Free Software List for Vista

[MilesAhead]

If anyone wants to try TipOff 1.5 Beta you can download from this page:
TipOff

(below edited with new info)

ready for prime time. V. 1.5 - no longer beta

I addd drag & drop Copy with Comment support. Looks pretty good. If you have file create/modify permissions it should even work when you drop into a 32 bit folder on a mapped network drive(at least it does on my Vista64 machine.) Plus I fixed the ProgressBar. It acts as expected. The copy component is written in Delphi 5 using the VCL. If you get flicker in the progress bar go to the Adjust Visual Effects settings and turn off "Animate controls and elements inside of windows". There's a tutorial on this board how to adjust all those video performance settings. The one I'm referring to is the top check box in the list.

If you're a download freak it's pretty good for commenting your downloads.

Now if you drag & drop commented files to another folder, if a comment data file already exists it is updated. If not, it is created in the target folder. This gives 2 ways to back up your comments. Through the drag & drop mechanism, or you can press the TreePad File button in the Property Page to make a TreePad File out of the comments in the current folder. Not bad for free if I say so myself.

If you have Vista 64 use a means of opening a 32 bit folder for source and dest.
One such is Half Shell. It can be had here:
Hotkeys

 

[Ifonlea]

I have just come across Anvir Freeware Task Manager. It gives so much more information & control of tasks and services that I think it's worth adding to the list

http://www.anvir.com/taskmanagerfree

AnVir Task Manager Free provides full set of Windows enhancements that help in every-day work
Security & Performance:
Full information about processes, services, Internet connections, drivers, DLLs
the best replacement for Windows Task Manager
Descriptions for 70 000+ startup programs, Internet Explorer toolbars and services, startup manager
know what is running on your PC and remove what you don't need
Security analysis of programs behaviour detects Trojans and Spyware, alerts on new startups
keep your computer free from malicious programs
Speed up Windows startup (Delayed Startup), balance CPU usage, optimize memory
your computer can run faster
Run programs as services on Windows startup, save process priority, monitor TCP/UPD
best choice of IT Professionals
Windows enhancements:
Monitor CPU, memory, HDD temperature and load, network, notebook battery and show icons in system tray
how is utilized your hardware?
Click on title of any application to hide the window to tray, make it transparent, set it 'always on top'
List of recently used folders in "Open"/"Save" dialogs
Last launched programs and folders in tray menu

 

[II Da JoKeR II]

thanks iv used some of these programes there great

 

[Brink]

Thank you Ifonlea. Added.

 

[iandvedwards]

Could I suggest adding Virtual Box - an alternative (and in my opinion better option) to Virtual PC 2007.

www.[B]virtualbox[/B].org

Ian.

 

[Brink]

Hello Ian. Added.

 

[Ifonlea]

I can't believe I have not recommended this before...
Gizmo Toolbar Gizmo Central -- Enliven your PC

If you are sick of Object Dock or you want more, this app allows multiple toolbars that you can customize in dozens of different ways.
It comes in 2 flavours, "free" and "donor edition" and the only difference is that the donor edition gets the updates way before the free version.

For the geeks there are several extra utilities, none of which I have found the need to use...
Gizmo Drive
Gizmo Script
Gizmo Database
Gizmo Editor
Gizmo Hasher

(Note: Some AV programs will detect the Gizmo .dll as a Trojan, but it appears to be a false positive and there are more details available in the forum. I have used this for over a year with no problems)

Documentation is a little bit vague but it's not too difficult to figure out.
Hint: To use "drag & drop" successfully use the Ctrl key.

 

[Brink]

Thank you Ifonlea. Added.

 

[sassofalco]

Free Software - Now you can have UAC enabled, and run it in 'Quiet Mode'.....read on.

G'Day Brink,

From time to time I have an online read of a British Journal called 'Windows Vista Magazine', and have found an interesting bit of free software that could put the issue of "UAC- Enable or Disable?" to rest once and for all. [Windows Vista Magazine | Home ]

The software is called 'TweakUAC', and it offers a compromise to the often argued subject of claims and counter-claims that Users put forward, as the pros and cons of User Account Control. Briefly, the compromise allows for UAC to be enabled, but to run in what Winability Software [TweakUAC developers] refer to as 'Quiet Mode'.

Rather that go into a lengthy discussion of this myself, I here reproduce an extract on the subject from the Journal. Emboldened text in the body of the article, is my highlighting;

Partial Extract from Windows Vista Magazine Article by James Stables, published 23 June 2008;

" When it came to designing Windows Vista, Microsoft decided to lock down security so that the integrity couldn’t be compromised. Secondary accounts are now assigned ‘standard user’ status, which means they’re not allowed to make changes to the system that may affect security. When they try to do this, UAC will ask for an administrator password before it continues.
In theory, this is the way all systems should be run, and while surfing the internet and performing day-to-day tasks, Microsoft advises you to use a standard account and leave your admin account untouched. If something requires admin privileges, you’ll simply be prompted for a password. This is all very well, but few people actually run their computer this way.

Take control

With this in mind there seems to be a simple choice: to leave UAC on, which is advised, or to turn it off. This can be done in the User Accounts menu, which will remove all warning when using your computer. Unfortunately, in Windows Vista Home Premium there’s no way to set the UAC for standard users only, which means the kids will be able to make changes to the entire system without any warning or administrator clarification.

Fortunately, there is a third way, which enables you to make a compromise between the security of your PC when others are using it, and your own interruption-free experience. A free application called TweakUAC enables you to place UAC in ‘Quiet Mode’. This means that administrators won’t be bothered by UAC prompts, while standard user accounts will still be asked for administrative passwords as before. You can download TweakUAC from www.tweak-uac.com."

===============================================

Introduction to TweakUAC for Windows Vista;

TweakUAC for Windows Vista.

TweakUAC™ is a free software tool that you can use to quickly turn UAC (User Account Control of Windows Vista) on or off, or to make UAC operate in the quiet mode. This software is FREE, no strings attached.

====================================================

That's it......I hope that this is considered suitable for the Free Software List for Vista, and that it can also be included in your Tutorials on User Account Control. Then, and maybe only then, will the arguments cease, the indignant become dignified once again, and that there will be 'Peace in our Time'.:D

 

[MilesAhead]

@Brink, just an update on Half Shell utility. It's true that the Shift-Enter hotkey to open a 32 bit shell only works on Vista64, but the other hotkey, Control-Enter, to open a folder in a new window, works on both 32 bit and 64 bit Vista.

For XP users used to hitting Control-Enter to open a folder in a new window, it eases some of the Vista shock!

 

[4cloud9]

Auslogics Registry Defrag not freeware anymore?

 

[Airbot]

Hey Shawn,

This program is Trialware. Only lets you save one image a day unless you buy it.

 

[Brink]

Thank you Aaron. It has been removed.

 

[Brink]

Auslogics Registry Defrag not freeware anymore?

Uhm. It sure doesn't seem like it is anymore. Removed from list.

Auslogics Products

 

[MilesAhead]

Just a little knock off utility if you wonder what that error code means




edit: only works for Windows system errors and HRESULT codes.
If Joe's ActiveX Control is busted I don't know what's wrong with it.

(input should be a decimal number like 5 for "access denied" or hex HRESULT
like 0x80000008 which is E_FAIL and used for just about anything where they
don't feel like giving you any specific info.)

 

[z3r010]

Office accounting express now at version 2009 - Download details: Office Accounting Express 2009

 

[william gunkel]

Thanks for the information. I have a question concerning Microsoft office word that you must have in order to run this program. As I understand it you must buy this program. All I have on my Vista OS is Microsoft Works, will that work?

 

[Brink]

Office accounting express now at version 2009 - Download details: Office Accounting Express 2009

Updated.

 

[MilesAhead]

I have another little Hotkey utility I put together using AutoIt3. If a window to a running program is the active window, hitting Shift-NumPadMinus opens the "Home Folder" or folder where the exe is located. Hitting Control-NumPadMinus opens a command prompt.

See Home Folder at the bottom of the page
Hotkeys


Note that it is a compiled AutoIt3 program so it may show a false positive in some av programs. The AutoIt3 forum has a sticky about it if anyone is curious why.

Works on XP and Vista(and should work in W7 but I've only tested in XP and Vista 32 and 64 bit.)

edit: I added another hotkey for those that use FavesSA launcher. Alt-NumPadMinus sends the program associated with the active window to FavesSA if it is running. FavesSA v. 4.6 or higher will add it to the current list if it's not already there(and Monitor option is enabled.) This makes it easy to build up a list of favorite applications and folders and save them to a named file, pretty much like an editor.

 

[MilesAhead]

My XMon Explorer Folder Monitor used to be hard wired for only 10 folders in the MRU list. I've added a control and scrollbar so that the user can adjust the max in the range of 4 to 64 folders.

Download link is near the bottom of this page:
Faves Downloads

Here's a new screen shot: