Help Us Compile A New List

Matt

By Matt,
in Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP

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Matt

Matt

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As most of you know, we have a pinned thread Commonly Recommended Software, Links, And Tips. Back when much of us migrated here from TechTV, JSKY and mlegg helped bring that list to BestTechie. Unfortunately, it has been quite some time since the list has been updated, added to, and trimmed. So, our new goal is to come up with a new list, exclusive to BestTechie, generated 100% from our users.

So what does this mean?

Well, this means that we need you to post links to your favorite software, tips/tricks, and utilities. Once we have a nice list put together, we will compile a new master list and pin in to the top of this forum.

So what are you waiting for? Post your links as a reply to this thread.

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blim

blim

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That list is a terrific resource and glad to see it being "gardened". I've shared links from that list to many, many other people!

In fact, the last time I clicked on the list I noticed there wasn't a link to Malwarebytes. That needs to be added!

And of course, Spywareblaster is a keeper

Thank you experts for all you do

Liz

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baker7

baker7

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If and when we get this new list, I want to take a copy of it and have it available in my FASS Editor and Cannery, so I can have it available for those I assist with computer issues, because I get asked all the time about which programs are good/bad.

PS: I will assist you as best I can ;)

Brian

Edited by baker7
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isteve

isteve

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Is there a Mac section?

I have a small list that I keep but wouldn't mind adding to my list.

disk Burning

Burn

http://burn-osx.sourceforge.net/

Maintenance / Utilities

Applejack

http://applejack.sourceforge.net/

Onyx

http://www.titanium.free.fr/pgs/english.html

App Cleaner

http://www.freemacsoft.net/AppCleaner/

Audio

Line-in

http://www.rogueamoeba.com/freebies/

Sound Source

http://www.rogueamoeba.com/freebies/

Backup Cloning

SuperDuper

http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/Sup...escription.html

Carbon Copy Cloner

http://www.bombich.com/ccc

Web Browsers

Webkit

http://webkit.org/

Shiira

http://shiira.jp/en

Camino

http://caminobrowser.org/

OmniWeb

http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omniweb/

Terminal Tips

http://www.tuaw.com/category/terminal-tips/

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Honda_Boy

Honda_Boy

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My Recommended Free Software List

Avast! Free Home Edition Anti-Virus ( http://www.avast.com/ ) - Good Detection and more lightweight than AVG.

COMODO Firewall Pro ( http://www.comodo.com/ ) - Great Firewall that keeps an eye on everything.

CDBurnerXP ( http://cdburnerxp.se/ ) - Contrary to what it's name suggests, it's compatible on both XP and Vista and does a great job burning CD's and DVD's. It however does not support Video DVD burning but I never burn them anyway.

CPU-Z ( http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php ) - A good app to keep on a thumb drive to identify the processor, motherboard, and RAM a system is using. It gives highly detailed information on the processor.

Mozilla Firefox ( http://www.getfirefox.com/ ) - Don't believe I have to mention this one really. Freakin awesome browser that is quicker and more secure than IE.

Mozilla Thunderbird ( http://www.getthunderbird.com/ ) - Firefox's email counterpart. More secure than Outlook.

FRAPs ( http://www.fraps.com/ ) - A Framerate counter for games. It can also take screenshots and video as well (with limitations in the free version). I've paid for the full version to remove the limitations on video recording.

3D Mark Series and PC Mark Series ( http://www.futuremark.com/ ) - Great benchmarking series but unfortunately the latest Vantage versions do not have full free versions available. You can only use them once for free. I however paid for the Basic version of 3D Mark Vantage since I did have intentions of using it multiple times (which I have). The older versions however, are still free for the basic versions.

μTorrent ( http://www.utorrent.com/ ) - a lightweight torrent client.

ObjectDock ( http://www.objectdock.com/ ) - Gives a Mac like bar to place shortcuts for various things on. I use it free up clutter on my desktop by leaving all my system apps and what not on there while leaving all my Game icons on the desktop.

OpenOffice.org ( http://www.openoffice.org/ ) - a free alternative to Microsoft Office. It opens MS documents (except Office 2007 formats) and performs many of the same task. I would still be using it if I hadn't gotten a copy of Office 2007 Ultimate at a student special price.

the GIMP ( http://www.gimp.org/ ) - a free alternative to Photoshop. Not quite as powerful but can still do many of the same things.

Audacity ( http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ ) - A free audio editing program. Cut out bits of music, add in effects, and more.

Winamp ( http://www.winamp.com/ ) - Great Media Player for music. It's Media Library does an excellent job of organization. I recently purchased the full version however to rip CD's as MP3's so that they could work on my MP3 player.

The Combined Community Codec Pack a.k.a. The CCCP ( http://www.cccp-project.net ) - A codec pack that contains practically every codec you'll need to play just about any video. It's specialty is h.264 video. It comes with 2 free media players as well, Zoom Player and Media Player Classic Homecinema. I personally prefer Zoom Player because its controls are quite easy to understand and use.

VLC Media Player ( http://www.videolan.org/ ) - Another Media Player that plays all types of media. It too can handle h.264 video on its own since it has its own codecs but it does not handle soft subtitles as well. However it has the ability to play DVD's out of the box and that's what I use it for (primarily only on the laptop for mobile use).

(as a side note, I use Winamp for Music, CCCP/Zoom Player for Video, and VLC Player for DVD's)

StepMania ( http://www.stepmania.com/ ) - Probably my most used free program behind FireFox. It's a free DDR like game that comes with no installed songs. You have to download and install 3rd party songs. You play it with the keyboard's arrows or if you find a PC compatible dance pad, you can play it like DDR. I have hundreds of songs added to mine and this game is quite fun and a great time and boredom killer.

Edited by Honda_Boy
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Peaches

Peaches

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The following is copied from my forum - Free online scanners ...

TrendMicro - http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

Trend Micro's FREE online virus scanner

Symantec security check: http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/WelcomePage.asp Test your computer's exposure to online security threats and learn how to make your computer more secure.

BitDefender Online Scanner - http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/ie.html

Scan your PC for free

BitDefender Online Scanner is an on-demand virus scanner

Kaspersky Online scan - http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner

This online virus scanner is a great way to find out if you have any viruses or spyware on your machine without having to install new software. You can also see what viruses your current antivirus software let slip through! You just need to be online and using Internet Explorer.

Tenebril spyware scan - http://www.tenebril.com/scanner/main_start.php

This free spyware scan lets you quickly search your PC for spyware in places it is likely to be hiding.

Ewido antispyware - http://www.ewido.net/en/onlinescan/

With the help of our online scanner you can scan and clean your computer from malware without having to install additional software on your computer.

etrust Spyware scan - http://www.ca.com/us/securityadvisor/pestscan/default.aspx

The eTrust PestScan shows you what spyware is on your system. It will not remove or modify any files. To remove harmful spyware, purchase our full-feature solution, eTrust PestPatrol® Anti-Spyware

GRC Shields Up - https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 GRC Internet Security Detection System scans on request the user's computer, especially the Windows file sharing and reports vulnerabilities

Audit my PC - http://www.auditmypc.com/ You'll find a ton of free online tools at Audit My PC. Home internet users will enjoy our security audits, speed tests and free software.

McAfee free scan - http://home.mcafee.com/Downloads/FreeScan.aspx?ctst=1 McAfee FreeScan helps you detect thousands of viruses on your computer.

ESET online scanner - http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/

The ESET Online Scanner is the Web's best free virus scan. A user-friendly, powerful tool, our online antivirus utility can remove malware—viruses, spyware, adware, worms, trojans, and more—from any PC utilizing only a web browser. No installation required.

AVAST virus cleaner - http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-virus-cleaner.html avast! Virus Cleaner - free virus removal tool

avast! Virus Cleaner is available free for every user. This tool will help you remove selected worm infections from your computer.

Malwarebytes Anti-malware 1.30 - http://www.download.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-...4-10804572.html

Malwarebytes is a site dedicated to fighting spyware. Malwarebytes has a variety of tools that can identify and remove certain malicious software. When your computer becomes infected with spyware, Malwarebytes may provide the needed assistance to remove the spyware infection and restore the machine. ** Save to desk top,use when needed..

Superantispyware 4.20 - http://www.download.com/SuperAntiSpyware-F...cdlPid=11002526

SUPERAntiSpyware, a next generation product, with its Multi-Dimensional Scanning and Process Interrogation Technology will detect spyware and remove over 1,000,000 pests such as Vundo, ZLob, SmitFraud, WinFixer, VirusRay, and VirusHeat. Repair broken Internet connections, desktops, registry editing, and task manager. The program provides complete and custom scanning of hard drives, removable drives, memory, registry, individual folders include trusting items and excluding folders for complete customization of scanning. Detect and remove spyware, adware, malware, Trojans, dialers, worms, keyloggers, and hijackers. Prevent potentially harmful software from installing or re-installing. First Chance Prevention examines over 50 critical points of your system each time your system starts up and shuts down to eliminate threats before they have a chance to infect and infiltrate your system. Our Direct Disk Access (DDA) technology sees rootkits others miss.

Version 4.15.1 adds additional rootkit detection technology and enhanced scanning functionality.

AVG Anti-rootkit - http://free.avg.com/download-avg-anti-spyw...nd-anti-rootkit AVG Anti-Rootkit Free is a powerful tool with state-of-the-art technology for the detection and removal of rootkits and can be safely used on a regular basis, whether you are infected with a rootkit or not.

SmitFraud Fix - http://siri.urz.free.fr/Fix/SmitfraudFix_En.php

SmitFraudFix is a freeware specialized spyware removal tool. It specializes on a certain type of spyware and deals only with SmitFraud rogue anti-spyware and its clones. Worm, trojan, remote administration tool parasites or more sophisticated spyware parasites cannot be removed by this tool.

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Pete_C

Pete_C

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I just redid the one at G4

http://forums.g4tv.com/showthread.php?t=113232

Is the final version .

http://forums.g4tv.com/showthread.php?t=113154

Was my working thread

Best of The Best 2009 Edition.

Recommended Software most is FREE.

Thanks to JDlech for preserving this

This is a consolidation of the "Best of the Best" links found on G4TechTV's Tech Support message boards.

There have been many contributers to this post and many of them have given these links out countless

times. These links have proven themselves valuable time and time again. It's my sincere hope that this reference will provide solutions to; your computer problems.

If you don't have any outstanding computer issues to address, then feel free to explore the fruit of the research of many technicians and computer enthusiasts.

Most of the software found here is free. There are upgrade versions available for many of them,and better programs may be available, but software is most likely to be used when it's free. If you have any concern about the quality of the software listed here, rest ***ured that it's been painstakingly tested by many people and has proven itself to be either equal or almost equal to any software you can buy.

Some of this software is Shareware, Donationware, or requires registration; in these cases please support the authors if you can afford to do so.

Remember that some software, such as registry cleaners, make backups of the registry changes they make.

Therefore, if you delete a bunch of registry entries and then uninstall the program, you lose the ability

to restore those changes if you find out you needed them. Thus be careful what you uninstall.

Startup Utilities:

Startup managers are programs that help you control the way your operating system starts up. With these programs you can enable or disable programs and services that automatically run each time you start your computer. You can control what runs on startup for better performance,more features, or just to see what something does. I need to warn you though, making changes to the startups that are too radical can get you into trouble. You may have to boot into safe mode and restore your settings back a day if you significant changes to your startups and XP refuses to restart properly.

Also; Heed the warning about MSConfig. Especially if you have an newer version of windows such as XP or Vista.

Why you should not use MSCONFIG to control startup entries in XP and Vista

If you have been using MSConfig as a startup manager please read this.

Pertinent Microsoft Article

A1...Codestuff Starter

Starter is a startup manager, that allows you to view and manage allthe programs that are starting

automatically whenever Windows boots. It lists all the hidden registry entries, as well as the common Startup Folder items as well. You can choose to safely disable selected entries, edit them or delete them altogether (if you know what you are doing). Expert users can even add their own entries.

A2...Startup Delayer

Startup Delayer allows you to specify which programs to start first and which ones to delay. You can set a custom delay for each one, even drag the visual display graph which shows you exactly how your programs are starting and allows you to easily modify the order or adjust delay times.

A3...Mike Lin's Startup Control Panel Startup Control Panel is a nifty control panel applet that allows you to easily configure which programs run when your computer starts. It is simple to use , very small and won't burden your system.

A4...Bootvis| Bootvis is a tool for experts, used to help figure out what causes a boot delay.

A5... SysInternals AutoRuns for Windows (ID's the most registry startups of all programs)

Hardware and Software Utilities:

Need to find out something about your computers hardware or software? These utilities will provide information,benchmarks, speed tests, find problems, check for outdated drivers, and tell you your computers operating temperature.

B1...Sisoftsandra|

B2...Everest Home Free edition

B3...PC Pitstop system analysis

B4...The free Belarc Advisor Hover over Free download and select download

B4...SIW System Information for Windows by Gabriel Topala

Computer Security:

Keeping your computer safe is not limited to the internet. You also need to keep it secure when you are not on the internet. Opening files of dubious origin always involves risk of infection or hijacking, but you never know about the ones that your friend brings . Often it's someone else using your computer that infects it unwittingly. Peer to Peer file sharing is also a major source of infection. While in the past most viruses targeted security holes in Windows or Internet Explorer; nowmost take advantage of social engineering to lure you to click to install something or exploit holes in third party applications like java, flash, acrobat reader, winzip etc. These "zero day" exploits can allow a malicious site to install software silently without your antivirus being able to detect or block them. Keep up to date.

Internet Security: Keeping your computer secure is your first line of defence against hackers, viruses, trojans,hijackers, spammers, and adware. These programs and sites will help you make the a little bit easier. They will also educate you about the threat and your computer, and is one of the most important parts of computer maintenance you can do.

Free Protection:

C1...Avast Home Edition free for home use

C2...Configuration Tutorial for Avast

C3...A Squared anti-trojan

C4...Avira Free Antivir antivirus

C5...Comodo BOClean Anti-Malware 4.27

C6...DR Web anti-virus link checker A FireFox Add-on

C7...FireLogXP This is a simple program for people using the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) in Windows XP. It will read the log file and show you who is trying to get into your computer, and through which ports. The data can be filtered to include/exclude protocols, connection types,and TCP flags.

C8...Google pack includes Spyware Doctor

C9...IE Spyad

C10..LavaSoft Ad Aware

C11..Mcafee Site Advisor Needs Repeating, never leave home without it. Lets you know if sites in a search are safe to visit and if sites you visit are safe to download from.

C12..Scotty The Watchdog Winpatrol

C13..Spybot Search and Destroy

C14..SpywareDoctor With AntiVirus from PCTools Starter Edition Free for personal use.

C15..SpywareDoctor With No AntiVirus from PCTools Starter Edition Free for personal use

C16..Spywareblaster

C17..SpywareguardImmunize against malware sites.

C18..Super Antispyware

C19..ThreatFire Realtime heuristic malware defense.

C20..WOT warns you about risky websites...Never would I search without it.

Reference Sites:

D1...Top hundred security tools

D2...No hack dot net anti trojan warfare, Knowledge is power

D3...Counterexploitation.org fighting computer exploitation

D4...Spyware Warriors List of rogue(fake) anti-spyware apps Find out if you have installed a phony or rogue application which pretends to be good but is either trash or malicious itself. She also lists legitimate programs and their authorized clones at the bottom of the page.

Online Scanners and Update Software

E1...Bit Defender online-scanner Online Scanner is an on-demand virus scanner which incorporates the award-winning bitdefender scanning engines.

E2...jotti's malware scan 2.99-TRANSITION_TO_3.00-R1 Virus definitions are updated every hour.

E3...Kaspersky free online-scanner The free virus scanner scans your machine while online, and uses the same technology as other Kaspersky Lab products. Our antivirus software protects against viruses and spyware.

E4...Panda ActiveScan Perform an online scan with Internet Explorer Only.

E5...Symantec Security Check Tests your exposure to a wide range of online threats.

E6...http://housecall.trendmicro.com/Trend Micro Housecall Housecall is a free online virus scanner

offered by Trend Micro, which checks whether a computer has been infected by viruses, spyware, or other malware.

E7... Appupdater

E8... Bernd Ott's Software UpToDate Client

E9... CleanSofts Update Notifier

E10..DonationCoder DCUpdater (updates DonationCoder Software, plus makes all DonationCoder software available for download)

E11.. RadarSync 2009 (Free Edition) (updates drivers & apps)

E12.. Windows Updates Downloader (updates windows)

E13.. SSW Diagnostics (MS & other software updater)

E14.. Freeware Updater (downloads latest releases, select from a list of freeware & Open Source)

E15.. UpdateStar Free

Analysis tools: is the file a virus.

F1...Kaspersky file upload for scanning and analysis You can also scan specific files to see if they are infected without scanning the entire computer

F2...Virus Total file upload for analysis (This site will scan a file and tell you what each of several different virus engines identifies.)Virustotal is a service that analyzes suspicious files and facilitates the quick detection of viruses, worms,trojans, and all kinds of malware detected by antivirus engines.

Do you have outdated vulnerable software or missing updates

G1...Calendar of Updates|

G2...FileHippo.com Update Checker

G3...Secunia Software Inspector Online software scan to test for outdated software with known zero day exploits. There is also a stand alone installable version. Download it here.

G4...SUMo, which stands for Software Update Monitor Is another great free tool for checking that your software is up to date.

Web Sites with Useful information

These web sites have information that can help people diagnose many common problems on their computers. They also have information that people commonly ask about.

H0...Doxdesk.com/parasite lists information about software parasitesand other malware.

H1...SpywareGuide.com lists information about spyware.

H2...Spywareinfo Forums also lists information about spyware

H3...Answersthatwork.com lists common tasks that are running on your machine.

H4...BlackViper.com gives information about Windows Services.

H5...BIOS Power On Self Test (POST) Beep Codes

H6...Fdisk Radified gives information on how to use the Fdisk utility.

H7...Annoyances.org has a lot of information and tip on many subjects.

H8...Password Recovery for Windows XP, 2000, NT| Make sure you read the FAQ Before you do anything

H9...Vmyths.com is a web site with the latest news about Virus Hoaxes and Myths.

H10..Hoaxbusters is an Email hoax site. Learn why you should not believe everything you read.

H11..Troubleshooting Windows STOP Messages

H12..Giveaway of the Day What the name implies; each day they give away a copy of software you would have to pay big money for. You have 24 hours to download, install , and activate it with the key provided then they put something new up.

H13..How to Upgrade, Repair, Disassemble a COMPAQ Laptop or Notebook

H14..Disassemble, repair and upgrade Toshiba laptop yourself

H15..Laptop & Notebook Repairing, Upgrading and Modding Guides: by Manufacturers

H16..Win Planet

H17..List of Lists

H18..Software Sites

H19..FixYa

H20..LCD TV Calibration

H21..Gizmo's List - the best freeware reviewed and rated

H22..Fresh devices Fresh and Free Utilities Download manager, Diagnostic Tool, Tweaking tool and multimedia manager.

H23..Last Freeware Version Site Index of and links to last freeware version of many commercial products.

Microsoft Knowledge Base Articles

These articles by Microsoft resolve issues that we often see on this board.

I0...KB 319585 Windows "Software

Update incomplete, This Software Update Did Not Update Successfully" Error Message When You Visit the Windows Update Site

I1...KB281679 You Cannot Open New Internet Explorer

Window or Nothing Happens After You Click a Link

I2...KB308421 How To Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP

I3...KB148919 Windows Restarts Continuously

I4...KB311806 Windows Restarts When You Try to Shut Down Your Computer

I5...KB314057 NTLDR Is Missing Error Message When You Upgrade or Install Windows XP Over Windows 95, Windows 98, Or Windows Millenium

I6...KB302089 How to Prevent Windows Messenger From Running on a Windows XP Based Computer

Windows Installation Helpful How To Sites

These sites offer good information on how to install and repair Microsoft Windows.

J0...XP Clean Install

J1...How To Repair XP gives how to use the installation disk to repair Windows XP.

J2...KB 221829 How to Install Windows 98 on a Computer With No Operating System

J3...KB25586 How to Use the Fdisk and Format Tools to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk

Registry Cleaners, file shredders, and file recovery, disk and file management.

Securely deleting files, recovering deleted files, and cleaning the registry are common issues many people have asked about. I do not recommend blindly deleting registry entries even if you have 800 of them and they are all listed as bad entries. Too often a program will not run, or the OS becomes unstable because a valid entry was deleted. Go over each of them carefully to make sure they are not valid entries.

K0... Regseeker is a registry cleaner

K1... Eraser is the most recommended file shredder

K2... AnalogX Supershredder

K3... Ultrawipe

K4... AbsoluteShield Internet Eraser Lite is more of an internet privacy utility

K5... MRUBlaster Cleans up Most Recently Used entries for privacy on public computers

K6... Active@Killdisk hard drive eraser will wipe the entire hard drive

completely

K7... PC Inspector emaxx will wipe a hard drive well enough for the defense department.

K8... PC Inspector File Recovery

K9... RestorationFile Undelete Utility will recover files after they were removed from the recycle bin.

K10.. ISO Buster will allow you to recover lost data or files from

CD's or DVD's.

K11.. Disk Cleaner cleans out the temp directory and the internet temporary files. Works with Opera and IE.

K12.. Recuva -File Recovery

K13.. Revo Uninstaller For hard to remove programs. Contains Junk Files Cleaner, Windows Tools, Auto Run Manager, Browsers Cleaner, MS Office Cleaner, Windows Cleaner, Evidence Remover and Unrecoverable Delete tools!

K14.. Windirstat Drive and Directory usage display tool. Disk usage viewer tool for analyzing almost everything on the computer and allows you cleanup many found problems.

K15.. EASEUS Partition Manager 3.0 New Upgrade! Home Edition is a free Partition Magic alternative. A comprehensive hard disk partition management software for Windows Server 2000/2003/2008 and Windows 2000/XP/Vista partition to Resize and Move, Copy, Create, Delete and Format, Hide and Unhide server and non server partitions and much more.

K16.. Auslogics Disk Defrag Free , fast and works fine with Vista 64-bit also.

K17.. CCCleaner Use caution with registry cleaning; always make a backup first.

K18.. PCTools Smart recovery Data recovery program for flash cards allows you to recover deleted files even from a formatted card for your camera.

K19.. The PC Decrapifier Will uninstall many of the common trialware and annoyances found on many of the PCs from big name OEMs.

K20.. Speedefrag SpeeDefrag is a simple program, that restarts your computer and runsthe Windows defrag.exe with optimized windows settings before loading your desktop, which allows for faster and more thorough defragmentation. Once the defrag process has finished, it can optionally shut down your PC, otherwise reboot it.

K21.. Norton Removal Tool The Norton Removal Tool uninstalls all Norton 2009/2008/2007/2006/2005/2004/2003 products, Norton Antivirus, Norton 360 and Norton SystemWorks 12.0 ALL NORTON PRODUCTS from your computer. If you use ACT! or WinFAX, back up those databases before you proceed.

K22.. Unlocker 1.8.7: Free Download Unlocker application was designed to be a very useful Windows Explorer extension allowing users with a simple right-click on a file or folder to easily get rid of error message such as error deleting file or folder, cannot delete folder:

K23.. FileAssassin 1.06 From Malwarebytes: FileAssassin can delete locked malware files on your system. It uses advanced techniques to unload modules, close remote handles, and terminate processes to allow the removal of the file. Simply download FileAssassin, unzip the file, and run the installer. Start FileAssassin and select a file by dragging it onto the text area or select it using the button. Next, select a removal method from the list. Finally, click delete and the removal process will commence. Version 1.06 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

Audio and Video conversion and editing

These websites give excellent information about converting video and making DVDs, VCDs, and SVCDs

L0...DVDRhelp.com has information on making DVDs, VCDs, andSVCDs.

L1...DVDRhelp convert has information on converting files into DVD, VCD,and SVCD formats.

L2...TmpGenc video conversion program.

L3...Irfanview will display and edit pictures and video in most formats.

L4...VirtualDub is geared toward processing AVI files. It can read (but not write) MPEG-1

L5...Audacity edits audio files.

L6...Photo Freeware dot net Your Photography related Download source for freeware.

L7...FastStone Capture 5.3 (last freeware version) Superb and again the Last Freeware Version should be bookmarked.

L8...PIXresizer 2.0.3

L9...SUPER Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer Use Internet Explorer for download.

L10..RawShooter Essentials 2006 1.2 RAW workflow software that sets new standards for digital photography. It is a fully functional RAW converter, which allows any level of user to get excellent results with the minimum of effort and knowledge. It provides the highest quality output and fastest conversion time for any RAW converter on the market today. Version 1.2 now supports 15 additional DSLRs and also includes support for the RawShooter Color Engine add-on, user-selectable Thumbnail appearances and image magnifier.

L11..GIMP 2.6.3 Released2008-11-22

L12..AVI2DVD Freeware one step conversion from AVI to DVD ISO or reverse. Slow but effective. Best option is just to buy a DIVX player.

L13..AVI2VCD Convert AVI to VCDs.

L14..WinAmp5.54

L15..Ashampoo Burning studio Free full featured CD/DVD/Blu-Ray burning suite that enables you to create data, music, video and audio discs. You can also create backups that span across multiple discs, rip music tracks from Audio CDs and create or burn disc images in ISO or BIN/CUE format.

L16..Picassa 3 Audio and Video conversion and editing...The easy way to find, edit, and share your photo.

L17..Quicktime Alternative

L18..Realtime Alternative These allow you to play quicktime and realtime media respectively without the proprietary players. No registration, advertising, annoyances, etc.

L19..ImageShack and Photobucket are free image hosting sites where you can save pics for your signature or to let friends see.

Other, Uncategorized Links

M0... www.dllfiles.com find missing dll files here.

M1... missingfiles has many of those files that your computer may be missing.

M2... 7-ZIP and IZARC

Are free alternatives to Winzip used to compresses and decompress most file formats.

M3... MozBackup Allows you to backup and restore bookmarks, mail, contacts, history, extensions, cache etc. It's an easy way to do Firefox backup, Thunderbird backup ...

M4... Digsby Instant Messaging...Superb IM, no need to log into

your e-mail accounts, informs you of the e-mail title, no need to chase a spam one.

.......Aero Black skin for Digsby released...Is Beautiful

M5... Free Download Manager Is a powerful, easy-to-use and

absolutely free download accelerator and manager. Moreover, FDM is 100% safe, open-source software distributed under GPL license. Warning: beware of fake versions.

M6... Router Crash Test Tests your router for a vulnerability which would allow a malware site to remotely take control of it even if you changed the password and admin name. This vulnerability would allow a remote hacker to take control of the network that was previously protected by that router

M7... Ubuntu for Pendrive if you have a old 1GB or more flash drive laying around, please install ubuntu 8.10 to it

M8... Portable Apps Applications you can run from a USB drive without installing on the computer you are using them on.

M9... The Portable Freeware Collection Many more applications; although some require specific steps to run.

M10..Can Your Computer Run That Game?

Tweak Sites & Software

N0... Kelly's Korner has so much information for solving so many computer problems that it's actually had to find specific information here.

N1... Overclockers.com

N2... PC Pitstop can test your computers performance.

N3... Xteq Xsetup has lots of tweaks. Don't forget to get the extra plugins.

......http://majorgeeks.com/article.php?sid=127 and

......http://www.aplusfreeware.com/categories/LFWV/X-Setup.html are the last free versions

N4... Jv16 utilities has many tweaks available for your system. Note: JV16 is now SHAREWARE &expires after 30 days. It can be purchased for $29.95 .

......http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/index.html is the last freeware version; which many consider superior.

N5... TweakUI also has many tweaks for Windows.

N6... The G4 TechTV vault Contains useful links like the old free file of the day and many old TechTV articles and videos; such as

.......Free file of the day AddRemove Pro

N7... How To Geek

N8... Razor512's adblock filters A must have from Razor, Firefox Ad Block Filters is dynamite...

N9... Razor512's guide to overclocking

N10..Razor512's G4Forums Full Screen Fix

Assorted utilities.

O0.. InstallSpy/FireLogXP/SyncBack/FingerPrint

O1.. Notepad+ Notepad++ is a free (as in "free speech" and also as in "free beer") source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages. Running in the MS Windows environment, its use is governed by GPL Licence.

O2.. Wootalyzer Welcome! You've stumbled across the home of the greatest deal-a-day tracker ever known to man. Wootalyzer is a little application which sits in your system tray, and periodically displays popups whenever a new "deal-of-the-day" is released. These deals come from big sites all over the internet, including Amazon, Newegg, Woot.com, and Yugster.

O3.. Push That Freakin Button Button pressing utility which runs in the background - usually its only on-screen presence is a mouse-shaped task bar icon. When a dialog causes irritation, you simply tell PTFB which button should be pressed, and it will handle the dialog in future.

O4.. EULALYZER Making EULAs Easy Discover if the software you're about to install displays pop-up ads, transmits personally identifiable information, uses unique identifiers to track you, or much much more. EULAlyzer can analyze license agreements in seconds, and provide a detailed listing of potentially interesting words and phrases.

Networking

P0...Practically Networked

P1...Guides and tutorials at Port Forward.com| How to set up and configure your router as well as open and forward ports.

P2...Microsoft guide to setting up a home wireless network

P3...NetMeter 1.1.3 (stable) released

P4...Top 10 Wi-Fi Boosts, Tweaks and Apps

P5...Lifehacker Download of The Day

P6...Hamachi With Hamachi you can organize two or more computers with an Internet connection into their own virtual network for direct secure communication. Access computers remotely, use Windows File Sharing, play LAN games, run private Web or FTP servers or communicate directly. Hamachi is fast, secure and simple. It is also free.

VISTA

Q1...What is EasyBCD® Anyway?

It all depends on who you ask or what you want to get done, but EasyBCD is NeoSmart Technologies 100% free Vista bootloader modification tool to get your Vista working with Linux, BSD, Mac OS X, and dozens more operating systems without a headache! An IT Guy's number 1 Vista-troubleshooting tool. A multiple award-winning application, used and recommended by the folks at Microsoft, PC World and more! he best way to do just about anything with Windows Vista before it even turns on!

Q2...Vista Start Menu, also works with all Windows

Q3...TweakVI for Windows Vista

Q4...Windows Vista Compatibilty Center

Q5...Compatibility database » Operating systems (Games) ; Windows Vista 64 Bit(x86_64)

Q6...Welcome to Vista Forums

Q7...Start 64 for 64-bit systems

Does not look like all the final bolds etc came through but you can do an edit and copy and paste the bbcode for most of them.

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blim

blim

Posted
Posted

First of all, Pete, Honda and Peaches, wow, wow, wow!!!! I love you and thank you so much for all you do!

But, OK, now....because I'm a Noob and therefore thinking of the Noobs, this list could be really overwhelming for my Fellow Noobs.

Maybe catagorizing the different links into sections where one can click a section (with a good simple description of said section) to get all the links might be less overwhelming for a Noob? Meaning if a Noob is looking for a specific thing, they can click the catagory and get the necessary links without their eyes glazing over at such a big list. (yeah, I'm simple....and keeping the simple folks in mind :thumbsup: )

Oh Lord, I'm confusing myself...do you understand what I said?

Liz

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MrBill

MrBill

Posted
Posted
First of all, Pete, Honda and Peaches, wow, wow, wow!!!! I love you and thank you so much for all you do!

But, OK, now....because I'm a Noob and therefore thinking of the Noobs, this list could be really overwhelming for my Fellow Noobs.

Maybe catagorizing the different links into sections where one can click a section (with a good simple description of said section) to get all the links might be less overwhelming for a Noob? Meaning if a Noob is looking for a specific thing, they can click the catagory and get the necessary links without their eyes glazing over at such a big list. (yeah, I'm simple....and keeping the simple folks in mind :thumbsup: )

Oh Lord, I'm confusing myself...do you understand what I said?

Liz

The section that they are in are kind of self explanatory. They just have different links to different programs that basically do the same in some instances.

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Matt

Matt

Posted
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Posted
First of all, Pete, Honda and Peaches, wow, wow, wow!!!! I love you and thank you so much for all you do!

But, OK, now....because I'm a Noob and therefore thinking of the Noobs, this list could be really overwhelming for my Fellow Noobs.

Maybe catagorizing the different links into sections where one can click a section (with a good simple description of said section) to get all the links might be less overwhelming for a Noob? Meaning if a Noob is looking for a specific thing, they can click the catagory and get the necessary links without their eyes glazing over at such a big list. (yeah, I'm simple....and keeping the simple folks in mind :thumbsup: )

Oh Lord, I'm confusing myself...do you understand what I said?

Liz

I understand what you mean.

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tman70

tman70

Posted
Posted (edited)
As most of you know, we have a pinned thread Commonly Recommended Software, Links, And Tips. Back when much of us migrated here from TechTV, JSKY and mlegg helped bring that list to BestTechie. Unfortunately, it has been quite some time since the list has been updated, added to, and trimmed. So, our new goal is to come up with a new list, exclusive to BestTechie, generated 100% from our users.

So what does this mean?

Well, this means that we need you to post links to your favorite software, tips/tricks, and utilities. Once we have a nice list put together, we will compile a new master list and pin in to the top of this forum.

So what are you waiting for? Post your links as a reply to this thread.

Here are two programs that are small and easy to use. Myabe you will consider adding them to the list.

http://www.alexnolan.net/software/sysspec.htm

System Specs-A Portable Freeware System Information Utility

Ver. 2.65

What is System Spec?

A Utility to produce a specification of your System's hardware and software.

With System specs you can see, save and print a completespec of your PC.

This standalone system information utility can also perform various windows functions. Additional advance info includes CPU, Drives, Applications, Display, Memory, Networking, Internet, CD/DVD Drives and more.

Download on bottom left of page. Installs on your desktop.

http://kmplayer.en.softonic.com/

Choosing a multimedia player used to be a real no-brainer. However, during recent times the raft of new features and updates added to classic media players like Winamp, Windows Media Player, and even iTunes have left the apps increasingly bloated. Far from being the slick, well-oiled machines they once were, these programs have been stuffed with so much that they are in danger of ending up like a sluggish, overweight athlete still holding on to past glories.

For those looking for a fresh alternative to these ballooning apps, The KM Player could be your ticket. The application has a small desktop footprint and its minimalist interface, somewhat akin to the original Winamp 5, means that access and playback are quick and hassle-free. Like Winamp, the interface is fully skinable, and there are some nice aesthetic touches, such as the changing of colour on the player with every new track. There are all sorts of options to help you pimp your player, such as visualizations, plug-ins and playback options, but the beauty of KM Player is that these are turned on at your request rather than being forced upon you at the outset.

The application handles both audio and video, and supports a wide range of different formats, meaning that once installed, you should never need to touch another player. Video playback is particularly impressive thanks to the range of processing tools available that allow you to sharpen, change picture properties, apply filters and even make video captures from within the program.

Languages:

English

Edited by tman70
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darthvader

darthvader

Posted
Posted (edited)

Here's my list:

Maintenance applications - (To keep your computer at peek speeds

Glary Utilities - nice little all in one app

http://www.download.com/Glary-Utilities/30....html?tag=mncol

IOrbit's Smartdefrag - Great defragmenter

http://www.download.com/Smart-Defrag/3000-....html?tag=mncol

IOrbit's Advanced System Care - Good for removing services you don't use

http://www.download.com/Advanced-SystemCar....html?tag=mncol

NT Registry Optimizer - Good Registry Defragmenter

http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/

ATF File cleaner - I do this very rarely but once in a while its good to do to remove downloaded installers and program backups.

http://www.atribune.org/index.php?option=c...5&Itemid=25

PageDefrag - MS Powertoy which is great

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinte...s/bb897426.aspx

Security Applications - ( I only use Malwarebytes but I'm listing the antivirus for those who aren't to good with computers)

Malwarebytes - such a superb malware remover. I substitute weekly scans for my antivirus program which saves tons of memory

http://www.download.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-...4-10804572.html

Avast - for those who can't go without an antivirus program its lighter than AVG and just as good

http://www.download.com/Avast-Home-Edition....html?tag=mncol

HiJackThis! - Great tool if you think you might be infected

http://www.download.com/Trend-Micro-Hijack....html?tag=mncol

Microsoft Replacements

Console - The best for replacing Windows generic command prompt. -transparency and Tabbed command prompts. Such customization

http://sourceforge.net/projects/console/

Styler toolbar for XP - all kinds of different themes to replace the boring explorer toolbars.

http://www.crystalxp.net/galerie/en.id.551...lorer-tools.htm

Themes

http://www.guimods.com/category/styler-toolbar-themes/

QT Tab toolbar for XP - Tabbed browsing for explorer!

http://qttabbar.wikidot.com/

Findexer - Make your own list of easily accessible programs on the side of explorer for you to use. It's fantastic!

http://tomseffect.com/category/findexer/

SodaBrush - Great for putting your own customizable backgrounds in explorer windows and for changing the icon font color

http://www.sodabush.com/windowpaper/index.php

iColorfolder - Great for changing all the folders of explorer to folders of your choosing. Does it in one swift blow which is very nice

http://icolorfolder.sourceforge.net/

UxTheme patcher - allows you to add 3rd party themes to explorer making it look so much nicer.

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhan...SP2-Final.shtml

Muin - that's my theme

http://lassekongo83.deviantart.com/art/Muin-VS-103539809

Firefox (latest edition) + Stylish Addon + HideMenubar Addon + Customize Google Addon + Adblock Pro Addon+ Filterset G. Updater for Adblock Pro Addon + Statusbar Addon + FireTitle Addon

Infranview - speaks for itself

http://www.irfanview.com/

Foxit PDF Reader - way faster and lighter than adobe

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

Classic Media Player + KLite Codec (full)

http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_so...yer_classic.cfm

Samurize (Only for the pro's but download it and tweak around with it) + Pagescraper plugin

http://www.samurize.com/modules/news/

Pagescraper is included in this plugin pack

http://www.samurize.com/modules/mydownload...14&lid=2270

Avedesk (Again only if your a pro just send me a PM and I'll tell you how to work it)

http://www.avedesk.org/avedesk/

Digsby - By far the best chat client around

http://www.digsby.com/

Peer Guardian 2 (Only run when I'm....well... nevermind)

Winexpose - for xp

http://www.aqua-soft.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=38624

Switcher - for vista

http://insentient.net/

Stardock's Objectdock (free edition)

http://www.download.com/ObjectDock/3000-20....html?tag=mncol

- KKMenu

http://www.wincustomize.com/skins.aspx?ski...ibid=29&c=1

Skin

http://www.aqua-soft.org/forum/index.php?a...st&id=12312

-Matonga's stack docklet 2.0 (latest prebeta edition)

http://www.aqua-soft.org/forum/index.php?s...=51400&st=0

Here is the stable edition

http://www.aqua-soft.org/forum/index.php?s...t=0&start=0

-MinUmal All (Minimizes all open programs with the click of a button)

http://www.herbystweaks.net/minuminal.htm

-KeyTweak (Rename keyboard keys to keys of your choice)

http://webpages.charter.net/krumsick/

-CloseAll (Closes all open taskbar windows with the click of a button)

http://www.ntwind.com/software/utilities/close-all.html

-Standalone stack (waiting on latest vers. from chrisnsoft)

http://www.chrisnsoft.com/standalonestack/

-TaskStack (stack that allows you to stack your tasks in your taskbar)

http://www.chrisnsoft.com/category/soft/

I think that about sums it up.

UPDATE:

I forgot a couple more

Startup Delayer - Set the time that programs load on startup, since I use samurize this is very useful for setting programs to load after I've connected to the internet.

http://www.jockersoft.com/english/startupdelayer_index.php

Wait.exe - Great command when you want to make .bat files for your computer. It allows you to choose however mainy seconds you want to wait before executing the next command.

http://www.afreego.com/Categories/Utilitie...tion/006450.php

MacSwitch - An incredible replacement for alt tab which allows you to change the names of the items, and the icons of the items.

http://landvermesser.tripod.com/MacSwitch.html

3RVX - an incredible sound changing tool that allows you to make hotkeys to change the sound

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/3r1c...load-34050.html

AutoHotKey - allows you to make your own hotkeys to anywhere :)

http://www.autohotkey.com/

FocusinXP - a great tool for xp which highlights the outside of an input box. created by the almighty matonga

http://www.aqua-soft.org/forum/index.php?s...t=0&start=0

I added the links for you since I'm a nice guy :)

Also very soon I'll be making the switch to XWindows Dock

This was all based upon windows XP SP2. Whether or not these are compatible with any other OS you'll have to find out or research.

Edited by darthvader
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rhema7

rhema7

Posted
Posted (edited)

Pete!! gee whiz!!

I'm not worthy (knocks head on floor 3 times)

JK Defrag

Scribus Great Page layout tool for desktop publishing (like Adobe Indesign)

Inkscape Draw vector graphics (like Adobe illustrator)

Microsoft Precess Explorer

Winamp Playlist Creator Old but good

MP3-Info Extention Old but still good

EASUS Partiton Manager

This sounds stupid but I use it and it actually has actually been easier for me to find stuff with WinXP and faster (don't keep any Icons on desktop I keep them hidden)

As bad as many say Vista is XP that looks like vista is great

Transform XP to Vista Don't rag me to bad for this one I usually don't go for glits

but it work quite well.

If you like that.

Enable Win7 Areo Snap in XP And Vista

IceSword Anit-Rootkit

I know more I really do but Pete has stunned me. I should not be surprised at anything PC does.

Preston

Peaches , Honda Boy

forgive me I did not give you your Props much respect to you both.

P

Edited by rhema7
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Flatiron

Flatiron

Posted
Posted
Do you have outdated vulnerable software or missing updates

G1...Calendar of Updates|

G2...FileHippo.com Update Checker

G3...Secunia Software Inspector Online software scan to test for outdated software with known zero day exploits. There is also a stand alone installable version. Download it here.

G4...SUMo, which stands for Software Update Monitor Is another great free tool for checking that your software is up to date.

Two more software update sites.

Free File Downloads and Software Discussion - Fileforum

WinPlanet Windows Updates

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Honda_Boy

Honda_Boy

Posted
Posted
As bad as many say Vista is XP that looks like vista is great

Just wanted to mention that it wouldn't be the same in my case (and I believe JSKY's case as well). XP on my main computer is terrible. Vista x64 is actually a very able performer and operates quicker and smoother than XP on my main computer. My old computer though, XP would be better but.... it has Linux on it now :P

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bobbynichols

bobbynichols

Posted
Posted

My bad if already mentioned or not applicable:

Portable Applications for your thumbdrive: http://portableapps.com/

* Freeware and open source: Applications include...

Accessibility

Development

Education

Games

Graphics & Pictures

Internet

Music & Video

Office

Operating Systems

Utilities

Included Applications

"All versions of the PortableApps.com Suite include the integrated PortableApps.com Menu (pictured at right) and the PortableApps.com Backup utility along with a set of custom icons, an autoplay configuration, folders and a quick start shortcut. In addition, the packages include:

Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition (web browser)

Mozilla Thunderbird, Portable Edition (email)

Mozilla Sunbird, Portable Edition (calendar/tasks)

ClamWin Portable (antivirus)

Pidgin Portable (instant messaging)

Sumatra PDF Portable (PDF reader

KeePass Password Safe Portable (password manager)

Sudoku Portable (game)

Mines-Perfect Portable (game)

CoolPlayer+ Portable (audio player)

OpenOffice.org Portable* (office suite)

- Writer (word processor)

- Calc (spreadsheet)

- Impress (presentations)

- Base (database utility)

- Draw (drawing)

*Note: The Light Suite includes AbiWord Portable (word processor) instead of OpenOffice.org Portable."

A listing from the what's new section:

"Feb 23 FileZilla 3.2.2.1

Feb 22 Command Prompt 2.0

Feb 21 Toucan 2.0.6

Feb 21 KeePass 1.15

Feb 21 FileZilla 3.2.2

Feb 20 Toucan 2.0.5

Feb 18 OpenOffice.org 3.0.1

Feb 16 GIMP 2.6.5

Feb 12 Notepad++ 5.2

Feb 10 FileZilla 3.2.1

Feb 04 Mozilla Firefox 3.0.6"

... and from Wikipedia a list of more portable applications for your thumb drive: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_portable_software

and portable games: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_portable_computer_games

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rhema7

rhema7

Posted
Posted
As bad as many say Vista is XP that looks like vista is great

Just wanted to mention that it wouldn't be the same in my case (and I believe JSKY's case as well). XP on my main computer is terrible. Vista x64 is actually a very able performer and operates quicker and smoother than XP on my main computer. My old computer though, XP would be better but.... it has Linux on it now :P

My experience with vista is very limited so I'm only going by hear say. My guess is that for most people SP2 for Vista will bring it into it's own.

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Matt

Matt

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I'd like to thank you all once again for your help. The new list can be found here:

http://www.besttechie.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=16156

Don't see something you submitted? Let us know! As you probably realize, I had many many links to go through. I may have missed something important.

Also, if you ever have new addidtions to make, feel free to contact an Admin, Mod, or Windows Expert :)

Matt

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