Desktop Maestro 3 is essentially two of PC Tools’ better applications, Registry Mechanic and Privacy Guardian, mashed into a single application, designed to clean up Windows systems and get them running at peak performance.

Pros: The basic interface is great, and it’s very easy to get it running on most systems. Registry cleaning on our test systems did improve performance - quite markedlyin some cases.

Cons: The registry watching application can get quite naggy, and while some aspects of Desktop Maestro are well explained, others (such as services) aren’t, which could lead to inadvertent tinkering, causing - rather than preventing- system crashes.

Verdict: A good all-in-one Windows toolbox.