Newsletter Archives

• Jim’s Toolbox — So many nifty tools in one collection

  Posted on September 23, 2024 at 02:45 CDT by Deanna McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.39 • 2024-09-23

  FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

  

  By Deanna McElveen

  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!

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.39.0, 2024-09-23).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Freeware Spotlight Deanna's Freeware Spotlight, Jim's Toolbox, Newsletters, Utilities

• WinPE — many useful tools in a single package

  Posted on January 29, 2024 at 02:43 CST by Ben Myers • Comment in the Forums

  BEN’S WORKSHOP

  

  By Ben Myers

  For years, I have been using Windows PE in a variety of forms to carry out many tasks necessary to service Windows computers.

  Microsoft Learn describes Windows PE (WinPE) as “a small operating system used to install, deploy, and repair Windows desktop editions, Windows Server, and other Windows operating systems.” WinPE stands for “Windows Preinstallation Environment,” but a WinPE can provide much more than that.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.05.0, 2024-01-29).

  Ben's Workshop DaRT, Gandalf PE, Hiren's PE, Newsletters, NirSoft, Rufus, Speccy, Utilities, Windows PE

• Introducing Microsoft PC Manager

  Posted on October 23, 2023 at 02:44 CDT by Ed Tittel • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS

  

  By Ed Tittel

  Not many people know about the Microsoft PC Manager application, despite its being available in English since October 2022.

  One reason you might not be aware of PC Manager is because it is still in beta. It also began as a Chinese-language app in early 2022, which in all likelihood would not have caught the immediate attention of English speakers.

  However, it’s clear just from the URL of PCM’s microsite, https://pcmanager.microsoft.com/, that Microsoft has plans for the program. (It even has its own logo.) You can download the program from that location.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.43.0, 2023-10-23).

  Windows Beta, Newsletters, PC Manager, Settings, Utilities

• Working with the Intel Driver & Support Assistant

  Posted on June 19, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Ed Tittel • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.25 • 2023-06-19

  WINDOWS

  

  By Ed Tittel

  Intel’s share of the x86 processor market at the end of 2022 came out at nearly a two-to-one ratio for Intel vs. AMD.

  The Statista survey ascribes 62.8% of that market to Intel and 35.2% to AMD; the remaining 2% presumably belongs to ARM and “other CPUs” sometimes found in PCs.

  But other Intel devices, including PC chipsets and controllers, show up in PCs of all kinds. And that means Intel also supplies drivers to connect devices to Windows and allow them to do their jobs.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.25.0, 2023-06-19).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Windows Hardware, Hardware drivers, Intel, Newsletters, Software, Utilities, Windows

• Beyond Compare is beyond comparison

  Posted on July 18, 2022 at 02:43 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  SOFTWARE

  

  By Will Fastie

  A good utility program can greatly improve productivity. A great utility program is often indispensable.

  One capability that has always been essential, especially to developers, is file comparison. Surprisingly, few utilities existed to perform that task. I remember printing core dumps in octal from a machine that had crashed and comparing them, visually, to a dump from another, working machine. And I mean on paper.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.29.0, 2022-07-18).

  Software Comparison, Newsletters, Software Review, Utilities

• DockFolders — it’s the pretty things …

  Posted on April 11, 2022 at 02:42 CDT by Deanna McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

  

  By Deanna McElveen

  I would like to start out with an apology to those I have neglected this year. I have been so nerdy with the software, and then I remember that some of you just want pretty things.

  No worries! I have what you need! Pretty and useful! DockFolders by Silon Systems is beta freeware (you know I have to be the first to try anything) that creates a gorgeous, curved folder dock/menu on your desktop. The program works on Windows 7, 10, and 11.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.15.0, 2022-04-11).

  Freeware Spotlight Deanna's Freeware Spotlight, File Explorer, Newsletters, Utilities

• 5 free utilities to help you get more out of Windows 11

  Posted on April 4, 2022 at 02:45 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.14 • 2022-04-04

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Lance Whitney

  You can squeeze more features and flexibility out of Windows 11 with the right utility programs.

  You’ve just upgraded to Windows 11. And maybe you like certain aspects of it but wish the new OS offered more capabilities. In many ways, Windows 11 is a minor upgrade to Windows 10, with visual changes and some new or redesigned features. But otherwise, it’s still the same old Windows with the same limitations and constraints.

  One way to make Windows 11 more robust and flexible is through a good utility program. An array of utilities is available that will enhance or improve the OS in both significant and subtle ways. Among the vast number of utilities out there, I’ve come up with five free ones: Microsoft PowerToys, ThisIsWin11, Files, BeWidgets, and Winaero Tweaker. Let’s check them out.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.14.0, 2022-04-04).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Windows 11 Essential utilities, Newsletters, Utilities, Windows 11

• Ratool — Because firewalls can’t stop everything

  Posted on March 14, 2022 at 02:45 CDT by Deanna McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.11 • 2022-03-14

  FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

  

  By Deanna McElveen

  Everyone is walking around with the storage of a 1990s supercomputer in their pockets. Jingling around with the pennies and nickels, flash drives are an old-school data thief’s best friend.

  Remember those first computer-hacker movies where the thief, spy, or 14-year-old had only a few minutes to copy a file from a computer before being caught red-handed? Oh, the suspense of watching that file-copy window slowly progress as the floppy drive ground away.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 19.11.0 (2022-03-14).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Newsletter 19.11.F (2022-03-14).

  Freeware Spotlight Blocking, Deanna's Freeware Spotlight, External Drives, Newsletters, USB drives, Utilities
• « Older Entries