[Offtopic] Useful tools
Dear forum users,
I have a question not related to Acronis True Image (almost :)). What are the software tools that are most useful for you on your PC or Mac?
We at Acronis are interested which software packages we should consider to include in special bundle offers.
Thank you,
Gaidar
Following are some of the apps I use. These are not in a ranking order but I do have a large number of apps that I would rank #1
- SnagIt - this is one of my #1 apps
- Explorer2 - this is another #1 app
- Beyond Compare - another #! app
- Everything - free search tool another #1 app
- PriPrinter - another #1 app
- Hard Disk Sentinel - another #1 app
- WinRAR
- Revo Uninstaller
- TextPad - notepad replacement
- Bulk Rename Utility
- LockHunter - free utility that identifies what is locking a file.
- Lookeen - great search tool (this is not the same as Everything)
- Restore Point Creator - allows you to easily create schedules for creating restore points and auto cleanup of old restore points.
- ShadowExplorer - Helps ensure VSS is correctly setup and gives you super quick access to the backups. Most people don't understand VSS and the value it can provide.
- Tweaking.com-Windows Repair - This has saved me a ton of grief
- Defraggler - automatically monitor my HDs and defrag at a predetermined level
- Speccy - I'm amazed at how often I use this to determine something about my system
- TreeSize Pro - If you have a lot of HD this is a must. I currently have 12 HD on my desktop ranging from 3TB to 6TB (the boot is a 500GB SSD)
- I also use a bunch of tools for MP3 file managment (Music and AudioBooks) as well as ePub some of which are MonkeyMedia, VLC, MP3TAG, QuickPAR, IrfanView, calibre, AVS4YOU suite
This is the bulk of what I use and find useful, obviously some much more than others. The one's that I put in the #1 group are the ones that I use mulptile times aday. Some I did not put in the #1 group is an oversite on my part. Bassically I consider these a must have on my system.
jgt1942,
Great choices, I like em too! I think a #1 oversight is Revo Uninstaller - can't live without it!
Enchantech, I agree, oversite on my part. It does a much better as an uninstaller than anyother app I've tested (it has been a while :)). I really rely on all of them and would be lost without them. In general when I install or upgrade the OS, the AV (Kaspersky for me) is the first thing I install and then it is a mad rush to install all that I recommended.
I forgot to mention, I also use the free version of TeamViewer. Once installed with a simple click I can remote into any of my systems or the systems of my family members. This has to be a #1 as well.
Teamviwer is very handy for establishing remote sessions yes.
Teamviwer is very handy for establishing remote sessions yes.
Not in any order :
- Notepad ++ all sort of edit's
- Riot quick and easy picture resize
- teamViewer remote connection
- Startupman alerts when something wants to be added in the different startups
- MalwareBytes malware detect
- Space Monger file reorganization
- Everything quick and low impact file indexer
- Ditto multiple paste and copy
- Dexpot multi desktop with application attachment
- Evernote cloud notes, web capture
- Xmind notes for brain storming
- Greenshot easy screen capture
- Jkdefrag background disk defrag
- Keepass global password vaults, browser integration
- Stardock docks and tabbed docks (also fences)
Wow! Guys! Thank you - amazing lists. Our bizdev guys will be pleased that there is so much work for them now to get in touch with all of the vendors :)
To confirm some of the utilities already mentioned:
TeamViewer / TeamViewer Host - I use almost daily in support of friends and family.
Notepad++ - again used daily.
Greenshot - daily use, most of the screen shots I put in this forum are from this utility.
CCleaner - I have used for a very long time and find useful for both cleaning up before making backups, but also to manage / control startup items etc.
Malwarebytes Antimalware / Anti-Exploit - almost essential in these days of cyber crime, PUPs, viruses etc. An extra level of security on top of my installed Security suite.
SyncFolders - used regularly to keep data synchronised between different systems / network drives.
Belarc Advisor - very useful system audit tool - gives a good handle on what is installed, hardware & software products, including helping to identify hardware components.
Piriform Speccy - again very useful to determine exactly what hardware components are installed.
EasyBCD - very useful for managing the Windows BCD repository for Windows 7 and later.
FileZilla FTP Client - used very regularly, one of the best free FTP clients.
ahhh... I had a long reply and it lost it after I hit submit
here we go again:
- freefilesync
- rlinux
- active partition recovery
- active undelete
- testdisk
all those software compliments the features that Acronis is missing when I work with disks, partitions, and files.
While Backups / Restore solved the problem for most situations, there are times when you need the latest version of whatever file / partition that got lost or damaged.
Sandboxie home lifetime license
Another of my favorites is Win 32 Disk Imager. A small niffty utility that allows writing .img or .iso images to removeable media.
Another of my favorites is Win 32 Disk Imager.
There is an amended version with source available from Hardkernel (make Odroid Linux/Android) single board computers. They have added in block delete before imaging of SD/eMMC card for img files.
As an alternative to Notepad++ there is also EditPad Pro from Just Great Software, http://www.editpadpro.com/
I use Notetab Plus -paid version) (text editor with spell checker) the most of any other program.
It is very versatile.
Although I am not a friend (anymore) or using tools and try getting my work done without even installing or using any I think there are also some I could not live without:
Random order:
1. Teamviewer
2. Malwarebytes Antimalwareb(y)ites (soon too Anti-Ransomware, yet in beta but this tool, would make a perfect mate with Acronis in terms of data security @Gaidar)
3. PDF24
4. Keepass
5. Winrar
6. Rufus
7. Bluescreenview
8. Unlocker
9. Produkey
10. TreesizeView (may form a good couple with the idea of Acronis also, to avoid uneccesary data, but too risky for average users to delete wrong things - hopefully they have done an Acronis backup prior deletion :)
Another text editor that I've used for years is Kedit but the company is winding down (see http://www.kedit.com/features.ia1.html) At one time I had a bunch of macros for it but somewhere in system upgrades they were lost and it was not realized until it was too late for any recovery.
Karl - how close does PDF24 come to Acrobat Pro?
Karl - how close does PDF24 come to Acrobat Pro?
I think I have answered my question.
Vastly different!!! PDF24 is much too limiting IMHO, I'll just stick with the Acrobat Pro version I currently have. I don't see any big advantage for me to upgrade it to the latest version,
Hi Jgt1942, not close enough to substitute it in general but maybe close enough for some audience. You are able to edit PDF files (sort pages, add pages, remove pages) you have a very powerful PDF printer with tons of options, that can be even used profile-based etc etc.
However some people use Acrobat Pro for editing PDF like to black paragraphs or to make forms etc. This, so far I am aware of, is not possible with PDF24.
Hi Jgt1942, not close enough to substitute it in general but maybe close enough for some audience. You are able to edit PDF files (sort pages, add pages, remove pages) you have a very powerful PDF printer with tons of options, that can be even used profile-based etc etc.
However some people use Acrobat Pro for editing PDF like to black paragraphs or to make forms etc. This, so far I am aware of, is not possible with PDF24.
For me, after a quick test, it was too different. I've used Acrobat Pro (various version) for about 17 years thus some of the functions that I rely on are second nature to me. By far I do NOT use all the power available but I'm comfortable with what I do use it for (forms, convert PDF to editable, indexing all PDFs in a folder, merging PDFs or extracting some pages). I sometimes use PDF Annotator just for its extensive annotation capabilities. When I purchased (about $70) it was offered at about 1/2 price ($35) and at the time I needed the function.
I concur in the value of Revo Uninstaller. It is a great tool to have for pre-backup volume preparation.