FREE Great Programs for Windows 7

[SIW2]

LOL- you can spend ages playing with it.

As well as the buttons across the bottom of the windows - Rt click the Wizard in the Notification area for other options.

 

[chuckr]

You'll need to play with it a bit - the amount of detail and what you can do with it are overwhelming at first.

It's a long time fave of mine. What a great guy Ray is - doing all that work and letting everyone have it free.

Agree here...

For other readers, this is a recent update:

released on 14-Sep-2009

Thanks SIW2...

 

[polycue]

Disk2vhd

Copyright © 2009 Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell

Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com


Disk2vhd is a utility that creates VHD (Virtual Hard Disk - Microsoft's Virtual Machine disk format) versions of physical disks for use in Microsoft Virtual PC or Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines (VMs). The difference between Disk2vhd and other physical-to-virtual tools it that you can run Disk2vhd on a system that's online. Disk2vhd uses Windows' Volume Snapshot capability, introduced in Windows XP, to create consistent point-in-time snapshots of the volumes you want to include in a conversion. You can even have Disk2vhd create the VHDs on local volumes, even ones being converted (though performance is better when the VHD is on a disk different than ones being converted).
The Disk2vhd user interface lists the volumes present on the system. It will create one VHD for each disk on which selected volumes reside. It preserves the partitioning information of the disk, but only copies the data contents for volumes on the disk that are selected. This enables you to capture just system volumes and exclude data volumes, for example.
Note: Virtual PC supports a maximum virtual disk size of 127GB. If you create a VHD from a larger disk it will not be accessible from a Virtual PC VM.
To use VHDs produced by Disk2vhd, create a VM with the desired characteristics and add the VHDs to the VM's configuration as IDE disks. On first boot, a VM booting a captured copy of Windows will detect the VM's hardware and automatically install drivers, if present in the image. If the required drivers are not present, install them via the Virtual PC or Hyper-V integration components. You can also attach to VHDs using the Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 Disk Management or Diskpart utilities.
Note: do not attach to VHDs on the same system on which you created them if you plan on booting from them. If you do so, Windows will assign the VHD a new disk signature to avoid a collision with the signature of the VHD's source disk. Windows references disks in the boot configuration database (BCD) by disk signature, so when that happens Windows booted in a VM will fail to locate the boot disk.
Disk2vhd runs Windows XP SP2, Windows Server 2003 SP1, and higher, including x64 systems.

 

[Brink]

Thank you Patrick. Disk2vhd added.

 

[Dave76]

Hi Brink,

There are at least two hard disk manufacturers that have a free slightly reduced functionality version of Acronis True Image.

If you have a Seagate or Maxtor hard drive in your system, it's called DiscWizard.

I think Maxtor has their own version also, but the link isn't working today.


If you have a Western Digital hard drive in your system, it's called Acronis True Image WD Edition Software.

 

[SIW2]

Maxblast and DiscWizard are identical - they are based on ATI 11.

The WD version is based on TIH2009. Allegedly TIH 2009 has all sorts of problems on 7.

If you happen to have one of those drives - the Seagate versions work fine.

Here is the Maxblast link:
http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.j...toid=7add8b9c4a8ff010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD

Very limited functionality - there are much better free versions available with more functions.

Interesting you mention them. A lot will already have drives from those mfrs. BUT they are not free products. They are a free Add-On if you purchased a Seagate /WD drive. They are not free to all.

Curious the previous post mentions Disk2vhd.

Paragon does a free Add on for anyone who bought the Drive Backup Pro, or Partition Manager Pro.

It does Disk to vhd , also Vhd to Disk, and migrate o/s to new hardware.

That is not free to all either.

Sorry, I don't think they count as free products.

 

[Antman]

StarDock Fences is out of beta.

Fences - Reviews and free Fences downloads at Download.com

 

[Dave76]

Maxblast and DiscWizard are identical - they are based on ATI 11.

The WD version is based on TIH2009. Allegedly TIH 2009 has all sorts of problems on 7.

If you happen to have one of those drives - the Seagate versions work fine.

Here is the Maxblast link:
MaxBlast 5 | Seagate

Very limited functionality - there are much better free versions available with more functions.

Interesting you mention them. A lot will already have drives from those mfrs. BUT they are not free products. They are a free Add-On if you purchased a Seagate /WD drive. They are not free to all.

Curious the previous post mentions Disk2vhd.

Paragon does a free Add on for anyone who bought the Drive Backup Pro, or Partition Manager Pro.

It does Disk to vhd , also Vhd to Disk, and migrate o/s to new hardware.

That is not free to all either.

Sorry, I don't think they count as free products.

That's a valid point, but they are free to those who qualify and those people might appreciate being able to use the programs.

There are others that work very well, I still use Macrium Reflect on a couple of my computers.

If I have a backup made by DiscWizard, can I use Acronis True Image WD Edition Software to restore it?

 

[SIW2]

Probably - the backup images will in .tib format.

I imagine a newer version will pick up the previously created .tib. You will have to browse to the backup, obviously.

I don't use Acronis (except to test them , out of interest) - I prefer the Macrium and Paragon products - I know all the Paragons will pick up their arc format backups created by other versions.

I think the Acronis will only pick up the .tib if if is the same or newer version of the program. I don't think ATI 10 for example would recognise a .tib created by ATI 11.

 

[Dave76]

StarDock Fences is out of beta.

Fences - Reviews and free Fences downloads at Download.com

Thanks for the Fences, the dogs keep getting out.

Somehow, somewhere, I can hear a song...


Edit:
I did D/L it, thanks for the tip.

 

[Dave76]

Probably - the backup images will in .tib format.

I imagine a newer version will pick up the previously created .tib. You will have to browse to the backup, obviously.

Thanks,
If you have WD HD in your computer and Seagate in your external and you have a problem and need to restore, If for any reason the external is not recognized by the computer, then your out of luck.
DiscWizard won't start up if there are no Seagate or Maxtor HDs in the system.

In my case I can just move the Seagate external, to the internal bay.
This might be an issue for some.

 

[bina]

I noticed that Flashget is added to the list as well. It's one of my favourites. However, when I use it on Windows 7 x64 (!), I cannot save Default.jcd (list of scheduled downloads) and therefore, must load this file to FlashGet on each start-up. But overall, it works ok!

Does anyone experience the same problem?!?

RUSTAM

 

[pillainp]

@bina:
Used to have this happen on Vista x32 as well, when installed on NTFS. Probably because Flashget does not get permission to write to the Program Files folder.

One workaround that I used was to install Flashget to another folder outside the system drive. Or you could install it into your user folders, such as in My Documents.

Or you could run it as administrator, though I would not recomend that.

 

[polycue]

AxCrypt File Encryption for Windows

Axantum Software AB | AxCrypt | File Encryption Software

AxCrypt is the leading open source file encryption software for Windows. It integrates seamlessly with Windows to compress, encrypt, decrypt, store, send and work with individual files.
So far, we have received 1,558,302 registrations, it is tried and proven.
Download AxCrypt 1.6.4.4 now (1 484 Kb)!
Download AxCrypt 1.7 Beta if you are using a 64-bit version of Windows, or just want try the latest. There are two versions, one for 32-bit (Win32) and one for 64-bit (x64) Windows. If you are unsure, just download one - it'll tell you if you got the wrong one.


Features

Right-click integration with Windows Explorer makes AxCrypt the easiest way to encrypt individual files in Windows.
Double-click integration makes it as easy to open, edit and save encrypted files as it is to work with unencrypted files.
Many additional features, but no configuration required, just install it and use it.
AxCrypt encrypts files that are safely and easily sent to other users via e-mail or any other means. Self-decrypting files are also supported, removing the need to install AxCrypt to decrypt.
AxCrypt is translated into English, Danish, Swedish, German, Dutch, Hungarian, Spanish, French, Italian and Norwegian so chances are it speaks your preferred language.

 

[polycue]

Utility Spotlight: Screenrecorder

Screenrecorder is a very easy-to-use screen-to-video capture program, developed on top of Windows Media Encoder, that lets you easily capture what is going on to a small video file, which you can then send via e-mail to the appropriate person. That person can then watch the video just as if he is sitting next to you and you are showing him what's is happening on the screen.

 

[mickey megabyte]

Utility Spotlight: Screenrecorder

Screenrecorder is a very easy-to-use screen-to-video capture program, developed on top of Windows Media Encoder, that lets you easily capture what is going on to a small video file, which you can then send via e-mail to the appropriate person. That person can then watch the video just as if he is sitting next to you and you are showing him what's is happening on the screen.

+1 and rep

thanks for this polycue, i've just tried this out, and a useful little app from technet magazine it is too. it's very simple, not many options and generates highly compressed yet still very clear wmv videos of your screen actions, either full-screen or window, optionally along with microphone input.

this will make helping my mother (and paying clients too!) out with her pc problems a lot easier!

 

[RustyFalcon]

TrueCrypt - Free Open-Source On-The-Fly Disk Encryption Software for Windows Vista/XP, Mac OS X and Linux works fine on my Win 7 x64 installation. It runs as a x86 process but I have not had any problems opening encrypted containers and accessing files. You can install it as a 'portable' installation which allows use on USB drives and other media, or full Windows install.

Main Features:

• Creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk.
  
• Encrypts an entire partition or storage device such as USB flash drive or hard drive.
  
• Encrypts a partition or drive where Windows is installed (pre-boot authentication).
  
• Encryption is automatic, real-time (on-the-fly) and transparent.
  
• Parallelization and pipelining allow data to be read and written as fast as if the drive was not encrypted.
  
• Provides plausible deniability, in case an adversary forces you to reveal the password:
  
• Hidden volume (steganography) and hidden operating system.
  
• Encryption algorithms: AES-256, Serpent, and Twofish. Mode of operation: XTS.
• Further information regarding features of the software may be found in the documentation.

 

[P00r]

7Stack, Great free app that allow to pin folder to the Taskbar

Alastria Software :: Software :: 7stacks

 

[Antman]

7Stack, Great free app that allow to pin folder to the Taskbar

Alastria Software :: Software :: 7stacks

Good call.

http://www.sevenforums.com/software/14571-announcing-7stacks-stacks-7-freeware.html

 

[Brink]

TrueCrypt - Free Open-Source On-The-Fly Disk Encryption Software for Windows Vista/XP, Mac OS X and Linux works fine on my Win 7 x64 installation. It runs as a x86 process but I have not had any problems opening encrypted containers and accessing files. You can install it as a 'portable' installation which allows use on USB drives and other media, or full Windows install.


Main Features:

• Creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk.
  
• Encrypts an entire partition or storage device such as USB flash drive or hard drive.
  
• Encrypts a partition or drive where Windows is installed (pre-boot authentication).
  
• Encryption is automatic, real-time (on-the-fly) and transparent.
  
• Parallelization and pipelining allow data to be read and written as fast as if the drive was not encrypted.
  
• Provides plausible deniability, in case an adversary forces you to reveal the password:
  
• Hidden volume (steganography) and hidden operating system.
  
• Encryption algorithms: AES-256, Serpent, and Twofish. Mode of operation: XTS.
• Further information regarding features of the software may be found in the documentation.

7Stack, Great free app that allow to pin folder to the Taskbar

Alastria Software :: Software :: 7stacks

Thank you. Added.