Whenever we connect a drive whether new or the earlier connected, Windows assign it a unique Drive Letter randomly. Managing these letters is possible in Windows through diskmgmt.msc but only for the connected drives.

Then what if your drive is not connected to the system? Also for those who want a specific drive letter to their specific drive always, this can be done using the tool called DriveLetterView.
DriveLetterView is a simple utility that allows you to view the list of all drive letter assignments in your system, including local drives, remote network drives, CD/DVD drives, and USB drives - even if they are not currently plugged. It also allows you to easily change a drive letter of USB devices and remote network shares, as well as to delete a drive letter of USB device that is not plugged.
The tool also allows you to save the list as a txt, csv, html or xml file. This utility works on every version of Windows, starting from Windows 2000 and up to Windows 7/2008. Both 32-bit and x64 systems are supported.
In order to change/remove drive letters on Windows 7/2008/Vista, you have to right-click on DriveLetterView.exe and choose ‘Run As Administrator‘. If you run it without admin rights, DriveLetterView can display the list of all drives, but you won’t be able to change/remove a drive letter.
Download DriveLetterView

Most of the new systems especially the laptops come with the dedicated button for ejecting or inserting the CD tray but in case you don’t have one, you can still make use the feature. One of our readers also wanted to have the CD drive eject utility as mentioned below.

We have written about the tool once which can be used somewhat for this purpose, but here is a free and simple tool that will enable you to both eject and insert the tray with just one click.
Emsa CD Tray Pal is a handy utility that acts as a CD-ROM Drive control menu. It runs in the system tray and makes opening/closing CD door easier than ever, even on multiple CD-ROM drives.
Features
- Autorun at system startup
- Runs as system tray icon
- Capable of handling multipe CD-ROM Drives
- OpenCD, CloseCD, GetCD, OpenAll, CloseAll functions
- Handy systray right-click menu
- Provides CD media informaion: Volume name, Size, Serial Number
- Configurable GetCD time interval
- Capable of showing either a single systray icon, or one icon per drive
- Action on system shutdown: Close All / Open All CD doors
- Assignable, system wide Hotkeys per each drive and function
- Tray icon(s) changing color based on whether valid media is inside the drive etc.
To assign a hotkey, first select the CD-ROM drive you want to edit from the left hand list on the Hotkeys tab. Then, click on the textbox on the right accordingly with the function you want to assign the hotkey to. Press a keyboard combination that you intend to use as hotkey (for example CTRL + ALT +F5 ). You can do the same for all three hotkeys assigned to the currently selected disk. Once you are satisfied, press the Save Hotkeys button to save them.
Download Emsa CD Tray Pal

If you are a Firefox fan and like working on it but are irritated as your Firefox is running slow then here is a simple utility that can improve your Firefox browser’s performance and reduce the reaction time.

The utility is called as Firefox Booster which is a small and simple app designed to accelerate and speed up the Firefox browser. What this utility does is, it configures your Firefox browser according to the internet speed you have. It changes the profile of the browser according to the internet type you have.
The tool displays the internet speed as image of cars, choose your type and this tool will automatically make your Firefox adapt to the internet speed you have. In short this is a nice way to optimize your browser.
Download Firefox Booster

For each game having an option of saving the game while playing, there are some save files that are created. These files and folders contain the game save files which are nothing but your game saves. In case you are thinking to change to a new drive or format your system then this post will help you backup these easily.

To backup and preserve your game saves you need not backup manually. With the help of this tool called SaveGameBackup, you can easily backup your games save files and restore them after installing a new copy of it. SaveGameBackup is your savegame solution. Quickly and easily backup your games’ save files for easy storage and fast recovery.
Features:
• Quickly backup your save games and settings. Supports 548 games and 10 applications!
• Built-in ignore list for games you do not want to back up (the checkboxes). Your preferences are saved between sessions.
• Use it with Windows’ Task Scheduler for complete automation.
• Easy backup restoration.
• Easy to use interface.
The tool is free to use, coded in Visual Basic and is small in size. The freeware currently works on Windows both 32 and 64 bit.
Download SaveGameBackup

Send To option is very useful option to send an item instantly from one location to another like a removable drive, Bluetooth or just a folder. It would have been great if we could have customized this option by ourselves and also added more to it.

With the help of a tool called Send To Toys, we can do much more functions than just send. Send To Toys is an enhancement of the Send To system menu.
Send To Toys Control Panel Applet allows you to manage the Send To system menu content, and configure the various Send To Toys settings. Whether it is Quick Launch, Recycle Bin or some other location, just use this tool.
The tool is a freeware and can also be used to add customized options to the context menu send to option.
Download Send To Toys

Most of us who are serious about data always keep their files backed up either online or on network folder. But what happens when there is change either in source folder or the backed up data ( target ) ? We will not know that untill we monitor the folders regularly which is very tedious job.
Directory Compare is a free but very powerful tool which allows you to compare two directories to find out what has changed with an excellent GUI in place useful for even novice users.

I will list down the features for you to make it easy :

• Tracks for New Source or Target files.
• Compare Multiple Directories
• Can skip Equal File size and supports sub directories.
• Allows Selective comparison.
• Update and Sync target or source with each other in one click.
• Supports Filter with Regular expressions.
• Supports Third Part comparators. So if you already have a comparisons software in place you can verify it right from the application.
• High Configurable Menus. For example if you want to change double click action from Opening file to Update you can do it. Very useful if you perform certain actions more often.
• Integrate Right Click context menu so you can launch right from your Windows Explorer.
• Save comparison options so next time you want to compare just load the settings from file.
• Portable.

Download Directory Compare

We often come across scenarios, where we want to open multiple links at once, or maybe you just want to copy the title and URL of each link in one shot. This is generally encountered while searching for something; I generally open every link in new tab. Here is a Firefox add-on which can help you out of this trouble, Snap Links Plus is a Firefox add-on which allows you to open multiple links in one go.

By default, you can draw rectangles using the right button of your mouse (you can change this if you want), and all the tabs will open as soon as you release the right button. If you also click the left mouse button (without leaving the right button), you get the options as shown below.
These options can be used to copy URLs and/or Titles of each link; also you can directly start downloading them, or bookmark them for future use.
I liked Snap Link Plus a lot, and I am sure who read loads of webpages will definitely like this add-on, however if you have a slow net connection, it might not be advisable because it may cause very slow loading of webpages.
Install Snap Links Plus

As the name of the program suggests, Portable Start Menu is an application that can make you carry your favourite programs with you. Portable Start Menu is a simple and free start menu application that can be installed on USB sticks or local PCs.

With this you can organize your programs in a simple menu system and launch them through the tray icon. If you close Portable Start Menu on an USB-Stick, running applications can be closed automatically, too.
Features:
•    Organize and launch applications via a tray menu
•    Closes running applications on USB-Sticks automatically
•    Checks if an application has been changed before execution
•    Quick Start functionality to start applications with a few keystrokes
•    Runs on USB-Sticks without leaving any traces on a host PC.
Portable Start Menu is a freeware and needs no installation. With this you can close all the running applications when you exit the Portable Start Menu.
Download Portable Start Menu

You may have large number of opened windows on your desktop, but switching through all these windows through alt+tab in windows is real pain, even if you use window key + tab still it takes time and even it is slow as compared to regular switching.

We had recently written about an application called AquaSnap which can help you arrange opened windows and programs more easily, but still if he windows are larger in number handling them with this program could be a pain. To, solve this program we just found a program called Tiler which can help you arrange any number of windows opened on your desktop screen very easily and quickly just by clicking the system tray icon of the application.
You can select the layout of arranging all opened windows, by right clicking the system tray icon of this program.
 
You can also choose to close all programs or keep all programs maximised with this little application, In short this simple, portable application can do more than just arranging the opened windows on your desktop.
Download Tiler

If you have used any of the Dock Applications which allow you to add all your running task into central place where you can launch, Task Dock is one which does it without giving you a  feel that it’s not Windows 7 feature. This application center aligns everything on your Windows 7 Taskbar so it looks like you are docking everything to one place.

However if you see your Task bar icons missing it can be accessed using the arrow button which pops at the end of it. This is not a bug, it’s because the area where all these icons are dropped in is limited. Just unlock the taskbar and you would see dotted area which will allow you to expand. Once you set it to max on both the sides the issues will resolve. You would see the dock expanding as you add more application.
Download Task Dock by Solo Dev @ DevianArt

As we all know that windows 7 contains a new animated boot screen which shows animated items/balls that come together to form Windows logo.
If you want to enjoy the same boot screen in windows xp or Vista, then here is a good news for you. "killer7ben" and "TSR-Pr" have created boot screens for Windows XP and Vista which look very similar to Windows 7 boot screen.

You can download the boot screens using following links:
Download Windows 7 Boot Screen for Windows XP
Download Windows 7 Boot Screen for Windows Vista
You'll need "Tuneup Utilities" to apply these boot screens.
NOTE: The above boot screens are not animated.

There are some windows and dialog boxes in windows which cannot be resized as they have a fixed, they cannot be moved or resized by moving the mouse cursor on the corner of the screen. These fixed windows does not have a minimize or maximise button normally, they only have a close button.
But still you can resize these windows which normally cannot be resized by using a free program called ResizeEnable which enables the function in windows to resize any window, there is not options you need to set, just run the executable and then move your mouse cursor to those windows corner which cannot be resized, now you will notice you can resize them.
Without ResizeEnable [ Original Window Size ]

With Resize Enable [ Stretched Window Size ]

So, it is simple application which lets you turn usually non-resizable windows into resizable windows. Most windows will respond correctly, but some may not!
[Thanks to Technixupdate]

Download Resize Enable

Windows 7 booting screen is best till now among all the versions of windows released till date, first because it does not show the nonsense nonstop progress bar and secondly because it shows the cool new animation windows in which each different colored section glows.

A deviantART artist Kolle86 has recently created a cool windows 7 boot screen animation screensaver which you can use on windows xp, vista and also on windows 7, so this way you can see the beautiful boot screen animation in windows 7 as screensaver all the time in front of you when your pc becomes idle.


Download Windows 7 Boot Screen Animation Screensaver

One of the most amazing feature I liked in windows 7 is it most useful and productive taskbar which consist of iconized taskbar items which can rearranged when and how you feel like arranging them.
The most amazing thing about the windows 7 taskbar is that it no longer displays the name of the programs, on the other hand it displays only icons by default which provides more space for other programs and opened windows to fit in

It will replace the normal taskbar of windows xp with this windows 7 like taskbar which is more beautiful and manageable for different windows and  applications opened. It provide more space and good look feel as compared to the boring looks of windows xptaskbar.

Some Exclusive Features Provided By ViGlance
1. It replaces the ugly looking start button with cool 7 orb replica button
2. You will get 48 x 48 vista / window 7 icons in the taskbar
3. Each opened application shown on the new taskbar will have it own space
4. It implements a transition effect system called “Glide”. This is based on the Aero peak feature from Windows 7.
Download ViGlance

Download ViGlance [Direct link]

Windows 7 taskbar icons or buttons are quite large they take hell lot of space, so it would be great if they can moved to right or left or in center so as to release some space for some others programs, however you can also make them smaller by resizing the taskbar icons in windows 7

TaskDock is free to use program which allows you to move windows 7 taskbar [ superbar ] icons in the middle center of the taskbar, all the icons shown in the windows 7  taskbar will be always centrally aligned irrespective of the number of taskbar buttons or icons shown at a given point of time.
Even of you have some pinned items in your windows 7 taskbar they will also get centrally aligned with other icons which are there due to temporary, all these icons will be dynamically centrally aligned as per the number of items in windows 7 taskbar aka superbar.
Download TaksDock [Direct Link]
Download TaskDock

We have already posted about a tool which can help you get rid of autorun virus which comes from pen drives, and also posted about some other tools like Smart Virus Remover, USBProtect and you can also read our guide on how to avoid autorun virus infection and in worst case, how to Copy Data From Virus Infected Pen Drive
Today, We came across another useful tool called Autorun Kicker which helps you protect your local hard drives, removable drives and network drives once you are running this tool on your computer, it is a small portable tool which keeps running in system tray.

It will alert you when ever any virus is trying to create the autorun virus files and block this action, you can even disable the complete autorun on your computer with this tool and optionally set it to run at windows startup so that it keeps running all the time and alert you about any virus activity.
Download Autorun Kicker

The best process for filtering out any CSV File is using excel but sometimes the CSV file itself is very complicated and big that using excel becomes tough. CSV Filter is a free application which can filter any CSV file into new with your filter criteria like Containing, unique values etc.

So you can create lot of CSV files based on your filter criteria without touching your original file. You can also change separator from comma to something else if needed. Download CSV Filters

Though I mentioned few Task Manager Replacement tools earlier but this one deserves a separate post and that is all because of its functionality.
No doubt Windows default task manager is a great way to list and kill processes but it still lacks certain features that are provided by this Task Manager called Extended Task Manager. Moreover you can make it to run either directly by double clicking or configure it so that it starts in place of the default Task Manager when Ctrl + Alt + Del are pressed.

Features:
• Apart from all the general features provided by default Task Manager, this provides details of files currently locked by some other processes.
• If you need to know more about some process then just do a Google search right from the tool.
• More detailed process information.
• Small and light to use.
Download Extended Task Manager

If you are bored up with the default Windows Task Manager and its simple functionalities then you can try a new and improved Task Manager called Security Task Manager.

Security Task Manager provides the users with lots of information apart from the usual process information. Security Task Manager shows comprehensible information about programs and processes running on the computer. For each Windows process, it improves on Windows Task Manager, providing:

• unique security risk rating

• comments from the experts on the processes

• free online scan with all known Antivirus engines

• full directory path and file name

• process description

• CPU usage graph

• embedded hidden functions

• process type

The Security Task Manager detects unknown malware and rootkits hidden from the antivirus software. Furthermore you can put a process into quarantine or search the internet for information about that process.
Download Security Task Manager

Many applications when installed in Windows also add their menus in the right-click context menu which appears when you make a right-click when selected a file or on desktop. This sometimes makes it very cluttered and even for a doing something small you need to move your mouse too high or low. Like you can see below :

Though there are many ways to clean this which includes registry  hacks but that is not recommended for non power users.
Menu Maid is one application which helps you clean of the cluttering using its simple configuration screen. It also can help you clean those extra menus which shows in the Internet Explorer.
It lists down all the applications which has registered with right-click and where they all get displayed. For example you might only want to see Dropbox context menu on directory and not on other clicks. All you need to do is uncheck and the menus will be gone from the respective places.
This application can be downloaded from here and if you are looking forward to make it more productive.