We now find ourselves well into Spring, so what better excuse is needed to start spring cleaning your computer? You can set about doing this manually, but it’s easier if you turn to a dedicated tool to take care of system maintenance. iolo System Mechanic Free 10.8.3.51 is a free tool which can be used to delete unnecessary files, defrag your hard drive, clean out the registry and much more. If you’re someone that takes a keen interest in the smooth running of your computer, you probably have some form of application monitoring software installed, and Bad Application 1.0 is a simple little utility that will enable you to test these out, checking what happens with crashed and hung applications. UserAssistView 1.02 is an interesting tool that can be used to keep an eye on which programs have been running, while WSCC 2.0.4.0 enables you to easily update, manage and use any Sysinternals and NirSoft utilities you have installed.

Genie Timeline

Another new system utility this week is Microsoft Fix it Portable which provides a number of handy diagnostic tools in a program that does not need to be installed. As well as maintaining the performance of your computer, it is important to backup the data you have stored on it; this is something that Genie Timeline Free 2012 v3.0.1 can help with, enabling you to automatically safeguard your valuable files. Should you be a little more demanding of your backup software Genie Timeline Home 2012 v3.0.1 allows for more frequent backups as well as a disaster recovery mode for any time you are unable to boot into Windows. Another step up the product line take you to Genie Timeline Professional 2012 v3.0.1 which gives you greater control over which files are backed up as well as making use of encryption.

MAGIX PhotoStory

Everyone has a series of digital photos stored on their hard drive, but how many of us actually put them to any use? With MAGIX PhotoStory on DVD MX (v11) installed you can transform your snaps into sophisticated slideshows that you can share with your friends and family. With a huge range of special effects and transitions to choose from and the ability to not only burn projects to disc, but also upload to the web, there’s plenty of scope for creativity here. MAGIX PhotoStory on DVD MX Deluxe 11 is also available with even more options and templates for you to experiment with. From the same company is MAGIX MP3 deluxe MX (v18) which includes all of the tools you need to manage a music collection of any size. If talk of Windows 8 has got you hankering for a new look for your operating system, Windows 8 Transformation Pack 4.0 and Windows 8 UX Pack 4.0 are available to help you get the look of the next version of Windows free of charge.

VirtualBox

LibreOffice Productivity Suite 3.5.2 is a great office suite for any looking for a spreadsheet, word processor and more without the need to part with a penny,  and it is a piece of software that keeps improving with every release. If you’re more in the mood for fun, Simutrans 111.2.2 may be up your street – it’s an intriguing twist on the sim genre which places you in charge of a transportation network. Fans of the Amiga platform will likely be interested in checking out WinUAE 2.4.0 which is a free Amiga emulator for Windows that can be used to run all manner of old games and software. If you’re more interested in trying out the latest and greatest, VirtualBox 4.1.12 (build 77245) may be more what you’re looking for, enabling you to install virtual operating systems within Windows so you can try out different versions and platforms.

The week ahead is sure to be packed with a plethora of great new releases, so keep an eye on Downloadcrew and join us next week for another roundup.