Windows only We've covered several Windows Explorer alternatives here on the site, and in general the ones that are free all leave something to be desired. The thing that I really like with NexusFile is that it has many of the features power users want, but without all the clutter that a lot of the other file managers tend to come with.
Windows only We've talked about both WinMerge and DiffMerge in the past, and both are great file comparison utilities. When it comes to comparing files, however, these generally only focus on text-based files meaning PDFs are left out in the dark. There is another free program called DiffPDF that can handle those files for you.
Windows only Microsoft added a lot of great features in Windows 7 that makes managing your windows a lot easier, such as Aero Snap and Aero Shake. For some users, however, these features may actually become even more useful if they are tweaked just a little bit. AquaSnap is a free program that adds a new twist to the way some of those things work:
Windows; Mac; Linux Not everyone has the money to spend on a professional diagram editor like Visio, but there are some free solutions available as well. Many of the free options are available online as web-based editors, but if you need a desktop app something like the Dia Diagram Editor may be what you want.
Windows only If you've ever tried to find something in the Windows Registry you'll know how basic the built-in registry search tool is. A free app called RegSeeker is looking to solve that by providing a much more selective and customizable search utility.
Windows only If you are looking for a way to spice up your day a little bit maybe what you need is something that will play elevator music while programs are opening, files are copying, and your downloads are downloading. Instant Elevator Music is an app that will play, well, elevator music when those kinds of operations are taking place.
Windows only There seems to be all kinds of screenshot apps available for Windows, and many of them cater to different audiences. One of my favorites is Greenshot since it is lightweight, free, and has just the right number of features, but CaptureIt Plus comes in a close second.
Windows only Folder Monitor is a free Windows app that can track changes to folders you select. The types of changes include a file being created, changed, renamed, or deleted. When one of those events occur you can have a visual notification appear, a sound played, and a command line action taken.
Windows only We've seen all kinds of apps that assist with finding large files and folders on your machine, but you often don't have much control over the kinds of files and folders that are returned.
Windows only If you'r worried that something may be going on behind-the-scenes on your computer TCPEye is an app that may put your mind at ease. It monitors all TCP and UDP ports on your computer for activity, and displays the information in a list like the one pictured above. Here is a quick rundown on what the app will tell you about each TCP or UDP connection on your machine:
I've run into the situation before where I've needed to empty the Recycle Bin for all users on a multi-user computer.
Windows only I never thought I'd find a file archiver that I liked better than 7-Zip, but the interface provided by Hamster ZIP Archiver has really won me over. Not only can you compress files as both ZIP and 7Z formats, but it also looks great while it is doing the dirty work.
Windows only Last week I needed to create hundreds of empty folders for a project I was working on, and I was trying to figure out the best way to create the folders in bulk. I thought I was going to have to write my own script to do it, but as it turns out a member of the DonationCoder forum posted an awesome app he whipped up called Text 2 Folders.
Windows only If you are anything like me you likely hate when something makes itself start with Windows without first notifying you.
The new (default) Windows 8 interface is something that Microsoft has spent a lot of time rethinking, and will drastically shift the way we use computers. The good news is that the classic Windows 7-style interface is still buried underneath for those that want it, but you won't be able to move completely away from the Metro-style UI.
I remember when Microsoft first came out with Windows Vista and they introduced the Aero theme. One of the computers I had at that time didn't have the graphics chip needed to support the Aero interface in all its splendor. Going back and using the Windows Basic theme was rather depressing because not only did it look clunky, but you couldn't even customize the color.
When things start to go wrong on your computer what is one of the first things you do (after punching your monitor, of course)? Often times I resort to Safe Mode, which prevents a lot of third-party and non-critical processes from starting up. If you try to enter Safe Mode in Windows 8 using the typical F8 key you'll be a little shocked when you're not actually prompted to enter Safe Mode.
Like many of the geeks out there I downloaded the Windows 8 Developer Preview last week so that I could play around with it.
Windows only Programs like Notepad++ are great because they provide powerful text file editing, but the searching can leave something to be desired. Text Filter is an app dedicated to searching through text files and it does a great job of it. It instantly highlights results as you type, and can optionally hide lines that don't contain any matches.
Notepad (in Windows) has a unique feature that a lot of people don't know about. If you open a file in Notepad where the first line contains ".LOG" you will automatically see the current time and date appended to the end of the file. Here is how it works:
