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Here's looking at you, hardcore Winblowz users. I am one, too, but not exactly the proudest fanboy with all its constant Windows security updates and stupid should-be-able-to-resolve-fairly-easily-once-and-for-all bugs.

However, so many cool productivity and tweaking apps for it, and this is one such share. Sorry Mackies, I have nothing against you; at any rate, the fact that (most) Macs don't have a variety of viruses is reason enough to use and keep using it, Apple folks. Just that everything is set in the Apple ecosystem and customizability isn't exactly a feature set unless Macs has evolved since I last used it.

It's (PowerToys are) not what you would call the Premier Windows Swiss-Army Knife of Windows Utilities but it has some pretty cool companion apps and functions.

I scanned it with Metadefender, so you'd be pleased to know it's...? Virus-free! Unless there's some hidden trojan lurking inside that even McCoffee (which is overrated, by the way) and Sheetdefender can't detect:

https://metadefender.opswat.com/results/...r/overview

Try it out. If it sucks, don't hate on me, I just like trying new apps and software.

Here are the gazillion free links (with my weird renamings):

Magic Button :

MINI
Ruckus
mediaFIREWIRE
Eight more free file hosts

It used to be created for Windows 95 and XP, but Microsheet redesigned it for Winblowz Tin. The companion app (or app within the conglomerate utility bundle) Fancy Zones seems pretty cool, though. Might be worth exploring or checking out.

Forgot what else I wanted to add, but I think I've said enough already. Give some feedback (and reps, if you want to) if it helps you.

I wanted to share it as an EXE file but that's against the rules, so it's in the most accessible archive format (can't honestly be bothered with TinBar) encrypted with this forum's password. Do some responsible digging and you will know what it is.

Asking for it here disqualifies you from the start, unless some disenfranchised veteran here is fed up hearing WHAT IS THE PASSWORD and just provides the dang thing. I wouldn't blame his angst...too much laziness here and everywhere.

thks
github:
github.com/microsoft/PowerToys

(11-29-2021 12:29 AM)Vmax Wrote: [ -> ]thks
github:
github.com/microsoft/PowerToys

Yeah, Github partnered with Microsoft but I'm just sharing and providing it without people having to scroll down and select the executable from Github, which isn't where I got it from.

(11-29-2021 10:50 AM)smithnowt Wrote: [ -> ]Also worty of mention is that this is 'modernized' and dumbed down non-tweaky sort of stuff which requires=>

Windows 11 or Windows 10 v1903 (18362) or newer.
.NET Core 3.1.20 Desktop Runtime or a newer 3.1.x runtime.

Contents by name:

Quote:PowerToys Awake
Color Picker
FancyZones
File Explorer Add-ons
Image Resizer
Keyboard Manager
Mouse utilities
PowerRename
PowerToys Run
Shortcut Guide
Video Conference Mute

As with most recent s/w things - this aims more at cutesy than functional.

To get more tweaky stuff one must try 3rd party tweakers rather than any mickiesleeze stuff.

(I can only just barely tolerate w7, so this is WAY above my pay grade as a full time Linux user !!)

Why does everyone thrash and trash my share thread? Kidding. Well, mildly upset. :P

You're a Linux user? No offence, smithnowt but while Linux rocks in some regards, where the heck do you find all the (compatibility) support (for like certain printers)? I heard things aren't plug-and-play (more like plug-n-pray, lol) and heard even nastier things about drivers being a PITA to find and source so that your peripherals work well and without a hitch. Well, I heard most drivers are there already (in the stock Linux), but some compatibility issues might be a deal breaker.

Yes, Microsheet is well, that, sheet but at least it has support for a lot of, if not most things. That's why I use it. Although it has to be said that everything IS ESSENTIALLY LINUX, ANYWAY.

If you read the annals archives, Billy Gatesies used Linux and developed a fork from it which is today called WinBlowz. Even Macs's OSes are apparently another finely-tuned fork of Linux.

Heck, so is Android...and perhaps iOS. Which makes up just about every desktop and mobile operating system.

Linux is the granddaddy of all operating systems, like it or not.

But if the stock Linux had more support for more devices (Ubuntu is pretty rad, though, all things considered), I'd consider switching. I have no desire at this point in time and I read a comment by a software engineer who used Linux for a decade or more and he trashed Linux, saying as much as he hates WinBlowz, it's still more usable with more support. So I never quite understand Linux fans who die-hard swear by their choice.

However, I have to say and add a disclaimer that Linux is for power users and if they know what they're doing with all that terminal wizardry, then Linux is insanely powerful.

But it's not for me...at least, not at this point in time in my life when I'm trying to do things as simply as possible.

(11-30-2021 02:13 PM)smithnowt Wrote: [ -> ]Dear Teratron,
I have great admiration for you and my reply was assuredly NOT aimed at thrashing anything about your thread or yourself !!

So:

(11-29-2021 07:58 PM)teratron Wrote: [ -> ]Why does everyone thrash and trash my share thread? Kidding. Well, mildly upset. :P

My aim WAS to point out that ALL the older Powertoys were actually mostly for POWER-users vs. this bunch, which is only for those 2 versions and not anywhere near as powerful as before.

Truthfully - I'd been a background Linux user for decades when it was indeed actually ALL command line oriented 'cuz of my DOS background:

Quote:You're a Linux user?

And after 'the end' for XP, that was IT for me and I told my existing clients straight out that I would either get them into Linux, or cyu later folks.

They went for it - home and biz users alike - and are very, very happy with it as well as the better stability and reliability which has them almost never needing any support from me anymore, AND=>

Drivers ?? What drivers ?!?

Within recent years I've had to work around precisely and ONLY 2 driver situations=>

1 - Properly installing the networking s/w for a full sized Canon copier which can also be used for faxing, scanning and as a heavy duty printer;

2 - Notebook wifi made with goofy built in wifi chipsets - which were solved the easiest by adding a tiny $5 wifi dongle - which then became optional when an update brought the fixes along quite nicely and automatically.

That is IT - aside of that - all have been install and use with ZERO needs for poking around with drivers as has always been the case with M$ OSes in the past.

Very sadly:

Quote:I heard things aren't plug-and-play (more like plug-n-pray, lol) and heard even nastier things about drivers being a PITA to find and source so that your peripherals work well and without a hitch.

That nonsense is mostly either spread by non-Linux users who also 'heard it' from who knows who, or those with needs for very fancy windows-only h/w that is restricted by its makers - OR:
Such as die hard adooobe users for whom there is no substitute.

Aside of all that=>

Quote: Well, I heard most drivers are there already (in the stock Linux), but some compatibility issues might be a deal breaker.

As I've said a bazillion times - anyone can find out is it is OK on their current h/w simply by doing a 100% harmless liveboot of a popular ISO via USB stick.

If it simply starts and runs with your printer already configured - great - if not, then it actually may take a bit of effort to make it so UNLESS that h/w is restricted somehow - in that case , sorry - ditch that whole idea.

In truth, for me - for 20+ years=>

Quote:Yes, Microsheet is well, that, sheet but at least it has support for a lot of, if not most things.

I was the source and support person for many, many M$ users - and any of them who had fallen for the M$ 'support' offers very quickly learned that it was both expen$ive AND useless - then my phone would ring...

YES, 100% correct:

Quote:That's why I use it. Although it has to be said that everything IS ESSENTIALLY LINUX, ANYWAY.

If you read the annals archives, Billy Gatesies used Linux and developed a fork from it which is today called WinBlowz. Even Macs's OSes are apparently another finely-tuned fork of Linux.

Beezlebub bill and his gang got filthy rich using mostly stolen goods - while whining piteously about 'piracy' - which he actually invented himself.

Counting just the Android devices and 90%+ of ALL servers world-wide:

Quote:Heck, so is Android...and perhaps iOS. Which makes up just about every desktop and mobile operating system.
Linux is the granddaddy of all operating systems, like it or not.

Linux has dominated for some time already - that is just a simple fact.

Please keep in mind that (adding to what you said above...) literally ALL PC and handheld device OSes are descendants of Unix - which is actually where the data thefts began with old beezlebub.

Chebby vs. Fjord all the way here dude:

Quote:But if the stock Linux had more support for more devices (Ubuntu is pretty rad, though, all things considered), I'd consider switching. I have no desire at this point in time and I read a comment by a software engineer who used Linux for a decade or more and he trashed Linux, saying as much as he hates WinBlowz, it's still more usable with more support. So I never quite understand Linux fans who die-hard swear by their choice.

Before the best known Linux distros became 'grandpa friendly' about 5 years ago - lots of those who'd already been into it and then scoffed at it had braved the hard times of things like Arch Linux - which I'll not even bother with, at all - and they rightly got sick of all the background work they had to do endlessly.

It ain't like that anymore - AT ALL.

Incorrect info here dear friend:

Quote:However, I have to say and add a disclaimer that Linux is for power users and if they know what they're doing with all that terminal wizardry, then Linux is insanely powerful.

I -am- one of those power users by most measures, and how much do I use the terminal ??
Hardly at all - and when I do, it is mostly copy - paste - enter - done.

My very 1st 'convert' was 80 when he STARTED with Linux that I set up for him:

Quote:But it's not for me...at least, not at this point in time in my life when I'm trying to do things as simply as possible.

He left this world ~10 years later - never having looked back at windoze or having to ever pay what he called the 'yearly antvirus tax' EVER again.

Summing all that up most simply:

I suggest for folks NOT to knock it 'till you've tried it harmlessly.

For anyone comfortable with windoze 8 and later versions - straight Ubuntu is a drop in replacement;
For old farts like me who prefer the 'classic desktop' paradigm - there are some very well polished variants of Ubuntu made to suit that preference - one of which I'm using right now, just as I do every single day.

Haha, thanks, mate. You cleared some air...and therefore, doubts about Linux.

Forgive my stark ignorance about Linux and I offer my newfound respect and admiration for such a robust (free-of-driver problems), powerful and dynamic OS. I must've heard some bullcrap shill rumor floating in the air from Linux bashers who have no experience with the OS and are WinBlowz cybertroopers paid by Hell Gates himself.

And sorry for saying users who operate the terminal are powerful. They just remind me of those lame hacker movies where the Neo Matrix-like hacker can do anything with lines of green code streaming vertically down the screen. Hahahahaha.

But yeah, too many problems with WinBlowz and too many unsolvable, costly, and time-consuming issues especially with R******* viruses and equally, if not more R******* antivirus sheet softwares.

But yeah Billy is a paradox in terms but a shrewd one at that. He made his money off his cunningness in duping people to believe his was the ONLY original proprietary OS, cept that he stole it from Linux or Unix or whatever and rebranded it as his own and called lookalikes, piracies. Disgusting fellow and I'm not surprised his wife left him.

Was cunning/crafty but was never really that bright. His OS naming system also has no creativity whatsoever. (Let me predict the next Windows, sorry, Linux fork OS after WinBlowz 11. WinBlowz 12?) Doesn't reflect very highly on his intelligence...or creativity.

At least Android OSes are Candy Crush-themed and Apple Macs have funky cool names. As do Linux distros.

Just as a side note, smithnowt. Seeing that WinBlowz was and is a wreck to you, would you recommend computer users to peruse Apple OSes over WinBlowz or even Apple doesn't come anywhere near Linux? in advance for the reply insight.

Teratron - you ask terrific questions !!

(11-30-2021 06:36 PM)teratron Wrote: [ -> ]Just as a side note, smithnowt. Seeing that WinBlowz was and is a wreck to you, would you recommend computer users to peruse Apple OSes over WinBlowz or even Apple doesn't come anywhere near Linux? in advance for the reply insight.

1st:
You are quite welcome - my pleasure - and also, since you've asked - I actually posted detailed specifics about that twice here, and so...

2nd:
Here it is again, for you:

(07-30-2019 02:21 PM)smithnowt Wrote: [ -> ]Berlinerin - all respect for you and I can see where you are coming from, and even why it may be so.

-BUT-

There is other info which applies to such a BIG choice that so many folks simply are unaware of - and I say this as a veteran IT tech who used to provide recycled genuine Macs to poor families, for their kids, for free - so I worked on them IRL and know this info quite well.

1st:
A defining property of a genuine Mac was its genuine Motorola CPU - which the entire system was built around;
2nd:
The Mac's OS was totally closed and in complete competition with mikr0$leeze - they refused to allow that gang any access at all to their coding...period.

And then the mikr0$leeze gang drove Apple to the skids - then 'saved' it:

Quote: In August of 1997, Gates stepped in and saved Apple, which, at the time, was on the brink of bankruptcy. "Bill, thank you. The world's a better place," Jobs told Gates after the Microsoft exec agreed to make a $150 million investment in Apple.

Very few people either knew of this - or remember it.

Even fewer folks know of the patent infringement suit that Apple lost to that gang in 1994:

Code:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Computer,_Inc._v._Microsoft_Corp.

Another little-known thing is how this 'investment' caused Apple to allow the mikr0$leeze gang FULL ACCESS to all that had been closed before, with several notable results:

1 - All so-called 'Apple' computers now run on Intel CPU chipsets;
2 - All of them are now simply re-badged (and overpriced) PCs;
3 - The Mac OS has been mikr0$leeze-ized;
4 - The newer windows versions all contain LOTS of Apple's code;
5 - The only reasons for the continued existence of the Apple co. are these=>
A - To keep up a false image of mikr0$leeze having an actual competitor;
B - The i-things are very profitable.

For anyone wanting to use the Mac OS, the most affordable way to do so is via what is called a Hackintosh, which is just normal PC hardware with the Mac OS installed.

Lastly, another little known bit of tech trivia:
Both windows and the Mac OS are descended of the Unix OS in different ways - but the biggest descendant of Unix in use today is Linux due to its uses for most internet servers and the zillions of Android devices around the world (Yes dear friends - Android -IS- Linux).

For anyone interested, here are some related URLs:

Code:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEHNrqPkefI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxOp5mBY9IY
https://www.pcworld.com/article/238905/top_three_steve_jobs_speeches.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/29/steve-jobs-and-bill-gates-what-happened-when-microsoft-saved-apple.html

But hold on to your hat 'cuz there's STILL more a'comin !!

(06-19-2021 01:57 PM)smithnowt Wrote: [ -> ]As someone who worked upon many, many of the original Apple PCs before the iapple stuff took over 100%, the history of that entity is well known to me, but:
Most of the followers of that evangelism neither know - nor are they even willing to look at what their religious icon truly is now and exactly how it came to be.

The 'i' stands for intel - which is what the stuff uses now instead of the original Motorola CPUs which made Apple famous.
(And in what I write here today I use 'PC' to mean 'personal computer' and NOT as the IBM type except for at the very last mention here.)

Initially the Steves and their 3rd partner had an instant 'in' for marketing - the world's cheapest PC.
That it was made possible via using the cheapest parts and a Unix-based OS only mattered for creating the certainty that those folks profitted as well as they did.

When they moved onward from that generation they also had the 1st really easy to use PC to offer - and that was their 2nd instant 'in'.

Their turning into making so much stylish, fancy stuff came much later and has since become the focus of their iconic branding.

Hereabouts comes what the true believers prefer to ignore:
That company went through several very dramatic periods of failure.

The last of which having changed their corporate culture totally and radically.

Their early almost total failures resulted from trying to very quietly cheat customers by shipping out known defective hardware because the company had gone broke and did that to 'raise money' - but it got caught red handed.

In between there were some other nearly fatal times - but it is the last almost death that is most worthy of note.

That came after M$ had driven them so far down that the ONLY saving grace was possible via acceptance of a 'goodwill donation' from uncle beezlebub bill of ~$180 million (via stocks, etc.) to keep that company afloat.
It was publicly described as an 'investment' whereas it was used to corrupt Apple's long dedication to keeping its IP protected - but now all of it is wide open to MS and has been used quite visibly in their newest products.

If you watch this video you'll see why the i-things came soon thereafter, as well as how the original AppleOS got corrupted into the 100% intel-based thing it is today.

Quote:Macworld Boston 1997-The Microsoft Deal
Steve Jobs and the almost bankrupt at the time Apple Computer making a deal with Bill Gates and Microsoft.
The crowd was not too happy about it.

Code:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxOp5mBY9IY

This info is not easy to dig up - and not at all well known (or even accepted at all by the religious devotees.)

Finally - to round all this out just a little, in the present day there is some worthwhile info about this thriving M$ property to have a look at...

If there's any lingering doubt that apple is a full fledged religion, this shrine proves it:





The above portion starts at 8:07, the full 10+ minutes is here:

Code:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI2oTT2wRYA

And now we know why those idevices cost so much - they have to finance all that religiously motivated frippery !!!
(Even though they are now all just variations of the IBM type PC running a radically changed Apple branded OS.)

Please, be careful and gentle if you try to explain any of the actual history to any of the true believers - because it will cause them immeasurable pain and traumatic difficulty due to having chosen emotional safety via cognitive dissonance.

All the above basically just keeps iApple running because it is profitable AND=>
It keeps the SEC from needing to look up mr. ultra-charismatic beezlebub's anus with a flashlight (as if they even could, really).

There - hopefully that is good info in answer to your query ??

(12-01-2021 02:35 PM)smithnowt Wrote: [ -> ]Teratron - you ask terrific questions !!

(11-30-2021 06:36 PM)teratron Wrote: [ -> ]Just as a side note, smithnowt. Seeing that WinBlowz was and is a wreck to you, would you recommend computer users to peruse Apple OSes over WinBlowz or even Apple doesn't come anywhere near Linux? in advance for the reply insight.

1st:
You are quite welcome - my pleasure - and also, since you've asked - I actually posted detailed specifics about that twice here, and so...

2nd:
Here it is again, for you:

(07-30-2019 02:21 PM)smithnowt Wrote: [ -> ]Berlinerin - all respect for you and I can see where you are coming from, and even why it may be so.

-BUT-

There is other info which applies to such a BIG choice that so many folks simply are unaware of - and I say this as a veteran IT tech who used to provide recycled genuine Macs to poor families, for their kids, for free - so I worked on them IRL and know this info quite well.

1st:
A defining property of a genuine Mac was its genuine Motorola CPU - which the entire system was built around;
2nd:
The Mac's OS was totally closed and in complete competition with mikr0$leeze - they refused to allow that gang any access at all to their coding...period.

And then the mikr0$leeze gang drove Apple to the skids - then 'saved' it:

Quote: In August of 1997, Gates stepped in and saved Apple, which, at the time, was on the brink of bankruptcy. "Bill, thank you. The world's a better place," Jobs told Gates after the Microsoft exec agreed to make a $150 million investment in Apple.

Very few people either knew of this - or remember it.

Even fewer folks know of the patent infringement suit that Apple lost to that gang in 1994:

Code:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Computer,_Inc._v._Microsoft_Corp.

Another little-known thing is how this 'investment' caused Apple to allow the mikr0$leeze gang FULL ACCESS to all that had been closed before, with several notable results:

1 - All so-called 'Apple' computers now run on Intel CPU chipsets;
2 - All of them are now simply re-badged (and overpriced) PCs;
3 - The Mac OS has been mikr0$leeze-ized;
4 - The newer windows versions all contain LOTS of Apple's code;
5 - The only reasons for the continued existence of the Apple co. are these=>
A - To keep up a false image of mikr0$leeze having an actual competitor;
B - The i-things are very profitable.

For anyone wanting to use the Mac OS, the most affordable way to do so is via what is called a Hackintosh, which is just normal PC hardware with the Mac OS installed.

Lastly, another little known bit of tech trivia:
Both windows and the Mac OS are descended of the Unix OS in different ways - but the biggest descendant of Unix in use today is Linux due to its uses for most internet servers and the zillions of Android devices around the world (Yes dear friends - Android -IS- Linux).

For anyone interested, here are some related URLs:

Code:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEHNrqPkefI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxOp5mBY9IY
https://www.pcworld.com/article/238905/top_three_steve_jobs_speeches.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/29/steve-jobs-and-bill-gates-what-happened-when-microsoft-saved-apple.html

But hold on to your hat 'cuz there's STILL more a'comin !!

(06-19-2021 01:57 PM)smithnowt Wrote: [ -> ]As someone who worked upon many, many of the original Apple PCs before the iapple stuff took over 100%, the history of that entity is well known to me, but:
Most of the followers of that evangelism neither know - nor are they even willing to look at what their religious icon truly is now and exactly how it came to be.

The 'i' stands for intel - which is what the stuff uses now instead of the original Motorola CPUs which made Apple famous.
(And in what I write here today I use 'PC' to mean 'personal computer' and NOT as the IBM type except for at the very last mention here.)

Initially the Steves and their 3rd partner had an instant 'in' for marketing - the world's cheapest PC.
That it was made possible via using the cheapest parts and a Unix-based OS only mattered for creating the certainty that those folks profitted as well as they did.

When they moved onward from that generation they also had the 1st really easy to use PC to offer - and that was their 2nd instant 'in'.

Their turning into making so much stylish, fancy stuff came much later and has since become the focus of their iconic branding.

Hereabouts comes what the true believers prefer to ignore:
That company went through several very dramatic periods of failure.

The last of which having changed their corporate culture totally and radically.

Their early almost total failures resulted from trying to very quietly cheat customers by shipping out known defective hardware because the company had gone broke and did that to 'raise money' - but it got caught red handed.

In between there were some other nearly fatal times - but it is the last almost death that is most worthy of note.

That came after M$ had driven them so far down that the ONLY saving grace was possible via acceptance of a 'goodwill donation' from uncle beezlebub bill of ~$180 million (via stocks, etc.) to keep that company afloat.
It was publicly described as an 'investment' whereas it was used to corrupt Apple's long dedication to keeping its IP protected - but now all of it is wide open to MS and has been used quite visibly in their newest products.

If you watch this video you'll see why the i-things came soon thereafter, as well as how the original AppleOS got corrupted into the 100% intel-based thing it is today.

Quote:Macworld Boston 1997-The Microsoft Deal
Steve Jobs and the almost bankrupt at the time Apple Computer making a deal with Bill Gates and Microsoft.
The crowd was not too happy about it.

Code:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxOp5mBY9IY

This info is not easy to dig up - and not at all well known (or even accepted at all by the religious devotees.)

Finally - to round all this out just a little, in the present day there is some worthwhile info about this thriving M$ property to have a look at...

If there's any lingering doubt that apple is a full fledged religion, this shrine proves it:





The above portion starts at 8:07, the full 10+ minutes is here:

Code:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI2oTT2wRYA

And now we know why those idevices cost so much - they have to finance all that religiously motivated frippery !!!
(Even though they are now all just variations of the IBM type PC running a radically changed Apple branded OS.)

Please, be careful and gentle if you try to explain any of the actual history to any of the true believers - because it will cause them immeasurable pain and traumatic difficulty due to having chosen emotional safety via cognitive dissonance.

All the above basically just keeps iApple running because it is profitable AND=>
It keeps the SEC from needing to look up mr. ultra-charismatic beezlebub's anus with a flashlight (as if they even could, really).

There - hopefully that is good info in answer to your query ??

Not 'good' answer, EXCELLENT reply.

I don't know why I didn't talk to you earlier. You are a treasure trove of IT knowledge and a fellow hater of Microsh*t. I ONLY use the dumb thing because I'm so used to it and I also am scared to try new things that I'm not well-versed in or skilled at...yet.

Maybe your glowing (but realistically glowing) review being that you've used all three OSes (which are actually Linux forks or derivatives) in your lifetime and were a tech and know which is best (namely, Linux :P) will prove to be the impetus for me to eventually start using or switching over to Linux.

I've ALWAYS liked Ubuntu, anyway. Lightweight, fast, robust and feature-rich. And everything just works. Plus, one can boot it up in a jiffy. I ONLY hope (and it's not a terribly big deal) that one day Linux will support Adobe products. People may say it's sheet, but I still believe it has its merits and is the gold standard of photo editing.

Sheet or sh*t like GIMP comes nowhere close, not even in its makers' wildest dreams.