Essentials applications fow windows

Useful things to install on Windows system:

1st level of importance:
Setsafer or Dropmyrights
Foxit reader od Acrobat reader
Sysinternals suite
7-zip
Hillehippo update checker
Avast home edition
Flash player & nonIE
Shockwave player
JRE
Windows Defender or Spyware Terminator
Powertoys for winXP

2nd level of importance:
Crossloop
Wincalendartime or even better AMP Calendar
Firefox
Extensions for firefox:
- adblock
- spellchecker
Thunderbird
- Master password timeout
Extensions for thunderbird:
- enigmail (requires gnupg)
- spellchecker
- display mail user agent extension
- mail redirect
Openoffice.org
Google picasa
K-Lite codec pack

3rd level of importance:
SequoiaView or Windirstat
CCleaner
Cam2pc freeware
VLC player or GOM player
Infrarecorder or CDBurnerXP

Not for everyone:
Filezilla
Pidgin
DVD Shrink
Daemon Tools
DVD Decrypter
Ditto
Push pin or XNeat window manager
utorrent
Comodo firewall

Adobe Acrobat Reader is not the only PDF reader

If you thing Adobe Acrobat Reader is too slow and too complex, then you should try Foxit Reader.

Advantages, taken from the manufacturer's web site (excluded are characteristics of non-free version):

• Incredibly small: The download size of Foxit Reader is only 1.5 M which is a fraction of Acrobat Reader 20 M size
• Breezing-fast: When you run Foxit Reader, it launches instantly without any delay. You are not forced to view an annoying splash window displaying company logo, author names, etc.
• High security and privacy: Foxit Reader highly respects the security and privacy of users and will never connect to Internet without users' permission. While other PDF Reader often silently connects to the Internet in the background. Foxit PDF Reader does not contain any spyware or adware.

In a couple of months using it I had no complaints yet. Available are also versions for Windows Mobile, Embedded Linux, Desktop Linux, and even U3 USB flash drives! If you need it, it also integrates into your web browser.

Import pictures from digital cameras to creation-based folders

I use picasa for managing pictures from digital cameras, but I don't like its importing module.

As I like to have files and folders organized, I want to have pictures taken on one day in the same folder (which makes searching really easy), e.g.:

Since Picasa can't import in such way, I found one program that does that (and a lot of other things too):

http://www.nabocorp.com/cam2pc/freeware.php
(freeware version does its job more than good enough):


After inserting memory card into reader or connecting digital camera to your PC, just choose "Download pictures using Cam2PC" in the context menu, and click "OK":

Remote desktop with 0 configuration

Edit: new version has some new features (not described in this post)

This program is just great. It allows (encrypted) remote desktop connection without any configuration at all. Something like VNC or Remote Desktop, but with no need for opening ports on firewall, forwarding ports on router, configuring how to encrypt traffic etc. And it works on Win XP Home also (which lacks of Remote Desktop).

http://www.crossloop.com/index.html

e.g.: Computer B want to control desktop on computer A:

1. Computer A starts with "Access" part of the program. Name can be anything alphanumeric, Access Code is 12 digit number (used for encoding)
(all images are from http://www.crossloop.com/ipage.htm?id=help


2. Computer B starts with "Share" part, entering the same Name and Access Code:


3. Computer A allows the connection


And thats it.

Some minor considerations:

• weak part of "0 configuration" is that the traffic (or at least some part of the traffic) must travel through some third-party system, in this case the manufacturer's servers. Although all the traffic is encrypted, you have to consider the privacy issue when using this program (on the other hand, are you afraid somebody is snooping on your gmail account?)
• the program is actually a shell around TightVNC, what might be a problem, if you already have TightVNC running - after you close the connection, the normal TightVNC also stops.
• it has no module to transfer files or folders between two computers (EDIT: new version has thi)
  
• computer running as "HOST" must grant the connection, so you can't use this program e.g. to control your home PC from work, if nobody is at home
• only works in windows
  

Licence: Freeware, no spyware, no small print in EULA/TOS.


If privacy consideration is keeping you back from usage, there is an alternative, but it needs more configuration, resources and work to be done:

http://www.uvnc.com/addons/repeater.html
http://www.uvnc.com/addons/nat2nat.html

Similar principle, but instead of remote desktop you get virtual private network:
https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/vpn.asp

Saving desktop layout icons position in Windows

Really comes in handy, especially if you have bunch of icons arranged in different groups all over the desktop, and suddenly they mess up for various reasons and who knows why.

2 variants, I installed the second one:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/iconrestore.html
http://www.nthelp.com/50/save_desktop_layout.htm

Security tab in Windows XP Home

Normally you can change security settings for files or folders in Windows XP Home in safe mode. But there's a way to bypass that restriction.

Download and install x86 (Intel) version of the Security Configuration Manager from Microsoft web site:

KB: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=245216
Direct download link: ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/tools/scm/SCESP4I.EXE

























Alternative: ACLview

Connecting unpatched system to the internet

Did you know, if you fresh install windows XP or you bring a computer with preinstalled windows XP (doesn't hold for windows XP with SP2 integrated) from the store and you connect it to the internet, it will most likely be infected in just a couple of minutes, even though you won't even touch the keyboard or the mouse!

Why? A lot has been written about that:
http://news.com.com/Study:+Unpatched+PCs+compromised+in+20+minutes/2100-7349_3-5313402.html
http://aroundcny.com/technofile/texts/tec082904.html
http://www.techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?NewsID=5535

How to defend yourself? Read the great tutorial from the sans's institute:
http://www.sans.org/reading_room/whitepapers/windows/1298.php (PDF file, 1,18 MByte)


Windows XP SP2 turned on the firewall by default, so it eliminated that problem. But you can still see users installing windows XP with SP1 after the infection, and wondering, why are they being infected again. And they surely believe the Windows Update is just another Microsoft invention, so they could spy on them using pirated version of windows.

Browse safe with internet explorer

If you don't/hate to/can't use account with limited credentials for your normal work in windows, you can still use the following program which will run Internet Explorer and default mail agent with limited credentials:

http://www.amustsoft.com/1-defender/

Why is that useful: While browsing the internet you can come across malicious web site, which hosts exploits for your browser. If your browser is vulnerable, malicious things could be installed on your system (mostly spyware). By running the browser with limited credentials you can limit the impact of the infection, because the malware can't access important systems folders. For more info check the manufacturer's web site.

Some notes:

• It changes the IE and mail agent's shortcuts on the desktop and quick launch toolbar
• It does more or less the same thing as Microsoft's DropMyRights, but it is a little more user-friendly
• Internet Explorer has to be set as default web browser (have know idea why)
  
• You won't be able to install active-x/plug-ins this way (ie. flash plugin), but you can of course still run IE normal way from shortcut in start menu
• 1-defender doesn't handle .html links, so if you double click on the .html or .htm, IE with full credentials will open.
  

Licence: Freeware

Very useful replacement for windows clock

Very useful and simple replacement for windows clock in taskbar. Just like in GNOME. Left click on the clock shows the calendar, with right click you can access preferences, where you can configure come settings (not too many though). I really like it, and it's under GPL licence (in other words - totally free), and it's low on resources:

http://wincalendartime.sourceforge.net/