Utilities

Ratings and Reviews of Software Utilities

Software Utilities

There are a number of software packages out there that provide interesting functions to enhance your PCs performance or provide interesting

functionality for your business - but they just can't be classified! Just because they're in the "miscellaneous" category doesn't mean that they aren't useful or solid, it's just that they provide features and functions that companies don't want to build products around or the market doesn't appear big enough to support more than just a few entrants.

No matter - you should look into the reviews below if you're looking for functionality that you can't find anywhere else - or if you're like us, and just like to poke around and find interesting software "gems" that are under publicized and under utilized. In any case - have fun!

Some vendors offer more than one package in this category. We'll review them in table format within that vendor's detailed review.

Software Utilities Review

Software Utilities*

(Rankings - best, 5 symbols, worst, 1 symbol)

Company	Best For*	Simple Start-Up	Cost	Time Savings	Ease of Use	Works With	Support	Features	Overall Rating
3B Software	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp	iiii	%%%%
Access Data	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@	YYY	pppp	iiii1/2	%%%1/2+
Allume	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYYY1/2	ppp	iiii	%%%%
American Systems	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp1/2	iiii	%%%%
Ashampoo	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp	iii1/2+	%%% 1/2+
Broderbund	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	pp1/2	iiii	%%%1/2
CE Software, Startly Technologies	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$1/2	¹¹¹¹	@@@1/2	YYYY	pppp	iiii	%%%%
Corel	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYYY	pppp	iii1/2	%%%1/2+
Cosmi	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp	iii+	%%%1/2
Enteractive	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp	iii1/2	%%%1/2
ErrorNuker	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$1/2	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	pp	iii1/2	%%%1/2
Innovatools	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp	iiii	%%%1/2
Neobyte Solutions	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp	iii1/2	%%%1/2
Software Online	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp	iii1/2	%%%1/2
Uniblue	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp+	iiii1/2	%%%%
VCOM	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp	iii1/2	%%%1/2
XELERATE	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	pp	iiii	%%%%

* A = Amateur, R = Rookie, P = Pro

3B Software

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

3B Software's FreeMem Pro, Registry Repair Pro, Tweaki Pro, and Clean Up Pro for Windows are easy to install and set up on your system.

Cost - $$$$

FreeMem Pro is priced at $19.99. Registry Repair Pro is priced at $19.99, Tweaki Pro is $19.99 and Clean Up Pro for Windows at $19.99.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
FreeMem Pro	$19.99	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP	Memory Optimizer	Boost system performance Prevent Windows and application crashes Boost available RAM Recovers and restores maximum amount of PC memory Runs in background, automatically frees memory
Registry Repair Pro	$19.99	Windows 98, NT, ME, 2000, XP, Vista	Windows Registry Repair Utility	Scan and correct invalid information in registry Repairs corrupt files Scans hard drive for invalid and incorrect program shortcuts Make backups of registry changes Scheduled checks
Clean Up Pro for Windows	$19.99	Windows 98, NT, ME, 2000, XP	Windows Clean-Up Utility	Cleans Windows operating system and hard drive Standard clean-up - takes the user step-by-step through a thorough search, looking for any type of unneeded file and providing an option to erase them Automatic clean-up - searches for unneeded files and displays a list for approval before erasure Privacy clean-up - options to empty assorted lists, caches and directories that house common, yet rarely used files Boss' Key - ALT + SPACE key hides/unhides all Windows Explorer items Custom Items - Plug-in Maker utility allows experienced users to create custom items or Plug-ins to clean during normal cleaning operations
Tweaki Pro	$19.99	Windows 98, NT, ME, 2000, XP	Windows Clean-Up Utility	Control programs that launch during system boot-up Boot Windows up to 50% faster Identify and remove applications causing system hang-ups Block online advertising companies from tracking your activity Block Windows and other important files from being erased Prevents access to Windows Locks down entire system to prevent unauthorized access Customize Internet Explorer Security Zone for maximum protection

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹

FreeMem Pro frees your system memory of applications that have "hung on " to system memory. Depending upon how much memory you have in your system and how many applications you want to use simultaneously, this can be a big help or not have much impact. Registry Repair Pro can ensure that your system is not bogged down by invalid Windows Registry references, and Clean Up Pro for Windows, as the name implies, frees hard disk space by cleaning up unneeded Windows, cache and application files. Tweaki Pro and help you control programs that launch at startup as well as preventing access to your system, Windows or files.

Ease of Use - @@@@

You simply load and basically forget about this software. It runs automatically in the background - or you can run the applications manually, step-by-step as well.

Works With - YYY

3B's software is designed for the Windows environment only.

Support - ppp

3B Software has a list of tech support topics to help answer your questions on their web site. If you need more help, email is your only option.

Features - iiii

As noted above, this software can be a real help if you run lots of memory hungry applications and you don't have a huge amount of memory in your system (or wish to upgrade your memory - or maybe you're maxed out!). It does what it does, period. Tweaki Pro lets you "tweak" system settings to lock down your system from unauthorized access, block online advertisers and control the programs that launch at start-up. Finally, Registry Repair Pro can clean-up invalid or missing Windows Registry entries ensuring that your system runs smoothly and Clean Up Pro for Windows frees disk space and ensure privacy by cleaning caches and drives of unwanted or needed files.

Overall Rating - %%%%

FreeMem Pro is an inexpensive way to try to wring every bit of use out of an older machine that you aren't willing to upgrade. Registry Repair Pro, Tweaki Pro and Clean Up Pro for Windows are cheap insurance to ensure that your Windows system stays "clean".

Access Data

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

Access Data's utilities are straight forward to install and set up for use.

Cost - Not Available

Contact Access Data for pricing.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
Rainbow Tables	Contact Vendor	Windows	Password Recovery, Crypto Key Recovery	Recover MS Office 97 and 2000 40-bit encryption keys is less than one minute Recover Adobe PDF 40-bit keys in less than one minute, 128-bit keys cannot be attacked with rainbow tables DNA and PRTK integration
PORT	Contact Vendor	Windows	Password Recovery, Crypto Key Recovery	40-bit encrypted files decrypted in 5 minutes Table available for MS Word & Excel Portable, fits on laptop 98.6% accuracy MS Office
Password Recovery Toolkit	Contact Vendor	Windows	Password Recovery Tool	Password management Analyzes files and their password with optional report file Recovers all types of passwords regardless of password length Analyzes multiple files at one time Recovers multilingual passwords Prevents unauthorized use with personal security code	Microsoft Access, ACT!, Ami Pro, Approach, ARJ, Ascend, Backup, BestCrypt, Bullet Proof FTP, Cute FTP, DataPerfect, dBase, Encrypt Magic Fldr, Excel, FoxBase, File Maker Pro, Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Mail, Microsoft Money, MYOB, My Personal Check Writer, Norton Secret Stuff, Organizer, Microsoft Outlook, Palm, Paradox, PGP Disk File 4.0, PGP Secret Key Ring, Pro Write, Microsoft Project, WinZip and Generic Zippers, Q&A, Quattro Pro, QuickBooks, Quicken, WinRAR, Scheduler+, Symphony, VersaCheck, Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Word Pro, Adobe PDF, Win95/Win98 PWL Files, IE Content Advisor, WE_FTP, Netscape Mail, Source Safe, PC-Encrypt
Forensic Toolkit 2.0	Contact Vendor	Windows	Investigative Tool	Create an image, view the registry, conduct an investigation, decrypt files, crack passwords, build a report Recover passwords from over 80 applications - use idle CPUs across the network to decrypt files and perform dictionary attacks Full Unicode and Code Page Supports Data carving engine for specifying file size, data type and pixel size Integrated viewers and media player Multi-processor, multi-threading support Reporting wizard to create reports and output them to HTML and PDF with links back to evidence
Distributed Network Attack	Contact Vendor	Windows NT 98, 2000, XP Server Windows 95, 98, NT, ME, 2000, XP, Solaris 8 clients	Recovery of password protected files	Server-based Statistics and graphs User dictionaries Optimization for password attacks for specific languages Stealth client installation Automatic client update Control which clients work on what jobs	Recovers and decrypts - ARJ, Microsoft Word and Excel (97 and 2000), PDF 1.4 and below Recovers passwords - Microsoft Office XP, PGP Disk 4, 5, 6, Pkzip, RAR up to version 2.9 of WinRAR, WinZip

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹

Access Data's tools can help you protect and diagnose system problems and recover deleted files or lost password. The tools are powerful enough for use by law enforcement personnel.

Ease of Use - @@@

Access Data's tools are designed for experienced Windows professionals.

Works With - YYY

Access Data's software is designed for the Windows environment only.

Support - pppp

Access Data has FAQs and an online bulletin board. You can also email them or call for help if you can't get your questions answered online. Tech support is available from 8 AM to 5:30 PM Mountain Time (no "800" number, you must pay long distance charges where they apply).

Features - iiii1/2

Powerful tools for systems security and law enforcement personnel. Recover lost password and/or files, decrypt PDF and Microsoft Word and Excel files and more.

Overall Rating - %%%1/2+

Powerful tools for the experienced security professional.

Allume (recently acquired by Smith Micro)

Click here to buy Allume Systems software

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

Allume's software utilities are easy to install and set up for use on your system.

Cost - $$$$

Pricing for Allume products is detailed in the table below.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
*StuffIt Deluxe 11.0*	$49.99	Windows XP, Vista	File Compression Software	Tamper-proff archives 512-bit encryption, 256-bit encryption for Zip archives, password protection Archive virus protection Easy-to-use user interface Drag and drop Contextual menu support Self-healing archives Automated FTP and email	Microsoft Office
*StuffIt Deluxe 12.0*	$79.99	Macintosh OS X 10.4 or newer	File Compression Software	Save searches in collections File management Email, FTP, .Mac access Package files for distribution Segment files across multiple disks Backup files 512-bit and 256-bit AES encryption Automatic archiving Backup recently changed files Email backup activity logs MagicMenu support Stuffit Command Line Tools PPC and Intel multi-processor and multi-core enabled Spotlight plug-in Indexing to search archives Contextual menu support	sit, sitx, zip, tar, sea, mime, rar, pf, uu, uue, exe. , hqx, gz, tgz, lha, lzh, bzip, arc, cab, yenc
Stuffit Standard 11.0	$24.99	Windows XP, Vista	File compression software	Manage and backup files Track files with Archive Manager Catalog backups Print archive manifests Tamper-proof archives Protect archive privacy with 512 and 256-bit encryption Archive virus protection Self-healing archives Easy-to-use interface
StuffIt for Solaris, Linux v5.2	$29.99	Sun Solaris 2.7 or later, compatible with most distributions of Linux running on Intel x86 based processors including: Red Hat Linux 6.x, Corel Linux	File compression software	Integrate files from Windows, Macintosh, Unix Compress files up to 20% smaller files than Zip	ZIP, SIT, RAR, ACE, MIME
StuffIt SEA Builder	$24.99	Windows 2000, XP	File compression software	Convert .zip or .sit archive into Self-Extracting Archive SEA files open automatically on any PC Display instructions to recipient Specify expansion path Run commands or batch files Save configurations
StuffIt Standard 12.0	$24.99	Macintosh OS X 10.4 or newer	File compression software	Compress MP3s with no loss of quality TIFF, PNG, GIF and BMP compressors 24-bit image compression Re-compress Zip archives into smaller files Expand 20 different compression formats compress JPEG photos up to 30% Create and open 100% compatible Windows Zip archives 5120-bit and 256-bit encryption Protection against data corruption Encrypt Stuffit and Zip files Built-in FTP, email, .Mac file transfers to Apple's iDisk Split archives apart to fit within email size limits
StuffIt Expander 12	Free	Windows XP, Vista	File expansion software	Expands and decodes any compress file Drag and drop interface Handles .SITX and 20 other compression formats Toggleable Autocheck for latest updates Open archives using strong 512-bit or AES 256-bit encryption	sitx, sit, zip, sea, tar, bin, hqx, cbr, bz2, tgz, tha, mime, rar, arc, gz, cbz, uue, exe, cab, yenc, z, pf, uu
StuffIt Wireless Windows Mobile Edition	$24.99	Windows Mobile 5 or 6	File compression software	Compress JPEG images 20 to 30 percent without loss of image quality Compress and send images via email or FTP Compress multiple images into a single archive to save space and speed up transfer times Browse image archives by thumbnail without havin to decompress the archive 256-bit AES encryption Create and expand Zip archives

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹

Everyone needs the file compression capabilities that the StuffIt product line brings. If you are sending any large document (photo, presentation, report), these are tools you can't live without.

Ease of Use - @@@@

The utilities are easy to install and use.

Works With - YYYY1/2

The StuffIt line alone supports Windows, Macintosh, Linux and Sun Solaris Operating Systems.

Support - ppp

Allume offers a FAQ and knowledge base. If you need more help, you must use their online tech support forum and hope that their folks respond to your questions quickly.

Features - iiii

StuffIt file compression tools are full of features and functions that are real time savers. We especially like the ability to compress and email files right out of Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Illustrator and PhotoShop.

Overall Rating - %%%%

If you don't own one of the StuffIt software products - you should!

American Systems

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

American Systems' software utilities are easy to install and use.

Cost - $$$$

Pricing for American Systems products is detailed below

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
Print Screen Deluxe 6.3	$29.95	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista	Screen Print Utility	Acquire images from digital cameras and scanners Capture PC screens Print the captured screen or region Email integration Time-delay function Shrink and stretch image Grey scale, gamma correction support 25 graphic image formats supported Capture to an image GIF (movie file) Add comments to screen captures Adjust print scale from 1 to 1000% Place multiple pictures on one printout Text capture
EZ Macros 5.0a	$29.95	Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP	Keyboard Macro Utility	Records keystrokes and mouse movements Macros can be created and edited manually Global and program specific macros
Print Screen 3.0	$19.95	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP	Screen Print Utility	Automatically print any full screen or when you press <PrintScreen> hot key Auto save any full screen or window to a GIF, JPG or BMP file when you press the <PrintScreen> hot key Print the date and time at the top of every screen print Invert the colors of the image Convert the image to gray scale Live update
TidyDisk 2.0	$24.95	Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP	Disk Cleaning Utility	Cleans unneeded files from hard drive Send files to Recycle Bin, delete them, move them, put them in a ZIP file or permanently delete them Automated cleanup Cleans Internet cache files Wizard Scan multiple drives at once View log of deleted files and deletion method
Internet EZ Search	$15.00	Windows	Internet Search Tool	Searches Internet using multiple search engines Search entire Web or selected areas Categories Search for single word Search for several words Search for a phrase All results automatically saved Search hard disk for specified text Find letters and documents Views a wide range of file formats Utilize "List View" or "Web View" of results

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹

Sometimes you just need to capture what is on your screen - to send to a friend, customer, co-worker - it has certainly happened to us! Print Screen Deluxe is a great way to meet that requirement, and if you're tired of typing the same 10 characters in, over and over, a keyboard macro utility like EZ Macros can turn 10 keystrokes into one.

Ease of Use - @@@@

American Systems' utilities are very easy to use and customize for your purposes.

Works With - YYY

American Systems' software is designed for the Windows environment only.

Support - ppp1/2

American Systems provides email and phone support.

Features - iiii

Some "cool" functionality in the screen print software - time delay, animation, print scale adjustment and more. EZ Macros allows you to create macros by capturing keystrokes and mouse movements or by manual creation.

Overall Rating - %%%%

If you need a screen print utility or a keyboard macro utility, these products will fulfill your requirements as will the Internet search tool and the tidy disk utility.

Ashampoo

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

Ashampoo's utilities are simple to download and set up for use.

Cost - $$$$1/2

Pricing for Ashampoo utilities is outlined in the table below.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
*Magical Snap v1.10*	$9.99	Windows 2000, XP	Screen Capture Utility	Three capture modes - Window or control, including non-rectangular shapes; predefined area, specify width and height of capture rectangle; free region, drag with the mouse to capture any area of the screen Perform multiple captures without restarting Auto-monitors Windows built-in snapshot key for quick capture Supports capture of exclusive full screen content Apply effects while capturing - drop shadows, mouse pointer with special effects shape effects Screenshot editing tools - one-click for save, erase, keep, copy, print, email, cut, crop or pixelize selections, rotate left/right, resize image, resize image canvas, unlimited undo/redo Mouse tools - Add text, draw arrows, draw shapes, felt pen drawing tool, spotlight effect, highlight area	.jpg. .bmp, .gif
WinOptimizer Platinum 3	$39.99	Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP	System Utility	Maintenance tools for keeping Windows system clean Registry cleaner Tweaking Tools Drive defragmenter System information on processor, main board, display, drives, Windows, software, network, IDE devices, USB, memory, processes and drivers Repor

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