Pricey, powerful backup program is slightly easier to use, but its interface still needs a tune-up.

If you’re after a backup application that doubles as a system restorer, the new features help make Ghost 10 a worthwhile upgrade – even for existing users of version 9.

The interface may be befuddling in spots, but True Image is the best all-around backup utility available. Find a demo of it here for download.

The capabilities of this suite are pretty impressive, especially the enhanced system recovery tool, which offers much more control than the utilities built into Windows. There's a slightly stripped down version that's around $50 cheaper but, as this consists only of File Backup and Disaster Recovery, it is genuinely less useful.

There's nothing groundbreaking in Registry Mechanic 7.0, but PC Tools' latest system optimiser is good enough to retain its top position among the paid-for system utilities

Driver Genius Professional Edition 2007 makes it easy to ensure that all your drivers are up-to-date and helps correct any problems so your system runs just that little bit smoother. In the event of a system crash, Driver Genius Professional Edition 2007 is an invaluable time-saving tool. And at $36.97 it's good value for money too.

Webroot does a good job and is simple to use. The price is decent (although Carbonite offers unlimited storage for a similar amount), but Bullguard’s interface is much cleaner and still remains the software of choice in this area.

Registry First Aid is about as good a Registry cleaner as you can get — but unfortunately, you have to pay for it.