12Ghosts 21.01 is a suite of 18 (not 12, as with earlier versions) small disk tools, including a shutdown tool, a desktop-customization utility, an auto-backup tool, and more. $15 per tool or $45 for the whole package from 12ghosts.com.

1stImpression 2.41 automatically replaces your startup and shutdown screens with 20+ included logos or graphics from your own collection. Free from www.gromada.com/1stImpression.html.

2000 BIOS Test/Fix, from www.symantec.com/sabu/n2000r/index.html, checks your PC's real-time clock and BIOS to ensure Y2K compliancy. I know it's out of date.

2xExplorer 1.4.1.8 is a Norton Commander-style dual-pane file manager that's free from netez.com/2xExplorer/.

4DiskClean Gold 2.5 helps you decide what files you can safely delete by displaying a chart of all large files and folders on your hard disk. It also has a list of almost 1000 files vital to any version of Windows is set in the program, so those files won't ever appear as candidates for deletion, even if they are duplicated on the system. $24 from www.rss-systems.hpg.com.br/.

4t Tray Minimizer 3.2 minimizes apps to your System Tray. Free from www.4t-niagara.com/tray.html.

A Speeder 2003.12 changes Windows' system speed and all applications' (such as games) speed under Windows. Watch out, the home page wants to load something questionable on your machine. $20 from go.6to23.com/aspeeder/.

Ace Utilities is an all-in-one suite of utilities, including a registry cleaner, disk cleaner, duplicate file finder, Internet history eraser, startup manager, and more. I've used this myself, and found it very handy. $30 from www.acelogix.com/.

AceHide Free 1.3 hides any application window by using a hotkey, or via an icon in your system tray. You can quickly close any or all windows without having them visible in the taskbar. Free from www.fomine.com/.

Active CPU 1.0 graphically monitors your CPU usage; useful for locating programs that hog valuable system resources. Free from www.ntutility.com/.

Active Interface remembers the programs you run and the files you open, and keeps track of them for easy access. Nice way to speed up productivity, particularly if you hate going back and forth through the Start menu again and again. $20 from www.omniquad.com/omniquad_active_interface.htm.

Active Smart 2.12 analyzes your hard drive's status and predicts possible problems. When it detects a potential problem, you can repair or replace the drive before any data is lost. If a fault is detected, you can be notified locally, by e-mail, or across a network. $25 to keep from www.ariolic.com/.

Active Smart Monitor 1.11 monitors your hard drives and warn you of potential failures via e-mail or instant messages. Free from www.panterasoft.com/.

Active XCavator 2.04 lets you see and manage your ActiveX controls. The home page, www.cognitronix.com/xcavator.htm, runs the program through the browser interface, but you can also download your own free copy from img.cmpnet.com/byte/columns/frantz/1999/06/XCavate.exe.

Active@ KillDisk 1.1 is a utility for trashing, recycling, reusing, or donating disk drives. Free from www.killdisk.com/features.htm.

Active@ Undelete 5.1

ActiveStartup 1.00 BETA lets you manage programs that load from Registry, Win.ini and the startup menu at Windows startup. Inspect, edit and/or temporarily disable programs, make backup configurations and more. Free from www.hexilesoft.com/products.html.

Actual Title Buttons 1.7 adds new "Minimize To Tray," "Stay On Top," and "Make Transparent" buttons to any program's title bar. $20 from www.actualtools.com/products/#atb.

Your Add/Remove list (in Control Panel) can often reflect programs that you deleted months ago. Get rid of their listing with Add/Remove Cleaner at www.distortions.com/software/addrmclnr.htm -- yes, I know there's a way to clean your A/R menu yourself, but that's one less little chore you need to do.

Add/Remove 4Good 2.0 is a $13 utility from www.4developers.com that claims to remove programs that Control Panel's Add/Remove function won't delete.

Add/Remove Plus! 2003 4.0 reduces clutter from the Add/Remove list and from your hard drive, as well. $15 from www.aurelitec.com/. A mobile version, Add/Remove Plus! 2003 Mobile Kit 4.0, is available for $100 from www.aurelitec.com/software/arpmk/.

Add/Remove Pro 2.04 is another freebie that cleans up your Add/Remove list; get it from superwin.com/ (click on the Freeware button). The users at Tucows enthusiastically recommend it over several other freebie disk cleaners.

Advanced Registry Optimizer 1.01 optimizes and cleans your Registry. $30 from www.systweak.com/aro/adv-registry.htm.

Advanced Registry Tracer 1.4, formerly known as RegFix, isn't for the novice. It takes a "snapshot" of the Registry at regular intervals and keeps the shots in a database. Compare snapshots and roll back the Registry to a previous, more usable version if needed. $40 from www.elcomsoft.com/.

Advanced StartUp Manager 1.3 allows you to control which programs are loaded at system startup or when you logon to your computer. $20 from www.rayslab.com/startup_manager/startup_manager.html.

Advanced Uninstaller Pro 2004 6.7 lets you easily and safely uninstall applications and programs, disable programs that run when your computer starts (and get detailed info and advice about each one of them), hide and show Start Menu shortcuts, clean and optimize your registry, find and delete invalid shortcuts, clear your Internet traces, protect your privacy and more. $27 from www.innovative-sol.com/.

Aid System Restorer 2.4 helps in restoring your system after a crash by taking a "snapshot" of the system's configuration, and allowing you to roll back your system to that configuration as needed. You can also create a boot disk specifically configured for restoring the system state. If Windows goes belly-up, ASR also functions through DOS. $21 to keep from www.aidsoft.com/index.htm.

AIDA32 - Enterprise System Information 3.40 is a professional system information, diagnostics and benchmarking program for Windows platforms. It extracts details of all PC components and displays the information in various formats. Free from www.aida32.hu/aida32.php.

Alcohol 52% 1.9.2.1705 lets your hard drive emulate a CD drive. If you've got the gigs, store your CDs on your hard drive and forget about finding those refractory CDs when you want to run a particular program. $19 to keep from www.alcohol-soft.com/; if you want to burn backups of CDs and DVDs, you'll need the $50 Alcohol 120%.

Allcleaner 1.0 automatically cleans your browser's cache, cookies and history, along with your Windows tracks and more. $19 from www.allcleaner.com/.

AOL Speed 2.03 disables the unnecessary "disk buffer flushing" that causes AOL to use excessive system resources. The end result is a noticeably faster AOL that accesses the disk less. Free from www.majorgeeks.com/download507.html (the authors' site, www.aolspeed.dhs.org/), is not currently available). The program supports AOL 4 through 7; may not work with AOL 8 and 9.

AMIDiag 6.1/AMIDiag 1.0 for Windows is a robust, well-known hardware systems diagnostic utility that I've recommended elsewhere in this site. A demo version is now available from www.ami.com, but is limited to one hour's functionality. Keeping it costs $99. Formerly, AMIDiag had to be run under DOS, but the new version is Windows-friendly. (Check out my review in Newsletter #11).

AMP WinOFF 4.01 lets you schedule Windows' shutdown time in advance. Options include shutting down the system at a certain time (for example, at 12:00) or in several minutes (for instance, 15 minutes from the time you make the setting). You can employ different types of shutdown activity (shut down, restart, power off, log off). The program can also show a message for 15 seconds to allow you to cancel the shutdown. Free from www.ampsoft.net/.

AnalogX MaxMem 1.02 frees up previously used RAM that Windows, or apps that were running, stubbornly hang on to. Highly recommended freebie from www.analogx.com/contents/download/system/maxmem.htm.

Another Task Manager 3.0 is a well-organized, highly detailed utility that shows exactly what's running on your PC at any given moment. Free from atm.rm.it/.

Anti-lost CD Ejector Lite ejects CDs from the CD-drive at Windows shutdown. Not compatible with Win XP. Free from www.nesoft.org/antilostcd.shtml.

AntiShutDown 1.0.9 is a utility that attempts to prevent inadvertent shutdowns. If you're one of those that keeps shutting down your system by accident, or if a system glitch is shutting Windows down without your input, this program may be helpful. Free from www.kanastacorp.com/windows.php.

Any Speed for Win 95/98/NT 1.3 tells you the actual speed of your CD-ROM, your Internet connection, your LAN connection, etc. $19 from www.kagi.com/yellow/default.html.

Apollo Starter 2.1 is a powerful hot key manager, toolbar and program launcher. $20 from www.apollo-soft.com/.

Application Mover says it can move installed programs from one place to another on your hard disk, dealing with Registry entries, configuration and .INI files, and so forth. I'm skeptical, but you can find out more from www.funduc.com/app_mover.htm. $15 to keep.

ArcSet lets you change read-only files on CDs to archive or other attributes. Convenient, and free from www.birdcagesoft.com/.

ArtTray 1.0 does one thing: minimizes all open programs to the system tray. Nice freebie from www.brigsoft.com/arttray/.

Ashampoo PowerUp XP Platinum 1.10 puts all of Windows XP's settings in one place and allows you to fine-tune your system. You can tweak your desktop, control security and privacy settings, configure Microsoft Office, toggle among custom profiles, and more. The program lets you change settings that otherwise would require editing the Windows Registry. There's also a Function Editor that lets you create your own Windows functions or edit existing ones to suit your needs. $40 from www.ashampoo.com/.

Ashampoo UnInstaller Suite 1.32 creates "before" and "after" snapshots of any file in your system. It is particularly effective at monitoring changes to the Registry, regardless of whether they are caused by application installations or by other system modifications. Not only can you monitor virtually all the changes made to your system, but you can also reverse them. $40 from www.ashampoo.com/.

Ashampoo WinOptimizer Platinum Suite 2 is a bundle of utilities that help you tune your XP PC's performance for optimum results. Some of its included modules get rid of unused, redundant, or duplicate files, while others clean up the Registry, and remove unneeded DLL and temporary files. All of the Ashampoo modules include backup facilities that let you to experiment with different settings safely. $20 to keep from www.ashampoo.com/.

Astatix Launcher 1.52 lets you quickly start applications, documents and access to Internet Web sites. $25 from www.astatix.com/.

AutoBackup 98 adds a scheduling option to Win 98's backup utility. $10 from www.simtel.net/pub/pd/39507.shtml.

Autoclave 0.3 thoroughly erases files and their traces from your hard disk, and runs from a bootable floppy. Free from staff.washington.edu/jdlarios/autoclave/index.html.

AutoDeFrag 1.2 is a Win 2K-only, command-line program that automatically loads, runs, and then exits Disk Defragmenter. Free from www.morphasys.com/autodefrag/. Note: the new version apparently runs under Win XP as well.

AutoIt 2.60 makes it simple to work with automated installs; the more scripting ability you have, the more use you may get from this program. Free from www.hiddensoft.com/autoit/.

AutoMate 5.0.4 is an extremely powerful, flexible program allowing you to automate and customize most PC tasks using C++, with plenty of wizards and interfaces for the non-coders among us. $79 from www.unisyn.com/automate/.

Automize 5.3 is a cross-platform automation software that allows power users to schedule and sequence multiple computer tasks. No programming or script knowledge is required. The Windows Command tools can be set to run batch files, scripts or executable programs at predetermined times and in a specific order. You can also schedule FTP of files between your PC and the server and automatically rename the files based on current month, day or time if needed. $50 from www.hiteksoftware.com/.

AutoPatcher 4.2.29 updates Windows XP automatically. Requires Service Pack 1. Free from autopatcher.com/. Very large download.

AutoPilot for XP 4.1.1 is an XP-only utility that optimizes performance. $30 from www.sunbelt-software.com/product.cfm?id=202.

AWbackup 3.0.2 is a fully automatic backup progran that only requires you to create a backup job and specify when to execute it. $40 from www.acelogix.com/registry.html.

Back4Win lets you customize your backup so your PC's downtime is minimized. Also lets you make disk-spanning files and restore damaged backups. Free from www.back4win.com/.

BackTrak 1.0 is a fully automated file back-up solution that saves your data from irreparable loss or damage. $30 from www.technopundits.com/backtrak.htm.

Backup MyPC 4.81 is a powerful backup utility. $69 from www.stompinc.com/index.phtml?stp.

Backup Plus 6.1.1 makes it easy to expedite backing up your files. $40 to keep from www.backupplus.net/.

Backup to CD-RW 5.0.61 simplifies archiving files across multiple CD-ROMs. You can back up and restore your entire system, including the Registry, or selectively back up and restore any part of it. $40 from www.willowsoft4.com/backup/index.html.

Backup Wolf 3.00 simplifies backing up your files. $25 from www.lonewolf-software.com/backupwolf.htm.

Backup4All 1.0 is a powerful backup tool that lets you configure your backups to suit your needs. Free from www.backup4all.com/.

Batchrun 4.1 gives you a graphical interface for creating DOS-level batch files, which appear as idiosyncratic .BRS files. Free from www.outertech.com/.

BCM Diagnostics 2.01 performs a system check for your PC, free of charge. Find out more at www.bcmcom.com/products/Products-start.htm. The older, Win 95-optimized version is free, though it does work on Win 98. The current version costs $25.

BeClean 1.2 is a system-cleaning tool that includes a Registry Cleaner, Internet Cleaner, History Cleaner, Temporary Files Cleaner, Disk Cleaner, Desktop Cleaner, and a Start Menu Cleaner. In addition, you can create customized Cleaners and specify files, folders, and registry keys of your choice. Free from boozet.xepher.net/.

Belarc Advisor 4.1 audits and inventories your PC's software and hardware, and sends the info to your browser for storage or printing. Free from www.belarc.com/.

BenchMarX (BMX) 4.0 is a system information tool that covers 12 categories of information. It also offers four system benchmarks (processor, video, memory, and HDDs) plus four tools -- InstaKiller, an installed applications removal tool, RegScan, which finds/removes orphan files, DiskWash, which finds/removes temporary files, and DupFinder, which finds duplicated files. An excellent suite of hardware/software information, which can also benchmark your computer. It offers lots of information about your operating system and even includes the serial number (essential if you need to reload your system). Free from vultur.go.ro/software.htm.

BigFix 1.7.6.0 keeps an eye out for security patches and updates for your installed programs. Although you have the option to have it install itself to run automatically, it's recommended that you say no to this option, and run the program manually once a week or so. After installing BigFix, go to Go, Subscribe to sign up for your version of Windows. Free for personal use (business users get to try a trial version of BigFix Patch Manager) from www.bigfix.com/.

BIOS Wizard can reveal your BIOS's info and tweak it without forcing a restart. The home page is apparently www.esupport.com/bioswiz/, but they seem to have removed this program; you can still obtain it for free at www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,21480,tk,hsx,00.asp, among other places.

BigFix 1.2.3.5 promises to keep your system running smoothly by checking for and finding compatibility conflicts, bugs, and security holes, and fixing them. The program updates itself through the Internet. Free from www.bigfix.com/.

BIOS Agent 3.2 is a little utility that identifies your computer's BIOS. The company wants you to use the program's results to upgrade your BIOS through them, but that's not necessary. Free from www.unicore.com/biosagent/index.cfm.

BootVis s a free Microsoft tool (only for XP) to monitor what happens when the system starts. Contains an optimization function that places all the programs that need to start with the system at the beginning of the harddisk, thus speeding boot performance. Download it at www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwdev/platform/performance/fastboot/default.mspx.

Bugtoaster 2.0 is not only a free program that diagnoses and reports errors and bugs on your machine, but works with the home page, www.bugtoaster.com/, to report these problems to a central database that you can scour for information and possible resolutions. The home page is also a good source for error information of all kinds.

Burn to the Brim 1.3 Beta scans your files and CD-ROM discs to squeeze the absolute maximum amount of data onto the CDs. Free from members.ams.chello.nl/e.m.oost/bttb.html.

BurnInTest 3.0 tests the major subsystems of your PC for reliability. It tests your CPU (including MMX functions), your hard drive, CD drive, RAM, and sound card, along with your network and printer connections. $22 from www.passmark.com/.

Cache Speed 2.1 gives your computer a speed boost by adjusting some of your system settings, such as optimizing your cache--the section of your hard drive that quickly accesses your most-used files. Free ($10 for a non-ad version) from www.roadside-software.com/Products/CS/Index.shtml.

Cacheman 5.50 is an excellent utility that optimizes Windows' disk cache management. $10 from www.outertech.com/.

Capster 1.0 is a startup launcher that allows you to have a program run at the startup of windows, but only if your caps-lock key is down at the time. As such, it may not work with AOL, since the Caps Lock button is usually reserved for email writing and always on. Still, it's worth a look, and free from bcheck.arsware.org/.

CarbonMon 1.1 sits in the system tray and displays two column meters. The column meters show the percentage of CPU usage and memory usage. Requires Visual Basic Runtime Files to run. Free from carbon.shellscape.org/downloads.asp.

Catfish 1.9 is a disk cataloger for CDs and floppies. Free from www.equi4.com/catfish/.

CD Copier Pro is a $40 utility designed to let the user run multiple CD-ROM titles without having to swap disks so often. It partitions your hard disk into "virtual disks," assigning each one a letter (i.e. "F:") and compressing CD info to leave less of a footprint on your hard drive. Check it out at www.imsisoft.com/. It also comes in a "Gamer's Edition" that lacks support for CD-R disks, and costs $30.

CD Device Viewer 1.0.0.2 tells you exactly what your CD drive can and can't do. Can your drive recognize or create CD-R media? How about handling CD-RW discs? Can it recognize a DVD? Can you listen to an audio CD through it? Find out with this little freebie from www.bustrace.com/products/cd-dvd.htm.

CD Match Application 0.9f lets you use your own "autorun" menus for CDs that you choose. Free from www.iati.ee/~serge183/MicroTools4U/IndexF.html.

CD-ROM Tool 11/26/02 gives you the ability to detect speed, change speed and spindown, do drive-locking, and manipulate other controls. Making these changes reduces drive noise, prevents spindown, and increases reading accuracy. Free from cdromtool.hopto.org/.

CDAuto 1.4 lets you customize and enhance your computer's AutoRun facility. Free from www.cyberprog.co.uk/.

CDCheck 2.0.2 is a free utility from fusion.zejn.si/ that runs a diagnostic scan of whatever CD is in your drive.

CDDataExtract 2.0 is a small tool used to copy entire CDs to your hard drive. It allows you to select the CD drive to use, the location to copy the files to, and also removes the read-only attribute of any files copied. Advanced users can change the default behavior of CDDataExtract by providing an .INI file. The .INI file allows control over the default drive and directory path, the creation of shortcuts on the desktop, the optional execution of an executable following extraction, and more. CDDataExtract is designed to be used with data CDs; it may or may not work with audio CDs on some systems. Free from www.rdas.co.uk/CDDataExtract.htm.

CDMaker Pro 4.0.24 lets you create CDs with just about any type of file, from MP3s and other audio files to documents and programs. $55 from www.ntius.com/.

CD-Quick Cache 3.10 is a $29.95 goodie that gives your CD-ROM drive some oomph, whether it's a 4x granny or a 48x speed demon. Find it at ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/circuitsys/.

CD-R Diagnostic 1.7.0 is a tool for analyzing and recovering data from CD-R and CD-RW discs. It bypasses Windows and other CD software installed on your computer, and allows you to examine nearly any CD, including Macintosh and audio discs. It also supports the discs used by the Sony Mavica CD1000. $50 to keep from www.cdrom-prod.com/cd-r_diagnostic.html

CD-ROM God v5.5 Beta 2 is a free utility that makes an emergency boot disk for Windows that automatically includes CD drivers. Next time Windows crashes, if you've used this program, you can reboot painlessly and have your CD drive accompany you. Check it out for yourself at www.gankish.net/rumblesoft/cdromgod.htm. I've visited the site, looked over the documentation, and I'm not so sold on it. The boot disk includes over 50 CD drivers with no guarantee that any of them work with your machine, and the author no longer supports his program. Still, though, it sounds potentially valuable.

CDROM Drive Analyzer 2.1 reports the maximum, minimum, and average running speeds of your CD drive. Free from www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/
Lab/1228/cdan_front.html.

CDROMINF 1.2 is a DOS-based utility written to display information about the installed CDROM drives, the MSCDEX driver, and any CD or CDROM discs loaded in the drive. It supports both IDE(ATAPI) and SCSI CDROM drives. It now also detects ATASPI drivers under DOS. Free from www.ncf.ca/~aa571/software.htm#cdrominf.

CDScan 1.0b is a free utility that makes easily perused file directories for your CDs. Check it out at home.mminternet.com/~mmonti/CDScan.htm.

CDTree 1.13 helps you create and maintain an Explorer-like directory for your CDs. Free from www.ufuq.com/.

CheckIt Utilities 6.5 evaluates hardware performance, offers optimization suggestions, and finds and fixes problems. $40 from www.smithmicro.com/.

Chris Free Software Cleaner 2.0 manages your programs and makes it very easy to clean your hard disk. Free from chrisdeepmind.windowpictures.com/cfsc.htm.

Chroma 1.1 lets you change and enhance the standard Windows display format. Get away from safe color schemes and staid rectangular buttons. $20 from www.thematic.com/.

CIA Commander 1.0 isn't a security program or a role-playing game; it gives you full access to a Windows NT/Windows 2000 Partition (NTFS) by creating a bootable disk, thus giving you graphical access to the user manager, registry and file system. $250 from www.datapol.de/Produkte/ciacmd.htm.

Circuit Systems CD-Quick Cache for Windows 95, from www.cwforbes.co.nz/homepages/circuitsys/CDQ95.HTM, works to speed access to your hard drive and your CD-ROM. $29 to keep.

Clean Disk 3 is a disk cleanup utility that can help you get rid of unneeded files on your disk that are just occupying more disk space. Free from aeisele.home.att.net/cdisk3.htm.

Clean Disk Security 6.1 gives you secure file deletion, making sure that deleted files cannot be undeleted again. $25 from www.theabsolute.net/sware/clndisk.html.

Clean It 3.01 scans your hard drive for space-wasting files of almost every kind. $20 to keep from www.skylarkutilities.com/program.pcs?clean-it.

Clean System Directory 1.7 is a free tool that does exactly what its name implies: identifies unused .DLL files and "cleans" them from your Windows system directory by moving them to an archive folder. If moving these files doesn't hurt Windows's performance, you can reclaim the space by deleting the files. Get it from www.theabsolute.net/sware/index.html#clnsys. Does not work with Millennium or NT/2K/XP.

CleanDisk 2.5 is another disk-cleaning utility, this one taking care of cookies, temp files, program setup files, Internet cache files, etc., and displaying them to you before deletion. $18 from www.fmjsoft.com.

CleanReg 3 is another strong Registry cleaning utility; $19 from www.cleanreg.net/.

Cleanup.Bat is a simple batch file written by Fred Langa to clean out your hard disk of accumulated detritus. As it runs from DOS, any files it deletes are gone permanently, so handle this one with care. Used properly, though, it can reclaim acres of wasted drive space. There is a minor glitch in the first iteration of CLEANUP.BAT, so the thing to do is to read up on it at www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-08-17.htm#3 but download the debugged copy from www.langa.com/cleanup_bat.htm.

ClearInfo 0.49 allows you to monitor system uptime, physical/virtual memory usage, CPU usage, type of connection, who's logged in, display size and refresh rate, and more. Free from dev.iwdstudio.com/index.htm.

CliBench MK III 0.7.10 is a suite of synthetic benchmarks that tests for integer performance, floating-point performance, latency time, level-1 CPU performance, raw-integer performance, transfer speed and hard-disk throughput. Free from www.ncpro.com/clibench/clibench.htm.

ClickZap 1.0 is am XP-only tool that makes use of your right-click button. It provides you with a double-click option for the right button. The available actions include: Minimize Active Windows, Lock Computer, LogOff, Close All Windows, Mute Sound, or Shutdown the Computer. $10 from www.bartdart.com/modules/news/.

CloneCD 4.0.1.10 is a powerful CD-copying program that writes in "raw" mode, giving it total control over the data being written and enabling it to produce real one-to-one copies of your CDs. CloneCD requires a CD writer that can write in raw mode; it also requires a CD reader that supports certain specific commands. $32 from www.elby.ch/en/products/clone_dvd/.

CMDbar 2.30 allows you to control the Windows OS from the keyboard, instead giving you the ability to type commands directly from the command line. Lots of features; $19 from www.pitrinec.com/.

COA2 1.0 informs Windows when you move a program from one location to another. Why do you care? Because when you install a program, Windows constructs an entire web of connections -- shortcuts, INI file and Registry entries, etc. If you move a program, you can cause lots of problems for Windows. The program and the source code are both free from www.pcmag.com/utilities/.

CmdHotKey 1.3 is a utility to allow quick and easy access to the Command Line by means of a user-specified hotkey. Free from www.wastingtape.com/cmdhotkey/.

Command Prompt Explorer Bar 1.1 gives you a DOS command prompt from within Explorer. Free from www.codeproject.com/csharp/CommandBar.asp. Note: this utility requires both Microsoft's Installer and the .NET framework.

Command Suite XL 5.0 gives you access to many of Windows' settings and functions. A small program that doesn't worm its way into the bowels of your system as many others of its ilk, it's free from www.anonymous-software.com.

Computer Profiler 1.9.1 makes your computer 'fess up to all sorts of CPU information that you and I may not understand, but might want to know anyway, including processor level, revision, architecture, and other arcane bits of knowledge. Free from www.karenware.com/, and requires the VB Runtime files to function.

Configuration Lifeguard 3.6 is a $10 utility that automatically backs up 10 of your most critical system files, including the Registry. Bad installations can be remedied with this utility as well. Find out more from www.kagi.com/vfstudio/clg.htm.

Console for Windows 1.00 translates keyboard commands into Windows commands. Now lauch your ISP with a single keystroke. Free from freefoote.9ug.com/console.html.

ControlCenter 1.5 is a major component of Stardock's Object Desktop package; this utility focuses on controlling the desktop. Lots of features. $20 to keep from www.stardock.com/products/odnt/cc/.

ControlIT (formerly named Remotely Possible), from www.cai.com/products/controlit.htm, is a remote-control program similar to Symantec's PCAnywhere. CAI will mail you a free trial version on CD; they're coy about the price of the thing.

Cool Beans System Info 2.0.0.2 monitors your Internet upload and download rates, CPU usage, physical memory usage, and swap file usage and more. Free from www.coolbeans.ws/.

CopyEx 1.2 uses the SendTo menu to enable right-click commands for removable media drives. $10 from www.partridgesoft.com/copyex.htm.

CoreSave is a $40 utility from www.innovativesoftware.com/coresave/coresave.asp that, if already loaded, rescues your PC from destructive system crashes. The home page is a little wonky, but the utility comes highly recommended.

CPU Indicator graphically tracks your CPU usage. $9 from www.kagi.com/yellow/default.html.

CPU Stability Test 5.0 is a free benchmark utility that measures the performance of your CPU, and helps correct errors. The home page is currently inaccessible, but you can snag the program from www.pcworld.com/fileworld/
file_description/0,1458,7146,00.html.

CPU Load 5.0 is a benchmarking utility that puts your PC through a stress test. It checks your CPU, hard disks, RAM, caches, and motherboard by running multithreaded tests. The program supports multiprocessor systems, and it offers error and CRC checking. Free from www.vtoy.fi/jv16/shtml/software.shtml.

CPU-Z 1.07a makes it easy to ascertain your computer's CPU speed, current core voltage, clock speed, cache information, and more, all without letting you accidentally make any changes (that's good for the fumblefingered among us). Free from www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php.

CPUCOOL 7.1.3 is a veritable Swiss Army Knife of cooling software. It monitors your hard drive's health; lets you change the speed of your system bus; optimize memory; optimize the CPU instruction set; shutdown the PC with a single key combination, monitor temperature, fan speed, voltages for many motherboards; and (of course) cools the CPU itself. $15 from www.podien.onlinehome.de/CPUCOOL.HTM.

CPULower is a free utility that slows your processor down. Why would you want to do that? When you're running older programs that weren't designed for today's high-speed CPU speeds, or when you want to test your apps at slower speeds. Warning: use this utility carefully. It comes highly recommended and shouldn't cause a problem, but you never know. Chug on over to village.flashnet.it/users/pa2059/ for a copy.

CrackUp is a free PC Magazine utility from
hotfiles.zdnet.com/cgi-bin/texis/
swlib/hotfiles/info.html?b=pcm&fcode=000UYR
that alerts you when your hard disk, or disks, needs defragmenting. It works under both Win95 and 98.

Dacris Benchmarks Lite 5.0 is a benchmarking tool that fits on a floppy disk. Test the speed of the following systems: processor, memory, hard disk, 2D video and CD/DVD. Also tells you the type and speed of your processor, the type of video card you have, how much free hard drive space remains, and details on your system's memory. Saves and prints results and system information as desired. Free (a more powerful version is available for $25) from benchmarks.dacris.com/lite.htm .

DefineF 0.57 is a $20 utility that lets you assign cut, copy, paste, and click functions to your keyboard's function keys. Available from www.restreminder.com/definef.

Defrag Commander Personal Edition 1.32 is a fast, easy way to defrag your system's hard drive. The regular edition is designed for systems of 10 or more networked computers; a free trial CD can be had at www.winternals.com/. I'm not sure if the Personal Edition is available any longer.

Defrag for Windows 1.0 makes Windows run faster by defragmenting fragmented files. $19 from www.pcmesh.com/defrag.htm.

Defrag_to_shutdown 1.0 lets you fire up Windows Defrag and let it run, then shuts down your computer automatically when it's finished. You can set the utility to reboot instead of shut down if you prefer, and tell it to turn off any screen saver while it defragments the hard drive. Free from medlem.spray.se/mokkelmannen/.

Defragmenter Lite 1.0 lets you automate the necessary steps for an efficient and problem-free disk defrag. $25 from www.abexo.com/defrag.htm.

Dependency shows you the .DLLs and .OCXs that most programs use to support their functioning. Also gives the size and location of the files that the .EXE of the program is dependent upon. Free from camtech2000.com/Pages/Useful.html.

Dependency Walker 2.0b5 is a free Microsoft-compliant utility that scans your 32- or 64-bit Windows modules (.EXE, .OCX, .DLL, .SYS, etc.) and builds a hierarchical tree diagram of all dependent modules. If this means anything to you, get the lowdown from www.dependencywalker.com/.

Desktop DNA 2.5 lets you migrate your system setup from one computer to another with no muss nor fuss, including your personalized settings and customizations. Also good for disaster recovery. Available as a 30-day trial from www.desktopdna.com/products/index.html; the vendor, Miramar, doesn't furnish pricing info on its Web site, which isn't a good sign.

Direct Folders enhances Windows Explorer with a number of add-ons. $20 from www.codesector.com/directfolders.asp.

DirectX 9.0b is the latest version of Microsoft's DirectX video and graphics drivers. This version is fine for 98 and ME users; XP users need to download the Service Pack before using the latest version, 2K users have a separate download on the same page, and 95 users have to be content with Version 8.0a. All free from www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/downloads/drx81.asp

Disk Editor is a free disk viewer and editor by Jim Webster that runs under DOS, and provides you with a non-Windows way to view and edit the contents of your FAT12 or FAT16 hard disk. I'm not sure where Jim's home page is, but you can download it from www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,,000Q5F,.html, among other places.

Disk-Mem Panel 2.43 is yet another little goodie that tells you how much disk space you have on your drives, and how much memory you're using. It places a small panel on your screen and updates every 5 seconds. Free from www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Haven/7262.

Disk Investigator 1.31 lets you view deleted files or directories, and restore them if necessary. If the program says the file is gone, then it's gone. Free from www.theabsolute.net/sware/dskinv.html

Disk Medic 3.0 finds trash and obsolete files all over your computer, and lets you decide which to delete. Also recovers memory from apps that you closed, but didn't return their memory to the free pool. $20 from www.iomatic.com/.

Disk Slack Checker is a free PowerTool from the Karen Kenworthy collection. It examines your drives, determines the cluster size Windows is using for each, counts your files, computes the amount of space being wasted, and more. Free from www.karenware.com.

Disk Space Recovery Wizard 1.72 is a free program that reclaims wasted disk space by finding and deleting hex and binary data left behind from previous application runs. Particularly useful if you've converted your system to FAT32 from FAT16. Get the lowdown from dmisoftware.com/index.html.

Disk Space Usage 2.3 monitors your disk space usage by user. You can check by owner, volume, directory, file size or date. $35 from www.simonsware.com/index.shtml.

Disk Watchman 1.0 monitors your drive activity. $35 from www.metaproducts.com/.

DiskAction 1.0 is a freebie from www.pcmag.com/utilities/ that tells you exactly what processes and/or programs are using your hard drive at any given time.

Diskdata is a neato little freebie that tells you just how much space each drive, folder, and subfolder are taking up - info that Windows doesn't know how to tell you. Scarf it up at www.digallery.com/diskdata/.

Diskeeper for Windows 8.0 is a disk defragmenting utility from www.executive.com/defrag/defrag.asp that bills itself as being more efficient and powerful than the standard Defrag utility bundled in with Win9x; also works with WinNT, 2K, and XP. Also prevents fragmentation of critical apps, thus retaining efficiency. The lite version (no longer available from the home site, but still floating around the shareware pages) is free; the enhanced version will cost you $30 to keep.

DiskMETA is a hard drive search utility. A "lite" version is free; other versions, including Personal and Pro versions, will cost you. Find out more from www.diskmeta.com/.

DiskMon 2.01 monitors your hard drive to see whether it's working or not, giving you a nifty little System Tray icon. Also generates usage logs. XP/2K only. Free from www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/diskmon.shtml.

DiskPatrol 1.5 is a $15 utility from www.flash-systems.de/us/index.htm that helps you find and delete space-wasting files on your hard disks.

DiskPie 1.0 displays pie charts that show exactly how much space each file, program, and directory takes up on your hard drive. Free from www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,9396,00.asp.

DiskSanitizer GOV 2.1 removes all traces of data and software from the computer hard disk, by overwriting and destroying beyond recovery every sector and every bit of information. Data is removed according with U.S. Department of Defense standards or custom user security levels. $75 from www.east-tec.com/.

diskSpace Explorer 3 provides a graphical interface to help in perusing and organizing your disk directories. $20 to keep from www.east-tec.com/spex/home/. A network edition is available for $35 from www.east-tec.com/spex/net/.

Disktective 2.2 is a free utility that reports on the real size of all your directories and subdirectories. The author's home page is MIA; find his program at www.pcworld.com/fileworld/file_description/
frameset/0,1458,4219,00.html.

DIY DataRecovery DataBack 1.0 saves deleted files to a safe area where they can be recovered. It also restores previously deleted files. According to the makers, this program works less conventionally that most data recovery programs, and therefore works a bit better. You decide. $23 to keep from www.diydatarecovery.nl/.

DLL Checker, a $10 utility from www.VB2.Java.com, scans your PC for .DLL, .VXD, .OCX, and .VBX files, lists their locations, and identifies them by size, date, and version. It can also archive old .DLLs. Great for rooting out old and duplicate files of these types.

DLL Explorer 2.2.2 lets you obtain lists of the DLL files and other module files that the operating system is currently using. Check on your system before and after running a program to learn which modules that program uses, and click a module for more info. $22 from www.realsol.com.au/.

DLL Show 5.0 is a DLL display utility that identifies .DLL files on your machine, shows what apps they are associated with, and gives info on memory load and priority. It even allows you to print selected information. $25 from www.gregorybraun.com/DLLshow.html.

DLLAide keeps a close eye on your system's DLL library, indexing, archiving, and monitoring them. You can easily restore overwritten or replaced DLLs, often avoiding subsequent or continued compatibility problems. $17 from www.dllaide.com.

DocMemory Diagnostic 2.0 is a memory tester that works directly from a self-booting floppy disk, allowing you to perform diagnostics even when your PC is sick, sick, sick. Free from www.simmtester.com/PAGE/products/doc/docinfo.asp.

DOS Parallel Port Test Utility is a freebie from www.lpt.com/free.htm that ascertains what parallel ports you have and if they are working properly.

Dr. Hardware 2003 4.0.0e is a suite of utilities designed to give you serious, in-depth analyses of the various Windows components. Not only checks the Registry settings, but makes independent calls to your BIOS and I/O ports, tests your processor, cache, memory modules, chipsets, and monitor. Comes in three versions from $19 to $49. Find out more from www.dr-hardware.com/.

Dr. Salman's Window Power Tools 4.7 is a system optimizer for Windows that increases Internet speed and also makes Windows run faster and smoother. It gives more RAM, enhances memory, frees up wasted memory and boosts performance. The program also gives Windows over 51 extra security and anti-hacking features. $50 from www.dmisoftware.com/.

dRAMatic 8.1 is a memory optimization tool that lets you optimize (not just free) your system memory with its advanced defragmentation and garbage collection algorithms. $20 from www.liveye.com/dramatic/.

Drive Image 2.0 is a $70 utility that lets you make an exact copy, called an "image," of a hard disk for a Zip, Jaz, or SyQuest disk. Pricey but quite useful for cloning a disk for backup purposes, or for transferring a disk's contents onto a new machine. Check out the demo version at www.powerquest.com/en/driveimage/didetail.html.

Drive Rescuer 1.7 can, in some cases, recover deleted or "recycled" files and info from your FAT hard drive. Free from home.arcor.de/christian_grau/rescue/.

Drive Scanner 2.6 scans your hard drive and gives you a multilevel pie chart to quickly see what folders or files are taking up the most space on your drive. When you click on a folder, it then gives you a new piechart with subfolders and files. Nice for larger drives with lots of folders and files, and free from www.steffengerlach.de/freeware/.

DriveScrubber 2.0a securely wipes all data from any hard or floppy drive, regardless of its file format or operating system. $30 from www.iolo.com/ds/.

DriveInfo 2.0 is a freebie from www.karenware.com/ that forces your disk drives to divulge its file system, cluster size, compression status, LFN, drive size, and amount of free space available. Requires the VB6 runtime files.

DriveWizard 1.30 upgrade your hard drive, mirror your hard drive and restore back to your hard drive; includes automatic scheduling and backup. $30 from store.compuapps.com/drivewizard.html.

Driver Detective 3.1 is a freebie from the driver experts at www.drivershq.com/ that scans your hard drive and displays a list of all the drivers installed on your system. When you highlight an individual driver, you get information such as its version number and the vendor's name. Use this to identify drivers for replacement, among other things.

DriverManager 1.0 is an XP/2K-only utility that lets you identify and work with the drivers on your system. Free from www.l5sg.com/DriverManager.html.

DrvImagerXP is a disk imaging tool that creates backup clones of NTFS and FAT32 drive partitions (as well as floppy disks) by copying, byte-for-byte, the drive partition sectors. Works on Win 2K and XP. Not as powerful as commercial disk-imaging programs, but it's free from home.carolina.rr.com/lexunfreeware/. Note: this program requires two partitions on your disk.

E-Technik Power Defrag is a defragging utility that promises not to lock up Win 98 systems, unlike the Disk Defrag utility bundled with Win 98. The Lite version is free; the Pro version requires registration and costs $20. Both can be obtained from www.powerdefrag.com/.

Easy Remover 2004 3.0 is software for Uninstall Applications, StartUp Manager, Task Manager and Privacy Manager. It controls your computer and makes your system more stable. $25 from www.r4u-soft.com/products.htm.

EasyCleaner 1.7f handles cleanup of your Registry, your Temp and History files, duplicate files, and invalid shortcuts. A powerful little freebie available from www.toniarts.com/ecleane.htm.

Ecora PatchLite and PatchMeister checks your operating system for patches and updates. The Lite version is free; check the site at www.ecora.com/ecora/default.asp for pricing on the other version.

Eject CD-ROM Deluxe 2.0 not only ejects your CD-ROMS with a tray-based button (even if the switch that controls the CD door is broken), it can start and shutdown your computer. $2 from www.compuman.com.hk/ (the site's in Chinese, but the link to download the program is easily located).

EjectR 2 is a simple, free utility from www.cyberprog.co.uk that ejects whatever CD is in your CD drive when you shut down your computer.

Emergency Boot CD 0.3 Lite is a bootable CD for system recovery that comes with a set of utilities for backup, restore, repair, and low-level administration. Free from www.ebcd.i-am.ru/.

Emergency Recovery System 2K/XP 5.40 performs backups of your critical data. Creates batch files that back up your Registry, .DAT files, user profiles, and more. For 2K/XP systems only, and then only those using the FAT32 partitioning system. $25 from .www.backtec.com/ers2000.htm

Emergency Recovery System 9x 11.43, like the above program, lets you schedule or manually execute backups of your files. This utility creates batch files that back up your Registry, .DAT files, profiles, and other important system files. Windows 9x/ME only; $25 to keep from www.backtec.com/ers9x.htm.

Enabler 1.0.0.14 displays a list of all top level windows, and allows you to open the windows and browse the child controls and change their state. By doing this, you can find hidden controls, tweak details and also for enable/disable buttons in a dialog that are not accessible by running the program normally. You can save the changes you have made and have Enabler load the settings automatically or even create an icon to load the manipulated app and adjust the settings. In addition, the program allows you to unmask text obscured by ***** in some password fields. Free from www.securitysoftware.cc/.

EndItAll 2.0 sounds like a dire addition for your machine, but actually it's just a nice little goodie that shuts down any apps you like quickly and easily. Good for multiple shutdowns needed by the installation of new software or for emergencies, and it's free from www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,,0011NB,.html. or from www.pcmag.com/utilities/.

EnZip v3.00 r1.1 is a free compression and decompression utility from www.cpam.freeserve.co.uk/. Lots of features for a freebie.

Eraser is a program for permanently deleting data from your hard drive. Free from www.heidi.ie/ (they'd like a $10 donation).

Eraser 2000 is strictly for Office 2000 users who want to delete that program from their system, but find too many leftovers after removal. This program gets rid of all the detritus left by Office 2K after its removal. Free from support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q239938.

Eraser 2003 4.0 is an advanced security application designed to help you completely eliminate sensitive data from your computer and protect your computer and Internet privacy. $40 from www.east-tec.com/eraser/index.htm.

ERS 9x 11.06 is a system recovery utility that backs up critical system files and the Registry. $25 from www.mslm.com/ers9x.htm.

EscapeClose 1.3 lets you close or minimize the active window by pressing the Esc button. Especially useful when you are working with dozens of files and folders at once. Has four working modes, stays in the system tray and can automatically run at Windows startup. Free (the Plus version is $20) from www.sanapesoft.com/escapeclose.htm.

Exits 95 & 98 is an easily configurable freebie from www1.tip.nl/~t625343/exits.htm that makes it easy to shut down Windows from your System Tray in a variety of ways. Note: the author's Web site has apparently disappeared; you can also find this program at www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,6828,00.asp, among other places.

eXtraMENU 1.0 lets you create your own Start menu, which includes a pop-up context menu, pop-up sub menus, and compound menu items. Not for the uninitiate; free from www.s.co.cwc.net/cProdEM.htm.

Eye Drives 3.2 is a utility that casts a discerning eye over your hard drive, measuring the disk usage, the remaining disk space, the system resources usage, how much is being wasted, etc. Free from softtalon.bizland.com/.

FabSoft ShortCut, from www.fabsoft.com/products/shortcut/shortcut.html, provides "scripts" for easy automation of repetitive Windows tasks. Try it for 30 days, pony up $95 to keep it.

Fast Defrag 2.18.0 frees unused RAM (Random Access Memory) and optionally optimizes Swapfile usage. Free from www.amsn.ro/.

Fast Explorer provides an icon in the system tray that allows you to launch Windows Explorer in one of 4 seperate "modes" (foreground minimized, foreground maximized, in the taskbar, last size/position). Free from go.compuserve.com/WinSupport?SEC=11&FID=5317.

Fast Restore 1.0 is a DOS-based disk image utility that allows you to make complete "ghost" backups of your system's file structure and contents. In case of disaster, the program can restore the system back to a previous form with little muss or fuss. $29 from www.clouflow.com/Clouflow_3nf_eng/products_eng/
Clouflow_3nf_products_home.htm.

fKey Template Designer 2.00 is a utility that lets you print the various functions of the F (function) keys. $25 from www.sigma-tech.com/.

File-N-Sync Plus 1.01 is another utility that performs file backups, synchronization, mirroring and replication. $79 to keep from www.peersoftware.com/file-n-sync.html#fns.

Filemon 4.34 monitors and displays your system activity in real time. You can save its output window for offline viewing. It also has a time-stamping feature that shows precisely when every system action -- open, read, write, or delete -- happens, and its status column tells you the outcome. Free from www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/source/filemon.shtml.

Find In Context 1.00 automatically shows relevant text fragments found via a keyword search through local/LAN files. You then can browse through bigger fragments to see the context. $30 from www.findincontext.com/findincontext/.

Find It 3.0 is a $24 utility from www.skylarkutilities.com/ performs all the functions of Microsoft's Find except "find by type;" it has several improvements over the Windows Find utility, especially with the "find by content" function.

FineTune Power Utility 1.50 is a $15 goodie from www.bsoft.ic24.net/home.html that lets you tweak how Windows backs up the Registry, view backup copies within CAB files, change default folder locations, optimize your DUN settings, change how programs run from your Startup folder, and more.

Firmware Update Site lets you access a number of goodies to optimize your hard drive. Free from www.no-source.com/.

Fix-It Utilities 5.0 is a $50 package of utilities from VCom that test your PC for problems and, in some cases, repair them. The utilities include a better defragger than comes with Windows, an antivirus scanner, a hard drive failure warning system, disk cleaner, and lots more. A reader states that this program can alter demo versions of software to run without time constraints. True? You tell me, after visiting www.v-com.com/.

FlexRestart 1.1 is a Windows reboot manager that lets you take control of the shutdown and restart process. Free from angelfire.com/ab/vadimb/.

FolderBurn 1.0 ensures that your files are deleted by overwriting their hard drive space with garbage, thus foiling snooping software trying to find out what you've deleted. Free from www.zdnet.com/downloads/ (I'll post the home page when I find it).

FolderInfo 2.0 lets you create detailed reports about the contents of any folder on your Windows PC, including information on file size, allocated space, number of files and file types, complete with the directory tree just as you see it on your screen. Reports can be saved as text, HTML or XML files, and printed and compared with the current state of the folder or set of folders. $20 from www.gemmico.com/soft/fidesc.htm.

FreeRAM 1.6 frees and defragments your computer's RAM. As you use your computer, open applications, surf the Internet, and navigate Windows, your system's available memory usually decreases. FreeRAM XP Pro frees up this memory, thereby increasing system response time, stability, speed, and efficiency. FreeRAM displays how much RAM is currently available on your computer, and it also monitors your memory in the background and optimizes as needed. Free from www.yourwaresolutions.com/.

FreeSpace 1.0 reclaims wasted hard disk space by invisibly compressing directories, and even allows you to run programs from these compressed directories without loss of performance. Try it free for 30 days before the program asks $40 from you; go to www.mijenix.com.

FreeWheel 2.4 is a utility that lets you add functions to your Microsoft Intellimouse wheel. Not useful for those of us still using the old two-button jobbers, but if you've got a mouse with a wheel, put that wheel to use. Free from www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2060/freewheel.html.

FreeZip 1.4.8 is an aptly named free utility from www.ozemail.com.au/~nulifetv/freezip/ that makes zipping and unzipping files a breeze. Especially useful for novices who want to get in on the download/compression act without wanting to get too technical.

Fresh Diagnose 5.1 is a powerful analysis and benchmark tool. Free from www.freshdevices.com/.

Fresh UI 5.50 is a benchmark utility that measures, diagnoses, and tweaks your PC's settings. Free from www.freshdevices.com/freshui.html.

FullDisk 4.1 gives you a tree to navigate among your local or network drives and their folders. Select a drive or folder, and the program computes the size of that branch and shows you the results on a per-folder basis using a colored list-box of subdirectories. $13 from www.worldlynx.net/pgerhart/.

Fusion 2.0 is a free program that checks the files you burn to CD against the originals on your hard drive. Good for checking backups for reliability. Free from fusion.vslovenija.com/.

Glint 1.2 monitors your system's resources a little more thoroughly than the inbuilt Windows System Resources Meter. XP only; free from www.scitechconcept.com/glint.html.

GLSetup 1.0.0.121 detects your 3D graphics card and installs the matching OpenGL drivers. Free from www.glsetup.com/.

GoBack 3.0 is a $70 utility that protects users of shareware and downloaded programs from suffering corruption as a result of installing bad or buggy programs. GoBack restores any files changed by a particular installation with just a few keystrokes. Under certain (i.e. not too damaged) circumstances, this could be a lifesaver. Try it from www.roxio.com/.

GoldMemory 5.07 is a diagnostic utility that checks your system memory, looking for problems that don't generate error messages or are not otherwise obvious. Uses specially designed algorithms of error detection that simulate very complicated operations connected with intensive use of memory, and tests your system bus, CPU, caches, memory modules, power supply, and temperature. Can detect errors caused by incorrect settings of the memory subsystem, including BIOS settings and memory modules separate or in conjunction. $24 from www.goldmemory.cz/.

GoToMyPC is a Web-based service that lets you access your computer from any other computer that has a Net connection. The software is free, but the service itself is subscriber-based. Find out more from www.gotomypc.com/.

Greatis WinDowse 4.2 is an oddly named freebie that retrieves a variety of information about currently running apps -- text from text boxes, process IDs, mouse coordinates, instance, handle, parent handle, function, menu handle, window size, etc. Retrieved info is easily stored on disk or sent to a printer. Get the lowdown from www.greatis.com/ or greatis.virtualave.net/windowse.htm.

GRL ASD 2002 4.0n is a utility that will shut down or restart your computer, log your computer off of, or shut down your computer over, a network, or run an application after a specified amount of time has expired. You can limit computer usage to a certain amount of time, shut down your computer after a download, or restart your computer after an important system update is completed. Free for personal use from www.grltechnology.com/ .

Handy Backup 3.9 works with most any flavor of Windows, and backs up your critical data to just about any storage media. Billed as "the Swiss army knife" of backup utilities; $30 from www.handybackup.com/index.html.

HandyThing 2.00 is a free utility that automates repetitive tasks for you. Includes "hot corners" for automatic screen saver launching and prints text copied to the Clipboard. Nab it from www.starfishbay.com/handything/.

Hard Disk Indicator 1.3 lets you add your hard-disks led at your system tray. Works only on Win2k and XP systems. Free from www.lonewolf.gr/software/default.asp.

HD Speed measures both sustained and burst data transfer rates of your hard disks, cd / dvd-roms and floppy. Realtime graphical display. Free, for now, from www.steelbytes.com/.

HDCopy 2.360 copies your old hard drive configuration onto a new disk. It's a no frills, easy to use tool that will have your new hard drive set up identically to your old hard drive's Windows configuration, including hidden files. Free from home.tiscali.de/zdata/mainpage_e.htm.

H_Menu 5.0 hides on the edge of your desktop until the cursor calls it out of its lair, whereupon it launches programs, documents, pictures, Internet sites, e-mail addresses, and so forth -- up to 80 launch links. Free from www.h-menu.com/homeEN.htm.

HDD Temperature RC3 Beta monitors the temperature of your hard drive and reports unusual heat spikes. Works in tandem with Motherboard Monitor; free from www.siguardian.com/products/hddtemperature/.

Hmonitor 4.2.1.1 is an NT/2K/XP utility that uses a sensor to track the temperature of your CPU, motherboard, and other hardware components. The program lets you set alerts if the value of any parameter exceeds a threshold, and it has a "CPU Low Power mode" that can cool your PC's temperature by up to 30 degrees. $29 from www.hmonitor.com/.

Helllp 3.1b is a Winword utility that lets you create Windows help files for any application or program. You can even import graphics to illustrate your tips. $20 from www.guysoftware.com/helllp.html.

HMonitor Lite 3.2.1.7 is a utility designed to keep a weather eye on your system's essential components; it monitors CPU and motherboard temperature, voltage, and fan speeds, and features a customizable alarm that goes off when your system exceeds the recommended parameters. $15 to keep from www.hmonitor.com.

HoeKeys 1.0 assigns hotkeys to various tasks. The program is configurable with a simple INI file. Free from bcheck.arsware.org/.

Horst 3.1 is a bundle of 32 DOS-based batch file utilities. While they are all supposed to run under all versions of Windows, 2K users may find this is not the case. Useful and free from home.mnet-online.de/horst.muc/horst.htm.

HotBurn 2.0 is a CD-burning utility that is designed for ease of use. The demo version is free, but so limited as to be almost non-functional; a fully functional version is available for $25 from www.asimware.com.

Hot CPU Tester Pro 1.0 is a deep-stress tester from www.opusware.net/. It tests the CPU and virtually all parts of the motherboard for errors. An advanced user who wants to run a CPU at a higher frequency than it was designed for can also use this utility to determine whether the system is stable. Features a crash and error detector, assembly-level coding for the main procedures, and support for multiple threads with high priority level. The "lite" version is free; the $20 version tests chipsets, caches, and memory along with everything else.

Hotkey Detective 2 is a freebie from www.pcmag.com/utilities/ that lets you manage your hotkeys with little effort.

Hotkeycontrol XP 3.5 lets you create hotkeys to perform different tasks, like controlling the volume, logging on and off, shutting down, toggling active windows, running your browser or your media player, and ejecting CDs. You can also send keystrokes which may be used to type in frequently used text and run programs with optional command-line parameters and open folders and Web pages. Slick, and free from www.digital-miner.com/hkconintro.html.

HSLAB Force Down Lite 2.2.1.29 offers accelerated command shutdown, normal command shutdown, accelerated command shutdown and restart, normal command shutdown and restart, and command log off. $10 from www.hs-lab.com/Products/Shareware/fdown/lite.html.

HSLAB Shutdown Folder 1.1.0.9 BETA launches applications, command files (*.BAT, *.CMD) and symbolic links placed into a "Shutdown Folder" just before Windows shuts down, thereby accelerating shutdown. $30 from www.hs-lab.com/Products/Shareware/df/index.html.

IBS Startup Editor 0.3 lets you see the items that load at the start of your operating system, from the Windows Startup folder or the Registry. You can then delete or disable an item, add a new item, or restore existing "disabled" items. Excellent for troubleshooting an ornery Windows installation or assisting a troublesome defragmenting procedure. Free from www.ibservice.com/startedit.htm. Requires the VB 6 Runtime files.

InCtrl5, free from www.devhood.com/tools/tool_details.aspx?tool_id=432, makes a record of exactly what changes a newly installed program makes to your system, particularly to your registry and .INI settings. Not a bad thing to have on hand when a new program lays waste to your settings.

InfoRapid Search & Replace 3.0c is a free utility that does a lot more than the Find utility bundled in with Windows. Hunt it up at www.inforapid.com/html/english.htm.

Ini Edit 2.0 is a freebie from users.pandora.be/koen.van.baelen/ that helps you organize and edit .INI files.

InstallConstruct 5.4 is a full-featured Windows file distribution and installer program, designed with a user-friendly expanding wizard system to make creating Windows 3.1, 95, 95b, NT 3.51, NT (SP1-SP6), 98, ME, 2000, and XP self-extracting Packages, Installer, and Uninstallers easy. $250 from www.filestream.com/ic/.

Installed Program Printer 1.0.2 gives you a printable list of all the installed applications on your computer. The next time you install or reinstall the operating system, you'll have a list of programs to reference. Free from www.judge-software.co.uk/.

InstallWatch 2.03 logs all changes to your system after installations, making it easy to identify and take steps to undo errant installations or failed uninstalls. The $99 Pro version has lots of bells and whistles that most casual users won't need; fortunately, the Basic version is free. Find out more at www.installwatch.com/products.html.

InstantRecovery Personal Edition 4.1 is a self-contained disaster recovery solution that uses disk-imaging software to perform a physical disk image backup of any hard drive or partition directly to CD-R/CD-RW, hard disk, removable drives, tape drive or file. $64 from www.no-panic.com/recovery/irecover.html.

Intel Application Accelerator 2.2.2 is a software package for Intel CPU-based desktop PCs aimed at optimizing system performance. The program reduces the storage subsystem bottleneck, enabling faster delivery of data from the hard drive to the processor and other system level hardware, thereby providing accelerated disk speed for games, graphics applications, disk utilities, and media authoring applications. Also delivers faster overall system boot times by significantly accelerating the load time of the OS. Included in the installation package is the Intel Application Accelerator diagnostic utility that provides detailed information on all of the system ATA and ATAPI storage devices including hard drives, CD-ROM drives, DVD-ROM drives, CD-RW drives, and other ATAPI removable media drives. Free from www.intel.com/.

Intel Chipset Identification Utility 1.05 identifies the specific Intel chip set located on your motherboard. This information can be used to determine if your system supports software such as the Intel Application Accelerator, Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility, or Intel's Graphics Drivers. Free from www.intel.com/.

Intel Processor Frequency ID Utility 4.61 is a freebie that enables you to identify and, in some circumstances, determine if your Intel processor is operating at the correct and rated frequency intended by Intel Corporation. Naturally, this program works for Intel-based PCs only. Available from www.intel.com/.

Internet Access Scheduler 2.0 lets you control users' access to TCP/IP-based protocols (HTTP, FTP, SMTP, POP3, Telnet, etc.) on local computers based on date and time. Only authorized users are allowed to set rules. $25 from www.winutility.com/ias/.

IomegaWare Tools is a suite of free utilities from Iomega that work with their Zip, Jaz, Zip Plus, and Notebook Zip drives. Plenty of functionality that the drive software themselves don't offer. Check it out at www.iomega.com/software/index.html.

ISOBuster 1.0 attempts to retrieve data from "unusable" CDs. It doesn't promise to work all the time, but it's worth a shot, and free from www.smart-projects.net/isobuster/.

ITweakU Limited Edition 4.17 handles Registry changes along with Desktop, Start menu, and other system modifications. $20 from www.jockesoft.com/.

JDiskReport 1.2.1 analyzes your drive contents and reports everything it finds in a nifty pie-chart graphical display. Free from www.jgoodies.com/freeware/jdiskreport/. Needs Java to function.

JExplorer 1.5.0.6 gives you a Norton Commander-like interface to your file structure that lets you access and organize files while surfing the Internet, along with spam filters, an FTP client, and more. Free from www.sourcex.co.kr/pgms/woosjung/.

JumpToIt is a freebie from www.pcmag.com/utilities/ that gives you tray access to a short list of your favorite Web sites. The Visual C++ code is also available.

Junction Link Magic is a utility that lets experienced users create "junction points" with Win2K or XP. A junction point (also known as a reparse point) is a technology for a folder to be grafted into another folder on the same local computer. This might not seem like a big deal, but it can remove a lot of clutter. It also helps a lot when moving programs from one place to another, since just about every program in the Windows world expects to never be moved from the directory it was installed in. With junction points you can also surpass the 26 drive letter limitation. Junction points can only be created on volumes formatted with NTFS 5.0 or higher. The program automatically lists existing junction points, and it offers you an easy interface to add, modify or remove junction points. Free from www.rekenwonder.com/linkmagic.htm.

Jv16 Power Tools 1.4.0.238 is a highly recommended, multifunctional set of power tools for cleaning and controlling your PC. Free from www.vtoy.fi/jv16/shtml/jv16powertools.shtml.

KernelToys is a little bundle of joy from our pals at Microsoft. Note that it's for Win 95 only. The "toys" include an exit-to-DOS wizard, a Windows Key Disabler (DOS gamers know all about system lockups caused by the inadvertent pressing of the WinKey); a keyboard remapper, and compatibility with the 95 version of PowerToys. Hunt it down at www.microsoft.com/Windows95/downloads/
contents/WUToys/W95KernelToy/Default.asp. Warning: one source says to leave KernelToys alone, as most of them aren't that useful, the program hasn't been updated since 1996, and the most useful features are part of Win 98. You decide, but I wouldn't try them on anything except Win 95.

KeyBoarding 1.0 is a list of over 2900 keyboard shortcuts, including 60 DOS commands and switches. Free from camtech2000.net/Pages/Keyboarding.html.

KeyFinder 1.41 retrieves your Product Key (CD key) used to install Windows from your Registry. It has the options to copy the key to clipboard, save it to a text file, or print it for safekeeping. Free from www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml.

KeyText 2000 2.24 automates your most frequent keyboard and mouse actions; it enters text for you (how many times a day do you write your name and e-mail address, or the name of your company?), schedules programs to open at given times, pushes dialog-box buttons for you, and gathers text from the clipboard. It isn't a flashy program, but it's a definite time saver and eliminator of repetitive entries. Check out www.mjmsoft.com/ and be prepared to pony up $25 to keep it.

Kill Win 2.1.8 sounds ominous, but it's a simple little freebie that allows you to shut down all of your running apps with one click, or to automatically run programs like ScanDisk and Defrag at shutdown. It requires the VBRUN 6.0 program, but both are available for free downloading from www.borgking.de/bk-soft. For $15 you can get Kill Win Pro, a version that doesn't require you to create a batch file to automatically run programs at shutdown.

Kleptomania 2.0 is a $30 utility from www.structurise.com/kleptomania/ that lets you copy text from anywhere (even Windows Explorer or error messages) to the Clipboard. It uses an OCR engine to decipher and copy text from otherwise unreachable areas.

LanSpeed2 3.0.5 allow you see a graph of your upload and download speeds for any of your network connections. You can even choose the MS TCP Loopback Interface to just test your network card only. LanSpeed2 is great for beginner to intermediate-level individuals who want to learn more about networking and monitoring a network connection. Free from httpd.chello.nl/~m.vanosta/orcasoft/lanspeed.htm.

LANster 0.99.3b lets you search for files and programs over local area networks. Free from www.warpengine.com/wes-software.htm.

LastChance 1.03 lets you run system diagnostics, troubleshooting utilities, or any given program automatically as the last thing before shutdown. Free from www.fileware.com/products.htm.

Launcher III 1.42, from www.benc.hr/lnchiii.htm, lets you reorganize your palm-size PC's desktop into tabbed folders, and provides a "trash can" for deletions. As far as I can tell, it's free.

LaunchIt 2.2 puts a mini-quick launcher on your screen wherever you'd like it. Add categories such as Internet, drivers, and folders with programs in them. Free from www.skinnables.org/apps.php?section=launchers.

LaunchIt NOW! 1.5 is a powerful and free program/folder launcher. It features hotkey access, low system resource usage, can be 'always on top', Windows Shell integration, optional auto-start with Windows, and more. Find out more from www.gemiscorp.com/english/launchitnow.html.

LaunchPad for Windows 2.84 lets you perform tasks, launch apps, or display messages at specified times. $30 from www.cypressnet.com/Products/Launchpd/LaunchPd.htm.

Letter Assigner 1.2.0 is a freebie that lets you reassign drive letters to your C:, D:, and other disk, hard, or removable drives. The XP/2K/NT crowd can do it through onboard utilities; us 9x/ME people need this utility. Find out more at www.v72735.f2s.com/LetAssig/ (thanks to program creator Vadim Burtyansky for alerting me to the new site).

LockDown Network Monitor 1.0.6 monitors local or remote networks and notifies you if an individual computer or router loses it's connection to the net. The downtime is logged and documented. It also includes both email and sound warning options, and a list of many options and view modes. $35 from lockdown2000.com/.

LSH is a command line shell for Windows that emulates a Unix-like feel. Forward slashes are converted to backslashes as needed to make it a little more enjoyable. Free from lokai.net/.

MadBoot 7.03 creates boot disks to automatically install Windows in one or two clicks. Finds and corrects physical problems on the hard drive, performs surface tests, and checks read and write functionality; also has the ability to create and remove hard drive partitions using Fdisk or Gdisk, format the hard drive, and clear the BIOS when there is a password problem. Free from www.madboot.com/.

How quickly we forget...already there are plenty of users that can't quite figure out how to access and control info from their floppy disks. If that's you, or you're in need of a program that manages the files on your floppies for you, try MagicDisk99, a freebie from www.yanone.net/software/magicdisk/ that lets you create icons for your desktop that handle the floppy files.

MagicTweak 2.10 provides instant access to a variety of Windows settings that can be altered for a friendlier Windows environment. $30 from www.magictweak.com/.

MakeNewFolder 2.05 is a utility for making folders quicker than the usual Explorer method. Free from www.iansharpe.com/.

MasterBooter 2.9 is a program whose name is sure to get the juveniles among us giggling, but it's actually a powerful utility that lets you partition your hard drive to run up to six separate operating systems on the same machine. Want to experiment with Linux or BeOS? Need Win 3.1 for an old app? This utility might come in handy. Get a limited version for free from www.masterbooter.com.

Changing system settings can be a royal pain, causing you to bounce back and forth from Control Panel to My Computer to Device Manager to wherever. Master Control Panel 3.0 gives you a single access point to start customizing your system settings, as well as customizing Start, Recycle Bin, and Inbox icon names, hiding the taskbar tray, and other functions. It costs $30 to keep it; hunt it down from www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Pines/5299/index.html.

Mehul's Backup 1.1 backs up your PC's contents to networked hard drives, floppies, or larger-capacity disks such as a Zip or Jaz disk. Free from members.home.net/mamin/mbackup.html.

Mem Viewer 2.21 is a free utility that scopes your apps' memory usage and displays it in a small bar graph window. Useful, especially if you're considering adding RAM to your machine. Free from www.gene6.com/memviewer/index.html.

MemBoost 1.1.0.2 frees up your RAM at a faster clip than Windows normally does. Lets you set an "alarm level" of RAM, so when your system's available memory drops below that level, MemBoost writes all unnecessary data to a swap file, freeing up RAM in larger increments than Windows' default. Free from memboost.50g.com/.

Memory Cleaner 2.4.02 frees up memory hogged by previously closed apps, resulting in a more efficient computing session with less chance of a crash. Free from www.multimania.com/alca06/.

Memory Defragmenter 1.0.0.1 frees up wasted RAM and reports the free memory. You can configure Memory Defragmenter to automatically free memory when the amount of available RAM falls below a certain value. $15 from www.abexo.com/ram-defrag.htm.

Memory Zipper Plus 7.03 is a memory management and optimization tool that makes sure you've got all your RAM at your disposal. You can optimize the memory of your PC with a click or set the program to do it automatically. Free from www.systweak.com/.

MemoryBoost Pro helps your machine run faster, and more reliably, by recovering unused RAM. $20 from go.compuserve.com/WinSupport?SEC=10&FID=5288.

MemStat XP 1.6.0.0 monitors physical memory in Windows 98, 2000, and XP systems. Lets you track usage of memory in your system and easily free it, if needed. You can benchmark your system's memory, log memory status and customize the tray icon. Free from www.memstat.prv.pl/.

MemTest is a RAM reliability tester; it tests the ability of your computer's memory to store and retrieve data. By using it, you can insure that your computer's RAM functions correctly, an important diagnostic test for when you buy a new computer, install new RAM, or change the configuration of your machine (for instance, to overclock it). Free from hcidesign.com/windows/.

Memtest86 3.0 is a standalone memory diagnostic tool that runs from a floppy disk on system boot. It executes a series of numbered test sections to check for errors. These test sections consist of a combination of test algorithms, data patterns, and cache settings. Free from www.memtest86.com/.

MemTurbo II 2.0 claims to free up hogged RAM, defrags system memory, and fine-tunes your memory caching. From my experience with this program, it works quite well. $20 from www.memturbo.com/.

Microsoft ActiveX Control Pad, free from msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/misc/cpad/default.asp, allows Webmasters to add ActiveX controls to Web pages with a minimum of fuss.

Microsoft Intellipoint Update 3.1, a freebie from www.microsoft.com/, is an update for the Intellimouse driver. If you use the third "scrollwheel" button on your Microsoft Mouse, you need this.

MinMaxExtender 1.0 is a utility that lets you open, move, or stretch open windows in a number of ways, including minimizing them to the System Tray, maximizing them horizontally or vertically, or lots of other choices. Free from ftp://ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/
win95/desktop/mmext101.zip (the product doesn't seem to have a home page).

MN Startup Manager 1.17 lets you create new processes, delete processes or temporarily disable them without deletion. The program monitors the system registry, the WIN.INI file, and Start Menu, and will notify you of all changes. $20 from www.mn-startup-manager.com-download.net/.

Monitor Test 1.0a lets you view,