.
All modules
WinOptimizer integrates with the system context menu and allows you to perform various actions, e.g. file encryption, by right-clicking files in Windows Explorer. You can also right-click the recycle bin and have its files permanently deleted.
Basic handling
The tools generally follow the same pattern:
1: Summary of current settings and optional search field
2: Details; Categories are collapsible/expandable through arrow buttons
3: Module settings and more (convenience) functions
4: Action buttons
More functions
These are convenience functions, e.g. to make (de)selecting list entries easier.
Tools in WinOptimizer are grouped by into modules arranged by use cases.
1: Use this switch to toggle between a use-case and module names based view.
2: These modules will clean your system of no longer needed files and more.
3: Performance enhancing features are located here.
4: Detailed information on installed hardware, software and the performance of your machine is available here.
5: With the help of these modules, you find and fix file-related errors.
6: These modules help you manage common PC settings, e.g. for user-rights management.
Maintain system
One Click Optimizer
This module runs Internet Cleaner, Drive Cleaner and Registry Optimizer in succession. Click the magnifying glass icons to open the affected modules and adjust the results. Click "Delete now" to remove all found objects.Drive Cleaner
Drive Cleaner scans your system for no longer needed files and displays results grouped by categories. Click the number of results to display details for each category. Use the check boxes to select/deselect individual results or use the top buttons to select all/no results from a category. Click "Create report" to save your results as a text file.Managing exceptions
You can whitelist individual entries through the right-click context menu to exclude them from deletion. Use the module settings to edit the whitelist.Registry Optimizer
Registry Optimizer scans your Windows Registry database for no longer needed entries and displays results grouped by categories. Click the number of results to display details for each category. Use the check boxes to select/deselect individual results or use the top buttons to select all/no results from a category. Click "Write a report" to save your results as a text file. Right click a result to access the context menu. You may then specify the entry as an exception to exclude it from future searches. You can remove exceptions in the settings for this module.Managing exceptions
You can whitelist individual entries through the right-click context menu to exclude them from deletion. Use the module settings to edit the whitelist.Internet Cleaner
Internet Cleaner scans your system for no longer needed Internet-related files and displays results grouped by categories. Click the number of results to display details for each category.Secure cookies
Many websites uses cookies to store important data, e.g. login credentials, and use them to automatically fill in the data on your next visit. Since Internet Cleaner deletes all cookies, you'll have to reenter the data manually for each affected site, unless you mark the affected cookies as "safe", thereby excluding them from deletion. Note that your settings always apply to all supported browsers.Marking cookies as "secure" via context menu
Right-click a cookie in the list of results to display the context menu and select "Mark selected cookies as Secure Cookies":Specifying safe cookies manually
You can use the "Manage safe cookies" button to manually add URLs of cookies of which will then be considered safe.Existing cookies are listed on the left. Select one or more entries and click "Add selection" to whitelist the affected cookies. You can also add individual URLs, e.g. "ashampoo.*", using the text field and the plus button. "*" is a wildcard character and means that all URLs starting with "ashampoo." will be whitelisted.
"Export" and "Import" allows you to export your cookie settings to a text file and import them, e.g. on another PC.
In the next example, all cookies related to "apple." are whitelisted via keyboard input, followed by an already listed cookie on the left.
Defrag
Defrag rearranges file fragments to speed up file access times. It should only be used with mechanical drives. Modern SSDs provide nearly constant access times irrespective of file fragmentation.Options
Opens the module settings
Other actions
Merge free disk spaceMerges all fragments that make up free space into a single segment for faster access times.
Perform retrim
Notifies the controller of the affected SSD about files that have been deleted so that the controller can then physically delete/overwrite the affected disk portions.
Rescan drives
Updates the list of available drives. This is useful when you plugged in additional drives after the module was launched.
Registry Defrag (Not available on Windows 11)
This module defragments the Windows Registry database to speed up your Windows performance. Click "Analyze" to scan all Registry areas and select the areas to be optimized. Then, click "Defragment".Improve performance
Service Manager
Services are background programs required by Windows and other applications to work properly. This module lists all installed services and provides a rating on their usefulness. It also allows you to modify start types individually.Refresh
Updates the list.Download ratings
Use this button to retrieve current ratings in case you disabled auto-downloads.Details
Displays details such as service dependencies.Start
Starts a service.Stop
Stops a service.Start type
Allows you to modify the start type of a service.Deactivate
The service is permanently disabled. Use the ratings to ascertain whether a service is vital to the functioning of your system first.
Manual
The service is inactive and started automatically as soon as it is needed.
Automatic
The service will start with Windows.
Automatic (delayed)
The service will start once Windows has loaded to avoid slow downs.
Rate online
Allows you to rate a service. Your rating will be shared with the community to make it available to other WinOptimizer.Boot Center
This modules not only gives you a detailed overview of processes/services that impact your PC's boot process, including load times, but also the ability to view/edit and enable/disable individual autorun and maintenance-related tasks.Overview
This page displays a summary for recorded boot times, autorun entries and tasks.Boot time
Boot times analyzed by section are presented here. You can select a log file through the top-right dropdown menu.Autorun
This module lists all applications that launch with Windows. Use the check boxes to enable/disable individual entries.Red entries refer to missing files, e.g. after an incomplete program uninstallation. Select the entry and click "Edit" to review the file path. Run Registry Optimizer to remove invalid entries automatically.
Reload
Updates the list of entries.Add/Edit
Allows you to add a program to the Windows startup sequence. Either a name and select the EXE file for the program or manually input a command line sequence.Delete
Deletes an entry from the Windows startup sequence.Enable/Disable
Allows you to enable/disable individual entries, e.g. to check the impact on your boot time prior to deletion.Tasks
Use the dropdown menu to filter the tasks by category.Reload
Updates the list of entries.Delete
Deletes the selected task.Enable/Disable
Allows you to enable/disable individual entries, e.g. to check the impact on your boot time prior to deletion.Shut down
This section alows you to review the shutdown behavior of your PC. Use the top-right dropdown menu, to select a log file.Internet Tuner
This module helps you optimize your Internet connection.Adjust manually
Experts may adjust individual network parameters manually. Please only use this option if you know what you are doing. Wrong inputs can cause connection drops or other disturbances.Auto-optimize now
Select the type of your connection and the affected network adapter. If you are using a very slow connection or your machine is part of a heterogeneous network you should not disable "QoS", otherwise, you can disable this feature to increase network speeds. Click "Adjust automatically" to begin the process.Process Manager
This module lists all currently running processes and allows you to adjust their priorities or terminate them.Details
Displays additional details such as process owner and associated program windows.Terminate process
Terminates the selected process. Note that system processes cannot be terminated.Modify priority
Allows you to adjust the priority of a process.Show
Filters running processes by categories.Show load in lower window area
Displays/Hides charts for the overall CPU load and memory consumption of currently running processes.You can also right-click entries to access various functions.
Uninstall Manager
This module allows you to uninstall applications and remove entries for incompletely uninstalled programs.Refresh
Updates the list of installed applications.Delete entry
Deletes the entry from the list of installed Windows applications. The entry will also no longer show up in Windows' own uninstall dialog.Uninstall application
Uninstalls the application from your system.SSD Wizard
Use these settings to optimize your Windows for SSD drives.Customize Windows
Tweaking
Tweaking allows you to customize various system settings. Select the desired category from the entries on the left and use the tabs to navigate through each category. Click "Apply" to apply the changes from all categories and "Restore standard settings" to restore the original settings.Privacy Manager
Privacy Manager can adjust all Windows settings that collect or share data about you with Microsoft. Select the desired category from the entries on the left and use the tabs to navigate through each category. Click "Apply" to apply the changes from all categories and "Restore standard settings" to restore the original settings. "Restore safe settings" will automatically adjust the settings to avoid the most common security risks.File Associator
File Associator allows you to associate file types with viewer/editor programs. File types that are currently unassociated are marked red. Click an entry to select it or hold down Shift to select multiple entries starting with the first selected entry or Ctrl to select multiple entries individually.Settings
Opens the module settings.Refresh
Updates the list of available file types.Undo changes
Restores the original program association for the selected file types-.Edit
You can select the icon to be used on the Desktop and Windows Explorer and the viewer/editor for the selected file type here.Delete
Deletes the selected file type from your system.Apply changes
Applies your modifications.Context Menu Manager
This module allows you to enable/disable various menu items in Windows' right-click context menu. Use "Activate" and "Disable" to turn individual items on/off or use the check marks. Click "Apply" to apply your modifications and "Properties" for additional details on a selected item.Browser Extension Manager
This module lists all browser extensions from all browsers in all available user profiles.More functions
Uninstall
Deletes the selected extension from the affected browser.Search online
Performs a Google search for the selected extension.Rate online
Allows you to rate the usefulness of the extension. Your rating will be submitted online so that other WinOptimizer users can profit from your experience.Download database
Downloads the latest ratings database.Display file properties
Displays file properties for the selected extension, if available.Open folder
Opens the folder containing the extension in Windows Explorer, if available.Refresh
Reloads the list of installed extensions.Analyze system
System Information
This module provides various details on your PC hardware and installed applications. Click "Create Report" to display this data in your browser, e.g. to store it as an HTML file and share it with a technical support agent.DiskSpace Explorer
DiskSpace Explorer analyzes and visualizes the file distribution across your drives, e.g. to track down huge files. Select a drive and click "Start" to begin analyzing. Either double-click a folder on the left to navigate to that folder or double-click a folder in the center view. This allows you to navigate through your folders.File allocation by percentages
Name
Displays the size of files / folders either relative to the capacity of the host drive or relative to their parent folder. You can change this setting under "Bar in Name column".Size %
Displays the size of files/ folders relative to the capacity of the host drive.In the above image, the folder "System32" occupies 9.789% of the total available space on drive "C".
(Folder) Size
Displays the size of files / folders relative to their parent folder.In the above image, the folder "System32" occupies 24.280% of the space occupied by the folder "Windows" on drive "C".
View settings
Files
This view hides all diagrams.Structure
This views displays files and a chart.File formats
This view groups files by type, e.g. videos, and displays both a list and chart.Bar in "Name" column
No barsHides the visual representation of space usage.
Size relative to current drive
Displays the size of files/ folders relative to the capacity of the host drive.
Size relative to folder
Displays the size of files / folders relative to their parent folder.
Show
Allows you to restrict the display to individual categories.Context menu
Open File
Opens the selected file.Show in Explorer
Opens the folder the selected file resides in Windows Explorer.Open folder in explorer
Opens the selected folder in Windows Explorer.Delete
Deletes the selected file/folder.Benchmark Center
This module can benchmark the total performance of your PC or individual drives and compare it to other results online. Select a category, click "Run benchmark" to begin benchmarking and "Compare online" to compare your results to other machines.HDD Inspector
This module displays details on the health of your drives and other information. Use it to determine whether a drive is approaching failure to backup your files on time or get a replacement to prevent data loss.Re-scan hard drives
Updates the list of available hard disks.Write report
Writes all data to a text file and opens it in your default text editor.Status
Displays a summary of the status of the selected drive.S.M.A.R.T.
Displays the current S.M.A.R.T. values for the selected drive.Information
Shows additional details such as a list of features supported by your drive.Analyze allocation
Runs DiskSpace Explorer for the affected drive.Disk Doctor
Disk Doctor scans your disks for errors and can try to fix them. These errors can be caused by power cuts, crashes or on external drives that were improperly disconnected.Font Manager
This module lists all installed system fonts.Refresh
Updates the list of installed fonts.Control Panel
Opens the "Fonts" folder in Windows Explorer.View
Displays a detailed preview for the selected font.Delete
Deletes the selected font. Note that some applications depend on specific fonts to work properly or at all.File tools
File Wiper
When Windows deletes a file, the affected disk space is marked as reusable. As long as it isn't used for new data, the original data is still there and can be recovered easily. FileWiper overwrites these areas with data such as zeros so the data can no longer be recovered. This is especially relevant to Windows' recycle bin as your "deleted" files can otherwise be easily restored.To permanently delete files in Windows Explorer, right-click the selected files and select "Destroy with Ashampoo WinOptimizer". You can also right-click the recycle bin and select "Destroy content with Ashampoo WinOptimizer" to permanently delete the affected files. WinOptimizer doesn't have to be running for you to use these features.
Settings
Opens the module settingsAdd
FolderAdds a folder to the list that will be permanently erased.
File(s)
Adds one or more files to the list that will be permanently erased.
Trashcan contents
Adds the contents of the recycle bin to the list.
Free disk space
Overwrites free disk space on the selected drive to render previously deleted files/folder unrecoverable.
Clear list
Deletes all entries from the list.Remove from list
Deletes the currently selected entry from the list.Abort
Cancels the current operation.Wipe data
Overwrites the selected areas permanently.File Manipulator
File Manipulator allows you to split up files into several parts, e.g. for easier sharing or archiving. It can also reassemble these parts or encrypt/decrypt files.Split
Select the file to split and optionally specify an output folder. If no output folder is specified, the parts will be created in the original file folder. Then, select the desired size of your parts and click "Start" to begin the operation.Join
Make sure all required parts reside in the same folder and select one of them. You may optionally specify an output folder for the newly assembled file. If no output folder is specified, the file will be created in the original file folder. Click "Start" to begin the process.Encrypt
Select the file to be encrypted and enter the password to be used. If required, you may create a self-extracting archive that can be decrypted on any machine without the use of WinOptimizer. You may optionally select to have the original file deleted once it has been encrypted. Click "Start" to begin the process.Decrypt
Select the encrypted file. Then, put in the password you used during the encryption phase and click "Start" to begin the operation.Deep scan
Same as "Check now" but also scans unused areas. Depending on the size of your disk, this process may take some time.Check now
Scans the selected disk for errors. Only areas that are currently occupied by files will be scanned. The program can try to move files from corrupted to safe areas and will then mark the affected areas as unusable to avoid future data loss.Select drive
Select the disk to be scanned here.Display log file
Displays a summary of the scan.Stop
Cancels the current operation.Undeleter
Undeleter attempts to recover accidentally deleted files. Simply select a drive and click "Search". Then, select the files to be recovered. Use the search text field to narrow down the list of results and click "Restore" to recover the selected files. Make sure to select a different drive than the source as destination to avoid data loss.Link Checker
Link Checker validates file shortcuts and can delete invalid items. These shortcuts allow you to access the underlying files via double-clicking, like most of your Desktop icons. Shortcuts become invalid when the underlying file is moved or deleted. In the module, click the check boxes to select/deselect individual entries or use the toolbar.Refresh
Updates the list of shortcuts. Click the arrow to adjust additional search parameters.Select invalid
Select all invalid shortcuts.Select none
Clears the current selection.Properties
Displays details such as the target location for the shortcut.Delete selected
Deletes the selected shortcuts from your system.Duplicate Finder
Duplicate Finder scans your drives for duplicate files and lists them side by side. This allows you to find and delete duplicates and regain disk space. Click "Search" to begin the operation. Use the text field to search for individual files and the check boxes to select/deselect individual items. Click "Delete" to delete the selected items from your system. Click "Create report" to create a text file that contains a list of duplicate entries.Click "Settings" to select the drives to be scanned.
ADS scanner
Alternate data streams (ADS) attach secondary but hidden data streams / files to a file as it is usually shown in Windows Explorer. These streams usually contain additional data used by programs that process the "main" file. However, they can also be used to hide malware. This module scans the initially selected drive for such streams and allows you to delete them, if needed. Right-click an entry and select "Find online" for additional information on the stream type.Administrative tools
System Restore Manager
This module manages system restore points as created by Windows, e.g. before installing Windows updates. System restore points allow you to revert your machine to a previous state in the event of system errors.Refresh
Updates the list of restore points.Create new restore point
Creates a new system restore point that holds the current system state.Restore
Restores the selected restore point and reverts your system to the previous state.Delete
Deletes the restore point from your system.Icon Saver
Icon Saver saves the position of your desktop icons and can restore their original layout, e.g. after it was altered by newly installed application.Refresh
Updates the list of backups.Create save point
Saves the current desktop icon layout.Delete
Deletes the selected backup.Restore
Restores the original icon layout from the selected backup.User-Rights Manager
Use this module to adjust/restrict user rights, e.g. to keep guests from altering display options or uninstalling applications. It is particularly useful in multi-user environments.First, select a user from the top left pull-down menu, then select a category from the left. Use the tabs to navigate through a category. Click "Apply restrictions" to apply all modifications to the selected user or "Remove restrictions" to restore the original settings.
Energy Manager
Here, you can adjust existing or create new power schemes. Each scheme offers separate settings for battery and grid operation.Other actions
RefreshReloads the list of available power schemes.
Reset power scheme
Resets the selected power scheme to its original settings.
Restore Windows defaults
Replaces all existing power schemes with Windows defaults plus the Ashampoo scheme.
Delete power scheme
Deletes the selected power scheme.
Copy power scheme
Clones the selected power schemeEdit
Edits the selected power schemeActivate
Sets the selected power scheme active forEdit (power scheme)
This dialog allows you to modify the selected power scheme to your needs. Changes should be made by experienced users only.Task scheduler
This module allows you to specify a time when either the system analysis or One Click Optimizer should be run automatically. If needed, the program can shut itself down, once the process is complete.In conjunction with 1-Click Optimizer, this module allows you to specify an interval at which the recycle bin gets emptied.
In the following example, 1-Click Optimizer is scheduled to run daily at 2 pm and to clean the system drive including the recycle bin.
Statistics
This is a summary of all WinOptimizer activities. Click "Rest" to reset all values.Backups
Use this module to undo changes made by WinOptimizer, e.g. through Registry Optimizer, should the changes have lead to undesired system behavior.