Free Downloads
To download a
file, just click on the file name and follow the directions given by your web
browser. Most files are self-extracting (.EXE) compressed files. After downloading, just copy each file to a directory
and then double-click on the file to uncompress (and/or install) it.
Other files are
in .Zip format. If you don’t have a decompressing program, we recommend 7-Zip.
You can download a free copy from http://www.7-zip.org/.
For the Theophilos
Bible program, click on the off-site link and download the program from there;
this gets you the most up to date version. For a Theophilos add-on, once
downloaded, double-click on it to install it in the Theophilos directory.
The next time you start Theophilos, the .DAT files are automatically recognized and ready for
use on the menus. Other .EXE files are self-installing
files. Just double-click on a file to install it.
|
File Description |
File Name |
|
Theophilos Bible Program - FREEWARE Bible search program |
(off site) |
|
Daily Bible Reading Schedule (Theophilos add-on) |
|
|
Spurgeon's Morning and Evening (Theophilos add-on) |
|
|
The classic sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards (Theophilos add-on) |
|
|
Recommended Preacher's Library by the founder of SSM (Theophilos add-on) |
|
|
Thompson's Study Topics (Theophilos add-on) |
|
|
Gospel Tract, "Salvation is of the Lord" by the founder of SSM (Theophilos add-on) |
|
|
The King James Version Defended and an additional article by Edward F. Hills (Theophilos add-on) OR . . . |
|
|
Word
7 Format |
|
|
Word
6 Format |
|
|
WordPerfect
Format |
|
|
HTML
Format |
|
|
Your Growth in Christ (book in Word 2000 format) |
Christian
Computing Magazine Downloads
The following
downloads are those mentioned in Doc Watson’s monthly “Tech Talk” column in Christian Computing Magazine, for which he
has written since its beginning in 1989. Mention of such handy programs is a
recurring feature of his column. The following are arranged from the most
recent to the least recent and include the explanation as originally published.
Total Copy
Total Copy (TC) is one of the coolest little
utilities you will ever see. If something interrupts your computer while you’re
copying a bunch of files, such as a file that is locked because it’s in use,
Windows’ own built in “Copy” function aborts, and it’s really tough to tell
which files have been copied and which haven’t. You either 
have
to compare the folders or just start over. TC is a shell extension that solves
this problem. While not effecting Windows’ “Copy” function, TC adds two extra
commands (“Total Copy Here” and “Total Move Here”) when you right-drag-and-drop
one or more files within Windows Explorer and displays the status box below.
If a problem occurs, such as a locked file, running out of disk space, or the network goes down, TC automatically pauses and resumes later. It even resumes after a power failure. It also has manual “Pause” and “Resume,” as well as a slider that controls transfer speed (handy for finicky network connections). While TC claims to be faster than Windows’ “Copy” function, I did not prove that that in my own tests. Copying about 80-megs of files from one folder to another on my hard drive and also from my hard drive to a USB flash stick was a little slower using TC. I think the plusses of TC, however, far outweigh the minor speed issue.
Download Total Copy Home Page: http://www.ranvik.net/totalcopy/
“Send to” Toys
As you probably know, one of the options on the right-click
context menu in Windows Explorer is “Send To,” which includes several handy
destinations. “Send to” Toys (StT), however, enhances that menu significantly.
The figure below displays the menu items StT adds, but it’s crucial to
understand right up front that by using the Ctrl and/or Shift keys, StT becomes
much more powerful than it looks at first glance.
Send
to Clipboard (as name) enables you to select a bunch of files and
folders and collectively copy their names into the clipboard. It will copy the
entire path by default, but holding down Ctrl when selecting this command
enables you to customize it.
Send to Command Prompt
opens a DOS console window, setting the current directory to the selected folder.
If the selection was a file, the folder containing the file will be the active
directory and the name of the file will be typed for you at the prompt. Hold
down the Ctrl to change the active directory to a different folder.
Send to Folder sends
or copies selected files/folders to another folder. This displays a dialog box
where you can browse and select the destination folder. Holding Shift moves the
files rather than copy, and holding both Ctrl and Shift creates shortcuts
instead of moving/copying. (New folder creation is not supported in Windows 95,
98, and NT.)
Send to Recycle Bin sends
a file or files to the Recycle Bin. Better still, holding down the Ctrl key
performs a file shredding.
Send to Default Mail
Recipient is useful for those who often send email file
attachments. Select a file and quickly email it to your pre-defined “default
mail recipient.” If you want to email to someone else, press Ctrl and the “send
to” address will not be populated.
Send to Favorites sends
a file or folder as a link within the “Favorites” folder. Holding Ctrl displays
the “Add Favorite” dialog, enabling you to specify where you want the link to
be created.
Send to Quicklaunch obviously
sends the selected item to Quicklaunch toolbar.
Send to Run sends
the file or files to the “Run” command dialog box.
Download “Send to” Toys Home Page: http://www.gabrieleponti.com/software/
Shutdown.exe
NOTE: The following explanation covers Windows’ own Shutfown.exe command AND a replacement in the last paragraph that you can download.
While there is a way to create a shortcut icon without
Shutdown.exe (which I covered in Hot Tips 2, in case you’re not running
XP), Shutdown.exe makes it much easier. Here are several options for automatic
shutdown.
One option is to create an icon that immediately
shuts down your computer, no questions asked or prompts to verify. First,
right-click on an open spot of the Desktop and select “New >
Shortcut” from the context menu. Second, in the “Type the location of
the item” box, type shutdown -s -t 00 and click the “Next” button (see switch
explanations below for alternatives). Third, in the “Type a name for
this shortcut” box, type anything you like, such as Shutdown NOW, and then
click “Finish.” Fifth, optionally, you might want to choose a different
icon for the shortcut. Right-click on the icon, select “Properties,”
click on the “Shortcut” 
tab
if needed, and then click the “Change Icon” button.” If you get a warning box,
just click OK and Windows will automatically display the icons in SHELL32.dll.
Choose one you like, such as the big red one that looks like a switch, and
click “OK” twice.
Instead of (or in addition to) a shutdown, you might want
a reboot (shutdown -r -t 00) or to just log off the current user (shutdown -l
or just the default shutdown).
The -s switch shuts down the local computer. In contrast, the -m [\\ComputerName] (or IP address) enables an Administrator to shutdown a computer on the network. The -t switch sets the timer for the shutdown. Obviously 00 means no delay. Alternately, you might want to set this to something like -t 30, which sets a 30-second delay and displays a dialog box with a countdown, just in case you want to change your mind (omitting the switch also gives the default 30-second delay). This gives you enough time to press WindowsKey+R and enter shutdown -a in the “Run” box to abort the shutdown. You could also add the -c “message” switch, where “message” is any text you want to display in the “Shutdown” box (must be in quotes), such as a reminder of how to abort (see figure). (Alternately, you could create an “Abort” icon, enabling you to abort quicker and to use a shorter time delay.) Finally, the -f switch forces running applications to close immediately, but be warned that this could cause the loss of data that hasn’t been saved.
Okay, now for the downside of shutdown.exe. Inexplicably,
when you use this command to shutdown the PC (the -s switch), it doesn’t actually
power the PC down; rather it only shuts down as far as the “It is now safe to
turn off your computer” message, which requires you to manually turn off the
machine. Very annoying! Ah, but there’s a solution. I found another
shutdown.exe (freeware written by Andrej Budja), which I’ve posted on the
“Download and Links” page of my web site (www.TheScriptureAlone.com). Be
sure to put this in the root directory. While the switches are a little
different (and there’s no -c switch), it’s very straightforward. To shutdown in
five seconds, for example, create a shortcut using the command shutdown –u –t
5. To cancel the command, just press Ctrl+Break. Type the command by itself at
the DOS prompt to list all the switches.
AB Commander LITE
Remember Norton Commander? It was one of the best
DOS shells around, enabling you to easily navigate your system, manage files,
and execute programs. It was truly a masterpiece, and so is AB Commander
(ABC), a Windows Explorer replacement that follows in the tradition of Norton
Commander. In this article I would like to present its features and tell
you where you can get it.
For the life of me, I don’t understand why Microsoft
still hasn’t overhauled its awful Explorer and added improvements, such as the
ability to display two folders at the same time (even old File Manager
had this feature). Well, this is at the very heart of ABC. Each panel is
independent of the other and enables you to see two folders simultaneously.
This feature is especially convenient, of course, when you’re copying or moving
files, enabling you to see the contents of the source and destination folders.
While ABC fully supports the traditional tools and
commands offered by the Windows user interface—such as the right-click shortcut
menus, the panel toolbars that let you copy, cut, and paste files via the
clipboard (just like Windows Explorer does), drag-and-drop operations, etc.—it
goes way beyond Explorer.
ABC has some powerful folder navigation features.
Just as many applications today have a “Recently Used File List,” the “Folder
> History” (Ctrl+H) command lists folders you previously displayed in
each of the panels. The pop-up “Folder Tree” (Folder > Tree”
or Ctrl+T) enables you to browse the whole hierarchy of folders (there’s also a
Toolbar button for each of these commands). There are also, of course, buttons
for disk drive selection (as well as the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+D). The “Drive
Bar” enables you to quickly go from one drive to another with just a click. ABC
remembers the folder you were browsing last time for each drive, and when you
click on a button on the drive bar, the view automatically switches to that
last visited folder.
ABC provides several ways to customize the look
and feel of the panel listings. You can specify single- or double-click
activation, full row color selection for highlighted files, or underlining the
“hot” or “cold” items. Checking the “Underline Hot Items” option (“View
> Options > Panels”) instructs ABC to underline the items
as you move the mouse over them, while checking “Underline Cold Items” causes
it to underline all the items that can be open by clicking them with the mouse,
no matter where the mouse pointer currently is.
ABC also has commands (and Toolbar buttons) to
manipulate files and folders directly (Copy, Move, Rename, Delete). Unlike
Explorer’s built-in commands (which are still available and supported), ABC’s
commands do not use of the Clipboard, so you can work with files in a more
direct and straightforward manner. Speaking of Toolbars, you can dock them
anywhere you like or even allow them to float. You can also customize their
visual appearance, such as specifying bold letters for drive buttons and
History list.
The “Tools > Quick Edit” (Ctrl+Q)
command enables you to use your favorite text editor to open .txt files or
files that are not necessarily associated with a particular application (such
as Readme.1st, Readme.now, etc.). The default editor is Notepad, of
course, but you can easily change it to another using “View > Options
> Quick Edit > External.” (Tip: While WordPad is a lousy word
processor, it makes a good text editor; just remember to save files using the
“Text Document” file format.)
The “Prompt > Switch to” command (or
Shift+Esc) changes the focus to the command prompt, which enables you to
quickly run programs that accept command-line arguments. There’s also a list
button on the far right that pulls down a list of previously executed commands.
The Status Bar indicators in the bottom right of the
window show various pieces of useful information, including: Keys (CAPS, NUM,
SCRL), memory usage, free drive space, file size, number of objects, date, and
time. You can control which of these is displayed using “View > Status
Bar > Indicators.”
Those are just a small handful of the features of this
great tool. Along with good context-sensitive Help, ABC also includes an
automatic Setup utility and can be used both on a single machine and on a
network. Each user can configure and use ABC independently on the
others.
While you can download a free trial of the latest version
from www.WinAbility.com (which then
requires a $39.95 registration), the totally FREE 3.3 version (AB Commander
LITE) is still floating around. It’s hard to find, however, so it’s right
here. ENJOY!
Download AB Commander LITE Home Page: http://www.winability.com/home/
(does not post free version)
Windows Card File
Windows Cardfile still works great in our new
wiz-bang operating systems. It automatically sorts cards alphabetically and
enables you to scroll through your 
cards
either by clicking the left and right arrow buttons located right under the
“Help” menu or by pressing PageUp and PageDown. Notice the first card. Using
the asterisk characters is a little trick that forces this card to be listed
first in the alphabetical sort.
To search for a card, select “Search > Go
To” (or press F4). This type of search searches only the index line of the card. In contrast, “Search > Find”
searches all the data in the form area of the cards. Other features include
adding new cards quickly (F7), printing a single card or all cards, and even
object linking and embedding (OLE), such as imbedding a link to a Word
document, for example (not bad for an old program, huh?).
The phone dialer is especially slick. By entering the
main phone number for each entry as the first line in the data area, when you
select “Card > Autodial” (or press F5), the number
automatically appears in the “Number” field in the “Autodial” dialog box. You
can also double-click any other number on a card and then press F5 to dial that
number.
The main downfall of this little gem is that it allows
only eleven lines of text per card with each line limited to 40 characters.
Obviously, another limitation is the old eight-character file name restriction
of pre-Windows 95 programs. Which leads us to AZZ Cardfile.
Download Windows Cardfile (Zip file)
AZZ Cardfile
If
you need more than Windows Cardfile, you can’t do better than AZZ
Cardfile. Like many of us, the author used Windows Cardfile but
didn’t like its replacements (Schedule and then Outlook), so he
wrote his own—and the result is great. While you can download early versions
and use them for free, the latest version (3.1) is well worth its mere $12
registration. Just a few of the features include: encrypted/ password protected data files, Rich
Text Format (RTF) and imbedded objects support, importing Windows Cardfile
files, exporting ASCII and RTF files, network readyness, search and replace,
customizable appearance, and, of course, phone dialing. My favorite feature is
the “Filter” box below the “Font Name” box. Just type any part of a card
title and presto, filtered entries appear. Download this great program from.
You’ll be glad you did. There is a free and a Shareware version.
Download free version: http://www.azzcardfile.biz/dl/azzcrd16.zip
Home Page: http://www.azzcardfile.biz/
Windows Calendar
A long time ago, in an area of cyber-space far far away,
there were some very useful little computer programs that have long since been
forgotten: Windows Calendar, Cardfile, and Write. As
Windows got “better,” however, these were either dropped outright for some
silly reason, or replaced by a so-called 
“improved”
program. While you might call me an old fuddy-duddy or think I’m just senile
and living in the past, I submit that at least two of these should still be
around. While Write is actually way better than WordPad, we’ll
let it go since most users use a word-processor anyway (although I will post it
on my web site along with the others in case you want to play with it). In this
article, then, I want to remind you of (or perhaps even introduce you to) Calendar;
next month we’ll look at Cardfile (along with a shareware replacement).
Far from being the embarrassment Microsoft apparently
thought it was when they axed it, Calendar is a really neat little
program that still works fine in any version of Windows. While you must use the
old 8 character filename limitation, of course, you can still have as many
calendar files (.CAL) you want (e.g., one for each family member, employee,
etc). It has both a “Month View” (Fig. 1) and a “Day View” (Fig. 2). You can
add events and appointments, mark important days, and even set alarms. What
Bill should have done (but he never asks me anything) was keep updating
it. By now we could have an XP version that would print out the “Month View,”
enable us to color in boxes, put icons in them, type in them, and other cool
stuff.
Anyway,
“Month View” automatically highlights the current date and marks it with
the symbols > <. To
go up or down one month, just click the left and right arrows beside the date
and time (or press PageUp and PageDown); to move to move to a specific day,
just click on it. To go to a specific day quickly, select “Show > Date”
from the menu (or press F4), and enter the date you want in the “Show Date”
dialog box, as in 4/6/2005 (Fig. 1). To mark a date, select “Options
> Mark” from the menu and select the symbol you want to use in the
“Day Markings” dialog box. (You could, for example, use bullets for birthdays,
x’s for anniversaries, brackets for holidays, underscores for appointments, and
parentheses for vacations.) You can then click in the “Scratch Pad” area and
type in up to three lines of text.
To
switch views, just double-click on the date at the top of the window.
Alternately, select the view from the “View” menu, or just press F8 for
“Day” and F9 for “Month.” To go immediately to the current date, select “Show
> Today.”
“Day View” (Fig. 2) enables you to record your daily
schedule. This time, clicking the arrows beside the date and time moves to
preceding or following days. Notice that the “Scratch Pad” area is also visible
in this view. While there is a default setting for the time increment, you can
control this in the “Day Settings” dialog box by selecting “Options >
Day Settings.” You can also insert a special time by selecting “Options
> Special Time.” To enter an appointment, just click beside the time
and start typing. You can print your daily schedule by selecting “File
> Print,” and “File > Page Setup” even enables you
to add a header and footer to the printout. Notice the “bell” icon next to the
“12:45” time in Figure 2. This is an alarm that you can set by selecting “Alarm
> Set” or by pressing F5. Select “Alarm > Controls”
to set the “Early Ring” feature. When the time arrives, you’ll hear an alarm
sound and a message box will appear with the message you typed beside the
appointment time.
So, if you don’t want to learn “Outlook” (who does?!) but
need a functional calendar utility, Windows old Calendar may just be all
you need. Download it (as well as Cardfile and Write) from the
“Downloads and Links” area of my web site: www.TheScriptureAlone.com. Each is
in a zip file that contains the program and its Help file (.hlp).
Download Windows Calendar (Zip file)
No Frills Timer
Because I used to have access to several high-speed
Internet connections, I didn’t need a whole lot of time per month for the
connection on my home computer; twenty-five hours a month was plenty, but I had
to be very careful that I don’t go over (or it’s a dollar a minute!). So, I
downloaded No Frills Timer, a great little utility that keeps track of
connection time. Upon installation, it detects a net connection, records the
time connected, and displays it in a small floating window. Other features
include: stores total time connected and total number of calls, resets total
time automatically (daily, weekly or monthly), supports up to 32 simultaneous
connections, and warns you when you’re getting close to your specified total
time.
AbiWord
AbiWord is powerful, and FREE, Microsoft Word
compatible word processor. Even if you use Word, try this anyway.
While I am a died-in-the-wool, hard-core fan, user,
aficionado, and even MOUS certified instructor of Microsoft Word, there
is actually an alternative that I would never have thought possible—mostly
because it won’t cost you one red cent. I recently stumbled onto a “product”
called AbiWord (Fig. 1), a free word processing program frighteningly
similar to Word.
Introducing AbiWord
Created by a worldwide group of volunteers, AbiWord
is part of the GNU project. The GNU (an acronym for “GNU’s Not Unix”) project
was founded by Richard Stallman in 1984 to develop a free operating system and
software, which means that you’ll always have the freedom to use it, make
copies of it, and improve it. You are encouraged to make use of these freedoms
and share the program 
with
your family and friends! Find out more about the project at www.abisource.com
or www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.html#AbouttheGNUproject.
As for AbiWord, it originally was born during the Internet IPO
(Initial Public Offering) craze as an open software office suite that would
help SourceGear Corporation become a contender in the Linux/Open Source world.
When that didn’t happen, SourceGear shutdown the project and released the
source code. Since then more than 200 people have worked over the years on the
open word processor.
From
the beginning, the target was MS-Word, to make a product that wouldn’t
necessarily match it feature-for-feature, rather one that would give the look,
feel, and compatibility, as well as run on many platforms, including: Windows
(Win32 for Win95 or later), Linux (Debian and RPM installs), UNIX (Source
installation for Solaris, AIX, HP/UX, etc.), Mac X (XDarwin), and others. While
not well-known for quite awhile in the Windows community, that has changed. AbiWord
also supports many languages.
Why use AbiWord? I’m glad you asked. First, did
you read the word “free” in my intro? If you need multiple copies to teach a
room full of people, for example, you don’t have to buy multiple licenses to
teach “Word.” There are enough similarities that people will get a basic
knowledge of Word without actually having to use it.
Second, besides that, it’s small (the Windows version is
under 5 megs to download and about 8 megs installed). Take it from a guy who
had to learn many unneeded features to pass the MOUSE Expert exam and teach the
product to college students, Word has become bloated. (And, as a user
from version 1 on, I have to interject my absolute hatred of Word XP.) If you use a word processor
for basic stuff (writing, saving, cut and paste, etc), and even a few advanced
uses, AbiWord might be just the ticket.
AbiWord Features
Incredibly,
AbiWord reads and writes all industry standard document types, such as
OpenOffice, Word, WordPerfect, Rich Text Format (RTF), HTML web pages, and many
more. It even imported a large, complex Word 2000 file (not perfectly,
but impressively). Naturally, it has a spell checker (notice the red squiggly
lines in Fig. 1), but it also has tables, bullets, lists, images (Fig. 1),
footnotes, endnotes, document templates, and even styles, which especially
impressed me (notice the Style box figure).
Does it have Mail Merge, you ask? Yep, and it equals the
simplicity of Word 2000 (this is just one feature that Word XP
totally messed up; it’s actually more complex than before!). Special fields
inserted into a template document can automatically be replaced with data
coming from a variety of sources, such as relational databases, comma separated
text files, or tabbed text files. To aid the use of AbiWord in a server
environment, it includes a powerful command line interface, which enables you
to generate form letters, print documents, or convert documents to any file
format AbiWord supports—all from the command line!
A great plus is that because the executable is small, AbiWord
consumes little system resources, which allows the program to run on systems
that might not be up to today’s wiz-bang standards. Several plug-ins are
available to extend AbiWord’s functionality, including: Document
Importers, Thesaurus, Image Importers, and a Text Summarizer.
In short, as a free, open-software, cross-platform
application, AbiWord is a true gem. This is the way software ought to
be. Even if you already own Word, download AbiWord anyway just
for the sheer joy of looking at elegance without the price.
Download
AbiWord from Home Page: http://www.abisource.com/download/
(off site)
rjhExtensions
rjhExtensions is a simple (and FREE) utility that
adds several useful functions to the context (right click) menu. It
consists not only of the extensions themselves, but also an organizer that
enables you to control the placement of the extensions.
The “Path to clipboard” option copies the path of the
selected folder or file to the clipboard. “Shred File(s)” overwrites and then
deletes the selected file or files. Be warned that shredded files cannot be
recovered. “Rename Files” enables you to quickly and easily rename multiple
files in multiple folders. “Encrypt
File” and “Decrypt File” enable you to encrypt and then decrypt any file using
a modified version of the powerful Blowfish encryption algorithm.
“Duplicate File(s)” creates a copy of the selected file or files in the same
directory. The duplicate files maintain the properties of the original. “Save
directory list” (which appears on the context menu of a folder, as does the
next two commands) creates a file in the selected directory that contains a
list of all files, their dates, and sizes in the selected directory. “Print
directory list” sends a list of all files, their dates, and sizes in the
selected directory to the default printer. “DOS Prompt” opens a DOS window with
the current path set to the selected folder.
Also included is rjhExtensions Organizer (“Start
> rjhExtensions > rjhExtensions Organizer”), which enables you to select
which extensions will appear on the context menu, whether the extension will be
on the main context menu or a submenu, and the order in which the extensions
will appear on the menu.
Download rjhExtensions Home Page: http://www.rjhsoftware.com/rjhextensions/
FolderBox
Finally!
Someone has finally given us a way to make Windows Explorer do what good ole File
Manager did back in the Windows 3.x days—display two windows at once (Fig. 1). FolderBox
is a Windows Explorer extension that displays additional folders in the lower
part of Explorer. You can set-up and configure up to five “folder boxes” over
the tab sheets of the FolderBox. Additional drives and folders are now
just a mouse click away. Within each “folder box” you can copy, move, open, and
delete files as usual. FolderBox also supports the typical drag-and-drop
handling of files. You can even use FolderBox inside Internet Explorer!
After installation, open Windows Explorer (or IE) and then just select “View
> Explorer Bar > FolderBox” to activate it. FolderBox 1.2
works in Windows9x/ME/NT/2000/XP, and is free for non-commercial use.
Home
Page: http://www.baxbex.com/products.html
G-Lock Temp Cleaner
Most hard drives these days are full of junk files that
have been left behind by various applications. Applications are supposed to
clean up after themselves, but they often either fail to get all the files or
just don’t even try (kind of like a five-year-old cleaning his room). These
files waste space and can even cause problems with the normal operation of your
computer (e.g., superfluous fragmentation, reduction in performance, lost
network and Internet connections, sudden application lock ups, out of memory
errors, etc.). G-Lock Temp Cleaner searches your drives for these
unwanted files so you can deal with them all with just one click. Unlike
standard “cleaner” type programs, GTC also identifies garbage files on the hard
drives of network computers. The current version is 2.0 and runs under Windows
98/Me/NT4/2000/XP.
Download G-Lock Temp Cleaner Home Page: http://www.glocksoft.com/temp_cleaner/
Gyula’s Navigator
Back in the olden days of DOS, there was a really neat
little disk navigating and file management utility called “Norton Commander” (I
know some of you remember). It was very popular for those who didn’t
like the DOS prompt. Well, there is now a very similar product for Windows, and
it’s free. Gyula’s 
Navigator
has the functionality of Windows Explorer but has the two-panel look of Norton
and a lot more features. There are parallel file operations, a built-in Search
feature for file and text, and a built in text, picture and AVI viewer. My
biggest love for it is the two-panel display, which Explorer (for some
ridiculous reason) doesn’t have. Another thing I especially like is that only a
single click is required to change folders. Trust me, the more you play with
this thing, the more stuff you find.
The program also has built-in archiver support. You can
easily pack and extract compressed files. The only caveat is that you have to
tell the program which utility you want to use, such as Pkzip, and it must be
the command line version. This isn’t hard, though. Just select the “Show
> Options” command, and then select the “Packers” tab. This displays
the supported compression utilities and their command line options. Just pick
one and specify its location.
Because it’s so much different than Explorer, it takes a
little getting used to, but it really is worth a look.
Download Gyula’s Navigator Home Page: http://www.wanari.com/products/gynav/
Backup4All
I was
doodling around the Net one day and found this little gem. It’s a wizard-driven
backup utility that uses standard Zip compression to store files and is
compatible with all versions of Windows (95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP). I liked
it within minutes of downloading it, and it has become my new backup tool. It
performs Full and Incremental backups and enables you to restore any
version of files. You can also use the powerful “File Filter” to filter the
files you want to restore (even one, in fact).
Backup4All also works directly with any drive
letter, including mapped network drives and even a CD if it’s formatted in UDF
format. (Universal Disk Format is a file system standard
that enables a CD-Recordable drive to be used as a normal logical drive; this
is commonly called CD-RW, or CD-Rewritable.) If you don’t 
have
a CD-RW, you can backup to a local or network drive and then burn the resulting
files onto a CD-R. One caveat: the current version does not support DVD or tape
drives (but in the case of the former, neither does MS Backup).
Even though a big plus is how easy it is to use, the main
reason I love this program is that it uses standard Zip compression. This means
that your data is not at the mercy of the utility itself; you can
access it with any Zip compatible utility. After doing a backup, for example, I
opened the resulting 430-meg Zip file in PkZip for Windows and restored
a couple of files with it just for fun. Another aspect of this is that the
compression is way better than MS Backup. Using just the default Medium
setting, it compressed 680 megs to 430 (about a 34% average), which still left
me 141 on a 571-meg CD-RW. I could improve this even more by using the Full
compression setting (which I will do when needed), although it slows down the
process.
There are several other features. An Explorer-like file
tree enables you to point and click on folders and files you want to backup.
You can define multiple backup configurations and save them for future use
(notice “My Stuff” in figure). The program is also “multi-threaded,” which
means you can run multiple backups at the same time. The “Scheduler” enables
you to setup automatic backups, such as at the end of the day, for example.
There’s also a “Statistics” feature with which you can actually see the number
of files that will be processed at the next backup (very useful when you have a
large number of files), and a “Summary” feature, which is a textual description
of all configurations made for a backup. A couple of bells and whistles are the
ability to minimize the program to the System Tray and an option to launch the
program at Windows startup.
Is Backup4All perfect? Don’t be silly. Remember:
nothing is perfect. The major shortcoming is that this free version does not
support multiple disk spanning (MS Backup does), so all your files have
to fit onto one backup disk. This is supported, however, in the
commercial version (which might be out at press time). But realistically, if
you use Full compression, you can still put a lot of data on a CD (or even a
250-meg Zip disk). Another (minor) problem is that a backup file can only be 2
gigs in size because this is the limit of Zip technology. A bigger job would
require you to break up the job into two or more smaller jobs, but that’s
really no big deal.
Even if you are using some other backup regimen
(especially MS Backup), I encourage you to take a look at Backup4All.
The older free version is hard to find, so it’s right here.
Download BackUp4All Home Page: http://www.backup4all.com/download.php
(does not post free version)
Undeletion Wizard
What can you do if you delete a file? Yes, go to the
Recycle Bin. But what if you delete it from the Recycle Bin? Is it gone
forever? As you might know, only the first letter of the file name is deleted.
All the data is still there, but the disk area it occupies is marked as
available for new data.
A long time ago I wrote a column on how to resurrect the
old DOS 6 UNDELETE utility and use it in Windows. But there is an easier (and
safer) alternative. The freeware utility Undeletion Wizard can undelete
files from FAT32 partitions (Fig. 2). The wizard searches your FAT32 volumes
for undeletable files. It can search directories recursively for undeletable
files. It can also search for undeletable files in deleted directories. You can
also search by giving filenames, extensions, and deleted directory names.
Microsoft Office Tool Kit
The Microsoft Office Tool Kit is in a
self-extracting installation zip file containing many ready-to-use templates
for these products. Just execute the EXE file and the kit will install into the
default directory (C:\OTKIT). Alternately, you can type in another folder, such
as C:\My Documents\OTKit.
Word Templates
For compatibility reasons, all these templates are in
Word 6 format. That way they will convert automatically to any later version of
Word and should convert to other word-processor formats.
Attendance Award (ATTEND.DOT) is a graphic template for awarding
faithful attendance.
Auto Expense (AUTOEXP.DOT) is a Word table that calculates auto
expense using table formulas.
Calendar Creator (CALCREAT.DOT) quickly creates monthly calendars
that you can print. (See Monthly Calendar
in the Excel section for an alternative.)
Day Planner (DAYPLAN.DOT) is a Word table that organizes your daily
schedule (See Day Planner in the
Excel section for a better version.)
Diploma (DIPLOMA.DOT) is a graphic template you can use to award a
diploma.
Expense Record (EXPREC.DOT) is a Word table that tracks numerous
expenses (hotels, meals, etc.) using table formulas. (See Expense Record in the Excel section for a better version.)
EzPIM (EZPIM.DOC), a personal information manager that I described
last month, is also included. (Note: this is in Word 97 format.)
Fax Flash (FAXFLASH.DOT) and Just
the Fax (JUSTFAX.DOT and JUSTFAX.DOC) are fax cover sheets. The DOT files
are designed to use on your computer, while the DOC file is designed to print
out for use on a fax machine.
Honorable Mention (HONMENTN.DOT) is a graphic template you can use
for distinctive performance in any activity.
Honor Student (HONRSTDT.DOT) and Honor Roll (HONOROLL.DOT) are graphic templates you can use to
award honor status to a student.
Word 97 Keyboard Shortcuts (KEYBRD97.TXT) is a text file that lists
all the keyboard shortcuts available in Word 97. This list is a compilation of
the individual keyboard shortcut lists available in Word 97 Help.
Letterhead (LETTERHD.DOT) is a sample letterhead that you can edit
to meet your needs. A distinctive feature is the macros that enable you to
enter recipient information, salutation, body, and closing more easily.
Most Valuable Player (MVP.DOT) is a graphic template you can use to
award Most Valuable Player for any event.
Place Award (123PLACE.DOT) is a graphic template you can use to
award first, second, third, or other place in a contest of your choosing.
QuickSheet (QUIKSHET.DOT) is a Word table that provides a 9-column
by 25-row spreadsheet. If all you need is a small, simple, worksheet, there’s
no need to fire up Excel or Lotus. Formulas are already built-in to add (=SUM)
rows and columns. It also includes a Calculate button on the Formatting toolbar
that automatically recalculates the worksheet.
Sports Award (SPRTAWRD.DOT) is a graphic template you can use to
award achievement in any sport.
Sportsmanship (SPTMANSP.DOT) is a graphic template you can use to
award good sportsmanship.
To Do List (TODOLIST.DOT) is a style-driven template that you can
use to list and check off important to do items.
Excel/Lotus Templates
For compatibility reasons, unless otherwise noted, all these templates are in WK4 (Lotus Release 4 and 5) format. This is a generic format that will still maintain Windows formatting and will convert automatically to Excel formats (some worksheets, however, might still require that you resave them in Lotus format).
Auto Expense (AUTOEXP.WK4) calculates auto expense.
Checkbook for Excel (CHKXL15.XLS) is a full-blown Excel application
that provides a user friendly but powerful spreadsheet/database for managing
your checking account. A simple yet
powerful interface provides all the necessary features for managing your
account. If you can’t afford or don’t need all the features of programs such as
Quicken and Microsoft Money, this is the best alternative I’ve seen. It
requires Windows 95 and Excel for Windows 95 or above. It should also work with Excel version 5 and
Windows 3.1, but it has not been tested in that environment. It is a shareware
program, but the registration is only $2.00. See CHKXL15.WRI for program
documentation.
Day Planner (DAYPLAN.WK4) organizes your daily schedule and even
includes a three-month calendar.
Expense Record (EXPREC.WK4) is a standard, but flexible expense
record form. Meals are subtotaled separately to make tax calculations simpler
at year-end.
Loan Amortization Calculator (AMORTIZE.WK4) is a classic amortizing
worksheet but with a twist. One of the most effective financial techniques you
use in paying off a loan is to pay extra money each month toward the principal,
in addition to your regular monthly payment. In other words, write two checks a
month: one for the regular payment and another directly toward the principal.
Column G tracks this for you. Follow the instructions to see how many thousands
of dollars you can save on a mortgage or car loan.
Measurement Converter (CNVRTEJM.XLS) converts dry, linear, liquid,
temperature, and speed measurements. It’s a handy tool for converting pounds,
grams, kilograms, centigrade, knots, kilometers, and all that stuff.
Monthly Calendar (MONTHCAL.WK4) automatically creates monthly
calendars.
One-Year Project Progress (YRPROJCT.WK4) helps you track various
phases of a project.
Personal Budget (BUDGET.WK4) tracks your personal financial
planning. It includes many categories of income and expenses and can be
customized to suit your particular needs.
Weekly Appointments (WEEKAPPT.WK4) organizes appointments or other
events in a 7-day week. It automatically displays the appropriate day of the
week based on the date you use.
Yearly Calendar (YEARCAL.WK4) automatically creates a 12-month
calendar that you can print in Landscape mode.
Wind Chill (WINDCHL2.XLS) calculates wind chill factor for both Fahrenheit and Celsius.
Access Application
Library Manager
(PLIBRARY.MDB) is a complete Access 97 application (later versions of Access
will convert it) that manages the pastor’s, church’s, school’s, or personal
library (Fig. 1). It is shareware, but no fee is demanded. It is a preview of a
much larger application called Pastor’s
Secretary. Click the About button on the main screen for more information.
