Windows XP Power Toys
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Update - April 23, 2002
The Power Toys that Microsoft had pulled in January are
back. Get them
here.
Unfortunately, this
is a case where the wait for the "New and Improved" is
less than the original. The previous version included an
installer to add all the Power Toys at once. This is
gone and the toys must be downloaded and installed
individually. Additionally, ISO Writing Wizard and Super
Fast User Switcher have been eliminated. Task Switcher
has been renamed to Alt-Tab Replacement and for some
unknown reason is much slower than the standard Alt-Tab
function. The Power Toys are still useful, but not what
they once were. |
Most users who do
any serious tweaking of their system to enhance usability are
familiar with the Power Toys that Microsoft has made available for
Windows. Like previous versions, once a product has been released to
manufacturing the Power Toys have followed. Microsoft makes it quite
clear that the toys are not supported in any way and they are to be
used at your own risk. I’ve seen it reported that the Power Toys
were included on the Windows XP CD’s, but this is false as stated in
KB Article Q310176. Microsoft had announced there would be an
updated version of the Power Toys available in January of 2002. This
date was pushed back and they are now expected in April 2002. Check
here for latest info. Until the
new toys are released, a search of the net should reveal a number of
sites where the older version is available for download. A
description of the original XP Power Toys follows.
The XP Power
Toys
CD Slide Show
Generator
Enables viewing
images burned to a CD as a slide show. Use the Wizard to add and
reorder the images then select the format for the slide Show. The
slide show is viewable on any Windows based PC whether or not it is
running Windows XP.
Image Resizer
Resize one or many
image files. Choose from one of four standard sizes or choose a size
that is user specified. Options allow resizing of the original image
or resizing a copy, preserving the original image. Image Resizer is
a context menu item. Right click any image(s) and click [Resize
Pictures].
ISO Writing Wizard
[Eliminated in the April 2002 Power Toys
Release]
[ I've been told ISO Writing Wizard
is available
here. I haven't tried it or verified the download. ]
If you have the need
to write ISO Images to CD use this Wizard to complete the task.
Open Command
Window Here
An extremely handy
Power Toy that adds the [Open Command Window Here] context menu
option on file system folders. Rather than opening a command window
to C:\ and navigating to the desired location, this toy provides
users a quick way to open a command window (cmd.exe) pointing at the
selected folder. Right click on the folder you would like to have a
quick launch command window for and select [Open Command Window
Here].
Power Calculator
A calculator with
support to graph and evaluate functions and perform conversions.
Super-Fast User
Switcher
[Eliminated in the April 2002 Power Toys
Release]
Super-Fast User
Switching eliminates going back to the Logon screen to switch to
another user. Press and hold the Windows key and then press the Q
key to cycle through available users. When the desired user tile is
showing on the screen release the Windows key to switch to this
user.
Requirement: Workgroup membership and Fast User Switching enabled.
Task Switcher
This is supposed to
be an enhancement to the existing existing Alt + Tab application
switching mechanism of Windows XP. It provides a thumbnail preview
of windows in the task list. Microsoft states it is compliant with
the new Windows XP visual style, but in my tests the window it opens
is fuzzy enough to be almost unreadable. You use this just as you do
the existing Alt + Tab mechanism. Press and hold the Alt key and
then press the Tab key to cycle through the running applications.
When the desired application is highlighted release the Alt key.
Move backwards through the task list by pressing and holding the
Shift and Alt key and then pressing the Tab key.
Taskbar Magnifier
Taskbar Magnifier
allows you to open a magnifier screen on the taskbar next to the
Notification area. The magnified image follows the focus of the
mouse cursor. The Taskbar Magnifier is similar to the magnifier
found in Accessibility options but with a smaller viewing area.
Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, and then click [Taskbar
Magnifier] to activate Taskbar Magnifier.
Tweak UI
Tweak UI is
basically a safe way to alter registry settings for tweaking
different aspects of XP by providing access to system settings that
are not exposed in the Windows XP default user interface.
Customization of Explorer, Taskbar, My Computer and many other
settings are supported by Tweak UI.
Virtual Desktop
Manager
If you like to
organize your work by desktops, Virtual Desktop Manager allows
Management of up to four (4) desktops from the Windows taskbar. Each
desktop can be configured independently to run selected
applications. Right click [Taskbar], click [Toolbars], and click
[Desktop Manager] to launch the toy.
Webcam Timershot
Allows taking and
saving of single or multiple pictures from a webcam(s) connected to
your computer at specified time intervals under a specified location
and filename. Pictures may be saved to a network share, an ftp
share, or an http webdav share.
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