8 Must Have Windows Utilities

With each new version of Windows, Microsoft incorporates more functionality and features.

Some of these are welcome additions, and some of them seem like ill advised bloat. But, for all of the additions to Windows over the years, to get the most out of your computer, there are still features and functionality that you shouldn’t go without.

Get these 8 Must Have Windows Utilities and see what you’ve been missing.

1. Xplorer2 Lite

For a simple copy or move job, the standard Windows Explorer or even just the My Computer window is fine. But, when it comes time to really manage your files, you need a three pane explorer like xplorer2 lite.

Sorting through the thousands of picture files that have built up over the years or just moving around documents or other files is so much easier when you can navigate to both the source and destination within a single window and then just drag and drop to your heart’s content.

Learn more about Xplorer2 Lite

2. CCleaner

CCleaner got its start as a way to delete all of those mysterious “cookies” that we found out websites were using to track us. These days, browsers come with built-in functions to erase cookies, but CCleaner has grown to clean up more than just browser cookies, and it gets those “hidden” files and cookies that the browsers miss.

All kinds of programs, from unknown little applications, to giant industry standard application suites, leave temporary files, log files, and registry keys littered around your PC. Deleting these files by hand is dicey at best because you never know if a file is actually required for proper software function, or if its just junk.

Uninstall programs are no help because they are often poorly written and don’t get all the files. CCleaner can get rid of temp files from hundreds of applications and clean up the registry at the same time. It will even get rid of those file associations that point to unused programs.

If you’ve never used a utility like this before, prepare to be amazed at how much disk space you get back when it is finished.

Learn more about CCleaner.

3. Process Explorer

Everyone knows that you can press CTRL-ALT-Delete to bring up the Task Manager. Unfortunately, software vendors know it too, and they don’t want you to close their software. Good luck trying to shutdown GoogleUpdate.exe. That’s where process explorer comes in.

Process Explorer (part of Sysinternals) not only shows you what programs are running, it shows each individual process. Even better, it will show you how much private RAM the process is using so you can see what’s hogging your resources.

Thanks to the pinpoint control of shutting down individual processes, you can terminate a hung process immediately without any sort of plea to wait. As an added bonus, Process Explorer also shows you all of the DLLs, Handles, and files being used by the process.

Wonder what in the world is keeping you from moving that folder because there is something “open”? Process Explorer can show you. You can even set Process Explorer to replace the default Task Manager so when you press CTRL-ALT-Delete, you are ready to roll.

Use it for a month on your computer and you’ll be shocked and bummed every time you press CTRL-ALT-Delete on another computer and get the standard Task Manager.

4. Continuous Disk Defragmenter

It’s hard to believe that Microsoft used to claim that defragmented hard drives did not occur with Windows. Those days are gone, and Microsoft includes a disk defragmenter that does a rudimentary job, but there are far better utilities out there.

Of course, they all suffer from one main problem: they take FOREVER to run! That is especially true on today’s bigger hard drives. You can set a regular defragmenter to run automatically, but you’ll wear out your hard drive faster that way, and it will chew up your system resources while it is running.

That is why a tool like Defrag Express comes in so handy. By continuously defragmenting your disk drive, you avoid the long slow defrag process you normally have to endure. But, since Defrag Express is designed to run all of the time, it is also easier on your hard drive and system resources. This little guy will keep your Windows XP or Vista system running faster.

Learn more about Continuous Disk Defragmenting.

5. Anti-Virus

Do I even have to explain this? Legions of pimply faced teenagers and basement dwelling adults have been joined by real criminals to find new ways to get unauthorized access to your computer and data. An anti-virus utility provides one layer of defense against these attacks.

There are many solid offerings, but be sure to get one that has real-time scanning so that your files are always scanned before being opened. Viruses don’t wait for your next virus scan to attack, so real-time scanning is a must.

Also, consider getting one with a firewall. Software firewalls are no match for hardware firewalls, but they can be an extra measure of security. Be sure to get one with a learning mode so that you don’t have to try and program it yourself.

6. Adobe Acrobat Reader Replacement

When Acrobat Reader first came out, it was a simple way to ensure that the file you got looked right when it got to your computer screen. The lightweight utility to make this possible was free and easy to download.

Today, Adobe Acrobat Reader is an enormous bloated client that has to run a persistent start-up process 24/7 on your computer just to be able to launch without taking so long that you click again because you are sure it isn’t working. Open a bunch of tabs in your browser and then click on a link that brings up a PDF file and you’ll still wait an eternity.

Instead of suffering through all of that, get an alternative reader like Foxit. It doesn’t have all of the features that the Adobe Reader has, but it has all of the features you’ll ever use. It is small, doesn’t waste resources with a start-up process, and launches fast.

Make sure to make it your default viewer in your browser or Adobe Molasses will still launch when you click on a link.

Learn more about Adobe Acrobat Reader Replacement.

7. Backup Tool

There are two kinds of backups. There is the, “Oh no! My whole hard drive burst into flames and teleported into another dimension, so I have to restore the whole thing,” backup. And, then there is the, “Oh, no! I didn’t really delete that file did I?” backup.

The first one takes a tape or DVD and you probably only do it twice a year, which is fine because you probably won’t ever need it. The second, happens all the time, and no tape or DVD backup will help. Instead, you want an online backup like Carbonite or Mozy.

These services install a small piece of code on your machine and then after the initial backup, they keep all of your files backed up and ready to be restored quickly and easily without mounting a DVD or Tape backup.

Also check out Syncplicity which keeps multiple versions of files for those times when you realize that you’ve messed up that spreadsheet and you really need the one from three saves ago.

Learn more about System Backup Utilities Solutions.

8. Encryption Software

When Windows 7 shows up with Bitlocker, you can go that route. Until then, you need a way to make sure that the critical data on your computer never gets to the wrong people. Encryption is just the way to make that happen.

TrueCrypt is free and once you get the hang of it, it’s simple to use. Just create an encrypted volume which lives on your hard drive like any other file. Then, when you have things like company secrets, credit reports, tax receipts, or other data that just has to be kept secret, mount the volume and use it just like any other drive.

Keep it open all day while you are at your PC and dismount the volume when you are done. If anyone gets a hold of your drive, they won’t get that data, even if they do get your embarrassing GTA high scores.

Learn more about TrueCrypt.

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