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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