Cool Tools

[hortz]

What kind of application do you use to make life that little bit easier / more organised? ($ = not free but worth it!)

I use:


Images
Picaso By google. Mostly use it for its duplicate file functions. But its facial recognition is really accurate too
https://picasa.google.com/

Duplicate Files
WinMerg - goes over 2 folders, tells you if they are the same or not. Keeps the child folder structure too and works over the network, perfect for mirror style backing up

$ Useless Files / why is my HDD full
TreeSize - awesome graph based app to show you how big a directory is. lets you find the big files that are filling up your system
https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free/

MP3 Renamer / Organiser
MUsicBrainz Picard - this will look up all your files & rename them. will even do the shazam style internet search to get the info if it can!
https://picard.musicbrainz.org/

$ file recovery
Recuva - simple really good package that does one of the best deep scans ive ever seen
https://www.piriform.com/recuva


I'm looking for good

video converters (bulk batch queueing)
drive cloning - cloneCD etc, but windows based and not a bootable
desktop sharing - VNC is good, but meh... TeamViewer is horrible. I need something less laggy

anyone have anything else they suggest?

Edited November 26, 2015 by hortz

[niZmO_Man]

Hiren's Boot CD.

[Burger]

Hiren's Boot CD.

+1 for this. So many uses.

[GTofuS-T]

video converters (bulk batch queueing)

I use Handbrake for video converting, open source, multi-platform, have used on MAC & PC, has queing ability, not sure how easy it is to perform bulk batches as I've never needed to

https://handbrake.fr/

[Burger]

video converters (bulk batch queueing)

Handbrake as mentioned, but VLC also works pretty well for batch stuff.

[hortz]

Handbrake as mentioned, but VLC also works pretty well for batch stuff.

VLC can convert? hmm... will investigate more.

[Leroy Peterson]

Image viewing and re-sizing/compressing:

Faststone Image Viewer & Resizer

Sound file converting:

NCH Switch (cant remember how i got around the trial)

CCleaner for general cleaning duties.

MusicBee for music player and mp3 tag editing. VLC for everything else.

[Jordy32]

Ultramon is probably one of my favourites for modifying your display across multiple monitors and efficiently using more than one monitor

From my last job working in tech support, some great easy to use tools to give your friends

ADWcleaner - Free, powerful adware/malware
Malwarebytes - Free, fantastic anti malware solution

CCleaner - Disk cleanup, clears out broken registry keys which will fix some of those weird problems of programs not opening
Teamviewer/LogMeIn - Remote desktop control software
VLC, opens pretty much any video or audio file

Norton power eraser - Free rootkit scanner (if you ever get yourself in that much of a pickle)

Google Chrome Extentions
- AdBlock

- MultiLogon (situational, but very handy)

Google Drive is also amazing, I feel that not enough people know about it

[32_love]

Ultramon is probably one of my favourites for modifying your display across multiple monitors and efficiently using more than one monitor

x2 for Ultramon. It's got a WinRar style evaluation period which is great (just keep re-installing, remembers everything)

For remote control I use Chrome Remote Viewer for all my own PC's and any friends I can convince to use it.

Another Chrome tool I find helpful is 'Chrome to Phone' which will send any URL you're looking at on your desktop to your phone to view later. (works well when links/imgs are blocked at work, send them to your phone)

RKill is especially helpful when trying to stop those viruses that pretend to be anti-viruses. Then go and remove every trace of said virus.

If you play a lot of PC games, have an NVidia video card, and want to record/upload your footage, NVidia Shadowplay software is free.

For AMD users Raptr/Plays.tv has a free client. I've found both of these to be far greater than FRAPS etc. (Can be customised to capture last 30 seconds etc. if something cool happened)

[niZmO_Man]

If you play a lot of PC games, have an NVidia video card, and want to record/upload your footage, NVidia Shadowplay software is free.

For AMD users Raptr/Plays.tv has a free client. I've found both of these to be far greater than FRAPS etc. (Can be customised to capture last 30 seconds etc. if something cool happened)

TFS

[Jordy32]

XSPLIT is also fantastic for recording, it's mainly a streaming tool, but you can save the recorded files as FLV (from memory, been a while) and they take next to no space, which is great if you want to put game footage up on youtube, maybe not to playing in a cinema, but hey!

[niZmO_Man]

Mate, YouTube supports 4k these days, need dem high quality motion pictures .

[R31Nismoid]

Google Drive is also amazing, I feel that not enough people know about it

Have been using for 3 years. We have Google Business account for the apps, extra storage etc. Tis flawless.

Edit a file one place, available 5 seconds later elsew.here on any machine (long as it's not 50gig lol)

[R31Nismoid]

Also does anyone have something for renaming/organising MKVs like the below?

MP3 Renamer / Organiser
MUsicBrainz Picard - this will look up all your files & rename them. will even do the shazam style internet search to get the info if it can!
https://picard.musicbrainz.org/

I have many MKV but naming is very problematic.