COVER FEATURE
BEST FREE
S O F T WA R E
FOR VITAL PC TASKS
50 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633
SOFTWARE WE RECOMMEND FOR EACH TASK
1 TreeSize Free http://www.snipca.com/42021
2 Bulk Rename Utility
http://www.snipca.com/42022
3 SearchMyFiles
http://www.snipca.com/42024
4 Handbrake http://www.snipca.com/42027
5 VeraCrypt http://www.snipca.com/42040
6 OpenPuff http://www.snipca.com/42041
7 Synchredible http://www.snipca.com/42053
8 Folder2Iso http://www.snipca.com/42052
9 Mem Reduct http://www.snipca.com/42059
10 SeaTools http://www.snipca.com/42061
11 WhatInStartup
http://www.snipca.com/42062
12 Acrylic Wi-Fi
http://www.snipca.com/42064
13 Wireless Network Watcher
http://www.snipca.com/42076
14 aText http://www.snipca.com/42081
15 SharpKeys http://www.snipca.com/42082
16 X-Mouse Button Control
http://www.snipca.com/42084
Some PC jobs are just too important to keep putting
off, so you need to know the best programs to
execute them correctly. Nik Rawlinson recommends
16 that you should learn
W
e all know the kind of ‘boring
but useful’ tasks we should
carry out regularly on our
computers: backing up,
syncing, eradicating junk and so on. But
there are lots of things in life we should
do, but don’t. One of the reasons we put
off such PC tasks is not knowing the best
program to use. That’s a problem we aim
to fix in this feature.
We’ve highlighted 16 tasks that you’ll
probably have attempted in the past,
perhaps with mixed results because the
programs were too difficult to use. We
start with tools that help you manage
your files: removing, renaming, searching
for and converting them. Once that’s
done, we move on to security – or, more
specifically, encryption. You’ll learn how
to hide files behind passwords, and even
inside other files.
Backing up and syncing comes next,
followed by tools to keep your computer
running smoothly: cleaning memory,
analysing hard drives and uninstalling
programs that launch when you boot.
We then recommend Wi-Fi programs for
optimising your network – including
kicking off anyone stealing your signal –
before finishing with clever tricks to
perform with your keyboard and mouse.