topbarfade

Software Reviews

by ianmacm

The reviews and opinions below are posted by SnapFiles visitors. They do not necessarily reflect our opinion, and are solely based on the experience of individual users.

TubeMaster Plus
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Avi conversions did not work.  qright

TubeMaster Plus version 1.1.0.2
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

First the good news: The embedded FLV capture worked not just with YouTube but with similar sites such as Metacafe. The MP4 and MPEG conversions worked OK, but the AVI ones did not, so some attention may be required here. The program is no install, so can be run from a USB stick. Apart from the AVI problem, this is good freeware and worth a look.

    Review date: Jul 03, 2008

Desk Drive
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Unusual idea  qright

Desk Drive version 1.1
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

This worked OK for USB flash drives, but did not automatically detect the DVD-ROM drive. Not everyone may need this feature, but it is worth a look.

    Review date: Jun 29, 2008

Cropper
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP

qleft  Also works with vista  qright

Cropper version 1.9
  • Interface: 4
  • Features: 4
  • Ease of use: 4
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 4

Works ok with Vista, which is not noted on the download page. Very good range of features, but does not offer automatic viewing of the captured shots, as some capture tools do.

    Review date: May 31, 2008

PalCrypt
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Works ok, other programs have more features  qright

PalCrypt version 2.1.1.9
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

Like some other file encryption tools, this piece of freeware operates using the right click feature in Windows Explorer. It is easy to use, but a) cannot encrypt entire folders, only individual files, and b) cannot create self-extracting encrypted files. Other freeware encryption tools can do this, so look around.

    Review date: May 26, 2008

CCCalc
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP/Vista

qleft  Nice graphics, but....  qright

CCCalc version 1.7
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

CCalc tries to do something unusual by portraying the calculations as they would appear on a sheet of paper. To be honest, a standard calculator screen is easier to use and I did not enjoy using the program.

    Review date: May 19, 2008

Free YouTube Download
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP/2003

qleft  Works ok  qright

Free YouTube Download version 2.2.1.1
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

There is no shortage of free YouTube downloading tools, and this one works ok and keeps the picture and sound in sync, which some do not. The interface is a bit basic, but otherwise no complaints.

    Review date: May 14, 2008

Vista I.E CacheImage View Plus
  • Freeware
  • WinXP/Vista

qleft  Works ok, not perfect for checking on history  qright

Vista I.E CacheImage View Plus
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

This program works, but it does not provide a surefire way of checking on how the browser has been used (eg by children while unattended). The cached files exist to speed up page loading times, and do not represent the entire browsing history. The browser's History section is a better guide to how it has been used, and Vista IE CacheImage View Plus cannot read this.

    Review date: Apr 19, 2008

EASEUS Deleted File Recovery
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Did not work well for me  qright

EASEUS Deleted File Recovery version 2.1.1
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

The interface is ok, but the recovered files were in poor condition and did not open properly. The program claims to recover deleted files only, and not to be a full data recovery tool. There are other freeware file recovery tools on Snapfiles which are worth a look, as EASUS Deleted File Recovery is a bit of a disappointment.

    Review date: Apr 06, 2008

SpeedConnect Connection Tester
  • Freeware
  • WinXP/Vista

qleft  Nice graphical interface  qright

SpeedConnect Connection Tester version 7.0
  • Interface: 4
  • Features: 4
  • Ease of use: 4
  • Value: 4
  • Overall: 4

The program is set by default to download a 22MB file from Microsoft, although you can choose other file locations. The purists will point out that what the program actually does is to test your connection speed to a particular server at a particular time of day. In practice, there is no such thing as a fixed internet connection speed, since a range of factors is involved in the speed obtained. SpeedConnect has a nice graphical interface and is a fun piece of freeware to try.

    Review date: Apr 06, 2008

TubeTilla YouTube Downloader
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Works ok, but interface could be clearer  qright

TubeTilla YouTube Downloader version 1.1
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 4
  • Overall: 3

This worked on my Vista computer (the program may need administrator rights to run correctly) and did the required tasks. The interface could be more clearly laid out, but once you have got the hang of it the program is not difficult to use. One point to bear in mind is that the converted video files (WMV or MP4) will be considerably larger than the original .flv files. If you want to download and play YouTube videos on a computer rather than a portable device, it is best to stick to a player that supports .flv files directly. Two good points with TubeTilla are that the files were converted quickly, and the picture and sound stayed well in sync, unlike some flv-video converters. Unless I missed it, it is not possible to change the directory where the video files are stored (the default is in Program Files which is not ideal). All in all, a good free program but maybe it could do with a few tweaks.

    Review date: Mar 29, 2008

Icon Remover
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Is this necessary?  qright

Icon Remover version 1.4
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

This program is a puzzle, because it seems to be unnecessary. By right clicking on the Windows taskbar at the bottom of the screen, it is possible to edit the properties of the tray notification area. This includes the ability to hide the "safely remove hardware" icon. Icon Remover can do this and works ok, but Windows can also do this.

    Review date: Mar 26, 2008

Free Download Manager
  • Freeware
  • WinWin (All)

qleft  Top quality freeware  qright

Free Download Manager version 2.5.755
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 4
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

When Microsoft launched Internet Explorer 7, it had a golden opportunity to give it a download manager similar to the ones in Firefox and Opera. Instead, it stuck with a very basic version little different from the one in IE6. Help is at hand with Free Download Manager, which has a range of features as wide as any user could want, including BitTorrent support. It may take a little while to get used to all the features, but it is worth the trouble. Also worth mentioning is the program's ability to be exported to a flash memory device and run as a no-install version. Definitely the best freeware download manager available.

    Review date: Mar 08, 2008

SoftPerfect File Recovery
  • Freeware
  • WinWin (All)

qleft  Excellent success rate, only one drawback  qright

SoftPerfect File Recovery version 1.2
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 4
  • Ease of use: 4
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

People often fail to realise that files deleted from a pen drive or photo memory card do not go into a recycle bin and cannot be recovered conventionally. This is where a program like SoftPerfect File Recovery can be a life saver. Although there are plenty of freeware file recovery programs, this is the best one that I have tried. It is a no-install program, and should recover any file that you can type into the "what for" box, eg .jpg or .mp3 files. There is one slight disadvantage though. Unlike most non-free file recovery programs, you cannot search simultaneously for a wide range of common file types, and would need to know the file extension of the lost file in order to stand any chance of recovering it. That said, this is as good as it gets for freeware file recovery.

    Review date: Mar 08, 2008

TrueCrypt
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Great features, help files could be clearer  qright

TrueCrypt version 4.3a
  • Interface: 3
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 4

The main advantages of TrueCrypt are a) it is completely freeware, and b) it allows the creation of encrypted volumes of unlimited size, whereas most freeware versions are limited in order to get you to pay for the registered version. The overall style of TrueCrypt tends to assume that you are reasonably fluent with computers, and the online help files may daunt some beginners. One small point is that although the encrypted volumes showed up in "Computer", they did not show up in the "Send To" menu.

    Review date: Mar 03, 2008

RealWorld Cursor Editor
  • Freeware
  • WinXP/Vista

qleft  Excellent - try it!  qright

RealWorld Cursor Editor version 2007.1
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 5
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

This was my first go with cursor editing software, although I had tried icon editing software. RealWorld Cursor Editor is very similar in use, and allows anything that you can draw to be used as a cursor. If you find this too daunting, or are just too lazy (like me), check out the wide range of free ready made cursor sets that can be downloaded at RealWorld's website.

    Review date: Feb 25, 2008

Webmaster Password Generator
  • Freeware
  • WinWin (All)

qleft  Very good freeware  qright

Webmaster Password Generator version 1.30
  • Interface: 4
  • Features: 4
  • Ease of use: 4
  • Value: 4
  • Overall: 4

Does what it says on the tin, no problems.

    Review date: Feb 11, 2008

Defraggler
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Works ok, average interface  qright

Defraggler version 1.01.050 BETA
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

This works OK, and seems to be a bit faster than the standard Windows defrag utility. However, the graphic interface is not particularly special and it would help to be able to see the colour coding system on screen at all times, rather than having to call it up separately. The defrag option is greyed out when the program is launched, although it is available from the menu in the top left hand corner. All in all, passable but not outstanding software.

    Review date: Jan 25, 2008

Comodo Firewall
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP

qleft  Excellent freeware, but too complicated?  qright

Comodo Firewall version 3.0.14.276
  • Interface: 3
  • Features: 3
  • Ease of use: 3
  • Value: 3
  • Overall: 3

First the good points: Works fine in Vista at a time when many programs do not. Also it is completely free and can compete on equal terms with many firewalls for which you have to pay. So why the doubts? There are too many balloon messages for the average user, and some of the features would be likely to confuse even an experienced person. I uninstalled this version after a while due to the excessive prompts, although there is nothing wrong with the program itself. Recommended, but only for the patient and experienced user.

    Review date: Dec 30, 2007

WinBubble
  • Freeware
  • WinWindows Vista

qleft  Excellent freeware  qright

WinBubble version 1.5
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 5
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

Definitely worth a look and a pity that it seems to be little known. There are features here that you have to pay for in many tweaking programs.

    Review date: Dec 27, 2007

Auslogics Disk Defrag
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Excellent program  qright

Auslogics Disk Defrag version 1.4.10.249
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 5
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

No complaints here, good interface and easy to use. Although it is possible to run defragmentation while doing other things, it is best to leave the computer unattended for a few hours in case it disturbs the system processes. A recommended program.

    Review date: Oct 22, 2007

Side-By-Side Explorer
  • Free Trial ($15.00)
  • Win2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Ok, but alternatives are available.  qright

Side-By-Side Explorer version 1.0
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

This is a neat idea and the program works ok. Windows Explorer already allows windows to be tiled or displayed in cascade mode, and there are freeware dual pane explorers (no names here). The program requires the .NET framework, which not all computers may have.

    Review date: Sep 06, 2007

Unit Converter Expert
  • Freeware
  • WinWin (All)

qleft  Excellent piece of freeware.  qright

Unit Converter Expert version 1.0
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 5
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

No problems here. There is a long menu of conversion options (perhaps a bit too long for the casual user), but it would be surprising if you did not find what you want here.

    Review date: Aug 22, 2007

Magic 8 Ball
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Works, but not much fun.  qright

Magic 8 Ball version 1.0
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 1
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

This works OK, but is not huge fun due to the lack of sound and basic graphics. The replies are also a bit of a letdown.

    Review date: Jul 20, 2007

Fake Progress Bar
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP/Vista

qleft  Hmm...  qright

Fake Progress Bar version 1.1
  • Interface: 3
  • Features: 3
  • Ease of use: 3
  • Value: 3
  • Overall: 3

Let's face it, your computer needs this like a motorbike needs an ashtray and a canoe needs a handbrake. However, if you like fun on your computer, then give this a try.

    Review date: Jul 07, 2007

Reach-a-Mail
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Best usb e-mail client.  qright

Reach-a-Mail version 2.82
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 5
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

This is easily the best of the freeware USB e-mail clients that I have tried. It looks and feels very much like Outlook Express, although it is simplified in some areas. It also uses the new style Vista interface.

    Review date: Jun 22, 2007

TOKIWA DataRecovery
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Works, but interface needs some improvement.  qright

TOKIWA DataRecovery version 2.3.3
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

This works OK, but should give some indication of the condition of a file, otherwise you could spend a lot of time recovering files that are not usable. It would also help to have a filter that searches for specific types of file extension (eg JPEG). It is hard to complain about a piece of freeware, but this is somewhat underpowered.

    Review date: Jun 13, 2007

Free YouTube to iPod and PSP Converter
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Works ok with quicktime player.  qright

Free YouTube to iPod and PSP Converter version 2.5
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 5
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

This works OK and is easy to use. Since I have not got an iPod, I watched the video on my computer using QuickTime player, which also supports MP4 video. The picture and sound quality are very good. For anyone looking to record and watch YouTube videos away from an internet connection, this is a very useful tool. If you would like to save a YouTube video to the original .flv format, try the freeware YouRipper on SnapFiles.

    Review date: May 14, 2007

SCREEN2EXE
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP/2003

qleft  Very good, but other outputs would help.  qright

SCREEN2EXE version 1.0
  • Interface: 4
  • Features: 4
  • Ease of use: 4
  • Value: 4
  • Overall: 4

This works ok, and is a surprisingly small download (416KB). It is easy to use, but the standalone .exe format is rather limiting. It would be better to have .avi or Flash output if possible. Another point to note is that most e-mail providers nowadays ban the sending and receiving of .exe files, so the file would need to be zipped before sending it. Anyone receiving a zipped .exe file in their e-mail inbox might be too suspicious to open it, so other formats for the videos would be useful.

    Review date: May 08, 2007

IZArc2Go
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Works ok.  qright

IZArc2Go version 3.7
  • Interface: 4
  • Features: 4
  • Ease of use: 4
  • Value: 4
  • Overall: 4

This works best with drag and drop, and has a wide range of features and supported compression formats. Some practice may be needed to use the more advanced facilities, but the basic features are easy to use. The program is 7.50 MB when unpacked, which is fairly large for a compression utility, but it boots up quickly and modern USB memory sticks should have no problems with storing it.

    Review date: Apr 25, 2007

Free Easy CD DVD Burner
  • Ad Supported (Free)
  • Win2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Ok for freeware.  qright

Free Easy CD DVD Burner version 1.2.21
  • Interface: 4
  • Features: 4
  • Ease of use: 4
  • Value: 4
  • Overall: 4

This works ok and its main strength is that it works with a wide variety of drives including DVD dual layer, which some freeware burners will not handle. The interface is a bit too simple in some areas, and the ability to save projects would be welcome. Worth a look mainly for its versatility with different drives.

    Review date: Apr 18, 2007

PC Sleep
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP/Vista

qleft  Ok, but could use some improvements.  qright

PC Sleep version 2.0
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

This works OK, but is not the hottest piece of freeware around when there are other programs doing the same thing with more features. PC Sleep is very easy to use, but lacks a facility for daily or weekly recurring actions. Many similar programs have this. This program requires the .NET framework (some computers may not have this) and it does take rather a long time to boot up. Also the word hibernate is spelled wrongly in the program (it is not hybernate). Some work needed.

    Review date: Mar 28, 2007

Internet Video Converter
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Excellent program, and free.  qright

Internet Video Converter version 1.40
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 5
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

There is a serious lack of freeware programs for converting video files between different formats, and this is easily the best one that I have tried. It worked well and was simple to use, although some of the functions require knowledge about the formats involved. The picture and sound quality was good, and it is hard to find anything to complain about when the program is free.

    Review date: Mar 18, 2007

NetResView
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP

qleft  Ok, but did not show ftp locations.  qright

NetResView version 1.10
  • Interface: 3
  • Features: 3
  • Ease of use: 3
  • Value: 3
  • Overall: 3

This program is not a direct replacement for the My Network Places feature on Windows computers, as it does not show the FTP locations that are available. It does show any local printers and workgroups, together with the MAC addresses if requested. Perhaps a future version could show the FTP loactions as well. This program is no install, so can be carried on a USB stick.

    Review date: Mar 04, 2007

EXIF ShellExtension
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP

qleft  Very easy to use.  qright

EXIF ShellExtension version 1.0.20
  • Interface: 3
  • Features: 3
  • Ease of use: 3
  • Value: 3
  • Overall: 3

Hovering over a JPEG photo will show the EXIF details for the focus and exposure settings of the image. This is easy to use since it requires no extra program to be run before viewing the EXIF data. Recommended for its simplicity.

    Review date: Feb 11, 2007

Wavosaur
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Some good features, but more work needed.  qright

Wavosaur version 1.0.0.6000 beta
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

It would not be difficult to create a sound recorder more sophisticated than the one that ships with Windows computers, and Wavosaur has some useful features. However, it could use some additional features, otherwise it will lose out to a program like the freeware Audacity which is more powerful.

    Review date: Jan 30, 2007

WinSock XP Fix
  • Freeware
  • WinWin XP

qleft  Did not work for me.  qright

WinSock XP Fix version 1.2
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

The plus side is that Winsock XP Fix did not cause any problems itself, but it did not solve the network connection problem that I was experiencing. It is best to set up a System Restore point before running this program.

    Review date: Jan 19, 2007

NetGraph
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP/2003

qleft  Nice piece of freeware.  qright

NetGraph version 2.0.4.23
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 5
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

Very easy to use and lots of configuration options. Definitely recommended.

    Review date: Dec 26, 2006

MjM Free Photo Recovery Software
  • Freeware
  • Win98/ME/2000/XP

qleft  It works!  qright

MjM Free Photo Recovery Software version 0.1
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 5
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

The program recovered 62 MB worth of JPEG photos from my 512 MB SD card, including ones from several months ago that I had almost forgotten about. All of the most recent photos were recovered, but like all photo recovery software, the program will not work miracles and is best used as quickly as possible if photos have been deleted from the card accidentally. This is the best piece of photo recovery freeware that I have seen, so give this a go before trying a paid version. The only slight disadvantage is that it recovers only JPEG photos (not videos etc) but for ordinary use this is quite sufficient.

    Review date: Dec 18, 2006

Desktop Christmas Tree
  • Freeware
  • WinWin (All)

qleft  Great fun.  qright

Desktop Christmas Tree version 1.2
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 5
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

Simple, fun piece of freeware. For a similar idea that can be used after Christmas, try the freeware Lava Lamp I-mate that puts a lava lamp on your desktop.

    Review date: Dec 11, 2006

Systemometer
  • Freeware
  • Win2000/XP/2003/Vista

qleft  Interesting program.  qright

Systemometer version 1.5.1
  • Interface: 3
  • Features: 3
  • Ease of use: 3
  • Value: 3
  • Overall: 3

For the technically minded, the way in which Systemometer presents the information about the computer's performance is known as a vectorscope. This is unusual, as is the feature which allows you to use the information as a screensaver. Although there are quite a few freeware system monitors, this one is worth a look.

    Review date: Nov 28, 2006

PDF2EXE
  • Freeware
  • WinWin (All)

qleft  Possibly limited usefulness.  qright

PDF2EXE version 1.0
  • Interface: 2
  • Features: 2
  • Ease of use: 2
  • Value: 2
  • Overall: 2

This works ok, but bear in mind that it may not be possible to send the files created by the program by e-mail, as many e-mail servers nowadays ban the sending and receiving of file attachments with the .exe extension due to security issues (this is also true of self-extracting zip files). Most computers nowadays have Acrobat Reader installed, and the freeware Foxit Reader on Snapfiles is a good alternative.

    Review date: Nov 07, 2006

IE7 Menu-on-Top Tweak
  • Freeware
  • WinWin XP

qleft  Excellent and very simple to use.  qright

IE7 Menu-on-Top Tweak version 1.0
  • Interface: 5
  • Features: 5
  • Ease of use: 5
  • Value: 5
  • Overall: 5

For reasons best known to itself, Microsoft has decided not to have the menu bar at the top of the IE7 screen where it should be. What this registry tweak does is to add a dragging handle to the menu bar so that you can put it wherever you like. Maybe Microsoft will add this feature to a future version of IE7, but at the moment this simple tweak is the only way of doing it.

    Review date: Oct 25, 2006