[SOLVED] Looking for thoughts on some apps I've been recommended

[emcee2]

I've taken the recommendations I've collected from several articles and forums across the internets and submitted them to various websites for reactions. As is typical for the internet, not everyone agrees. Below is the current state of the list.

Do you have any experience with any of the following software? Would you be so kind as to share your experience. Any comments or criticisms would be most helpful. What have I overlooked?

I'm brand spanking new to Windows (spent my life behind a Mac) so I don't know what I don't know.


Thumbs Up
7-Zip - Unarchiver
GeForce Experience - Nvidia Drivers And Customization
MSI Afterburner - Versatile Graphics Card Utility
Rainmeter - Desktop Customization Tool
WinDirStat - Disk Usage Statistics Viewer
Your Phone - Links An Android Phone To A Pc
Memtest86 - Boots From A USB Flash Drive To Test The RAM
Bitwarden - Password Manager
Foxit Reader - PDF Reader
OBS - screen capturing
HWinfo64 - System Information, Diagnostics And Benchmarking


Thumbs Down
Aida 64 - System Information, Diagnostics And Benchmarking
AutoHotKey - Scripting
Ccleaner - System Optimization, Privacy And Cleaning
Glary Utilities - All-In-One Utility For Cleaning A Pc
IObit Advanced Systemcare - Scan, Repair, And Optimize
IObit Driver Booster - Driver Update Utility
IObit Uninstaller - Advanced Uninstall Tool
Iolo System Mechanic - Clean And Speed Up Your Pc
KeePass - Password Manager
PC Decrapifier - Bloatware Remover
Restoro - Free Version Scans Pc For Problems
Ryzen Master - Amd Utility For Overclocking
SUMo - Software Update Monitor
Speccy - Finds/Saves Computer Specs
Ultra Defrag - Disk Defragmenter For Windows
Malwarebytes - Malware Protection


No opinions yet
Autoruns - Controls Start-Up Apps
Dual Monitor Tools - Advanced Dual Or Multiple Monitor Setup
GParted - Partition Editor For Graphically Managing Disk Partitions
Microsoft To-Do - Task Management
Ninite - Software Installer
NirSoft - Password Recovery
PowerToys - Productivity Suite
Prey - Mobile Device Tracking
Radeon Control Panel - AMD Control Panel
Recuva - Advanced File Recovery
Revo Uninstaller - Advanced Software Uninstaller
Rufus - Creates Bootable Usb Flash Drives
Seer Pro - Windows Quick Look Tool
TranslucentTB - Controls Appearance Of The Taskbar
TreeSize - Disk Space Manager
Wallpaper Studio 10 - Manage Wallpapers And Backgrounds
Windows Defender Offline - Offline Scanning Tool That Runs Outside Of The OS


What else would you recommend?

Thanks, emcee2

 

[rgd1101]

haven't use foxit since it became bloated. and most browser open pdf.

 

[USAFRet]

On your Thumbs up:
Rainmeter - Can provide a very customized 'desktop', but only if you're actually into that. Can also slow down the overall experience.

On your Thumbs Down:
Speccy is fine
MalwareBytes is fine
GPartEd is fine
PowerToys is fine, used properly
Recuva is fine, used properly

On your No Opinion:
Ninite is used to install a lot of free/open source software. I use it with every new system I build.
TreeSize is fine



All these things are not meant to be running all the time. Specific tools for particular uses.

 

[emcee2]

haven't use foxit since it became bloated. and most browser open pdf.

Foxit was recommended in place of Acobat Reader (which no one likes).

I prefer to read PDFs off line, I have many books and manuals on disk. I happily use "Preview' on my Mac now. It's simple and opens most basic text and image file formats with no fuss or muss. But my Mac is making way for my new PC build. (after 35 years. The last one was DOS, but I did buy Windows 1.0 for it. Good times...)

I should also be looking for an ebook reader.

 

[rgd1101]

Foxit was recommended in place of Acobat Reader (which no one likes). I prefer to read PDFs off line, I

must be an old one. yes, at least in windows, you can drag and drop a pdf to a web browser and it will open

 

[USAFRet]

Foxit was recommended in place of Acobat Reader (which no one likes).

I use FoxIt, no problems.

 

[Math Geek]

i still use foxit myself and still like it.

i avoid anything adobe and have had no reason to look for another pdf viewer since foxit does the job well.

but honestly, i do not suggest going nuts and installing everything you find on the web without a reason.

as you use your pc a need will arise for a specific job to do. then seek a suitable program to do it. repeat as needed. this way you only have on your pc what you actually need. otherwise you end up with a ton of stuff you never use for no reason.

 

[gardenman]

What you are going to get here are other people's opinions. Don't expect everyone to match the opinions you have gathered up, or each others.

These I like:

• 7-zip
• Rainmeter
• KeePass
• AutoHotKey (maybe not good for Windows newbie).
• AutoRuns (maybe not good for Windows newbie).
• NirSoft utils (maybe not good for Windows newbie).

These I would avoid:

• Driver Booster
• Sumo

A few other apps you might want to look at:

• 7-Sticky Notes (works in Win 10)
• Audacity
• T-Clock Redux x64 (allows you to change the taskbar clock)
• Open-Shell (replace the Win10 start menu)
• IrfanView (image viewer / editor)
• Media Player Classic although many people like VLC (I don't).

 

[USAFRet]

Media Player Classic although many people like VLC (I don't).

And opinion...I like VLC, use it every day.
IrfanView - Absolutely. Again, every day.

 

[emcee2]

What you are going to get here are other people's opinions. Don't expect everyone to match the opinions you have gathered up, or each others.

You mean the internet is not all going to agree on the same thing.

I'm am getting exactly what I was hopping for. People giving recommendation from their own experience. I would never assume they had the same experances or the same recommendations.

But I am learning a lot from the comments being made. Thanks to all.

I'm sure that once all of the parts of my upcoming build arrive, my questions will change. For now, I'll keep reading, watching and foruming about how others approach Windows 10. I wish my timeing would have worked out better, seems Windows 11 will be out before I get a handle on Windows 10. Then again, as far as timing goes, I picked one hell of a year to build my first PC. Chips, cases and motherboards in short supply and GPUs nonexistent. Woe is me... But the decision to jump now instead of later was made by my dieing iMac. It's giving up the fight and about to surrender to defeat. It's G.P.U. is S.O.L. The black screens are lasting longer and longer.

 

[emcee2]

What do you guys use for moving , organizing and storing photos from cameras?

On the Mac, I put in a n SD card and 'Photos, an Apple app) pops up and transfers and sorts the photos. From here I pick 'Favorites" and then opens the ones I like ion Photoshop to make RAW adjustments.

This is something a will use ASAP and not just for enlightenment.

 

[emcee2]

i avoid anything adobe and have had no reason to look for another pdf viewer since foxit does the job well.

I've used Adobe products on just about every job I've done for decades, so I'm not completely anti-Adobe. Looks like I'll be using even more on the PC. Time will tell.

 

[USAFRet]

What do you guys use for moving , organizing and storing photos from cameras?

On the Mac, I put in a n SD card and 'Photos, an Apple app) pops up and transfers and sorts the photos. From here I pick 'Favorites" and then opens the ones I like ion Photoshop to make RAW adjustments.

This is something a will use ASAP and not just for enlightenment.

USB cable from the camera to the PC, copy the existing files in the camera to a folder on the PC.

I have a specific drive and folder for this.
Subfolder trees of RAW, jpg, movie, by year/month/day.

Manual, but easy if you keep on top of it.

Then, Adobe Lightroom to manage the RAW files and catalog.


I'm not a fan of auto-importing libraries, etc.
I prefer to know where things are.

 

[Bob.B]

I've taken the recommendations I've collected from several articles and forums across the internets and submitted them to various websites for reactions. As is typical for the internet, not everyone agrees. Below is the current state of the list.

Do you have any experience with any of the following software? Would you be so kind as to share your experience. Any comments or criticisms would be most helpful. What have I overlooked?

I'm brand spanking new to Windows (spent my life behind a Mac) so I don't know what I don't know.


Thumbs Up
7-Zip - Unarchiver
GeForce Experience - Nvidia Drivers And Customization
MSI Afterburner - Versatile Graphics Card Utility
Rainmeter - Desktop Customization Tool
WinDirStat - Disk Usage Statistics Viewer
Your Phone - Links An Android Phone To A Pc
Memtest86 - Boots From A USB Flash Drive To Test The RAM
Bitwarden - Password Manager
Foxit Reader - PDF Reader
OBS - screen capturing
HWinfo64 - System Information, Diagnostics And Benchmarking


Thumbs Down
Aida 64 - System Information, Diagnostics And Benchmarking
AutoHotKey - Scripting
Ccleaner - System Optimization, Privacy And Cleaning
Glary Utilities - All-In-One Utility For Cleaning A Pc
IObit Advanced Systemcare - Scan, Repair, And Optimize
IObit Driver Booster - Driver Update Utility
IObit Uninstaller - Advanced Uninstall Tool
Iolo System Mechanic - Clean And Speed Up Your Pc
KeePass - Password Manager
PC Decrapifier - Bloatware Remover
Restoro - Free Version Scans Pc For Problems
Ryzen Master - Amd Utility For Overclocking
SUMo - Software Update Monitor
Speccy - Finds/Saves Computer Specs
Ultra Defrag - Disk Defragmenter For Windows
Malwarebytes - Malware Protection


No opinions yet
Autoruns - Controls Start-Up Apps
Dual Monitor Tools - Advanced Dual Or Multiple Monitor Setup
GParted - Partition Editor For Graphically Managing Disk Partitions
Microsoft To-Do - Task Management
Ninite - Software Installer
NirSoft - Password Recovery
PowerToys - Productivity Suite
Prey - Mobile Device Tracking
Radeon Control Panel - AMD Control Panel
Recuva - Advanced File Recovery
Revo Uninstaller - Advanced Software Uninstaller
Rufus - Creates Bootable Usb Flash Drives
Seer Pro - Windows Quick Look Tool
TranslucentTB - Controls Appearance Of The Taskbar
TreeSize - Disk Space Manager
Wallpaper Studio 10 - Manage Wallpapers And Backgrounds
Windows Defender Offline - Offline Scanning Tool That Runs Outside Of The OS


What else would you recommend?

Thanks, emcee2

I can only comment on the products I use or have used.

Speccy..nice for a look under the hood.
Have not seen a problem with it.

Revo..just recently started testing that.
So far what I'm seeing is sometimes the stock uninstaller can leave a lot of junk behind.

Mbam..nice for a second opinion.
Win def seems to do a good job but I suppose that depends on where you go and what you do.

Ccleaner..helps toss out some of the build up.
Use along side disk cleanup and the combo can help tidy up a bit.

Open shell as mention above..makes it easier to find stuff.
Some stuff seems to be in odd places and then the next update msft moves it to some other odd place.....annoying.

 

[Remeca]

No opinions yet

Recuva - Advanced File Recovery

That saved my butt one time. I was being careless, cut a bunch of photos off my phone from my PC, pasted them onto my PC, changed my mind, hit CTRL+Z to move them back to my phone. It didn't move them back to my phone though, it just completely obliterated them. Recuva found and restored everything for free in less than half an hour after hours of failure on google and other free recovery software.

 

[emcee2]

I move far too many photos to do it all manually (a couple thousand a week is not uncommon). Using a cable not card reader sounds painful as well. I like to be able to download and keep shooting but I really like auto organizing. (at least I did on the Mac, we'll see what Windows has to offer).

Hey @USAFRet. Your sig photo looks like it was shot in my hometown.

 

[USAFRet]

I move far too many photos to do it all manually (a couple thousand a week is not uncommon). Using a cable not card reader sounds painful as well. I like to be able to download and keep shooting but I really like auto organizing. (at least I did on the Mac, we'll see what Windows has to offer).

Hey @USAFRet. Your sig photo looks like it was shot in my hometown.

"far too many"
Well, I do about 10k/year.

But done daily...it isn't that extensive.

A card reader or USB direct to the camera...either way works.

How do you do it currently?

 

[USAFRet]

Thumbs down
WinDirStat

It hasn't been updated in years and it is slow
I prefer Directory Report instead

I still use WinDirStat.

But an almost identical looking alternative is WizTree.
Much, much faster.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

I don’t use any third-party tools anymore except for malwarebytes. Chrome an edge can read PDFs just fine

I don’t have a need to install tons of software so I never use any installer software

my staples are Sublime Text 4 and Sublime Merge. That’s about it. The best editor ever And the best git client ever

 

[emcee2]

Just wanted to thank everyone once again for their recommendations.

 

[Math Geek]

i you use adobe stuff daily, then i'd suggest sticking with the suite. if they've been working for you, then they are the right ones for you

i don't use em and have learned alternatives for the products, but if they are you're daily driver and you need em, then by all means go with it.

 

[emcee2]

Looking to add back-up software to the list...

This is as much about strategies as software. What's yours, if I may be so bold to ask?

What combo of software/hardware/cloud do you like? I've become lax on my Mac and am using this move as motivation to climb back on the back-up bandwagon.

I'm thinking there are at least two types of back-ups needed.

System
Once everything is installed and updated. Save this state
After primary apps are installed and updated. Save this state.
???

Projects (aka files & folders)
Created and WIP content
Research and references
Photos/Media trove
Entertainment Media
???

- - - - - -
Here are some apps that look promising...

Macrium Reflect
lonezilla
Rescuezilla
Déjà Dup
Redo Rescue

Karen's Replicator
FreeFileSync
Duplicati
rsync

Opinions and suggestions are most welcome.

 

[USAFRet]

Opinions and suggestions are most welcome.

Macrium Reflect, all the way.

For every new system:
Create a Day 1 Image. Just the bare OS
Day 2 Image = OS + whatever updates exist + basic load of applications.
Thereafter, a rolling series of incremental images.
Each physical drive and/or system, in its own sybfolder.

What is your backup situation at home?

What is your backup situation at home? And if you don't do that, why not? Every single day, I read multiple threads here of "How do I get my stuff back?" or "That drive had 5 years of photos of my kids!!" Be it a dead drive, dropped phone, virus, accidental deletion, formatting the wrong...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Bob.B]

Looking to add back-up software to the list...

This is as much about strategies as software. What's yours, if I may be so bold to ask?

What combo of software/hardware/cloud do you like? I've become lax on my Mac and am using this move as motivation to climb back on the back-up bandwagon.

I'm thinking there are at least two types of back-ups needed.

System
Once everything is installed and updated. Save this state
After primary apps are installed and updated. Save this state.
???

Projects (aka files & folders)
Created and WIP content
Research and references
Photos/Media trove
Entertainment Media
???

- - - - - -
Here are some apps that look promising...

Macrium Reflect
lonezilla
Rescuezilla
Déjà Dup
Redo Rescue

Karen's Replicator
FreeFileSync
Duplicati
rsync

Opinions and suggestions are most welcome.

I don't think there is a one size fits all for backups.
Depends on some things like.
How complex the system is.
How many disk.
How much data.
How current do you want the backup to be.

I have a simple one disk setup.
I have 2 spare disk.
Every 15 days I make a clone.
I alternate the disk.

If data on the work disk goes poof I can spin back the clone.
If the work disk goes poof I can replace it with my last cloned disk.
Is that bullet proof...no....but it's quick and simple to use.
Covers some of the bases.