Posts Tagged: ‘Review’

Finding Free Software (2020-06)

July 13, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

This month, I thought I’d tell you about a few web sites where you can find reviews and links for useful, free software.

Before you start downloading, don’t forget the old adage: “There is no such thing as a free lunch.”  The same thing goes for free software.  The cost isn’t cash out of your pocket, but is usually information of one sort or another.  Read the licensing agreement before you hit the install button.  Often, free software comes with other downloads that you may or may not want to install.  Once again, make sure you read every installer screen and make sure what you are getting is what you want.

Enough warnings.  On to the sites.

One of my favorite software review sites is Gizmo’s Freeware.  This site is staffed by volunteers that review different categories of freeware.  On the main page are links to “Best Freeware Lists” and “Freeware Categories”.  Both links take you to lists of what the editors consider the best free software.  On the right side of the page are links to recently reviewed or updated software articles.  There are also many other areas on the site that you can explore for more information.

Freeware Geeks is a free software directory site.  As I write this article, there are 2204 programs listed in twelve categories.  Clicking on a program title, will give you a short synopsis of the program and a link to the download site.

The Source Forge is dedicated to making open source projects successful.  This site is more technically oriented.  Much of the software is still being developed.  All of the programs are open source, which means anyone can download the code.

NirSoft is a one man website.  All of the programs were written by Nir Sofer.  They are mostly utility software.  All of the programs are freeware.

There are some sites that offer free downloads of commercial software.  Companies often use these to give a free temporary licenses in the hope that you will like their offerings and pay to renew them.  Sometimes the programs are older versions.  There are a few sites that I check frequently.  Occasionally, you can find something useful.
Giveaway of the Day offers one program each day.  You have twenty-four hours to download and install.  One feature of site I like is the user comments.  Free alternatives are often mentioned.  Giveaway Radar is an aggregator site that lists offerings from several sites.  All of the listed software must have a license of at least six months.

There are a lot of other sources for free software besides the ones I’ve listed.  Many of them are very good and can be trusted.  Others are not.  Research before you download.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , ,
Categories: Clicker

Free Commander XE (2020-03)

July 13, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

This month at the club’s Windows 10 SIG, a video was shown demonstrating the many improvements Microsoft has made in Windows Explorer.  That got me to thinking how much I like the replacement program that I use.

Windows Explorer was first released in Windows 95 as a replacement for File Manager.  It is the interface for accessing the Windows file system.  Windows Explorer is also the interface that controls many items on the monitor such as the task bar and the desktop.  In short, it is a necessary program for operating your Windows computer.  Over the years, Windows Explorer has morphed into what is commonly known as Windows File Explorer.  Enhancements to the program have included, the task pane, search and image handling, to name just a few.

As in many other facets of Windows, third party developers have released enhancements or replacements to the File Explorer.  An internet search will give you listings for hundreds of them.  Years ago, I used XYPlorer.  This is an excellent program which I liked.  It is a paid program which I got for free as a Giveaway of the Day.  Since the program didn’t include updates, I decided it was time to move on.

About eight years ago, I started using FreeCommander XE, an easy to use alternative to the Windows File Manager.  It has a friendly user interface and can be easily adapted to your individual needs and desires.  There are more features than I can use.  I’ve disabled many of them, which is another good feature of the program.

One of the main features is the dual pane interface.  If you do a lot of file copying or moving, it is easy to drag and drop from one pane to another.  With Windows File Explorer, you would have to have another open window.

My favorite feature is the tabbed interface.  Instead of having to open a new window for each file location I access, The FreeCommander window lets you open as many tabs as you need.  I always have easy access to my most common locations.  Tabs can be locked so that you don’t accidentally close them.

There are four optional toolbars.  Toolbars can be resized.  I haven’t counted the number of toolbar commands available, but there are at least 150.  Nearly every toolbar button can be customized by the user.  However you handle files, I believe FreeCommander XE will do the job for you.

The last feature I’m going to mention is the favorites menu.  Everyone has favorite folders, files and programs that they access often when using the computer.  FreeCommander has an excellent favorites folder that can be accessed from anywhere in the program.  Remember that there is only one window that ever needs to be opened.

Did I mention the best feature?  FreeCommander XE is freeware and can be used free of charge for both private and professional purposes.  For those that are interested, the program also has a portable version.  Click here for screenshots of the program.

I’ve barely skimmed the features of this software.  I think if you try it, you’ll never go back to File Explorer.  You can download the program from the FreeCommander XE download page.

Keep on clicking and thanks for reading.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , , ,
Categories: Clicker

File Menu Tools (2019-09)

July 12, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

This month I’d like to tell you about one of my favorite utility programs.  I’ve got it installed on all of my computers and have been using it for more than ten years.  I first reviewed this program in July 2009.  The program has gotten even better since then.  Like many other free programs, the programmer has a donate button on his website.  I like the program so much that I hit the PayPal button a long time ago.  Maybe it is about time I gave him a few more dollars.

FileMenu Tools lets you customize the right click menu of Windows Explorer.  It also works with all of the alternate explorer programs that I’ve tried.  The program adds utilities to perform operations on files and folders and adds customized commands that let you run external applications, copy or move to a specific folder or delete specific file types.

With the built in commands you can:
• Run With Parameters – Runs a program with parameters you input in a dialog box.
• Command Line From Here – Opens a command line window.
• Copy/Move – No need to cut and paste. You can also use filters in file selection.
• Duplicate Files – Makes a copy in the same folder.
• Pack to Folder – Moves all the selected elements to new sub‑folder in the current folder.
• Copy Path/Name/Content – Copies the selected item(s) to the clipboard.
• Attributes – You can view and change them without having to open a properties dialog box.
• Find and Replace – Lets you find or replace a text for all the files in a selected folder.
• Advanced Rename – With lots of options.
• Change Icon – Changes the icon for the selected folder.
• Change Attributes – Quickly and easily change folder options.
• Advanced Delete – Lets you delete specific file types in a folder.
• Synchronize Two Folders – Lets you synchronize two folders quickly and easily.
• Shred Files – Overwrites several times so it is impossible to recover the file in the future.
• Send to Mail Recipient – Lets you send an e‑mail with selected elements as attachments.

These are less than half of the FileMenu commands you can select from.  In the configuration menu, a simple check will turn off the commands you don’t want.  If you can’t find the FileMenu function you need, then just add a customized command to run external applications, copy/move to a specific folder or delete specific file types.

FileMenu Tools lets you configure the “Send to” sub‑menu.  You can add new items, change the properties of the existing items or delete them.  You also can disable existing “Send to” items in order to hide them from the menu.

FileMenu Tools will also let you enable/disable the commands which are added to the context menu of the Windows Explorer by other programs.  This is the only function that is not one hundred percent reliable.  When it works, it works well, but it doesn’t catch all of the programs that add a right click.

FileMenu Tools is a 12.90 MB download and runs on all Windows platforms.  Open Candy is used during the installation process but can be refused with a check mark.  Did I mention the price?  This program is freeware and costs nothing.

Download FileMenu Tools and give the program a test.  I’m pretty sure that you’ll like it.  While you’re on the Lopesoft website, you can also download and test LopeEdit Lite, an excellent alternative to Windows Notepad.

Keep on clicking and thanks for reading.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , , ,
Categories: Clicker

More EULA Services (2019-04)

July 11, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

If you read my column last month, you will remember that I reviewed one of my favorite and often used utility programs.  EULAlyzer is a program I’ve used for many years.  When you are installing new software, open the program and you will see an option to “scan new license agreement”.  A new window will pop up with an icon to drag over the EULA window.  The EULA will be imported and you can analyze it.  You do this simply by clicking the “analyze” button.  Eulalyzer then reviews the license for keywords such as tracking, advertising, third‑party, data collection, etc.

This month, I’d like to continue on the subject and tell you about a few other services that I use to help protect me from disreputable EULAs.  I’m not going to go into a long diatribe about the evil things some EULA agreements do.  You can do your own internet search and find EULAs where you agree to never sue the company, post bad reviews on social media, agree to any future changes, etc.  I’m also not going to write about some of the funny EULAs.  I’m fairly sure that Apple doesn’t actually think anyone will use iTunes to manufacture missiles.

Instead, I’m going to tell you about some other EULA services that I often use.  Like Honest Abe in this Off the Mark Presidents Day Comic and most other people, I usually don’t read all agreements before installing software or agreeing to website terms of service.  You can slap my wrist the next time you see me.

I’ve been getting e‑mails from Paranoid Paul for more years than I can remember.  Paranoid Paul is a free service that allows you to track changes made to online documents that affect your privacy or your personal information.  This includes Privacy Policies, Terms and Conditions or User Agreements.  I haven’t actually been on the website for a long time.  To use the service, you must submit an e‑mail address.  After registering, you can pick which documents you are interested in following.  Whenever there is a change, you will receive an e‑mail with a brief synopsis of what is new.  The service is free.

Although a little difficult to read, SpywareGuide License Analyzer is another useful site.  It is an online service.  You simply copy the EULA and paste into the provided box on the website.  Additionally, the site has an excellent list of definitions for EULA related terms.

There is one other link I’d like to tell you about.  In February of 2008, Annalee Newitz wrote an article for the Electronic Frontier Foundation.  Even though it is almost twenty years old, it is still an excellent explanation of EULAs.  If you’re interested in this subject, I recommend you read Dangerous Terms: A User’s Guide to EULAs.

Occasionally, I find other programs or websites that claim to do the same thing, but I have found none of them to be as useful or easy to use.  Life would be so much easier if privacy policies were as clean and concise as the one on my personal website.

Keep on clicking and thanks for reading.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , ,
Categories: Clicker

EULAlyzer (2019-03)

July 11, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Before reading this article, you must explicitly agree to abide by the following terms and conditions. If you do not agree, please either close the newsletter or immediately hit the next page key.

This review can only be perused during daylight hours except on weekends, holidays, a family birthday, or a solar eclipse.  In the event you decide to continue reading, you agree that you will not disagree with the author unless you are under the care of a state certified psychiatrist.  By continuing to read, you are granting permission to the newsletter editor to collect your personal information and sell it to other computer clubs.  The author of this article can change it any time without informing the readers.  Information in this article can be true or false without any repercussions to the author.

If you’re reading this paragraph, you probably realize that the lead in is assuredly not enforceable.  I have no idea whether or not it is.  All I know is that almost every program I install on my computer(s) make me read and agree to an End User License Agreement (EULA).  They are often full of large amounts of legal terms and big words.  Many of them are several pages long.  Most of them pop‑up in a small window that is not very large.  I’m pretty sure that most EULAs were written by lawyers.

There have been several surveys and tests that show that most end users just check the agree box and install the software.  One company even put a clause in the EULA telling customers how to claim a $1000 prize.  The money was not claimed until after more than 3000 program installs.

Do you, like most computer users, not read the EULA?  Although I often display symptoms of paranoia, I seldom ever read a EULA.  Don’t be surprised at that statement.  I let the computer do it for me.

EULAlyzer Personal is a utility that scans user agreements and analyzes them for “key words” or phrases in the EULA.  It is an easy program to use.  When the EULA shows on your monitor (usually in a small window that you can’t re‑size), simply select “scan new license agreement” and drag the cursor to the EULA.

EULAlyzer then scans the document and searches to see if the software you’re about to install displays pop‑up ads, transmits personally identifiable information, uses unique identifiers to track you and much more.  Troublesome phrases in the EULA are highlighted so you can easily review them.

Occasionally, EULAs are found on a web page or some other file.  In that case, you can copy and paste the document into EULAlyzer and analyze it as previously described for potential problems.  You can also review Terms of Service agreements by the same method.  As an added bonus, you can save the EULAs to a file on your computer and read them at your leisure.

EULAlyzer is not the ultimate program and does not offer any advice, but only suggestions.  It is a good utility that I recommend you keep in your spam fighting toolbox.  Did I mention the price?  You can download and install the program for a one time payment of $0.00.

The program is from Brightfort, the makers of SpywareBlaster.  You can download EULAlyzer from their website.

Keep on clicking and thanks for reading.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , , ,
Categories: Clicker

KeePass Password Manager (2019-01)

July 11, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Do you use a password manager, or do you do like many others and have a just a few passwords that you use over and over?  If you answered no to using a manager, I’d just like to say that you are an idiot.  I’m sorry to be so blunt, but it is true.  In the modern age of computing it is important that you use hard to decipher, unique passwords for all the sites where you have an account.  It is trivial for hackers to try stolen user names and passwords on several sites.

I thought I’d take a few minutes and tell you about the Password Program that I use every day when I’m computing.  I did a Google Search for “free password manager” and got 114,000,000 results.  I’ve carefully researched all of them except for the last four million or so.

I use a lot of passwords in my daily computing.  As of this writing, I’ve got 68 e‑mail addresses.  I frequent 7 different forums, each with separate password.  Then there are my gaming site passwords.  Five right now.  Did I forget to mention my military, government and medical passwords?  Twelve of them.  Then there are on line shopping passwords, miscellaneous social networks and many more.  I’ve got more than 50 passwords that I use fairly frequently.

The first week of every month, I change the passwords for websites that keep important data.  It seems that some company or government office is always being compromised and losing important data.  For most web sites, I use hard to break passwords.  Want to see one of my sample passwords? qyF+,CMqaF+@x!,SdqyF+,CMqaF;+@x!,Sd is a password that used to open one of my web sites for editing.

The program I use to manage all of those passwords is KeePass Password Safe.  It is a really easy to use utility that helps you to keep track of all your passwords while keeping them safe.  It lets you store all of your passwords in a lightweight, simple to use database that is encrypted so that only you can access it.

KeePass Password Safe stores all of your passwords in groups.  That makes it extremely easy to quickly find the one you want.  The program does more than just store the passwords; it also lets you easily copy them onto a Web page or an application.  You can drag and drop them, copy them to the clipboard, or copy them using a hot key.

One of the best features of KeePass is the random password generator which creates passwords with characteristics that you specify.  That way you can tailor your passwords as needed.  For example, some websites won’t let you create a password with underlines while others might require a specific password length.  KeePass makes it easy to create any password.

The program also includes support for TAN (Transactional Access Numbers) passwords and allows you to create TAN lists which automatically expire a password once it has been used.  Other features include auto-lock, database search, import/export.  There are many more features.

Of Course, KeePass also fits in with one of my most demanding prerequisites.  The cost is Zero!  KeePass is open source, which means that there have been a lot of plug-ins developed.  You can download the source code and modify it to meet your needs.  Keepass is a Windows program that has been ported to many other Operating Systems, including Android, iPhone/iPad, Blackberry, JavaScript for browsers and many Linux distributions.

You can read more about the program on the KeePass Password Safe Home Page.  Give it a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Thanks for reading.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , , , ,
Categories: Clicker

Belarc Advisor (2022-06)

May 29, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

I’ve got a lot of programs that I use to upkeep and maintain my Windows computers so that they operate smoothly.  To help me do this, it is important to know substantive information about my different machines.  I get much of this data by using Belarc Advisor.

The Belarc Advisor displays a detailed profile of your installed software, hardware and security vulnerabilities in a Web browser.  The Belarc Advisor is licensed for personal use only and is not permitted to be used for any commercial or government purposes.

Belarc Advisor scans your PC and builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware in the form of an HTML report that you can view in your browser.  This information includes local drive volumes, memory modules, printer information, installed licenses, installed software, multimedia information and much more.  All of your PC profile information is kept on your PC and is not uploaded to any web server.

After installation, you simply need to run Belarc Advisor and wait until the initial analysis of the computer system is completed.  This process may take time, depending on the speed of your computer, number of peripherals, programs installed, etc.  Once the analysis is completed, Belarc Advisor will display in your default web browser a Computer Profile Summary.  This is generated as an HTML file and can be stored on your computer.

Depending on the number of the programs installed on your system, the length of the page and the amount of information will vary from computer to computer.  Belarc Advisor identifies and reports the following information:
• CPU(s) installed on your motherboard
• Motherboard make, model, and serial number, plus BIOS data
• Hard drive and optical drive data, including total capacity and free space, as well as volume details like the drive letter and file system
• Total amount of RAM, plus number of modules installed
• Mapped network drives
• Local user and system accounts, last logon time stamps, and locked/disabled status
• Installed printers and which port each is using
• Storage controllers
• Video card and monitor make, model, and serial number data
• USB, eSATA, and similar controller data
• Sound card or other audio hardware
• Anti-malware program installed program and definition version data, last scan time stamp, and current status
• Group policy data
• Service tag of the computer model, and possibly a support link to the manufacturer’s website
• Networking, Bluetooth, and other communication hardware and protocol data

One of my favorite features is in the Software Versions and Usage report section.  There you can check the last time that you have opened any installed program.  This can help you decide whether you might want to uninstall old, unused software.

I run the program every month or so.  That way I always have a fairly up to date report of my system(s).  The information doesn’t usually change too much.  I haven’t included any screenshots of my computers.  You can find many pictures with an internet search.

I like this program and have been using it for several years.  After installation, it only uses less than 7MB of space on my hard drive.  Belarc Advisor runs on Windows 11, 2022, 2019, 10, 2016, 8.1, 2012 R2, 8, 2012, 7, Vista, 2008, 2003 SP2, XP SP3.  Both 32‑bit and 64‑bit Windows Operating Systems are supported.  The license allows for free personal use only.  You can download Belarc Advisor from this link.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , , , ,
Categories: Clicker

VuePrint – Since 1995 (2022-04)

March 27, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Everyone has their favorite image viewer program.  Let me tell you a little bit about mine.  I’ve been using VuePrint as my default viewer for more than twenty years.  When I first started using the program, it was shareware that sold for ten dollars.  Five years ago, the author quit updating VuePrint and released the program as freeware.  It was originally released in 1995 and hasn’t been updated since 2007.

You may wonder why I keep using such an old, outdated program.  The answer is simple.  It is very fast and it still works better than most other image viewers.  It isn’t an image editor, but you can crop images, convert image formats and reduce the size of images for e‑mailing.

The program does one thing very well.  If you’ve got a lot of images, you can browse through them extremely fast.  Just press the space bar for the next image or the backspace key for the previous image.  Press the “t” key to view thumbnails.  Press “d” to delete the picture.  It’s easy and fast.

Other minor functions are the typical ones found with most image viewers.  You can flip, rotate, mirror, adjust contrast and brightness, etc.  You can also use the program as a movie viewer, but it’s not the best.  After all, it hasn’t been updated for fifteen years.

The program was originally coded for Windows XP.  Every time there is a Windows update, I expect the program to no longer function.  It still works perfectly with Windows 11.  If you’ve got a lot of pictures to edit, I’ve found that this program is great at quickly viewing and deleting the bad ones.  Then you can edit as needed in your graphics editor.

Did I mention that this program is fast?  If you’ve got a lot of pictures on your hard drive, why not download it and give it a try?  Even though it is an old program, I think you might find it useful.  You can download VuePrint here.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , , ,
Categories: Clicker

Gizmo’s Is Back (2022-03)

March 16, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

I finally found some time to do an update on one of my websites.  Like many other sites, I have a favorite links page.  I immediately noticed that I still had a link for Gizmo’s Freeware.  I knew I needed to delete it because the site closed down in 2021.  It was a sad time for everyone that likes excellent freeware programs.

In 2008, Ian “Gizmo” Richards launched the Tech Support Alert Website.  It featured reviews and links to freeware programs in several categories.  Programs were reviewed by volunteers.  There was an active forum with comments and suggestions from readers.

One of the great things about the site was that there wasn’t any advertising.  It was funded solely by donations from users.  I remember several times there were pleas for extra funds to keep the site going.  Disclaimer: I usually sent what I could afford.  In later years, donations were no longer enough to pay costs and Google ads were incorporated.  In March of 2021, Google Ad Sense canceled their advertisements.  It was announced that the web site would shut down in July.  The site shut down and a farewell page was posted.

I’m glad that I rechecked the link.  Gizmo’s is back online.  It has been renamed “Gizmo’s Best” and has a new web interface.  I’m surprised that I haven’t seen any mention of this happy fact on any of the many tech news sites that I read.

There aren’t as many reviews or programs listed as on the old site.  At first this was a little upsetting, but on further thought, I agree.  Many of the programs on the old site were outdated and no longer available.  The site still lists the ones it has in the same categories: Android, IOS, Linux, MACOS and Windows.  There is a new category for Reader’s Best.  The “Free Wallpaper of the Week” is still on the site.

If you remember how great Gizmo’s Freeware was, give the remake a try. You can find it at Gizmo’s Best (techsupportalert.com).

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , ,
Categories: Clicker

Windows 11 First Impression (2021-12)

November 21, 2021 Posted by Tiny

I feel so left out.  I bought a new laptop with Windows 11 installed.  I haven’t had any of the problems I’ve been reading about on many of the tech sites.  In fact, I’ve had only one problem that I couldn’t find an answer for anywhere on the internet.  I even asked about it in the recent APCUG Windows Q&A.  They couldn’t answer it either.  I’ll tell you more about it later.

So far, all the programs I’ve installed have worked without any problems.  That includes some that haven’t updated since Windows XP days.  I had no difficulties changing defaults on any of them.  My links open with Firefox just like they’re supposed to.  I can only assume that other users might not be setting up their preferences correctly.

The biggest change in Windows 11 is the start menu.  I like using the tabbed start in Windows 10.  I know there are programs that will let me go back to what I prefer.  I’m obstinate enough to learn the new method like I did when I updated from Windows 7 to 10.  I’m already realizing how to move icons to suit my usage.

The other big change is one that I’m afraid I will never get used to.  Ever since it first became available in Windows 95, I’ve kept my task bar on the left of my screen.  I think it makes a lot of sense to create extra space for scrolling.  Almost all monitors are wide screen and you get more screen space with the task bar on the side.  I believe that in the future, Microsoft will re‑enable this feature.  If not, I’ll probably be doing a registry hack.

I haven’t tested most of the other new features.  I have never had an interest in using Widgets.  I know that many people do and I’m glad they have that ability.  I’m glad they are easy to disable.  It’s the same thing for running Android Apps on my Windows machine.  Another reason is that I don’t much care for the Amazon App Store.   I did connect my Android phone in Windows 10.  About three hours late, I disconnected it.

I mentioned that I had only one serious problem with Windows 11.  My battery would drain whenever I put the computer to sleep.  It was frustrating to wake Windows and find that the machine had shut down because the battery was empty.  I couldn’t find any sites on the interest that addressed the problem.  I was beginning to think there might be some defective hardware.  I finally solved the problem by using an old trick I learned back in the 1990s.  I reinstalled the operating system.  Since then, my laptop sleeps with no problems.

Do I recommend Windows 11?  I’ll just say that I’m not updating my desktop computer yet.  Windows 11 runs smoothly and efficiently.  Unless you have a compelling reason to upgrade, Microsoft will support Windows 10 until October 14, 2025.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , ,
Categories: Clicker
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »