There is an impressive range of excellent freeware Windows enhancements and tweaks. This posting will present forty three excellent additions to Windows that you will like.
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Lacuna Launcher is a tiny, free app that can launch multiple programs and/or files with one click. It allows users to assign the order of the launched apps, to assign an optional delay before the apps start running (useful for programs launched on startup), as well as an optional wait time between each of the successive items launched.
Copy Path is a small, free Windows shell extension that adds the ability to copy the path, folder path, or filename within the right click shell extension. Works on individual or multiple selected files and folders.
JStock is a free, open source stock-monitoring software. It can create a database of stocks and download and deliver data and charts for these in real time for more than 20 world markets and going back up to 10 years. It can also set-up stock portfolios where it records all transactions and calculates profit or loss. Two features stand out, however, the first is Alerts delivery (SMS, Email, or in the system tray) that are based on user-created "Stock Indicators". The second is a built-in chat function designed to enable JStock users to communicate with each other and share information. JStock is multiplatform (Windows/Linux/Mac/Solaris).
DiskCryptor is a free, open source disk encryption software. It encrypts entire hard drive partitions, including the system partition as well as flash drives in real time without affecting performance. It can also create encrypted CDs/DVDs (through the use of disk image .ISO files). It offers excellent performance for mounted encrypted volumes and a good range of features and options.
Jdownloader is free software designed to download files from Rapidshare, MegaUpload and other one-click file hosting services (as well as many video sharing sites) in an automated manner without user intervention. It will automatically decrypt “encrypted” download links, manage wait times, recognize enter CAPTCHAs, and attempt reconnections from dynamic IPs in order to circumvent wait times, when possible (this function depends on your router/internet setup). Other options include pausing/resuming downloads, Firefox integration through Flashgot, vlipboard detection, automatic de-compressing/merging of downloaded files, and faster downloading for subscribers of the premium services of the hosting services. Jdownloader is Multiplatform (Windows/Linux/Mac).
Easeus Todo backup is a free program that can create backup images of your hard drives or partitions and restore them on demand, and can also copy (clone) a hard disk/partition into another. It can process active primary (boot) partition via a bootable CD/DVD that it will create for you on-demand. Advanced options include mounting of disk image files for easy browsing of their contents, compression, and password encryption.Supports most file systems as well as most hard drive types.
Explore&Burn is a free app that allows you to burn to files to CD/DVD right from the Windows explorer context menu. It can burn disk image files (ISO, IMG) as well as any file type to a wide range of disc types (including Dual Layer DVD’s). Supports single-session and multi-session discs with ISO-9660, Joliet and UDF file systems.
Chalk is an original, freeware variant on the side-scrolling shoot-em genre. Make your way through enemy territory while dodging bullets, objects, and hostiles, all the while using your trusty … chalk … as a weapon. “Chalk” employs innovative game dynamics based on performing on-screen gesture drawings in order to interact with the game environment (and puts it all together brilliantly, I might add).
uTodo is a simple yet powerful freeware to-do list software. It provides a lot of flexibility for organizing to-do lists across both different “lists” and tags in addition to setting dates and priorities. It can be used to implement a GTD- influenced task management system and even includes a GTD template that users can use as a starting point and customize. Can convert items to sticky-style notes visible on the desktop (and hide them back again), and can be used portably from a USB.
FreeFileSync is a free/open source folder and file synchronization program that features a beautiful, two pane user interface and a host of powerful options. It can do the following: compare files by their content or by file size and date, synchronize files and subfolders, process multiple pairs of folders at once, load/save folder comparison sessions, create batch jobs that can be run from the command line, and can can handle cloned files (i.e. symbolic links or junctures). It also offers UniCode and Network support. There is also a portable (no-install) version.
Caderno is a freeware text editor/Notepad replacement that’s focused on delivering an excellent user experience. It features a minimalist, tabbed user interface on the one hand and some powerful features on the other, without overloading the user with too many functions. Features include search/find/replace, go-to specific line, crash recovery, session management, Unicode support, as well as Syntax highlighting (INI, XML, HTML, Java, PHP).
Invisible Hand is a free Firefox extension that kicks into action when you visit any of a number of well-known online shopping sites. It can monitor the pages you are browsing and notify you if the items you are looking at are available at a better price in any of the other sites on its network.