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Featured Replies

Notepad++ (multi-tab, saves tabs between sessions, handles large files)

WinSCP (FTP) - both recs from blacklab

GIMP (image editor)

ShareX (screen caps & basic edits - rec from elfenix)

7-Zip

Malwarebytes

Avast antivirus

CCleaner

iDrive backup

VLC media player

 

What are your essential software programs?

 

Edited by retread

  • 2 weeks later...

I use MobaXterm and haven't had to use WinSCP or Putty on my workstation in years.  It does file transfer and console/SSH in the same window and has tabbed sessions.

I used to use Notepad++ for everything, now I use OneNote for actual notes and NP++ for any text editing.  

I always have Slack open just because I like to goof off while I work.

  • 3 months later...
  • Author

Any recs for software to encrypt or password protect files on personal computer? I have used 7-zip for this, but I don't really know how secure it is (AES-256 encryption). 

  • 2 weeks later...
I use MobaXterm and haven't had to use WinSCP or Putty on my workstation in years.  It does file transfer and console/SSH in the same window and has tabbed sessions.
I used to use Notepad++ for everything, now I use OneNote for actual notes and NP++ for any text editing.  
I always have Slack open just because I like to goof off while I work.
Slack?

You know Bob?

Mobaxterm
MRemoteNG
Notepad ++
Jira
Slack cause I have to
Zoom for conference bridges

Mobaxterm
MRemoteNG
Notepad ++
Jira
Slack cause I have to
Zoom for conference bridges
You know Bob, too?
  • 4 months later...

Maybe not quite worth a new thread so might as well chuck this into a dead forum - I realized I was getting frustrated at running meetings, trying to navigate around and generally do things in lots of windows on a single screen using a touchpad, so I bought this mouse.

61qvSZSLBzL._SX425_.jpg

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Master-Wireless-Mouse-High-precision/dp/B00TZR3WRM

I think there's a newer version, which I realized only after buying this.  Whatever. The area where your thumb rests is a button and also allows for a limited set of gestures.  There's a scroll wheel and two buttons on the side as well.  And there's software to allow you to manage what the various buttons do.  I can snap windows, maximize window, show desktop, or cycle through applications with the gesture button.  Scroll through tabs with the side wheel.  Go back and forward in a browser with the two buttons on the side.  Middle wheel spins freely to scroll fast or ratchets to scroll slow, or opens link in a new tab by pressing (last part is normal wheel behavior).  I made a keyboard shortcut to pop a tab out into a new window in Vivaldi and programmed that to the other middle button.  So I can open two links in new tabs and then pop one out into a new window and then snap each window to either side of the screen, which is useful and difficult to just do clicking on a trackpad.  I've had the mouse for 3 weeks and haven't charged it yet.  I'm happy. 

Edited by Celery Man

Snipping Tool. I just found out about this amazing thing.

  • Author

^ ShareX is also pretty nice. Let's you take a variety of screenshots (including making gifs from video). You can do basic editing on your screenshots.

 

Does anyone have an opinion on using 7Zip (or similar) to password protect files on personal laptop? I think my version of 7Zip offers sha256 encryption. Are there better ways to encrypt/pw protect files?

Edited by retread

  • 2 weeks later...

alright and my new laptop has a high dpi display, which makes shit goofy when I'm switching between being in conference rooms and at my desk where I have it plugged into a dock with multiple displays.  Namely, it keeps getting into a state where the screen takes up the entire size of the monitor, but is not maximized, so I have to find the corner and drag it to size the window down, which is a pain in the ass.  Installed altdrag, which lets you assign mouse buttons to window sizing when you're holding alt (or whatever modifier button).  So, alt+right mouse button = moving the window around, alt+left button = resizing the window from the nearest corner or edge to your cursor.  Sacrificed the forward button on my mouse to map it to alt, now I can just hold that and one of the main mouse buttons to do whatever I want to whatever window.

A super simple version of Evernote, or Notes, or OneNote, is Simplenote.  It's free, it just takes notes and urls, but you can put it on your phone and laptop and it syncs or login from any browser.  Handy.  Zero learning curve.

  • 2 weeks later...

Wunderlist to manage to do's of the household

To manage worklife:

Good-Reasons-To-Hire-The-Best-Secretary-

  • 3 weeks later...

Calendly is like using crack.  I never have to fight for scheduling meetings anymore...just send people a link and they find a time that works for both of us.  Also integrated with Zoom, so I automatically get a video conference set up and dropped on my calendar.  Worth.  Every.  Penny.

  • 9 months later...
On 8/25/2019 at 7:32 PM, retread said:

^ ShareX is also pretty nice. Let's you take a variety of screenshots (including making gifs from video). You can do basic editing on your screenshots.

 

Does anyone have an opinion on using 7Zip (or similar) to password protect files on personal laptop? I think my version of 7Zip offers sha256 encryption. Are there better ways to encrypt/pw protect files?

If you're using the AES256 encryption, and not ZipCrypto, then 7zip with a password of 12 or more characters is good. If you want something for encryption without the compression aspect, look at VeraCrypt

  • 5 weeks later...

FreeNAS.  Or any decent little NAS setup.  We've got too many devices in this house, and I finally sat down and started designing a proper FreeNAS setup, and am testing it out, and holy shit, should have done this years ago.  Much easier to setup and maintain than I thought, and can handle a lot of stuff and free up a lot of storage.  And now I could care less about what laptop or desktop I have access to.

Hey, it's software, and it's going to make me more productive.

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