Iolo Technologies has released System Mechanic 11.7 Free and System Mechanic 11.7, a minor update to its popular Windows system optimisation tool that delivers refinements to existing technologies in order to eke more performance out of PCs.

Version 11.7 comes with three major new features, aimed at the paid-for versions of the software: streamlined startup speeds, more machine-oriented optimisation and Direct Expert Connection.

System Mechanic 11.7’s promise of faster start-up times is delivered via enhancements to System Mechanic’s boot-optimisation technology, which iolo promises will make Windows ready for use much quicker than with previous builds of the program. This builds on previous enhancements including one where the user is given complete control over what boots when – for example, creating “black out” times where no boot-time operations are performed.

Expect minor performance improvements on existing tweaks in System Mechanic 11.7.

System Mechanic already makes use of special Tune-up Definitions, which allow it to pass on research findings on performance-related issues to the program that in turn deliver improved performance on the user’s PC.  Ongoing testing has allowed iolo to now inject more personalised recommendations into its definitions, which in turn means performance can be focussed into the individual setup and profile of the user’s PC.

The final new feature is the Direct Expert Connection, which sees iolo’s collective powers being delivered direct to the desktop, allowing computers to benefit even more quickly than before from the latest cutting-edge performance data.

The enhanced features build on other recent improvements – version 11.5 extended Windows 8 support, introduced cloud-based Guided Recommendations based on advice from other System Mechanic users, and dropped per-PC licensing restrictions, for example.

System Mechanic 11.7 Free is available as a free, reduced-functionality download, while both System Mechanic 11.7 and System Mechanic Professional 11.7 are available as free trial downloads for PCs running Windows XP or later. The 11.7 update is free to all registered users of System Mechanic 11.

You can purchase both for a significant discount through the Downloadcrew Software Store: System Mechanic 11.5 costs $24.95, a saving of 50% on the MSRP, while System Mechanic Professional 11.5 can be bought for just $39.95, saving you 43%.