10 free tools to manage your files on Windows

1-Instant Search: Everything

With huge hard drives being the norm, searching for any document on your PC can be a painstakingly slow exercise. This is because every time you search using the default tool in Windows, it has to scan each and every folder till it finds the file. Everything, on the other hand, helps you locate any document almost instantly.

The first time you install the software, it indexes the contents on your hard drive. The program then sits unobtrusively in your system tray till you double-click its icon. To search, simply type the name of the file you are looking for, and the software will serve it up to you - no wait whatsoever. You can also search by file extension and add strings for custom searches. For example, use 'office\invoice' to search for filenames with the word 'invoice' in your 'office' folder, or 'Beatles! Love' to exclude the term 'Love' from your search. www.voidtools.com

2-Better File Copy: TeraCopy

The default copy tool in Windows is bothersome if you deal with huge files. If there's an error while copying multiple files, it'll abort the whole job. Also, there's no way to pause and resume a transfer. And did you know that Windows doesn't actually copy files at the fastest rate possible?

TeraCopy to the rescue. The software features full shell integration, which means that it replaces the default Explorer copy tool so you don't have to start the program each time you are copying files.

While transferring, if there is an error, TeraCopy will try multiple times to copy that file - and if that doesn't happen, the file is skipped and the rest of the data is copied. At the end of the process, you can see which files posed a problem and try copying them again.

What's more, you can even pause and resume the process if you need to run a more resource intensive program alongside. And yes, the software is optimized to get the fastest possible transfer speed on your computer. codesector.com/teracopy

3-Tag Files: Elyse

Sometimes, the same file can fit in different folders. For example, a photo can find place in a folder for profile pics, the party it was clicked in, or by date. Instead of keeping multiple copies of the file, Elyse brings a smart 'tagging' system.

The idea is to store your files anywhere, but classify them with tags to find them easily. Just point Elyse to a folder and then you can start creating as many tags as you want.

After that, just drag-and-drop files to the tag. It's handy for office use (different projects that use the same documents) as well as personal data (tagging photos or videos). It's not easy to use initially, but once you get accustomed to it, Elyse works splendidly. silkwoodsoftware.com

4-Folder Lists: Filelist Creator

When a friend asks you to send him a list of the MP3 songs you have, it would be downright ridiculous to sit and type the name of each file. If only there was a way to make a list of all the files in your folder. Well, meet Filelist Creator. Point the program to the folder to start. You can choose to search all sub-folders if you want.

Next, select which parameters of the files you want to be included: name, format, file size, path, date, etc - all of which can be seen live in the preview window. Filelist Creator lets you choose formatting options too, such as the header, spacing, grouping and the order of the columns as well. Once you've had your pick, choose whether you want a text file, CSV, HTML or image and save it. www.sttmedia.com/filelistcreator

5-Delete Forever: File Shredder

When you "delete" a file in Windows, it's not entirely erased from your hard drive.

The Delete function simply hides the file till the space it occupies is overwritten with new data. Still, specialized file recovery software can retrieve these files easily (see Recuva). So how do you get rid of a sensitive file permanently?

File Shredder is a simple tool that gets the job done by 'writing' over the files multiple times with random binary data. Start the program, select the files and shred them with a button. Simple.

In the Settings tab, you can choose the type of encryption you want to use to shred the file. There's also an option to Shred Free Disk Space. As we said, a file isn't completely gone when you delete it; which means it's still occupying some space. File Shredder purges this data by rewriting over it as well. www.fileshredder.org

6-Smart Backup: Copy Changed Files

If you routinely back-up your files to an external hard disk, then you might want to install Copy Changed Files. The tool allows you to compare the contents of similar folders in two different locations - and then, only copies the files that have been modified. First, select the 'From' and 'To' folders. Then, choose the method to compare files: Date-time and file size is faster, but can have errors, while the binary compare method is slower, but more accurate. You can choose to filter what to copy by file type or size. And that's it. Hit the copy button. www.copychangedfiles.com

7-Discover Duplicates: Anti-Twin

Sometimes, you have the same file stored in different folders or hard drives. So how do you find these and delete the duplicates? Say hello to Anti-Twin. It's a super-simple interface. First, select a folder as the basic comparison point - you can either search within this folder for duplicate files, or compare this folder with another.

For the comparison criteria, you can go by the filename, minimum or maximum file size, extensions, and even the content (by bytes or pixels). Once Anti-Twin finds multiple copies, you can choose to let the duplicate remain where it is, move it, or delete it and, in that folder, leave a link to the original. www.anti-twin .com

8-Batch Rename: Metamorphose

If you are constantly required to rename large groups of files on your computer, then you must install Metamorphose.

The tool is fairly simple to use: First, select the files you want to rename by browsing to them in the 'Picker' tab.

Then, in the 'Main' tab, you can pick whether the operation acts on the name, the extension or both. You can add a prefix or a suffix to each filename; and even search for text in the name and replace it with something else. You can also modify the length of the filename, add date, time or numbers, and even insert characters in any place in it.

The best part is that every change you make is instantly previewed in a pane at the bottom, along with the original filename next to it, so you know exactly what changes you've carried out.

Metamorphose is a fantastic tool to have with you when you are organising your music or media collections, or sorting your photos. File-folder-ren .sourceforge.net

9-Secure Files: Encrypt On Click

Want to keep a file or a folder protected from snooping eyes? Encrypt On Click is here to help. Start the program, select the file or the folder that you want to protect, key in a password and you're done - the file is now inaccessible to anyone without the password.

Encrypt On Click is tightly integrated with the Windows OS, so you don't need to run the program again to access the file. Double-click a protected file and the software auto-starts, prompting for a password.

Also, you can right-click any file or folder and choose to 'Open With Encrypt On Click' to immediately lock it with a password. www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/ freeware-hub .html

10-Undelete Data: Recuva

Deleted a file by mistake? Unfortunately, there's no 'undo' button for that. But don't worry, it's not completely gone. Unless you used a shredding tool (see File Shredder), the file can be recovered with a nifty program called Recuva.

When you run the program, you are prompted by a pop-up to choose the type of file you're looking to 'undelete', whether pictures, music, documents, etc. Next, choose the drive where it was located or the whole PC itself. Before finishing, you will be asked whether you want to perform a 'deep scan' - check this option only if Recuva is unable to find your file in the first try. Files found in the scan are marked either green (easy to recover), yellow (difficult to recover) or red (permanently deleted). Sometimes, the file's name might not be identifiable, but you can try the thumbnail preview or use your own judgment to figure out whether that's the file you were looking for. Once you locate your file, click 'Recuva' and save it to your hard drive. www.piriform.com/recuva

Buyers' guide for e-readers

There are a lot of features to consider before you buy a good e-reader.

There are a lot of features to consider before you buy a good e-reader. The first consideration is size. Which is more important to you, portability or large print? Screen sizes range from about 5 inches, around the size of a trade paperback, to about 10 inches, approximately the size of a hardback.

But the largest screens aren't necessarily the easiest to read - there is also the matter of resolution, which affects how sharp the text looks. For instance, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite has a 5-inch screen, but rivals 10-inch readers with its 1,024-by-758 screen resolution.

The readers have to connect to the internet to download books. Wi-Fi-only models tend to be less expensive than those that also connect over the 3G network.

Another consideration is if you like to read in the dark. Screens that are not illuminated, like that of the bargain $100 Nook Simple Touch require a light source, like a regular book. The similar Nook Simple Touch With Glowlight ($120) has its own light. But that will drain the battery more quickly.

There are readers with even more advanced features, like color screens - better for enjoying magazines - that allow readers to also watch video, listen to music, browse the web and send email. But arguably those machines, like the $200 Kindle Fire HD, cross the line from e-reader to tablet.

How to browse Facebook 'secretly'

The encrypted connection can disable some Facebook functions

BERLIN: If you regularly check your Facebook account while travelling, be sure to use an encrypted connection. That way you can make sure no one is peeking at what you do on the online social network.

Facebook does offer an https standard, but its activation is not automatic. To do so, users have to go to Account, then Account settings and then to Security.

There, under Secure Browsing, pick the option to Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https) when possible. But https has two disadvantages: it makes the connection slower and it disables some Facebook functions.

How to create partitions without formatting

How to create partitions without formatting your PC

Question: I want to create a partition in my Windows 7 machine. Currently my system shows a single drive with 141 GB total space of which 27 GB is used. I want to create two more partitions without going through the process of formatting my system. How can I do this?

Answer: There are various applications available that can solve your purpose. You can download Easeus Partition Master Home Edition from partition-tool.com or Paragon Partition Manager from paragon-software.com. Both are free and allow you to create, delete or resize partitions without the need to format the entire drive.

Please make sure that you backup all your data before you partition your drive. Choose the option to resize the existing parition in both the applications and run the wizard to make the process simple. You will be required to enter the size of the new partition to be created so make sure to enter the exact size of the new partition.

Although the application offers the option to make multiple partitions at one go, we would recommend that you create only one partition at a time to avoid any issues. Once the partition process has started, it should not be interrupted by a power failure or reboot — this may cause the hard disk to crash and become unusable.

--c s marimuthu

Question: I have recently bought an LG Optimus One. After setting up all the accounts I have noticed that my prepaid account balance gets deducted multiple times in a day without me doing anything. I am clueless as to why is it happenning. Kindly suggest a way to stop this.

Answer: The Optimus One runs Google's Android operating system. Since the phone syncs with your google and other social networking accounts, it is constantly checking for updates online. Even if you do not start the GPRS connection on your own, the phone is set by default to check for new emails, notification and updates in the background.

You can either disable background sync of the phone or just switch the GPRS connection off. To disable background sync, go to Settings > Accounts & Sync and on you will see options for 'Background Data' and 'Auto Sync'.

Uncheck both options to completely disable automatic updates. You can launch an app and manually refresh to get updates. Although this limits GPRS usage, it will not completely switch it off. To switch GPRS off, go to Wireless & Networks >Mobile networks and disable Data Transfers. Simply enable data transfer by repeating the same steps when you need to access data.

How to block unwated spam SMSes

If you start waiting for the TRAI to figure out an effective way to single out spam messages, you're in for a long wait.

If you start waiting for the TRAI to figure out an effective way to single out spam messages, you're in for a long wait. It makes more sense to take matters into your own hands — for now at least.

I should mention at the outset that if you have an iPhone, you're plain out of luck currently, there is no way to block spam because of the way the operating system works — it's all locked down.

Android users however, will be happy to learn that not only is an effective blocking tool available, they won't have to spend a single Rupee to get it. Just head to the Android Market from your phone and search for 'SMS Blocker Optinno' — the app has been developed in India by Pune-based Optinno Technologies and it uses a built in database and algorithm to automatically identify and block all spam messages automatically.

The app keeps a log of all the blocked messages and you can check them at any time to make sure that no legit messages have been blocked. Messages from anyone in your contact list are automatically delivered and you can choose to add specific senders/names to the white (allow) or block list.

The same app is also available for Symbian from www.smsblocker.in — even though Symbian users have to pay Rs 199, the price is well worth it. BlackBerry users also have a built in option — just head to the Options/Settings area and navigate to Security > Firewall.

The built in Firewall in BlackBerry OS can be setup to block messages or email — just enable it, check the box marked contacts in 'Exceptions' and also whatever other numbers you want in the 'allow' list.

Note that if you forget to allow your contacts or add other exceptions, every message will be blocked and there is no way to retrieve them.

How to use Gmail, Calendar, Docs offline

The great thing about Web apps is that you can access your information on the go, and on variety of devices like mobile phones and tablets.

The great thing about Web apps is that you can access your information on the go, and on variety of devices like mobile phones and tablets.

However, there are occasions when you don't have an internet connection making you often fret on the utility of these apps. But, starting today you will be able to access Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Docs offline.

Gmail Offline is a Chrome Web Store app that's intended for situations when you need to read, respond to, organise and archive email without an internet connection.

This HTML5-powered app is based on the Gmail web app for tablets, which is built to function with or without Web access. After you install the Gmail Offline app from the Chrome Web Store, you can continue using Gmail when you lose your connection by clicking the Gmail Offline icon on Chrome's "new tab" page.

Google Calendar and Google Docs let you seamlessly transition between on- and offline modes. When you're offline in Google Calendar, you can view events from your calendars and RSVP to appointments.

With Google Docs you can view documents and spreadsheets when you don't have a connection. Offline editing isn't ready yet, but we know it's important to many of you, and we're working hard to make it a reality. To get started using Google Calendar or Google Docs offline, just click the gear icon at the top right corner of the web app and select the option for offline access.

How to automatically backup USB drives

USB flash drives are not indestructible.

NEW DELHI: USB flash drives are not indestructible — they may be sturdier than hard drives, but they're still susceptible to physical damage and breakage from falls, electrostatic discharge and data corruption if a device is removed while data is still being copied.

It's good practice to keep multiple backups of your important data, so try USB Flash Copy — a free utility for Windows PCs that automatically takes backups of your flash drive every time you connect it.

No installation is needed and it's only a 300kb download — get it from www.usbflashcopy.com and run it to set a particular folder on your computer's hard drive for backups (by default, it makes a backup folder in 'My Documents' ).

The first time you connect a USB drive, it will take a complete backup of all contents. Thereafter, it only makes small changes to the backup folder — copying only the files that have been changed or added. If you like, you can alter the settings to keep older versions of files too.

And if multiple people use the same PC or if you have multiple flash drives, you can create profiles for each device (with different settings).

How to send self-destructing messages

Normally, any form of written communication has a record - something that can be referred to later.

Normally, any form of written communication has a record - something that can be referred to later. But if you want to send a self-destructing message to someone, try the free service at www.privnote.com.

You don't need to sign up or provide any information - just start writing your note in the text box on the page. The note can be as long as you want and you can even paste a large Word document here if you like. Once done, click 'create note' and a link will be created for you. The link is meant to be shared only once, with one person only.

Once the note is read, the link (and the note) is removed from the server. You can even set it to notify you once the note gets read - though you do have to put in an email ID for that. If you're wary of giving your email ID, you can always use a disposable email service like www.mailinator.com.

Mailinator gives you a quick email ID without any sign up process - you can check for new mail as often as you like and just forget about the whole thing once your purpose is served. You can also use Mailinator to sign up for forums and to comment on websites. It's a great way to avoid getting spammed later.

How to get back your deleted files?

It only takes a moment of carelessness or just plain bad luck to permanently delete important data from your PC.

NEW DELHI: It only takes a moment of carelessness or just plain bad luck to permanently delete important data from your PC. And anyone who regularly works on a computer has faced these moments, only to suffer much heartburn and grief depending on the importance of the lost files (I recently Shift-Deleted an entire folder of holiday photos from my hard drive, only to realize that I had not yet backed them up on DVDs).

Of course, there are hundreds of "data recovery experts" in the market who will charge you a princely sum to retrieve such files. And if you're looking to recover data that's extremely critical, it makes sense to call them in. But if it is just "crucial" , but not "critical " data we are talking about, you can try to recover the deleted files yourself using a few free — yes, free — software.

Now, before we talk about the free utilities, let us touch upon how recovering deleted files is possible. After all, deleted means permanently deleted, right? Wrong!

When a file is deleted, even from inside the Recycle Bin, it doesn't actually vanish from the hard drive. Instead, after receiving the delete command, the computer merely changes the file's properties to make it invisible to the user. The space occupied by the file is also marked as empty even though it remains in that space. The file truly gets deleted from the hard disk only when the operating system reuses the space occupied by it and overwrites fresh data to that space.

Even then, there are possibilities that bits and pieces of the deleted file survive on the hard disk for years. This is the reason why forensic experts and cops take a special interest in computers found at crime scenes.

Now that the theory of recovering a "permanently" deleted file is clear, let's talk of some programmes you can use for the job. Most data recovery programmes cost money, but we found three that are free. In our test, where we deleted 11 files — a few pictures, some movies, some songs in MP3 for mat and a few documents — all of them managed to recover 10 files

MiniTool Power Data Recovery

Of the three programmes, this is the most versatile. It can not only recover the deleted files, but also help you save data from damaged partitions, pen drives, SD cards and CDs. MiniTool puts the retrieved files in folders, but you will have to go through several folders — Lost Files and Desktop, for example — before you find the actual files you were looking for. Once you have found the files, just click "save files" to get your data back. www.powerdatarecovery.com

Recuva

This software lacks the advanced features of MiniTool, but it is equally good at recovering deleted files. One advantage of using Recuva is that you can see a preview before saving the retrieved files. This is handy because the computer often changes the names of deleted files to something like $ABC.MP3. www.piriform.com/recuva

Glary Undelete

Of the three software listed here, this is the most basic of file recovery programmes. In our tests, it was also the slowest. But one good feature with Glary Undelete is its ability to home in on the full name of the deleted files. This makes finding the right files a lot easier. www.glarysoft.com/products/ utilities/glary-undelete /

Chances of success

To recover data, file recovery programmes rely on the operating system's tendency to not delete a file, but overwrite it. However, because deleting and overwriting happen simultaneously, there is no pattern to the process. This means that recovering deleted files is possible, but your success rate depends on what you did on the PC after you accidentally deleted the file. To improve your chances of recovery...

Immediately stop using the computer as soon as you realize that you have deleted a file/folder. Immediately close programs like your web browser that write data to the hard disk. But do not switch off or restart the computer.

If a file recovery program is not already installed, use another PC to download it and preferably install it on a partition other than the one on which the deleted file was stored.

The more you used the computer after the file was deleted, the lesser your chances of recovering lost data.

Bonus tip

If you don't want anyone to recover your deleted files, use a programme like CCleaner to wipe the empty space on hard disk before switching off the computer.