What are the tools you just can't live without.

[JulienV]

- PeaZip: free compressed files management - Paint .NET: Free image editor - inconfinder.com: site for finding icons - CD Burner XP: free CD/DVD burning application - Adobe Acrobat: Editing, signing, and publishing PDF files - Skype + PamFax: Communication with professionnel contacts - Documalis Free Scanner: Free application for scanning documents - File Renamer: free application for renaming multiple files - Filezilla : free application for FTP transfert - ComponentFactory Krypton Toolkit: Free controls for .NET software development - Subversion + TortoiseSVN: Free version control software - Paragon Backup and Recovery: Free disk imaging application - 2BrightSparks SyncBack: Free syncronization/backup tool - Daemon Tools Lite: Free ISO images manager - Devolutions RemoteDesktopManager: Free application for managing remote desktop connections - Inflectra SpiraTeam : Software quality management system (requirements, tests, incidents, etc)

[Spectre_001]

In addition to many of the tools mentioned in the other responces I ues Frhed (Free Hex Editor) to view the contents of binary files. And WinMerge as a stand alone text file comparison tool. Both are "Freeware".

Kevin Rucker, Application Programmer QSS Group, Inc. United States Coast Guard OSC Kevin.D.Rucker@uscg.mil "Programming is an art form that fights back." -- Chad Hower

[R Erasmus]

Word Web - Dictionary Convert - Converts Time - second, millisecond, etc. byte, megabyte, etc. Fast Stone Capture - Easy Print Screen App Hudson CI - Continuess Integration Beyond Compare - Compares files TextPad - In all its awesomeness Dia - A program for drawing structured diagrams. ( Freeware Visio ) Getright - Download Engine Bittorrent - Torrent Downloader Windows Media Player - For those long days Command Promt Advanced Renamer - Folder renamer VB Script - Automation CVS - Concurrent Versioning System Bugzilla - Log Bugs on Other: Cantata++ - Unit Testing Engine which runs on Eclipse Netbeans IDE - For my java plugin development Eclipse IDE - for my testing and C development work Doors

"Program testing can be used to show the presence of bugs, but never to show their absence." << please vote!! >>

[xiecsuk]

Isn't it amazing how quickly things deteriorate. And here's me thinking I was going to learn something. Roger Hampson

[Michael Kingsford Gray]

Visual Studio 2010 and 2008 (for PocketPC apps) SQL Server 2008 enterprise WinRar Snagit Thumbs+ InLage 4 + LaTeX Nero Adobe InDesign Office Pro Cool Edit Mozilla Thunderbird QuickPar TMPGEnc Pro

[dpminusa]

These are the most useful I have found. I have others that I use less frequently. I like to have several scanners. Each has strengths the others do not. I tried security essential but got tired of the fighting every time I installed another scanner. VirtualBox IZarc MalwareBytes SuperAntiSpyware SpyBot Spyware Doctor Glary Utilities Ccleaner Defraggler Recuva Macrium or DriveImageXML ImgBurn TrueCrypt ExtremeCopy Dependency Walker System Monitor System Internals I do have duct tape I borrowed from Red Green. But haven't need it since node.js came out.

"Courtesy is the product of a mature, disciplined mind ... ridicule is lack of the same - DPM"

[BubingaMan]

Resharper and Notepad++ immediatly come to mind...

[John B Loveland]

I always install Notepad++ and Beyond Compare (although WinMerge is a close second to Beyond Compare, and free). I also put Subversion with TortoiseSVN on my machine for local use, even though I'm currently using a different (worse) SCM product with the team.

[fickendichdu]

WinMerge Subversion Dropbox iTunes to drown out distractions Digsby ReSharper

[SBGTrading]

WinMerge.org has saved me countless hours.

[rnbergren]

Wow, Didn't think this would generate so much response. Incase anyone else is following I kind of compiled a short list of my favorites. Many were things I forgot to mention to "junior". Lets assume for the moment that the following are there Windows machine or VM, VS 2008 or 2010, SQL mgmt Studio. That to me was a given. I am a C# developer. http://Springpadit.com or MS OneNote - OneNote is the bomb www.systeminternals.com - Sys Int is just needed Wget - pull down http sites Filezilla - ftp software - Forgot to mention to "junior" Agent Ransack - Search utility - New one to me but pretty awesome Decompiler - Dis# or some such - *cough* Git, Hg, Mercurial, TFS, etc… - opinions abound about these. Take your pick Inno setup - Setup program to compile a exe for distribution. Color pic http://www.iconico.com/colorpic/ - Personal Fav. Forgot to mention. GIMP or Paint.net or photochop - Again take your pic. All do the job. I use Gimp http://www.iconfinder.com/ - Find Icons Winmerge.org - Merge Files though a good source control process should handle this. I cannot see the need for this one. Resharper - yep notepad++ - Again not sure if you have Visual Studio why??? Spybot - Someone mentioned it. Again. If you aren't surfing bad sites??? Frhed (Free Hex Editor) - yep - Forgot to mention this. It can be a real life saver on occasion. GhostDoc - It looks promising but I haven't tried it yet. Screen Sharing http://www.yuuguu.com/home or some other screen sharing site. If you cannot see the error on the users screen in action you really cannot solve the issue. Visio or the redheaded step child Dia. Seriously though Dia doesn't even come close to Visio. Other things mentioned, Rum, Vodka, Women, Music and guns not exactly in that order. Hmmm, if you need those to work ok? Seriously though aren't those the rewards for a good days work? Thanks all for the input. Much appreciated.

To err is human to really mess up you need a computer

[BrainiacV]

I always install the following... Xplorer2 - a two paned directory management. Especially love the "Robust" Move and Copy that will log an error and keep going as opposed to Microsoft's "We copied something, we won't tell you what, before we encountered an error. Thank you for playing." WinMerge - great for comparing directories and then further doing a file compare to see the extent of the changes and then lets you copy the files back and forth. NotePad++ - Notepad, who? This replacement will open many types of files and color code them appropriately.

Psychosis at 10 Film at 11

[DragonsRightWing]

John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:

One of my many mottos has always been, "Use the right hammer for the job."

From David Weber and John Ringo's "March to the Stars":

The "pick pocking wrench" was Poertena's tool of last resort - a meter-long Stillson adjustable. If a recalcitrant weapon failed to function, or, God forbid, a suit of armor locked up, it was exposed to the "pick pocking wrench". Usually, the piece of equipment shaped up immediately. If not, its exposure was increased until it shaped up or shipped out.

[vbjay net]

Sysinternals(actually working on a powershell script to keep sysinternals up to date) ninite.com to install and update a lot of software wireshark vs2010 pro ccleaner malwarebytes spybot-S&D WHS ankhsvn visual svn server

[Alan Burkhart]

VS 2008 Express Expresso (I'd have NEVER learned regular expressions without it) A cranky old text editor I wrote for my own use a few yrs ago. Probably wouldn't work for anyone else, but it saves me a lot of work when dealing with large text files. Graphics: Photo Pos Pro (formally commercial, now freeware) ** New version drops in a FireFox add-on (toolbar) without asking, but it uninstalls without issue. I sent'em some hate mail about it.

If Barney Frank eats a fruitcake, is it cannibalism?

[dbraseth]

Beyond Compare, EditPlus, SysInternals, XmlPad, Mezer Tools, LINQPad, QueryExress, BareTail, SearchAndReplace (Funduc)

[zf liu]

GVim, My favorite editor~ ATnotes, 7-zip, mini-fetion, a smart IM software in China.

[runshark]

Pen and paper

[Forgetaboutid]

to speed up building and analyzing regular expressions I use Expresso from http://www.ultrapico.com/[^]

[regalsoft]

Axialis IconWorkshop dBPoweramp Picasa SmartFTP