Nilpo`s Top Windows Add-Ons - Take Control
(Page 3 of 4 )
Startup Control Panel
Mike Lin’s Startup Control Panel is a dream come true for system administrators or anyone else who wants to take control of their system by controlling what programs are launched at start up.
This program adds a control panel applet that allows you to easily see and configure what programs run when your computer starts. A tabbed interface shows you what programs are starting up and from where they are being started. It supports far more startup locations that Microsoft’s System Configuration Utility and it doesn’t prompt you to restart your system every time you make changes. It even provides a method of restoring entries if you delete the wrong one by accident.
Oh, and for you portable app fans out there—there’s also a standalone exe version available!
Microsoft Process Explorer
This is a must-have utility for any power user. Originally developed by SysInternals, Microsoft’s Process Explorer exposes system processes like never before. A slick user interface provides quick access to valuable information about the processes running on your system.
In a quick view you can see a process’s CPU history, footprint, file dependencies, open handles, memory-mapped files, sub-processes, and much more. It also allows you to control those processes. You cannot truly understand the power of this utility until you try it out for yourself.
Unlocker
Cedrick Collomb’s Unlocker is another power app that I absolutely cannot live without. If you’ve ever received an error that a file was in use and could not be deleted or received a permission denied error trying to open a file that wasn’t released by another program, then you have got to give this app a look.
Many other programs claim to be able to release locked files, but none are as effective as Unlocker. Unlocker doesn’t attempt to release a file by simply ending the locking process; it actually releases that process’s handle on the file. It can easily be launched from the context menu, but it also provides a cool little helper app that can launch Unlocker automatically any time an access error occurs.
Next: Change the Look >>
More BrainDump Articles
More By Nilpo
