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Utilities; Search; Login; Register; A collection of useful web apps. CSS3 image filter with Vuejs. A small web application to apply filter to images using CSS3 filter function and Vuejs. Latest Posts. How to use Laravel Mix in any projects. Sep 25, 2018, Gautam Kumar. However, there’s another class of app that gets less attention: the apps that are insanely useful to have in your back pocket on the rare occasions you need them. The 2016 Lifehacker Pack. Utility apps may not be the flashiest of the App Store's offerings but they are some of the most useful. Collection of useful utilities for deploying (not only) Webpack apps - productboard/webpack-deploy.
We've all been there, no matter what you try, your PC just isn't running like it did the day you purchased it. You're experiencing unusual and unexplainable phenomenons or maybe Windows refuses to load altogether.
So you admit defeat, back up what you can and break out your installation disk. After installing your squeaky clean instance of Windows, the reality of what little you have as far as programs go comes barreling toward you in a wave of panic and frustration.
Fortunately today there’s a wide array of quality freeware applications, so it's both cheaper and easier to transform your system into a seemingly impenetrable force armed with a cache of media, messaging and office applications.
With this guide, we will be providing you with a list of useful applications that we feel stand above all others in what they attempt to do, and when all is said and done, your PC will be ready for nearly any everyday task you throw at it.
Apps covered by category:
Security (you are here) - Web Browsing & Email - Messaging & Torrents - Media Playback & Burning - Productivity & Office - Other Useful Utilities
For the paid route, if we were in the position to pick only one, NOD32 is without a doubt one of the best options in the market today (although Kaspersky Anti-Virus is definitely up there as well). NOD32 has proven to have a slightly better heuristics in the past when compared to similar AVs, it has a lighter footprint than anything that comes close to working as well and it’s roughly $20 cheaper than the competition ($39.99). Also, it has scored extremely well on Virus Bulletin's tests over the years and I've personally been happily using Eset's NOD32 for approximately 4 years.
If you are more interested in a costless alternative, most would say it's a toss up between Avira anti-virus and Alwil's Avast!, both of which offer plenty enough security. It’s quite frankly a matter of personal preference but again, if we were forced to pick one, it’d be Avira Free.
AVG 9 is another solid freeware choice in this category, and one of the few “officially” supported AVs of the Windows 7 beta.
As far as Anti-Malware applications go, there must be at least two dozen relatively solid choices out there and it's also probable that your preferred Anti-Virus provider will actually offer one in a security “package” or “suite” of sorts. That said, we're going to recommend what we've known to work over the years and happens to be free.If you’ve opted to exclude your AVs additional security features from the loop and need something to fill in the gaps, Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware is up for the job. It has been received well universally and stamped numerous times with an “Editor’s Pick” on tech sites, and we’re here to do it again. Be aware, however, that the free version only serves as a stand-alone scanning application that will chew malware up and spit it out, so if you’re in need of real-time protection you’ll have to either shell out some dough or rely on an alternative like Spybot Search & Destroy.
Similar to how your AV company probably offers some form of Anti-Malware software, to cover all security fronts, they almost certainly offer a firewall too. A couple of the widespread firewalls names out there today include Comodo and ZoneAlarm, but considering the fact that ZoneAlarm doesn’t seem to play nice with Vista (and presumably Windows 7), we whole-heartedly back Comodo Firewall Pro.
Despite the “Pro” label Comodo Firewall Pro (CFP) is freeware and has grown to be accepted as one of the best software firewalls around (especially after some of the critical blunders in earlier 2.x versions were fixed in 3.x). Just like the majority of other awesome software today, it has a fine tuned balance which allows both Jimmy Clueless and Geek X to have their way.
On the next pages: Top Internet apps, Media, Office utilities and more...
'Download box' icon by Sebastien Durel's Bagg & Box collection.
Some apps are essential, and you use them every day. Everyone knows their names: Firefox, VLC, 7-Zip, and so on. However, there’s another class of app that gets less attention: the apps that are insanely useful to have in your back pocket on the rare occasions you need them. Here are 10 of our favorites.
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10. Speccy
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Maybe you’ve forgotten what kind of RAM you bought, or want a quick glance at your CPU’s temperature. Speccy scans your machine and gives you a complete rundown of everything, from model numbers to temperatures, fan speeds, S.M.A.R.T. status, and...well, pretty much anything else you can think of. It’s also available in portable form, so you don’t have to install anything—just stick it in a folder for when you really need it. For an alternative, check out HWiNFO.
9. Ultimate Windows Tweaker
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When you first install Windows, you probably get everything set up just the way you like it, including all your favorite little Registry hacks and unsupported tweaks. You might even discover new ones later and try them out. Apps like Ultimate Windows Tweaker make this a lot easier, and they’re useful to keep around later if you start incorporating new things into your workflow. Its list of features is endless, allowing you to tweak the tiniest features in the taskbar, Windows Explorer, the lock screen, and anything else you could imagine. Download it once and keep it forever (and as always, back up before you start tweaking your system).
8. Stress Testing Utilities
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Overclockers are probably very familiar with stress testing utilities like Prime95, LinX, and AIDA64. If you’ve overclocked your CPU, you should definitely keep these around, but they can be useful for non-overclockers too. When your processor is having issues, it can be difficult to diagnose. If some of your apps are crashing, a stress test like Prime95 can help you figure out whether your CPU is the problem (or whether it’s something else). Many folks also recommend giving a new computer a stress test to make sure there aren’t any problems. Most of these are also portable, so you can throw them in a folder and start them up when you need them.
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7. MalwareBytes, VirusTotal, and AdwCleaner
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We put these in the same category since they all protect you from unwanted programs, but they’re each useful in their own right. You probably have a good antivirus program running all the time, but no antivirus program catches everything—so it’s useful to have a secondary program to check once in awhile. MalwareBytes is great because it only works on-demand, which means it won’t conflict with your always-running antivirus tool. The VirusTotal Uploader, on the other hand, lets you scan any individual file with over 50 antivirus tools at once, so it’s great if you’ve downloaded something you think might be fishy. Lastly, if you’ve accidentally installed an annoying toolbar on your system that just won’t go away, AdwCleaner will help you get rid of it.
The Difference Between Antivirus and Anti-Malware (and Which to Use)
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6. Magical Jelly Bean KeyFinder
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Useful Utilities
Ever had to reinstall a program, but couldn’t find your product key? Magical Jelly Bean KeyFinder will search your PC for installed programs, and—if they have a product key—show them to you, so you can write it down and use it the next time you reinstall. Note: this one contains some toolbars and such upon installation, so be sure to use the custom installation to avoid the crapware.
5. Process Explorer
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The Windows Task Manager can show you a lot of information about what programs are running, and usually it does what you need it to. But on the rare occasions you need more information—like if you’re trying to figure out which program is using your webcam, for example—you need Process Explorer. Process Explorer is one of the many Task Manager alternatives out there, offering information on what files are currently in use, what hardware, and what each program is doing. If the regular Task Manager isn’t giving you the info you need, Process Explorer will.
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4. UNetbootin and YUMI
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Even if you’re a diehard Windows user, Linux can be really useful from time to time—especially for troubleshooting. Traditionally, Linux distros and other troubleshooting tools come in the form of live CDs, but if you don’t have a CD drive, UNetbootin is a seriously handy tool. It can turn nearly any ISO into a bootable flash drive. Even better is YUMI, which lets you put multiple live CDs on one flash drive—meaning you can combine all your favorite rescue discs, Linux distros, and other tools and put them in your pocket.
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3. Wireless Network Watcher (and Other Network Tools)
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Need to see a list of all the computers on your network, along with IP addresses, MAC addresses, and other information? Whether you’re planning your network or think someone’s stealing your Wi-Fi, Wireless Network Watcher is a handy tool to have around. Despite its name, it works over wired networks, too. Of course, we also recommend checking out all of NirSoft’s network tools—which one you use depends on what you’re trying to troubleshoot, but they’re all pretty awesome.
How Can I Find Out If Someone’s Stealing My Wi-Fi?
Dear Lifehacker,
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2. WinDirStat
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We all reach that fateful day at some point: when your computer tells you its running out of space. Not sure where it’s all going? WinDirStatwill tell you. It scans all of your disks and shows you the biggest folders, which file types are taking up space, and more. If you’ve tried the usual things (like Disk Cleanup) and are still coming up short, WinDirStat is the next step in the disk cleaning process.
How to Clean Out Your Overflowing Hard Drive and Get Your Space Back
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1. Sandboxie
Collection Of Useful Utilities And Apps 2017
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Let’s admit it: sometimes, even though we know it’s wrong, we all open the occasional sketchy program or file. We’re not judging, but if you’re going to do it, at least use protection. Enter Sandboxie, which lets you run programs independent of the rest of your system. That way they can’t infect, access, or otherwise interfere with your Windows installation. It’s also great for testing apps you aren’t sure of or running multiple instances of an app that won’t let you, so it’s fun for the whole family.
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Read more ReadState Of Decay 2 Builder Useful Utilities
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Lifehacker’s Weekend Roundup gathers our best guides, explainers, and other posts on a certain subject so you can tackle big projects with ease. For more, check out our Weekend Roundup and Top 10 tags.
Collection Of Useful Utilities And Apps 2018
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