Here is a short list of a few apps, which I think make Windows rock! I have considered cool third party freeware apps, which enhance the appeal & extend the functionality of Windows 8 or Windows 7.
1. Ultimate Windows Tweaker is a must-have TweakUI Utility for tweaking and optimizing Windows 8, Windows 7 & Windows Vista, 32-bit & 64-bit as well Internet Explorer. It can simply be downloaded and used as a portable application to customize your Windows to meet your requirements. With judicious tweaking, it can make your system faster, more stable, and more secure with just a few mouse clicks.
2. Fences is a free program from Stardock that helps you organize your desktop, and can hide your icons when they’re not in use. Using Fences, you can clean & your desktop by creating shaded areas which become movable and sizable containers for your icons. Double click blank spaces on your desktop and all your fences will fade out, and back.
3. Right Click Extender is a freeware utility which allows you to customize and add some important items to the right click context menu. It allows you to add or remove many additional options to a Drive, File, Folder, Computer and Desktop’s Right Click Context Menu.
4. Oxelon Media Converter is a smart freeware program which provides explorer integration and allows for quick conversions of media files. The program allows to convert video & audio files into the following formats easily!
5. Ultimate Windows Customizer will let you easily customize and change your Windows 7 (Windows 8 support to be added later) look – like changing the Start Button, Logon Screen, Thumbnails, Taskbar, Explorer look, Windows Media Player, etc.
6. FolderIco allows you to color your Windows folders, to help you distinguish them. This helps you locate your oft-used folders easily. The program can quickly change the folder icons and restore them back to the original state in one click, and integrates itself seamlessly with Windows Explorer and core services by adding an item to the context menu.
7. Windows 7 Start Button Changer allows you change the Windows 7 Start Orb or Button easily. The program will backup you original explorer.exe, change the start button and restart explorer.exe. To restore the default Start Orb and explorer from the backup, click Restore Original Explorer Backup.
8. Dual Display Mouse Manager slows down your pointer at the transition point between multiple monitors. It prevents the mouse from crossing from one screen to another too easily and allows teleporting mouse pointer between displays with a hotkey. Its a definite must-have if you use multiple monitors!
9. Folder Guide is a very useful freeware utility that provides fast access to your frequently used and favorite folders. It can operate as the part of your context menu in your Windows Explorer. After quick install it will appear in context menus of Windows Explorer and Open/Save dialogs as “Folder Guide” item.
10. 7-Zip is a free file archiver with a high compression ratio. It supports packing & unpacking of 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR formats and unpacking only of ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, DEB, DMG, HFS, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MSI, NSIS, RAR, RPM, UDF, WIM, XAR and Z.
Feel I have missed something? Please do share below in the comments!
WizMouse – activates window wherever cursor is at
Send To Toys – configure right click send to menu
Vista Start Menu – works with Win 7 just as well
WordWeb – Get definitions on or off the internet
One-Click Answers – Get info on almost anything
FixWin – you know all about this one
Clipx 1.0.3.9 Oldy but a goody Get last version.
Shark007 Win7 codecs – the only ones you’ll need
TWC’s Quick restore maker
CCleaner Portable
Revo uninstaller Portable
Device Doctor Portable
Dell Dock/object Dock/Rocket Dock
Core Temp
Evernote
Recuva
Sidebar Gadgets
– All CPU Meter
– Network Media
– Weather Center
Social Networking
-Tweet Deck
FileMenu Tools – lets you customize the context menu which is displayed when you click with right button of mouse over Windows Explorer, My Computer or Desktop.
The freeware IrfanView – http://www.irfanview.com/ will allow you to view/edit all popular image formats. A definite must-have, IMHO.
Extendable with plugins and its batch renaming/conversion makes it a breeze to work with multiple files at the same time.
Everything – search engine for Windows Explorer
Locate files and folders by name instantly.
The fastest and easiest way to find anything and Everything on your computer.
http://www.voidtools.com/
TrueCrypt
TCUP – Total commander Ultima Prime
VLC
Jdownloader
As far as I can tell, Folder Guide doesn’t do anything. It doesn’t appear in any context menus. Win7 Ultimate, x64.
FastStone Image Viewer
NFOpad
Proces Hacker
System Explorer
CCleaner
7 plus : free open-source program which aspires to make working with Windows as comfortable as possible. The feature set it adds to Windows ranges from interface extensions to the explorer to highly specialized solutions for all common tasks, with the goal of reducing the work load for the user. http://code.google.com/p/7plus/
FileMenu Tools : allows you to customize the context menu of Windows Explorer. http://www.lopesoft.com/en/fmtools/info.html
Default Program Editor : is a powerful, multi-featured file association utility for Windows. (you can change the icons, file associations and context menus f files like you do back in windows xp) http://defaultprogramseditor.com/
PowerMenu : adds some extra menu items to the windows control menu in addition to the standard “Close”, “Maximize”, etc options. The extra menus are: Always On Top, Transparency and Minimize To Tray. http://www.abstractpath.com/powermenu/
Unlocker: If you’ve ever been unable to delete a file in Windows, and can’t figure out what program’s using it, Unlocker is the solution.
emfplugin : As of Windows Vista and Window 7, the Microsoft Windows Explorer no longer displays thumbnails image previews of EMF (Enhanced Metafile) and WMF (Windows Metafile) vector graphic images. This Windows Explorer plug-in restores this capability. http://code.google.com/p/emfplugin/
MiniLyrics http://www.crintsoft.com/ great companion for Windows Media Player … and all other players for that matter.
+ Fences mentioned above
FolderGuide is not supported in Vista and Win 7, 64 bit machines. An excellent substitute is a freeware app from SourceForge called FolderMenu. It takes a little playing with to change from FolderGuide to FolderMenu, but is worth the effort. FolderMenu also launches your favorite apps. Just drag and drop a shortcut to the exe file of the program into the options window/file/program. Rename it if you wish (I did), and the menu works with a middle click of the mouse wheel. For folders just drag and drop a shortcut or the little symbol on the left side of the address bar.
The app comes in a zip file and when unpacked and executed does not install to the registry, so i dropped the exe file into a folder in Program Files x86, I named folderMenu, and created shortcuts from it and placed one in my startup folder, so that it would load when my account loads upon startup. I found this app at (http://foldermenu.sourceforge.net/).