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Karen Kenworthy has been giving away great Windows utility programs for years.
 technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

T e c h n o f i l e
The best free software for Windows, Part 2: Karen's Power Tools


June 11, 2006


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2006, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2006, The Post-Standard

   The Internet was built on free software -- programs that are simply given away for the love of sharing.
   As we saw in the first article in this series -- The best free software for Windows, Part 1: Photo editing and image management -- good freeware is hard to beat, even when you can afford commercial software. And you'll sometimes find that the best freeware is updated and supported better than most commercial software.
   This week's freeware is a great example. The author, Karen Kenworthy, has given away her own Windows utility programs (software designed to solve a problem or serve a simple function) since 1997. They're all available from both the "Free Programs" and "Programs" links on her Web site, www.karenware.com.
   Kenworthy, a programmer and magazine writer, calls her freeware "Karen's Power Tools." It's an apt name, because nearly all the Power Tools add functions serious Windows users need now and then. ("Power user" is self-defining; you know you're one if you need more than what Microsoft provides.)
   Five of the 32 free Power Tools programs are especially helpful. They are:
   Directory Printer, which can print names and other information from any folders. This is the most common request I get for file and folder help from Windows users.
   Calculator, which (unlike the one built into Windows) can accurately handle numbers with thousands of digits.
   Once-A-Day II, which automates tasks that have to be done once a day or when a user logs on to the computer.
   Window Watcher, which shows the hidden programs that the Windows Task Manager hides. Most Windows users don't realize that Task Manager's list is selective and doesn't show all programs. You can quickly spot rogue programs that are hiding away or see such difficult-to-spot items as printer managers using Window Watcher.
   Alarm Clock, which Kenworthy describes, with more than a little glee, as a way to "turn your $2,000 computer into a $20 alarm clock." It's actually quite handy.
   Every Power Tool program is linked to a wonderfully clear and entertaining explanation of why the program was written and how it works. As a programmer myself, I've found a great deal of help understanding the "architecture" of Windows from Kenworthy's documentation.
   Kenworthy also publishes a newsletter about her Power Tools. It's free, just like her software. Sign up from the "Newsletter" page on her site.