System Utilities
Finds and zaps useless files--including cache files and old Registry entries--that may be slowing down your PC.
Starup Monitor is a small, unobrusive program that runs in the background. It will ask your permission before permitting any program to register itself to run at system startup.
http://www.mlin.net/StartupMonitor.shtml
This utility, which has the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows processes them. These programs include ones in your startup folder, Run, RunOnce, and other Registry keys. You can configure Autoruns to show other locations, including Explorer shell extensions, toolbars, browser helper objects, Winlogon notifications, auto-start services, and much more. Autoruns goes way beyond the MSConfig utility bundled with Windows. Autoruns' Hide Signed Microsoft Entries option helps you to zoom in on third-party auto-starting images that have been added to your system and it has support for looking at the auto-starting images configured for other accounts configured on a system. Also included in the download package is a command-line equivalent that can output in CSV format, Autorunsc.
~ http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx
Programs that automatically start up with Windows can be annoying, especially when they hog system memory and bog down your system. Startup Control Panel is a free program that lets you take control of this process.
PowerToys add fun and functionality to the Windows experience. What are they? PowerToys are additional programs that developers work on after a product has been released.
~ www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
Install utilities usually tell you to shut down all other tasks while they're operating. Other programs demand so much of your system's computing power that any concurrently running tasks will impact their performance. On today's powerful systems, you easily can have a dozen or more programs loaded at any given time. Shutting them down manually is tedious and time-consuming.
EndItAll lists all the programs running on your system, and lets you decide which ones to close down. The processes necessary for basic system operation are protected from termination. From the remaining processes, you can choose which to close, which to kill (close down forcibly), and which to protect. Once you know which files you want to shut down, you can configure EndItAll for automatic action via script or batch file. This is useful for backups and defrags during off-hours. Options let you block power management and the screen saver during operation.
http://www.docsdownloads.com/Tier1/enditall.htm
Revo Uninstaller. It’s probably happened to all of us at least once when trying to uninstall an unwanted program via Add Or Remove Programs. Something goes wrong, both the program and its entry in Add Or Remove Programs get left behind, and the uninstall process fails thereafter. Revo Uninstaller (www.revouninstaller.com) can succeed where Add Or Remove Programs fails. Aside from running a program’s standard uninstall routine, Revo Uninstaller can also scan your hard drive to ferret out any leftover files and Registry settings. And if there are programs installed that you don’t recognize, Revo Uninstaller will let you look them up via a Google search.
http://www.revouninstaller.com/
For pesky programs that won’t uninstall properly or leave too many traces of themselves scattered about your system, ZSoft Uninstaller is a great free tool for sniffing out the remnants. It can do a thorough uninstall of a program, including deletion of leftover files the program’s own uninstaller ignores. ZSoft is great at finding temp files throughout your system and freeing drive space other cleanup programs overlook.
DriverMax rolls all the system's device drivers into a single executable. whenever you need to reinstall the whole set (in case of reinstalling the OS, you can simple run one file.
DriverView utility displays the list of all device drivers currently loaded on your system. For each driver in the list, additional useful information is displayed: load address of the driver, description, version, product name, company that created the driver, and more.
What is gone is gone? Far from it! Avira UnErase recovers data that have been deleted from the hard drive – either accidentally or as a result of a virus infection, an uninstaller or defective software. The danger of important data being lost forever is averted with Avira UnErase. The private, non-commercial use of Avira UnErase Personal is free.
As many as 20 to 30 processes may be running invisibly, silently in the background on your PC. Some hog system resources drastically slowing down your computer; others are a threat to security and privacy; others may be harmless. The Windows Task Manager displays most of these processes but you have no information to learn and understand what is what. Get the latest definitions and exhaustive advice on all the processes running on directly in the Windows Task Manager by downloading the Quick Access InfoBar from ProcessLibrary.com. Requires active internet connection to retrive information.
Want to see your system's processes -- or the active modules, drivers, or services? What's Running tells you everything.
The Belarc Advisor builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware, missing Microsoft hotfixes, anti-virus status, CIS (Center for Internet Security) benchmarks, and displays the results in your Web browser. All of your PC profile information is kept private on your PC and is not sent to any web server.
CPU-Z is a freeware that gathers information on some of the main devices of your system including the CPU Assembly.
CDs, like all other physical beings, can be rendered useless. When the CD in question holds your Windows Product Key, that could keep you from getting necessary upgrades. Keyfinder looks in your Windows registry to find the Product Key. Even if your CD got used for Frisbee or as a coaster, you’ll still be able to use your software normally. Keyfinder will let you copy the key to a file or print it.
Note: Turn off antivirus & antisypyware programs before running program.
~ http://www.snapfiles.com/reviews/Magical_Jelly_Bean_Keyfinder/keyfinder.html
ClearTweak™ allows you to change the contrast setting of the ClearType® setting for Windows XP®. ClearType is designed to enhance LCD displays. It may appear slightly blurry on standard desktop monitors.
It does not hurt to try ClearTweak™ on a CRT monitor. Even though ClearType™ is designed for LCD's, some people see an improvement on CRT's.