Completely FREE Software - CFS Weekly Newsletter #521 issued September 25, 2009

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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(does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid.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

Planet Wars 3000 v1.1.0 – Win98/ME/XP/Vista
Planet Wars 3000 is a top-down strategy shooter, set on a distant planet in the future. It features 1 to 3 players (on a single PC), 7 weapons, 2 vehicles, 6 enemy types, multiple levels, training level, variable AI, variable number of objects on the field of battle, good storyline, save game, and more. This is an excellent shoot 'm up, with some strategy aspects, as you destroy the alien infestation. The game is played with a top-down perspective and up to three players can play cooperately on the same computer. Unfortunately there is no network play. The included README file is quite helpful, but it is better to complete the tutorial training level to get a full feel of the game. You will find that your character will probably die a number of times during the game but your troops keep fighting and a new you will parachute down to continue the mission. We were most impressed with Planet Wars 3000. The graphics are reasonably basic but quite adequate and the game is very, very playable. If you want to kill some time, and some alien monsters, then grab a copy of Planet Wars 3000. A great game! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Get this 9.93MB download from: Win98 General Games

TWAIN Importer v1.1 – Win98/ME/XP/Vista
TWAIN Importer is a driver that imports images from a local folder into a TWAIN compatible application, even if that application does not support that image format. It supports most popular file formats (WMF, GIF, JPG, TIF, PNG, TGA, ICO, BMP, etc), processes all images in a folder, optionally deletes files after they have been copied, it is easy to use, and more. This is a complicated sounding program (actually, it is a device driver) but it simply gives you more flexibility in adding images into a program that does not support the image format you wish to use. For example, you might have an image editor that does not support the WMF file format (not uncommon) but you wish to load a WMF image into that program for editing, etc. Simply set the "TWAIN device" in the editor to TWAIN Importer and then you can easily load that WMF image (or images) for editing. Cool. If you have a TWAIN compatible program that supports limited image formats then TWAIN Importer could be exactly what you want. Worth checking out! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 2.61MB download from: Win98 Graphic Programs

Active@ Partition Manager v1.3.012 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
Active@ Partition Manager is a hard disk partition manager that can create, delete or format a partition or logical drive. It supports FAT16, FAT32 & NTFS partitions, creates FAT32 partitions up to 1TB, sets active partition, partitions USB drives, formats USB drives to NTFS, changes drive letter, has a good Helpfile, and more. This is a handy partition manager that allows you to create, delete and format partitions from within Windows. Unfortunately it does not allow you to resize a partition or to create a copy of a partition, two functions which we consider important. However, for the functions that it does support it is easy to use and the graphical representation of the hard drive is excellent. You can see exactly how each partition fits into the hard drive(s), what format is used (normally NTFS or FAT32), what partitions are active, what are logical drives, etc. If the partition terminology frightens you, check out the handy Helpfile in PDF format you can find in the program's folder. Unfortunately it cannot be called up from within the program, though you can access it from the Start/Programs menu. Unlike most other partition mangers that operate under Windows, Active@ Partition Manager allows you to format a partition up to 1TB using FAT32 (something that Windows does not permit). Active@ Partition Manager is a handy tool, just a shame that it can not resize a partition, or copy one... Worth a look. Access this 4.29MB download from: Win95 General Programs

RBU v2.00 – WinXP/Vista
RBU simply means "Registry Back Up" and is a tiny BAT (batch) file that will automatically backup a copy of the Windows' Registry and place the backup, as a REG file, on the current user's desktop. If you wish to restore the Registry simply double click on that REG file and the registry will be restored. Using an "old fashioned" (but still very efficient) DOS batch file, RBU is a one-click solution to quick Registry backups which can be done prior to working on the computer. Written by a computer technician, RBU is small, fast and efficient. Now there is no excuse for not doing a Registry backup prior to loading new software, making any changes to the Windows operating system, or even making hardware changes. If changes you make affect how Windows operates (you might have to access Windows through Safe mode if there is a major problem), simply double-click on the REG file to restore the Registry to its last saved position. RBU requires no installation, simply unzip the file into its own folder and double click on the BAT file to launch it. A "must have" for all PC users. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 2kB (yes, you read correctly!) download from: WinXP Windows Enhancements

MP3 Quality Modifier v1.12 – Win98/ME/XP/Vista
MP3 Quality Modifier is a small program that reduces the filesize of MP3s. It features 5 preset quality settings ('high quality' to 'very low quality'), mono/stereo setting, bitrate setting, batch processing, retains all ID3 tags, fully portable, and more. This is a fabulous tool to reduce the filesize of MP3 audio files so more tracks can be added to MP3 devices, and to save space on hard drives. It is extremely easy to use and reasonably effective in operation, though one MP3 voice file we processed ended up over twice as large as the original! However, for normal music MP3, at the quality normally downloaded, you can often halve the original filesize (using the Compromise preset) without losing too much quality (in fact, we usually could not tell the difference!). If you currently have 170 MP3 tracks on a single CD (at an average of 3 minutes each, that's 8.5 hours of music, from one CD) then using MP3 Quality Modifier you can possibly cram more than 300 tracks on to that CD which would give you 15 hours of continuous, non-repeating music. Who needs a CD stacker in their motor vehicle when a single CD can play for so long without repetition?. The same holds true for portable MP3 players, except that most hold more than the 700MB which can be stored on a CD. We were most impressed with MP3 Quality Modifier. It does a credible job in reducing the filesize of most CD-quality MP3 audio tracks without losing too much in sound quality (this is dependent on the quality of the audio equipment – you will probably notice a difference with top-end sound equipment). If you use MP3 music tracks, grab a copy now! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 300kB download from: Win98 Multimedia Programs

blueprint v1.00.00 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
blueprint is a non-destructive ASCII text editor and Notepad replacement with no 64kB filesize limit. It features 3 built-in themes (default, Freaky Chalkboard & Notepad Clone), split screen view (with optional notetaker), "revert to original" command, and more. This is a simple text editor with a neat split screen view, where you can have two copies of the same document on the screen at the same time so you can see edits, or where you can use the right-hand screen as a notetaker (though notes are not kept). There are three themes to brighten your day, and an undo command that doesn't (rather than undo your last change, it places a "d" there!). While it theoretically has no filesize limit and very quickly opened our 10MB test file, with 470,000 lines of text, when we went to split screen mode it crashed, stating that it was "out of memory". We could not see how to switch between documents but blueprint did seem to hold documents opened earlier in its "memory". Just to make things harder, there is no word wrap. Stranger still was the fixed window size of 1,000 x 600 pixels, requiring at least a 1024 x 768 screen resolution. Why it was not resizable we do not know. blueprint is a mixture of some good, and some not-so-good features, though most users looking for a basic Notepad replacement will find it quite satisfactory, and will probably even enjoy the themes. The split screen mode was a winner. If you are looking for a basic Notepad replacement then put blueprint on your list. It might be exactly what you are looking for. Access this 1.73MB download from: Win95 Text Programs

CrossFTP v1.53b – Win98/ME/XP/Vista
CrossFTP is an Explorer-style FTP client for uploading and downloading files. It features multiple tabs, archive browsing (plus extraction & compression), Unicode support, built-in text & image viewer, recursive file transportations, file filtering, auto-reconnect & anti-idle, password protection, certs management, supports transfer compression (Mode Z), and more. This is a Java-based file transport protocol (FTP) client for transferring files between a personal computer and an Internet server (a Website). It is very easy to setup using a Site Manager, which stores multiple site connection information and also includes FTP links to both the Firefox and Microsoft public download folders. If you have only one site in your list it will automatically log onto it when you open the program, and then keep the connection alive for as long as you like. One of the better FTP clients we have seen, CrossFTP is definitely worth checking out. We liked! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 2.27MB download from: Win98 Internet Related

The Goat in the Grey Fedora – Win98/ME/XP/Vista
The Goat in the Grey Fedora is a point 'n click, mystery adventure where you play Nick Bounty, a wannabe Private Investigator. It features 9 separate locations to explore, items to collect, challenging puzzles to solve, fully voiced by professional actors, original music & soundtrack, excellent ray-traced graphics, walkthrough available, and more. This is a sequel to "A Case of the Crabs" (also with CFS) but this time the game is much more sophisticated and also much larger. It uses the same black 'n white "film noir" atmosphere to help recreate the 1930s (this is a Mickey Spillane spoof) but the graphics are much, much better than the first episode, as are the dialog and the jokes. Some of the puzzles are reasonably tough, though there is a walkthrough if you really feel you need a helping hand. We really enjoyed playing The Goat in the Grey Fedora. It is just challenging enough to be interesting, and just funny enough to help keep you playing. If you enjoy the old Sierra-style point 'n click adventure games (like Leisure Suit Larry, et al) then you will love The Goat in the Grey Fedora. A "must have" for point 'n click fans. Grab a copy now! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Get this 38.2MB download from: Win98 General Games
UPDATE
Diary – a calendar-controlled logbook or diary which shows a different page of data (which you add) for every date – has been updated to version 5.10 with a download size of 2.54MB. The author advises that changes in this version include: edit shortcut dialog, webfiles changed position, and no function keys before password. Get this latest incantation from: Win95 General Programs
COMMENTS
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