Belarc Advisor is a completely free application that will let you create a very complete audit of your computer, including software and hardware components in a few easy steps.
Installation & Requirements
Due to the small file size of the application and its installer, the setup completes very fast and without an issue. The program supports all versions of Windows, even the 9x ones and Windows Servers.
Interface
In order to clarify things right from the start, the application does not have an actual main interface. When you run the application, you will get a window informing you of the process that the program is currently running, permissions for the program and other similar data. The only options you really have is skipping a few steps and giving your permission as the administrator to the program for complete file access.
After the application completes its scanning and auditing, it will automatically compile an HTML file and open it, probably with your default browser. There you will be able to see exactly what the application has found about your computer and believe me when I say it goes to great length to find out things you probably did not even think about. The audit includes obvious stuff like information about your operating system, your hardware, the users in your computer (even the disabled ones) and more. Everything is very detailed and accurate but that is to be expected.
The more interesting features of the program lie in the software department. For example, Belarc Advisor will retrieve information about your virus protection, check it against its database and tell you whether it is up to date or not. It will also check Windows Update for important security updates you might have missed and even link to their Microsoft page so that you can learn how to get them. It also runs checks for other popular software like the Adobe Flash Player, again with detailed information about the update and a link to download it from the official site.
Information about your installed applications is also extremely detailed. The audit will tell you when you used the applications, their versions, their size and even more information when you roll your mouse over them. You can also click on the “i” button to go to their installed folder through Windows Explorer. At the very bottom of the program you will be able to see details about the whole process like how the program measures processor clock speed.
Although all of this is to be expected from audit software, the application stands out from the crowd due to the elegance of its reports and the simplicity of the whole procedure. You just run the program and everything is presented to you after a short wait. Links to pretty much everything make it extremely easy to detect and fix any problems that you might find in the audit and the detailed information about each aspect of your PC is amazing.
Pros
-Tiny size
-Very fast auditing procedure
-Detailed logs gather information about everything in a PC
-Links to security downloads
-Checks antivirus protection
Cons
-Some information might be too technical for a casual user
Conclusion
If you are looking for a PC auditing program, Belarc Advisor should be your first stop. The program’s simplicity of use should not be confused with how effective it is because you will truly recover information about every nook and cranny in your computer in just one step.
