Windows Tools, Help & Guides

Producing top-quality anti-virus software is no easy task; keeping your customers happy and your software up to date with the latest definitions is even more difficult. It’s not hard to understand why good companies like Norton, Symantec, McAfee etc. charge for their software. It’s excellent software and, if you’ve already paid for it, enjoy it. Just come back when your subscription is up and give one or all of these a try. Sometimes we try to save money and it ends up costing us more in the long run (cheap furniture, electronics, shoes etc.) Each one of these applications is tried and tested by millions; they’re great products; and, most importantly, they are free.
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Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
5 out of 5	(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)

PROS: A simple application that lets you control multiple PCs with one keyboard and mouse. The concept isn’t new but the execution is clean and simple and simple file drag and drop as well as seamless copy/paste make this a great tool. CONS: None VERDICT: This is even easier to use than Synergy and InputDirector. If you want a no-frills solution to a virtual KVM (minus the video switching), this application will almost certainly satisfy. PRICE: Free VERSION REVIEWED: 2.1.0.9 DOWNLOAD: Mouse without Borders

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Got an ISO image file (ISO, CUE, NRG, MDS, MDF, CCD, IMG) but doesn’t know how to use it? These image files are (usually) a complete copy of an optical disc and requires a virtual drive to mount and use them.

The easiest way – WinCDEmu

If you need a simple solution to mount an ISO image, this is the best that you can have - WinCDEmu. WinCDEmu is an open-source CD/DVD/BD emulator which allows you to mount optical disc images with just a few clicks, and you can easily unmount them.

Installation is really simple. Just click download WinCDEmu, double click the downloaded file and click Install. Once you are done with the installation settings and you are almost there. Windows Installer will most probably ask for the installation of SysProgs Storage Controllers driver – don’t worry, just install it. And that’s it.

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Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
5 out of 5	(21 votes, average: 4.38 out of 5)

PROS: Tuneup Utilities 2012 is built upon years of tweaking and re-tweaking to get the most out Windows with all types of hardware. The Program Deactivator removes overhead from your system by temporarily disabling applications (and their associated processes and services) while you enjoy the benefit of more system resources–for your important tasks. Economy Mode saves battery while you’re on the go. CONS: An upgrade is required each year to get the latest features (like Economy Mode in 2012 and the Program Deactivator in 2011.) VERDICT: If TuneUp released a product for cars, mechanics would go out of business. TuneUp Utilities makes PC maintenance easy–very easy. I recommend this program for users who are not comfortable tweaking and maintaining their PC and would like an easy way to keep things in check and have a PC that runs without unnecessary interruption. PRICE: $29.95 (Upgrade) $34.95 (Full Version as of 11/13/2011) VERSION REVIEWED: TuneUp Utilities 2012 DOWNLOAD: TuneUp Utilities 2012 15-day Trial (aff)

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If you have more than a couple of PCs in your home, it’s easy to get confused and forget which PC you’re working on. For example, on my current home network, it have the following Windows PCs: D7UH, D7UG, LXHM, L7UR, L7UM, PI2R, and PI3R. After a few remote desktop connections, I would get lost without BgInfo.

BgInfo shows key information about your PC right on the desktop. BgInfo is a standalone executable and can be pinned to your Taskbar. Then, when you’re on any PC, you can launch it (if it isn’t already running) to bring up information like: computer name, MAC addresses, computer name, operating system and service pack etc.

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There are a ton of Sysinternals tools for troubleshooting and non-troubleshooting. If you want a collection of troubleshooting tools (very helpful if you’re working outside your PC network at a friends house, a business you’re helping/working for etc.), then you can download the Windows Systinternals Suite. This suite is regularly updated and currently sits at a whopping ~13MB:

Download Sysinternals Suite

Download Sysinternals Suite

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