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FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

By Deanna McElveen • Comment about this article

There is nothing wrong with knowing of powerful commands to fix computers but not remembering the actual commands. That’s what tech notes and Google are for. But what if you didn’t have to look them up?

Cemil “Jim” Taşdemir has created Jim’s Toolbox. A collection of all the tools we like to use, but with easy launch buttons so there is nothing to remember!

Go grab Jim’s Toolbox from OlderGeeks.com, and let’s take a look at it.

You will notice that the file you downloaded has a .7z extension instead of the familiar .zip extension. This is not a new thing. This type of high-compression file, created by 7-Zip, file has been around for years. You will need 7-Zip to continue, but seriously: 7-Zip should be on every Windows computer you own. Go ahead and get it installed. Only takes a second.

Once you have 7-Zip installed and Jim’s Toolbox downloaded, simply right-click on Jims Toolbox V5.6.7z and hover over 7-Zip in the Context Menu. Now just click on Extract to Jims Toolbox V5.6.7z to extract the contents to the newly created folder in the same folder as the downloaded .7z file (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. 7-Zip makes opening any compressed file, including Jim’s Toolbox, a snap.

Open the new folder and then the enclosed folder. You will see the files inside. Just right-click on the file named Toolbox v5.6.exe and choose Run as administrator to start the program (see Figure 2). Note: If you don’t run the program as administrator, things will not go well for you later if you try to fix a computer or use some of the other tools.

Figure 2. Run the file named Toolbox v5.6.exe as administrator to start the program.

To continue, you will need to click Yes on the User Account Control warning (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. Click Yes to continue when you receive the User Account Control warning.

And finally, we have the first screen! Jim’s Toolbox is pretty much just a row of category tabs, with a button for each command or within a category (see Figure 4).

There are a lot of tools packed into Jim’s Toolbox, so I’m gonna fly through these like a chicken chasing a June bug!

Figure 4. Choose a category at the top, and then choose the tools below it.

Under System Tools, we first have five System Tools:

Figure 5. Five very useful system tools to get you started with Jim’s Toolbox

Next is Optional Windows Features:

Windows Repair Tools:

GOD Mode:

Windows Iso:

Figure 6. Holy cow! That was only the first tab!

The Network Tools tab (Figure 7) is where you’ll find very easy ways to use the various network tools built into Windows. Want to block a website without laying a finger on the host file? Want to ping or run Traceroute without opening a command prompt? This is where you’ll do it.

Among the other tools is a super convenient way to change your DNS settings on the fly!

Figure 7. Network tools at your fingertips!

Moving right along to Diagnostic Tools.

This just happens to have my three favorite Microsoft Sysinternal Tools built right in!

You can also run an ESET virus scan or upload files to VirusTotal for checking against a whole gob of antivirus scanners.

Need to help someone remotely with their computer? Click GRD under Remote Desktop to get started using Google’s Remote Desktop.

Figure 8. Under Diagnostic Tools, check running processes, run a virus scan, or even make remote connections.

The Registry Tools section (see Figure 9) is a place full of special buttons to do special things. We’ll call these “spicy buttons.” If you know the risks and know what you’re doing — and you’re not gonna blame this girl — have at ’em!

If you don’t like a little spice in your life, skip these.

Figure 9. Useful — but very dangerous — buttons, if you don’t know what you’re doing.

The Software tab is a collection of non-spicy buttons that will treat you to lists, tools, and websites to access some of the best free tools out there (see Figure 10).

Note: Some of these are free. But some are not free and are affiliate links. Nothing wrong with that. If you find something you want to pay for, Cemil (“Jim”) gets a little cut. He deserves it!

Figure 10. Need some great online and offline software? The Software tab is for you!

The last tab I’ll be going over is the Linux – Tools tab.

If you are ready to dabble in Linux, this is a great addition to Jim’s Toolbox. It starts out with one of my favorite programs, Linux Reader, which allows reading Linux partitions from Windows. Very handy if you are a dual-booter.

The next section is all about the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and getting it installed so you can run Linux in Windows.

Next, under Distros, a simple survey lets you easily find a Linux distribution (distro) that fits your needs. Once you find the perfect one, click the button to download it.

At the bottom, you can easily grab Ventoy and stuff as many operating systems as you wish onto a flash drive. You can boot them all live (evil laugh)!

Figure 11. Goof around with some Linux distros.

Still want to play with toy trucks and trains?

Spouse won’t let you use the kitchen table?

Simutrans by André Zanghelini is a free and open-source transport-simulation game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.

Features:

Figure 12. Simutrans does not require the kitchen table to have hundreds of vehicles moving goods.

Grab Simutrans from OlderGeeks.com and, as always …

Happy computing!

Our entire philosophy at OlderGeeks is built on being a safe download site offering software you can trust. We use every program we consider, checking it carefully for bundleware or other sneaky stuff. Every downloadable is checked with VirusTotal and Malwarebytes. If a program is updated, we do the same checks again. We reject more programs than we accept, always stressing quality and safety over padding our collection. Every program mentioned in this article meets our rigorous standards. We’re as trustworthy as Grandma’s apple pie!

Contribute your thoughts in this article’s forum!

Deanna and Randy McElveen are celebrating more than a decade of running OlderGeeks.com, over two decades in the computer business, and even more than that putting up with each other. Their computer store is in a small town in the Missouri Ozarks. Believing that happy customers are always the best advertisement, they hope to squeeze in a couple more decades doing the same.

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