The Tech-Recipes blog points out a Windows Vista feature that’s great for anyone who wants to monitor how they’re computer’s running at a glance without installing a dedicated background app. Launch the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), choose a panel like Performance or Networking, and double-click anywhere inside the window’s blank space. You get a not-easily-closed, always-on-top widget you can keep anywhere on the desktop for a quick read on how your desktop is holding up, and it’s a good deal more informative than Task Manager’s system tray icon. Double-click inside the gadget to restore that standard task manager. Vista: Use the Task Manager as a Desktop Gadget [Tech-Recipes]
If you’re stumped trying to figure out where a rogue background process on your Windows system came from, and what it does, the Los Angeles Free-Net’s web site will likely have your answer. On a page meant to help volunteer mentors of the non-profit ISP, there’s seriously comprehensive list of programs and processes, easily searched with a Control-F text find. It’s based on the well-linked PacMan’s list, and combined with the more system-based Process Library database, there’s not a listing in Task Manager that can’t be identified and dealt with swiftly. For a guide to getting built-in process lookups and more details on what your system’s running, try our guide to reclaiming memory by mastering Windows’ task manager. Thanks, kgeissler!. Startup Programs and Executables Listing [The Los Angeles Free-Net]
The first thing you’ll probably notice, and possibly complain about, in the free online task manager TaskFive is that it limits you to five to-dos for each day. If you see that as more of a creative/realistic constraint than a hindrance, you’ll probably like its other features. TaskFive sports a seriously clean design, with a one-week calendar view and simple click-to-edit tasks. You can set up SMS and email notifications for task due dates and daily agendas, and companies can set up group task calendars for multiple users—though TaskFive charges a per-user fee after more than two are added. For individual task management without too much fuss, though, TaskFive seems like a pretty great solution. TaskFive is a free service, requires a sign-up to use.
TaskFive [via Hack the Day]When Google released a couple of gadgets for the Gmail sidebar and provided an open means of making more, long-time users of Remember the Milk might have guessed the task manager that tries to be everywhere would be all over it—and they were right. The Remember the Milk gadget lets you add, complete, edit, and postpone tasks, as well as single out a task list to show in the sidebar. It doesn’t have the second-brain, star-equals-task power of RTM’s Firefox extension, but it’s a nice, unobtrusive way to add task management to your email/calendar/docs landing page. Hit the link below for instructions on installing RTM (which requires a free accont) in your Gmail sidebar. Remember the Milk for Gmail Gadget [via RTM Blog]
Windows only: When you want to manage your PC’s processes, startup items, network connections, windows, tasks, open files, and installed software, you can do that all using the free all-in-one monitoring tools System Explorer. The long list of functionality in System Explorer’s broken down into four categories: Monitoring, Autoruns, Software, and Settings (they’re tabs across the top). From there you can drill down and manage running processes, files, tasks, and more. While we’ve seen a few souped-up task manager type apps (like TaskExplorer), System Explorer packs in even more features with a small memory footprint and USB drive-friendly portable version. Check out a few screenshots of System Explorer in action.
Windows only: Closing applications that have become unresponsive usually involves opening the Task Manager and hoping you “End Process” before it ends your desktop. Windows xKill, a free stand-alone utility, aims to give you more firepower in shooting down buggy apps. Once it’s running, you hit Control-Alt-Backspace to activate the skull-and-bones cursor, and simply click on the flailing app’s window to kill it, similar to the Linux xkill command. Windows xKill does add an annoyingly blinking icon to your system tray, but you can set your system tray to always hide it if you’d like. Windows xKill is a free download for Windows systems only. Windows xKill [deviantART via Daily Gyan]
Windows only: Free application MKN TaskExplorer is a Windows Task Manager replacement packed with options, system information, and pretty graphs. We’ve highlighted tons of alternative task managers in the past, but TaskExplorer still manages to stand out with a great, uncluttered interface and easy to read stats. MKN TaskExplorer is freeware, Windows only.
MKN TaskExplorer [via Download Squad]Windows only: AnVir Task Manager Free is a Windows Task Manager replacement boasting an enormous feature set. This utility can manage startup applications, running applications, processes, services, and oh-so-much more. When you select a running process in the top pane, the bottom pane provides a wealth of information about the process, from a brief description of what it does to the network connections it’s making and DLLs it’s using. One of my favourite unusual features is the Check with AntiViruses on VirusTotal right-click option—which streamlines my favourite method of determining if a file really has a virus. You can find tons of Task Manager replacements out in the wild, but AnVir still manages to stand out. If you want even more functionality, this free download is also available in a Pro version with a kitchen sink full of features.
AnVir Task Manager Free [via Download Squad]Linux only: Free to-do manager Tasque is a clean, unobtrusive interface for managing your to-do items on your Linux desktop. The program can run with its own local database of tasks, or can integrate with an Evolution-based workflow. Tasque gets really helpful, however, when hooked up to the web-based task manager Remember the Milk. Importing, completing, and adding tasks with a smart text box all work perfectly with RTM. You can add notes to a task with a right-click, but tagging looks like it has to be handled from RTM’s web interface. If you’re a fan of simple to-do lists you can access from your desktop or the web, Tasque is a great solution. Tasque is a free download for Linux systems only; hit the via link below for help installing its repositories in Ubuntu.
Tasque [via Automaticable]
