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Your most used SPECIAL programs
lanux128:
Curt, this is an interesting topic but you may have to include a clause to exclude system diagnose tools as well. :)
my list:
1. Process Explorer - and other similar tools, mainly from SysInternals & Nirsoft.
2. AutoGK - i'm not too inclined to learn the nuances of DVD backups so it's a one-step solution.
3. BatchRun - useful when setting up educational programs for my kids.
4. GridinSoft's CHM Editor - when you get help files with illegible fonts.
5. Seedling's Random MixTape Maker - create totally random playlists.
in a way, one can say that programs in this thread are not for daily productivity but they're ever ready when the need arises. :)
tomos:
Let's see
Skrommel recently made :-* DragLock which forces the mouse to drag in horizontal or vertical directions
I use it when printing details of large images to pan the image in the print-preview box (in FreeHand)
-
Your most used SPECIAL programs
Next one I hardly ever use but it's one of those wonderful little programmes that does something obscure very well
Time Stamp Modifier
The program is pretty simple. It enables to get the time from the EXIF info (stored inside by the JPEG file) and set it as the time of the file.
It also enables to select multiple files in a list and shift their date/time by a time slice - by single click you can increase/decrease seconds, minutes, hours, days, months or years. so
if something screws up your last modified date of your photos you can recover it from the Exif info ...
Not so specialised or obscure, FileHamster the versioning backup programme
[edit changed the link for Time Stamp Modifier]
nosh:
It would have to be Autohotkey for me, most apps have a certain utility - they are what they are - AHK keeps getting better (doing more) with time. It has let me hack my way through several annoyances I've tolerated for a long time, do more with old programs & basically make the PC more fun to use... cheesy, but true! :)
yksyks:
With appearance of the digital TV broadcast I developed a new hobby: creating DVDs from recorded material. After some experimenting I finally settled on a steady and quite effective process comprising:
VideoReDo -- for cutting out commercials and trim the movies
DVDStyler -- for creating simple menus and converting the material to proper DVD structure
DVDShrink -- when the final size doesn't fit on a DVD5
and then Nero 6 for burning, but there's nothing special on this one.
40hz:
Actually, I have three:
My most-used "special" is CrossLoop.
From the website:CrossLoop simplifies the process of securely working with friends located in different physical locations and across different network environments. CrossLoop enables you to see the screen and control the mouse and keyboard on a remote computer. It is as if you are working side by side at the same PC.
You can get up and running with CrossLoop in under 2 minutes. Simply download and install the application and it will automatically configure itself to your network environment.
PC Requirements
CrossLoop requires Windows 2000 or newer, including Vista; 128 MB RAM or greater; 2 MB hard drive space and a broadband internet connection
http://www.crossloop.com/ipage.htm?id=download
--- End quote ---
There are a lot of remote desktop applications out on the market. What I really like about CrossLoop is that the person on the remote machine must be there and explicitly grant you access before you can connect.
That may sound like a limitation, since most remote admin applications will grant access as long as you have the required credentials. But a lot of people (and some of my clients) aren't all that happy with having a doorway like that, even if it is kept securely locked. And no security measure is completely bulletproof. But with this app you don't need to worry about compromised user id's and passwords. If somebody isn't on the other end to let you in, then you don't get in. Period.
It's free and has no use restrictions. Get a copy on every box you're responsible for. Put it on your Mom's Dell desktop, and your sister-in-law's laptop, and you'll be able to handle those unpaid tech support requests with aplomb. No more blind troubleshooting and giving directions over the phone!
My second is PartedMagic.
This is an open source disk partitioner/formatter on steroids. Handles everything. Also has a nice collection of tech tools to make your life easier when you're "down to the metal." Downloads as a bootable CD image. Must have for your toolbox. Get it at: http://partedmagic.com/wiki/PartedMagic.php
The third is Darik's Boot and Nuke
From the website:
Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN") is a self-contained boot disk that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.
DBAN is a means of ensuring due diligence in computer recycling, a way of preventing identity theft if you want to sell a computer, and a good way to totally clean a Microsoft Windows installation of viruses and spyware. DBAN prevents or thoroughly hinders all known techniques of hard disk forensic analysis.
The development and support of the DBAN software project is funded in part by GEEP International. GEEP is the largest, the most efficient, and the most environmentally conscientious consumer electronics recycling company in North America.
--- End quote ---
Download it at: http://www.dban.org/download
Did you know that Geek Squad charges something like $40 US to do a "secure wipe" on a hard drive? That's an awful lot of money (to my mind anyway) for a service that doesn't require you to do much of anything except: (1) load a floppy or CD, (2) boot the machine, (3) answer a few quick questions, and then (4) walk away until it's done.
Does anybody else see an income opportunity here? ;) $$$$$
(P.S. I charge $25.) 8)
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