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Software Reviews
by jackfrost
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.
- Freeware
2000/XP/Vista
Handy 
Hardlink Shell Extension version 2.7.0.1
- Interface: 4
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
If you have a program, or many programs, that have jumped on the bandwagon of hijacking your 'my documents' folder, then this program is extremely useful. in my case, i partition my harddrives, and on a windows box, my docs is MY DOCS, laff. it is not a space i take invasion into lightly. some programs do allow you to reconfigure, but some don't. a good example would be The Sims 2. not only does it hijack that folder, it can clog it with several gigabytes of things taking up YOUR space. this program comes in at this point. move the original to wherever you need it to go, but then hard link it back to the original location so that the offending program still functions. for all intents and purposes, the folder is in the original spot as far as the intruder is concerned. there are a number of scenarios where this is useful, but that is common one for you to consider. nice program and thank you for putting it out there.
Review date: May 28, 2007
- Freeware
- 2000/XP/2003/Vista
Another vote of confidence
WinDirStat version 1.1.2
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Decided to chime in on this nice free program and express my gratitude to the developer for making a really useful cross platform app that builds off of tree mapping better than others do. some of the others are mere curiosities, but this one has functional value and i thank them for providing it at snap-files.
Review date: May 28, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
An elegant solution
vSubst version 1.7
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This is the original that many for-pay programs have based their disk emulation off of when mounting ISOs and so forth. it still is a very relevant program all these years later in light of more complicated software that one might come across.
Review date: May 28, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
Excellent for users who read directions
Font Magic version 1.0c
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Ignore what the bloke below has to say about not "getting" the program. if you can read, or if you prefer to intuit your way around the program, as i did, then you can design great 3D lettering with this using your own fonts. i fail to see how anyone cannot use this simple and easy to use program. true, it might not meet everyones p's and q's, but it works very well. only thing i suggest would be to allow the user to select his own font textures rather than the limited number provided, but that is only if you decide to use a texture. you can tweak the lighting, rotate, shadows, etc. it rocks. used it for years. wish it were still developed.
Review date: May 27, 2007
- Freeware
- 2000/XP/Vista
Needs a rollback
ZoneAlarm version 6.5
- Interface: 4
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I am very satisfied with the older product versions, and found them to be more than adequate and quite feature rich and designed with thoughtful simplicity. i cannot say this about any version above 5.5 however and strongly urge that one dig into their own personal archive and replace any new version with an older one or to find a suitable replacement elsewhere, like (rip) sygate, etc. this is an excellent example of flagrant abuse of the word "upgrade" when applied to a newer product revision, as this is nothing more than bloated buggy nonsense and can cripple some machines. it is *not* an upgrade. it is a downgrade. look elsewhere if you don't have the pockets for a hardware firewall, etc. avoid this.
Review date: May 14, 2007
- Freeware
- 2000/XP
Top notch all the way
PeerGuardian 2 version 2.0 Beta 6b
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Use it to white list or black list single IP's or entire ranges. make your own lists or download via the preconfigured servers in the List Manager (button). it's way simple and THE essential companion to a firewall and other security suites. it blocks on the kernel level, is extremely fast, has virtually *no footprint* worth mentioning even on a K6 rig with 98SE on it and it not only has an extremely active forum, but an entire cluster of online networked websites to form a community that is second to none. there is no reason not to use this. i load it on any pc i use myself or am asked to tighten security on. it is as essential as a mouse and a monitor.
Review date: May 14, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP
Your very basic port blocker
AnalogX Port Blocker version 1.0
- Interface: 2
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 2
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Have used it for years. some caveats: launch this first before any other thing that binds itself to your network, else it will not bind and it will go crazy, even become unresponsive in the tray and will likely need KILL PROCESS put on it. also, the window cannot be resized and if you are working with a long list it will scroll back up to the top every time you work with a listed port. there is no contextual functionality in "select all" or "de-select all" and similar functionality, so you may lose your place on your list a lot and find some jobs tedious. that said... it does what it says it does, but it is no longer developed. i still use it, but depending on your actual need, perhaps consider their port mapper instead.
Review date: May 14, 2007
- Freeware
- 2000/XP
Handy for on the fly
LockNote version 1.0.3
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Text does not need formating for our purposes. text needs security and the info contained therein. multiple copies are part of the design, so no problem there. we use it for certain types of exchanges from here to there via sneaker-net and it does the job for these exchanges :)
Review date: May 14, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP
Does what it says it does
Dariks Boot and Nuke (DBAN) version 1.0.7
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
And it is included as is with Eraser (Sami's program)
Review date: May 14, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista
The standard.
Eraser version 5.7
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Widely imitated, this program has not been exceeded by any other and it has truly replaced all that preceeded it. not only does it surpass DoD spec wiping, it includes Dr. Gutmans method as well. It can even take in YOUR method, if you take the time to input it. it can also work from commandline and a boot floppy or cd-dvd. this is the first and last word in free disc space wiping, scheduled maintenance, single file wiping and disc wiping. i have many intelligence community clients who test the quality of my services, especially when using this utility, and they are more than satisfied. not only can you specify your wipes, there is drag and drop as well as contextual access and an EXCELLENT help file that will educate you more than you ever care to be educated on the subject. Sami Tolvanen, you are indeed a legend in my neck of the woods, and i thank you for your thoughtful authorship. Eraser is a work of art.
Review date: May 14, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista
Essential
Spybot - S&D version 1.4
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Never depend on just ONE spyware tool. get this one and select one or two more to form a suite of non-conflicting tools. only use ONE memory resident shield out of your suite and disable the others. don't mess with advanced features you don't understand. if you don't like the default look, find a skin you do like or design one on your own. update as often as possible and make donations if and when you can. You are a good man Patrick, and you seem tireless. Keep up the wonderful work and don't be a sell out.
Review date: May 14, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP
Thanks nir
MyUninstaller version 1.34
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Used this dandy for a while. it is vastly superior to the built in one for windows users. Mucho faster.
Review date: May 14, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP
The mac comes to the pc
Icon Restore version 1.0
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Love the right click on the desktop icons. sweetness. i have used this little DLL in the windows directory for years on windows machines. first box i put it on was a w98 box and i just take the little DLL with me everywhere. should be default in windows, it's not, too bad. but thanks to the T-man, who needs Redmond to fulfill the needs of pc users essentials, eh? aye!
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
Superior
SpywareBlaster version 3.5.1
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Essential tool for INNOCULATING a pc against known and constantly changing evil-wares. it is NOT a scanner. one uses a scanner AFTER THE FACT. one uses Spyware Blaster BEFORE THE FACT. it is a PREVENTATIVE, NOT a treatment. it is NOT memory resident and uses NO resources. if you read the authors documentation, it clearly states the intent and purpose of the code. but in a world rife with malware it is no wonder some just don't "get it". malware counts on the idiocy of the ever lazy internet using public to just click click click and never read a damn thing. that's how it gets on your machine in some cases, of course it is stealthed in most of the time, but other times it comes into your rig through the front door. the point? READ and you will know what you are getting. highly recommended.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- 2000/XP/Vista
Good back-up
Ad-Aware 2007 version 1.06r1
- Interface: 2
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 2
- Value: 5
- Overall:
It can never be a primary tool for anti-spyware, but it is still an essential tool and a good second or third in any arsenal against the scum of the earth. and as far as automatic updating goes, don't want it, don't need it. it is never good for any program ever to have that sort of unacceptable behavior. nothing beats manually initiating every action on your pc. so kudos to them for leaving an annoyance out of their code.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista
Not for the click and go crowd
RegSeeker version 1.52
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
One can NEVER simply have contact with the registry without being prepared to set aside some time to do the task at hand and it would also behoove you to spend some time educating yourself about it as much as your learning curve can stand. there is not a registry cleaner in all of the world where it is ever safe to simply haphazardly click for a scan then click for a clean. not one. you must read each finding with sobriety and know what you are doing. if you don't, well then, exit the program and call a professional to do the job for you. that said, this is a great scanner for any IT pro. i can't give it a total 5 star since the interface needs to be cleaned up a bit and the selection method - contextual menus need more work, but with a cleaner this thorough, that is only minor.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista
Smiles
Stickies version 6.0c
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Have used this proggy for more than a couple of years and it is a dandy. very helpful! thanks for coding it up and making it available!
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
Excellent for the tools usb drive
avast! Virus Cleaner version 1.0.211
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
You're a tech and you get a call from a geologist out in the field with an infected laptop, she has some critical work to finish up and a very non-understanding employer. you have to drive to the location and act quickly without fumbling thru a bunch of discs for a full featured av suite and it's installation process. so you pop in your usb stick, your portable apps menu starts promptly, you give a click to the avast cleaner that is updated regularly by you and you start a scan that reveals a popular loader. another investigation into the win32 folder cross-confirms the findings, so you click for a cleaning process. job done. as you leave and collect your fee, you recommend a fully featured memory resident av solution and say "you're welcome".
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP
Very practical
PlacesBar Constructor version 1.2
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Practicality is something that is lacking with windows. this is not a perfect solution to the "places bar" problem, but it puts a dent in it and i like it better than Tweak UI.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
Exceptional
icon sushi version 1.21 beta 2
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Great tool for customizing the Aston shell, which makes big use of PNG format. thanks for this one.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP
Utterly handy in every way
NirExt version 1.01
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Need one say more? it is so small and unobtrusive, you will take it for granted and even forget where you got it. yet you will use it everyday. ah yes, it's the little things that count...
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP
So wonderful i take it for granted
ShellExView version 1.16
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Why this is not part of the management console snap-ins for administrative tools, i will never know. but it is a critical tool and a wonderful one at that. Nir Sofers little tools are truly a way to build a better mouse trap. you are a good man Mr. Sofer.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- Win XP
Indispensible!
Autoplay Repair version 2.2.0
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Should be a default part of any windows operating system. but since it is not, i make sure it is a default tool on my tech discs. total elegance in form and function.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
The best. bar none
IrfanView version 4.0
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I have used this for about 10 years. it is the first thing i put on any pc after the o.s. and patches. i use it frequently all through out the day from movie viewing, mp3 listening and advanced photo editing. i do not give a rats ass about thumbnails, in fact, i hate them and find them incredibly annoying, so i could care less about that particular area of the program. it is incredibly easy to just go to Irfans website and get the plugins. there is nothing hard about that. it is easy as going to any other website, like this one for example. i always keep my plugins folder backed up so i can just copy-paste when building a new rig, and all one has to do is tell the program where the Photoshop filters are and you can use them too. it is indispensable, so much in fact i will never consider another image viewer, not ever (unless Irfan goes bonkers and screws the code up bad... in which case, i'll just use one of the many older versions i have archived). hey, it works portably also!
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- XP/Vista
Essential
XP-AntiSpy version 3.96-4
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
If you use or work on machines that contain the infamous windows operating system, this program will put at your fingertips the core annoyances of that operating system and the remedy to fix them with a few simple clicks without having to do all the digging yourself. when one tech has to set up many machines in just one day, this cuts the time down to nothing and it is a real timesaver while it helps to tame the intrusiveness of a rather rogue operating system. thumbs up.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
Very good
AM-DeadLink version 3.1
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This gets a great rating for me because it was able to work with every browser on the test boxes, from Opera to Firefox and even IE. It would be nice if you could export bookmarks from one to the other, as i know many clients who use 2 or more browsers and want to integrate their bookmarks in a tidy way, but still, i liked it enough to put it on my on box ;)
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP
Very good
Fasterfox version 2.0.0
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This program is a must have for a tech that wants to optimize a clients Firefox who probably doesn't have a modern internet connection and needs a little bit more than TCP and MTU tweaks. it is a very controversial program though, so use it responsibly. you should turn OFF the enhanced prefetching to respect the owners of the websites you visit so as to not use up their bandwidth and cost them money. also, if you have dial-up connection, this will not do you any good anyway. if you have low memory, say less than 1 gigabyte, turn off turn OFF the fastback feature. it can make Firefox slower (and your system), not faster. it pays to consult online documentation regarding this excellent plugin.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- 2000/XP
Perfect
USBDeview version 1.03
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Even if you have an app that shows usb dev connects already, some (like game controllers or mp3 players or cell phones) don't trigger that app when the port makes a call. so we have Nir's cool app that does the looking for you. and it does it portably too, so if you are a sys admin in the field, it can be handy.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
Super!
1by1 version 1.60
- Interface: 3
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I love it a lot as a portable app. it simply can't be beat in that regard for all that it does. the interface messes with my eyes a bit, but other than that it is a great way to demonstrate to other newbie coders how to program without bloat, without intrusion into the operating system (registry, context menus, etc). it supports plugins, so what more can one ask? well since it supports plugins, i ask that the eq get up to at least a 7 band with an appropriate range so my band can truly see if our mix good without having to use a more bloated software, and since it strains the eyes more than a bit, perhaps simple skins (for the toolbar icons) or something to natively live in the plugin folder perhaps. a lot of musicians have a use for a small spectrum analyzer, so maybe support for that type of plugin would be nice... perhaps a fourier transform. also... for some odd reason, it crashes occasionally on us, but still, it is a 5 star ware through and through.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
Wonderful
mp3DirectCut version 2.05
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I have used this program a long time, and it is very elegant with its foundation and function. what a beautiful piece of non-bloated code. like others, i have an extensive vinyl collection and make my own soundbites for ring tones for broadcasting purposes, and this program has filled the bill wonderfully because i can use it as a PORTABLE. keep up the good work~!
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
Outstanding
SIW version 1.68
- Interface: 4
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This is a must have. For a hierarchal tree-view type system auditor, it beats all others of this type, and it actually includes some very useful shortcuts within its menu structure for items integrated into the Microsoft operating systems, as well as its very own integrated tools, such as a MAC address changer. Is that not a functional and unique tool or what? and how about the great feature of its BIN CUE ISO RAW conversion? sweet indeed. For generating reports, i generally use Belarc, but Belarc falls short in report generating because it does it in html, which is not a good idea. I would ask that the programmer do two things: when an integrated tool is launched, i would like to have the choice to have it minimize the program interface or not. A simple tic box in the preferences could do this. and i would like to be able to generate reports in pdf format.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista
Needs more camera support
cam2pc - Freeware version 4.6.0
- Interface: 3
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 3
- Overall:
I have a handful of cameras and this works with the canons, but not the aiptek usb pencam. like the other reviewer below, I'll give it a wider audience when all my cameras are supported.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP
Superior
PhotoFiltre version 6.2.7
- Interface: 5
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
My digital cameras have their own software, so i don't see this program as lacking just because it doesn't interface with my cameras. I have Photoshop and rarely use it because of it's antiquated backward design, so i use Photodeluxe to perform my edits quickly with no learning curve when Irfanview won't do (which is rare since it supports Photoshop plugs). For some reason or the other though, both versions i have of Photodeluxe do not work anymore. Photofiltre to the rescue! it would be a total 5 star program if it supported layers, but since it doesn't, i have to give it a 4. still, it is a top-notch program that does what it says it does.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
Practical
POP Peeper version 3.0.1
- Interface: 3
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This is a gem of a program. i have used version 2.4.3 for over a year and i find it indispensable.
Review date: May 13, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista
Needs a lot of work
Opera version 9.2
- Interface: 3
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
In modern computing speed is not an issue on any system i make and sell to my clients. everything is fast on a modern system with a modern ISP. one can cry how fast one thing is to another and it means nothing to those of us in the 21st century with modern machines that do not use old 32 bit processing or dial-up. it's all fast now. so the important thing in a modern age of 64 bit broadband computing is never speed or resource usage. modern machines have on average 2 gigs of memory and dual core processing. if you are a gamer or a multimedia editor then speed and resource usage is an issue but not web browsing. the critical issue with web browsing is security. modern web connections are very fast and always on. one needs a browsing engine that is no way tied to the operating system. Firefox is the one for me and my customers. Opera is ok but its adblocking is terrible and its widgets are terrible. Firefox 1st Opera 2d ie and its ilk = 0.
Review date: May 13, 2007
Create interactive Flash movies and tutorials to show how applications and systems work.
A powerful, yet easy-to-use tool to automate any series of tasks you can do on your computer.
