GetWindowText is a small executable that can be left on a desktop or run off a thumb drive. This means you can use it anywhere you need it without installing a big program on your machine. You simply need to run the EXE and drag the icon over the text you need to copy.

Dragging the icon over the window will load it in text format. You can then copy this text as you would with any other piece of text on a Windows PC and use it however you need to.

Features;

• Copy Windows error messages and text from Windows Explorer.
• Converts error boxes to regular to use as you need.
• Small executable that can run off your machine or a thumb drive.
• Free and easy to use.

Find GetWindowText @ softwareok.com

The Metro interface aims to make everything more accessible by placing it right in front of you. With Instant Beautiful Browsing you can check out how Metro works by installing it on your Windows 7 machine. You begin by downloading the app’s setup archive sized at nearly 13 MB; next you simply extract the contents and install the included setup file. You are then able to make use of the Metro interface after installation.

Features:

• A user-friendly desktop app.
• Compatible with Windows 7.
• Lets you use Windows 8 Metro interface.
• Increases accessibility of numerous apps.

Check out Instant Beautiful Browsing @ http://ibb.codeplex.com (By Umar from AllthatIsApple)

PanGoods is a web service that offers the best software usually at discounted prices. The software you find on the site is the best of its lot and offered mostly at a price lower than on other sites. Discount deals and offers for numerous software are provided on the site for you to take advantage of. For each deal the remaining time is given along with how many licenses are remaining for the app. Each app is also accompanied by a detailed description and specifications.

PanGoods has dedicated sections for Windows and Mac software. You can browse the apps via this categorization or filter them using subcategories. Where available, user ratings for the app are also given.

The site also offers attractive terms to vendors detailed on its “Vendors” webpage.

Features:

• A user-friendly web service.
• Offers best software.
• Offers discount offers for app.
• Includes Windows and Mac software.
• Offers attractive terms to vendors.

Check out PanGoods @ www.pangoods.com (by MOin from Thumb Press)

Once installed, Bluestacks will display an app tray on the right side of the desktop where you only need to click to open your installed apps. The tool comes with 10 pre-installed apps, though you can easily subscribe to and download more apps from Bluestacks Channels. You can also wirelessly sync your installed apps on your phone to your PC through Bluestacks Cloud Connect.

Having Bluestacks can change the way you interact with your phone and PC. What is on your phone is now on your PC, which means that you can interact with apps from the desktop just like when you are holding your phone. In addition, the app syncing functionality allows you to back up your apps for those just-in-case moments.

Bluestacks feels snappy with no lag at all. However, it is also hindered by the lack of an equivalent for multitouch input. Bluestacks is available for free, with a paid version soon to come.

Features:

• Play Android apps and games on your PC.
• Syncs apps from your phone to PC.
• Desktop app comes pre-loaded with 10 apps.
• Free versions let you store up to 26 apps.
• Runs on Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
• Mac version to come.

Check out Bluestacks @ http://bluestacks.com/download.html

The Windows Phone Marketplace is exactly what its name suggests – an application browsing space for Windows Phone devices. You can start browsing applications based on free ones, the top apps, or the latest additions to the Marketplace. You can also search apps and games by name in case you had a particular one in mind. The Featured Apps section brings the best of the latest applications to you.

To view any app’s details, simply click on it and you will be able to read its description, see its user rating, view user comments, and see other relevant applications.

When you decide to get an app, simply log in using your active Zune account.

Features:

• A user-friendly website.
• Offers applications for Windows phone.
• Categorizes apps as free, latest, top, and featured.
• Provides application details, rating, and user comments.

Check out Windows Phone Marketplace @ www.windowsphone.com/en-US/marketplace (By Umar from AllThatIsApple)

The Startup Application List from sysinfo.org provides a comprehensive and accurate list of startup items, which can help you identify what these programs do. This way you can be sure if they are safe to disable.

The Startup Application List has over 22,000 entries and is still continuously updated. You can use the search function to easily find an entry. Aside from the command or data name, the site also shows the name of the item or how it is displayed in MSConfig, Windows Defender, or in the registry “Run” keys.

This web resource is very useful when troubleshooting your computer but you still need to be extra careful in the changes that you make. Make sure that you know what you are doing when removing these programs from your computer.

Features:

• Helps you identify bloatware applications.
• Provides a comprehensive list of startup items and their descriptions.
• Search from over 22,000 entries that are constantly updated.
• Classifies each entry for easier identification.
• Free, no signup is required.

Check out StartupList @ www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php

Remapkey is a program that is included in the installation of Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools. While the official compatibility of these tools is with Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP, they seem to work fine with Windows versions up to 7.

After you have installed the Resource Kit Tools, you can find the Remapkey application in “C:\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools.” Find the app and open it. You will encounter two virtual keyboards. Drag keys from the top keyboard to the bottom one, to replace keys. Click on the “Save and Exit” button to makes changes to the registry.

Reboot your computer and you will be all set. Changes can be reversed anytime by clicking on the keys you changed.

Features:

• A user friendly program.
• Compatible with Windows versions up to Windows 7.
• Easily rearrange keyboard layout.
• Made by Microsoft.
• Changes can be easily reversed.
• Also read related article: Remap Keyboard Keys with These 3 Free Apps [Windows].

Get Remapkey by installing Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools @ www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=9D467A69-57FF-4AE7-96EE-B18C4790CFFD&displaylang=en (by MOin from ThumbPress)

For an app to be a part of this site, it should not be more than 1.44 MB in size, should not require the VB/MFC/.NET runtimes and better if free and open-source.

The site has a pretty clean and simple design with app categories like internet, text, graphics, system, file, and more on the left. It links to either direct the download link or the app website, and has symbols beside each link to specify where it will lead you. There’s also a green award symbol for the app that doesn’t require installation and does not write to the registry either.

Features

• Online repository of small applications.
• Mainly for the Windows OS.
• Apps less than 1.44 MB in size available.

Check out Tinyapps @ www.tinyapps.org (By Abhijeet from Guiding Tech)

FreeApps is a free website that makes it easier to download and install multiple applications at once. On the homepage you will find a list of the most popular freeware. The applications categories cover web browsers, communication and instant messaging programs, anti-malware programs, system utilities, documents’ programs, media players, CD/DVD burning tools and imaging programs, and a lot more.

You select your required applications and then download a small sized FreeApps installer. This installer downloads your selected programs; optionally you can have the FreeApps program automatically install downloaded programs with their default options, without prompting you for input.

Any selected applications already installed are detected as such so you can skip their download. If you create an account on FreeApps you can save your list of selected freeware and save time in choosing programs the next time you use the site.

In addition to the above features, the FreeApps program offers giveaway software, notifies you of installed programs’ updates, and lets you select applications to download directly from its interface.

Features:

• A user friendly solution to downloading and installing multiple freeware programs.
• Covers a wide variety of freeware applications.
• Lets you save you list of applications by creating an account on the site.
• Provides you with an installable program.
• This program automatically downloads and installs your apps.
• It notifies you of future program updates.
• Similar tools: AllMyApps and Ninite
• Also read related articles: Use Smart Installer Pack to Install All Needed Software at Once.

Check out FreeApps @ www.freenew.net (by MOin from ThumbPress)

When you run it for the first time, it scans your Media center for TV shows and once the process is completed, it begins the removal of commercials.

Lifextender uses Comskip, a free commercial detector, to detect commercials in a video. It also provides a lot of options like the ability to remove duplicate TV shows, auto-scanning the library, excluding certain videos and many more. It works with Windows Media Center in Vista and Windows 7.

Features

• Tool to remove ads from recorded TV shows in Windows Media Center.
• Uses Comskip to detect the commercials.
• Easy to use. Scans the video and removes ads automatically.
• Works wherever Windows Media Center does.

Check out Lifextender @ www.lifextender.com (via Ghacks By Abhijeet from Guiding Tech)