The best FREE software thread

[boblarson]

Here's a couple of my favorites for Access work:

Smart Indenter - http://www.oaltd.co.uk/Indenter/Default.htm

MZ Tools - http://www.mztools.com

 

[Minkey]

Very small update

I've got another couple for you (and not just to give this thread a bump )

3 video editing/ effects software (all from the same guys)

Wax - video editing software with dynamic 2D and 3D effects.
WinMorph - video morphing software.
Wink - used to create tutorial/ presentation/ demos.

Diagram software

Dia - create Visio like diagrams

Haven't use any of them personally but all come highly recommended from reliable sources.

 

[Ron_dK]

Diagram software

Dia - create Visio like diagrams

This Dia is great stuff Minky, unfortunately it's only for Unix/Linux. Is there a windows version somewhere ?.

 

[Minkey]

This Dia is great stuff Minky, unfortunately it's only for Unix/Linux. Is there a windows version somewhere ?.

.....windows you say.....is that some other type of O/S ??

OK my bad - how about Inkscape - it more of a graphics creator/ editor but should do the job. Or how about Draw part of the Open office suite.

 

[Ron_dK]

....is that some other type of O/S ??

What's an O/S (ongelooflijke sukkel ?)

how about Inkscape

I downloaded Inkscape. Seems a pretty good program. Thanks for that .

 

[tehNellie]

My question is, can anyone recommend a widget that will extract or just create a diagram of a SQL server? I know visio pro supposedly can do this, but naturally I only have standard, work won't pony up the licence and I really don't want to have to create the diagram manually.

 

[Minkey]

I was sure you could do this in SQL management (I'm not very hot with SQL just starting to learn) and came up with these links:

clicky 1
clicky 2 - quote "Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSE) is a free, easy-to-use graphical management tool for managing SQL Server 2005 Express Edition and SQL Server 2005 Express Edition with Advanced Services."
clicky 3 a script for 2005 server.

Are these of any help ? - you did say which version your running.

EDIT - Just thought you might want to post this in the SQL Server forum

 

[tehNellie]

Oops, sorry it's SQL server 2000. I can print the diagram but if theres a way to export it, I haven't yet found it.

 

[MsLady]

I just came across a "new" media player called VLC Media player.
It plays almost everything (video's that is) and does the streaming thing as well. Certainly recommended.

http://www.download.com/VLC-Media-Player/3003-2194_4-10534878.html?tag=sptlt_s

Great stuff

 

[badermsb]

This site has some really good database tools for Oracle, SQL MySql and others that they sell, but also have free lite versions that are just exe files and can be run from a flash drive.

 

[rsmonkey]

if its video based toold and advice then you wont find a better site than this: www.videohelp.com check out the tools section there's an array of free video & sound editing tools as well as dvd extraction & burning, codec packs etc... best video players is still Media Player Calssic with ffdshow codec pack! With microsoft having to release the SDK for their products now except to see some free 3rd party versions of Office etc..

 

[wazz]

http://www.getpaint.net/index.html

a (much!) better 'paint'.
page is full of ads but the download link is top-right and info is near the bottom.

 

[Minkey]

Long time since an update but I've been playing with 2 awesome pieces of open source software:

Blender Describes itself as a 3D creation suite but boy is it good - 3D modelling, rendering, sculpting, animation and even game creation with physics and collision detection. Check out the galleries some brilliant images and animation that can be achieved using this.

K-3D Another 3D modelling tool but has it's roots in a 3D CAD application which again can do animation.

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Giveaway of the Day - Icon Commander 1.10

Giveaway of the Day - Icon Commander 1.10

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Giveaway of the Day - Paragon Partition Manager 9.5 Professional (English Version)

.
Giveaway of the Day - Paragon Partition Manager 9.5 Professional (English Version)

August 12, 2009
With growing hard drive capacity, the need to reasonably split up the space is more important than ever. Paragon Software's easy-to-use partitioning tool is optimal for re-structuring your hard disk for effective data storage.

Improve your PC's performance on-demand without having to re-install your operating system and software applications.

Your benefits at a glance:
Advanced Partitioning Operations: Enlarge NTFS partitions without rebooting Windows or interrupting your work, repartition hard disks without data loss, redistribute free space between partitions, merge two partitions to one etc.

Simple System Backups and Restoration: Fast and easy backup creation to CDs, DVDs and even Blu-ray discs with the Simple Backup Wizard. Back up your system and data safely and easily before performing critical partitioning operations.

Optimization and Defragmentation Paragon Adaptive Restore - A powerful and unique technology which allows restoring Windows Vista on completely different hardware or even on a virtual machine.

And much more.

Limitations: No winPE CD included in this version.

Cheers Tony...

 

[FoFa]

Anyone know of good backup software that will work on XP and Win 7?
I find it interesting that MS Win 7 won't restore from XP's .bkf file.

 

[boblarson]

I find it interesting that MS Win 7 won't restore from XP's .bkf file.

Don't know why that should be surprising as Win7 does not offer a direct XP to Win7 upgrade path. And there's a whole other version (Vista) in between.

 

[mcclunyboy]

anyone know a free partition manager software?

I know there are some out there but i specifically need to create / delete partitions without having to rebuild my PC or pay for software.

 

[Minkey]

anyone know a free partition manager software?

I know there are some out there but i specifically need to create / delete partitions without having to rebuild my PC or pay for software.

In my experience there aren't really any good ones that are free, if you do it regularly it's defiantly worth buying a decent program especially because you can do real damage if you or it screws things up Paragon is really good. (As mentioned above )

You can of course use the disk manager built into XP (I assume your using XP) from Control Panel > Admin Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management - it is tricky to use so make sure you read this if you've never used it before.

 

[Galaxiom]

Encryption: TrueCrypt www.truecrypt.org/
FTP client: FileZilla http://filezilla-project.org/
Downloads: Free Download Manager www.freedownloadmanager.org/
Software Version Checker: Software Informer http://software.informer.com/
Text based Code Editor: Araneae http://www.ornj.net/araneae/
Duplicate File Finder: http://duplicatefilessearcher.net/
Duplicate Image Finder: VisiPics http://www.visipics.info/
Multi Clipboard: CLCL http://www.nakka.com/soft/clcl/index_eng.html
Minimise to SysTray: TrayIT http://www.teamcti.com/trayit/trayit.htm
Remote control: UltraVNC http://www.uvnc.com/
Scripting: AutoIT3 http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/
Date Changer, Text Replacer, Screen Grab, Print Folder http://no-nonsense-software.com/freeware/http://no-nonsense-software.com/

Ping Plotter is not free but if has a full powered 30 day trial. The pro version is awesome.
http://www.pingplotter.com/