List of Best and free Software, Utility and Tool for System Administrators

As a professional System Administrator your job becomes easy with the below listed tools, whether you are dealing with issues related to Desktop, Server or Network you will find something related for you which could be used in daily troubleshooting task

Process explorer

Process monitoring tool for windows operating systems, unlike task manager it provides vast amount of information for running process and  detailed information on DLLs, threads, handles and TCP/IP connections. It is a advanced process management utility and replacement for task manager

Link : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-in/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx 

Belarc Advisor 

A 3402 Kilo Bytes file size of free tool to do your system inventory . The software builds a in-depth profile of installed hardware and software, network, Installed hotfixes, status of anti-virus , you can use your Web browser to view the details.

• Works with Operating systems:  Server (Both 32 and 64 bit) : Windows server 2012, 2008, 2003 Windows 8, Windows 7, windows 2008 R2,  Windows Vista, Windows server 2008, Window server 2003, XP, 2000, NT 4, Me, 98, and 95. Both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows are supported.
• Works with browser Versions : Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and others.

Link : http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html



Norton removal tool

Tool is used to  uninstall Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security, Norton 360, and Norton SystemWorks 12.0 from your computer. If you use ACT! or WinFAX, back up those databases before you proceed.

Link: http://support.norton.com/sp/en/in/home/current/solutions/kb20080710133834EN_EndUserProfile_en_us/ 

MyDefrag-4.0 

Completely automated and easy to use, quick, low overhead, with several optimization strategies, and also works for floppies, USB disks, memory sticks, and anything else that looks like a disk to Windows. It is a simple tool which can defragment and optimize the windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista/2008/X64.

Comes with different versions as below

• JkDefrag.exe - Windows Version
• JkDefragCmd.exe - Commandline version
• JkDefragScreenSaver.scr + JkDefragScreenSaver.exe -Screen saver version.

Link: kessels.com

PING [Partimage Is Not Ghost ] 

Best tool for Linux system rescue and windows with the below features

• Backup and restores Locally or network files and partition
• Can be used to backup Bios and restoration bootable DVD 
• Backup MS Network Shared directory, NFS, FTP or SSHFS 
• Creates bootable DVD
• Partitions and Format a disk for installing Windows 

Link: http://ping.windowsdream.com

SuperScan

A vigorous utility known as  SuperScan is a TCP port scanner, which also includes list of other additional networking tools like ping, traceroute, HTTP HEAD, WHOIS and many more. Can be used to perform ping scans and port scans for any IP range or specify a text file to extract addresses from. Other features include TCP SYN scanning, UDP scanning, HTML reports, built-in port description database, Windows host enumeration, banner grabbing and more.

Download link: http://www.snapfiles.com/get/superscan.html

Windows Sysinternals 

Provides a list utilities useful to troubleshoot, manage, and diagnose your Windows systems and applications.
Links : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/default.aspx

VirtualBox

Free Open source server, desktop virtualulization utility from Oracle 

• List of Supported host operating systems : Linux, Mac OS X, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Solaris, and OpenSolaris; there is also a port to FreeBSD.[3] 
• List Supported guest operating systems :  versions and derivations of Windows, Linux, BSD, OS/2, Solaris and others. The release 3.2.0, VirtualBox allows to virtualize  Mac OS X guests on Apple hardware, OSX86 can also be installed .

Download Link: virtualbox

Everything from Voidtools

It is a simple, easy to use and free utility . Shows faster and  better search results as compared to  the built in Windows search.  An administrative tool to locates files and folders by filename for Windows. It is a Freeware

Works with Operating System : Windows 2000, XP, 2003 and Vista and Windows 7

Drawbacks of using : Only search local Files and folders and Removale NTFS volumes. To search for Netwok drive you need to install it on both local and network computers and start ETP server, does not search contents it  only works for files and folders names

Link : http://www.voidtools.com

WinDirStat and KDirStat

WinDirStat is a disk monitoring and clean up utility for Windows operating systems. On loading it takes a while to read the complete directory tree once and then presents it in three useful views:

The directory list sorts like Windows Explorer but it is sorted by file/subtree size

The treemap displays complete contents of the directory tree

The extension list, Display statistics about the file types.

KDirStat is a GUI () disk usage utility for Linux, BSD, and  other Unix-type systems like Solaris. it provides cleanup facilities to reclaim disk space.

Download Link: http://windirstat.info/

Download Link: http://kdirstat.sourceforge.net/

Wireshark 

A very popular, free and open source tool used for Network troubleshooting  It capture the packets from Network traffic which is helpful in troubleshooting purpose i network related issues. Network Administrator's read the live packet capture or can also save the capture.
Compatible with  Linux, OS X, BSD, and Solaris and Microsoft Windows.
Link: http://www.wireshark.org/

UltraTech Knowledgebase Viewer

UltraTech Knowledge base viewer provides  list of  tools and their links. It has list of  KB CONTENTS, not well updated but good for the beginner who are looking for good technical links
Link: http://kb.ultratech-llc.com

Courtesy : http://www.systemadminthings.com/

via : http://sapost.blogspot.in/

10 Best and free remote desktop sharing software's

I

 f you are someone who often need access to your home computer from your office or you provide technical support to your customers or sometimes dear ones. The remote desktop sharing software helps you solve the queries remotely and save your day from travelling and frustration.

Here I have listed some of the best and free remote desktop sharing software's which can help you connect remote computer anywhere around the globe using Internet connection. If you use this utility regularly, then you can also bookmark this page for your reference.

Logmein Free Provides access and control of remotely located workstations with complete liberty. Logmein Free helps you to access any computer seamlessly and gives facility to control your peripherals like Keyboard and Mouse. Logmein is very popular, fast and secure remote control utility for your computers. Using free version of Logmein you can only access the computer and work on it, and can be upgraded to pro version with many more facilities.

Team Viewer Easy to work solution for desktop sharing, remote control and file transfer. Team Viewer also works with iPhone/Android app that you can use to access remotely located computers from your phone Device. it is free to user for non-commercial use. To make it work you have to install the Team Viewer software on both machines.

Real VNC It is a desktop sharing and remote control software which allows you to see and interact with the remote computers using a trouble-free application anywhere on the Internet. You can also use Real VNC to view and control a Linux machine on your Windows PC. Real VNC is of no charge and free to download. You have to use the server version software on the computer to be controlled, provide a Secure Password initially and use the viewer version software on the controlling computer.

Tight VNC An enhanced version of VNC, optimized to work on slow bandwidth networks like a low-speed modem connections. Using TightVNC you can access your workstations remotely using client application and even with a web browser (Java based). It works well with both windows and Unix systems.

Ultra VNC Also known as UVNC is an open source software for the Windows OS. You can use it toconnect remotely situated computers over the Internet or internal network. It enables you to control your remote workstations using mouse and keyboard. Recommended for computer support providers to quickly connect and resolve your customer's issues remotely.  
         

Ammyy Admin Ammyy Admin is a dependable, quick, secure and friendly application for remote desktop control and sharing. Itconnects remotely located computers in seconds with no extra installation and configuration. You can look into or control applications running on the remote workstations and transmit Files and Folders

Anyplace Control Secure and easy to use remote desktop utility which allows you to view the desktop of remote computer and manage that computer from anywhere, using your own mouse and keyboard in real-time. The remote workstations can be connected over LAN, WiFi and Internet. Comes with Host Module and Admin Module. If you want to access a PC of the person who is not a computer savvy, just forward them a web-link and desktop becomes available on a single click

CrossLoop It provides secure, fast, user-friendly interface and free of charge facility to access your home or office computers. Once you install the application and whenever you initiate the application, your workstation will be provisioned with a 12-digit access code, you can then forward that access code to other user who is sharing his/her desktop.

SkyFex A free web based remote desktop assistance, you can access remote workstations directly using a web browsers and it requires no extra software installation and configuration. Some of the features are; SkyFex can be integrated to your website, Supports dual monitors, give presentations, Allows Remote reboot, file transfer, Integrated text chat and many more.

DesktopNow Provides access to your workstations and laptops using Internet connection by sharing special folders you can download or upload files to. Using DesktopNow, you will experience fast and easy access to all your essential files from anywhere. It uses a secure SSL connection and require no additional router configuration


Source : http://www.systemadminthings.com/

Via : http://sapost.blogspot.in/

12 Tips to Increase your Laptop Battery Life

You can make your laptop battery last longer buy turning off or reduce some things that use more power in your laptop. Here are some laptop usage tips, tricks and suggestions to help you increase or make your laptop battery last longer.

Tips to Make Your Laptop Last Longer

1. Adjust Screen Brightness :- Dimming you screen brightness saves your laptop battery, it is also good for your eyes.

2. Optimize Your Power Settings :- Choose the Balanced or Power Saver power plan

3. Disconnect External Devices :- Disconnect all external devices like USB devices or external backup drives, use laptop touchpad instead of external mouse.

4. Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth :- Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth if you're not using it

5. Avoid running CD/DVD :- Try to avoid using the CD or DVD drive in the laptop while running off the battery. also don’t leave discs in your optical drive after usage.

6. Defrag your Hard Drive :- Defragmentation makes your laptop hard drive more fast and less battery consumption.

7. Keep your Computer Running Fast :- Read : Computer Runs Slow – Causes and Solution

8. Use Sleep (Standby) or Hibernation

9. Turn off Scheduled Tasks.

10. Decrease or Mute the laptop speaker volume, if you do not plan to use it.

11. Close Programs that you are Not Using.

12. Keep the laptop at a cool place.

Courtesy : http://www.techzain.com/

Suggestions for buying a good affordable laptop with decent price

Are you planning to buy a good new Laptop with low  price? The competition is very high in the laptop market. This is why nowadays we can buy a good laptop with affordable price. In this post we will give you some suggestions and tips to find good laptops with affordable price. 

Laptops are now essential tools in our daily life. But purchasing the right laptop now depends on the price. You will find the best laptops with high price which you can not afford. In this case you have to find laptops with the combination affordability and features.

Top 5 features you should search for when you look for a Laptop : 

1) Processor: Processor is the most important thing you should look for. A laptop with higher processor can wok faster and run many application together without slowing it down. We recommend you to buy a laptop with Core i3 or i5 processor.

2) Good graphics card: If you are a computer gamer then the most important thing would be your laptop graphics. NVIDIA graphics are the best for playing high quality games. However they are very expensive. The intel graphics are cheaper but not as good as NVIDIA.

3) Large Hard disk: Large hard disk are important to store lots of media files. Currently we recommend 500 GB of Hard disk.

4) Long battery life: The main advantages of the laptop is it's portable. But if your laptop does not have good battery life then you can not work for a long period of time outside. This is why long battery life is very important nowadays. HP and Samsung laptops are now offering laptops with longest battery life.

5) Blue ray drive:  A blue ray drive could be useful in modern time.

Below we are giving some laptop suggestions: 

1) Hp Pavillion DM3T - Laptop with the longest battery life.

2) Samsung 300E -  7 hours of battery life with decent look. 500 GB hard disk , Core i3 processor , 1.5 GB graphics card, 4 GB ram. I bought it under 530 dollars in my country.

3) Toshiba Satellite: Toshiba has good reputation in building great laptops.

4) Acer Aspire: Ace provides the best features with the cheapest price as far as I know.

5) Sony Vaio :  Good for media users.

All the suggestions are given based on my personal pinion. It's up to you to find the best laptop. Hope yu have enjoyed reading this Blog.

Courtesy : http://bnjho.blogspot.in & http://sapost.blogspot.in/

Laptop Not Charging or Booting Causes

This is one of the more common issues I come across on a day to day basis and there are many reasons that the laptop may not be charging the battery. We are going to look at the top 5 reasons.

Note that some of these solutions involve dismantling your laptop. If you are not comfortable working on your laptop you are best to take it to a repair technician.

1. Faulty/Dead Battery

Most laptops are designed to run on AC power only (the power adapter) but there are a few laptops out there that will not run without a battery. If your battery is completely dead then it may be that the laptop is not detecting a battery as present. The solution would be to try another battery to see if it resolves the issue.

2. Laptop boots but then battery is not charging

This is quite a common occurrence. I have found in my experience this tends to be more an issue with dell and HP computers but it is also found on other models. You may find that when you have the computer running that the battery is not charging. This can be caused by 3 things.

First you could have a faulty battery that is taking more charge then the power adapter can supply. Secondly it could be that the adapter is starting to go faulty and is not providing enough voltage to both charge the battery and run the laptop. What you will find is that if you power the laptop off the battery will charge as normal. You can try putting a Multimeter on the AC adapter to see if it is giving out the voltage on the sticker. If it is under voltage you will need to replace the adapter. You can also try a spare battery to rule out the battery as the cause.

The final reason is a problem or fault with the motherboard not distributing the power correctly. If this is the cause in most cases it is not economical to repair the laptop as it is likely the main board needs to be replaced.

3. Battery not connecting correctly

There are cases where the battery may not be connecting properly with the pins of the laptop. Most laptops have switches near the back to lock the battery into place. Ensure these are in the locked position. Take the battery out and then put it back in again.

Also ensure that your battery is flush to the laptop case there should not be any real gap between the battery and the laptop (a couple of mm`s at most)

4. Faulty adapter

Laptop power adaptors do go faulty more often than people think and are one of the main causes of a laptop not charging correctly and this is across all models including  Toshiba, HP, Sony and Dell. They tend to go faulty in one of 2 ways.

The first thing to look at is the connector on the adapter. Most have a pin on the inside and if the pin is bent or damaged in any way it will not make a connection with the DC jack on the inside of the laptop. You may notice that the battery charges if you wiggle the connector.

Sometimes if the adapter has had a hard life and has been pushed too hard the pin may snap or short killing the adapter.

The second thing that happens with adapters is that the transformer in the big box dies. You can often tell there is a problem with the transformer by putting your ear to the box when it’s on. If you hear a loud buzzing then the chances are the adapter slowly packing in. This is not a fool proof method of testing the adapter but it’s a good indication. You should always test it with a multimeter to be sure.

You can pick up a Universal Laptop Adaptor pretty cheap nowadays

5. Damaged DC Jack on laptop

The DC jack is the part you plug your adapter in on your laptop. It is quite common for these to go especially if the adapter is put in and out often. I find this is the cause for a laptop not charging in about 50% of the laptops I look at. It can also become damaged if:

• It is dropped
• It is shorted
• If the adapter is pushed too hard
• It is bent when the adapter is in

The DC jack is either soldered to the main board or is connected via a cable assembly (No soldering needed)

If the jack is connected via a cable assembly then it does make the job a little easier as you do not have to do any soldering on your laptops main board but you still have to take the laptop apart. If you are not comfortable with taking your laptop apart then it may be best to take it to a repair shop.

If the DC jack is soldered to the main board it is usually soldered by 4-7 pins. You will have to de-solder the original socket and replace it with a new socket. If you have no experience of using a soldering iron you should definitely take it to a repair shop.

Usually you can find the DC jack for your laptop by typing your computer model number followed by the words DC jack into Google. Alternatively if it is a cable assembly they usually have a part number on them.

Courtesy : http://bnjho.blogspot.in & http://sapost.blogspot.in/

Here are 25 Useful softwares for Windows

1. Good Antivirus : its a must to protect ur pc from viruses. U can use BIT DEFENDER , KASPERSKY, AVAST, AVG, NORTON .etc

2. Vlc Media Player : It can almost play any type of media files. n is simple n easy to use.

3. Registry Cleaners/Tune up Utilities : U need an all in one software which cleans registry errors n junk files from ur PC n makes ur PC smooth n fast. For this I would recommend Tuneup Utilities /Uniblue Power Suite/Ccleaner.

4. Image Burner (Nero) : Nero is the best software if you want to burn any type of CD or DVD.

5. Firefox and Google Chrome : These are only best browsers.

6. MS Office / Open Office : We cant imagine a business without MS Office. Right from student to a Business Man its a must software.

7. Adobe Reader : If u want to read ebooks & pdf documents then its a must software.

8. 7 Zip : Open source Windows utility for manipulating archives. It has the highest compression ratio ever.

9. Internet Download Manager : IDM is a must softwares for PC as it increases ur overall download speed by 5 times.

10. Utorrent : is a light weight and very efficient torrent to download files.

11. Adobe Photoshop / GIMP : must software for editing photos. I suggest GIMP over photoshop.

12. Revo Uninstaller : Revo Uninstaller is a freeware innovative uninstall utility much faster than Windows Add/Remove applet. With its advanced and fast algorithm, it scans before and after you uninstall an application.

13. Adobe Flash Player : This is a must software if you wanna watch flash videos on ur computer.

14. Malware Bytes : is a tool that removes malicious n infected area of your PC n it can optimize your PC performance.

15. Zone Alarm Firewall : is a cutting edge firewall security option which blocks dangerous sites n downloads.

16. Team Viewer : is the best software for remote desktop viewing.

17. Notepad++ : is a free source n best text editor for several programming languages under windows environment.

18. Folder Lock : allows u to store all ur files with a protected password.

19. Sandboxie : software for virus testers . If you download any applicattion from internet just run it in Sandboxie to check whether its infected or not.

20. Keyscrambler : in this world of internet u cant guess when a keylogger gets installed on ur PC n loose ur confidential passwords. Keyscrambler software scrambles ur keys n helps to stay safe even if keylogger gets installed.

21. Winrar : is a our software for a PC as u can compress n store files n also most of the files which we download are compressed so winrar is must even to extract those files.

22. File Opener : is a software which can open different formats.

23. VMWARE WORKSTATION : Vmware helps us in installing multiple Operating Systems over one Operating System.

24. DEEP FREEZE : is another virtualization software. It is mainly used to keeping
computers intact n preventing systems from being infected. It functions similar to Sandboxie. Deep Freeze makes computer configurations indestructible n prevents against unwanted workstation changes regardless of whether they are accidental or malicious.

25. CYBERGHOST VPN : Are you banned from any forum??? Try out this software. If you want to surf
anonymously on web without displaying your real IP address, then u gotto hav it.

Courtesy : http://sapost.blogspot.com/