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Cookie
Manager -
There are many of these around and they all work differently
but I like this simple one the best. If you want to enable
some cookies and not others, this is a very simple program
that does just that. You need to periodically open it
and delete the unwanted cookies. It works only on Internet
Explorer and not Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox. It is not
really needed if you also run Spy-Bot. Note that if you
run Firefox, Cookies can be selectively allowed
or disallowed. (See Browsers
and E-mail for Firefox.) This is much more useful
but also more complicated to learn and set up.
Restoration -
Restores deleted files. And also allows permanent deletion
of those deleted - but only do this when you are finished
with a computer - it may corrupt important files and require
a re-install of Windows! Very small and simple. Perhaps a
better program for permanently deleting files is Eraser -
also free.
Widgets
These are little programs that use the Yahoo Widget
Engine to run (previously called Konfabulator). They
vary from clocks to memory gauges to games to newsfeeds.
They run on JavaScript and RSS so are compatible with most
computers unless you have Javascript disabled. Download the
Konfabulator executable, run it to install it and it will
bring with it some popular Widgets. Then go to the same site
and download as many additional widgets as you like. They
are free and no registration is needed. Control is via an
icon in the system tray. Great gadgets and toys!
Computer Performance Utilities
PCPitstop -
this is not a program but is a site that will run diagnostic
tests on your computer remotely. You can register as a
member (this probably means you get ads) or run it anonymously
(recommended). To do this, click "new member" and
install the ActiveX controls (yes, this means you have
to use IE and not Firefox) plus the program they suggest.
Follow the suggestions and requests for information then
view the report. Don't worry, your Anti-Virus program will
protect you if they have suddenly decided to be malicious.
You'll get reports and suggestions on a wide range of things
- worth doing!. Note that they also have
a "PC Optimize program" which is a program that
downloads and installs on your computer. This will scan
for problems for free but will cost you US$29.99 to buy
it and fix the problems found!
Speed
Test - Tests your download speed - but over simplified. Does not
tell you much about your computer.
Process
Explorer - To find out which processes are running in XP and Vista,
press CTRL-ALT-DEL keys simultaneously. But the list of Processes under
the Processes tab is often not very helpful. How do you know if a process
is benign? It would help if you knew who it belonged to (e.g. Microsoft).
The Process Explorer does exactly that. Very useful.
Miscellaneous
PrimoPDF -
a totally free PDF Converter - anything that can be printed
can be converted to a PDF document. Better than many alternatives
and totally free. More on
Adobe Reader. There is one anomaly, pdf documents created
by Primo can't be read by the default pdf reader in many
Macs. Either ask Mac users to download Adobe's free Reader
or convert using Adobe's Adobe Acrobat program - perhaps
using their service which
has a free trial for 5 documents.
Power Toys - Microsoft's collection of add-ons for Windows
XP. The "toy" especially recommended is "Tweak UI" which
allows you to adjust mouse settings, Explorer settings, taskbar
settings, and more. Needs Windows XP SP1 or SP2 to run.
CKRename - a free utility that batch
renames files. Easy to use, powerful and flexible. Source site is unreliable
and full of ads but states software is free. So download zipped file
from here. Version 1.08.
Ever wished that the clock in the system tray would show
the Day & Date as well
as the time? In XP, if you make the toolbar wider (higher),
you get this but with a normal (slim) toolbar you'll need TClockEx. This
is a free utility that not only provides the date as well
as the time - but also provides a graphical indication of
physical memory in use. The program works on Windows versions
Windows 98 to XP. It has been tested and works well for me.
Converting formats If
you have a program (e.g. Word Perfect), you can open edit
and save using its format. But if you receive a program in
a format you can't open (e.g. WORD), you'll need a "reader" which
opens this program's documents as "read-only".
If you open the program using this, to edit it in your own
program, select the content you want and copy and paste it
to your own program. More
- a selection of Readers.
AceFTP
If you want to access your own web site but don't want to spend
money on the FTP access tool, here is the one for you. Recommended
if you don't want to buy the standard (WSFTP). Download from
PCWorld.
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