Software Utility

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Utility Software

Software that just makes life easier.

Contents

Automatic Text Replacment / Completion

  • Phrase Express - PhraseExpress organizes your frequently used text snippets and allows pasting them into any application. This is from the same developers as MaxiVista. Free for personal use.

Blog


Compression (like zip)


DVD / CD ROM Emulation

Virtual CloneDrive (Works with Windows 7)

Virtual CloneDrive works and behaves just like a physical CD/DVD drive, however it exists only virtually. Image files generated with CloneDVD or CloneCD can be mounted onto a virtual drive from your hard-disk or from a network drive and used in the same manner as inserting them into a normal CD/DVD drive.

Probably the best virtual drive software, Virtual CloneDrive allows you to enjoy the freedom of a virtual drive and is completely free.

Virtual CD-ROM Control Panel for Windows XP will mount a number of CD image formats, including ISO, as a virtual CD drive making it possible to use data on CDs even on any computer that does not have an optical drive. Note: Image file must be on a local hard drive.

Drawing / Sketching

Fast Access

TaskModule This is a small button that will popup a menu to show the current tasks similar to the buttons in the TaskBar of explorer

TrayModule This is an standalone system tray replacement.

Firefox Add-ons for Tablet PCs

GeckoTIP

This extension is for users of Tablet PCs or UMPCs running Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. It provides Tablet PC/UMPC support and enhancements in Mozilla Apps.

This addon is no longer under regular development. A new addon (Gesso) with similar functionality is available and works under Windows Vista as well as XP. You can find it here:

http://gesso.mozdev.org/index.html

GrabAndDrag

The Grab And Drag extension provides a number of alternative ways to scroll pages in Firefox, Thunderbird, and Flock. It provides Adobe Acrobat-style grab and drag page scrolling and scrollbar-style scrolling initiated by dragging anywhere on the screen. Grab and Drag also recognizes mouse "Flick" gestures for scrolling up, down, left, or right a screenful at a time, and supports page "Momentum", allowing a page to continue scrolling when dragged at a constant velocity and released.

The extension provides three ways to easily toggle functionality on and off:


  • A toggle icon can be added to the toolbars via View > Toolbars > Customize...
  • Alt-Shift-D toggles functionality on and off
  • The new 'TextToggle' feature allows grabbing to be temporarily disabled simply by double-clicking text in the webpage. Clicking non-text reenables dragging.

Link: GrabAndDrag

Gesso

Gesso is an extension for Mozilla Firefox which enables the Tablet Input Panel (TIP) within Firefox on a Tablet PC, similar to Ian's GeckoTIP extension.

On top of that, Gesso utilizes the Text Services Framework (TSF) to provide a more natural experience of using the Tablet Input Panel, with features such as in-place correction and editing.

Head over to the Screenshots page to get a visual walkthrough.


In addition, many other system services including Windows Speech Recognition depend on the Text Services Framework. Therefore, although Gesso is developed with the Tablet Input Panel in mind, users of Windows Speech Recognition should also benefit from this extension.

Link: Gesso

Gestures

Hard Disk Indicator

Hard Disk Space Management

Visual Directory Explorer

Ink Macro

ActiveWords

ActiveWords enables you to work faster and more efficiently by turning everything you type in Windows™ into actions! Teach ActiveWords to assist you in completing all of your most common tasks in record time.

Note: This is one of those utilities that I install on every machine (as per the license agreement, this is permitted). It has an immediate and ongoing positive impact on productivity both in text and inking. WN

Keyboard alternatives

Tablet PC/Keyboard Keys Pen / Mouse Alternatives for Modifier Keys and Buttons

Keyboard Remapping

The Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator

"Ever wanted to quickly and easily define your own keyboard layout for a language Microsoft doesn't support? Or define your own keyboard layout so you can quickly and easily enter your favorite symbols with a simple keystroke? Have the keyboard work on 64-bit platforms, or make use of Vista's custom locales to provide new language names? Well, want no more: the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator is here"

Modifier Keys - Shift Ctrl Alt

Monitor Utilities

Multi Monitor Support

Monitor (turn off)

  • Right Click Tablet PC Icon (Tablet and pen settings) in System Tray. Click "Turn off screen".

What the heck is Wizmo?

Wizmo is an extremely useful "Windows Gizmo" I created when I could not find anything else on the Net to do similar jobs.
Wizmo is a multi-purpose, miscellaneous Windows function, "catch all" with a growing list of uncommon but useful features and capabilities.
Wizmo is present on every one of my Windows machines. I use it many times per day and I have grown to rely upon it so much that, if it didn't already exist, I would drop everything and write it again. It is that useful.

XIN Screen Saver see monsus

Notebook Hardware Control

Notebook Hardware Control Notebook Hardware Control helps you to:

  • control the hardware and system power management
  • prolong the battery lifetime
  • cool down the system and reduce power consumption
  • monitor the hardware to avoid system failure
  • make your Notebook quiet

OneNote

see: Microsoft OneNote for add-ins, powertoys, utilities.

Outlook

Tablet Enhancements for Outlook is an add-in for Microsoft Outlook® 2003 and 2007 that turns the popular personal information manager into a fully pen-enabled application on your Tablet PC, UMPC, or Origami device. TEO 3.0 replaces Outlook's standard UI with fully ink-enabled forms and lets you write and keep your notes in your own handwriting. No synchronization required.
KnockOut is a free Microsoft Outlook companion product that allows you to easily monitor the state of Outlook on your computer. From a notification area icon, KnockOut can show you if Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word are running on your computer (even if no windows are showing on your taskbar). If one of these applications is in a hung state, you can terminate them right from the KnockOut menu. This will help clear up rare mystery situations, in which you think Outlook is not running because you see no windows on your taskbar, but when you launch Outlook again nothing happens because it is actually running in the background.

Power Management

  • PowerTouch Beta: When running it displays your battery status with current charge or time remaining in the system tray. It also manages various power settings to a higher degree than Windows normally allows. (Vista too).

Power Toys

Presentation

  • Zoomit is a screen zoom and annotation tool for technical presentations that include application demonstrations. ZoomIt runs unobtrusively in the tray and activates with customizable hotkeys to zoom in on an area of the screen, move around while zoomed, and draw on the zoomed image. I wrote ZoomIt to fit my specific needs and use it in all my presentations.

ZoomIt works on all versions of Windows. - There are some issues drawing on the screen while 'zoomed'.

Processes / Startup

  • Process Explorer
    Ever wondered which program has a particular file or directory open? Now you can find out. Process Explorer shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.
    The Process Explorer display consists of two sub-windows. The top window always shows a list of the currently active processes, including the names of their owning accounts, whereas the information displayed in the bottom window depends on the mode that Process Explorer is in: if it is in handle mode you'll see the handles that the process selected in the top window has opened; if Process Explorer is in DLL mode you'll see the DLLs and memory-mapped files that the process has loaded. Process Explorer also has a powerful search capability that will quickly show you which processes have particular handles opened or DLLs loaded.


  • Autoruns
    This utility, which has the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows processes them. These programs include ones in your startup folder, Run, RunOnce, and other Registry keys. You can configure Autoruns to show other locations, including Explorer shell extensions, toolbars, browser helper objects, Winlogon notifications, auto-start services, and much more. Autoruns goes way beyond the MSConfig utility bundled with Windows Me and XP.

Search

For those unfamiliar with the Ink Search tool, this is a Tablet PC application that lets you write ('ink') search terms on your screen rather than typing or using the Tablet Input Panel (TIP).

Startup Programs

Autoruns

This utility, which has the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows processes them. These programs include ones in your startup folder, Run, RunOnce, and other Registry keys. You can configure Autoruns to show other locations, including Explorer shell extensions, toolbars, browser helper objects, Winlogon notifications, auto-start services, and much more. Autoruns goes way beyond the MSConfig utility bundled with Windows Me and XP.

Synchronization

SyncToy V 2.0

SyncToy, a free PowerToy for Microsoft Windows, is an easy to use, highly customizable program that helps users to do the heavy lifting involved with the copying, moving, and synchronization of different directories. Most common operations can be performed with just a few clicks of the mouse, and additional customization is available without additional complexity. SyncToy can manage multiple sets of folders at the same time; it can combine files from two folders in one case, and mimic renames and deletes in another case. Unlike other applications, SyncToy actually keeps track of renames to files and will make sure those changes get carried over to the synchronized folder.

Tablet Enhancements for Outlook

TEO now free!

TEO 3.0 is an add-in for Microsoft Outlook that ink-enables the standard Appointment, Contact, Task, and Journal Entry features without replacing them. TEO creates real Outlook items in your local database or Exchange server and stores your own handwriting. Write pages of notes on any item, attach audio recordings, and even integrate with Microsoft MapPoint.

Tablet TIP Tamer

Chad Essly's Tab Tip Tamer When Tabtip-Tamer.exe is run, it runs, and sits active in the system tray waiting for a window with Flash, Painter, Illustrator, Photoshop, Alias, or Expression in it's title to come into focus. When said window is active, autohotkey does it's job of boosting the priority of tabtip.exe to HIGH, allowing for smooth drawing / motion in Macromedia Flash. (And possibly these other apps mentioned.) See the site for full details.

Credit for authoring version 3.0 goes to the amazing Ian Weiner, creator of the must-have tablet centric firefox extensions GeckoTIP & Grab and Drag!

Touch Control

TouchControl

This utility allows you to toggle your touch screen on and off from the System Tray. While you can do the same thing through the Control Panel, this is much easier. Toggle it on and off by double tapping, or right click on it for a short menu.

  • Operating System: Windows Vista
  • Hardware Requirements: Touch Screen enabled device

Download: TouchControl

This was written by dant a member of the forums at both Tablet PC Buzz and GottaBeMobile who tells us...

Here's the app. I just drop it in my startup folder.
It doesn't rely on the Wacom drivers at all and should even work fine on a Dell XT or other non Wacom Vista system. I've not tried it on XP but I suspect it won't work since it relies on touch features that were added in Vista.


UMPC

  • UMPC Scroller Utility Get to those buttons that you can't see on a low resolution screen. - Vikram Madan

Windows Vista Goodies

http://bhandler.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!70F64BC910C9F7F3!1844.entry

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