x64 essential software

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Midas
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x64 essential software

#1 Post by Midas »

A recent change of laptop caused me to move to a x64 OS (Windows XP Pro x64 SP2). As a side effect, my long used portables suddenly became non-native code. For a significant number of them, that meant nothing, as they kept running as well as before. But I felt compelled to at least make sure there were no hidden shortcomings, which launched me into a wild goose chase to find x64 equivalents of the software I had grown accustomed to and used forever... :roll:

It occurred to me that it would be interesting to gather other members insight on this.

If you want to join, please use a single post per program, state its name on the subject, provide a working link (TPFC permalinks are preferred, then TPFC's forum topic links), which x64 OS you tested/ran it under, and a brief statement on why you think it is essential. Portability although desirable is not required, but negatives should be clearly indicated. See my TweakUI post below for an example.

Related topics about x64 software: Start64 portable software listing: EDIT: Poll removed. :)
Last edited by Midas on Fri Jul 20, 2012 5:39 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Midas
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TweakUI 64-Bit Edition

#2 Post by Midas »

TweakUI v2.2 64-Bit Edition

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Syst ... tion.shtml (I'm posting the Softpedia link here, since I find NeoSmart site a bit confusing...)

Essential because it's one of the first things I get on any fresh windows install so I can tweak it to my liking (It's portable if you extract it, although obviously not stealth since it deeply interacts with the system registry).

BTW, it was a real joy to find that someone else felt TweakUI was needed enough as to make it compatible with x64...
Last edited by Midas on Fri Jul 20, 2012 3:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Midas
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ICU (Icon Configuration Utility)

#3 Post by Midas »

ICU v3.5 (Icon Configuration Utility)

http://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=2241

Written with AutoIt, this substituted my faithful layout.dll x32 only shell extension, which wasn't portable...
Last edited by Midas on Fri Jul 20, 2012 3:20 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Midas
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Tri-Desk-A-Top

#4 Post by Midas »

Tri-Desk-A-Top v2.1.0

http://www.danoross.com/tri-desk-a-top.asp
Tri-Desk-A-Top is a FREE virtual desktop manager developed with Microsoft C#.NET. Tri-Desk-A-Top provides three virtual desktops that can be activated via system tray icons or pre-defined hot keys.
The easiest way I found to deploy a multi-desktop environment. Of course .Net (2.0) code shares the same bitness of the underlying system and will be considered portable by those willing to do so... ;)
Last edited by Midas on Fri Jul 20, 2012 3:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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guinness
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Re: x64 essential software

#5 Post by guinness »

It would be best to link to the TPFC entry so people don't start asking is this included or Portable? For example - ICU >> http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=2241
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Midas
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Re: x64 essential software

#6 Post by Midas »

guinness wrote:It would be best to link to the TPFC entry so people don't start asking is this included or Portable? For example - ICU >> http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=2241
I agree. Link corrected. Posting suggestion amended. Thanks. 8)

Needless to say (because I forgot it ;) ) all of the above worked under Windows XP Pro x64 SP2...

EDIT: Grappling with (insane) switchable Intel/ATI driver install on XP64, so I might be somewhat absent. :evil:
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Filenoter (x32!)

#7 Post by Midas »

Filenoter v091205

http://nod5.dcmembers.com/filenoter.html

Bear with me for this departure from the spirit of this topic, but this one is well worth it, IMHO. Being a long time user of Moon Software Filenote shell extension (which is now gone from its developer site, but is still available at http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Fil ... Note.shtml [not portable!]), I couldn't stand its demise in my new x64 environment and this is the best replacement I could find...

Filenoter is a x32 single executable application written in AutoHotKey, but seems to work perfectly in Windows XP Pro x64 SP2 and it's the ultimate example of that rare breed of portable shell extensions -- run once to activate it, run again to unload it, doesn't stay resident in memory, all settings are kept in filenoter.ini in the program's folder (read it for program options).
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Sizer

#8 Post by Midas »

Sizer 3.4 Dev Build 465 (Beta!)

http://www.portablefreeware.com/forums/ ... =4&t=17028 (webpage @ http://www.brianapps.net/sizer/sizer34.html)

The x64 version (3.4+) is still in development and only with the above version has it acquired the capability to be run portable, but is backed by a long standing reputation as a x32 shell extension -- see http://www.brianapps.net/sizer/ for the previous version and http://www.brianapps.net/sizer/userguide.html for program screenshots and usage...

I run Sizer since I can remember and I find its right click menu with my chosen windows options (center, 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, etc.) an absolute must.

(tested under Windows XP Pro x64 SP2)
Last edited by Midas on Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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allSnap

#9 Post by Midas »

allSnap v1.50 (Beta!)

http://ivanheckman.com/allsnap/

(TPFC entry for stable version 1.41 at http://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=1428)

Yet another indispensable shell extension, if only I say so. This Beta x64 version requires that you run the x32 version concurrently for interaction with x32 programs, but at a tiny 2MB and 1MB memory footprint respectively I'm sure that won't be a problem.

Previously, I used Pitaschio (as I posted at http://www.portablefreeware.com/forums/ ... 725#p48725) which does what allSnap does and more. Unfortunately, an atempt to migrate Pitaschio to x64 (v2.27) completely borked and any further development was seemingly abandoned (I tried to contact the developer with no results up to now).

(tested under Windows XP Pro x64 SP2)
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I am Baas
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Re: Filenoter (x32!)

#10 Post by I am Baas »

Midas wrote:Moon Software Filenote shell extension (which is now gone from its developer site).
http://www.moonsoftware.com/shell_tools
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Re: Filenoter (x32!)

#11 Post by Midas »

I am Baas wrote:
Midas wrote:Moon Software Filenote shell extension (which is now gone from its developer site).
http://www.moonsoftware.com/shell_tools
Yeah, I was aware of those, I am Baas, but they never appealed me, as I only wanted the simple functionality of Filenote -- and the prior extension kept working in Windows XP x32... :|
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Process Explorer

#12 Post by Midas »

File Explorer v15.22

http://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=32

A rather well-known utility, this task manager replacement doesn't really need much introduction or praise. Two observations, though: it saves settings to the registry (a small issue for a permanent guest); the single x32 and x64 executable spawns the x64 version upon execution (you might want to copy/rename the x64 version for direct execution).
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Midas
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Re: x64 essential software

#13 Post by Midas »

Not another entry, but a relevant resource for the topic: http://www.portable64.com/

It's where I discovered, e.g., that UltraVNC now has a portable x64 version...
(http://www.portable64.com/component/con ... le-version)
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Re: Image viewer

#14 Post by Midas »

A good image viewer is an essential add-on for any common Windows user, since the defaults always seem bloated/lackluster.

IMHO, the best choices are readily available here at TPFC:
  • ArtSage
http://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=1480
Comes with both x32 and x64 version in the download archive, containing the smallish exes and a text file with the help info. Association with graphic formats might defeat some users, since it requires some interaction with Windows 'Open with' dialog (see the help file). If this is vets it for you, you might want to look at...
  • Imagine
http://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=1819
More of a graphic file manager than a simple viewer wrapped in a (distinct for x32 and x64) 1MB download, it has the ability to easily set file association via program menu (see Options | Associations), while remaining completely portable. Imagine has ANSI/Unicode stable and development versions ('Work In Progress', currently v1.09, check it at http://nyam.pe.kr/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=2, is perfectly usable and gets updated all the time).
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Re: Image viewer

#15 Post by lautrepay »

Midas wrote:A good image viewer is an essential add-on for any common Windows user, since the defaults always seem bloated/lackluster.
Although I know is not for your taste, XnViewMP, mentioned by webfork here, has a 64-bit version.
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