Do you think Windows is powerful and convenient solely based on what Microsoft provides? That’s true, but only to a small extent, as this “glamorous” operating system is constantly receiving countless gifts in the form of features and useful tools from various add-ons. This article will introduce you to the 10 best free add-ons rated in 2005.
Reduce File Size
If you need to speed up downloads for your website or if your current photo collection is taking up too much disk space, try the StripFile utility from Nuetools (www.pcworld.com.vn, ID:48192). This utility can reduce the size of HTML files and image files (GIF, JPEG, and PNG formats) by stripping unnecessary parameters like color profiles and comments. You can adjust the settings options of this utility to specify which types of data should be removed. To proceed, simply select a file or even an entire folder and click Compress. Alternatively, you can right-click on a file or folder in the Explorer window and select Strips to remove the unnecessary information. StripFile will create a backup folder for the original files in case something goes wrong during the process.
The results vary depending on the type of original file; however, this utility promises compression rates of up to 50%. According to practical tests by PC World USA, StripFile managed to reduce the size of HTML files by 7% and JPEG files by 6.3%. Although the difference may not be significant for each individual file, with a large number of files, you will save considerable disk space.
More Efficient Photo Management
Currently, there are many ways to manage photo collections, but only a few are well-designed, like Google’s Picasa (www.pcworld.com.vn, ID: 051101). Picasa organizes your photo and movie files on your hard drive into a library. From there, you can copy, move, delete, and perform many other file management tasks. Picasa’s photo editing features allow you to crop, rotate, adjust color tones, and apply special effects to your images.
While you will see the results of photo edits in many different views in Picasa, no changes directly affect the original image since Picasa retains the original photo as a digital negative. To save your edits, you must export the modified image to a different folder.
One of the popular features in Picasa is the ability to rename a group of photo files. With this feature, you can automatically append date or resolution information to the file names. Additionally, other options allow you to group photos into various collections without creating extra copies. The slide-show feature available in Picasa can create a CD or DVD, making it convenient for storing your photo collection. Other features help create photo collections for websites, emails, and documents from online services. While Picasa is not Photoshop, it is user-friendly and provides nearly all the photo editing tools that many people frequently need.
Neatly Manage Files
Keeping your folder windows and other application windows organized while switching between them can be challenging. However, everything becomes much easier with ExplorerXP (www.explorerxp.com). This utility allows you to arrange or reorganize the open folder windows in the main window. ExplorerXP offers a customizable toolbar, the ability to rename multiple files, and the capability to drag and drop files into and out of Explorer windows as well as its own window. However, ExplorerXP does have some limitations. The utility cannot display files in thumbnail view or any other display format other than Details. It also does not support simple browsing of network drives, although you can use UNC network paths (like servershare). Nevertheless, for basic file management needs, ExplorerXP is a fast and effective utility.
Quickly Create PDF Files
You can convert any document into Adobe’s convenient PDF format (Portable Document Format) completely free of charge. Some free PDF creation tools tend to insert ads or watermarks into the resulting file, but CutePDF Writer (www.cutepdf.com) does not. This utility simply adds a CutePDF printer icon to your system. To obtain a PDF file, you just need to select the print operation for your document using this virtual printer instead of a regular printer. CutePDF Writer requires you to download and install the PostScript converter utility Ghostscript (available on the same website). In reality, CutePDF does not support configuration changes, so you won’t find security features, font selection options, or optimization settings like those in Adobe Acrobat. However, CutePDF Writer does a good job of converting data into PDF format.
MAC Icons for WINDOWS
There’s new hope for Mac enthusiasts or anyone looking to change the “boring” style of the taskbar and Start menu in Windows. With the ObjectDock utility (www.objectdock.com), you are provided with a toolbar that can zoom in/out and animate whenever you hover over an icon, just like on a Mac. Additionally, for 20 USD, you can upgrade to a version that supports multiple screens along with many other features.
Automate Your Computer
If you leave your computer for an extended period, you can use the Scheduled Task tool to have Windows automatically scan for viruses and spyware, back up data, and perform other system maintenance tasks. You may refer to the article “Customize Windows to Open and Close as You Wish” (ID: A0406_112) for more methods to accomplish this. Want to shut down your computer at the end of the day? Use the simple controls in the LastChance utility (www.pcworld.com.vn, ID: 49268) to add applications and commands that you need to run before shutting down. When exiting Windows, LastChance will pause the shutdown process to execute the commands you’ve preset. You can set this utility to perform commands when a particular resource (like a network drive) becomes available. Additionally, you can also request the shutdown to occur at a predetermined time.
Quickly Arrange Your Desktop
One day, you may suddenly notice that the icons on your Windows desktop are scattered and messy. To quickly fix this issue, use the Icon Restore utility (www.pcworld.com.vn, ID: 48984). This utility adds two new commands to the context menu (or right-click menu) corresponding to the My Computer icon and most other system icons. First, arrange the icons as you wish, right-click on the My Computer icon, and select Save Desktop Icon Layout. From then on, whenever your desktop icons are in disarray, you just need to right-click on the My Computer icon and select Restore Desktop Icon Layout. If you have hidden any system icons, you can see similar commands by right-clicking on the Recycle Bin icon. Icon Restore does not have the ability to uninstall, so you will need to download the UnInstall Icon Restore utility (www.pcworld.com.vn, ID: 051102).
Organized Taskbar
Windows, with its multitasking capability, allows you to run multiple applications simultaneously, which can quickly make the taskbar crowded. Although you can switch between application windows using the Alt-Tab shortcut, this method can still be somewhat complicated.
The TaskArrange utility (www.pcworld.com.vn, ID: 48986) allows you to drag and drop all the buttons on the taskbar into a single window to arrange them as you wish. Furthermore, you can also sort these icons using convenient controls. If you have enabled taskbar grouping in Windows XP (right-click on the taskbar and select Properties to find this option), TaskArrange can rearrange all items in the pop-up menu.
Remember to exit TaskArrange once you have achieved the desired order, as this will ensure the utility does not consume much memory and will not require an annoying system tray icon.
Hide the System Tray
Icons representing many important utilities that are frequently used often take up a lot of space on the already cramped system tray. Use the Tray Pilot Lite utility (www.pcworld.com.vn, ID: 48988) to “clear” this area. This utility adds a button next to the system tray that allows you to close/open the entire tray. Additionally, you can upgrade to a version that can hide the system tray without losing the clock.
Upgrade Your Clock
The built-in clock in Windows (located in the taskbar) is small and simple but does not display seconds and lacks alarm functionality. Replace that old clock with ClocX (www.pcworld.com.vn, ID: 48990). This utility can set alarms for one-time or recurring events based on a schedule. The alarm feature can produce sound, display a notification, launch an application, or exit Windows. You can display a pop-up calendar for quick viewing or see both the date and time on the clock. You can adjust transparency, change skins, and other settings to enhance visibility for the clock. Set ClocX to always stay on top of the screen or activate the “clickthrough” feature to have this clock sit beneath any open windows.
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