Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
5 out of 5	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

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

Mouse without Borders Features

We’ve reviewed a couple of virtual-KVMs (keyboard, video, mouse controllers), technically KMs, on Windows Guides: Synergy and InputDirector and they both work well. This time, we bring you another option: Microsoft Garage Mouse without Borders.

Mouse without Borders (MWB) takes the agony out of setting multiple PCs with one keyboard and mouse. You don’t need to worry about IP addresses, network names etc. It doesn’t really get much easier than this. With that said, here’s how to set up MWB for the first time:

1. Download and install Mouse without Borders

2. Start the Program and click No

3. Write down the security code and computer name:

4. Now install Mouse without Borders on your second PC and, instead of clicking No, click Yes. When prompted, type the security code and computer name provided on your first PC. Click Link.

5. Now you are ready to control two (or more) PCs with your mouse and keyboard:

Mouse without Borders Configuration

Once set up, MWB doesn’t need any more configuration. However, if you link multiple PCs (each with their own monitor on the same desk), you might want to re-order them to match their physical footprint.

1. In the System Tray, right click the MWB icon and click Settings

2. Here you can drag and drop the order of machines:

3. Click the Other Options tab to configure keyboard shortcuts (you’ll want to at least use the Switch between machines shortcut to save time and help focus on one PC at a time.)

You can take screen captures from connected PCs using “Get Screen Capture from“. This is useful if you have a download running and want to monitor it periodically or if you want to, you know, “spy” on your own PCs.

You can even configure your logon screen… perhaps it’s a way to tell which PC you are on—even if it’s locked. To do so, right click the MWB icon and click Personalize Logon Screen and choose a screen (In the System Tray.) Voila!

My only gripe is that I couldn’t set up my second PC via RDP. This is, of course, by design so you don’t distort reality and cause funky things to happen… I’m just lazy and I really didn’t want to actually go to the PC to install it. So, I used Team Viewer…

Download Mouse without Borders

Download Mouse without Borders

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.

How to mount ISO image?

To mount an ISO image, just double click on the ISO image file. And you are done. Isn’t that amazing? If you need some extra options (choosing virtual drive letter, disable autorun etc.) for the mounting, right click on the ISO image, then choose Select drive letter & mount, and a small dialog will appear. Click OK after you done with the settings and the image file will be mounted immediately.

And to unmount ISO image?

Just double click on the same ISO image file! It’s really this simple. Alternatively, you can right click on the virtual drive and select Eject.

What’s more?

Even though it is open source and free, WinCDEmu is an excellent piece of nifty tool.

• Supports unlimited virtual drives
• Lightweight
• No rebooting is required after installation
• Release drive letter when not in use
• Portable version is available

One more thing…

With WinCDEmu, you can also create ISO image file for your data disc (eg. Microsoft Windows installation disc, Microsoft Office installation disc etc.) as a backup or for future use. Simply insert the disc to your optical drive, then right click on it in Windows Explorer, and select Create ISO image. The next thing you know is your data disc has turned into an ISO image file.

Hope this is helpful for you. To download WinCDEmu, visit their page in sourceforge and look for the latest version. For portable version, you can get it here.

Other Options

If you’re looking for a more complete feature set or something a little more tech-user-friendly (is there such a thing?), consider the following options:

• DAEMON tools
• Slysoft Virtual CloneDrive
• PowerISO

Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
5 out of 5	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

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)

TuneUp Utilities is a long-standing member of the PC tweaking programs club and they’ve continued to improve their product, at a steady pace, year after year. For 2012, they’ve introduced Economy Mode, which helps save battery life—keeping you connected for longer while you’re mobile. This is the only new major feature this year; however, the program has been updated with more tips and tricks, revisions to previous tweaks, and UI improvements to help you work your way around this powerful collection of tools.

If you’re new to TuneUp Utilities, you might enjoy this little overview; otherwise, skip to what’s new.

TuneUp Utilities Overview

TuneUp scans your PC’s settings, system files, registry, and more and, based upon what it finds, offers you tips to improve your PC’s performance. TuneUp can take care of everything for you with one click or can walk you through the process of speeding up your PC.

Download and install TuneUp Utilities 2012. I recommend you check the Custom Installation box on the first screen:

I like to check for updates myself and I don’t use desktop gadgets; here are my configuration choices:

When you first start using TuneUp, you are guided through the 1-Click Maintenance wizard. Before you go through the Wizard, I recommend you configure the Settings:

Once you’ve made your choices (or if you chose not to configure your settings yet), click Start analysis now:

TuneUp scans your PC and identifies:

• Registry problems
• Registry fragmentation
• Broken shortcuts
• Temporary files
• Startup optimizations
• Shutdown optimizations

Click Show details (where available) and view more details about the recommendations given:

Clicking Run maintenance will fix the errors and problems and get you on your way to a cleaner PC:

After running the automatic maintenance for the first time, you can “set it and forget it” and TuneUp will tweak your PC in the background:

You can manage TuneUp right from the system tray and get a quick overview of any potential problems that exist. You can also switch between Turbo, Standard, and Economy Modes.

Note: Some of the following screenshots come from the TuneUp Utilities 2011 review–the features in 2012 are the same.

By telling TuneUp your computing preferences (e.g. what level of visual effects you like) and information it may not be able to determine alone (e.g. Internet connection type and speeds), it can customize your computer for best performance according to your needs:

TuneUp will, at first, offer you many performance-enhancing changes and tools. Don’t worry, it wont take you long to get through all the suggestions, and you’ll be glad you did afterward. Here’s an example of TuneUp offering to scan your drive with the TuneUp Disk Doctor to check your hard drives for errors:

I decided to scan all hard drives:

Here’s another example where TuneUp identifies programs you haven’t used in a long time and asks you if you recognize them or not. If you don’t recognize the program, TuneUp will help you determine its purpose and help you disable it (more about that later) or uninstall it:

As with all good optimization programs, you can back out your changes at any time. The TuneUp Rescue Center can help you fix and problems that may be caused by over-zealous clean up.

Disable Programs; Verify their Usefulness by Rating

The Program Decactivator deactivates programs that you currently don’t use. By deactiviating a program, you stop the services and supporting programs that are run by it. If you need some of these programs occasionally, it could be tedious to uninstall and reinstall these programs again and again. The Program Deactivator is designed to “pause” a program until you need it again. I deactivated iTunes (which tends to slow down my PC), plugged in my iPhone, and TuneUp popped up to let me know iTunes had, in an instant, been reactivated for use again — easy!

Not sure which programs to deactivate? TuneUp comes with a user-driven rating system that lets you rate the programs you use and view the ratings left by others:

Aware of privacy concerns, I checked out What data will be transferred? and saw the following:

I also spoke to one of the founders of the company, Tibor Schiemann, and he verified that no personal or identifiable information is sent in this process and that your anonymity is high priority.

One feature that isn’t new but is very useful is TuneUp Shredder. Find out how to use it here: Permanently delete files with TuneUp Shredder.

That concludes the overview. Now, on to the new features in 2012.

TuneUp Utilities 2012 New Features

TuneUp Economy Mode

TuneUp Economy mode changes system settings, disables hardware, and helps your PC run more conservatively to help save battery life. If you’re someone who is on the go all the time, you know how much an extra 20 minutes of battery life can help when you’re, for example: stuck on a plane; finishing a report just before class; or cramming a revision session in outside the exam hall. Economy Mode can be accessed with just two clicks (click TuneUp in the system tray and click Economy Mode) and it will instantly start saving you power.

Test Results:

I tried TuneUp Economy Mode on my wife’s netbook:

Setup: New installation Windows 7 Ultimate w/SP1 and VLC Player. Battery fully charged.

Test: Play HD (720p) MKV on loop until battery drains

Standard Mode: 2 hours and 15 minutes

Windows Power saver mode: 2 hours and 23 minutes

Economy Mode: 2 hours and 53 minutes (a 28% improvement! over standard mode)

The results of this test are fairly significant; use of Economy Mode is a far better option than Windows “Power saver” mode or no power savings.

Optimization Status

New in TuneUp 2011 was the Tuning status bar; this year, it’s been improved to be a little more intuitive and help you understand what needs to be done to improve performance:

2011:

2012:

As you can, see there is more information on what steps you’ve taken to optimize and what is outstanding–unused potential.

TuneUp Utilities Settings

As each utility within TuneUp has it’s own configuration, you can quickly get lost in settings screens and even change the same settings twice or three times through different panels without realizing. This year, TuneUp Utilities comes with a unified settings console to help you configure each tool in a central location. While this isn’t really an exciting feature, it really does help you organize yourself a little more and take a more systematic approach to your optimizing.

Other notable changes include:

• Enhancements to the program deactivator; now the assistant reactivates programs for use and then automatically deactivates them again for you. Read more about the Program Deactivator in the overview above.
• A modified dashboard UI with integrated settings buttons for each utility as well as a switch for the three performance modes

Download TuneUp Utilities 2012

TuneUp Utilities 2012 15-day Trial (aff)

Download Sysinternals Suite

Download Sysinternals Suite

Here’s a list of the tools you’ll get with the suite:

That’s it. Now you have the whole Sysinternals suite ready for use. If you’d like to access the Sysinternals tools online–without downloading or installing the tools–you can use Sysinternals live. If you want tolearn more about Sysinternals tools such as Process Explorer, head here.

Here’s How

This Quick-Tip works in both Excel 2007 and 2010 (and perhaps in some older versions as well). The only differences between the two is the different Office Buttons. In Excel 2007 the Office button is a round Windows button, where as in 2010 it’s a green tab.

1. In Excel 2010, Click the Green FILE-tab
   In Excel 2007, Click the Round Office Button
2. In Excel 2010, Choose Options in the bottom part of the left panel.
   In Excel 2007, Choose Excel options in the lower right corner of the Office File Menu
3. Locate the following heading in the right pane:
   “When creating new workbooks”
4. Change the value under: “Include this many sheets” from 3 to your desired number
5. Click OK

That’s it, and that’s that.

Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
4 out of 5	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

PROS: This free tool helps you identify “cold” spots in your home/office. Easy to use and does not require a location-aware PC setup.CONS: You have to sign up with your email address to get to the download but you can unsubscribe any time. You’ll need to use a laptop to take readings throughout your home. VERDICT: If you’re a geek and you want a map of wi-fi signal strength in your home, this application will do exactly that. PRICE: Free VERSION REVIEWED: 1.1.2 DOWNLOAD: HeatMapper

HeatMapper Installation

To download HeatMapper, go here, enter an email address (that works), and open your email to download HeatMapper:

Double click the installer and follow the instructions:

When prompted, click Install:

HeatMapper Features

When you start HeatMapper, you’ll be asked if you have a map. I got a map from the survey of our home that we had done prior to purchase. If you don’t have access to a map, I recommend you make one (it doesn’t have to be completely accurate) so you know where to click when you walk around your home.

Here’s the map I used for my first level. It’s very simple and something that you can create in Paint in a  minute or two:

Once you’ve loaded your map, you’ll be asked to walk around your home and to click the map in your current location. This will draw the path you take and record the signal at each checkpoint. Here’s my first level (click to enlarge):

Here’s my second level (good coverage):

Once you’ve completed your walk around the home, you’ll have a map of the signal strength throughout your home (plus a list of all dominant hotspots in your home.)

Download HeatMapper

Download HeatMapper

Note: You’ll need to enter a valid email address and can unsubscribe after you receive the first email.

Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
5 out of 5	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

PROS: Simple and easy to use, Multi-platform support, Cloud synchronization, Easy task sharing. CONS: No. VERDICT: By far the best task management application that marries both simplicity and elegance. PRICE: Free VERSION REVIEWED: 1.2 DOWNLOAD: wunderlist

wunderlist Features

Looking for a simple task management tool that you can access anywhere, either on your smartphone, Windows PC, tablets etc.? wunderlist might be just your thing.

A product from 6wunderkind, a Berlin-based company, wunderlist aimed to provide a simple and user friendly task management experience which can be synchronized across almost all of your mobile devices, and your computer, be it a Windows PC or an Apple Mac. Currently they have the wunderlist app for iOS devices (iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad), Android devices (1.6 above), Windows PC (XP, Vista and 7), and Mac (OSX 10 and above). They also have a web-based wunderlist, which is very useful especially when you are using a public computer, or using an unsupported operating system eg. Linux-based distro. No news for Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry yet, but don’t be disappointed, they are currently hiring now, so I am expecting some surprises in the near future.

Simple and Easy-to-use UI

Wunderlist features a very clean and simple user interface, which is (a lot) less complicated for task management use. Simply type in your upcoming task and press Enter; your task is saved—it’s that simple. Wanted to set a deadline for your task? No problem. Click on the calendar icon and pick your deadline. Make it top of the list so that you can quickly see which task has higher priority? Easy, just click on the star icon, and you are good to go.

Besides that, if you prefer to manage tasks in category, wunderlist also allows the user to create multiple list for different kind of tasks. One for work, one for home, one for shopping etc.—you do the thinking job. Feeling greenish today? Just change the background to suit your mood. How about adding extra information like hyperlink or notes on certain to-dos? You got it. Simply click on the note icon, and add any text in it.

Multiple-device Synchronization Ready

If you have more than one device running wunderlist, I bet you wouldn’t want to duplicate all the tasks manually by yourself. Thanks to the synchronization feature, the task you added on your computer will appear in your mobile device automatically after the synchronization, so you can always check your task list whenever you go. Learn more about their powerful cloud synchronization.

No Access to wunderlist? Email to Add a Task!

If you’re unable to access wunderlist for whatever reason, but still can do some emailing, you won’t miss out on much. One good thing about wunderlist is that you can also add task to your account via email. Simply send it to me@wunderlist.com from your email account used to register wunderlist, you will have the task appear on the list when you run wunderlist later – Sweet! Learn how to send email to add task from their website.

Prefer to Work on Paper? wunderlist can Handle it!

‘No, I don’t like to look at the screen for all my to-dos, I prefer a paper-based one.’ Although it doesn’t sound too environmentally friendly, wunderlist also caters for those who prefer a printed to-do list. Simply add all your tasks to a list and print them. All the information like due date and notes will be included on the print out, and did I mentioned that the print out is really nice to look at?

Task Sharing is Easy with wunderlist

Want to show your colleague (or boss) the number of tasks you have? One feature that is available on the Windows, Mac OS, and web-based wunderlist is the task sharing options. You can choose to publish your tasks via CloudApp to generate a public web link (which lasts for 30 days), so you can share your task with anyone, as long as they have the link. Don’t want to work alone and seek for collaboration from your colleagues? No problem. You can also share your list of tasks to your colleagues that have a wunderlist account for collaboration – you will never be alone anymore.

Verdict

In my opinion, wunderlist is by far the best task management application that marries both simplicity and elegance. With the price of nil, no ads (hopefully they won’t add them in the future), and multi-platform support, there is really nothing to complaint about wunderlist. With the recent release of wunderlist 1.2 on the Windows and their recent hiring, it will not be long before we see new and improved features in wunderlist. Below is my wishlist for the next version:

• Sub-task for a task
• Customizable background
• IE-pinned tab features

Give it a try, I am sure you will like it, and hopefully it helps in your task management. Tell us your opinion!

Download wunderlist

Download wunderlist

Download wunderlist 1.2 (Direct link)

Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
5 out of 5	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

PROS: Supports all modern versions of Outlook and all modern mobiles. USB sync, wireless sync and Google sync are all includes and it does exactly what it says on the tin perfectly!  CONS: Is too good an option!? VERDICT: One of the most useful programs I have seen in a long time! PRICE: Varies from $49.95 to $129.95 VERSION REVIEWED: 4.0 DOWNLOAD: CompanionLink (free 14-day trial)

CompanionLink Features

After my review last May, where I was really impressed by the software, I have been completely blown away with version 4.

As well as the great features behind CompanionLink 3, such as Outlook compatibility with all versions (including Outlook 2010 64-bit) and the  superb Google syncing, the guys at CompanionLink have somehow managed to make it even better!

In the new version, there is two big changes – the new, easy-to-use interface and the auto-sync feature. This automatically synchronizes your data from Outlook (or the program of your choice) straight to Google (or the platform of your choice). There are also Profiles, so you can sync different programs at the same time and other great features!

There is also an Advanced Settings option, where you can make your synchronization job as simple or complex as you want, with various different rules.

This is the best syncing problem I have seen so far – I wonder what it’ll be like in the future!

Download CompanionLink

Download CompanionLink

The lack of space (on your screen)  makes it difficult to see all the information you want at all times. I use my netbook as my primary email and communication computer. Mostly because of its handy size and portability. The resolution is a mere 1024x600px which is to say at least not very High-Res. When it comes to using programs like Outlook, Word etc. with large ribbons or toolbars, the space available for work is, somewhat limited.

Luckily Office has one feature that gives me a bit more space for my chores: Temporarily hiding the Ribbons  

Double Click and Click

To make the Ribbons hide, all you have to do is Double Click one of the Ribbon Tabs.

To display the ribbons temporarily, simply click (once) the desired Ribbon Tab, and voilá it re-appears. When you take focus off of the ribbon (like clicking somewhere else on the screen) the ribbon goes back into hiding.

Should you wish to reset the Ribbon bar, then Double-Click any Ribbon Tab, and it will lock back into visible mode permanently.

Simple as that.

Thanks to freewaregenius for pointing these out to us.

And the newcomers are…

WinX DVD Author

Our good old friends over at Digiarity has since last decided to release their DVD authoring software as Freeware. This suite does not only convert any movie to DVD, but also allow you to author or re-pack a DVD with themes, chapters and everything you’d expect from a payware program.

As always, Digiarity promises high-quality and High-Speed – and in my opinion, they do deliver.

With step-by-step wizard built-in, even novice can easily convert and burn MKV, M2TS, M4V, MP4, FLV, MPEG, MOV, RM, RMVB, H.264, AVI to DVD, etc. Equipped with fast and powerful decode encoder engine, this free DVD burner software takes less than one hour to create a full 4.3 G high quality DVD, while delivering 100% excellent audio and video effects.

Download WinX DVD Author

Chasys Draw IES

This program is soon to be one of my favourite programs. On a daily basis, when working with high-quality graphics, I turn to the master of all; Photoshop. The problem is that Photoshop is much too heavy for my netbook, which I carry with me all over. Chasys Draw IES is a suite of image editing tools featuring a powerful bitmap editor that supports Photoshop style layers and plugins, giving me a lightweight program with the powerful functionality of which I have come to expect and need.

The whole suite is UAC aware and is designed to take advantage of multi-core processors, touch-screens and pen-input devices.

Expect to see a full review on this later

Download Chasys Draw IES

BufferZone PRO

I’ve earlier told you about Sandbox programs like Sandboxie and TimeFreeze. The BufferZone Pro is the ’PRO’ version of Trustware’s virtualization/sandboxing program. As with any Sandboxing program, it works by isolating running processes from the rest of the system, making it virtually impossible for the running programs to make changes to your system.

BufferZone Pro does NOT support 64-bit architecture, but they claim to introduce this feature sometime in 2011.

Download BufferZone Pro

Download BufferZone Pro