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Useful Windows Utilities

Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2023 1:36 pm
by Kasey Chang
I'm sure everybody has a whole list of stuff that they use and wondered how come other people don't know about it. I'll start...

* Flameshot -- probably the easiest screencap software available in Windows, complete with text overlay, arrows, and more. And it works in anything, not just in the browser. And you invoke it by hitting PrtScn key (yes, it's still on your keyboard)

* MS Powertoys (everyone's heard of this, right?)

* NetLimiter -- prevents one app (or one PC) from using up too much bandwidth on the network, useful when your pipe's restricted and/or behaves weird when pushed to its limits, single home user version is free

* Mouse Without Borders -- when I had a laptop and a desktop side by side, I wondered if there's a way to make them act seamlessly together, and just use one set of keyboard/mouse. That's this utility, and it's a free project from Microsoft Garage (one of their "fun" projects, which also includes TinyBASIC)

* IrfanView -- still the defacto universal image viewer for me, even has a Thumbnail maker.

* WizTree -- need to see what's taking up all your HD space? I used to prefer WinDirStat, but WizTree is MUCH faster.

* Process Lasso -- a better task manager than task manager, it also "restricts" run-away processes from taking up too much CPU time, among other things. Personal version is a bit of nagware, but only once when booting up.

Re: Useful Windows Utilities

Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2023 3:04 pm
by Daehawk
I used to be all into these type things. Spent much time researching them and using them. But not really touched much new stuff in the last 5 - 8 years or so.

Yes I know PowerToys. Used to love it in the XP days.

I guess I use stuff like....

Wintools to replace CCleaner

Defraggler for mechanical drive defrag.

Wallpaper Engine for full animated desktop wallpaper

AOMEI Backupper for backups

Burnaware for cd and dvd recording

DiskCheckup

Flawless Widescreen

Foxit Reader

GPU-Z

Realtemp

VLC Media player

Re: Useful Windows Utilities

Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2023 5:55 pm
by hitbyambulance
PyCharm IDE for Python

Re: Useful Windows Utilities

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2023 2:44 am
by Kasey Chang
hitbyambulance wrote: Tue Apr 04, 2023 5:55 pm PyCharm IDE for Python
Not Visual Studio Code? (the light and free version, not the full Visual Studio)

Re: Useful Windows Utilities

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2023 2:21 pm
by hitbyambulance
Kasey Chang wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2023 2:44 am
hitbyambulance wrote: Tue Apr 04, 2023 5:55 pm PyCharm IDE for Python
Not Visual Studio Code? (the light and free version, not the full Visual Studio)
i much more enjoy using PyCharm - VSC has toooo much going on and is overkill for my (current) needs.

Re: Useful Windows Utilities

Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2023 7:41 am
by AllanIsKing
Directory Report - Shows disk usage, finds duplicate files and directory printer

Re: Useful Windows Utilities

Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2023 10:15 pm
by Kraken
IDK if it counts as a Windows utility, but Cute PDF Writer enables you to create PDFs by sending your XLS and DOCX files to a virtual "printer." I use it routinely.

Re: Useful Windows Utilities

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2023 12:59 am
by gilraen
Kraken wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 10:15 pm IDK if it counts as a Windows utility, but Cute PDF Writer enables you to create PDFs by sending your XLS and DOCX files to a virtual "printer." I use it routinely.
I used that for work for a long time but now Windows has a print-to-PDF option built in.

Re: Useful Windows Utilities

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2023 1:42 am
by Kraken
gilraen wrote: Sun Apr 09, 2023 12:59 am
Kraken wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 10:15 pm IDK if it counts as a Windows utility, but Cute PDF Writer enables you to create PDFs by sending your XLS and DOCX files to a virtual "printer." I use it routinely.
I used that for work for a long time but now Windows has a print-to-PDF option built in.
Well fine, but is it cute?