This is a technique that advertisers can use to track you around the web without access to any personal information like your email address. Privacy Guardian works by preventing fingerprinting.

This is a welcome change that makes the software suite feel much more cohesive. The tool no longer needs to be installed separately, and is only ever a click away. When we reviewed Iolo Phoenix 360, one of our few complaints was that it felt like the Privacy Guardian element should be part of System Mechanic – and now it is.

If you’re short of time or not too confident, System Mechanic can perform a cleanup automatically, only removing files and ending processes that won’t interfere with your daily PC use, but for more experienced users, the level of fine control is a real boon. This even applies to startup programs, which are given a community rating to help you decide whether or not to allow them to run. You can drill right down to find information about each file, and why you should consider removing (or keeping) it. One of the things we like best about System Mechanic is the level of detail is provides about each scan result.

The Quick Scan option checks for temporary files, and only takes a few seconds, while the Deep Scan also checks for unnecessary startup processes, registry issues and sub-optimal Windows settings. System Mechanic’s home screen still puts system optimization front and centre, prompting you to scan your PC for unnecessary files, broken registry entries and more. If you’ve used an Iolo System Mechanic product before, the interface will be immediately familiar, but packed with a lot more icons and options. In addition to Iolo’s PC cleanup tools (which we’ve rated highly in previous reviews), this software also includes antivirus, a secure password manager, a drive wiper, anti-tracking tools for your web browser, malware detection and removal, and a file recovery tool. Whereas different versions of System Mechanic are chiefly focused on improving your PC’s performance, Ultimate Defense is also a fully-fledged security suite for protecting you from online threats. It now has a new design that brings it in line with Iolo’s other software, plus new tools to tackle modern online threats Iolo System Mechanic Ultimate Defense is the new name for Iolo Phoenix 360 – the company’s all-in-one PC cleanup and security suite – but it’s received much more than just a new name since our 2018 review.

Iolo ultimate defense