Freeware discussion
Smart Tools
We are fortunate in the range of
freeware available to us on the Internet - almost to the point of
confusion. But some offers appear more tempting than others because
they meet an immediate need or have been the topic for discussion
at recent meetings.
Smart PC
Solutions has a range of
software they have developed for Windows, and offer some of
this as free downloads.
You may find just what you are looking for here today.
Smart Flash Recovery is a data
recovery tool for Windows operating system that supports the FAT
16/32 file system. The software easily recovers data from any type
of storage media - flash drives, USB drives, digital cameras,
memory stick, PC card, multimedia card, secure digital
card.
Metadata can get you into trouble.
Whenever an MS Office document is created it is complemented with
such properties as the author, corporate name, document changes,
editing time and other metadata. All this makes the private
information available to a third party that may put your company at
financial risk and/or an embarrassing situation. Metadata Analyzer
shall advise you of this information and prevent its unauthorized
disclosure.
Safe Surfer is an award-winning tool for safe surfing in
the Internet. Besides blocking annoying popup windows the software
allow you to control the content of sites you visit and ensure
confidential Web surfing. The software is featured by an easy
user's interface and flexible adjustment: you can easily customize
to your needs.
Smart FAT
Recovery is a data
recovery tool for Windows operating system that supports the FAT
12/16/32 file system. The software easily recovers data from any
type of storage media - flash drives, USB drives, digital cameras,
memory stick, PC card, multimedia card, secure digital card and
diskette.
Smart NTFS
Recovery is a data
recovery tool for Windows operating system that supports the NTFS
file system. The software easily recovers data from any type of
storage media - flash drives, USB drives, digital cameras, memory
stick, PC card, multimedia card, secure digital card and
other.
The
Windows Registry is a crucial part of your PC's operation system.
Regular use of the computer makes the registry fragmented and
cluttered with obsolete and invalid data. Clean My Registry
software keeps this critical part of your PC in perfect
condition. Just clean the registry in a blink of an
eye.
Microsoft Hotfixes
Downloading and installing Windows updates results in NtUninstall folders with names like $NtUninstallKB912919$
being placed in the Windows Directory, pertinent to each download. The
files contained within each NtUninstall folder contain information
necessary for the Windows Add or Remove Programs function to uninstall the pertinent update if required.
Over time, these folders
accumulate to occupy significant disk space and you may want to delete
them. This should be done with caution, as removing Windows software
updates in the wrong order may cause the operating system to stop
functioning - see KB823836.
But some of these files are
also related to Microsoft "hotfixes" and they can be removed if you are
not planning on rolling back from a hotfix.
Fortunately, a smart programmer named
Doung Knox has prepared a utility that will assist in removing those
files if you so desire. It has the surprisingly intuitive name of XP
Remove Hotfix Backup. The utility won't remove all the files in your
NtUninstall folder, but it will let you easily remove the ones related
to hotfixes.
Dave Taylor runs a very useful website and discusses this issue in his article at http://tinyurl.com/9jwn8
CD/DVD - essential information
The cost of
storage media has probably outrun Moore's Law on PCs in producing more
value for money in recent years. Additional hard drives attached
through the USB ports are an attractive, almost irresistible,
proposition. But the most popular and affordable today is still the
optical disc, and there is a wealth of information on the development,
application and care of these media.
Andy McFadden's CD-Recordable FAQ must be the ultimate reference for CDs and is available from http://www.cdrfaq.org/
in HTML format and from
the MIT FAQ archives
in plain text format. This FAQ is updated every couple of months.
The DVD equivalent is DVD Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers) available from http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html.
Questions
arise as to the longevity of optical media, and this has been discussed
in a worthwhile forum revealed by Graham McC at http://tinyurl.com/dd62p
File Protection in XP
(This has been a heated topic through
Coffee & Chat in recent weeks. I thought it timely to reprint this
section from the magazine for May 2005).
Windows XP has advanced features over its predecessors in the
protection of essential system files. Its Windows File Protection
service prevents all SYS, DLL, EXE, OCX files and some fonts from being
overwritten, corrupted or deleted, and runs continuously and invisibly
in the background.
It achieves this by storing a copy of all of these files in a hidden
folder, Windows> System32> dllCache. Any attempt to replace or
overwrite any of these active files is intercepted and compared with a
catalogue of acceptable files. The offending file is then replaced with
a legitimate file from the dllcache or, if not available there, from
the installation disc.
As files in the dllcache are superseded by newer version in Windows
Updates, Hotfixes or new Service Packs they are replaced, and the
catalogues updated to keep the operating system current.
An essential companion to Windows File Protection is the System File
Checker, sfc.exe. Used with the parameter /scannow (Start> Run>
sfc /scannow) this will verify the integrity of all protected Windows
files, replacing any that are found faulty. This is a relatively slow
process and may require insertion of the Windows XP instalation disc.
A deeper discussion of this issue is available in Marc Liron's
excellent free newsletter available through http://www.updatexp.com,
along with numerous other articles of interest. Join now.
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