Computer Optimizer has several main features which helps optimize memory for your applications.

(1) Release RAM - You can free up a specific amount of RAM at any time, allowing your system to have memory available, and thus making your program work faster by utilizing the freed memory that is ready and waiting.

(2) Auto Detection
With the automatic feature, Computer Optimizer monitors the amount of available RAM . Once this RAM drops below a certain level specified by the user, it then performs an automatic freeup of RAM to a specified amount. With this option you can have Computer Optimizer running in the background. - Some users claim that this feature has reduced the number of Windows crashes they normally experienced prior to using Computer Optimizer.

(3) Time Interval Releases - You can set Computer Optimizer to do regular free-ups at an interval between 5 minutes and 24 hours. This can be useful for servers when you can pre-determine peek and non-peek periods of the server's use.

(4) Startup - At Startup, Windows has a number of programs and files that it might open. After it has completed the Startup process, a significant amount of RAM could be in use - and therefore wasted. The 'Computer Optimizer' Startup feature allows you to free up and release some unused RAM - after a user-specified amount of time.

(5) Configure Virtual Cache Settings * New * - Using the Cache Settings feature you can configure your computer to use its RAM to suit the way you use your computer. There are several predefined options including; Standard System, Power User, Multimedia, 3D Games, 3d Writer, Low Memory Systems.

(6) Optimize your Virtual memory * New * Computer Optimizer can optimize your virtual memory (swapfile) settings, this alone can make a noticeable difference as it can reduce virtual memory re-sizing, disk swapping, disk defragmentation, and constant hard disk access - these events all reduce your system's general performance.

What Slows Your Computer? What Uses Up Your RAM?

Large Libraries - Many programs use libraries, some which can be quite large and take up a considerable amount of RAM. These libraries can contain many functions that a program must use. Unfortunately, if a program you are running needs only a few of those functions, the program will still use up your RAM as if required for all the functions. Sometimes a large library is loaded to use only 1 or 2 of its functions - a huge waste of RAM.

File Caching - Windows holds part of your hard disk in RAM. However, as your PC's physical memory is obviously much too small to contain the entire contents of your hard disk. Windows therefore decides which files to store. This process is called file caching and is intended to help speed up your PC. It retains in RAM the files that have recently been used and which it thinks are likely to be used again. (Without file caching a PC would be very slow) Yet again, this process uses up RAM and some of the files it stores might not be required again until the next day.

Program Errors/Bugs - It is rare for a program to be 100% error free. The larger and more complex a program is, the more likely it is to contain errors. Many of these are not a major problem and thus go undetected. However, they can sometime cause a memory leak and Windows will conclude that the area in memory is still in use when in fact it is not - therefore yet again wasting RAM.

Starting & Closing Programs - When you run a program it loads data into memory. After you close the program, not all the RAM that is required is immediately cleared to again become available for use. This can be for one or more of the reasons explained above in the File Caching of Large Libraries, and Program Errors sections.