The blue column to the left is a menu of included functions, starting with “Problems”. The program opens with an Overview page open, where you can see Iolo’s assessment of your PC’s current state of security, a countdown of the included 12-month subscription and ads in the form of “handy tips”. You can also choose to install a Windows desktop gadget which will display a PC health dashboard and a pointless list of actions you’ve already performed. You can choose between just the System Mechanic program or the full “Pro” package which includes antivirus and backup tools as well as the aforementioned data recovery program. Installation is simple, though you’re forced to register for an Iolo account and provide an email address (we used a throwaway). You can’t check for deleted or damaged partitions either. Sadly, the program is completely useless and couldn’t detect a single deleted file-except one in the Recycle Bin folder. The CD-ROM autorun gives you the option of running a data recovery program directly, which makes a lot of sense since installing software could overwrite the very file you need to save. There’s no indication of a software version number on the box, but once installed we were determined that it was v10.5.3 that we were seeing. A few of its functions are genuinely useful, but most of them either duplicate simple existing Windows functionality, simply don’t work, or go so overboard that they’re actually dangerous. Iolo System Mechanic Professional seems stuck in an older era and relies on tired tricks like cleaning out your browser cache and cookies to “improve performance”. The opening screen with a system health meter
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