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Desktop Themes, Font Handlers, and Interface Modifiers  

1st QuickRes Light gives Windows XP the functionality of the QuickRes program integrated with Windows 98 and Me, letting you change your monitor's resolution and color-depth settings by clicking an icon that resides on your Taskbar. Free from www.greenparrots.com/aqr.html.

3D Color Changer 98 lets you not only change the colors in your Windows user interface, but lets you change the colors of 3D elements such as frame shadows, etc. Not what you'd call useful, but if you want to tweak your interface colors like this, it's a freebie. I'd suggest you download it from a shareware provider; the home page jotenet.koti.com.pl seems a little screwy.

3DFolders is a nice, free collection of folder icons from Matt Jorde, distinctive and color-coordinated. Currently Jorde's home page on AOL is inactive, so you can download the icons from www.winfiles.com/apps/98/icons-computer.html.

3DNA Desktop 1.0 is a huge (31MB) front-end desktop organizer. Very intuitive; files are in file cabinets, music is in the stereo, games are stored in a basketball or whatever object is related to the game, and artwork shows up in the guise of your favorite images. Many themes available to suit your personality. A $30 version is available, but the freebie is quite functional. Both are available from www.3dna.net/.

abSee100 1.00 is an easy-to-use and sturdy font viewer, with the ability to let you view uninstalled fonts and link to font sites on the Web. Free from www.blueheronmoon.com/software/abSee.htm.

Active Screen Saver Personal 2.0 uses cached Web pages as screen saver displays. You can browse the Web site as you like while the program is active. $10 from www.automatedofficesystems.com/.

ActivIcons 3.22 makes it easy to change the properties for the various icons used by Windows and Windows Explorer. Make the text labels transparent, change the mouse cursors, or change the color of the text below the icons. Free from www.cursorarts.com/ca_aifw.html.

Actual Transparent Windows works in Win XP/2K to let you make any window transparent, even your taskbar. $20 from www.actualtools.com/products/#atw.

Actual Windows Guard 1.2 controls your Windows display in a number of ways: minimize or full-screen display any program from StartUp, control pop-ups, and more. $20 from www.actualtools.com/products/#awg.

Actual Windows Minimizer 3.5 minimizes any app to the system tray or screen edge. $20 from www.actualtools.com/windowminimizer/.

AiryFolders 1.06, formerly AnyFolder, lets you assign folders unique icons. $19 from oop.rosweb.ru/users/a/artem/index.html. Don't let the tenuous grasp of English on these sites throw you.

AKFontViewer 3.2.0 lets you view any font installed on your machine, while informing you which fonts have full character sets and which don't. Remarkably full-featured for a freebie; download a copy from www.aksoft.net/index.html.

Aligner 2.71 lets you place your desktop wallpaper wherever you like, instead of limiting you to the usual "center," "tile," and "stretch" options. Free from www.skst.com/perpetualmotion/aligner.htm. Note: this utility may not work with the 9x family of Windows.

AllSnap 1.30 helps you handle multiple app windows by making the edges of the windows "sticky." If you like the Windows tiling in Photoshop, this app makes Windows do the same thing. Free from members.rogers.com/ivanheckman/. New beta version is also available.

AllToTray 4.1 allows you to minimize any window to your system tray. $10 from www.dntsoft.com/alltotray/.

Always On Top 1.5 keeps a selected image on top of all other windows at all times; even plays a selected WAV when first opened. Free from members.fortunecity.com/itechsoft/.

AMP Font Viewer 3.0 is a font manager that allows you to obtain a quick view of all installed (and not installed fonts) on your system. You can also organize fonts into categories, print custom lists of fonts, install or uninstall fonts, and more. You can type text and have it displayed in different font styles, colors, and sizes, as well. Free from www.ampsoft.net/.

AppPlus 2.6.1 is a dockable menu bar that floats over your screen, allowing you quick access to the apps, files, or e-mails that you select. $15 to keep from www.appplusonline.com/.

Aston 1.2.6 is an easy-to-use desktop shell that gives you lots of options the standard Windows desktop lacks. $28 from www.astonshell.com/.

Atmosphere 1.1 provides sophisticated multimedia effects program for your desktop. I couldn't get this program to install on my work PC (Win 98), but maybe you'll have better luck. Free from www.vectormedia.co.uk/welcome.asp.

The Best Icons 5.0 is a huge collection of icons to replace the boring ones you're staring at now. Includes a utility that lets Windows users install and use these icons without having to have the Plus! package. The site, people.ce.mediaone.net/clemenst, is currently AWOL, and the author, Tony Clemens, is hard to find on the Web; you can download his package from www.pcworld.com/fileworld/
file_description/0,1458,4365,00.html.

ButtonBoogie is a freebie from www.pcmag.com/utilities/ that lets you rearrange and resize your Taskbar's buttons at will. Functions under Win 9x, ME, NT 4, and 2K, but not yet under XP.

Cfont Pro 1.7 allows you to quickly view all fonts currently loaded on your system, and install new ones from programs, CDs, etc. Free from www.veign.com/.

Change Icon 1.1 is a small, free utility you can use to change the appearance of folders, write folder descriptions, or rebuild the icon cache. Take a look at home.nordnet.fr/~pmdevigne/.

Charview by BB is a font viewer and character selector. It features a display of all characters within a font, selection of individual characters, display of ASCII code for each character, bold/italic variations, variable font size, and more. Free from testrun.cjb.net/.

Chroma 1.02 is a $20 utility that changes the look and feel of the usual Windows screens by using "themes" (think skins). You can download themes or create your own. Find out more from www.thematic.com/.

ChunkyMunkey.com isn't a download, it's a Web site for those who love the idea of customizing their desktops. Try out some skins from www.chunkymunky.com/.

ClearTweak 2.5 is an XP-only utility that improves the quality of your LCD monitor's text display by adjusting your Windows XP ClearType settings. Free from www.ioisland.com/cleartweak/.

Clip on Boots 1.52 changes your wallpaper and startup sound files at will. Free from www.clippersoft.net/.

Clip Plus 3.1 automatically grabs and saves text and images as they are copied to the Windows Clipboard so you can save, reuse and print them. $15 from www.crystaloffice.com/.

CloseToRunXP 1.5 beta 3: Some programs require shutting down others to work effectively, or you may not want to run them with another application because of the memory used. Enter up to six applications to close as soon as you launch the game. CloseToRunXP can also shut down one service when loading the application. Free from www.geocities.com/gallus/.

ColorControl 1.0 lets you change the colors available throughout Windows, including normally untweakable elements. Free from aisle4.pair.com/personal/software.php3.

Command Prompt Bar 1.3.7 works with your Desktop, adding a toolbar that is accessed from the Taskbar and provides lots of shortcuts to various functions, including Auto-Complete, URL Launcher, Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer Integration, among others. Requires Internet Explorer. Free from ruindivision.phidji.com/ or, if that site isn't available, you can hunt it up on FreewareWeb.com.

Cool Desk 3.0 is a little jewel that allows you to have up to nine different desktops running simultaneously, each with its own apps and wallpaper. Maybe you want an e-mail client and browser on #1, Word and Excel on #2, an FTP client and Photoshop on #3, and a game and IM client on the fourth. Easy to configure, lots of skins for the interface, and free to try for 30 days; it'll cost you $25 to keep it. Get more information from www.shelltoys.com/cdesk99.shtml.

CrossFont 3.1 allows you to convert Macintosh TrueType and PostScript Type1 fonts to PC format and vice versa. Lots of features, but the shareware version only converts one font at a time, so you might be happier with the full $45 version. Find out more from www.asy.com/index.htm.

CursorDance is a free utility from www.pcmag.com/utilities/ that makes animated cursors for you with little effort. It comes with several sample animated cursors, a preview facility, and simple installation instructions. The Delphi 5 source code is also available.

CursorXP 1.2 allows you to jazz up the cursors you use to mouse around with Windows. Integrates tightly into Windows by providing you with additional tabs on your Mouse control panel that let you access additional features. $10 from www.stardock.com/.

DeskDeco 1.2.1 lets you select a set of pictures for your Desktop, how you want them displayed and the interval between each change. Free from www.pantera-designs.com/downloadsg.htm.

DeskMarker 1.7.3 is a virtual pen or highlighter that is activated by hotkeys, allowing you to to write comments one second and highlight information the next second. Useful for trainers and presenters who wish to emphasis information on the screen. Free from www.deskmarker.com/

DeskMod is not a utility per se, but a resource for various "skins" to dress up your Desktop. Take a walk on the wild side; visit www.deskmod.com/.

DeskSweeper hides or reveals your desktop icons. Free from no-nonsense-software.com/freeware/.

Desktool 3.0 creates a desktop toolbar that lets you include buttons for frequently used apps. $15 from www.metaproducts.com/.

Desktop Architect 2.11 manages multiple screensavers and desktop themes, scheduling their appearances and duration times. Free from www.desktoparchitect.com/.

Desktop Cleaner 1.00 clears out all of those dead links from your desktop and Start menu. Free from 21thcenturyboysoft.homestead.com/.

Desktop Dozen 2.3 is a compendium of little desktop nifties, including an alarm clock, calendar, stop watch, measurement converter, an area code and zip code finder, a postage calculator, and a time calculator. $16 from www.spudcity.com/d12/desktop_dozen.htm.

Desktop Informant 2.0 is a freebie that associates a "speech balloon" with your desktop icons, telling you what each icon is, the file size, and its type, whenever you hold the cursor over the icon. Grab it from www.scruz.net/~tkier/informant/index.html.

Desktop Manager 0.056 gives you the ability to create up to four different desktops and cycle between them at need. Free from www3.nf.sympatico.ca/byronm/dm.html.

Desktop News 2.1 is a freebie that sends news to your desktop in a continuous "push" format. You pick the news sources. Get more info from desktopnews.com/.

Desktop Sidebar 1.01 is a MS Office-like sidebar for your desktop. The panels contain information or access to performance metrics, list of inbox messages, news download from the Internet, calendar, tasks, and the quick launch icons. The current panels offered are clock, calendar, tasks, inbox, notes, messenger, newsroom, performance, disk monitor, media player, weather, search bar, and toolbar. Integrated with MS Outlook. Free from sidebarxp.w.interia.pl/.

DesktopFrames 1.2b1 is a variant on the "Active Desktop" that lets you add bajillions of little icons and goodies to your Desktop, each associated with an action of your choice, such as a program launch. The upside is that it doesn't suck resources like the Active Desktop. Free from somedec.com/downloads/.

DesktopX 2.0 is a networkable desktop application that lets you apply themes, create individualized desktops for separate users, and more. $20 from www.stardock.com/.

Display Resolution Manager 1.5 allows multiple users sharing a computer to set their own display preferences. The program automatically switches the display to the preferred resolution when the user starts working. The system administrator (or parent) can set the default display resolution for all users, as well as for when no one is logged on the system. Configurable for one or multiple monitors. $15 from www.bytegems.com/resman.shtml.

DisplaySet 1.0 works with the Appearance tab of the Windows Display Properties dialog to let you have more choices, and control, over your desktop's display options. Free from www.pcmag.com/utilities/.

Dotico isn't a utility, it's a Web site loaded with icons and goodies to dress up that boring desktop. Find out more at www.dotico.com/.

Doughnut 0.7 is a small, simple tool that allows you to roll up your currently open windows. Rather than minimizing them to the taskbar, you can simply right-click on the title bar to minimize the window, so that only the title bar remains visible until you right-click it again. Free from www.ameringue.freeserve.co.uk/.

E-Icons 3.16 are a package of icons that you can use to gussy up that bland and boring group of icons on your desktop. $19 from www.deepgls.com/eicons/.

Easy Screen Capture 1.22 is a $20 goodie that can capture the full screen, active window, window object, or any part of your screen. Saves in .BMP, .GIF, .JPG, or .PNG formats. Can capture DirectX mode games, supports user-defined hot keys, provides a history of performed actions, and allows you to edit an image, capture a cursor image, copy the screen shot to your clipboard manually or automatically, repeat the last capture, run as a system tray icon, and handle the 'Print Screen' key. Lots of features for a good price; find out more from www.longfine.com/.

Edge Desktop Pro 1.0 allows you to create an unlimited number of desktops and integrates into your Windows task bar. $30 from www.o-edge.com/desktop_pro/.

Effective Desktop 1.01 gives you a bunch of ways to customize and extend your desktop. Play with it all you like; it's free from www.ministars.com/ed/.

Fast Font Set 1.00 lets you view all the fonts that are stored on your computer; you can display style, size, and color; display text; show alphabet and code character set; load samples from files; get a print preview; print samples; display all fonts, or only the fonts you've selected; and group fonts for easy categorization. Free from www.fontutilities.com/.

Flash Dock is a Flash-based, Mac-like interface for Windows. Provides some features only found in OS X, including a realistic zoomer magnification effect, opening applications animation and other visual features. You'll need to have installed the Macromedia Flash Player 6.0. Free from www.jonmega.com/~iceman/stuff/flashdock/.

Focus Window 1.0 is a goodie that allows you to keep yea dozen windows open at once; instead of trying to figure out which one is which from the tiny Taskbar notations, this utility sorts them for you through a single icon in the System Tray. Free from supersmola.tripod.com/utils/index.html.

Font Creator 3.1.1 is a utility that helps you create your own True Type fonts. $50 from www.high-logic.com/fcp.html.

Font Explorer 2.0 is a free download from www.karenware.com/powertools/ptfonts.asp that helps you keep your fonts organized and identified. Like all of Karen's programs, this one requires the Visual Basic 6 runtime files.

Font Finder isn't a program, it's a Web site that helps you track down the fonts you want. The service is free from www.font.bc.ca/html/fontfinder.html, but the fonts may not be.

Font Magic 1.0 creates neato 3D fonts. Free from www.geocities.com/~macweb/fontmagic/.

FontRenamer renames TrueType font files (*.ttf) to the real name of the typefaces with no muss and no fuss. Note: don't use it with your Windows Fonts directory, as it could cause problems with your MS Office installation. Free from www.neuber.com/free/fontrenamer/index.html.

Font XPlorer 1.2.2 is a powerful font management utility; there's a free "lite" version and a $20 full-featured version, both available from moonsoftware.com.

FontLook is another font organization utility; this one allows you to preview and print font samples. $15 from ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/galcott/.

Fonts in Motion 1.1 provides texture to TrueType fonts, allowing you to create 3D and animated fonts. $10 from Frank Dürr at members.nbci.com/duerrfk/en/index.html. You'll need the OpenGL files for this utility.

FontViewer 2.0 comes from PC Magazine (www.pcmag.com/utilities/), and is a free utility that lets you browse all the fonts on your system, compare them to one another, find the one you want quickly, and delete unwanted fonts. Why bother with this? Well, who needs 300 fonts on their system? And how many of those fonts on your system are you even aware of having?

Free&Easy Font Viewer 1.1 is just what it says, and quite workable. Free from www.styopkin.com/details_free_and_easy_fonts_viewer.html.

FreeShade 1.003 lets you double-click the title bar of an open window to "roll up" that window, leaving only the title bar showing. Very Mac-like. Free from www.hmmn.org/.

FreeSnap 1.2 can instantly size any window edge to the screen edge. Using the Windows key and the arrows (the arrows on the numeric keypad work, too), the program moves the window to corners, top, bottom, left, and right. Free from blueonion.home.att.net/freesnap.html.

Gadwin PrintScreen 2.6 captures screenshots through any of several hotkeys and lets you reuse them, print them, or send them out as e-mail. Quite versatile, and free from www.gadwin.com/printscreen/.

Ghost-It! 1.04 makes specific windows translucent, so you can see through them to what's underneath (and even work in those windows). Okay.... Free from home.rochester.rr.com/artcfox/GhostIt/.

Grabzilla 1.0 lets you capture the whole screen or just parts of it and save the result as a .JPG, .BMP, or .GIF image. To capture a part of your screen, simply drag the application window over the area to be captured and press a button. Free from www.freetoall.info/.

Gradient Desk R1 is a colorful gradient for your desktop background. Creates a vertical or horizontal color gradient, and sets it as desktop background which has a low memory consumption. A 24-bit desktop colour depth (or higher) is recommended. Free from www.amok.gulli.com/.

Happy Fred 1.0, free from www.prog-net.com/fred/, is a little desktop goodie along the same lines as Neko -- no use for work, but fun for stress relief. Fred has sound and music capabilities, also. Several Freds are available for maximum stress alleviation.

Hawkeye ShellInit 0.2.0 creates little "margins" on your computer screen that you can use to store shortcuts to frequently used apps, pics, whatever. Free from www.hawkeyetech.com/products/freeware.htm.

HoverDesk 2.0 is a skinnable desktop replacement that runs atop Explorer and gives you a toolbar launcher, a system resource meter, a calendar, a world clock, a virtual desktop manager, a Start menu replacement, and lots of options. $20 to keep from www.hysope.com/ (the home page is in French, but if this throws you, the program is available for download from most software sites).

HttpWall 1.1 lets you have a dynamic, rotating set of wallpapers pulled from the Web. Free from users.pandora.be/bruno.keymolen/wall.htm.

Icon Packager 1.0 lets you customize the icons on your system through this powerful but easy-to-use program. Change almost every icon on your system, including folders. $15 from www.stardock.com/products/iconpackager/.

Icon Phile 0.98 is a free utility that makes it extremely simple to shuffle icons about. Get it from members.xoom.com/scrows/; it's still in beta format at this writing, but the folkss at PC World say it works just fine.

IconEdit 32 is a free, powerful 32-bit icon making program. You can use a program such as MSPaint or Paint Shop Pro in conjunction with IconEdit, if you like, or just use a graphic you already have. Try it from www.pcmag.com/utilities/.

IconForge 5.23 makes it easy to create or edit icons (.ICO, .ANI, .BMP, .GIF, and dozens of other file types are supported). Get it from www.cursorarts.com/ca_if.html, keep it for $38.

IconJack 32 is a freebie from www.pcmag.com/utilities/ that lets you create collections of icons from .DLL, .EXE, and .ICO files. There's tons of icons on the average system; this utility lets you round them up and put them to use.

IconLock is a PC Magazine freebie that stops unauthorized people from changing your desktop setup. If you're plagued with co-workers or kids adding, deleting, renaming, or rearranging your desktop icons, this program's for you. Get it from www.pcmag.com/utilities/. The source code and an article are also online.

Iconoid 3.1 memorizes and auto-restores desktop icon locations at various resolutions as well as provide a number of other useful desktop icon functions. "Silly-ware" (the authors request the donation of "something silly" in return for their wares) from www.sillysot.com/.

IconS 1.90 digs up icons within EXE, ICO, DLL, ICL, CPL, NIL, and IL file types. Free from www.neuropower.de/freeware/.

IconSaver 1.21 lets you save and restore different icon positions on your desktop, similar in function to IconLock above. Free from www.core-project.com/nole/iconsaver/.

IconShop 1.14 searches the Web, your PC, and even the neighbor's Macintosh for images that you like, and converts them into icons for your use. Free from users.pandora.be/liontech/.

K-Meleon 0.6 is an open-source browser, a nice, lean alternative to the bloated browsers offered by Microsoft and Netscape. Free from kmeleon.sourceforge.net/.

Ki-BookMark isn't a browser utility, it's a desktop organizer that runs in your System Tray and organizes your files, folders, and goodies into a tabbed display. Needs the Microsoft .NET framework. Free from www.kalavath.co.uk/ki-bookmark.asp.

KidDesk Lite 1.01d is a $25 utility from www.edmark.com/prod/kdfe/ that protects your files from accidental damage by young computer users. With this program, children can launch downloads and other teacher- or parent-approved programs from their own personalized desktops. You (or they, if you allow it) can choose from a variety of desktops, each of which comes with a calendar, a mailbox, a photo frame, and an answering machine. The registered version offers themes such as sports, undersea, princess, and farm.

MagicTweak 1.4 lets you optimize and personalize the look and feel of Windows 9x/ME. $20 from www.magictweak.com/.

Manganese Menu 1.0 is a highly configurable shortcut manager which allows desktop (via a small always-on-top icon) or desktray access to your shortcuts. It is easy-to-use, is customizable (change font name, color and size, icon placement, shortcut icons size, etc), and more. Free from www.bibasoftware.com/.

METoolBar 1.0 is another Swiss Army knife of a utility; this one lets you search forty search engines at once, get instant links to relevant news in a tree-like menu, browse online catalogs, launch any application you want, translate text and URLs into different languages, view your clipboard history, ping, finger, search for a domain name, scan your ports, and more. Free from www.metaeureka.com/.

Meracl FontMap 2.1.1 gives you a list of your installed fonts, allows you to preview them, copy them into open documents, etc. etc. Free from home5.swipnet.se/~w-54059/mfm.htm.

Microangelo 5.5 is a well-regarded utility for editing and creating icons and cursors. The 30-day trial is free, but you'll need to pony up $60 to keep it. Available from www.impactsoftware.com/.

Microangelo On Display 2.5 lets you customize, change, and configure all your desktop icons. Maybe not a necessity, but fun. $21 to keep from www.impactsoftware.com/.

Mirage Desktop Hider 1.5 hides your desktop icons with a quick click&drag; not only does this reveal your desktop's background in all its glory, it hides your program icons from snoops. Free from www.vividmachines.com/.

MobyDock 0.67 is a Mac OSX-emulating docking program launcher for Windows. It makes your Windows desktop look like the Mac OSX environment. Reports indicate it may slow down the PC and cause startup problems. For updates on issues relating to MobyDoc, check the forums at Aqua-Soft (aqua-man.net/board). Free from www.mobydock.tk/.

Monitor Cooler isn't a software product, it's a tiny fan that keeps your monitor from melting due to hot running. Find out more at www.3dcool.com/; it's only $10 for the little beastie, and worth the money.

More Properties 2.0 helps you to change a variety of desktop options, most of which can affect the way you use your computer in small but important ways, without requiring you to delve into the Registry. Among the tweaks it includes are randomizing your wallpaper, changing and adjusting the size of icons, and removing the "Shortcut to" prefix on new shortcuts. The feature that lets you edit your Add/Remove Programs list makes this program especially valuable. Free from www.imaginary.co.za/.

MultiDesktop Manager 0.3.3 lets you create and switch off between multiple Desktop settings; versions in 11 languages are available. Free from www.muukka.net/ (note: currently this program only works on Win NT/2K/XP).

MultiUserRes is a command line utility that will allow you to set different resolutions for each user of your computer so that you don't have to change the screen resolution manually. Intended for advanced users, and only configurable by editing the Registry. Works on 2K/XP machines only. Free from www.softwareanalysis.com/.

My Fonts 3.2 lets you organize your zillion fonts into "font packs" that can be organized, loaded, and switched on the fly. $35 from www.mytools.com/.

My Yahoo News Ticker is a free Yahoo service that "pushes" news onto your desktop. Highly configurable. Get it from my.yahoo.com/ticker.html.

Neko 4.0h is a little white cat that scampers around your screen, chasing the cursor this way and that. Gentle fun for the whole family, and free from www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Haven/4173/ (if you have trouble downloading from this site, try www.angelfire.com/ct/neko/.

NightVision 1.0.3 allows you to adjust and control the gamma settings on your screen; you can increase or decrease the red, blue, and green colors on your display. This capability will allow you to increase the brightness of the screen or even shift it towards a certain color if you are having a hard time reading the screen. You can also save your settings so that you can return to that display at any time. Can be used to spruce up your Windows environment as well as deal with vision limitations. Free from www.adpartnership.net/NightVision/index.html.

Nightlife 1.0 lets you create your own application launcher for your desktop. Free from nearworlds.cjb.net/.

Optimal Desktop 1.15 is a desktop and browser organizer that offers a tabbed window for navigating both files and web pages. $30 from www.optimalaccess.com/en/default.htm.

Parasite 2.5 is a very small desktop shell that gives you a runbox and URL launch app. Free from groovecircus.org/parasite.shtml.

Phantom Desktop v2.4 is a free transparent screen saver from www.gregorybraun.com/Phantom.html that just shows your desktop while it's active. No muss, no fuss.

PowerBar 1.80 lets you put frequently used desktop icons into your System Tray -- no more minimizing a screen (or 10 screens) just to access another program. The trial version is free, but is restricted to 16 icons; registering it gives you the capability to add another 34 icons to the Bar. Easily configurable, and surprisingly useful. $20 from www.plemsoft.com/index.shtml.

PowerStrip 3.01 lets you access your graphics board directly from the System Tray. You can access desktop size and calibration controls, custom display settings, system diagnostics, font controls, customizable hotkeys, and on-the-fly color depth. PowerStrip also has direct hardware support for many chips, allowing you to control your display sub-system. Not bad for a $30 piece of shareware; visit www.entechtaiwan.com/ps.htm for more info.

PrintDeskTop1.02 does just this, and easily enough for even the most novice user. Free from www.geocities.com/printdesktop/.

Private Desktop 1.6 allows you to create a second, password-protected desktop for all your sensitive applications and files. $20 from www.tropsoft.com/.

PS Hot Launch VVL 1.0 combines the Quick Launch and the Start menu into one. Use this program to quickly access applications, documents, or take actions just like Quick Launch and Start. Free from www.pssoftlab.com/.

PS95 is a 32bit UNIX 'PS' Front End for Windows. Shows you what's really running behind the scenes of Windows 95/98. Free from www.iconlabs.net/port/conv.php?filnavn=icon/ps95.html.

Push Pin 1.00 puts a new option in the system menu that'll keep a window on top at all times. The whole works can be run (or shut off) from the system tray. Free from rosa.simplenet.com/software/pushpin/.

QuickMenu 2.00 allows you to put all sorts of unusual menu items in your desktop context menu: for example, Control Panel applets, administrative tools, fonts, network connections, and more. Free from darksky.s21.xrea.com/sw/qm/index2.html.

RapidRes is a freebie from www.pcworld.com/utilities/ that lets you change your display's color depth and resolution with two clicks. Nice for gamers and others who find themselves constantly changing their displays.

Rebrand 0.51 is a front end for registry changes to modify Internet Explorer and Outlook Express title bars. Removes the Outlook Express splash screen, and wallpapers the toolbars of IE, OE and Windows. Free from www.adventcode.net/.

Res-O-Matic 1.0, also called Reso, allows you to create shortcuts to programs that will launch them at a screen resolution of your choice. The resolution will be automatically switched back once the program exits. Nifty little utility, and free from bcheck.arsware.org/.

ResolutionChanger 2.01 deals with programs that demand specific screen resolutions. It can automatically change the display resolution, run the program, and then restore the original settings. Free from www.12noon.com/reschange.htm.

RM Logo Changer Pro 5.78 is a little system utility that rotates logo screens, screen savers, wallpaper, themes, and assorted Windows eye candy. Needs the VBRUN 6 files to function. $10 from skyscraper.fortunecity.com/fpoint/701/.

Save My Desktop 1.2 saves your desktop's icons in their current position. When your icons get rearranged, run the program to restore the icons back to their original positions. Free from www.geocities.com/jtuckerj/.

ScanDL 1.21 simplifies downloading files from the Internet. It searches HTML files automatically for links and constructs a file list. You can determine what files the program searches for and edit the discovered links. ScanDL supports nine download managers. Sound good? It's even better, 'cuz it's free from www.scandl.com/news_en.html.

Screen Hunter 4.0.39 is a screen capture utility; free from www.wisdom-soft.com/products/screenhunter_free.htm.

Screen Loupe magnifies whichever part of your screen you point your cursor at. Good for those of us who hate bifocals. It even lets you save the magnified section and print it in its enlarged state. Go to www.execpc.com/~sbd/.

Screen Measure v1.2R3 is a free utility that measures your screen display, or whatever you designate, in pixels, as opposed to centimeters or inches. Useful for Web and graphics designers, and available from huizen.dds.nl/~oguz/software/main.html.

Script/Calligraphy Fonts 2.5 is a bundle of snazzy, elegant script and calligraphy fonts. $25 for the full 44 fonts from www.elfring.com/script.htm.

Scroll 5.0 lets you scroll a window up or down from anywhere within the window. $13 from www.katiesoft.com/products.html.

If you like to scroll through long documents (like this one) but don't like the painstaking methodology of stopping reading, pointing and clicking the mouse in the scroll bar, resuming reading, stopping reading, pointing...well, anyway, PC Magazine offers a freebie called Scroller that lets you scroll through a document effortlessly, at the speed you specify; check www.pcmag.com/utilities/.

SDesk 0.1.65 is a free "virtual desktop" that allows for unlimited "desktops," each with its own set of hotkeys, sticky windows, etc. Check it out from www.nearestexit.com/sdesk/.

SendToSync 4 copies the existing Start Menu links into a folder accessible from the Explorer right-click 'Send To' context menu. It features copying of both User and Machine specific Start Menu(s), re-synchronizes whenever the program is loaded, optimized for speed and minimal use of system resources, delayed and controlled program exit (to prevent click-through), and more. Free from www.optionalreaction.net/.

Sensiva Version 3 creates and manages shortcuts to your favorite programs on your Desktop. Unlike most programs of this nature, it lets you "draw" the shortcut symbols -- for example, you might draw a W on your screen to open Microsoft Word, an L to insert a signature file, etc. $30 to keep from www.sensiva.com/.

ShellSearch 1.0 helps you find misplaced shortcuts or any other types of files in any combination of Windows most commonly used shell locations. Free (ad-supported) from www.harmonyhollow.net/ss.shtml.

SmartBarXP 4.3beta is an application bar that offers more customization options for the side of your screen, with built-in panes to access the audio player, POP3 mail, MSN Messenger contact list, Web search, system performance, weather information, calendar, stock watcher, news feeds, and more. Free from www.smartbarxp.com/.

Style XP is a $20 utility that lets XP users completely change the way their XP desktop looks. Themes, user-designed schemes, and more are available as well. Check it out from www.themexp.org/.

Taskbar Wallpaper 3.5f lets you "skin" your gray, boring Taskbar into something much more interesting. Free from www.linkexe.com/taskbar/index.html.

TaskbarNews 1.0 is a small program that reads breaking news from the Reuters Web site and shows the text on the Windows taskbar without taking the focus from what you are currently doing. An optional alarm sound indicates one or more breaking news stories, and clicking on the text opens the Web page. You can select from several news categories and set the time interval of checking. Free from maxiagenda.com/taskbarnews/.

Termite Wallpaper (also called Bionix) is a program to change your wallpaper. Free from www.fedra.go.ro/Download/termitef.htm.

ThemeCrafter 1.0 lets you install desktop themes and create your own. Free from www.pcmag.com/utilities/.

Title Bar Reader 0.1 displays "extra" text in the title bar while you work. You can choose from ten different categories of text that can be placed in the title bar, including jokes, poems, song lyrics, and dumb questions. Free from www.yayahoohoo.com/tbr/index.htm.

TopIt Basic 6.0 is good for the multitaskers among us who want to keep a particular window on top at all times. The Plus! version costs $8, while the basic version is free, both from www.cloudninesoftware.com/.

Transparent 4.2 is a tiny utility that makes your Desktop icons transparent, allowing the wallpaper to show through. The only drawback is that it needs to be run every time you start up your machine, because the transparency doesn't "stick." You can put it in your Start Up menu to run at every bootup easily enough. Warning: it doesn't get along well with the Active Desktop. Free from www.bit-net.com/~jadamg/transparent/.

Tray Widget Pro is billed as "the Swiss Army knife" of Windows Desktop Management Utilities. Can protect your data by automatically inhibiting your screen saver while user-defined mission critical programs or disk utilities are running, and once the detected program has closed TW Pro will automatically reinstate your desktop settings to their original state. This small utility also provides convenient features to control your screen saver including Enable, Disable, Select, Configure, Run now, and Suspend for 1-12 hours. System functions include a Command Prompt Browser and a Clear History function. Free from www.twpro.com/.

True Type Resource isn't a downloadable program, it's a Web site that collects thousands of True Type fonts, many free for the taking. Find out more at www.typesource.com/TTR.html.

Typograf 4.0 is a shareware font management utility that makes it simple to download, install, and manage your fonts for any of your Windows apps. $35 from www.neuber.com/typograph/index.html.

Visual Control Panel 1.02.0001 is a tray-based app that allows you to access 13 of the major applets in the Windows' Control Panel through a visual screen. It's not really a necessity, but it does dress up one of the more boring features of Windows. Free from user1.7host.com/Rikstser/index.htm (requires the VB Runtime files).

Vital Desktop v1.3.8 uses your active screensaver as your desktop wallpaper. Free from www.vital-desktop.com/.

Vitrite gives PC users the option to make their desktop windows transparent to any degree desired. Mac users know this feature; this freebie from home.insightbb.com/~ryanvm/tinyutilities/vitrite/ gives PC users an even more enhanced option for the same thing.

VLINK v0.6.8.0 gives you the option of opening or running any file or program you desire via links. You can also shut down your computer or disable your screensaver through this program. Free from www.vxtech.org/.

Watch Cat 2.0 is a freebie from www.geocities.com/vassili_bourdo/software/wcat/index.html that hides running apps on your desktop, freeing up space on your Desktop. It even hides them from your Taskbar and Alt-Tab listing, but keeps them accessible through a single icon in your System Tray.

Wake Up News is a freebie from www.wakeupnews.com/ that downloads headlines while you sleep (or whenever you specify) and has them ready for you when you wake up. News mavens, rejoice.

WallMaster Pro 3.4 is a highly recommended freebie that changes the wallpaper on your desktop at preselected intervals, but unlike other free wallpaper managers, it also automatically resizes images to fit. The $25 Pro version adds file management and other functions. Snag it from www.tropicalwares.com/.

Wallpaper Changer 1.90 will change your desktop wallpaper every time you start your computer - or at set intervals. Works with .JPG, .BMP, .PNG, and .GIF images. Besides changing your wallpapers, this program can also analyze your icons and determine which background will provide the best readability. Free from www.wallpaperchanger.de/.

Webshots Desktop 2.0 is a free utility for spiffing up your desktop, from www.webshots.com/. Use their huge database of graphics to create your own screensaver. Note: the graphics are saved in the proprietory .WBZ format, which means that they can't be used independently of the program.

WindowBlinds 3.4 is a high-profile shell replacement for the Windows desktop. Much more comprehensive than the usual "skin" utilities; the stability issues from the 1.x releases have been resolved. $20 from www.stardock.com/ or www.windowblinds.net/. Note: Stardock is now offering WindowBlinds as part of the $50 Object Desktop. It's worth taking a look at SkinStudio 1.2 while you're at this site; this app makes it easy to create your own themes and skins for WindowBlinds.

Windows Logos is a source for the original start-up screens for just about every flavor of Windows ever released, along with joke screens, patriotic screens, and more. Free from camtech2000.net/Pages/Logos.html. Note that these replace your LOGO.SYS, LOGOS.SYS, and LOGOSW.SYS files (they're just .BMP graphics). You may want to save the old files under, say, OLDLOGO.SYS and so forth in case you tire of the new ones.

Windows XP Power Toys Fun Pack includes a screen-saver utility that allows you to use any graphics or videos you like as your screen saver, change your desktop wallpaper, and more. Free from www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/experiences/downloads/create.asp.

WinKeySim 1.00 is a keyboard macro utility which can simulate virtually any keypress and insert both text and special characters (Tab key, Enter key, F keys, etc) into any Windows application which can support keyboard input. Free from mwganson.freeyellow.com/WinKeySim/.

WinPersonalizer 5.1 is an integrated tool that lets you customize your Windows look. With it, you can change animated wallpapers, icons, cursors, IE skins, folders, visual styles, OEM information and more. $19 from www.holersoft.com/.

WinRoll 2.0 rolls any window into its title bar, leaving you free to do your work without the distraction of an open window. Right-clicking the title bar "rolls up" or restores any window, and click-Alt does the same for all windows. Free from www.palma.com.au/winroll/.

WinSize 1.6 keeps your open windows in their same places and at their same sizes. Good when programs forcibly revamp your window configuration. Free from www.daimi.au.dk/~maxx/maxximum-windows.html.

WinStep Full Pak is a threesome of desktop enhancements that work together to let you reconfigure the Start Menu and Taskbar, replace your Desktop with a tabbed interface, and manage your fonts. $40 for the package from www.winstep.com/; you can also download each utility separately.

WinTidy 2.0 organizes your Desktop configuration and saves it against scrambling by other users or out-of-control apps. Free from www.pcworld.com/utilities/.

WinTiles - Automated Windows Organizer 1.2 automatically arranges your open windows with a variety of layouts. $20 from www.wintiles.com/.

WinTool v1.0 Beta is a freebie from leckyt.tripod.com/WinTool/index.html that lets you move and relocate the various windows on your Desktop as you like.

Winuscon 1.55 (short for Windows User Console) unearths many of Windows's most useful features and sets them neatly on your desktop. The main form is divided into six areas: Menu, Internet, Internet Utilities, Office, Accessories, and Settings. Free from www.matirsoft.com/.

Winwall 2.0 lets you choose how your Desktop appears. Winwall will change wallpapers randomly, on system startup, or every few minutes. It also makes a Desktop wallpaper from any .BMP, .JPG, .GIF, or .PNG image file. Free from www.net-session.com/winwall/index.php.

Wipe Out 1.40 creates a line on any (or all) side(s) of your monitor in Windows. When you drag the line across the screen, it moves all current windows with it, so you can see your desktop, previously underneath the windows. Dragging it back brings back the moved windows. Free from hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA031384/software/WipeOut_en.html.

WIRM 1.0.0.21 is a free desktop object manager that makes it easy for you to customize the various facets of your desktop. Check it out from www.prometheusuk.freeserve.co.uk/noshok/index2.htm.

X Desktop 1.0 is designed to unify different operating system desktop interfaces into a browser-only application interface. Helps users to feel comfortable with any application using the interface they are used to, and helps companies to unify their intranet applications into one desktop interface, either built on existing interfaces or one which incorporates their own CI. Free from x-desktop.org/.

XFilesDialog 1.20 resizes your Open, Save, Save As, and other dialog boxes for easier viewing. No more squinting at tiny file menus and text snippets. $15 from www.xdesksoftware.com/index.html. Not compatible with MS Office programs.

XP Themer 1.2 lets you add Windows XP themes to any program on the system, whether it was coded to support it or not. Doesn't change the apps' program files, so there's no danger of permanently damaging anything. Free from xpthemer.mizotec.idz.net.

XP User Display Settings 2.0 lets XP owners set a different Windows XP display setting for each user from a graphical interface. Free from www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_userdisplay.htm.

XpanDesk 1.0 lets you create up to nine virtual desktops, each with its own grouping of icons and shortcuts. Very configurable, and free from www.pcmag.com/utilities/.

Xplash Screen 2.0.0 is an application for Windows XP that lets you add a splash screen to your Windows XP startup. Xplash Screen comes with several different possible splash screens, and it even comes with a template image file so that you can make your own splash screen. Free from aleni.shellscape.org/xpl/.

Y'z Shadow 1.9 is an XP-only utility that renders everything Windows displays in "3D" -- actually it adds shadowing to every open window and taskbar for a three-dimensional effect. Free from www.h5.dion.ne.jp/~yzathome/software/yzshadow/index_en.html.

Yankee Clipper III 0.99.9.93 is a powerful, free replacement for the Windows Clipboard uitility, from www.yankee-clipper.net/.

Zigzag Cleaner Plus 1.03 lets you select the fastest and most imperceptible way to hide open windows. Just make a quick move with your mouse, and the program will hide applications. To restore them, just draw another stroke. $15 from www.uniphiz.com/zcleaner.htm.

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