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Freeware Files: Turn your PC to Self-Cleaning Mode, and More!

David Murphy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:14:13 -0500

Once a week, I feel like I'm either finding or running a large batch of programs in an effort to keep my computer as crap-free as possible. It's a never-ending battle. I defrag, I delete, I shuffle, I organize, I optimize, I scan... and still, what I end up downloading and installing over the next six days almost always leads me back to the good ol' "Sunday Purge," as I've come to call it.

And you? I venture that your habits are pretty similar to mine, as you're a Maximum PC reader with a thirst--nay, need--for speed. But we both don't have to waste a ton of time poring over our hard drives and giving them digital equivalent of a good flossing. There are tools, wonderful tools, that will automate this process--and automate it for free!

You're probably aware of quite a few of these applications, in fact. That's why I've cast my net over a wide swath of sites to find two little tidbits that you probably haven't heard of before. Check out the two awesome cleaning programs for yourself below, not to mention their three other freeware friends!

Belvedere

Created by our friends over at Lifehacker, this custom file-sweeping application is a great set-it-and-forget-it technique for de-cluttering your system's many leftover files. Here's how it works. Once you've launched the program, you assign folders for it to watch. You then brainstorm up some rules that you want to append to the files in said folders, guidelines that can encompass as wide a degree as, "If the extension is... then move it to" to "If the file is older than x days... delete it." The possibilities are quite vast. After that, you do nothing. Yep. Nothing. The program will watch over said folders and perform said maintenance actions without a need for any more input. True to its name, Belvedere is like having a butler for your digital mess.

Download it here!

USBDriveFresher

This one is, in a word, awesome. I realize that can be an overused phrase here at Maximum PC, so hear me out. Now that you've read about the customizable rules that you can apply to folder cleaning as a result of Belvedere, imagine having a similar functionality occur--automatically--to any USB-based device you attach to your system. That's USBDriveFresher. Although it's strictly designed for file deletion, this miniscule application runs in your system's background and automatically cleans unwanted files off any USB device. If you frequently switch between Apple and PC platforms, and can't stand the miscellaneous files that OSX dumps on your drive, this little utility is your key to a cleaner, er, key.

Download it here!

ManicTime

We're all busy. Now, suppose you're concerned about the amount of time you spend surfing the Internet versus conducting actual, paying work. Or, for that matter, perhaps your kind of work is the one where your boss wants to see an itemized list of what exactly you've been doing--for client billing, of course. Either way, ManiacTime is an excellent application for graphing out exactly what programs you use during any given day. Not only does the program record when your computer is idle or in use, but it allows you to assign labels to your exact patterns of use. Need to make an annotation for the 3 hours you spend surfing Slashdot? Try "research." Want to show your boss that you sweated bullets in PowerPoint to make that big presentation? Just look for your "working hard" label. Just finished an epic WoW raid? Try... uh. Try "brainstorming new customer engagement opportunities."

Download it here!

Process Hacker

Need more information for the various applications running in the background of your system? Tired of seeing the same-ol', same-ol' list of minor details in the default Windows Task Manager? You need Process Hacker. This open-source application gives you the same control over programs and services as Windows Task Manager. However, you not only get a wealth of information related to each running element, but Process Hacker also enables you to find hidden processes as well. While that might not sound very interesting for an average computer user who will never need this kind of direct access to an operating system's underbelly, it's a lifesaving technique to seek out and fix nasty rootkits or other untimely PC infections.

Download it here!

Immunet Protect

Using the power of a super-base of computers to detect, analyze, and report suspect virus activity is nothing new. And Immunet Protect is one more log in the antivirus fire, as this freeware application uses the power of cloud computing to provide PC protection. The interesting thing about the application is that it fully embraces the notion of cloud technology to deliver real-time, continual updates. You won't ever have to download a new batch of virus identifiers again--since you're in the cloud and seemingly connected to everyone else using Immunet Protect, you'll be ready to fight a new virus as soon as people worldwide automatically report it. It's too soon to tell how this program will fare against its free (and commercial) competition, but it's hard to say no to additional protection at a minimal cost.

Download it here!

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

How To: Manage Your Cables

David Murphy — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:21:13 -0600

Cables suck.

But it’s not your fault. You spend an hour or so arranging your desk, moving your monitor, setting up your speakers—the last thing on your mind is cable management. When it comes time to plug everything in, you just want to fire up your rig and commence fragging, or movie watching, or minesweeping. You don’t want to get arm-deep in the mucky muck you’ve created behind your computer. What you can’t see won’t hurt you, right?

Wrong. Given time, sloppy cable management always rears its ugly head. It never improves by itself, and, in fact, it gets worse with each new device you wire into your rig. But you don’t have to get crazy to get clutter free and connected. We’ve broken cable management into four easy steps, and you probably already have all the tools you need!

1. Untangle Your Cables

It goes without saying, be sure your computer is off before you start yanking every cable in sight. And pull gently.

The back of your computer can look bad enough if you’re a simple PC user; if you’re a gadget geek, it turns into a mythological nightmare. First, there are the must-have cables: a power cable for the computer itself, video and power cables for the monitor, a cable for your mouse and keyboard, and a network cable. Sound enthusiasts will add a few more to the mix, as a typical 5.1 setup comes with cables for all five satellites, a power cable for the subwoofer, and possibly an additional cable for an external volume control.

Get a little fancier and you can throw in a USB headset for gaming, two cables to power and connect an external drive, USB and power cables for a printer, and a USB cable for a webcam. That puts us at 19 separate cables, all undoubtedly going to a single tower and surge protector.

Before you start tidying, you need to start untangling. And to untangle, you must first unplug. Going with the clean-slate approach is the best way to start managing your cable catastrophe. It’s impossible to make order out of a chaotic mess of wires. You’ll save far more time by disconnecting all your cables and carefully laying them on the floor next to your workspace. If you’re overambitious, you can organize the cables by type—speaker, USB, power—but no matter how you do it, you’ll want to have a game plan.

2. Label Your Cables

You can certainly tell some cables from others by sight alone, but what about all of those black USB cords you have? Or your speaker wires?

Don’t use a Sharpie to label cables—it will surely make a mess. Thin-tipped markers are your friends.

Labeling your cables is just as important as tying them together because you don’t want to have to trace through a tangled web of cords to find out what’s what. You can buy fancy labels from the store or do what we did—use colored tape to label cables by type (USB, power, etc.), then write their purposes on the tape itself.

3. Protect your Power

Most computer-based cables are thin, efficient, and tidy. By comparison, power cables are large, unwieldy, and irritating. And they take up a ton of room when they’re all jacked into a single surge protector.

Just throwing a surge protector on the floor is the surest way to begin a cable nightmare. Concealing wires is an art form, and you can start your magnum opus by making sure your surge protector stays in one place. We used screws, but you can also use Velcro strips to mount your power strip. Some good target locations include baseboards, the underside of your desk, or even the back of a desk leg.

4.Clamp your Cables

Now that you have laid the framework for your masterful movement toward cable happiness, it’s time to get to the nitty-gritty. Grab your zip ties, roll up your sleeves, and start bunching cables together. Be sure to combine like-minded cables as much as possible. For example, speaker wires shouldn’t go alongside USB cords, as your speakers might pick up interference when you use a USB device. The same is true for network cables and power cords—consider them the oil and water of your wiring setup.

Tie, tie, tie. You can never use enough cable ties, trust us. They’re easy to cut off if you make a mistake, just don’t nick a cable along with the tie.

Start at the back of your motherboard and work your way toward each major area in your workstation: desk, subwoofer, and so forth. Keep the overall line tight by throwing on a new tie every six inches or so. And once you’re done, you can use cable clips to conceal these larger cable mash-ups along the underside of your desk.