Software you can't do without

[soongmak]

For anybody who owns a digital camera and who occasionally likes to print them, JpegCrops is an excellent freeware utility. Most digital camera's produce pictures with a 4:3 aspect ratio while most studios print on paper with a 2:3 aspect ratio. If you order a 6' X 4' inch print this means that either you do not get your money's worth because they deliver you an 5.3' X 4' inch print, or they butcher your picture by cutting of part of the picture (usually exactly that part that makes your picture so interesting!)If you use JpegCrops however, you decide yourself which part of the picture is redundant. You can crop your pictures to a preset aspect ratio and rotate your pictures without loss of quality. This little gem makes preparing your photos for printing a breeze!

 

http://ekot.dk/programmer/JPEGCrops/index.en.html

[kamui]

Just a short notice:

 

The small tool I use daily has been updated this week:

 

Google Toolbar 2.0

 

(note 2.0 is not available in all language like German yet)

 

[bangkokbutcher]

My newest piece of freeware would just have to be 'HIJACKTHIS' ( HIJACKTHIS ) which is a small program that lists all installed browser add-on, buttons, starup items and allows you to inspect them, and optionally remove selected items. The program can create a backup of your original settings and also ignore selected items.

 

This program also helped me to RESTORE MY EMAIL PROGRAMS at long last :D .

 

Another good'un would have to be Outlook Express Freebie Backup( OEBACKUP ), which is a tool for people like me have just bought a new PC or laptop and would like to transfer all of their setting, messages, address book and account folders etc from their old Outlook Express to their new one.

 

Two fab programs

[Guest]

For making copies/backups of drives, folders, files, groups of files (e.g. all .doc, .xls., .txt etc) I recommend a neat freeware program called Karen?s Replicator.

 

It has a straightforward GUI front end which can be easily set up to make all sorts of copies and put them on different partitions and drives.

 

It can be automated to do scheduled copies every day, week, month, etc.

 

It can also put an icon for each copy job on the desktop which can then be double clicked to make the appropriate copy to another drive or partition.

 

It can be downloaded from here:

 

http://www.karenware.com/powertools/

 

This is the current (August 2003) list of power tools at the site ? have tried a few but frankly have only found the Replicator to be worth having.

 

Alarm Clock

Turn your $2,000 computer into a $20 alarm clock.

 

Autorun.inf Editor

Easily create the special file that causes programs to run automatically when a CD is inserted.

 

Clipboard Viewer

View the contents of Windows' Clipboard.

 

Computer Profiler

View your computer's hidden secrets.

 

Cookie Viewer

View Web browser "Cookies" left by the web site's you've visited.

 

Countdown Timer II

Never forget another appointment.

 

Directory Printer

Print the names, and other information, of all folders and files on your computer.

 

Disk Slack Checker

See how much of your disk space is being wasted.

 

Drive Info

View information about the disk drives attached to your computer.

 

E-Mailer

Send E-Mail from Windows' command line.

 

E-Mailer II

Send E-Mail from Windows' command line, desktop, from

 

Countdown Timer II, or 'Net Monitor.

 

Font Explorer

See the fonts available on your computer.

 

Hasher

Compute and verify MD5 hashes of text strings, files, and groups of files.

 

'Net Monitor

See if your web site, e-mail server, or any other computer on the 'net, is up or down.

 

Power Toy

Teach your computer to talk, sing, and even dance!

 

Print Logger

Keep a record of each document your computer prints.

 

Recycler

View and manage each drive's Recycle Bin. Empty bins manually, and automatically.

 

Registry Pruner

Remove unneeded entries from Windows' Registry.

 

Registry Ripper

Extract portions of Windows' Registry, and save them to a file.

 

Replicator

Automatically copy and backup files.

 

Show Stopper

Shutdown, Power Off, Reboot, Log Off, Suspend or Hibernate -- all from a desktop shortcut or command line!

 

Snooper

Track what programs are being run, and when they are running.

 

Time Cop

Time your meetings, recipes, exams, and more!

 

URL Discombobulator

Understand those cryptic web addresses, and make a few of your own.

 

Version Browser

View and print the "Version" information stored inside your Windows programs and other files.

 

WhoIs

Discover who owns Internet Domain Names, and how to contact their owners.

 

Window Watcher

See the hidden programs running on your computer.

 

[Guest]

Let me amend my remark above that Karen?s Replicator is probably the only powertool worth having. Used in combination with the Show Stopper program it can make a very useful copy/backup feature.

 

Show Stopper can put an icon on the desktop programmed to shutdown/reboot/log off/ suspend the PC. OK so it saves a couple of mouse clicks over the Windows method of clicking Start, clicking log off or shut down, and then clicking Standby, Shutdown or Restart.

 

But Show Stopper also has an interesting feature which allows it to be set up to run a program automatically before shut down when a Show Stopper icon is double clicked.

 

An example. Say C:\ is for the OS and program files, D:\ is for the page file and temp directories, E:\ is for personal data files, and F:\ is a backup drive/partition, say on a second hard disk.

 

Lets say that the Replicator is set up to copy/backup all the new or changed files on E:\ to F:\. An icon can be put on the desktop to be double clicked to do this, and it can be scheduled to do this whenever.

 

The ?run program at shutdown? feature of Show Stopper means that the Replicator program to copy all new or changed files on E:\ to F:\ can be included in the shut down sequence so that whenever the Shut Down icon is double clicked the PC will automatically copy all the new or changed files on E:\ to F:\ before shutting down the PC.

 

That way you will always have a copy/backup of the latest amended or new personal data files whenever you shut down the PC, say when leaving the office at the end of the day or shutting off the PC at home before going to dinner/bar/bed.

 

Confused? I am!

 

[soongmak]

Hi wowzer,

 

Thanks again for the tip on Karen's replicator. I just bought an external hard drive and it made backing up my docs a breeze!

[Guest]

A good site for lots of program d/ls is http://www.globalshareware.com/

 

For screen capture I use installshield corp's ezepro45

[Pharcyde]

I just read the morning newspaper. they mention a new p2p service similar to the kazaa.

it is called skype, and downloadable at www.skype.com

 

apparently it is possible to make and receive free high quality phonecalls with this software. well, its not really a phonecall understanding that you use speakers and microphone of your computer to communicate.

 

I have just downloaded it myself and can tell if its really good. Might be worth a try though.

Free phonecalls to LOS, yeah!

 

::

 

Pc

[Guest]

Internet Download Manager :: because with the spectacular broadband options there are in Thailand, dial-up is standard in the household. This will make DLing easier. You can schedule it, download multiples at a time, have it turn off modem -> program -> computer when the DLing is done.

[Guest]

Two more download-programs: FlashGet and FlashFXP.