The world might whine, moan and grumble about Microsoft’s stranglehold on the computing universe, but that’s not going to make anyone not use the Windows operating system. But, and most semi-computer-literate people will agree, Windows has more than its share of glitches. Yes, most of us are so used to them, we hardly think about them any more. But try any of the utilities mentioned on this page (which have, we hear, been tested by PC Magazine) and you’ll never again want to use the official Windows alone. These programs offer functionality that goes way beyond Windows, and even better, most of them are free. Several do have a paid Pro version, but those are generally not necessary for home users.
Explore the PC
We’ve all used Windows Explorer often enough. But use Xplorer2 and you’ll see that Explorer is nothing to write home about.This free app allows browsing two folders in one window, mass renaming, folder comparison and synchronisation, find text in files and lots more. There’s also a paid version, but the free “lite” version should suit most home users.
Manage files
One more option to Windows Explorer—but this one is so small (1.6MB), it can be copied and taken around on any storage device (even floppy disks—if you can find them). For the rest, FreeCommander has a familiar interface so is easy to use. It also comes with a keyboard shortcuts list, a split window option, packing and unpacking tools and more. Oh, and it’s free.
http://www.freecommander.com
Manage windows
Don’t let an operating system dictate your working style. Download Pitaschio, a free background utility that makes Windows behave the way you want it to. Minimise windows to the tray, snap them together as you drag, and disable specific keys (like the Windows key), and even get stats on how much you use your keyboard.
Kill the spare
This is a boon to those who download movies and music—a small program that locates and deletes duplicate files on your computer. Best of all, this is a standalone executable, so there’s no need for installation— just extract and run the program.That means your system is not altered in any way—your duplicate files are killed efficiently, nonetheless.
http://www.bigbangenterprises.de/en/doublekiller
Do the shuffle...
Why should your taskbar be left to the mercy of Windows (il)logic? What if you want buttons of specific apps grouped together—and not in the way Windows dictates? Get the Taskbar Shuffle 2.2, and you can move the buttons for open applications anywhere you want on the taskbar, or group open documents together. It works with Windows versions all the way back to Win 95.
http://www.freewebs.com/nerdcave/taskbarshuffle.htm
Tabbed
So, third-party Explorertype utilities don’t excite you? Would you rather stick to managing files using good ol’ Windows Explorer? Try QTTabBar, a free program, which allows you to enjoy an advanced tabbed interface—while using Windows Explorer. It’s called getting the best of both worlds.
Resize enable
There are some windows (especially pop-ups) that refuse to be resized— this is particularly annoying if the window has a form that you want to see before you fill in. ResizeEnable is a tiny utility that makes sure that all windows you encounter can be elongated as needed.
http://www.digitallis.co.uk/pc/downloads.html
Spy vs spy
When you want to encrypt an entire drive— even if it’s your thumbdrive— TrueCrypt is the program you need. It encrypts files in real time, even as you add files to the drive. A wizard assists in creation of a virtual encrypted volume, at the size of the file you want to encrypt or occupying a whole disk partition.
—brinda Vasudevan
