Solve Windows problems with Microsoft Fix it Portable
If your PC isn’t working properly then Microsoft’s Fix it Solution Center is a great place to start looking for solutions. It has troubleshooters to address problems with performance, stability, security, media playback and a whole lot more, and most of these can be launched in just a couple of clicks.
Of course if your PC isn’t connected to the internet, and network connectivity might be the very reason you need some help, then the site isn’t going to be able to help. But fortunately there’s also a local version available in the shape on Microsoft Fix it Portable, and while it has some problems the program could be a welcome addition to your troubleshooting toolkit.
Remove Windows programs with Total Uninstall
Gavrila Martau has released version 6 of his Windows programs removal tool, Total Uninstall. The program is capable of completely uninstalling applications using one of two techniques: the first allows it to detect and analyze existing installations to build an installer log file that can be used to remove the program even when the original installer is missing or corrupt. The second method sees Total Uninstall monitor all changes made by a setup program when installing a new application, allowing the user to remove the program more thoroughly than the supplied installer., which allows users to remove applications even when the original program uninstaller is missing.
Total Uninstall 6.0 adds a number of new features to its three modules -- monitored programs, installed programs and cleaner -- while also introducing various performance improvements, including native support for 64-bit versions of Windows.
Want Windows 8 Metro without the upgrade? Skin it!
Fancy the idea of using the Windows 8 UI but don’t feel like going as far as installing the consumer preview version of the OS? Look no further than a transformation pack to give your operating system a makeover and a completely new look. If you’re working with Windows 7 you can use Windows 8 UX Pack 4.0, while Windows 8 Transformation Pack 4.0 can be used in everything from Windows XP and up. Both apps bring the look and feel of Windows 8 to your desktop with no need for complex tweaking.
The two skinning app’s version numbers have been brought in line with each other, and there are a number of changes to investigate. Windows 8 UX Pack 4.0 now better mimics the look of Windows 8 thanks to the switch to using the Segoe UI font and inclusion of all of the desktop wallpapers from the Windows 8 Consumer Preview.
Recover data from most any storage device
Smart Projects has updated its shareware data recovery tool, ISOBuster, to version 3.0. Previously limited to examining and recovering data from optical discs such as DVD, CD and Blu-ray, ISOBuster 3.0 now extends support to a wide array of disk formats, including hard disks, memory cards, USB thumb drives and even Zip, Jaz and floppy disks, adding support for the NTFS filing system at the same time.
Past versions of ISOBuster were renowned for being able to recover data from corrupt and even physically damaged optical discs, and the functionality will be similar for newly supported drive and file system formats too.
Protect your deleted data with Disk Wipe
Whether you’re concerned that files you have stored on a USB drive might be recovered by someone else after they have been deleted, or you are selling your computer and want to ensure that none of your personal documents can be accessed, almost everyone has a need to securely delete data at some point. Simply deleting files is not enough as there are all manner of tool in existence that can be used to restore them, but Disk Wipe is a free, easy to use app that helps to ensure that when a drive is formatted, none of its data is recoverable.
It is not just hard drives that the app can be used to secure. If you have stored private documents on a USB drive or have photos or other files stored on a memory card, the same app can be used to completely format any FAT, FAT32 or NTFS drive that can be accessed from within Windows. In addition to the secure file wiping, Disk Wipe also provides you with a good deal of information about the drives it detects, such as the number of sectors, the manufacturer and serial number.
Can't find your software product key? There's an app for that
Having to reinstall Windows is always a hassle, but it can become a real issue if you can’t find your product key. Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder can help, though, by retrieving product keys for Windows and more than 300 applications, allowing you to save them in a plain text file for easy reference at some later date.
The program was easy enough to use on our test PC. Just install and launch it, and you’re immediately presented with a list of the applications and keys it had detected (which did include our Windows 7 details, despite the site saying this wasn’t supported).
Get around long documents with Notepad++
Popular, open-source text editor Notepad++ 6.0.0 is now available . This landmark release doesn’t contain many notably new, but is merely the latest step in a product’s evolution that is constant and ongoing.
Version 6.0.0 does add one feature -- a Document Map panel that can be toggled on or off via the View menu -- and also promises improved performance when loading large files into memory.
Close All Windows -- one click, shuts them
If your desktop is hopelessly cluttered with a host of unnecessary applications, then you can start to regain some control by minimizing all open windows (press Winkey+M, or click bottom-right in Windows 7). Actually closing all those applications usually takes a little more effort, of course, but it doesn’t have to be that way: NTWind Software’s Close All Windows can do it in a click.
The program itself is tiny (a 36KB download), and doesn’t use any system resources or require installation. Just pin your preferred executable (there are both 32- and 64-bit versions) to the taskbar, or create a convenient shortcut if you’re not using Windows 7, and you’re ready to go.
Need to decompress files fast? Try Unarchiver 3 for OS X
Compressed files are not always used for the space savings reasons they were initially created for, but they are still very important. The widespread availability of high-speed Internet connections means that the size of downloads is far less important than used to be the case, but many downloads are still supplied in one of the many compressed formats that are available. OS X includes integrated support for a number of formats but if you want to be able to extract the contents of more archives The Unarchiver has been updated to version 3.0 with support for more compressed files types than ever before.
As you’ve probably guessed from the name of the app, this is a piece of software that is concerned solely with the decompression of archives, so if you’re looking to compress files you’re going to need to look elsewhere. In the software world there is a general trend towards jack-of-all-trades utilities, so it is slightly unusual to come across an app that does just one thing -- thankfully, The Archiver does it well, so it can be let off the hook somewhat.
When Windows Task Scheduler isn't enough, try Mayhem
The standard Windows solution for automating a PC function is Windows Task Scheduler. And that’s fine if, say, you just need to run some program once a week, but if you need to trigger a task by something other than the passage of time then life gets a little more complicated.
Mayhem has a different philosophy. Originally devised by Microsoft, and now open source, this interesting tool aims to take Task Scheduler to the next level, providing many more automation possibilities, while still being easy enough for absolutely anyone to use.
Instant File Search Pro: You'll like the results, just not how long they take to get
Windows Search is a powerful tool, there’s no doubt about that. Its powerful indexing engine understands all kinds of file metadata, enabling you to search for documents by a particular author, music from your favorite artist, photos taken by a specific camera model and a whole lot more.
Many people are still less than enthusiastic about the technology, though. In particular, the indexing process is often reported to consume more resources than it should, and the filters can be awkward to use. But if you’d prefer something simpler, then there are plenty of alternatives around, and the portable Instant File Search Professional, just a single 618KB executable, is certainly more convenient to use than most.
Take control of Windows apps with Task Manager DeLuxe
If the regular Windows Task Manager isn’t powerful for your needs then most people will recommend you try something like Process Explorer or Process Hacker. But while these are great programs, they’re also packed with highly technical details and options, which may seem intimidating if you’re not totally familiar with how Windows works.
Sounds familiar? If you’ve found this to be a problem before then you might prefer MiTeC’s Task Manager DeLuxe. It’s a free and portable tool that delivers more functionality than you get from Windows alone -- in some areas, at least - but won’t expose you to the low-level complexities you’ll often see elsewhere.
Take control of remote PCs with PAExec
Managing a Windows network can be a full-time job; there’s always one problem or another demanding your attention. You could run around from computer to computer, addressing issues as they crop up. But you may be able to save some time and trouble by using PAExec, which can launch programs on remote PCs, and (if they’re console applications) redirect their output back to your own system.
Enter a command like PAExec \\{SystemName} -s cmd.exe, for instance, and PAExec will connect to the specified system and open a command prompt there. You’ll then be able to enter regular Windows commands to find out more about the issue, they’ll be executed on the SystemName computer, and you’ll see the results on your own PC.
Advanced SystemCare 5.2 brings Windows 8 support
IObit’s do-everything PC maintenance suite, Advanced SystemCare, has today been updated to version 5.2. And top of the changelog this time is the new support for Windows 8 Consumer Preview. (Whether anyone’s spending enough time using Windows 8 to require a maintenance suite is another issue, of course, but it’s still a welcome addition here.)
IObit also report optimizations and improvements in just about every SystemCare module: PC Health, Performance Monitor, Privacy Sweep, Turbo Boost, Registry Fix, Malware Removal, System Optimisation, Disk Defragment, Shortcut Fix, Disk Cleaner and Cloned Files Scanner.
Tweet this: Trillian for Mac improves Twitter support
It used to be that there were numerous chat clients to choose from -- the likes of AIM, MSN and Yahoo! -- but nowadays there are also social networks to consider. Trillian has always been a great tool for anyone who wants to keep in touch with friends that are using different chat networks, and support for this likes of Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and more has been added as the app has developed over time.
This latest update not only fixes a number of known problems, but also improves the app’s support for Twitter. The Twitter engine has received an overhaul so there is now support for native retweeting as well as the userstream.
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.