Review: System Suite 8 utility software

Cover all the PC protection bases

System Suite 8 aims to cover all the bases when it comes to protecting your PC, whether that's from online threats and criminal activity or from old-fashioned malfunctions and breakdowns.

To that end, it includes protection against viruses and spyware as well as a firewall and anti-spam tool.

That covers the online threats, and it does so competently if not as fully as a full anti-virus package does.

There's a system optimiser and diagnostics utility, both of which check out the various components to make sure they're running correctly. For instance, the program can pick up on some hard disk failures before they happen, and it can check the registry to make sure that any programs you've uninstalled aren't still clogging up the system.

Then there's a cleanup tool to remove your web browsing history and other 'footprints' of use, as well as a file shredder that will securely delete files (if you're giving the computer away, for instance).

Although there are free tools online that will do all of this, System Suite 8 provides the whole lot in a set that's easy to install and use.

Vista comatibility: Yes