Favorite Files

1. Autoruns
2. CDBurnerXP
3. Dial-a-fix
4. DirectX Redistributable
5. Foxit Reader
6. Intel Processor Frequency ID Utility
7. Intel Processor Identification Utility
8. LAME
9. LightScribe System Software
10. Merge
11. Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit
12. Microsoft Debugging Tools for Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/2008/Vista
13. Microsoft Log Parser
14. Microsoft Silverlight for Windows
15. Microsoft Tweakomatic
16. Mihov DiskFree
17. Miranda IM
18. MyUninstaller
19. OpenOffice.org for Windows
20. Paint.NET
21. QuickTime Alternative (QT7)
22. Real Alternative Regular
23. RegSeeker
24. RootkitRevealer
25. Serif 3DPlus
26. Serif DrawPlus
27. Spybot - Search & Destroy
28. SpywareBlaster
29. Subtitle Workshop
30. SUPER ©
31. Translate.Net
32. Unlocker
33. VirtualDub
34. WirelessKeyView

Recent Posts

1. 
   Review - Ad-Aware

   2007 Beta 7 (May 11, 2007)

   Part of a series of programs that are moving from traditional installation to service-based scanning in XP. Problem is, that keeps the program in memory perpetually and leads to more compatibility problems with other security software. The beta conflicted with several different antivirus suites I tried. The scanner was much slower than the SE version, although seemed more thorough. In any case, the continual problems with the service eating up processor cycles makes this a non-workable piece of software for me. I'm clinging to the preceding version unless something great happens.

2. 
   Review - Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows XP

   7.0 Beta 2 Preview (Feb 18, 2006)

   Well, it could have been worse. Certainly, Microsoft could have found ways to make it so. They have that gift. The best features here are features that have been in competing browsers for a while, so it's IE leeching from everybody else. A lot of the Microsoft proprietary stuff doesn't work right yet. I had problems with the new RSS engine not updating. My home installation let everything through, while the office one blocked pages incessantly with a warning suggesting the protection built-in is very buggy dependent upon your particular software configuration. File associations are buggy. Worse, it replaces you IE6 connections to the OS and if you don't know how to do it, yep, time to reformat and reinstall the OS! And as usual, any attempt to do video or music brings up the usual bevy or problems with that monster that is WMP 10. It's Microsoft imitating itself while imitating Firefox and some others. Better than IE6 by any measure, but then again, that is not saying much.

3. 
   Review - HijackThis

   1.99.1 (Jan 2, 2006)

   Great troubleshooting program. Almost a standard part of the Windows repair kit...

4. 
   Review - MAME

   0.103b (Jan 2, 2006)

   Excellent program..brought me right back to my young adulthood by allowing me to reminisce on some of the earliest games before the "killing era" took over.

5. 
   Review - Dial-a-fix

   0.56 (Jan 2, 2006)

   Excellent program. Really fixed some bugs that got introduced into my IE installation.

6. Comment - Betanews contest: Re-doing Bing, or, 'Name That Search Engine'

   0.56 (Jun 1, 2009 - 4:19 PM)

   LASER
   
   Information. Pinpoint Precision. Hone In..Today!

7. Comment - Betanews contest: Re-doing Bing, or, 'Name That Search Engine'

   0.56 (Jun 1, 2009 - 4:18 PM)

8. Comment - CES 'Better Questions' contest: Win Vista Ultimate, CS3, Zune and more

   0.56 (Jan 3, 2008 - 5:56 PM)

   Ask Microsoft Has anyone considered the very serious implications for privacy inherent in the touch technology being suggested for Windows 7 as well as the potential disastrous nature of bugs. It seems clear that to preserve systemic security, the software would have to identify not only the unique machine, but the unique users and by some marker beyond the log in akin to a fingerprint. If it malfunctions like most software will, problems with the OS are just the beginning of the problem and liability.