Photo of HP Tablet PC running MS Windows Tablet Edition. Modified with Picasa2. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you are looking for a reliable module, W8 Sidebar is a nifty tool for Windows 7 and windows 8 users that combines system monitoring, a task scheduler and a registry cleaner that packs power into a compact portable frame.
W8 Sidebar displays CPU and RAM usage, free drive space, external IP address and upload an download speeds on the same monitor. Icons adjacent to each section link to other areas, with RAM monitor opening Task Manager and a drive icon that opens in Internet Explorer. The program's schedule automatically displays a message, runs programs or opens URLs, on a once-a-day basis, at a time of your choosing. What's more, W8 Sidebar is portable, so your schedule is always with you.
Other features include an MFT-based search tool that locates files by name, helpful when working on an unfamiliar computer. The system cleaner locates and eliminates junk files and orphaned registry keys, hives searches of HKCU, HKCR, HKUS and HKLM and backs up highlighted keys, or even the entire registry, before deletion.
W8 Sidebar's computer performance module lists system statistics such as last start and shutdown time, along with sections listing processes, services, applications and Windows start-up programs, all of which may be closed, uninstalled or deleted with a single click. Simple icons restart or shutdown your computer, log off or hibernate, while auto shutdown does the same tasks at specified times.
System uptime may also be displayed, while a button that prevents sleep ensures that the computer and monitor will remain available. Several configurations are available to help users get items such as network adapters working properly for uploads and downloads.
Although some features still need work and several features have odd annoyances like difficulty in moving the sidebar, PC Healthboost W8 Sidebar is packed with time-saving utilities that make it worth a look.