With Core Affinity Resident, you can easily set Windows processes to use different processors in order to make a program run faster or to isolate a particular program that uses a lot of processing power, and save your preferences.

Once you download and run this utility, an icon will be placed in system tray area. Clicking on the Core Affinity Resident system tray icon will bring list of running applications. Once your target application is selected, its core affinity will be shown. Now proceed to check or uncheck the desired cores and then push ‘Save’. Now your software will use only the cores you want to, and will remember your preferences in the future.

Note that setting processor affinity is only useful for programs that actually support hyper-threading. If you try this on a non hyper-threading process, it won’t make any difference and could actually slow your computer down. If you have an older application running on a dual core machine, you can set the program uses only a single core to prevent it from eating up 100% of the CPU.

Download Core Affinity Resident

Core Affinity Resident – Set Processor Affinity to Make a Program Run Faster is a post from: TechieQuest

DiskInternals Linux Reader provides for read-only access and does not allow you to make records in Ext2/Ext3 file system partitions. This guarantees that the interference in an alterative file system will not affect the work of Linux later. Apart from this, it is necessary to note, that it gives you an opportunity to use common Windows Explorer for extracting data. A preview option for pictures is one more pleasant point, which is worth mentioning.

For read and write access to the Ext2/Ext3 file system, Paragon ExtBrowser (which we have previously mentioned) is the tool where you can read, write, modify, create, delete files and folders under Windows.

While saving, it ignores file security policies. It means that it is possible to access absolutely any file on a Linux disk from Windows. The program can create and open images of Ext2/Ext3 disks.

Download DiskInternals Linux Reader Free

DiskInternals Linux Reader – Get Access To Linux Files From Windows is a post from: TechieQuest

FlashRecall will alert you with a popup-window and a beep sound from motherboard speaker when you log-off the current user or shutdown your computer without unplugging your flash drive. It also shows information about your flash drive which includes its status, free space, drive letter.

If you’re one of those people who often forgets your flash drive at your office or friend’s PC, then this tool will be very useful.

Download FlashRecall

FlashRecall Reminds You About Plugged-In USB Flash Drive is a post from: TechieQuest

You can use this tool to gather information about your computer, such as operating system, processor model, total RAM, hard drive size and speed.

For more information on Speccy, visit http://www.piriform.com/speccy

Download Speccy

Speccy System Information Utility is a post from: TechieQuest

Since MSE virus definitions are updated almost daily, the manual route was quite tiresome. To solve this situation, Addictive Tips has created a small application called MSE Update Utility which can be used to update Microsoft Security Essentials even if Windows Update is disabled.

MSE Update Utility has 4 update intervals – Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Startup. It is recommend to choose either Daily or let it remain the default (Startup).

Updating the virus definitions during startup is the best way to keep the system secure. It will automatically update the definitions and notify you when they are complete.

By default it is checked to run on startup, you can always uncheck this option later. MSE Update Utility is not for everyone, but if you fall in any one of the category below then it will come surely handy:

• Users in corporate office environment where the network administrators have disabled the Windows Update.
• Those having difficulty updating MSE using Windows Update due to some problem.
• When Windows Update is disabled by a virus.

You can download the MSE Update Utility from AddictiveTips.com. Requires .net framework 3.x to be installed in your computer to run.

Free Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) Update Utility is a post from: TechieQuest

With Windows Access Panel, you can easily access programs you use everyday to the program you probably never knew existed, and change settings of nearly everything on your Windows from one window. It is a useful tool for the novice.

Windows Access Panel groups Windows built-in programs into 2 tabs: basic and advanced. The Basic tab links commonly used apps like the Disk Cleanup, Disk Defragmenter, Registry Editor, Uninstall Programs, System Restore and Firewall, while the Advanced tab links less commonly used programs like Memory Diagnostics, DirectX Diagnostics, Remote Assistance, Synchronization Manager and Task Scheduler.

Windows Access Panel is compatible with Windows 7 & Windows Vista. It can be downloaded and used as a portable application. Place it in your Programs Files and Pin its shortcut to your Start menu and you are all set to a faster way of accessing  the “hidden” Windows system utilities.

Download Windows Access Panel

Windows Access Panel for Windows 7 & Vista – Instant Access to Windows Utilities is a post from: TechieQuest

There are ways to pin the “Show Desktop” icon in your taskbar, but required some skills. Show Desktop is free tool that provides you the easiest way to create the Show Desktop in the taskbar.

Just Download Show Desktop and double-click to install the program. Then drag the “Show desktop” icon to the taskbar, that’s all.

Restore Show Desktop Icon in Windows 7 is a post from: TechieQuest

With Paragon ExtBrowser, you can work with a Linux native file system using Windows. Just plug in your hard disk with ExtFS partitions to your PC via eSATA or USB-to-SATA and you can instantly modify files on Linux partition without installing special drivers.

Paragon ExtBrowser Key Features:

• Easy to install
• Fast and transparent access to Ext2FS/Ext3FS under Windows
• Special unmapped folder in My Computer (Explorer) to open ExtFS partitions, where you can read, write, modify, create, delete files and folders under Windows.
• Better stability with less risk to your system because there is no need to install a separate kernel mode driver
• Import/Export files and folders from/to ExtFS partitions. For example, if the hard drive is taken from NAS storage and you need to open a Linux partition and copy from it or place a new file there, ExtBrowser eliminates the need to install the hard drive or configure it for network access. Simply connect a hard drive via the eSATA connector or USB-to-SATA adapter to the PC and access your files
• Open documents and multimedia directly from ExtFS partitions. If you want to watch movies or open large documents contained on a Linux partition, simply connect the drive directly to the PC to get instant access

Download Paragon ExtBrowser here. It works with Windows 7, Vista and XP.

Paragon ExtBrowser – Enable Accessing Your Linux Partitions From Windows is a post from: TechieQuest

With WindowsPager, you can organize all open windows and groups all programs that belong to a certain project together in a virtual desktop neatly through the right click context menu.

Here is the list of WindowsPager features:

• virtual desktops, workspaces for Windows Vista/7/XP/2000
• arrange your running applications on different desktops to improve overview
• integration into the panel
• several patterns possible
• 64 bit support
• move windows between desktops by drag ‘n drop or by using the window menu
• optional keyboard shortcuts for switching the desktop
• set a window “sticky”: always visible
• “Mini-Windows” give an overview from each desktop
• support for “Flashing-Windows” (notify for new messages in Mirc for example)
• keep a window above all others by selecting “Keep on top” from the window menu
• drag `n drop between desktops
• dual/multi monitor support
• no administrator rights necessary
• no installation
• safe: automatic window restore even on crash by use of two separate processes.

WindowsPager is a portable application. Simply unzip and run, no install needed. It does not require admin privileges to run.

Download WindowsPage

WindowsPager – Manage your Virtual Desktops is a post from: TechieQuest

Pixel Ruler features:

• Free and easy to use virtual screen ruler
• Float over your screen
• Work with all applications
• Show measurements in Pixels
• Rotate to horizontal or vertical position
• Maximum of 1300 pixels
• Choose between several skins

Pixel Ruler is a free tool, you can download the latest version of Pixel Ruler from http://www.mioplanet.com/products/pixelruler.

Pixel Ruler – Free Virtual Screen Ruler is a post from: TechieQuest