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Software Computer Helpers from Boreham Library

These sites and services have been found useful or been recommended. This is not an endorsement or guarantee of safety. Sites, software and services subject to change without notice.

Definitions:

  • Shareware is software offered free only for a limited time or with limited functions, which should be paid for and licensed later; try before you buy.
  • Freeware is software offered with no payment requirement (although sometimes donations and/or feedback are appreciated).

Index to Software Computer Helpers

Advice here comes from a number of sources, including Gizmo's Tech Support Alert email newsletter, Windows Secrets email newsletter, Smart Computing magazine, and RSS feeds from Lockergnome, The Internet Patrol, Lifehacker, Robin Good, Infopackets Windows Technology News.

Daylight Saving Time

Microsoft: Daylight Saving Time Help and Support Center
This guide helps users of computers with Microsoft Windows operating systems make sure that their computers are updated for the new daylight saving time. "Beginning in 2007, daylight saving time (DST) will be extended in the United States. DST will start on March 11, 2007, which is three weeks earlier than usual, and it will end on November 4, 2007." Include sections for home and workplaces users, IT professionals, and PDAs and cell phones.
URL: http://support.microsoft.com/dst2007 Recommended by Librarians' Internet Index.

About Daylight Saving Time Changes in 2007 (Macs)
Details for users of computers with Macintosh operating systems (Mac OS) related to the daylight saving time changes in effect starting in 2007. Discusses which versions of Mac OS account for the rule changes, and what to do if your computer is running an earlier OS. From Apple.
URL: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305056 Recommended by Librarians' Internet Index.



Microsoft Windows ME Help

Diskettes written to or formatted by Windows ME (Windows version ME came between Windows 98 and Windows XP) may not be readable on other Windows systems. We suggest that you format a diskette on a Windows computer on campus, copy to that from your Windows ME PC, and then bring it back and try it. This is NOT guaranteed to work. This is apparently a bug in Microsoft Windows ME and not the fault of the PCs on campus.
You may want to consider upgrading to a newer operating system; the store where you purchased the PC or the newer operating system may be able to do this for you as part of your purchase of the newer operating system (additional fees may apply).



Microsoft Works Help

Attention Microsoft Works users:

Microsoft Works is NOW available on campus ONLY to convert your files. Please ask at the Library's Circulation Desk if you need to have files converted from Works to Office formats.
REMEMBER: Do NOT save ANYTHING in Microsoft Works default formats (.wps) - change the format and extention to the 97-2003 version or later for the program you are using!

The most recent versions of Microsoft Works (Works 2001, 2002, 2003, etc.) have Microsoft Word built in, but may still (by default) write to the Works .wps format instead of the Word .doc format.
Older versions of MS Works wrote (unless you told it otherwise) to Microsoft's proprietary .wps format.

The Library does have a program (Conversions Plus) which is sometimes able to convert the older (95 and older) MS Works materials to Microsoft Word. This is available on the first floor at the Circulation Desk; the staff must do the conversion for you. It CANNOT convert versions later than Works 98, however. The Library now has a copy of Works solely to convert documents from Works to Office formats -- it is not for any other use.

Avoid using the .wps or other Works formats! Save to the 97-2003 or later format!

This is because even Microsoft's own Office Suite can't read older .wps files. To save Works files for versions 3.x to 6.x, save them in the .rtf (Rich Text Format), which can be used on practically any word processor including MS Word (all versions), WordPad, and others. To save files in later versions of Works, save them in the .doc format for MS Word.



Fonts Software & Links

Warning: some sites may have shareware and/or pay fonts, as well as free fonts. Please respect the font authors' terms. Download these at your own risk!

So, you know the name of the font you want -- but it's too expensive or otherwise unavailable. Try the Table of Font Analogs or the Bitstream Font Analogue to learn about similar fonts you might want to try instead.



Freeware/Shareware Resources

Try only at your own risk! Check for viruses first if the site does not!

Freeware/Shareware Web Sites

  • OOKO Search for freeware and shareware.
  • 46 Best-ever Freeware Utilities from Tech Support Alert, an excellent newsletter that tests competing products. Note that a free subscription to the newsletter gets you access to additional links to useful sites and software.
  • AppScout from PC Magazine offers info on free and other software.
  • Download Squad offers news and software.
  • Emily Chang - eHub has the latest 2.0 applications, free and other.
  • Freeware Guide
  • FreewareHome
  • MajorGeeks has software to check for problems and malware as well as other good stuff. Recommended as a PC Magazine Top 100 Undiscovered Web Site of 2007.
  • MakeUseOf "All apps and services listed here are free (99.99%), or at least come with decent free account option. Unlike other similar directories this one lists tools that are actually WORK, meaning that you won’t find a social networking website used by 50 users, or a community-powered website where there is no community." Recommended by Clif Notes Newsletter.
  • Microsoft PowerToys useful add-on utilities for Windows XP
  • OpenOffice a huge freeware program comparable to (and compatible with) Microsoft Office, including Word, Powerpoint, Excel - you can convert from OpenOffice format to Microsoft format and use on campus! For an enhanced version of this with more extras, try OxygenOffice Professional.
  • Open Source God "What's nice about this one is that it groups the 480+ programs by category. Descriptions are given but unfortunately there are no indicators for popularity or quality." from Gizmo's Tech Support Alert newsletter.
  • The Road to Know Where blog has a list of Microsoft Office freeware.
  • The Road to Know Where blog has a list of Microsoft freeware, primarily for Windows XP.
  • SnapFiles freeware page recommended by Clif Notes Newsletter.

Warning: not all of these have been tested, but they were recommended by good authorities. Use at your own risk.

Specific Freeware/Shareware

  • Calender Magic freeware for date reminders and other useful features. Recommended by PC Annoyances

  • Moffsoft Calculator is a freeware calculator that runs a visible "tape" on the screen so you can see previous entries, scroll up to be sure you entered something correctly, etc. You can also put an icon in your tray to bring it up quickly. Recommended by Smart Computing.


Macros and Shortcuts Software & Links
  • Keyboard Express is NOT freeware, it is shareware and must be bought. However, it is an indispensable utility for creating macros used by the library staff, very easy to learn and use, and highly recommended for anyone doing repetitious tasks or data that is often repeated.


Microsoft Office Software & Links

Alternatives to Microsoft Office Suite

  • Microsoft Office viewers are available if you don't have Microsoft Office programs. Click here for the download page for viewers for all MS Office products before 2007, Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook, Access, and Visio.
  • You can also use OpenOffice (a freeware equivalent for MS Office Suite) to view pre-2007 formats of Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and Access files -- as well as edit and save them to MS Office formats. OpenOffice is a huge freeware program comparable to (and compatible with) Microsoft Office, including it's own versions of Word (called Writer), Powerpoint (called Impress), Excel (called Math) and more. You can save in Microsoft format (instead of the default format) and use the files on campus computers.
    For an enhanced version of this with more extras, try OxygenOffice Professional.

Add-Ons and Plug-Ins for Microsoft Office Suite

  • Crosseyes is NOT freeware; you must buy it. It allows you to View Codes in Word the way you can in WordPerfect. The program works with Word versions 97 through XP, and with all versions of Windows except 3.1. Recommended by PC Annoyances

  • Word plug-in for ODF is a freeware plugin endorsed by Microsoft which allows MS Word to read ODF format documents from OpenOffice and other sources. Recommended by Gizmo's Support Alert Newsletter.

Advice and Help for Microsoft Office Suite

USC Marshall School of Business has some excellent how-to manuals for Office 2007 here.
Copies of some of these are available for use in-library by the 2nd floor computers.

Office 2007 Formats

Office 2007 uses a new format for Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx) and PowerPoint (.pptx) files. In order to use these with older versions of MS Office, you will need a "compatibility pack" from Microsoft which works with Office 2000, 2002 (XP), and 2003.

This only works if you already have an older version of Microsoft Office.

The Microsoft Knowledge Base article for this is 924074.

  1. FIRST download the 2003 viewers for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and install them.
  2. Then install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats for older Office software (2000, 2002, 2003).

REMEMBER: Office versions older than 2007 currently used on campus cannot read the new formats, so save in an older format if you want to be able to read it without Office 2007.
Be sure to get the free 2003 viewers and install them FIRST before the compatibility pack! They are essential for the compatibility pack to function.
This is NOT for use with other programs such as OpenOffice, WordPerfect, or other software.

Another converter for 2007 to 2003 is here. Use at your own risk -- this has not been tested by Library staff. This site seems to be very slow to load.

NW DocX Converter will convert Word 2007 and OpenOffice swx and odt files to RTF format. Be warned -- this will lose a lot of your Office formatting, so expect to only keep the actual text, and not the way it looks on the page. Use at your own risk -- this has not been tested.

Download Free Office 2007 Software from Microsoft is a list of freeware to enhance MS Office 2007.

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Word

Office for Free? Software & Links

Microsoft sells its software, so the University is not able to provide free copies of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) to anyone. The University has to pay for licenses to use that software on campus computers.
Student discounts are available from Microsoft and through many distributors.
However, a FREE substitute is OpenOffice, which can save documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats. This would allow you to work in OpenOffice at home, for example, and save in a Microsoft Office format to bring to use on campus.
The software is free, but requires very large downloads (93MB for version 2.0.3, for example). You can also get a version from the Library Software CD-ROM which can be checked out overnight from the Library. For an enhanced version of this with more extras, try OxygenOffice Professional.

There are also versions of OpenOffice which can be run from a USB Flash drive. Click here for links.



Utilities Software & Links

  • CD Utilities

    • CDCheck is freeware. This utility detects and recovers damaged files on CD-ROMs. You can discover which files on your CD are corrupted. You can also use the program proactively, to insure that your data on CD-ROMs are safe. In addition to CD-ROMs, the program can be used with other local or removable media, such as disk drives, floppy disks, and ZIP drives. The file is free for non-profit use.

  • DLL Files

    • Getting a popup that says you are missing a "DLL" file? DLL is 'Dynamic Link Library' and these files are essential to some activities. Get an explanation of what each one is at ProcessLibrary.com and get the replacement file itself at DLL-files.com.

  • Registry Cleaners

    • Fred Langa (formerly of LangaList, now at Windows Secrets) recommends in his Information Week article two cleaners to trust: commercial (pay for it) product jv16 PowerTools, or freeware EasyCleaner. Be wary of other offers to "clean up" your computer for you.

  • Virtual Utilities

  • General Utilities

    • Stickies replaces the PostIts notes stuck all over your monitor. Once on screen, stickies will remain where placed until closed, even through reboots. They can be customised; fonts, colours and buttons may be changed, and styles saved. Stickies can be resized. Stickies can snap to each other and to the sides of the screen to keep them neatly lined up. Stickies can be attached to a web site, document or folder so they only show when it's on screen. Stickies can be emailed to others. Stickies can be hidden for a certain period, until a specified date and time, or to wake every day, week or month, to act as reminders. Stickies can have alarms set to ensure you notice them at a point you choose. Stickies can be transferred to and from your Palm or PPC PDA. Stickies works with Windows 95 up through Vista. Stickies is small and simple, it writes to a single text file, and does not alter the registry.... and Stickies is completely free! Recommended by Gizmo's Tech Support Alert newsletter.

    • HottNotes is another post-it type notes program. Recommended by ClifNotesNewsletter.

    • Belarc Advisor is freeware that builds a profile of your system (hardware, software installed, etc.) and displays on your web browser. Print this out to get a current system status check. Recommended by Smart Computing.

    • Copernic has a freeware version of their desktop search utility to try out. It's faster than the XP Search function, and covers more types of files than Google's Desktop Search.

    • PowerToys for Windows XP is freeware. PowerToys for Windows XP is a suite of separately offered tools that lets you do things like view images burned to a CD as a slide show and create a Web-ready slide show of your digital pictures. The useful Alt-Tab Replacement displays the icon of the application window you are switching to, as well as a preview of the page. This is particularly helpful when multiple windows of an application are open. You can also take pictures at specified time intervals from a Webcam connected to your computer and save them to a location that you designate. Another tool, Tweak UI, gives you access to system settings that are not exposed in the Windows XP default interface, including settings for the mouse, Explorer, the taskbar, and more. Other tools let you resize images with a right-click, manage four virtual desktops, and switch users without going through the log-on screen. This suite also lets you magnify parts of the screen from the taskbar, and to open a command window (cmd.exe) by pointing to a selected folder. The Power Calculator can graph and evaluate functions as well as perform conversions. Recommended by PC Annoyances

    • ScreenHunter is freeware. ScreenHunter lets you capture rectangular areas, active windows, and full screens; you can select a hotkey from F1 to F12; you can also save your images as JPEGs, GIFs, or BMPs. Equally useful, you can save screen captures to your clipboard and paste them into Word or your email client. Recommended by PC Annoyances

    • No-Nonsense-Software includes free software to print the contents of folders (such as a list of the files on a floppy or CD), an HTML color picker, a screen capture utility, a text replacement utility, and a disk cataloging utility. Recommended by SmartComputing.

    • SnagIt is shareware. It is a more powerful screen capture utility and allows you to edit the screen.

    • Lavalys Everest Home Edition is freeware for analyzing your system. It gives details on the motherboard (such as the type of slots available, if you're thinking of changing cards), BIOS, video card and monitor, storage devices, network adapters, ports, and lots more technical detail.

    • Safarp is a faster version of the Windows Add/Remove Programs function in the Control Panel. Recommended by Gizmo's Tech Support Alert

    • SyncToy allows you to synchronize files between hard drives or flash drives. Originally designed for digital photos and music, but works for all sorts of files.

  • Shutdown Utilities

    • Quick Shutdown is freeware to allow you to log off, or shutdown, or hibernate/reboot/lock/etc. your computer when leaving just by clicking the icon in the tray. No Yes/No confirmations, just does it.

  • Startup Utilities

    • StartupControlPanel Freeware. "Startup Control Panel is a nifty control panel applet that allows you to easily configure which programs run when your computer starts. It's simple to use and, like all my programs, is very small and won't burden your system. A valuable tool for system administrators! Startup Control Panel is compatible with all modern versions of Windows, including Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, and XP." Recommended by Smart Computing

    Widgits Software & Links

    What is a Widget? A Widgit is a Javascript program that performs a certain task or set of tasks.

    What is Konfabulator? Konfabulator is a JavaScript runtime engine for Windows and Mac OS X that lets you run little files called Widgets that can do pretty much whatever you want them to. Widgets can be alarm clocks, calculators, can tell you your WiFi signal strength, will fetch the latest stock quotes for your preferred symbols, and even give your current local weather. You will need to download the Konfabulator software, and then select the Widget(s) you like. Note: Konfabulator requires Windows XP or 2000, or Mac OS 10.2 or greater -- whichever download would be the appropriate one for your system. This is not a recommendation or endorsement by UA Fort Smith or the Boreham Library.

    Stardock's DesktopX 3 ($15) features 23 widgets, including a language translator and an applet that can fetch the lyrics of virtually any song you might have a hankering to hear. The Standard ($25) and Professional ($70) versions come with tools that let you build your own widgets or overhaul your entire Windows desktop.

    Another place to find free stand-alone widgets, from clocks and calendars to abstract art generators, is at the Freeware Guide.

    Warning! Use Widgits at your own risk. As always, when using software programmed by somebody else, from a third party distributor, the original software might be dangerous or defective, or the distributor might have a fake version of normally safe software which could be dangerous or defective.



    Scheduled Tasks Help

    For Windows XP: Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Scheduled Tasks. If your Tasks are not running, be sure you assigned a password to your user in the User Accounts in the Control Panel.




    Startup Programs Help

    For Windows XP: Start button > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Information. In the left pane, expand Software Environment, and select Startup Programs. In the right pane are all the programs that run at startup.



    Windows Software Help & Links

    Windows Vista

    Windows XP
    • DriverMax is freeware which lets you specify all your current driver programs and load them quickly. For Windows Vista and XP. Recommended by Smart Computing.

    • FixMyXP offers advice from users on how to handle problems with Windows XP. Use any such advice with caution.

    • 99 Useful Run Commands for Windows XP- but if you go to the top of the page, you get 156 run commands.

    • So, you've upgraded your Windows XP to Service Pack 2 since you bought it? Then your old reinstall disc is outdated. The answer is called slipstreaming, and Smart Computing magazine recommends Paul Thurrott's slipstreaming guide for creating a new WinXP installation disc.

    Windows 98
  • "Help for Windows 98 Users: Just because Microsoft has abandoned its support for Windows 98, it doesn't mean everyone has to. This classic Windows 98 site is still being updated and is a mandatory visit for all Win98 users. The resources offered are quite amazing, including a downloadable unofficial Windows 98 Service Pack 2, a tutorial teaching how to incorporate ME enhancements into Win98 and much more. The site layout will give you eye strain but that's a small price to pay for the great tips and utilities. http://www.mdgx.com/." Recommended by Gizmo's Tech Support Alert.



Yahoo! Help

Library catalogs on Yahoo!: YES! The Boreham Library is a participating library in the Google and Yahoo services, provided through a library service called OCLC. If you look up a book on Google or Yahoo, and it gives the option to find it in a particular library, you can get to the Boreham Library catalog information, as well as other libraries in the area. However, the listing may not be a very high priority, and you may have to go through several pages of listings before you get to one for the book, even if you request the exact title. Use the regular Google or Yahoo search box, or use WorldCat directly.



Graphics and Photo Software & Links

Graphics Programs

The Windows Paint program is nice, but very limited and only does a few formats. To convert formats or create or edit something more complex, consider some of these.

  • Google SketchUp is a 3-D drawing program. Freeware. Very powerful but easy program for art, floor or building plans, furniture builders, mechanics, and others.

  • Picasa freeware from Google to organize your digital images. A free digital organizer with limited editing capabilities.

  • GIMP is the Gnu Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages.

  • IrfanView IrfanView is a very fast, small, compact and innovative FREEWARE (for non-commercial use) graphic viewer for Windows 9x/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003. It also does conversions from one graphics format to another (say, from .tif to .jpg).

  • Paint.NET "Paint.NET is image and photo manipulation software designed to be used on computers that run Windows 2000, XP, Vista, or Server 2003. It supports layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. It started development at Washington State University as an undergraduate senior design project mentored by Microsoft, and is currently being maintained by some of the alumni that originally worked on it. Originally intended as a free replacement for the MS Paint software that comes with Windows, it has grown into a powerful yet simple tool for photo and image editing. The programming language used to create Paint.NET is C#, with a small amount of C++ for setup and shell-integration related functionality."

  • poster forge is freeware to create posters using your own art, for inspirational/motivational/demotivational, "wanted", movie/film posters.

  • Fototagger is freeware. It allows you to add comments at the appropriate places on your photos, etc. For example, put names next to people, descriptions next to events, and have the tags be visible or not, when you choose. Recommended by Lockergnome.

  • Gliffy online freeware to diagram, flowchart - much like Visio. Recommended by Lifehacker.

  • Fauxto (pronounced foh-toh) is an online service similar to PhotoShop. You need to register but at this time [5/24/2007] the service is free. Save results to Fauxto's server or your hard drive. Recommended by Gizmo's Support Alert Newsletter.



Logon and Startup Screens

Tired of the same old logon and/or Windows startup screens? The following were tested by Smart Computing magazine.



Word Processing Software & Links

Word Processing Freeware

  • OpenOffice comparable and compatible with Microsoft Office documents, spreadsheets and presentations (you can save in MS Office formats and bring the files to use on campus!). Free. For an enhanced version of this with more extras (also free!) try OxygenOffice Professional.

Online Word Processing

Putting your data online means opening up your information to a third party. Even if the company is honest, it could have legal action taken against it to reveal your information. Use online software at your own risk.



Finance Software & Links

Putting your data online means opening up your information to a third party. Even if the company is honest, it could have legal action taken against it to reveal your information. Use online software at your own risk.

  • Expenses Tracker free program. Can have multiple users, which is handy for couples or groups with one checkbook or fund.
  • Google Finance offers a range of services. Login required for complete use.


Linux

While Linux is not a usual system at the Boreham Library, there is increasing interest in this alternate operating system.

  • Regular contributor to Tech Support Alert email newsletter "Briard" has written a fascinating account of how he tried a dozen different Linux distros in his search for a Vista replacement. Briard is no Linux dude, just a typical experienced Windows user, so his findings are of great relevance to any Window user who has been tempted to try the Linux path. He's written a great review; it's amusing, informative and very timely. For a different take on the same subject check out this article suggested by subscriber Robin Martin and this one suggested by Mikel Peterson.



Techniques Software & Links
  • KeyXL "Keyxl.com is the largest online database of keyboard shortcuts in the world. Our keyboard shortcut database is searchable by software program and covers all the major operating environments including Windows, Macintosh, Linux and browser-based applications." recommended by Gizmo's Tech Support Alert newsletter.

  • The keyboard combination CTRL-Z (Control key and Z key) will undo your last action in Windows.



Adobe Acrobat