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My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

Summary: Ed Bott is picky about the utilities he uses in Windows. This collection represents the utility software he installs whenever he sets up a new PC.

Ed Bott

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I'm picky about the utilities I use in Windows. I don't like clutter, and I especially don't like anything that slows down the experience of using Windows.

Recently, while assembling a group of new PCs for testing, I had an opportunity to give a thumbs up or thumbs down to some programs I've used for years.

This collection of seven utilities represents the utility software I install whenever I set up a new PC.

Some of these tools are specialized and reflect both the kind of work I do and the way I work. But a handful are universally useful. Everyone needs a password manager, and a clipboard extender? Well, let's just say you won't realize how much you need one until you try it.

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Topics: Windows, Operating Systems, Software

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  • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

    I looked into Synergy 6 months ago. I would love to use it with my Mac and PC (hate the Mac keyboard) but it was too daunting to set up. I'm quite technically literate and it was too daunting for me to try.

    I completely agree with NiNite and 7-Zip. I would add Handbreak and SpaceMonger (especially since moving to a small SSD boot disk) to the list.
    DaleDietrich
    Reply Vote

    • That used to be the case...

      @DaleDietrich

      I used to have to manually install and tweak stuff. But now I just install and drag a monitor onto the screen and it works.

      Maybe I'll do a tutorial...
      Ed Bott
      Reply Vote

      • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

        @Ed Bott

        I would love it if you did a Synergy tutorial. I watched several on YiuTube and they were either: 1. out of date; 2. Shown from the Mac host point of view; or 3. Just too confusing to follow. My setup is exactly like yours. I have a PC with 4 monitors and a Wacom Tablet attached. The Mac is a satellite PC that I use about 5% of the time. Would love to add it in as just another in my array of monitors.

        And, oh ya, Paint.net is another indispensible (and free) tool I use every day - mostly for what you use SnagIt for.
        DaleDietrich
        Reply Vote

    • Give Synergy another try

      @DaleDietrich I started using it years ago. It was exactly what I needed to jump between my machines. It's worth it to try again.
      happyharry_z
      Reply Vote

      • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

        @Ed Bott : Synergy -
        After many years I am still using v.1.3.1 happily on a daily basis to operate 2 old Dell machines from one keyboard/mouse. Is there a more recent update which allows file/folder drag'n'drop yet?
        Ian Orlebar
        Reply Vote

      • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

        @happyharry_z @Ed Bott

        Well, I did give it the old college try! I spent the better part of two days trying to get Synergy to work. I tried the newest betas, I tried the stable versions. I tried the various Apple GUI installers. I tried updating my Mac OS from Leopard to Snow Leopard. I tested them in every possible mode. I learned how to become a root user. I copied files to the bin directory on my Mac. I used the official install instructions (including using Terminal). I probably watched every Synergy tutorial there is on Youtube. And on and on and on. Hours upon hours of frustration. I officially gave up.

        MouseWithoutBorders is PC only and I needed a PC to Mac solution. So, I downloaded the trial version of ShareMouse:

        www.keyboard-and-mouse-sharing.com/

        I installed it on both computers and within a minute it was working! JEEZ!!! Why is Synergy so hard!!!!!!????

        Sharemouse has the added benefit that you can drag and drop multiple files files from any directory on one PC to any directory on the other.

        Sharemouse has a couple downsides:

        1. I have 5 monitors on my main rig set up like a cross. Three horizontally and one above and one below (the one below being a Wacom tablet). ShareMouse won't let me put the Mac monitor where it is (top to the left). Rather I have to drag out of the right or left side of my screens. I assume they will fix this one day. And its no huge biggie because there are also hot keys to jump from one rig to the other's monitor.

        2. While they advertise a free version, if you have more than one monitor on each PC you don't qualify. Power users don't qualify.

        3. The price is a bit steep for this kind of thing - $25 per computer. But after the hell Synergy put me through, I was happy to pay it.

        Anyway, I'm a happy customer and REALLY enjoy one keyboard and mouse running both rigs!

        Thanks Ed for kicking my butt and getting me to finally do this. I've always wanted a solution like this. I'll probably start using my iMac a whole lot more rather than having it be the ugly stepchild it has always been. I pretty much only use it to watch the Twit.tv network as I do my other work. Now as an extension to my PC, I'll probably start using it for more productive work.

        ...Dale
        DaleDietrich
        Reply Vote

    • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

      @DaleDietrich <br><br>One thing I would recommend on both sides (client & server) is running in "Debug Mode", see if either the server or client is complaining about something. On the Windows server app there's a "Logging Level" set this to "Debug". I use the client on the Mac side and you can run it with the "-d" flag so that it spits out various output. This assumes you're comfortable with running a command line on the Mac, aka "Terminal". It's not hard, you just have to want it bad enough, i.e. have the inclination. Just Google "Mac OS X terminal tutorial" if that's one of your blocking points. I started using Synergy a decade ago and it's one of the most useful pieces of software that I still use from back then. A bunch of years ago at an employer some tech coworkers were mystified as to how I was moving between a laptop and desktop. I was quite amused since even as "IT people" they couldn't intuit what was be going on. Anyway, Synergy is awesome, that simple.
      betelgeuse68
      Reply Vote

    • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

      @DaleDietrich
      I used to use Synergy but found Microsoft MouseWithoutBorders much easier to use. If you are only using two PCs then its a breeze.
      RTBart
      Reply Vote

      • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

        @RTBart I've switch to Mouse Without Borders as well. Seems to be more reliable as well - I don't get the strange problems I did with Synergy quitting working for no reason.
        chadness
        Reply Vote

      • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

        @RTBart What about Input Director? I've been using it for a while and find it extremely easy to use. Does MWB have more going for it?
        rkegel@...
        Reply Vote

      • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

        @chadness That's probably because you were using a very old version. You should give Synergy another go. Download the latest version from here (tip: use 1.4, not 1.3): http://synergy-foss.org/
        nick.bolton.uk
        Reply Vote

      • Mouse Without Borders doesn't work with a Mac

        @RTBart i need my solution to work with a Mac. However I am exploring Share Mouse which promises to be better than MWB. We'll see. I wonder how difficult it is to install

        http://www.keyboard-and-mouse-sharing.com/index.html
        DaleDietrich
        Reply Vote

    • SnagIt is definitely the Bomb!

      @DaleDietrich I have also used SnagIt from as long ago as I can remember. As an IT person there isn't an easier tool around to snap a screen shot, point arrows to what you are talking about, insert text to make a point or circle items to draw attention to them and it is amazing how flexible, quick and easy it is to get your point across. Definitely one I would not want to be without!
      kandrolewicz2@...
      Reply Vote

      • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

        @kandrolewicz@...
        You are spot on with your assessment of Snagit. I use it weekly and don't hesitate to "snag" a desktop pic when I get an error message I need to decipher. I have a folder of these that forms a great history.
        obans_rover@...
        Reply Vote

    • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

      @DaleDietrich You were probably using 1.3. Try using 1.4 instead, it's much easier to configure.
      nick.bolton.uk
      Reply Vote

  • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

    does the pay upgrade path for RoboForm make it totally worth it for your additional machines? (don't really care about extra full features for the original computer, just that very little effort is needed to go through the process all over again on other computers if it is registered with a user name that can sync passwords)
    Catapults
    Reply Vote

    • Very easy

      @Catapults

      You go to the RoboForm site, download a small exe, enter your web credentials, and it syncs your passwords to the new PC.

      It's really very easy.
      Ed Bott
      Reply Vote

      • RE: My seven favorite Windows 7 utilities

        @Ed Bott
        I was RoboForm for many years. But LastPass stole me away. Since I respect your opinion highly, would you recommend taking another look at RoboForm? I know LastPass is better (for my needs) than the RoboForm I left, but I don't know what has happened since.

        BTW: SnagIt is wonderful. I can tell from the comparisons made here that most people don't know what it does (for example, comparing it to the Win 7 Snipping Tool). I used to have lots of graphics tools. Now with the graphics engine in Office plus SnagIt all the expensive, complex graphic programs have disappeared from my systems.

        Thanks for your standout articles.
        keith.manning@...
        Reply Vote

      • LastPass Premium better for Android

        LastPass Premium won me over RoboForm because of Android support, as I need to use both a PC and an Android phone. The RoboForm app for Android is extremely primitive and limited at this point, and doesn't work with Dolphin, my favorite Android browser. LastPass for Android is much more mature, and it has a Dolphin plug-in.
        goyta
        Reply Vote

      • Will RoboForm input from Lastpass?

        @Ed Bott I've been using Last Pass for a couple years (on Paul Thurrott's recommendation). While I love what it does I very much dislike the clumsy interface. Ifi were to move to RoboForm would it input my multitude of login credentials from LastPass or will I need to retrain it from a scratch (which would be a major multi-week/month migration path)?
        DaleDietrich
        Reply Vote
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