So you‘ve heard about this "Ares Wizard" thing for Kodi and want to give it a try, but don‘t know where to start? Don‘t worry, I‘ve got you covered.
Installing Ares Wizard is a breeze and it provides killer tools to keep your Kodi setup running like butter. This in-depth guide will cover everything from A to Z when it comes to getting the most out of Ares Wizard!
By the end, your Kodi will be cleaned, backed up, and optimized for flawless 4K streaming. So grab a tasty beverage and let‘s do this!
Overview – What Exactly is Ares Wizard?
First things first, what is this magical wizard and what does it do?
Ares Wizard is an addon that provides various maintenance tools to help keep your Kodi system in tip-top shape. It can automatically adjust advanced settings based on your device‘s specs, clear out cached junk files, create backups, run speed tests, and more.
Here are just some of the awesome tools included:
Pretty handy right? While Ares Wizard used to also offer access to unauthorized streams and downloads in the past, the developer has removed all of that.
The focus now is purely on much-needed maintenance utilities. Read on as I walk you through getting it installed…
Gain Access to Unknown Sources in Kodi Settings
The first thing you need to do is enable "Unknown Sources" in Kodi. Since Ares Wizard isn‘t part of the official Kodi repository, this setting allows you to install third-party addons:
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In the main Kodi menu, click on the little gear icon ⚙️ to open Settings.
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Go to System > Add-ons.
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On the right, you‘ll see the option for Unknown Sources – make sure it‘s switched on.
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You‘ll get a scary warning message about add-ons potentially being unverified. Click Yes to enable the setting.
Enabling Unknown Sources simply gives you more control over the addons you can install. Just be careful not to install anything sketchy from random unknown developers and you‘ll be fine.
Add the Ares Wizard Repository
With Unknown Sources enabled, it‘s time to load the Ares Wizard repository:
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Back in the main menu, this time open File Manager.
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Click Add Source.
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Enter the following EXACT URL: http://areswizard.co.uk/
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Give the source a name like "Ares" and click OK.
Once added successfully, you‘ll see your new "Ares" repo listed there in File Manager for easy access.
Install the Ares Wizard Addon
Now the Ares repository has been added as a source. From there, we can install the actual Ares Wizard addon:
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Go back to the main menu and open Add-ons.
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Select Install from Zip File.
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Click on the "Ares" repo you just added.
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Install the "script.areswizard.zip" file.
It‘ll take a moment to install. Once complete, you‘ll get a notification that Ares Wizard has been added!
The addon is now installed and ready to launch from the Add-ons menu. Let‘s check out how to use its powerful tools.
Clearing Cache for a Cleaner Kodi
One of the most useful features Ares Wizard provides is the ability to clear cached files that build up over time. This cruft can slow Kodi down and eat up storage space.
Under the Maintenance tab, you have various options to wipe cached packages, thumbnails, and temporary files.
For example, after streaming a few movies your cached thumbnails might look like this:
That‘s 3GB of cache! Simply click Clear Thumbnails and all that space is freed up.
Regularly clearing out the cache helps Kodi run much more smoothly, especially on low-powered devices like Fire Sticks.
Adjust Advanced Settings Based on Your Hardware
Kodi has tons of advanced XML configuration options behind the scenes that affect performance and resource usage.
Finding the optimal values for settings like the cache size can involve lots of tedious trial and error tweaking.
Luckily, the Ares Wizard can scan your device‘s hardware and automatically adjust advanced settings for you!
Under the Tools tab click Advanced Settings. It will detect specs like available RAM and set the cache sizes accordingly.
Advanced users can still view and tweak the XML manually. But this auto-detection takes the guesswork out for most.
Backing Up Your Personalized Kodi Setup
Setting up Kodi with your favorite addons, custom skins, and tailored to your media library takes time!
You don‘t want to lose all that effort if something goes wrong.
The Ares Wizard‘s backup feature lets you create a copy of your full Kodi configuration with one click. You can then restore from this backup later if needed.
Before doing major Kodi upgrades or modification, make a backup just in case.
Backups are stored as ZIP files. You can also transfer them to another device to clone your setup.
Get More Details with System Info Tools
The System Info tab in Ares Wizard displays useful detail about your device‘s hardware, network, and Kodi installation.
Specs like CPU, operating system, MAC address, storage space, IP address, and more are shown.
Having these details easily accessible can be handy when troubleshooting issues or just wanting to geek out on the tech!
Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks
Ares Wizard is generally very stable, but issues can come up. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
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If Unknown Sources isn‘t enabled, you‘ll get an error during installation. Double check it‘s switched on.
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An unstable internet connection can disrupt installation. Try a faster/more reliable network.
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Older Kodi versions may have compatibility problems. Update to the newest release.
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Double check the repository URL is entered correctly in File Manager. One wrong character will break it!
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If a tool isn‘t working properly, try reinstalling Ares Wizard entirely from scratch.
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As a last resort, do a full manual uninstall and reinstall of Kodi.
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Check the Ares Wizard support forum for help.
Hopefully these tips will help get Ares Wizard running smoothly!
Alternatives for Consideration
While Ares is one of the most full-featured Kodi maintenance tools out there, there are some alternatives:
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Xonfire Wizard – Also provides cleanup tools and automatic settings adjustment. Plus additional tweaks.
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The Indigo Tool – Official Kodi addon for installing community recommended addons and skins.
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Manual XML Editing – For advanced users, you can tweak advancedsettings.xml yourself.
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Fresh Start – Kodi has a built-in Fresh Start function to reset everything.
The Final Word on Ares Wizard
Phew, you made it! We covered a ton of ground here on how to install Ares Wizard and take advantage of its powerful maintenance features for Kodi.
By keeping your system clean, backed up, and optimized you‘ll avoid headaches and enjoy buttery-smooth streaming.
Ares Wizard handles all those tedious tune-up tasks so you can get back to binge watching your favorite shows!
Have any other tips or questions on using it? Let me know in the comments below!
