What Is It?

CCleaner is essentially a system optimisation tool removing unwanted and temporary files from the system along with a registry cleaner. It also removes traces of your PC use on web browsers and opened documents history.

My recent post My Current XP OS is Dying (and Holiday Weekend in the UK) outlined problems with my current XP installation. This is part of the normal cycle for a Windows OS which becomes overloaded with all sorts of files and registry entries over a period of time. Particularly for my type of use where lots of programs are installed/uninstalled and all sorts of changes are constantly being made to the system to se how things work. I though that as I am about to reinstall the system this would be an ideal opportunity to experiment with some system and registry cleaning utilities.

This will be the first post outlining the main features of CCleaner in the same way as a normal review. I will follow this up shortly with my experience in using CCleaner on the system to see what improvements it makes and any problems that result.

Why Would You Want It?

Essentially to try and get your Windows Operating System into a state where it runs more efficiently. This can be partly achieved by removing invalid entries from the registry and deleting unused temporary files. It also will remove your web browsing and opened documents history along with the associate cookies, files, shortcuts, registry entries, etc. if this is important to you. As many of the files and entries are hidden or not obvious to the average user this is almost impossible to achieve without an application such as CCleaner.

What Does It Do - The Essentials?

Summary:

• Registry Cleaner
• Removes Temporary Files
• Removes Web Browsing Traces/History
• Removes unneeded System and Application Files

Pros: What’s Good?

• Freeware
• Portable (+ Installed option)

(more…)

Popularity: 51% [?]

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

A ProReviewer Mini-me Review

This is an overview of the program and not a more detailed review

What Is It?

AVG Anti Virus 8 is the little brother to AVG Anti Virus 8 Pro and as you will see it provides much more than just virus protection.

Why Would You Want It?

Everyone needs to have anti virus software installed even if not connected to the Internet or behind a router. Even if you are normally vigilant and careful about what you download, email you open or files you copy from removable media, it only takes a moments distraction or perhaps hitting the wrong button in a message box for a virus or Trojan to get into your system. Once it’s there it will probably be impossible to completely get rid of the problems it has caused. Therefore you still need to take care even when you have an anti virus software properly installed and running!

Even if you can remove all traces as well as recover files and registry settings that have been deleted or changed, it will take you many hours. Even then will you be sure that nothing is left behind? From personal experience I would suggest if you get a virus follow information you will find on the major security/anti virus sites to make sure you are safe from it returning or lurking on some other drive and then reinstall your OS from your last backup.

A good anti virus should prevent this from happening (providing it is set up and used properly as well as updated regularly)

What Does It Do - The Essentials?

Summary:

• Anti Virus Protection
• Anti Spyware Protection
• E-mail Scanner
• Real Time Scanning of accessed files

Pros: What’s Good?

• Freeware

(more…)

Popularity: 100% [?]

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

What Is It?

Instant Eyedropper is a small utility to identify the colour of a particular screen pixel. It sits in the system tray when started and has no main GUI only an options window and a small window attached to the mouse cursor when identifying a colour.

A ProReviewer Mini-me Review

This is an overview of the program and not a more detailed review

————————————————————–

Why Would You Want It?

A quick and easy way to get identify screen colours in the various colour definition systems used for common computer applications using a Portable Application.

The supported colour formats are:

• HTML
• HEX
• Delphi Hex
• Visual Basic Hex
• RGB
• HSB

What Does It Do - The Essentials?

Summary:

• Identifies the colour of any screen pixel

Pros: What’s Good?

• Freeware

(more…)

Popularity: 31% [?]

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Q-Dir is a multi-pane file explorer and manager based around the MS Windows Explorer core functionality and then has a lot of extra bells and whistles thrown in.

A ProReviewer Mini-me Review

This is an overview of the program and not a more detailed review

What Is It?

Q-Dir is a file explorer/file manager and acts as a replacement or alternative to Windows Explorer. It provides a single to multi-pane environment to work in and has the look and feel of Windows Explore plus many useful additions. It has a lot of useful functions built in and makes clever use of Explorer context menus built into the main menu bar which provides extra functions dependant on what additional software is installed and how it has been set up.

Why Would You Want It?

File and data management are two of the key elements of personal computing after the use of individual applications that generally create the files and manipulate the data. A really good, intuitive and easy to use program for this work is an absolute essential. Unfortunately Microsoft have never provide the tool for the job.

From my own point of view I have been trying different file managers for several years, always looking for an application that lives up to my requirements and expectations., In all that time I have yet to find the perfect solution, Q-Dir still falls short of the mark but is certainly one of the best implementations I have come across in quite a while. I have tried all the popular and highly rated freeware file mangers, most are quite good but none meet my needs in full.

As a quick idea of the essential items I am looking for the following list gives a good idea:

• Simple and Intuitive to use
• Windows Explorer look and feel (in part)
• Two (or more) panes (or tab implementation for drag and drop etc.)
• Good menus/context menus/toolbars
• File name filtering (Auto)
• User or task Profiles
• Robust file handling (Move/Copy/Paste/Delete)

What Does It Do - The Essentials?

Summary:

• Windows Explore Replacement
• Multi Pane Views
• Treeviews or substitute Dropdowns
• Colour coding of file types in display (User changeable)
• Handles

Pros: What’s Good?

• Freeware

(more…)

Popularity: 46% [?]

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

What Is It?

Qliner Hotkeys provides a very intuitive and easy way to add and view existing hotkeys using the Windows Key

It is cleverly implemented, visually attractive and has lots of options for setting up new hotkeys including the ability to drag and drop programs onto the keyboard with automatic assignment of the program icon.

Why Would You Want It?

If you like to use Windows hotkeys or just would like to use them more but can’t remember where they are assigned then this is the program for you.

What Does It Do - The Essentials?

Summary:

• Displays the existing hotkey assignments
• Allows new hotkeys to be set
• Allows existing hotkeys to be moved
• Allows certain properties to be changed
• Handles multiple instances of a program
• Has additional tools (Screens Capture & ZIP Utility to add on)

Pros: What’s Good?

• Freeware

(more…)

Popularity: 30% [?]

Bookmark It

Hide Sites