Here are a few items of free software I found while on another forum.
Program launcher - full instructions on right of page.
http://www.rodi.dk/software_pl3.php
Winzip alternative
Registry editor
http://www.tweaknow.com/WinSecret.html
Email backup
Winzip alternative
I've tried that before and it was just too buggy at the time, therefore I ended up just going straight to 7-Zip and haven't looked back.
I've tried that before and it was just too buggy at the time, therefore I ended up just going straight to 7-Zip and haven't looked back.
This particular version only came out a few weeks ago so it may have improved since then. (Unless it was this version you meant)
Here are a few items of free software I found while on another forum.Registry editor
Anyone had any experience with Win Secret?
Anyone had any experience with Win Secret?
Yep, installed it on XP and Vista and seems ok here.
Most of the tweaks can be done manually but Win Secret makes it easy.
I'd recommend 7-zip to be honest. I've used both. Also if all you do is Extract Files, especially lots of files at one time, you should go with extractnow (extractnow.com). It extracts a considerable amount faster than 7-zip in my experience. Mostly in larger files. It doesn't compress though but I never have a need for that.
Ill throw in some programs I like:
IrfanView (image viewer, batch renamer and recoder, much more)
GIMP & Paint.NET (image manipulation)
Audacity (music editor)
Spybot (anti spam, comes with seperate file shredder)
VLC (great movie playback program, never had a problem playing anything with it)
Winamp (music player, even though I use windows media player)
thats my 2 dirhams
WinSecret. Nice utility, and a keeper for me.
Nice one Hazel.
Yep, installed it on XP and Vista and seems ok here.
Most of the tweaks can be done manually but Win Secret makes it easy.
Does it offer anything that Tweak UI doesn't?
Does it offer anything that Tweak UI doesn't?
It can tweak some internet settings and cpu core values.
Don't have TweakUI on this machine so can't really say if WinSecret offers anything extra but I do like this tweaker and it's a keeper here.
It can tweak some internet settings and cpu core values.
Humpty, what settings are you using in the Windows Core section?
Xp Prefetch tab - Monitor App and Boot
Time Out tab - Service time out 2000, App 1000, Hung app 1000, tick in Auto close hung apps.
Cache - Tick in Improve core sys, Specify amount of ram, Recommended 831, Disk Cache size 1662, L2 Cache Size 4096, these settings were auto set by WinSecret I think?
Misc tab - Tick in Disable NTFS last access time.
Security tab - Unticked clear pagefile.
Thanks, Humpty.
WinSecret. Nice utility, and a keeper for me.
Nice one Hazel.
It's a keeper for me too! I had once used a software title similar to it eons ago that was for Win98, however WinSecret has a sleek GUI and the Undo feature is nice too.
Using WinSecret, has anyone made any "tweaks" that have resulted in noticeable system enhancement/improvement?
Using WinSecret, has anyone made any "tweaks" that have resulted in noticeable system enhancement/improvement?
The placebo effect here actually! Many so-called "tweaks" floating about that have made it into "tweak programs" don't make that much of a difference.
I noticed after doing the Network tweaks that McAfee Internet Connection Speedometer reported my speed as 500kbps, whereas before it was 200kbps. Note that I notice zero difference in download and upload speed which was double verified at Speedtest.net and J.C. Kessels Numion.
I noticed after doing the Network tweaks that McAfee Internet Connection Speedometer reported my speed as 500kbps, whereas before it was 200kbps. Note that I notice zero difference in download and upload speed which was double verified at Speedtest.net and J.C. Kessels Numion.
Have you tried using TCP Optimizer? It gets pretty good reviews. I used it on my machine about a year ago -- it seemed to help.
Have you tried using TCP Optimizer? It gets pretty good reviews. I used it on my machine about a year ago -- it seemed to help.
I've used TCP Optimizer before (back in my dial-up modem Windows 98 era days). I know it made a difference on that old system using dial-up because it allowed downloads to go a whopping 1.5kbps faster, that was back when I'd get happy if downloads were at 5.5kbps.
However with the "optimizers" I've noticed absolutely no improvements whatsoever with my "cheap" DSL connection, which could just be maxed out already and possibly has no room for being made any faster.
Same here on my XP Pro system.I've used TCP Optimizer before (back in my dial-up modem Windows 98 era days). I know it made a difference on that old system using dial-up because it allowed downloads to go a whopping 1.5kbps faster, that was back when I'd get happy if downloads were at 5.5kbps.
However with the "optimizers" I've noticed absolutely no improvements whatsoever with my "cheap" DSL connection, which could just be maxed out already and possibly has no room for being made any faster.
zipping program: Izarc covers all platforms
Using WinSecret, has anyone made any "tweaks" that have resulted in noticeable system enhancement/improvement?
Absolutely nothing that I can see. But I'm hopeful that my processor may not be working as hard, or my HD accessed as much, or even that my RAM is being used better.
We have to believe somethings different, otherwise we'd just be running a nice looking interface. And if we believe hard enough, then it might just be real. Like fairies.