Author Topic: Has anyone discovered any cool Windows 7 third-party utilities? (Read 42377 times)

Innuendo · « **Reply #25 on:** November 21, 2009, 10:25 AM »

for fans of taskbar shuffle that have been missing the middle-click to close function in win7, there exists 7 taskbar tweaker. this has similar functions, and some win7 specific ones.
-azgarth (November 21, 2009, 09:14 AM)

Wow...7 Taskbar Tweaker brings back all the old, retro, and archaic taskbar behaviors of Windows versions past.

I hereby declare 7 Taskbar Tweaker to be the pioneer embarking on the discovery of a new class of software. New class of software, I dub thee curmudgeonware!!! Software for the curmudgeon in all of us.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #26 on:** November 21, 2009, 12:50 PM »

Hmmmm, I should start a company called Retro Interfaces Pc. Could do cool stuff like replace calculator keypads with beads on rods. Replace computer keyboard with a pad of paper. Then you have to scan in your stuff for OCR before the PC can process it.

JavaJones · « **Reply #27 on:** November 21, 2009, 02:34 PM »

Don't confuse change with progress. The former is not necessarily the latter.

- Oshyan

MilesAhead · « **Reply #28 on:** November 21, 2009, 05:48 PM »

Yeah, progress isn't always "progress" if you know what I mean.

40hz · « **Reply #29 on:** November 22, 2009, 03:18 PM »

(Note: spotted this in a recent post by Ramblinrick over at his What's on My PC website. Link to original article: http://whatsonmypc.w...09/11/20/win7inabox/ )
------------------------------------------------

Yet another "training wheels" type utility called Windows 7 in a Box - but this one's a little bit different because it's completely portable and very comprehensive.

Info and download: http://www.big-daddy...m/windows7inabox.htm

From the "Windows 7 in a Box" website-

For everyone who made the big switch to Windows 7 here is the ultimate Desktop Tool. Windows7 in a Box. Windows7 in a Box was designed to help guide you through the brand new operating system from Microsoft .

Everything from Theme settings to Parental Controls. Sits on your desktop, easy to navigate, and puts an end to all the frustration of endless searching for settings.

Spyware,Adware,and Malware free.

Windows7 in a box can make the complete novice seem like a pro in just seconds.

No need to install anything.Sits on your Desktop or wherever you place it (it even runs off of a thumb drive).

Just locate what your looking for and click! It cant get any simpler than that.

Ramblinrick also pointed out another great use for this app in his article:

From the What's on My PC website-

I can see myself using this app to quickly assist other Windows 7 client users without having to go through the navigation process of locating specific settings and functions.

http://whatsonmypc.w...09/11/20/win7inabox/

Now that is a dynamite idea! I'm definitely going to start passing out copies of this little app to anybody (e.g. friends, family, clients) I'm asked to do enduser Win7 phone support for. Bound to save everyone (especially me!) some time.

With thanks to What's on My PC for making the find.

(Check out the rest of WOMPC when you get a chance. Very nice website!)

A few more screenshots:

Has anyone discovered any cool Windows 7 third-party utilities?

superboyac · « **Reply #30 on:** November 22, 2009, 10:21 PM »

40hz <--- da man!

40hz · « **Reply #31 on:** November 24, 2009, 02:41 PM »

One thing I do miss in Win7 are those little network taskbar icons for each network interface.

Apparently somebody else does too, because there is now a tiny (57Kb) stand-alone executable that brings most of it back. This app isn't quite the same since it only displays a single icon for all interfaces. But, unlike the original, it now indicates incoming and outgoing packet activity separately.

Software is available from the IT Samples website.

Description and download link: http://itsamples.com...ivity-indicator.html

Network Activity Indicator for Windows 7
© 2009 Igor Tolmachev, IT Samples

Description

Network Activity Indicator displays the old 'two monitors' icon in Windows 7 that flashed blue to show network activity in the System Tray.

Unlike original Windows XP utility (that has individual indicators for each interface), this program indicates outgoing and incoming network packets on all available interfaces.

*****

With special thanks to Download Squad for this find.

Link to original article:
http://www.downloads...stem-tray-in-window/

superboyac · « **Reply #32 on:** November 24, 2009, 03:44 PM »

Ha! That's cool! I didn't even realize that. Thanks 40hz, as usual. I love little things like that.

40hz · « **Reply #33 on:** November 24, 2009, 10:38 PM »

Microsoft has just updated SyncToy to version 2.1 - and Windows 7 is now officially supported. (Yay!)

Very nice file/folder synchronization utility. This version is noticeably quicker and has enhanced error reporting and better fault tolerance. Also noteworthy: Microsoft has apparently fixed the data corruption issue SyncToy had with some NAS devices.

Versions available for 32 and 64-bit Windows.

Has anyone discovered any cool Windows 7 third-party utilities?

Full info and free download at this link: http://www.microsoft...e9-a7c5-98d0592d8c52

4wd · « **Reply #34 on:** November 25, 2009, 12:49 AM »

Somebody came up with a 'classic' start menu for for all those people who don't like the new one. It's called CSmenu, and it can be found here: www.csmenu.com

Check out how they even managed to include some aero bling while they were at it!
-40hz (November 19, 2009, 12:51 PM)

Because it's quicker to have everything displayed at once and scan it for what you want than to have to mouse click forwards and backwards through the narrow slot that is the W7 Start Menu.

For those of you who want the Classic menu with Aero for free check out:

Classic Windows Start Menu

Has anyone discovered any cool Windows 7 third-party utilities?

Unfortunately it doesn't work if the Taskbar isn't at the bottom

libeco · « **Reply #35 on:** December 10, 2009, 06:20 AM »

for fans of taskbar shuffle that have been missing the middle-click to close function in win7, there exists 7 taskbar tweaker. this has similar functions, and some win7 specific ones.
-azgarth (November 21, 2009, 09:14 AM)

I'm also using this application to restore some XP-goodness. I still can't get used to the Vista-look and Mac-like-dock on 7. However, since I bought a new laptop I'm kind of stuck with Win 7 x64. I'm trying to get at least part of ym pleasant XP-experience back. Another thing that helps me a lot is XYplorer which is just so much more Windows Explorer XP than Windows Explorer Vista/7. It's not free though.

One other application I use on 7 is Free Launch Bar. It works perfectly for what I want: fly-out menus in my taskbar (don't think jump-lists, think nested menus).

MilesAhead · « **Reply #36 on:** December 10, 2009, 01:41 PM »

libeco if you are like me and have no use for the Taskbar preview bit if you google there's a registry hack to increase the mouse hover time to a degree that the preview should never show. You'll still get the text popup when you hover a running app button. Just not the big graphic window.

tomos · « **Reply #37 on:** January 14, 2010, 06:00 AM »

can anyone recommend a simple startup utility (I mean that you can check/control what's starting with the OS) for 64bit Win7 ?

Darwin · « **Reply #38 on:** January 14, 2010, 07:15 AM »

can anyone recommend a simple startup utility (I mean that you can check/control what's starting with the OS) for 64bit Win7 ?
-tomos (January 14, 2010, 06:00 AM)

I use WinPatrol Pro (which comes with a lifetime license), but there is a free version as well. Works very well.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #39 on:** January 14, 2010, 11:52 AM »

can anyone recommend a simple startup utility (I mean that you can check/control what's starting with the OS) for 64bit Win7 ?
-tomos (January 14, 2010, 06:00 AM)

The Sysinternals Autostarts works, but its interface is pretty busy. If you suspect a particular thing is starting up there's a search feature. But to just look through all the stuff is pretty hypnotic. My eyes glaze over.

tomos · « **Reply #40 on:** January 14, 2010, 12:19 PM »

My eyes glaze over
-MilesAhead (January 14, 2010, 11:52 AM)

hah! I know that one well

Thanks Mike for the WinPatrol tip!

cmpm · « **Reply #41 on:** January 15, 2010, 05:02 AM »

Deskpins works with W7, to pin a window or app to the desktop.

http://users.forthne...ograms/deskpins.html

tomos · « **Reply #42 on:** January 15, 2010, 05:15 AM »

RevoUninstaller works with Win7\64bit but doesnt seem to be able to scan the registry for left over bits n pieces which is it's big 'selling' point
(can you say a free software has a 'selling' point ?!)

cmpm · « **Reply #43 on:** January 15, 2010, 07:12 AM »

yep, only the pro version supports W7 now.

http://revouninstaller.com/

tomos · « **Reply #44 on:** January 15, 2010, 07:36 AM »

yep, only the pro version supports W7 now.

http://revouninstaller.com/
-cmpm (January 15, 2010, 07:12 AM)

ahh, so it is a selling point, fair enough

(steep enough price though - $40)

Curt · « **Reply #45 on:** February 01, 2010, 01:30 PM »

http://www.thewindow...-7-services-released
http://www.softpedia.../SMART-Utility.shtml

January 31st, 2010 . Filed under: Downloads. Tags: Services, TWC App

We are pleased to release SMART (Service Management And RealEasy Tweaking) Utility v 1.0 for Windows 7. SMART is a freeware utility which helps you tweak Windows 7 Services, based on the suggested configurations of BlackVipers.

It can simply be downloaded and used as a portable application to customize your Windows 7 services settings, to meet your requirements. With judicious tweaking, it can make your system faster, as you will be disabling services which you do not require.

Tweaking a system has to be done carefully, and more so in the cases of Services. A Windows service is a long running executable that performs specific functions and which is designed not to require user intervention. Windows services can be configured to start when the operating system is booted and run in the background as long as Windows is running, or they can be started manually when required.

You can always tweak your services manually individually, but what this utility does is automate the entire process to give you the desired settings. Based on the recommendations of the BlackVipers Windows 7 Service Configuration Guide, the utility offers 3 sets of pre- configured tweaks :

1. Safe
2. Tweaked
3. Advanced or BareBones

The utility has set the Presets to check for Service before applying Tweak. There is also a button to re-set services to Windows 7 Default Settings.

http://www.thewindow...-7-services-released

1. Click a Service to get additional information about it.
2. Double-Click a Service to Automatically Start or Stop it.
3. Right-Click a Service to View and set StartUp Options (Automatic, Manual & Disabled).
4. Select a Service and Click Open File Location to Locate Service Executable (Does not work on svchost, so if you happen to click a svchost and it opens up your Documents Folder, don’t be alarmed.).
5. Click Refresh To reload the list of Services.
6. Click a preset (Default, Safe, Tweaked, Advanced/BareBones), to set preconfigured Tweaks.
7. The Safe setting is (you guessed it!) safe! Tweak and Advanced settings, are for Advanced users to set their Services.

http://www.thewindow...-7-services-released

SMART Utility v 1.0, has been developed by our TWC Forum member L.W (MyWayWindows.com).

Download from softpedia: http://www.softpedia.../SMART-Utility.shtml

Curt · « **Reply #46 on:** February 08, 2010, 05:13 PM »

Another small speciality for W7 is thoroughly explained (better than by the program's author!) by 'Martin' at http://www.ghacks.ne...dows-7-library-tool/

Win7 Library Tool can be downloaded from the developer’s website at http://zornsoftware.talsit.info/?p=3