Improving Windows doesn't necessarily mean spending money on bulky programs that take resources away from the system and slow it down. In this new collection of software tools to be installed on Windows we see the lighter and more useful ones, obviously free of charge, which improve the functions already present, both on Windows 7 and on Windows 8 and 10 .
What these programs have in common is their integration with the system and their lightness, all tools that take up very little memory, even if they remain in the background and that can be downloaded for free .
Continuing the list of 15 small and useful tools to improve Windows, we see other tools to install to get more from the internal functions of the system .
1) Q-Dir of SoftwareOk is an alternative Windows Explorer, different from the usual.
Those who spend a lot of time browsing from one folder to another by copying or moving files, can use Q-Dir to open a window made up of 4 independent panels, to open 3 folders simultaneously and continue, in the fourth box, to explore the resources of the computer.
There are also several extra features like the ability to export the details of a folder's contents to a text file.
Q-Dir can also be downloaded in a portable version to be performed without installation.
2) UndoClose is a tool that I had already reported in the past, to reopen recently closed programs on Windows.
It's basically like the Firefox or Chrome tabs restore feature, only it works on the system to restore and reopen the last closed programs with a combination of keys.
3) My Daily Wallpaper is one of many existing tools to automatically rotate desktop backgrounds with a different one every day.
This is not the best ever (John Background Switcher does not fight) but it is very light and essential, automatically downloading abstract images of animals, landscapes and others from the most popular graphic sites such as DeviantART, SuperbWallpapers, National Geographic.
The program can then change the wallpaper every few hours or every time you turn on the computer.
4) Everything is one of those tools that I never forget to put on any list.
This is the best way to search for files on your computer quickly and easily compared to the default Windows search.
This smart tool uses the NTFS disk index and works without the slightest strain on system resources, finding every file on your computer in seconds.
5) Stardock Fences really improves the Windows desktop, including Windows 8 and 10, by grouping icons into organized groups.
It is perhaps the best among the programs to customize the desktop wallpaper on Windows.
6) Timer is a small free application to see a countdown or timer on the desktop and to have a reminder that warns you when the stopwatch expires.
7) xplorer2 lite is instead one of those programs that replace the standard Windows folder window.
If Q-Dir (in point 1) does not work properly or as you would like, surely you will be satisfied with xplorer2 lite which allows you to browse folders with tabs, as is the case for any web browser.
There are also many options for accessing DOS commands, for synchronizing files, for moving, copying and pasting and much more.
Xplorer2 lite is one of the best programs for managing folders and files in Windows.
8) Feel the Wheel is an interesting tool that provides an easier way to resize program windows.
Once installed, just move the mouse cursor over the title bar of a window, turn the mouse wheel and change the size.
Simple, fast and clear!
And if that's not enough, you can hold down the Shift key, move the mouse cursor over the title bar of a window and turn the wheel to change the transparency of the window.
You can make a window completely transparent (invisible) so be careful not to lose sight of it.
FeeWhe can be downloaded from the post Mouse wheel: resize windows and change transparency
9) CloseAll is one of those life-saving tools, to be used especially in the office or in environments where you don't have enough privacy.
It is a button that closes all windows on the desktop and all running programs, in one fell swoop (if you have to save a job you will certainly be asked).
There is no interface and CloseAll doesn't have to run in the background, so it doesn't consume system resources.
CloseAll is one of the tools to close everything (windows and programs) on the pc, with a click or a button .
10) VirtuaWin is a lightweight portable tool that allows you to organize your programs and open windows into 4 virtual desktops.
The function is already integrated in Windows 10, but not in other versions such as Windows 7 and 8.
When a taskbar is full of icons, you can use the VirtuaWin menu or the key combination (Ctrl + Alt + Right / Left / Up / Down) to switch to another desktop with an empty taskbar.
VirtuaWin can be configured in many different ways and also allows you to drag windows from one desktop to another with the mouse.
Like VirtuaWin, there are also other tools to use multiple virtual desktops also in 3D
11) Ulimited Mouse is a tool to move the mouse cursor so that, if brought all the way to the right, it reappears on the left and vice versa.
This feature may not be convenient for everyone, but it's worth trying.
12) Process Explorer is a light and highly enhanced alternative to the Windows task manager, which clearly improves that of Windows 7 and also adds something to that of Windows 8 and 10 showing information on each running process, on the linked DLL files, on the file paths and also on any danger.
Process Explorer is among the best alternatives to the Task manager to manage processes and activities on Windows
13) BGInfo puts all the main computer hardware information on the desktop: date, time, CPU usage, RAM, power status (from network or battery), IP and MAC addresses and more.
14) Copy Contents is used to copy the internal contents of a file (text or image) without having to open it.
15) TinyWall protects the internet and authorizes online programs, improving and simplifying the functions of the Firewall integrated in Windows.
16) Classic Shell is the most popular and downloaded program to restore the classic Start menu in Windows 8 and 10.
17) NetCon Manager is a free tool for Windows, to set up and save different network profiles.
18) DFile-MU is one of the lightest and simplest tools to rename many files and photos together with criteria and rules
19) Agent Ransack is a tool that allows you to search text in Windows files and folders, much faster than you can do with integrated search, at least up to Windows 8.
I talked about it in the guide on how to search the contents of files in Windows 7 and 8.
20) Sandboxie is a tool that allows us to run programs of which we are not sure in a protected area of Windows so that, even if it were the most destructive of viruses, it could not do anything wrong.
Of this precious tool that I recommend to everyone to install on Windows I have spoken extensively in the guide on how to create a Sandbox where to run dangerous programs
To continue:
- 30 most useful programs for Windows
- Best 20 free Windows Utilities, to have and keep
- Best programs for a fast PC with Windows
