Free Tools To Make Your Windows Better

As fun as it is to rip on Microsoft for the mistakes it has made – and continues to make – with Windows, the truth is that Windows is an amazing achievement. It runs successfully on more than a billion computers that vary wildly in specs and age. It supports endless third-party add-ons from basic mice, keyboards, scanners and printers to high-end graphics tablets, audio hardware and video hardware.

Windows works equally well for students, gamers, Web junkies, graphic artists, Fortune 500 companies, startup companies and just about any other person or situation you can think of.
Obviously, with that kind of scope, it can’t be perfect for everyone – or even anyone. Still, for most people “good enough” is … well … good enough. But there are some areas where you don’t have to settle for “good enough.” These third-party tools fix some of Windows’ most glaring annoyances:

1. F.lux

One of the first programs I install on any Windows or Mac computer – after security software, of course, is F.lux. This lightweight program adjusts the tint of your monitor based on the time of day.
At night, F.lux shifts your monitor from the usual white light to a reddish tint. White light tricks your brain into thinking it is still daytime, while red light signals that it’s night. That means less eye strain and a better night’s sleep. As someone who uses the computer both day and night, it’s an essential tweak.

2. TeraCopy

Copying files is a critical feature of Windows, but for some reason it’s always been terrible. If you’ve ever tried to copy hundreds of file at once, I’m sure you know exactly what I mean.
The file copy takes forever, so you go do something else while you wait for it to finish. After a few hours, you come back only to find that there was an error with one file, and Windows has just been sitting there doing nothing the whole time.

Windows 8 finally has decent file copying. It’s faster, ignores problem files and lets you pause copying if you have to do something else with the computer.

Of course, you can get these same features in Windows Vista and Windows 7 with the popular TeraCopy. Just install it and it integrates with Windows Explorer to take over copying when appropriate.

3. Revo Uninstaller

Uninstalling programs with Windows’ built-in uninstaller is sometimes harder than it should be. The uninstalled program might leave behind unwanted icons, folders, context menu entries or just refuse to uninstall. Revo Uninstaller goes deeper to get rid of everything when you uninstall a program. No icons, folders, registry entries or anything else are left behind.

4. WinDirStat

Windows Vista, 7 and 8 make it easy to find specific files with a computer-wide search. But tracking down files based on size is another matter. If you need to know what file or folder is hogging your drive space, prepare for a lot of trial and error. Or you can grab WinDirStat. It shows you a graphical breakdown of your file and folder sizes. You can see at a glance what is taking up space. From there, you can delete it or move it to another drive.

5. Process Explorer

Windows on its own is actually reasonably stable, but not every third-party program agrees with it. When you’re trying to track down what program is making Windows unstable, it can be a chore and a half. It doesn’t help that Windows’ built-in Task Manager doesn’t label things well. Even if you find the offending process you don’t know what program is using it. Process Explorer does a much better job of telling you what’s what.

6. Bonus for Windows 8:Classic Shell 

With Windows 8, Microsoft fixed a few of the annoyances I listed above. In true Microsoft fashion, however, it created some more serious ones. The big annoyance for desktop and laptop users is the lack of the Start Menu. Also Windows boots right to the Start Screen instead of the familiar Desktop. The free third-party Start Menu Classic Shell brings back the old Windows Start Menu and gives you the option to boot right to the desktop.

How To Add Old Features To Your New Computer

As Microsoft Windows Operating Systems become more advanced, they add more features. However, they tend to drop or revamp features you enjoyed, too. If the familiar feel of older versions of Windows has been holding you back from upgrading, Classic Shell can help.


Classic Shell can give you back the desktop experience you remember from past versions of Windows – from 95 to Vista. You’ll still have the power and safety of more recent versions with the comfort of older ones. Not only that it can add some customization features to your operating system, you can also change the look and feel of the Start menu, folder and even the Start button.

For example, Windows 8 doesn't have a Start button. If you don't think that's something that needs fixing, you're probably in the minority, at least for now. Maybe in time, Windows 8's Modern-style Start Screen will grow on users and it'll turn out Microsoft was right all along. Until that happens, Classic Shell remains a flourishing niche of aftermarket utility that bring the Start button (and menu) back to Windows 8.

There are also excellent ones like Stardock's Start8 and Pokki, that can do the same job. But you don't need to pay to get a Start button.


Classic Shell is one tool that's free, open-source and very customizable software that improves your productivity, enhances the usability of Windows and empowers you to use the computer the way you like it. The main features are:

• Highly customizable start menu with multiple styles and skins
• Quick access to recent, frequently-used, or pinned programs
• Find programs, settings, files and documents
• Start button for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
• Toolbar and status bar for Windows Explorer
• Caption and status bar for Internet Explorer

 The latest version of Classic Shell is 4.1.0 (Click to Download)  .

Download Links

Download for Windows - Free

How To Freely Declutter Your Hard Drive

When you’re trying to clean up your house, it’s easy to see right in front of you what needs to be done. If the floor is covered in pet hair, you know it’s time to break out the vacuum!


Likewise, if dishes are piled up in your sink, you better get to work on washing them!
Unfortunately, it’s a lot harder to see what’s making a mess on your hard drive. Bits and bytes can’t be visualized so easily as pots and pans.

Windows can show you how many gigabytes you have remaining on your disk, and it even tells you how big any given file is when you hover over it. But you’ll need a utility like WinDirStat to show you what it looks like.

WinDirStat scans your whole drive or individual partitions and folders and displays brightly colored squares of various sizes. The color indicates what kind of file it is and the size indicates how much space it’s taking up. This is an easy, straightforward way to visualize exactly what’s taking up space on your disk and what’s slowing it down.

When you install WinDirStat, it’s OK to use the recommended settings unless there’s something you know you’d like to change about the setup.


The first time you start it up, it will automatically begin scanning a folder, a partition or an entire drive. You can then view or even delete files from within WinDirStat.
To download the WinDirStat, locate the text link at the top of the screen in the green box that says “FossHub.” You will be redirected to FossHub to download the program. There is a sky-blue box at the top of the screen. The text link that reads “Download WinDirStat Installer” will download the program for you.
 
 

Download Links

Download for Windows - Free

Safer Ways To Completely Erase Unwanted Computer Programs

The left over bits and pieces that you didn’t clean off your computer’s plate can build up over time. They can even slow down your computer. If you don’t need or want a program anymore, you need to get rid of it all, including the leftovers. Revo Uninstaller is a free download that can do that for you with just one click.

To download Revo Uninstaller, click to go to the page, scroll down and click the Download button at the bottom of the Freeware column (the left column).
Revo Uninstaller will not ask you to install any bloatware, so you can install it with all the default settings. Revo will start automatically after installation.


When you open Revo, a list of all your programs will appear. This should remind you a little bit of Windows’ stock uninstall utility. And it works similarly to an extent.

When you click uninstall, Revo will ask how thoroughly you want to remove a program. The recommended setting is fine for basic users. It will delete a program using the standard process, then look for any remnants in temporary folders or in the registry.

You can even remove specific files and folders, browser history and recent documents from Microsoft Office.

A useful feature is Hunter Mode. This will let you browse through your directory or Start Menu and delete anything using just one click.

Download Links

Download for Windows - Free

The Quicker Way To See Those Programs That Slows Down Your Computer

Did you know you can see everything your computer is doing at any given second?
Open up the Windows Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
Click on the Processes tab and you’ll see a list of every bit of active code.


Most of it will look like gibberish! What the heck is csrss.exe anyway? (It’s a critical process that stands for Client/Server Runtime Subsystem, if you care to know!) But some of these processes aren’t really necessary unless you’re actively using the program they’re tied to.

Unnecessary processes can slow down your computer, especially on startup. Some could even be viruses! But how can you tell the difference when all the names are in what seems like a foreign language?

You can start with Process Explorer. It’s a free, portable program that gives you a lot more information about each process and your computer’s performance than the Task Manager.
Just download and extract the file onto your computer; no installation necessary! When you run the program, you’ll see a list of color-coded processes and corresponding data on CPU usage, associated programs, size and manufacturer.

It’s a good start to learning what processes are associated with what programs. The red processes are services. These are meant to run in the background and without requiring user intervention. They usually help perform basic Windows functions. Blue means it’s a process you started, such as your browser, calculator, or other user programs. Read the color-code legend for more info about what each color means.

Process Explorer is a helpful tool for figuring out what your computer is doing and which processes are occupying its thoughts. You might find programs taking up it’s time that don’t really need to run. But as a fair warning, you should never stop a process unless you know what it is.

Note: This is a portable program, so some anti-virus software may incorrectly identify it as a virus. Don’t worry; it’s safe.

Cost: Free
Link: technet.microsoft.com
System: Windows

Download Links

Download for Windows - Free

One Step To Reduce Eye Strain By Your Computer Screen

If your typical workday is anything like mine, much of it involves staring at a computer screen. But even when you go home at night, you have emails to return, Facebook to check and you may even watch movies on your computer screen. That’s a lot time spent staring at your monitor! And it’s not just the time spent that can start to hurt your eyes. When the sun goes down and the lights go on, the contrast of the bright screen at night can be blinding.It isn’t just eye strain. Looking at white light tricks your body into thinking it’s daytime. That means it’s harder to go to sleep.

What if your computer monitor behaved more like natural light? What if it got brighter in the daytime and softer at night? And what if the color temperature could warm or cool to reduce eye strain and keep your sleep cycle intact?

F.lux is a free downloadable program that can automatically adjust your monitor’s brightness and color temperature according to day and night cycles in your area!

F.lux automatically calibrates the computer or device display's colour temperature to the time of the day. The user also has the option of choosing a color preset or disabling f.lux for an hour and returning the screen to its normal calibration. The software offers three preset color settings on Microsoft Windows: halogen, fluorescent, and daylight—as well as Incandescent on beta. For OS X, candle and tungsten settings are also available

It’s simple: Download and run the program. If you’re connected to the Web, it can automatically detect your location and will begin adjusting your display immediately

You can click Settings to change your location if it’s incorrect and you can alter the brightness and color settings according to the lights you use in your office or room.

If you need precise color representation while you edit photos or do other color-sensitive tasks, you can disable f.lux for an hour with just one click.


Or, if you want to watch a movie and have the colors look right, you can put F.lux in Movie Mode. This disables f.lux for two and half hours.

A quick warning:

If you first install and run F.lux at night, your monitor will suddenly take on a serious shade of red. Don’t worry; that’s normal and you’ll get used to it fairly quickly.

If the colors still don’t seem right to you after you’ve given yourself an hour or so to adjust, you can change the warmth setting until it looks like a book page under normal lighting. This is the most natural setting for your eyes.

Cost: Free
Link: justgetflux.com
System: Windows, Mac

Download Links

Download for Windows - Free

Download for Mac - Free

The easier way to copy your files faster -- TeraCopy

Copying and pasting files is one of the bread-and-butter functions of your computer’s operating system. Without it, you couldn’t organize files, save them to a CD or DVD or transfer them to a flash drive!

Strangely, Windows’ built-in copy system isn’t that good. It takes forever to move large amounts of files. Plus, if one file has a problem, the entire process comes to a screeching halt. That means you have to sit at your computer for hours to make sure the transfer works. Copying is so basic that you might assume there’s no other way of doing it! Fortunately, there’s an alternative to Windows’s built-in copy and paste utility. It’s called TeraCopy, and it can speed up file transfers and cut down on copy errors.

TeraCopy is faster because it copies different bits of info at different speeds, and dynamically adjusts data rates to reduce wait times. Plus, it lets you pause and resume transfers in case you need to use your computer for something else. If you have an error or run into a bad file during the process, TeraCopy can retry the file automatically, or skip it if it just doesn’t work. In either case, it finishes the rest of the transfer and lets you know about failed files. No more returning to your computer after a few hours to find that the whole transfer stopped!

The best part is that TeraCopy integrates with Windows. You can copy and paste files like normal and it will take over automatically. There’s nothing new to learn! To control this behavior, open TeraCopy and click the More button. Then click the Menu button and select Preferences.  Under Shell Integration, check or uncheck the option “Use TeraCopy as the default copy handler.” If you only want to use TeraCopy on certain occasions, uncheck this option. You can also turn on “Add to Explorer context menu.” That way you can right-click on files and choose to use TeraCopy to transfer them.

Download instructions: On the TeraCopy download page, scroll down to the bottom of the page (watch out for the confusing ad near the top of the page) and click the gray Download button. The blue Purchase button is for the paid professional version.

On the next page, find TeraCopy and click the gray download arrow next to USA.

Download Links

Download for Windows - Free