Most popular downloaded programs?
For an upcoming post, I’m putting together a list of the programs that someone is most likely to download and install after completing a clean installation of Windows.
Here are the programs that I come up with quickly:
* Firefox
* Picasa
* Skype
* iTunes + QuickTime
* Windows Live Essentials
* Adobe Reader
* Flash
* Java
Of course, I have more entries on my list of personal faves, and there are some essential categories where there isn’t a clear leader antivirus and security programs, for example. There’s also a second tier of popular but not essential software, like file compression tools, disk utilities, and disk-burning software. But right now I’m looking for the ones that are really , where someone is very likely to want a quick download link. Read more
Display Your Disks
For most Windows PC users the only insight into what they have on what’s stored on their hard drive is clunky old Windows Explorer. True, it tells you how much space a file or folder occupies, but what you really need is the big picture, a way of telling, at a glance, which files are taking up the space, and how much you have left. I’ve recommended a number of graphical disc usage utilities over the years but this one, called OverDIsk is arguably the best looking. Key features include a good assortment of disc and file statistics as you hover your mouse, you can drill down into any folder and sub-folder by clicking on it and the window is magically resizable It’s still in beta form and the author admits there’s a couple of bugs that needs sorting but they appear to be a very low level and it performed flawlessly on my test PCs but as usual, you download and this program entirely at your own risk
Explore Your Computer
Windows has a number of diagnostic and system monitoring tools built in but this one, called System Explorer puts everything you need to know about your computer, and what’s it doing now, and in the past, into one very convenient and easy to use package. Here’s just a taster of what it can do. You can view information about running processes, startups, Explorer, IE Add-ons, uninstallers, drivers, services, connections and open files. You can check which programs and files were opened, and when, take snapshots of your Registry and later compare them if something has gone wrong to see what’s changed. It uses fewer resources than the Windows utilities and there’s even a portable version that you can run from a pen drive. Try it, get to know it and one day it could save you a lot of time and trouble if your PC throws a wobbly…
Download Zune theme with colour variations
Zune theme always gives that classic windows xp feel but it never offers any customization in terms of colors. Some people might get bored by the orange coloured start menu in the traditional zune theme by Microsoft
Today, we have come with some beautiful colour variations in the zune theme by a developer Usman Akhtar named Zune Usmanistan
The Zune Usmanistan theme is like an extended version of the original zune theme released by Microsoft, you can change the orange colour start menu to many colours under the ‘Colour Scheme‘ menu on the ‘Appearance’ tab, in ‘Display Properties‘. Read more
Right-Click Photo Utilities
Here’s an ingenious little program, or more correctly, a Shell Extension, called appropriately enough XnView Shell Extension that adds extra functionality to your right-click menus. Simply download and install the program and when you next open Windows Explorer, or My Computer, navigate your way to a folder containing image files. Right click on one of them and you’ll see a whole load of new options appear, including info about the file, the option to convert the file into .gif, .bmp, .jpeg, .pcx, .png. .tiff or .tga format, set as wallpaper, view as a variable sized thumbnail, and much more. Give it a whirl, I think you will be impressed!
