ASR-Approved Software and Applications

My personal list of absolute no-horseshit apps that have truly worked for me.

These are Windows applications that work (for me) up through 64-bit Windows 7. 

Offline (boot-disk-based) System Tools & Recovery

Subcategory: Getting into a PC when Windows won't

Active@ Boot Disk Live - I've used a good many boot-time discs over the years... Hiren's boot CD, Geek Squad MRI tools, custom, questionable WinPE-based ones and dozens more.  This one is the sweet spot.  Need to explore files, change an account password, defrag or kill a hard drive?  Do ya?  Do some hex editing, use a local network, burn a disc or even image a machine?  On a box that won't even boot?  Here's the golden ticket, kids.  The latest version is based on Windows 7 SP1, and worth every single dime.  Best performing product I've also ever seen in the category.  An epic tech tool that no sensible tech will omit from their magic bag of tricks!

Hiren's Boot CD - One of the longest-running compilations in this category, I don't know how this person (persons?) keep cramming more and more tools onto one CD.   Go to the website to see an updated tool list - - there is no possible way I could list them all here.  Always a mystery behind the author, but the homepage and versions keep getting updated. I only know two things: The author(s) are Indian, and are medically brilliant. I've noticed there is now a third-party blog of sorts, that provides a little bit more into on the tools and also an actual link to download an .iso of the disc.  I don't ponder the sketchy legality aspect of every single tool in the collection, but can vouch that this CD has saved my bacon countless times in the past.  Is there a non-freeware tool on this that helps you?  Buy that tool.  If it's freeware, enjoy with a smile.  I'd tell you to buy Hiren's CD, but it's not for sale.  There is a means of "donating" funds to the author on his (her?  their?) website, though.

Multimedia Applications (Video)

Subcategory: Hardcoding subtitles to an existing .AVI file without re-encoding and/or tearing your hair out!

 

AVIAddXSubs is a simple to use, free program to subtitle videos converting the original srt files you may have. Its services are useful in cases your hardware player is not able to show the subtitles directly from srt or even if it does the result is not satisfactory. Using AVIAddXSubs and converting the srt you have a variety of options to configure the subtitles as regards font, font size, color, outline, position, etc. This effect is achieved through a srt conversion to another format where the subtitles are stored as bitmaps (that is, images) already prepared in your PC.  This conversion process, takes a few minutes (or a few seconds in many cases) and it doesn't re-encode the video so its quality remains exactly the same. The generated subtitles are "soft", not burned in the picture, so the user is able to activate/deactivate through his/her player's remote control the same way it does at normal DVD playback.   NOTE: Do NOT delete the original subtitle file (like .srt, etc) from the folder after converting!  i think it still has to live in the same folder you play back the .avi file from but i am honestly too lazy to check right now..


Subcategory: Joining multiple AVI or MPEG files quickly, without fuss, and without your hair turning grey...

Fast AVI MPEG Joiner is an easy-to-use tool for joining several AVI or MPEG files into bigger one. Because the program does not recompress the video files, the audio and video of the output video file do not have any quality loss. And the joining speed is extremely fast.   Fast AVI MPEG Joiner only can join the video files of the same type. Only the video files, which have same resolution, video codec and audio parameters, can be joined. 

Handling Compressed Files (.zips, .rars, etc.)

Subcategory: Unzip, Zip.  UnRar, Rar.  Rinse and Repeat.  Get in, get out.

7-Zip  An open source Windows utility for manipulating archives. Formats 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR are supported fully, other formats can be unpacked.  This fantastic utility puts the last nail in the WinZip coffin that has been both valuable and irritating for at least the past 20 years.

Handling Files within Windows, Period.

Subcategory:Stupid, small third-party apps Microsoft needs to just buy and bake into their OS once and for all...
TeraCopy / TeraCopy Pro  I'm not going into a whole diatribe or sidebar about copying/moving files from within Windows.  Yes, Microsoft has done nothing to improve this activity since DOS.  Yes, I was a user of the famous Norton Commander, and I am aware of today's FreeCommander which upholds the spirit of that app theory.   I've also messed around with programs like SynchBack from 2BrightSparks,  But for my money (or even for free), nothing is simpler and cleaner than TeraCopy by Code Sector for just getting everyday stuff moved or copied.  Puts itself right where it needs to - and stays small, clean and even pausable. 

Windows 7 Library Tool

Subcategory: Fixing or mapping Windows Libraries

Zorn Software's Win7 Library Tool  A brilliant Aussie name Peter Mosley has resolved an irritating Windows 7 library issue I was having, particularly in mapping network drives in the enterprise to Windows Libraries.  Microsoft only saw fit to provide users with a stripped-down method of performing this work, and all I have been able to find is terrible, almost programming-like workarounds.  Which did not, it turns out, work around anything.  Peter has restored order to chaos.