Article by Newsletter Editorial Board
Posted December 2018Windows still doesn’t do everything. Here, with particular thanks to Tech Connect, are utilities that will make your Windows 10 (and lower) experience easier.
WiFi Password Revealer is a free download. If you travel regularly, this utility is a light in the dark. It saves and lists WiFi passwords from different networks that you have accessed on any of your devices. As a bonus, it also displays the security authentication and encryption methods for each network.
Sandboxie a free utility might very well be the most cost effective on the list. It acts as a buffer between applications and Windows by effectively acting as a “sandbox” for the application to run in. This prevents malicious codes and spyware from hijacking and manipulating Windows.
Seer This utility palpably reduces file review and search time by allowing users to preview compressed copies of files without having to open them. It works for all file types: audio, video, and documents. Seer is available as a plugin and is similar to the Mac feature QuickLook.
This cleans out Windows’ background files, including cache and log, at your discretion, providing additional storage. CCleaner also has the capability to clean out background files and passwords on web browsers.
Recuva is also from the makers of ccleaner and is free as well. We’ve all been there. You accidentally deleted a file and it’s not in the Windows trash or recycle bin. This utility “recuvas” file that have been deleted from hard disk drives, flash drives, memory cards, and other storage mediums with a supported file system. It organizes the success of salvaging deleted documents by color with green being the most successful outcome.
Speccy is even one more freebie from the ccleaner folks, this utility allows the user to identify the technology of their computer by assessing and then providing a breakdown of the “specs”. Speccy categorizes and provides technical details about the mother board, CPU, RAM, the operating system, and all other computer components. This utility allows for proactive problem solving by displaying issues with different components before they occur. It also has a feature that allows the user to save and send the diagnostic reading. Spectacular.
LockHunter is a free utility that can unlock files or folders that appear to be locked. It’s an effective enhancement to the Windows utility.
Unblocker Another free utility that also lets you get rid of files that Windows otherwise wants to hang onto.
KeyFinder is another cost and time effective utility. It functions by generating a list of licensing keys for applications, like Microsoft Word or Office, allowing you to transfer them to other computers. To install the application on another computer, click the name of the app in KeyFinder, copy and save the text file and then proceed to installation.
Everything: Most current versions of Windows have a search tab but Everything distinguishes itself by providing previews of the sought after files. This is a great option that allows enhanced search capabilities without upgrading Windows.
Questions or comments? Drop me an email: jwh3@mindspring.com