Monday, June 24, 2002		Downloads of the week

THIS is a solution designed for all Windows operating systems (Windows XP/2000/NT/ Me/98/95) that offers an easier and better way to uninstall programs you no longer want on your computer. When you want to uninstall a program, all you have to do is to double click the "Uninstall Programs" icon on your Desktop. Add/Remove Plus! 2002 will display each program that is installed on the computer and help you quickly find the program you want to remove. Then all you have to do is highlight the program name and click "Uninstall". Add/Remove Plus! 2002 will run the uninstall routine and make sure the program is removed from the list. This way user can easily get rid of all unnecessary programs for good. This utility helps maintain a cleaner computer and a cleaner registry. The program is also intelligent enough to indicate the programs that have been already removed from your computer, but were left behind in the list by misbehaving uninstallers. These programs can be removed from the list to reduce clutter and make it easier to find and uninstall other programs in the future.

Add/Remove Plus! 2002 offers full control over the list of programs that are installed on your computer. You can delete programs and modify names and uninstallers. Or you can add older software products that do not support the new Control Panel Windows installation/uninstallation standard, just by dragging their uninstall routine/program from Explorer. Unauthorised software (games, miscellaneous chat programs and screensavers) waste computer and network performance and hard disk space, conflict with the operating system and with authorised software and they are a potential distraction and time-waster. Add/Remove Plus! 2002 is easy to use, it has a very intuitive interface, it guides you step by step through the process of uninstalling Windows programs and offers you tips and advice on the status of each program installed on your computer and how it can be uninstalled. Programs that have been already removed from your computer, but were left behind in the list by misbehaved uninstallers are marked with a question mark icon. These programs should be removed from the list to reduce clutter and make it easier to find and uninstall other programs in the future. To remove a "phantom" program, locate it in the list and select it. Then click the Uninstall item from the menu located to the left of the list (or double-click the program name in the list). Add/Remove Plus! 2002 will first try to uninstall the program to make sure that it is really gone before removing it from the list. Download available from www.aurelitec.com

This is software to customise hotkeys (or single keys) for specific purposes. It will make any keyboard to work as a Multimedia or Internet keyboard. It can also be used to change volume with On-screen-display or display in tray icon. Using iOSD, any animated .gif file can be used to display the volume status on screen. Also, using iOSD, any bitmap can be displayed on the screen conveniently using hotkeys. You can play/eject audio CD's, hide/close/keep on top active windows or shutdown/restart/logoff your computer. You can also send keystrokes that may be used to type in commonly used text. Also programs can be run with optional command-line parameters thus increasing the program's functionality. All the options are completely customisable. Even the additional keys on your Multimedia/Internet keyboard can be used with Hotkeycontrol XP. All these hotkeys can optionally be made active only when a given combination of Num, Caps, Scroll locks are on or off. This helps in reusing the same hotkeys for more than one purpose depending on the lock keys. The main feature of Hotkey control that makes the program better compared to its rivals is that all hotkeys are functional even in games and in other full-screen Direct 3D applications. This is how you can set the hot-keys. Check each of the additional keys (ctrl,alt,shift,win) and then type a key in the associated text area. The number displayed as tooltip is the keycode of the key you pressed. This is used by the program and you do not require to know it. In the text area the actual key is displayed. If ??? is displayed, the program does not understand the key you typed in. However, the hotkey will still work properly. To set either Tab or Enter keys, which cannot be set by typing in the text area, press Ctrl + Shift + Alt or win to select Enter key and num, caps, scroll lock keys to set Tab key in the text area. If you want to assign the keys on your multimedia keyboard to perform a task, just click in the text area and press the multimedia key. A ??? will be displayed. Save the settings and now you can use your multimedia key as a Hotkey. You can also use single keys to perform a task. In games and other direct 3D applications, the hotkey will be sent to the active application also. For example, if 'E' is set to Eject the tray, pressing E in most games will cause the tray to open as well as the action to be performed for E in the game will also occur .Also,in some rare occasions, some programs or games may not permit certain keys. You will need to use alternate hotkeys. You may download it from www.digital-miner.com

This program (TRACE.BAT) is an MS-DOS batch process which uses standard network query utilities to work up a handy report on a given Internet address. It does so automatically and fairly quickly, in a simple format and in a logical sequence. It provides a report in plain text which it opens in Notepad when done. It gives some screen feedback while in process. All the user needs is one of the following - an IP address, a hostname, an e-mail address or a URL. Because the Tracer performs extended domain registration lookups, encompassing the shared .COM, .NET and .ORG registries and more than 70 countries, it is a sort of super-WHOIS utility. It runs easily and quickly from the desktop Run dialog, and requires no familiarity with MS-DOS. TRACE.BAT works with Windows '95, Windows '98 and Windows ME. What makes the Tracer special? Except for its unique vendor code lookups and its extensive coverage of country domains -- nothing much! It's using utilities that are ordinary to most professionals, and is a batchfile of all things, which isn't exactly whizbang high-tech programming. The key is that it brings it all together in a single report and using one simple command. Use of the Tracer is almost ridiculously easy. One types "trace [address]" in the Run dialogue while online; without further ado it does all it can with the address, and then up pops Notepad with the results. Please note that Trace files must be in the Windows directory after you install the utility. Otherwise it will not work. So next time you want to locate a spammer, use Trace which is available at www.pc-help.org/trace

— Raman Mohan