{{
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Edited by Recon Number 54:
2/2/2013 9:09:27 PM
52
Clever freeware/shareware/cheapware PC apps & utilities
I am not trying to repair, replace or resume the previous "Build a PC" or "Ask your PC support questions here" topics that we had in the old forum structure. This is something a little different.
With the new "comment and reply" tiers that we have to use, it seems (to me) that a topic to allow the community to mention, share, find, and discuss various tools and applications would be potentially useful.
The idea of this topic is that anyone can create a reply to this OP, link to, and then have followup discussion for a website, a service, a utility, a shareware, freeware or other application that they have found to be useful, helpful or indispensable.
It's worth a try. If you have programs that you can't live with out, feel free to comment and share your gems with the community.
Hell, if this gets really popular, I may have to index some permalinks in the OP.
[b][u]ProTip for commentors[/u]:[/b]
While it may be tempting to just paste your listing of favorites, the forum structure is going to allow/encourage us to make comments that are a single app (preferably with a link) and an explanation of not just what it does, but why it is so helpful to you! If we can keep the comments to single-app review and link, with the replies then focused on that app, each comment will become its own sub-topic.
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Edited by Mass Craziness: 1/28/2013 4:58:28 PM[url=http://www.comodo.com/home/internet-security/firewall.php]Comodo Firewall.[/url] Monitor your In/Out Traffic, manage it, and for free. [url=http://www.piriform.com/recuva]Recuva[/url] Recover deleted files. I'm sure there's a better one, but this is the one I use. [url=http://majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=6503&file=9&evp=0f4244a261ccd2159f5ccc2873bfab57]iObit Toolbox[/url] A fine assortment of tools, ranging from an advanced uninstaller that searches for leftover files and registry keys, to a hard disc scanner, to a registry cleaner. An all-in-one package, a good one, too.
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Edited by Banned Gatsby: 1/6/2014 4:34:04 PM[url=http://www.freemake.com/free_video_downloader/]Freemake video downloader[/url] See a video you really like? Well Freemake video downloader can extract the video from a variety of different websites at superfast speeds. It can also just download the audio from the video as well, good for getting music off Youtube. It creates a button in your browser so you can just click it and it'll download the video(s) off that page. While downloading it can also convert it to many different formats. I use it mostly to download the audio files from Youtube videos, I usually get whole albums but if in a few cases I just want one song I'll use this. [quote] Picture used is not mine, found on Google[/quote]
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2 Replies[url=http://www.freemake.com/free_video_converter/]Freemake Video converter[/url] While most devices now support videos of many different formats, at one point you may need to convert video or audio files. It's called Video converter but it can work with audio files as well, I use it whenever my Xbox or TV doesn't support the format I need. It's pretty quick and simple to use. [quote]Convert video free to AVI, MP4, WMV, MKV, 3GP, DVD, MP3, iPad, iPhone, PSP, Android phones. Video to MP3 with one click! Rip & burn DVD. Convert YouTube to MP4, AVI, etc. with Freemake! Guaranteed result.[/quote] [quote]Picture used is not mine, found on Google[/quote]
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Edited by Nescio: 1/27/2013 5:42:53 PM[url]http://stereopsis.com/flux/[/url] [quote] Ever notice how people texting at night have that eerie blue glow? Or wake up ready to write down the Next Great Idea, and get blinded by your computer screen? During the day, computer screens look good—they're designed to look like the sun. But, at 9PM, 10PM, or 3AM, you probably shouldn't be looking at the sun. [b]f.lux[/b] fixes this: it makes the color of your computer's display adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day. It's even possible that you're staying up too late because of your computer. You could use f.lux because it makes you sleep better, or you could just use it just because it makes your computer look better.[/quote] I've been using this for a while, and I don't regret downloading it. It really improves browsing experiences. (especially during winter) I did notice that my laptop sometimes 'slows down' for a couple of seconds when it starts, but I have a terrible laptop, so that shouldn't really deter you from downloading it.
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Edited by Recon Number 54: 1/29/2013 9:27:15 PM[url=http://m8software.com/clipboards/spartan/spartan.htm]Spartan Multi-Clipboard[/url]. This app allows you to save, manage and control your copy/paste functions. If you EVER find yourself wishing "I have to type this AGAIN?" then a clipboard manager like this can be invaluable. This one (Spartan) has multiple sheets, each sheet allows around 100 clips. It then pastes into any program with a single-click. It handles, text, music, pics, anything that you can put into your clipboard. There is also a completely free version called [url=http://m8software.com/clipboards/freeclip/freeclip.htm]M8[/url] One of the ways that this was indispensable for me was back when we ninja used to directly warn/ban people. I would have dozens of standard "ban reasons" pre-typed and would be able to paste them into a warning/ban message with one click. Ever wonder how I could "carpet ban" a whole thread and ban 100+ members in a few minutes? It was this tool. It made it simple.
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2 RepliesYou should really pin this awesome topic. Oh wait......
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[url=http://www.mediabrowser3.com/]MediaBrowser 3[/url] has gotten even better! Now, install this open-source and freeware app onto your server and access all of your media (Movies, Television, Music, Photos) from nearly any device on your LAN and/or the Internet.
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Dad forums
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You guys could try to add an attachment feature to this website, like that, we could attach files such as .mp3,jpeg, and lots more, it would resemble the "link" bar that we have when we reply
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Thanks to whoever bumped this. I'm going to have a look through the rest of the thread when I get home later tonight.
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1 Reply[url=http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx]TeamViewer[/url] For anyone who is the "default tech-support" for their family, friends or other people who have PC's that you can't easily get to physically, TeamViewer is a great (free for personal, pay for company) app. It's also available at http://ninite.com. It allows you to make ad-hoc remote control sessions, or if you'd like and your "clients" are frequently needing your remote support, you can create an account, and build a list of PC's that you frequently contact and remote. It also has conference, file-transfer and other features. As someone who travels a lot on business, I have this setup on my home PC's (so I can contact them while I am on the road) as well as the PC's of friends and family who rely on me for tech support. It's a nice, free, and solid tool. Check it out.
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1 ReplyAll autodesk applications are free to use provided you are a student. I think it's reasonable considering there is thousands of dollars of software on there for free for students.
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8 Replies[url=http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/windows-media-center]Windows Media Center[/url]. This was introduced in Windows XP, really became powerful in Windows 7 and has since been (sadly) de-emphasized and even "crippled" in Windows 8. However, if you have a Win 7 PC and have never explored this hidden gem, you could be missing out on something impressive! It has (as the link above states, but that only scratches the surface) the ability to turn your PC into a DVR with unlimited space (only limited by your disk space). Media Center has the ability to access (on the PC) just about anything and everything that you would use dozens of applications to do when it comes to media (pics, movies, television, music, etc.). Where it can really grow on you is that if you knew about it, your 360(s) are also capable of acting like a "remote desktop" for your PC when it comes to Media Center. You don't have to be at your computer in order to use Media Center. Your 360 has access to the same television, music, movies, and other features that your PC does. It's pretty remarkable and there is a ton to dig into. Replies to this comment can get us discussing the possibilities and configuration of WMC, if you are interested.
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2 RepliesEdited by DefiniteInfinity: 1/28/2013 5:51:40 AM[url=http://students.autodesk.com/]Autodesk Programs for Students[/url] If you're in any sort of Production, Technology Education, Manufacturing, or Electronics class in High School or College, Autodesk offers you a 100% free and 100% complete version of nearly any (if not any -- I didn't check) one of their programs. I'm in an Intro to Engineering class as a part of Project Lead The Way (a national Engineering curriculum in the US, one school in Canada, and one school in the UK), and Autodesk Inventor is something we use a lot in this class. Using it at home allows me to very easily keep up with my homework in that class, and I high recommend it for anyone who is a student and wants to have it at home. [quote]Disclaimer: I'm sure you can, if you want, go in and just say you're a student, and that the [url=http://store.autodesk.com/store/adskus/en_US/pd/productID.245887100]$7,295 price tag[/url] can be a little (read: very) annoying, but I highly encourage you to not "game the system" or, essentially, steal this software because you're not a student. That's just me though; obviously nobody's policing you...[/quote] e: I know it's not in the same vein as a useful utility like other people are posting, but I figured it'd be really helpful for some people who didn't know about it. :\
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2 Replies[url=http://www.sketchup.com/intl/en/]Trimble SketchUp[/url]. Some of you may have heard of this software as it was formerly owned by Google. SketchUp is a free CAD software known for its ease of use. The pro version allows you to export your designs to other programs, such as AutoCAD. I was able to teach myself to use this software at a reasonably advanced level (doing some complicated 3D designs for work) in a little under two hours, so I'd recommend this to anyone looking to get into computer modeling.
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I really wish there was a save thread button right about now.
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[url=http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/]DVDVideoSoft[/url] makes a bunch of freeware file-converter applications for Windows. They're really handy, look nice, and work well. Of course, they're all free, which is, in my opinion, the best part. The full studio has a few pop-ups when closing down individual apps, but they are easily ignored. If you don't want the full studio, you can download each app individually, removing the pop-up you get at the end of a session in the full studio. I think they also ask if you want to install some toolbar when installing each program, no big deal though, you can just say no.
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[Reserved]
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1 Reply[url=http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html]VLC Media Player[/url] A free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVD, Audio CD, VCD, and various streaming protocols. A full list of supported filetypes can be found [url=http://www.videolan.org/vlc/features.html]here[/url]. Personally, I've never had a media file that this thing can't run. I mainly used it to play .ogg soundtrack files from games, and it comes with a converter too. I can't vouch for the converter, but I know it's been a great help to me in relation to difficult-to-play media files.
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http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/
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[url=http://www.gimp.org/]GIMP[/url] I think its on v2.8 [quote]GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It has many capabilities. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image renderer, an image format converter, etc. GIMP is expandable and extensible. It is designed to be augmented with plug-ins and extensions to do just about anything. The advanced scripting interface allows everything from the simplest task to the most complex image manipulation procedures to be easily scripted.[/quote]
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Edited by Avants Garde: 1/28/2013 3:06:06 AMhttp://www.irfanview.com/ Image viewer. Small, fast, and awesome. [quote]IrfanView is a very fast, small, compact and innovative FREEWARE (for non-commercial use) graphic viewer for Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003 , 2008, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8. [/quote]
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6 RepliesEdited by Gr33n: 1/27/2013 5:22:03 PMOne of the best anti-virus programs out there. The free version stays updated, and lets you scan your pc at any time. The paid version also allows passive virus protection. I work in IT for my university, and malwarebytes is what we use most to clear off viruses. It'll catch almost anything.
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1 Reply[url=http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Download.php]Bulk Rename Utility[/url]. Not the sexiest of names, but it accurately describes what this little beast does. It adds an app and a selection to your Explorer Right-Click Menu (Bulk Rename Here) that allows you to use the interface above (which is a left/right view of before/after) to rename multiple files/folders at a single go. It has tons of editing features (case, insertion, sequential numbering, roman numerals, etc.) and for anyone who has tons of files on collection (a movie or video collection is a great example) this tool can save you tons of renaming file-by-file. You may not need it often, but if/when you do, it can save you a lot of time and effort.
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If you have trouble keeping track of your finances and making and adhering to budgets then Mint.com could be very useful for you. Keeps track of everything and gives nifty graphs and charts. You can even do things like sort by how much you spend at a particular retailer or category like "gas", etc. There are apps for your phone and an excellent Mac app called Mint Quickview.
