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  1. HoeKey* - Make use of that Windows key and many other key combos. Here are my keys combinations.
  2. PureText* (Strips away formating when you paste using Winkey-V) As there is no install,
    1. Copy to the directory of your choice
    2. Start the program and it will appear as a PT icon on your system tray
    3. Right click the icon and choose options
    4. Check the box to "Automatically run PureText each time...."
  3. Araxis Merge 64-bit - Best diff tool I have ever found. (disable Ribbon Interface, check do not show splash window, add folder filter to ignore .svn folders and make the default encoding UTF-8 No BOM). DetalWalker looks promising and cheaper.
  4. 7-Zip - I am starting to use this now as my primary compression software (even over WinRar).
  5. WinRar 64-bit - better than winzip (does all the same stuff with zip files) plus allows you to create self-extracting splittable files and has a superior compression format called rar.
  6. VMWare Workstation - allows you to virtualize operating systems. If you do not know what this means you are missing out.
    1. I map the host apps and vmdata folder and then generate c:\apps\ and c:\vmdata\ symbolic link using,
      1. mklink /D C:\apps Z:\apps
      2. mklink /D C:\data-vmshared Z:\data-vmshared
  7. RamDisk* - Use some of your memory as a hard disk to speed things up. Currently using 3.5.10 RC20. On very first use I create C:\RAMDisk.img with my temp folders setup, save it and then uncheck "Save Disk Image on Shutdown".

Second Tier

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Essentials

  1. Erase - with a right-click you can securely delete or move confidential file
    1. Disable running of scheduled tasks
  2. Metapad* - almost as tiny and fast as notepad but with unlimited undo's and a couple of other nice features. However, I do find I use notepad++ more often now.
  3. Snagit - screen capture utility. Most used feature, autoscroll, which scrolls to capture all contents of a window.
  4. Quick SFV 64-bit - use md5 or sfv files to ensure integrity during transport of files.
  5. Synergy - Control multiple computers from one keyboard and mouse over your network.

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If you heavily use SSH consider putting together an web page that will launch an ssh application.

  1. Kitty* - Takes the actual Putty code base and improves the interface with the following key features. Here are the details of my personal configuration file,
    1. Portable option - instead of Windows Registry saves to local file in the directory
    2. Transparent Windows (CTRL-Up Arror and CTRL-Down Arrow)
    3. CTRL-F7 Pin Window to always be on top (useful with Transparency and especially with second or third monitor) - though I tend to use Winkey+F9 using Hoekey
    4. Improved sizeable, searchable, folder based session manager, but still not as good as Putty Connection Manager
  2. Putty- I find this to be the most reliable compatible and universal. However, the interface is dated and Kitty is much better. I now package this as part of Putty Connection Manager. Generally I adjust the defaults to:
    1. Window - Columns = 100, Lines of scrollback to 2000
    2. Window, Translation - Received data assumed to be in which character set: UTF-8
  3. Putty Connection Manager* - An updated tabbed and tree based listing interface to Putty (no install, though it does use the registry consider talking to this developers about not doing this)
    1. For convenience I create a manual package. Just download the manual package and unzip to a directory of your choice and then execute puttycm.exe.
  4. SecureCRT - Cross platform and has all the features you would want. Approximately $100 for a license.
    1. Moving Sessions btw Mac and Windows
    2. Launching from Browser (it's just a checkbox)
  5. BitVise Tunnelier
    1. No Putty Integration (console included is not as universally compatible)
    2. GUI for tunneling
    3. Hides in System tray
    4. Does not support drag and drop from desktop

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  1. Firefox 3.x US version for compatibility + plugins, 
    1. TextMarker Go - Now my new favourite highlighter that works with Firefox 7. Additional features F2 to jump to next highlight is also nice. Change colour using CTRL or SHIFT. F12 to use keyboard to highlight.
    2. Highlighter by Terry Yen - My favourite highlighter but it no longer works with Firefox 3.6.3. Update, the latest working version is now at http://netticat.ath.cx/MyAddons/MyAddons.htm
    3. Highlighter TexMarker Go - The simplest alternative I found (I don't like the other ones that might slow down my system
    4. MM3-ProxySwitch - Simple UI for switching proxies but still a bit too complicated for novices.
      1. After install Right click on white space beside the help and choose Customize
      2. Scroll down and look for the mm3 icon
      3. Drag icon to where you want on the browser, I put it on the right of my address bar
    5. Spell checking in forms will only be enabled unless if you have a dictionary. Right-click on a form field and Add Dictionaries...
    6. Disable anti-virus scanning on downloads
      1. about:config
      2. browser.download.manager.scanWhenDone
    7. New Tab Homepage - show homepage on new tab create.
    8. English Canadian dictionary or whatever dictionary you want and change it to the default.
  2. Firefox 5.x (all above plugins are compatible with the exceptions listed below),
    1. TextMarker! - Similar to Highlighter, but as of 0.3.4 missing features for printing and saving with highlights. Still, it is at least up to date.
  3. Chrome
    1. Proxy Switch! - Quick proxy switcher and because Chrome shares proxy settings with IE using this more often then Proxy Switcher.
    2. Control cache folder via command switch "...chrome.exe" --disk-cache-dir="CACHE_DIR" --disk-cache-size=N
  4. TCP View (Systernal utility to watch all open connections, good for network troubleshooting).
  5. Proxy Switcher Lite - only free decent utility to quickly proxy switch in IE. Not too happy with it though.

Video Conferencing

http://www.yakity.com/ - No install as it just uses flash. I believe it is powered by http://www.tokbox.com/

Developer Utilities

General

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  1. cpuz* - find details on your memory speed ect...
  2. Partition Magic - When in a pinch this is good to re-partition stuff.
  3. Acronis Imaging* - I used to use Ghost but you can nolonger create a simple boot disk. Acronis you can.
  4. Virtual Clone Drive - Mount an ISO file as a CD-ROM. Free and no spyware.
  5. AC3Filter - When playing video that only has 5.1 Digital Audio the automatic downstream to Stereo Surround sound sometimes has issues with the voice channel (the middle channel) being too low where you can not hear the voice acting. Example, for Star Wars Episode IV - Revisited and even dvds you might rent. If your TV does not have the option for Documentary Mode which increases the voice channel you need this program with the following adjustments.
  6. Wink - Super easy way to capture screen clicks and turn into flash movies. Great for giving a visual tutorial.
  7. HTTrack - Use it to easily download an entire website for offline viewing. Open source and it allows you to define levels (how deep to go into the site) and limit external sites crawling. Links are also automatically adjusted for local viewing. In the 90's I used Teleport Pro which even back then was more feature rich. I have not looked at it since though.
  8. EMEditor (good with distinguishing and using UTF-8, ISO sect.. fast, light with text highlighting)
  9. WinTask - Great automation and testing tool for Windows.

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