8 not-so-obvious reasons to try Ultra Virus Killer

If you’re running a great security suite, with an accurate "second opinion" scanner on hand, then installing a program called Ultra Virus Killer might not seem a high priority.

But wait: despite its name, UVK isn’t just about malware hunting. It has a pile of other PC maintenance and management tools to explore.

#1: System repair is a great module which brings a pile of PC troubleshooting functions together in one place.

There are checkboxes for just about every step you might take: clear your temporary folders, reset your browsers, clean the Registry, restore network defaults, register system DLLS, run an SFC scan, and apply a host of common Windows fixes.

Select what you need and UVK automates everything, even rebooting into safe mode or creating restore points as required.

#2, Registry Seeker is a handy tool which can search your Registry for one or more text strings.

Everything it finds is listed in a single pane, and you can edit individual items, search for them on Google, or multi-select individual items and delete them all in one operation.

#3, the System Information Module displays various details about your hardware and Windows setup, including your Windows product key, and optionally saves them to an HTML report.

#4, Smart Uninstaller is a capable tool for viewing and managing your installed applications.

The module enables you to multi-select applications and remove them all at once, perhaps without you having to do anything else at all (the program can try to automate the uninstall process).

Blacklists allow users to build up lists of programs which keep turning up. They’re selected automatically when Smart Uninstaller is launched, and can be removed with a click.

#5, Autorun Manager is a handy tool which speeds up the process of removing unwanted Windows startup programs.

You can easily choose which user account’s startup programs you’d like to view, for instance. You’re able to multi-select programs and remove them all in a click or two. There’s even an option to remove the startup entry and delete the executable file, all at the same time.

#6, "Delete files and folders" provides functions to replace or copy files, and delete files or folders, even if they’re being used by other applications.

#7. Quick User Manager is a refreshingly simple alternative to the usual Windows account management tools.

There’s no wandering around Control Panel, no multiple dialogs, no browsing through the Registry. Everything you need -- names, privilege level, password rules, auto-logon settings and more -- is all available from one dialog.

#8, UVK also has modules to manage Windows Services, view and close multiple Windows processes in one operation, manage your system restore points, prevent Registry keys from being changed…

And, of course, it can help you remove malware, too.

Ultra Virus Killer is a free application for Windows XP and later.