Software Absolutes

[MadMaxData]

Is there any software you use that you simply CANNOT do without? I have but one.

Diskeeper 2010 Professional Premier

I would have to seriously reconsider computing at all if I could not run this software on my machine. Yeah, it's THAT good! What software application can you not live without?

 

[MilesAhead]

Couldn't do without AutoIt3
and AutoHotKey

since they allow me to write little addictive hotkey doodads.

For browsing I'm dependent on Firefox. Even have Firefox Portable
running out of a Ram Disk

For basic text editing I like EditPadLite

To keep my desktop icon free I use RocketDock

and of course some security stuff like Sandboxie
and WinPatrol

For video software my best source is:
VideoHelp.com - Forum, Guides, Tools and hardware lists
also good info on:
Digital Video Forums - Everybody's Talkin'

Oh, and for a general-purpose hotkey launcher I like
FARR

 

[MadMaxData]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll be looking into RamDisk.

 

[sygnus21]

An absolute for me would be Microsoft's SyncToy - Download details: SyncToy 2.1

SyncToy 2.1 is a free application that synchronizes files and folders between locations. Typical uses include sharing files, such as photos, with other computers and creating backup copies of files and folders.

I have 3 hard drives in my system, each one running it's on OS and use SyncToy to keep certain docs and folders sync'd between the OS, example - Documents Folder between 7 and Vista. Nice program, and 64-bit compatible.

 

[MilesAhead]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll be looking into RamDisk.

You're welcome. I didn't want to fill in 3 screens of stuff but I should really mention
FreeCommander since I've been using it for over 5 years.

Unfortunately it was developed in Delphi. No native 64 bit version on the horizon.

 

[Prisoner]

Autohotkey: Used it to make the System Transparency script, and I'm still making more stuff with it.

Google Chrome: everything else seems waaay too slow without it.

Gimp: Running this on average 20+ times a day to edit misc. junk.

Ubuntu: Backup in case something on Windows messes up. -is an Ubuntu nut now-

 

[Jonathan_King]

OpenOffice, Digsby, and Windows 7.

I also use VirtualBox a lot these days.

 

[MadMaxData]

Keep'em comin' guys, your giving other members new ideas.

 

[Wishmaster]

My top 3:
Acronis True Image
Perfect Disk 11
MeGUI

 

[MilesAhead]

Another nice freebie is StandAloneStack 2

Uses the library for RocketDock but you can use it for stacks on your taskbar.

For system safeguarding, Macrium Reflect

edit: at the risk of being declasse I of course am addicted to my own
little utilities:

http://www.favessoft.com/hotkeys.html

(they are all free to use donationware)

 

[MilesAhead]

Funny but with all the programs and shell extensions where I really busted my ass, the program everyone likes best is Tray. All it does is open and close the Optical Drive Tray.

http://www.favessoft.com/TraySetup.zip

 

[Prisoner]

Awkward. Well, I get a similar thing. With all of the programs I've scripted, my friends prefer the title bar changing script. Probably to conduct miscellaneous pranks on their other friends...

 

[MilesAhead]

Awkward. Well, I get a similar thing. With all of the programs I've scripted, my friends prefer the title bar changing script. Probably to conduct miscellaneous pranks on their other friends...

Heh. What I've taken away is keep it simple. Now I just try to make things that do a single thing. I have a Toggle2 hotkey. All it does is change between 2 non-maximized window sizes when you hotkey or click the active window. I hate maximizing windows as they cover RocketDock and I don't like to set RocketDock StayOnTop.

I keep looking for an easy way to use blur or other glass stuff, but seems like anything more than just extending the glass border into the client involves a whole bunch of user draw or graphics image crap. They need to come up with a simpler way to use this stuff.

 

[CGA1]

Quick Macros, Direct Folders, [url=http://www.gpsoft.com.au/]Directory Opus[/URL] and ClipX.

 

[MadMaxData]

I tried RocketDock once, but it covers up everything at the top of your screen. Quite annoying, as I could barely do anything. I couldn't even navigate IE anymore, as it covered everything up in the address bar. I don't see how anyone can use that. Besides, what's the difference from just simply pinning something to the taskbar. That program is pretty much useless to me.

 

[Barman58]

Awkward. Well, I get a similar thing. With all of the programs I've scripted, my friends prefer the title bar changing script. Probably to conduct miscellaneous pranks on their other friends...

Heh. What I've taken away is keep it simple. Now I just try to make things that do a single thing. I have a Toggle2 hotkey. All it does is change between 2 non-maximized window sizes when you hotkey or click the active window. I hate maximizing windows as they cover RocketDock and I don't like to set RocketDock StayOnTop.

I keep looking for an easy way to use blur or other glass stuff, but seems like anything more than just extending the glass border into the client involves a whole bunch of user draw or graphics image crap. They need to come up with a simpler way to use this stuff.

I tried RocketDock once, but it covers up everything at the top of your screen. Quite annoying, as I could barely do anything. I couldn't even navigate IE anymore, as it covered everything up in the address bar. I don't see how anyone can use that. Besides, what's the difference from just simply pinning something to the taskbar. That program is pretty much useless to me.

If you set rocketdock to autohide and on-top you can get the benefits without the issues - this applies to the windows taskbar and most other docks

 

[MilesAhead]

I tried RocketDock once, but it covers up everything at the top of your screen. Quite annoying, as I could barely do anything. I couldn't even navigate IE anymore, as it covered everything up in the address bar. I don't see how anyone can use that. Besides, what's the difference from just simply pinning something to the taskbar. That program is pretty much useless to me.

Depends how many utilities you use. By using RocketDock I typically have zero icons on the desktop. No more desktop icon management hassles. I still use some stacks on the Taskbar for most often used stuff, but with RocketDock it's easier to categorize my utilities. In my Documents I have a folder with 6 subfolders of categorized apps. I used custom icons so that I don't need text to know what they are. Plus RocketDock pops up large text when you mouse over.

The screen shot shows my custom folders in the elipse. A nice thing about this setup is I hardly ever use the Start Menu, and I can create the same setup on various flavors of Windows and the action will be the same. No need to use those start menu organizer apps.

edit: I don't like to use StayOnTop either. After reading Barman's post I looked through the settings. In Behavior you can set it to Popup on Mouse Over. It doesn't disappear as soon as you move the mouse off like AutoHide does. The only shortcoming I see with the RocketDock settings is there should be an adjustable icon order. If you change the orientation from horizontal to vertical, there's no setting to reverse the icon order. The stuff that was on the Left will be on Top, making you mouse way up the screen.
If you shuffle manually, then if you change the orientation back to horizontal, the stuff you move to the bottom will now be on the Right where I'd prefer it on the Left. Seems like it should be a reasonable feature request but I don't know how much is put into RD development these days, if anything.

 

[StealthyBoss]

firefox, avast, MSE (anything security ) winrar, vmware player

 

[MilesAhead]

Everything

Another app I use often is Everything

I really like a clever idea. With this app, instead of indexing your drive, it hooks into the NTFS journaling to be updated. It's local disk NTFS only but it's very cool. It has a user selectable hotkey. In fact I made a macro hook in my ReOpen(an MRU folder and program lister) utility. If I start typing into ReOpen substring search and there's nothing in the lists, I hit Control-C and it fires a hotkey and macro-types the search string. I set the secondary hotkey to the one I have for Everything. Being hotkey activated you can kludge lots of stuff onto Everything.

edit: just to clarify, the first time you run Everything it does a quick index. After that the journaling hook keeps it updated. It doesn't periodically take over your HD to catalog the contents.

 

[MilesAhead]

One of the first apps I add to a new install is 7-Zip