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index root-main -- intro -- rules -- principles -- tweaks -- hints -- articles -- software      cmdline     -- security -- links sub-other -- config -- terms -- projects     -- certs -- various -- specs -- events7     -- events6     -- events5     -- y-2005 -- about     -- website ----	In these few years of "heavy" and "enthusiastic" computer usage, I've become almost obsessed with commandline programs, various in-built shell-commands, script-processing in general (be it batch-files or scripts with .vbs extension) and other automation-related things that make common tasks easier and faster. For example batch scripts for deleting log-files, temp-location directories, executing programs with START command, and finally to backup all my programs' *.ini or *.cfg files to some safe location (optionally directory-recursive) with one simple click on *.bat file etc. etc. So below in the page you are currently viewing here, there are described programs right from these two topics:  A list of my favorite commandline applications !! on Ars Technica and the other on Winforums:  A good list of Windows Utilities in General. I can't describe them all separately, but here are listed mostly the main sites of my crucial and indispensable applications, with short description for each separate app, and its particular download link (or applications page), and also note that all applications listed here are FREEWARE. That's all for now, but note that this is currently just a basic list, so much more is comming. For some of the commandline options/parameters, see the: FreqCmd.txt, FreqSoft.txt, Soft-Internet.txt and Soft-System.txt files under the Templates section in the "OPEN or GET" drop-down menu script at the top of each "root-main" page. One note for the IT-Abbreviations.doc file; some definitions are missing for which I know the definition myself, but I didn't want to add them since I wanted to keep it in the original form as I downloaded it from the web and pasted into the Wordpad. I will add a bit more detailed descriptions of ways of usage for various separate applications as soon as possible. Seriously, I hope that this list will grow with time passing-by, since I discover new useful commandline applications more or less on daily basis.

My various blogs: Here is a list of links to my various blogs; as first a link to my Voljatel Blog, both in Slovenian language, as second there are the links to the two "ad revenue sharing community" blogs Senserely Blog [ add], writingUp Blog [ add] in English language, then there are the three unsorted blogs Kuro5hin Blog, Spread Firefox Blog [ add], and CastleCops Blog [ add] also in English language, and finally the two futile blogs Slashdot Blog (this one doesn't get much attention), Techrepublic Blog (it's inaccessible to non-registered visitors), both in English language too.




/NOTE: From the site's update on 5.6.2006 onwards, this particular site will not be updated anymore. To be honest, I made few additional modifications on 6.6., 7.6., 8.6., 9.6., and 16.6., further on 13.7., 23.7., 23.8., and 26.9. in 2006, and finally on 14.1. in 2007 (which was the absolutely last update), but that was all just fixing old errors and formatting, and no new content was added. Optionally see the last "events-entry" on page "events7.html" (it's a short related announcement), and the first entry on the "events8.html" page (it describes all this in great details), however, the second one is located only on "still-updated" site-variants. Anyway, this notice applies to: Bravenet, Freehost386, Geocities, and Greatnow free-hosts (and from 14.1.2007 this includes also Atspace free-host), so for the current variant with the fresh content, please head on to one of these two main sites: 50webs, Voljatel, which are, as mentioned, the only ones still being updated.


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I mainly use my command-line programs to make backups (for example for the most crucial stuff, like often modified documents etc. I copy these to a floppy-disc); mostly they are called from various batch files that I use for this purpose, but I use some also with pre-created shortcuts/links. I must mention that I make pretty smart backups regularly, i.e. on "per-day basis" with help of batch files and command-line programs that they "call" (I wrote "smart" because I make more than one copy, i.e. I backup my data on a NTFS and FAT32 formatted partition), while when I download approximately 700 MB of new things (programs, media etc.), I burn all that stuff onto CDs and also I include my freshest Firefox's bookmarks and "config" files from various programs. But although I make a full backup every two weeks or so on a CD disk (see above), I additionally got used to "per-day" backing-up to/on the floppy disk for the most crucial data. I simply think that it's clever to make backups as often as possible; as I said with a single click on a shortcut in my shell's right-click menu. Anyways, of course, there are numeoruos other commandline programs I use (see also other pages for links), but I list here below only those sites that offer multiple separate applications.


1. Bitsum Technologies or Collake Software; they describe themselves as authors of "Software Packaging, Wrapping, Protection, and Distribution Applications". There are many many useful programs on their site, but I especially use TrimPE an application used for "trimming" executables (well, it seems it is not available separately, but was included into their main non-free "PESuite v1.00" program) and Movelatr, to set copy/delete/move file operation before Windows boot; it is not available to download on the official program's homesite anymore, but I've uploaded it to my FTP server: http://users.volja.net/tayiper/MoveL101.zip, if anyone maybe wants to download and try it. Here are the respective links: http://www.bitsum.com, http://www.collakesoftware.com/files/movel_101.ZIP


2. GRC or the Gibson Research Corporation. I use many other programs from GRC homesite (mainly small/compact single-executable "security-realted" applications), but since I am "limited" to list only commandline ones, I will mention Wizmo application here, which is a little utility for various OS API calls. Like a commandline switch to shutdown/reboot/logoff computer, then switches to handle monitor (shut it down, or "blank-it" etc.), it has even its own screen-saver built-in, which is of course also invoked with commandline switch(es), and so on and on. Check these two links and browse for Wizmo: http://grc.com/default.htm, http://grc.com/freepopular.htm


3. Stevemiller software. There are also many many others non-commandline programs coded by Steve Miller and available at the homesite (like famous Dependany Walker etc.), but again, I am "limited" here on this page, to list strictly the commandline ones. So I especially recommend global application from Win32 Console ToolBox 1.0 package. And note that there are also many others to list them here, both various separate programs in Win32 Console ToolBox package, and other separate programs, not included in Win32 Console ToolBox. Go here and search for yourself: http://stevemiller.net, http://stevemiller.net/apps


4. Whitsoftdev is one of last discovered site, and it offers many neat applications; in particular the Trayconizer program. As mentioned, there are many other useful programs there too, mainly there are two version of each available, the 9x and NT version. Check out this site: http://www.whitsoftdev.com, http://www.whitsoftdev.com/trayconizer


5. Securitysoftware, I used the Sustain application, which monitors choosen processes (as many as you wish, so if the process is terminated, then after specified amount of time (set as commandline parmaneter), it starts that process again. Very useful for crucial processes (firewall and anti-virus realted significants etc.): http://www.securitysoftware.cc, http://www.securitysoftware.cc/applications.html, http://www.securitysoftware.cc/Programs/SUSTAIN.exe


6. Gammadyne, and a 156 K in lenght command line programs called Backup9 - File Backup Utility, and it makes optional "generations" of backed-up files (as many as you specify with switch), and there are also many others useful applications, for example I use also dels and gs (Greg'sDosShell), see here: http://www.gammadyne.com/cmdline.htm#backup9, http://www.gammadyne.com/cmdline.htm#backup9, http://www.gammadyne.com/cmdline.htm#dels, http://www.gammadyne.com/cmdline.htm#gs


7. Kephyr Labs site, and particularly the SystemSherlock Lite application that analyses any changes made to the registry and file system on your Windows workstation. Note that their site offers many online engines/features, like for example Spell Checker engine (see "index" page), Pool page (you create pools) etc. See Kephyr Labs main site, and grab SystemSherlock Lite here: http://www.kephyr.com/index.phtml, http://www.kephyr.com/systemsherlocklite/index.phtml


8. VMware software and their Virtual Floppy Driver, it is quite useful if you're running on NTFS formatted drive. I've been linked to it on some forum, but I forgot exactly on which one: http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware, http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/vfd.html, http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/vmtools.html


9. Bastet software and Doze which pauses batch scripts during processing (you set timed-intervals), Beep that plays sounds with system-speaker (on the end of the batch file for example), and also Srvstate can be quite useful. Here are the links: http://www.bastet.com, http://www.bastet.com/software/software.html, http://www.bastet.com/software/BEEP.ZIP, http://www.bastet.com/software/DOZE.ZIP, http://www.bastet.com/software/SRVSTATE.ZIP


10. SystemTools site and their page with free command-line programs; however, they are probably the most know by their GUI network management programs called "Hyena". Anyway, in regarding their page with free command-line tools; I especially recommend three programs, a Password Age programs (it displays the age of the password for user and computer accounts), a CopyPwd programs (it allows copying any number of user or computer account passwords from one computer to another, including domain accounts), and an Exporter programs (it exports users, groups, group members, services, computers, shares, disk space, and printers in any combination from any or all computers on any Windows NT/2k domain). Here below are the related links; a link to the main and "free tools" pages and after that download links to separate programs (the ones listed above): http://www.systemtools.com, http://www.systemtools.com/free.htm, http://www.systemtools.com/free_frame.htm, http://www.systemtools.com/cgi-bin/download.pl?PWage, http://www.systemtools.com/cgi-bin/download.pl?CopyPwd, http://www.systemtools.com/cgi-bin/download.pl?Exporter


11. Foundstone site with numerous useful programs, however, most of them are GUI ones, so I don't list them on this page. Anyway, regarding the command-line ones, there are two that I need to mention; a Pasco program, an Internet Explorer cache files forensic analysis tool, which enables you to examine the structure of the data found in Internet Explorer "index.dat" files (Pasco is the latin word that means "browse"), and output the results in a field delimited manner, and Rifiuti, a Windows "Recycle Bin" forensic analysis tool, with which you can see precisely what information your Recycler's "Info2" files contain. Here are the related links; first a link to the main page and few others (like links to "freetools" and "forensics" sections), and further the download links and links to programs' info pages: http://www.foundstone.com, http://www.foundstone.com/resources/freetools.htm, http://www.foundstone.com/resources/forensics.htm, http://www.foundstone.com/resources/proddesc/pasco.htm, http://www.foundstone.com/resources/termsofuse.htm?file=pasco.zip, http://www.foundstone.com/resources/proddesc/rifiuti.htm, http://www.foundstone.com/resources/termsofuse.htm?file=rifiuti.zip


12. Optimum X software and many really crucial programs for system administrators, but also for other users who just want to "inspect" their systems; programs like Clean Up (it cleans the temporary files, or other files from folder you specify), IE Cache (displays or deletes the Internet Explorer's cached files), ini Tool (queries sections and keys from INI formatted files), Network Password Age (it displays the password age for all accounts in the specified domain), and finally Memory Check (shows the information about the system's current memory statistics). Here are the links; first a link to the main and download page and further the download links for separate programs (only to those listed above; there are many others too available to download): http://www.optimumx.com, http://www.optimumx.com/download, http://www.optimumx.com/download/CleanUp.zip, http://www.optimumx.com/download/IECache.zip, http://www.optimumx.com/download/iniTool.zip, http://www.optimumx.com/download/NetPWAge_1.30.zip, http://www.optimumx.com/download/MemCheck.zip


13. Ntsecurity site and numerous more or less security related command-line programs written by a security expert Arne Vidstrom. Particularly I totally "adore" the ClearLogs programs which enables you to delete EventViewer's event logs from command-line or with batch files (as I do); however, there are many other useful programs listed and available for download on http://www.ntsecurity.nu/toolbox page. For instance FileHasher (calculates the MD5 and/or SHA hashes for a file or files), SetOwner (sets a file ownership to any account), PStoreView (lists the contents of the "Protected Storage") and DelGuest (deletes the built-in Guest account in Windows NT) are just few of them. Here are the links, first to the main page and below to separate programs' pages (of programs mentioned above; in the same order): http://www.ntsecurity.nu, http://www.ntsecurity.nu/toolbox/clearlogs, http://www.ntsecurity.nu/toolbox/filehasher, http://www.ntsecurity.nu/toolbox/setowner, http://www.ntsecurity.nu/toolbox/pstoreview, http://www.ntsecurity.nu/toolbox/delguest


14. Sysinternals, the last of "the most favorite ones". I use and recommend these utilities below, however, same as in cases of author's sites above, there are many other useful programs on thir sites. I only list those that I find the most useful. One of the most useful programs is called SDelete and it's only a 60 KB in-size application. It actually does two things when performing the "secure deleting"; it overwrites the file content (as many times as you want), as well as it over-writes the file-name and extension in the process; you can nicely check all that with "Filemon" program. The second one is Contig which can first analyze the current file-fragmentation and then allows user to defragment a single file (it's first programs that I've seen to offer that), defragment multiple files. It can also make "pre-contiguous" empty files with fixed/choosen size (with unlimited lenght), i.e. so that the files are defragmented before used for the first time and before containing any data (before being written to); of course, Contig is also directory recursive. Then I also recommend Sync, the application that flushes the modified file-system data from cache to disk, as stated on Sysinternals "insuring that it will be safe in the face of a crash". Further is a Sigcheck program that might be useful to some folks; it checks the executable file's signatures optionally in a directory-recursive manner. Next are the PsTools, a collection of various administrative command-line utilities; while I find PsService (I use it to handle my Folding@Home service, i.e. start/stop/pause/resume commands supported) and PsInfo (displays various system info) especially useful. And finally there is another "get info" programs called BgInfo (it's actually a GUI and command-line program) that draws the computer data onto the desktop (including environment variables, file-contents, registry keys etc.), sets the pre-logon screen desktop, shows info in a window and so on. And once more, here are the links, first to the main and "site map" pages and below to separate programs' informations pages (the download link is at the very bottom of each program's dedicated page): http://www.sysinternals.com, http://www.sysinternals.com/SysinternalsSiteMap.html, http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/SDelete.html, http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Contig.html, http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Sync.html, http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Sigcheck.html, http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/PsTools.html, http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/PsService.html, http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/PsInfo.html, http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/BgInfo.html, http://www.sysinternals.com/Files/SDelete.zip, http://www.sysinternals.com/Files/Contig.zip, http://www.sysinternals.com/Files/Sync.zip, http://www.sysinternals.com/Files/Sigcheck.zip, http://www.sysinternals.com/Files/PsTools.zip, http://www.sysinternals.com/Files/PsService.zip, http://www.sysinternals.com/Files/PsInfo.zip, http://www.sysinternals.com/Files/BgInfo.zip


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