Now Windows is installed and optimized, it's time to install other preferred commercial software and other freeware/shareware software utilities. On this page I have summarized a few very interesting utilities which you should have on your new computer. Between the lines, I have already mentioned a lot on the other pages, here are some others. Don't forget to install software updates of your commercial software, if they are available on their website!
Install all your software on the C: partition (the folder C:\Program Files), not on the data partition (D:). If you create an image of your Windows system, they will be included in the system image. After you have created a system image, you can experiment all software: just place back the systemimage and you are free of all the new installed software!
Before you created a system image, don't install software which you probably won't use or software with limited time or usage. Make sure you change the settings of all the installed software as you wish, before creating a system image. If you install software, make sure the software stores personal data on your data disk (D:). If you don't, you will lose your data by recovering your system with a system image!
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Recovery of files and partitions with PC Inspector File Recovery
The free tool PC Inspector File Recovery (download
www.pcinspector.de)
makes it possible to recover deleted files, even if they are removed from your
recycle bin (if they are not damaged of course....). Install this software first!
PC Inspector also provides the free Smart Recovery for undeleting
pictures and unformatting media for your photo camera. This tool can recover your
lost pictures! If PC Inspector can't help you, try TestDisk and
PhotoRec (download:
www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download) as an alternative.
Permanent deleting (temporary) files with Active@ Eraser for Windows
I have very good experience with the Active@ Eraser for Windows
application (download www.active-eraser.com).
With this utility you are able to delete your Internet & Local Activities.
It will permanently delete files like temporary files, history files, recycle
bin, cookies, auto complete lists and other personal settings. This is done by
deleting the files and overwrite them with useless info (so you are not able to
recover them anymore, even with data recovery software). With this application
you are also able to erase already deleted files (read: the empty space) from
your hard disk. The free version will overwrite the surface with zeros. (I
prefer to use this tool before creating a
system backup, it saves time and gives a smaller and quicker backup).
IE Privacy Keeper
After a while you leave a lot of private information on your computer. Most of
them can be erased with the tool IE Privacy Keeper (download:
www.browsertools.net/IE-Privacy-Keeper). See the details on this site for
more information how it works.
WinZip and WinRar
Many utilities and data you can download from the internet are zipped. Most of
them you will be able to unzip within Windows XP. Some of them need extra unzip
software like WinZip (download
www.winzip.com) or WinRar (download
www.rarsoft.com). With these tools you can also create zip files yourself.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
With the Adobe Acrobat Reader (download
www.adobe.com) you are able to read PDF files. This is a must have for all
systems. After you installed Adobe go to Edit, Preferences, tab
Internet and disable all the Web Browser Options (this will prevent that Adobe is loaded
within the Internet Explorer). On the tab Startup,
disable the option Display splash screen in the Application Startup
area.
TIP: By holding down the SHIFT key while starting the Adobe Acrobat Reader, you are able to prevent starting up all the Adobe plugins (most of them you don't even use at all). The plugins which will be loaded are placed in the folder C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\plugins. By moving specific plugins to a save location, you are able to prevent loading them at every startup (only move the ones you don't need!). Using Help, Info about Adobe plugins you can learn more about the currently used plugins. If you are looking for a quick PDF-reader, try Foxit Reader (download: www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php).
Printing to PDF files
PDF files are files which can be read only, not edited (this can be very
useful to send invoices or an application letter). Reading PDF files is done
with the Adobe Acrobat Reader (download
www.adobe.com), discussed above. With PDF995 (download www.pdf995.com)
you can create PDF files for free of everything you are normally able to send to
your printer (PDF995 is installed as printer). If you block the
application by you firewall
software, you won't see the advertising. You can also create PDF files with PDF Creator
(download:
www.sourceforge.net)
and Primo PDF (download:
www.primopdf.com),
without advertisements on your screen. With Primo PDF you can easely
encrypt your PDF files. Try yourself to find out which of them
you prefer.
Editing PDF files: PDF ToolKit
If you would like to do more with the created PDF files, you can probably make
use of the PDF Toolkit (download:
www.accesspdf.com/pdftk). With this toolkit your are able to merge, split,
encrypt, watermark different PDF files. PDF ToolKit is a command-line
tool!
Screendump to JPG, BMP, PNG or GIF file with HoverSnap
The HoverSnap tool (download
www.hoverdesk.net) is even more useful! With this tool you can create a
screendump to a file. You can choose between JPG, BMP, PNG or GIF files!
By pressing the PrintScreen key, the whole screen will be stored in a file, the
active widows is captured by pressing ALT-PrintScreen and by pressing
CTRL-PrintScreen you can capture a certain area of the screen to a file of
choice. (If you are using free Avast
antivirus software, you will probably get a falls virus notification)
Scanning and directly sending to your printer with Photocopier
With the utility Photocopier (download www.nicocuppen.com)
you are able to scan a document with your scanner and send it directly to your
preferred printer. It doesn't work for all settings and isn't needed if you have
a all-in-one printer.
MSN/Live Messenger
Of course most of us know the Liver Messenger (download:
messenger.live.com, formally known as MSN Messenger). With
the tool A-patcher (download:
apatch.ikhost.com) you are able
to tweak the Live Messenger down while the tool
Messenger Plus! Live (download:
www.msgpluslive.net) enables you add more options to your Live Messenger! By default the Live Messenger will
startup with Windows, which can be disabled on the tab General (Tools,
Options). On this tab you are also disable the MSN Today screen, but
only after you are logged on with your Live account. Make sure you disable
the add-options during the setup of Live Messenger and Messenger Plus!
By the way, A-patcher gives you the opportunity to remove the remaining
adds.
Daemon Virtual CD-player for CD-images
Ever downloaded a CD-image, burned on CD-ROM and thrown away because it wasn't
what you expected? Load the image in a virtual CD player and you will know
whether it's worth burning. This can be done with the virtual CD player from
Deamon (download
www.daemon-tools.cc).
You can create multiple virtueal CD-players, which is very useful if you need
more then one CD's at the same time. The newest version contains an irritating
add-toolbar, don't forget to disable the Daemon Toolbar during setup.
Virual PC
Virtual PC 2004/2007 (download:
www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc) makes it possible to run multiple
operating systems within a virtual computer environment. This property is a
perfect solution to test software safely. The 2007-version is most suitable for running Windows Vista in a virtual
PC environment.
Editing JPG files: Paint.NET
The freeware tool Paint.NET (download:
www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/) offers great opportunities to edit your photo's.
Before you intall Paint.NET, you first need to go to the Windows update
website and update your Windows with the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1.
Renaming JPG files: WildRename
Renaming JPG picture files from your photo camera can be time consuming. Use WildRename
(download www.cylog.org)
to automate this procedure.
It takes some time to understand the mathematics, but it is worth your time.
Resizing JPG files: JPEGCompress
The tool JPEGCompress (download:
www.dreamscapesoftware.com) makes it possible to quickly resize/compress JPG
files. Compressing JPG files can be done by a reduction of pixels (resize) and/or
a reduction of the quality. This is especially very helpfull in case of sending
your picture by e-mail. (most mailboxes are full with only 1 big picture) or if
you would like to publish them on a website (big pictures consume band with and
take a long time to download). Don't forget to change the Preferences: change
the Default Photo Quality and check the option to apply at opening JPG files. If
needed, change the default saving location on the tab Saving.
JPG files recovery: Zero-Assumption Digital Image Recovery
The tool Zero-Assumption Digital Image Recovery (download:
www.z-a-recovery.com) makes it possible to recover deleted images from the
memory of your camera (see also the tool PC Inspector Smart Recovery for
recovering image files, see chapter File recovery on this page for more
information).
TaskSwitchXP
If you are a frequent user of the ALT-TAB Replacement Tool, I advise
to switch to the free tool TaskSwitchXP (download:
www.ntwind.com/software/taskswitchxp.html). TaskSwitchXP is a better
alternative for the Microsoft tool. See the screendumps on the mentioned website
to get an idea.
FlashPaste Lite
With FlashPaste (download:
www.download.com/Flashpaste-Lite/3000-2384_4-10537714.html, the last version
is not for free anymore!) it's
possible to quickly insert a frequently used text (think of all the e-mails you
send: name, address...). Once you have started using FlashPaste you don't
want to miss it anymore!
Quickly start programs with Launchy
The tool Launchy (download:
www.launchy.net)
makes it possible to launch programs quickly, even if the location is unknown or
without knowing how it is exactly spelled.
With the key-combination ALT-space, a small screen apears: write a part of the
name of the program you would like to start and a list of all possible programs
will be shown. Skipping letters is no problem ("Exel" fiinds the
spreadsheet tool
Excel easely).
Notepad++
Notepad++ (download:
http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net) is one of the better texteditors with
support for many programming languages..
WordWeb
The free tool WordWeb (download:
www.wordweb.info) uses the
shortcut CTRL-ALT-W to check an english word. You simply retrieve the
information you need: definitions, synonyms, related words and pronounciations.
This is a very useful tool for writing in english.
Windows XP Video Decoder Checkup Utility
Maybee you have seen this problem: playing a DVD doesn't work using the Windows
Media Player. This is the case if you didn't install the DVD codecs, which are
part of software like Power DVD. With the tool Windows XP Video
Decoder Checkup Utility it's possible to find out if any DVD codecs are
installed.
You can download this tool from the Microsoft site.
GSpot Codec
If you download a lot of movies with filesharing software, you probably have had
the problem of no sound and/or no video. This will happen if you haven't
installed the specific codecs for this file. With the tool GSpot Codec
(download:
www.headbands.com/gspot) you are able to find out which (of the many) codec
you need to view and hear your movie.
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