Completely FREE Software - CFS Weekly Newsletter #462 issued February 1, 2008

Home > CFS Weekly Newsletter #462: issued February 1, 2008

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This electronic newsletter is registered – ISSN 1441-6840
Welcome to the CFS Weekly Newsletter.
The programs listed here are completely free for non-commercial use, even though some may be shareware or commercial products. None are time-limited and all are fully functional. If you know any that aren't exactly as specified, please let us know and they will be removed immediately.
If the link below does not work (does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid. Please use the CFS Site Search facility (above) to locate the program.
COMPLETELY FREE SOFTWARE

Quantum Legacy: Initial Tactics v0.3.0 – Win98/ME/XP/Vista
Quantum Legacy: Initial Tactics is a 3D multiplayer RTS (real-time strategy) game that includes a complex single player story and an on-line multiplayer deathmatch. It features 20 levels (plus tutorials), space battles, various camera angles, interactive scenarios, HUD, and more. This is an awesome gaming experience. It can be played on a computer in single player mode, or via the Internet for a multiplayer experience. In this real-time game you first must build your infrastructure so you have the resources to battle your enemies. Played across an Earth-style landscape, and in outer space, Quantum Legacy: Initial Tactics has a broad scope and is not a quick game. The 3D graphics are excellent, a quality rarely seen in free games. The game includes an interactive tutorial (a "must" view) to give you the basics of the game. There are also on-line FAQ sheets and info sheets which are advisable reading. We loved Quantum Legacy: Initial Tactics. It is so much more than just a space shooter that it should not even be placed in that category. A "must have" for all serious gamers, and for anyone wanting to get more into gaming. Get it now! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 187MB download from: Win98 General Games

Undelete Plus v2.9.4.0 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
Undelete Plus is a quick and effective way to restore accidentally deleted files. It features support for all major disk formats (FAT12/16/32 & NTFS/NTFS5), image recovery (CompactFlash, SmartMedia, MultiMedia & Secure Digital cards), file recovery status (from Very Good to Overwritten), column sort, information about date created/modified, multi-lingual, and more. This is an excellent file undelete program. It can recover files deleted from the Recycle Bin, files deleted using the Shift-Del key in Explorer, even from a Command Prompt. It can also recover files not normally seen on the computer (from the System Volume Information folder and other hidden folders). The scan of a drive only takes a few seconds and Undelete Plus will present you with a list of all recoverable files (though some might not be usable). You can just view the various file types (TXT files, HTML files, GIF images, etc) or you can view them all. Just because it says that a file is recoverable, quite often only part of the file can be restored because it has been partially overwritten by a newer file. Undelete Plus is one of the best undelete programs we have seen. A "must have" for all computer users. Access this 851kB download from: Win95 Desktop Utilities

Komodo Edit v4.2.1 – WinXP/Vista
Komodo Edit is a Java-based source-code HTML editor. It features support for dynamic languages (Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, TCL, etc), support for browser-side code (JavaScript, CSS, HTML, XML, etc), toolbox, macros, project manager, tutorial, syntax coloring, spell checker, and more. This Java-based editor has many, many features but suffers from the same problem as most Java-based applications, it it slow to load. Once loaded, it runs quickly and its Java heritage is less obvious. However, the problem with Komodo Edit is not that it is slow to load but its lack of tags. We could not find any easy way to add an image to our page, though it does offer tools to modify the program and add any features you wish using the run command editor. We aren't quite sure why Komodo Edit lacks some of the basic tags (many are included, but some common ones are missed) and while you may be able to create a Toolbox command to cover these missing tags, we wonder if anyone would bother. The learning curve is immense, even with the included tutorials, and this too detracts from what could have been an excellent program. Anyone wishing to create a unique HTML editor suited to their own workstyle, and who was prepared to learn how to use it, Komodo Edit would be an excellent tool. For the rest of us, its lack of tags and its steep learning curve to add more means that we may pass on this program in favor of one that is less esoteric. This is a shame because it has the potential to be a superb HTML editor. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 27.8MB download from: WinXP Internet Related

Eusing Free Registry Cleaner v1.6 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
Eusing Free Registry Cleaner is a tool that can safely clean and repair Registry problems. It features an automatic backup of the repaired Registry entries, it checks/repairs up to 18 separate items (files & folders, software locations, Windows fonts, invalid help files, shared DLLs, startup programs, add/remove programs, file extensions, obsolete software, shortcuts, invalid ActiveX, etc), manual Registry backup, and more. Cleaning your Registry will improve your computer's overall performance and stability. Eusing Free Registry Cleaner is one of the best, and easiest to use, Registry cleaners we have seen. It checks a huge number of potential problem areas within a Registry and will clean them at your command. The items to be checked is selectable so you can choose not to have Eusing Free Registry Cleaner check a particular item. The only aspect we didn't like was the nag screen at the start to register the program (cost $15). The program is either free (with an optional donation), or it is shareware. The nagscreen makes it look like shareware. The program is free, and you can click on the "Skip" button to move from the nagscreen to the program window. However, that window appears every time you start the program... Easy to use, fast in operation, and with an excellent list of items to be checked, Eusing Free Registry Cleaner is tool that every Windows user needs. We loved! Access this 891kB download from: Win95 Windows Enhancements

Retro Games Console v1.2 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
Retro Games Console is a collection of 9 classic (retro) games in a single console. The games are: Asteroids; Pacman; Space Invaders; Sonic; Tetris; Q-Bert; Bubble Bobble; Frogger & Super Mario. This is a collection of old games, sourced from around the Internet, in SWF format. Each game is different, not just in its manner of play but also in its presentation, though most are reasonably close to the originals in their look 'n feel. The package is advertiser supported but, if you block the program from accessing the Internet, the ads will not appear. Preventing Internet access does not affect the games as they have been downloaded to your computer. The ads themselves are benign and are not intrusive into your system. The selection of games is excellent, and represent a cross section of the favorite games of old. Most of the games included with Retro Games Console have their own instructions for play so, even if you have never played them before, you can quickly learn the rudiments of each game. Having remembered most of these games from the past, we really enjoyed them. Graphics are generally minimalistic, but gameplay is not. We loved Retro Games Console and recommend it for anyone who remembers the old classic games, or who wonders what all the fuss was about. Grab a copy now! Access this 3.66MB download from: Win95 General Games

Fullscreen Photo Viewer v1.2 – WinXP/Vista
Fullscreen Photo Viewer is an image viewer for high-resolution digital images. It features support for popular image formats (BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG & MBM), it is suitable for inclusion on digital image CDs & DVDs, displays fullscreen, uses an advanced scaling algorithm to fit the resolution of the monitor, is simple to use, and more. This is a very simple image viewer that does not offer a multitude of bells and whistles – it does not offer slideshow facilities (which is a shame) and it does not offer image editing tools, it just displays images on the screen and allows the user to scroll through them at his or her own pace. There is a simple on-screen arrow to advance the image, and another to go back and view the previous image. You can also advance to the next image by using the Spacebar. There is a small right-click context menu which offers basic navigation and program closure, though the program can also be closed by pressing the Escape key. If you are looking for a simple, no frills image viewer that makes your photos look good on the screen then grab a copy of Fullscreen Photo Viewer. We liked! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 135kB download from: WinXP Graphic Programs

MadEdit v0.2.8 – Win98/ME/XP/Vista
MadEdit is a programmer's text & hex editor. It features support for many encodings (Unicode, Big5, GBK & S-JIS), search & replace, tabbed interface, syntax highlighting, can view ASCII-Art files, word count, and more. This is an excellent programmer's editor that can also be used as a replacement for the crippled Notepad text editor supplied with Windows. It has no practical filesize limitations and opened our 10MB text file, with 470,000 lines of text, almost instantly in text mode. The most annoying aspect of MadEdit is its use of the 7z file extension because you will need to grab a copy of 7-Zip (available from CFS, an 841kB download) to open the archive to access the program. Use of the more popular ZIP archive method would have made it easier for most users. We were also disappointed that there was no global search and replace – you could search and replace within a document, but not across all open documents. That aside, MadEdit is an excellent programmer's editor and one we are happy to endorse. Grab a copy now! Note: we have been advised that 7-Zip is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 978kB download from: Win98 Text Programs

VidImageSplitter v1.1.7 – WinXP/Vista
VidImageSplitter is a powerful video to image converter that can extract images from video files. It features support for most video formats (WMV, AVI, MPEG, MOV, etc), saves to popular image formats (BMP, JPG, GIF, TIF & PNG), can convert some or all frames of a movie to separate images, zoom, and more. This is a simple-to-use tool to extract images from movie files. It can capture individual single frames or complete sequences, one image per frame. For example, a 1 minute 38 second test movie (at 29.97 fps) produced 2,937 frames – 2,937 separate images in our chosen format. Capturing at one frame per second produced 99 images. One movie format not supported is FLV – the format used by YouTube videos. However, there are a number of free conversion programs that can convert FLV to a movie format supported by VidImageSplitter. It should be noted that it is may be illegal to extract and use stills from someone else's video. We were most impressed with VidImageSplitter. It is an awesome tool, and one that many people will find invaluable. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 135kB download from: WinXP Multimedia Programs

The Shepherd v3.0 – WinXP/Vista
The Shepherd is a sheep herding puzzle where you must herd a flock of sheep across a field and into a series of pens. It features 9 levels, 2 game modes, challenging gameplay, fun for all ages, high scores, and more. This game is lots of fun. You must move your flock of sheep where you want them to go but sheep are stupid and wander off into the surrounding forest where they get lost. In this game the sheep react to the sheepherder by avoiding him so you must manoeuvre him around the sheep so that they will move in the direction that you want. In some ways it is like trying to move two magnets together, even though they are repelled by each other. In this top-down game, the sheep are just white blobs, and the sheepherder isn't much more detailed, but the game is so addictive it will bring you back for more and more (possibly because it seems so easy, you can't figure why you aren't getting better scores!). The Shepherd rocks, and is a great way to kill an hour or more. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 4.06MB download from: WinXP General Games
COMMENTS
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