Must Have Computer Programs [Archive]

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Lunch Meat

22 Aug 2010, 20:55

What are your "must have" programs? Helping out with the site, I have run across multiple times where I needed something new, so I have built up quite a collection (good thing I have 2x1TB HDD).

Here are the ones I "can't" live without:
7zip
CCleaner
WinSCP (for Iphone work)
Google Chrome
Adobe Acrobat
Microsoft Word
GIMP

Of course good AV, Firewall and Anti Spyware are a given, but if you have that special product feel free to post.

The main purpose is to generate a list of things others can refer to if they wish to help out with a project here at the site, or something on their own. If I see something interesting I don't have, I may try to grab it.

.Heavy

22 Aug 2010, 21:22

Adobe Acrobat 5 PDF reader. Deliberately obsolete but still can pull PDF's off Google Books.

I have a CD Case filled with disks over the years, I learned not to throw them away.

Everything else (Other than a good AV etc) is pretty much replaceable once you get a box up and running.

Windows 7 pretty much disposed of the need to hold cd's with service packs and drivers. But I still have a XP machine in another part of the home that takes care of the older stuff. For example winzip.

And if I look hard enough I probably still have my red hat and knoppix somewhere.

I tend to hold very large downloads on it's own hard drive with a docking port from thermaltake. That way it matters not where or which machine it goes to and from.

However, I always no matter what, keep the motherboard disks and any firmware software updates. The SSD hard drives required a bootable USB stick with firmware updates. So I hold that stick seperate.

DSL Software as well. I could probably do without them, but they run well enough on Google.

If I find a software that works for BFBC2 (In example) such as ATI's 10.5 version I keep a copy in several places. It loads in 5 wheelspins for me and is adequate in battle.

Magnum50

23 Aug 2010, 05:05

Most already have these, but do you realize how important they are for video gaming... the makers of these programs should get an award or something...

Teamspeak

Fraps

.Heavy

23 Aug 2010, 07:41

Ventrillo too. And don't say that simply building VOIP works in game. LOL

Major-G8tor

23 Aug 2010, 17:18

CCleaner is great!!! Originally called CrapCleaner and it does a good job at that along with registry fixes and managing startup files too. Piriform who makes CCleaner also has a free specification viewer called Speccy that is handy.

Here are other free tools I use frequently to maintain my system:
- Revo Uninstaller-to remove all remnants of programs no longer wanted
- Process Explorer from sysinternals.com - it's like an enhanced Task Manager
- CPUID's CPU-Z and HWMonitor
- Prime95 - runs stress calculations to test your RAM memory/chipsets
- Auslogics Disk Defrag-quick and easy defragger
- Glary Utilities-good collection of tools for free!
- Driver Sweeper-extra cleaning for sound and video drivers
- Spyware Blaster-protects you from malware sites
- Paint.NET
- Google Earth
- Audacity - audio file re-mixer
- MS Security Essentials-takes up very little system resources compared to other anti-virus

I purchased Casper (backup utility) to make hot-swap hard drive clones of my system in case of a drive failure.

For those who are still active-duty or in federal service, you can sign up for MS Home Use Program and get the latest 2010 Office Suite (all programs) normally $500 or more for $19.95. :thumbup:

Lunch Meat

23 Aug 2010, 21:44

Gonna take a look at some of those, thanks! Keep the suggestions coming!

.Heavy

24 Aug 2010, 00:27

On my XP System I used iolo (Spelling?) Drive Cleaner. It wont work in my 64 bit windows 7 at all.

At times I can delete stuff that refuses to be deleted.

I have also cleaned disks way beyond the 7 pass DOD standard and rendered such disks unreadable before throwing them into the trash. I know at least one forensic person will log on here and type until blue in the face about data recovery... save it. I start a bad disk cleaning at night and when sun comes up that hard disk is ready for the trash minus the magnets and a few holes in the platter.

Holes courtesy of 230 Grain Speer Hollow Point Ammunition delivered properly.

Mozilla Firefox has these add ons that I find most useful.

Ghostery
Adblock Plus
WOT

Those are the three I have I consider a basic add on suite. There are a number of other good add ons which improve and clean flash cookies, LSO's etc from your system.

Finally but not last consider Open Source Software.

"Open Office dot org" will provide you with a suite that is compatible with microsoft word, powerpoint, excel etc etc etc.

The only issue I have run into with this software specifically related to my computer and I removed it for the time being. But the other computer will receive it and so it will run.

Lunch Meat

24 Aug 2010, 18:51

"At times I can delete stuff that refuses to be deleted.

I have also cleaned disks way beyond the 7 pass DOD standard and rendered such disks unreadable before throwing them into the trash. I know at least one forensic person will log on here and type until blue in the face about data recovery... save it. I start a bad disk cleaning at night and when sun comes up that hard disk is ready for the trash minus the magnets and a few holes in the platter.

Holes courtesy of 230 Grain Speer Hollow Point Ammunition delivered properly."

...well...that'll do it. And somehow I find it oddly comforting that a fellow Marine is the one that posted that....:thumbup:

.Heavy

24 Aug 2010, 18:55

Sure, my Spouse shoots better than I do. LOL.

Cheers.

Major-G8tor

25 Aug 2010, 21:03

A few more to mention:
- The CPUID site also has "PC Wizard" if you want to do some benchmarking
- SiSoftware makes the System Analyzer, Diagnostic and Reporting Assistant (SANDRA) Lite version for free
- Windows Tweaker from thewindowsclub.com
These aren't essential but do provide handy information for optimizing/customizing your PC experience.

Major-G8tor

4 Sep 2010, 11:57

This site has a free program give away each day. Some are more useful than others and there could be one you need.

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/

Lunch Meat

4 Sep 2010, 17:33

Good one to remember, in fact I think I will come up with a thread where we all can post free shit!

PanamanianDevil

5 Sep 2010, 09:34

Macromedia Fireworks
Macromedia Dreamweaver
Macromedia Flash (the actual software, not the player)
Adobe Photoshop
Sniffer Pro
IE Web Developer Tool

Major-G8tor

22 Jan 2011, 11:43

This link at Tom's Hardware summarizes free and useful programs for Windows-7:

http://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/540-windows-7-free-download-application.html

Some are already mentioned above but the article gives a brief description and picture of each tool. I use a lot of them to keep the PC running smooth.

Trotskygrad

8 Feb 2011, 22:24

rocketdock looks nice...

hmmm

winrar is required for the semi-ubitiquous .rar

VLC is a nice do it all media player that supports playlists

foobar2k is a nice itunes replacement, supports ipod transfers

oh and Notepad++ for code editing if you do that stuff

I <3 my Notepad++

SneakyPete

9 Feb 2011, 17:18

Agree on the MS Security Essentials - the low footprint is great (unless you try to run it on Media Center... BAD!)

some that I find really useful besides what you guys mentioned:

* Remote Desktop Connection Manager - really good for all those other PCs you may connect to: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=4603c621-6de7-4ccb-9f51-d53dc7e48047

* TeamViewer - great for helping mom get something fixed on her PC or connecting remotely to someone else easily: http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx

* Defraggler and Speccy - good free tools alongside CCleaner

Trotskygrad

9 Feb 2011, 20:00