Useful Free Applications

[xpgeek]

Yea that wasn't a very good list at all.

[javasharp]

TV-Browser for Windows 2.6.2

TV-Browser is a java-based TV guide which is easily extensible using plugins. It is designed to look like your paper TV guide.

Download

[xpgeek]

Found this recommended on SHELL EXTENSION CITY;

PC Accelerate
Each working program has its priority. Windows kernel priority is highest, other programs work with normal priority. Why? We may increase any program's priority not loading processor! When you change window, PC Accelerate automatically increase foreground window priority (programs shortcut you see in system tray). Except this if free PC memory will decrease (after unloading a program from memory can remain already not working libraries), PC Accelerate preventive will unload them from memory in that moment, when you work more intensive and will support the free-memory volume on constant average level.

Its a terrible written description, I don't think its author speaks English very well, but what it basically does is automatically raise the processor priority level of whatever program that is the active window to high, and, unload some of the memory used by it when you switch to a different window. Been using it for a couple hours now, and seems to work pretty well, jus open its options and check run at startup and run minimized. Firefox is definitely faster with a higher priority too. I've played with priority settings before, I know how to create a shortcut to automatically launch a program with a higher priority, but its benefit is usually questionable once you start doing something in another window at normal priority, so this is actually a very interesting idea. Has definitely given a little boost to application performance.

Freeware, and spyware free. Homepage

[IceDogg]

Each working program has its priority. Windows kernel priority is highest, other programs work with normal priority. Why? We may increase any program's priority not loading processor! When you change window, PC Accelerate automatically increase foreground window priority

xpgeek, didn't I read where Vista did something similar to this? Not sure, I just thought I read something like that. I'm just wondering.. anyone.

[xpgeek]

I don't think Vista does this, not that I know of or that I have seen.

[Ryan Wagner]

I don't believe Vista does this, but it looks like quite an incredible app. I'll have to give this a whirl.

[IceDogg]

Ok, I just found what I was thinking of.. task manager/processes/ then right click any process, in menu 'set priority'.. has real time, above normal, normal, below normal, and low. Is this not the same thing?

[leland]

No IceDogg, that is not it.  That is a manual way to set the priority using Task Manager.  You could do the same thing using Process Explorer or any other task manager.  However there is a setting in Windows that allows you to give the foreground task priority over background services.  In Windows XP go to Control Panel > System > Advanced Tab > Advanced.  Here you can setup whether Programs or background tasks get better performance and also configure how your memory usage gets distributed; more for programs or more for the system cache.  However these settings won't give you the boost that PC Accelerate mentioned xpgeek will (BTW thanks).

However I would like to point out Process Lasso which you can find at http://www.bitsum.com/prolasso.shtml  It is an excellent program that watches for run away processes and will lower their priority in order for you to continue working.  But is does mush more than that.  It can also set the CPU affinity of a program on multi processor or multi core chips as well as run applications at a certain priority you set and always run them at that priority.  Overall I think Process Lasso is a great tool to keep your system running smoothly.

Leland

[IceDogg]

Thanks for the explanation leland, so it's kind of like ccleaner in that it just does the job better and more automated then Windows does on it's own.

[leland]

Alright time for a new addition.  My favorite media player for Windows is now KMPlayer which can be found at http://www.kmplayer.com/forums/index.php  It does not need codecs much like VLC but in my opinion it's much better than VLC.  It's programmed by Korean programmers who really seem to know what they are doing.  Anyway I thought I would share so others here could give it a go.  FYI, it's my favorite player for video, not necessarily music.

Leland

[Ryan Wagner]

Nice find Leland! I'll have to check that out because some of the screenshots I saw make it appear as though the interface is pretty clean.

[xpgeek]

Been a fan of KMPlayer for a while now too. MUCH better then VLC.

[OldManDeath]

I'm still a GOM addict! 

[El Guru (Al)]

I'm still a GOM addict! 

Same here, was a great find thanks to this forum.

[wolfe]

hey guys, check out tag2find.  It's awesome product.  It allows you to tag your documents/files for easy search..just like delicious, only it's not like Google desktop search that bogs down the processor!

Here is a feed back writ-up I did on their site:

I came across tag2find on lifehacker's in the comment section of one of the article on file management.  I decided to give it a try.  They also had mentioned UtraFolder which I downloaded and installed along with tag2find.  After playing around with tag2find and UltraFolder for few minutes, I never looked back at UltraFolder.  I've been since using tag2find to play around with my files.

See, I'd been looking for something like this for past couple of weeks.  After my inbox at home piled up to its teeth due to my laziness to file paper documents, I decided to give scanning and managing documents digitally a shot.  This triggered a series of trials and purchases of various types of softwares and hardware.  I ended up getting Canon Pixma MX700 all-in-on scanner/printer; settled on True image 11 as backup software on external drive as well as mozy backup online; and after much trial and error on various encryption software decided on TrueCrypt as virtual drive software and AxCrypt as individual file encryption.  Both are excellent and free programs!

Of course, archiving is nothing without indexing and finding what you are looking for in matter of seconds.  I looked for various softwares and techniques (there is even a product called 42tags that have scanning capability as well as tagging - promising product but too expensive for $50!) - I also tried using File properties -> summary tab --> key words and summary fields and then using copernic desktop search (excellent search engine, btw! ) which worked OK until I found the caveat:  CDS searches files by key words/summary just fine but if you encrypt those files using, say, AxCrypt or any other encryption software, it cannot search for key words!  what a bummer.

So I finally stumbled upon tag2find.  First of all, let me say, that during the course of past few weeks, I've come across commercial grade product who may offer the functionality that you're looking for but their user interface sucks; it's "cheap" and sluggish.  Tag2find stands out for its user interface.  When I'm tagging files or searching for them or doing anything that has anything to do with tagging, I can't help but notice how nice the user interface is-- there is definitely room for improvement but I've not used the product long enough to definitively point those things out--will do in the future but so far I must say that tag2find team/developer has got the right idea.  Searching for tags and it brings matched tags on the fly as you type got to be a must and tag2find implements it very well!

The only confusion I had about the program was how to delete some tag.  Also, "Edit list in" functionality to add tags to files is not very intuitive;  it can be confusing for the newbie and I'm sure it could be made more straightforward.  Also, tagging is something that people know intuitively how it can organize your files but they don't know exactly how to use it and if the user interface/product is built around addressing that problem then it can help a lot right from the get-go.

Missing in the product is a help file with some tutorial etc under help menu.  I know there is some material on the website itself but I kinda had to sift through.  I think if the help file includes definition with pic various components (e.g. what does tag browser look like etc) then it would help a lot because in actual tag browser, the window title reads "tag2find" not "tag browser".

Besides that, so far, I'm very impressed.  The product does tagging very well.  Specially the ability to tag encrypted files as if they are regular file is definitely a winner.  It's definitely one of those products that has commercial and professional grade quality and promise but is absolutely free!  Not to mention very useful indeed!  Thank you!