Tiny Utile Utilities

Ever since reading the WordWise blog post on proper usage of the words "use" versus "utilize" I can't use "utilize" any more.

Try not to use “utilize” in place of the verb form of “use” (i.e., yooz) because you think it sounds smart, businesslike, or writerly. It’s none of these things; in fact, the two words have a subtle yet important difference in meaning.

    * “Use” means to employ something for its intended or appropriate purpose: Stefan used the hammer to hang the portrait of his grandmother.

    * "Utilize,” the verb form of the obsolete adjective “utile,” means to employ something for a new or unintended purpose, or to make do with an item meant for something else: Phillipa utilized the heel of her Roger Vivier slingback to bang a nail into the wall.

From Word Wise: AND I AM TELLING U

So now I offer these Utile Utilities in the hopes that you might use them and find them helpful.

The Utile List

• IsoBuster is one of my favorite tools for working with ISO images and CD/DVD imaging. Filehippo has a link to a 2.2 Beta version for download which is a step up from the 2.1 version offered on the IsoBuster website. USB Portable.
• NexusFont Viewer - Don't let the freaky Korean (?) font coding on the page scare you off.  Nexus Font Viewer is worth the price of the free download.  I was working on some floorplan layouts in Visio and wanted to pick a good font from the multitudes I have, unfortunately I was struggling in comparing them against each other.  I found this tool.  Not only does it help with installing and uninstalling fonts, but it displays them all wonderfully for your font management. USB portable.
• CCleaner 2.0: Increase Hard Drive Space - via CyberNet News.  I've used CCleaner for some time to help do miscellaneous cleaning of Windows systems.  However, I've always had to rely on 3rd-party repackagings for a "portable" version for USB usage.  This latest (beta) 2.0 version turns a great bend in the product.  It features a refreshed interface, recoded in C++ language, optimized scanning/cleaning engine, slimmer size, USB portable natively, and file/folder/registry key exclusions. All Good Things™!  Just be sure to pay attention and unselect the optional Yahoo! toolbar unless that's your thing.
• CSVed - A CSV (comma-separated values) file editor.  I do lots of work with logs and CSV output.  Generally I just import them into Excel and keep on trucking, but sometimes I wish I could do some cleanup work on the CSV file or material before importation.  This handy tool fits the bill wonderfully! Yes, it is USB portable.
• Process Monitor v1.22 - This Microsoft Sysinternals tool got another revision update. Nothing major, but if you use this tool, be sure you get the update. USB Portable.
• AutoRuns for Windows v8.72 - Another awesome Microsoft Sysinternals tool which was updated. USB Portable.
• HeapMemView - View Process Heap Memory - This freeware tool by NirSoft is pretty awesome.  When run, you select a running Windows process, then it displays all the process heap memory entries.  Who needs this?  Well, software debuggers and programmers probably, but how about using it to examine a running malware process?  Some malware runs in memory only and doesn't (easily) point back to a file sitting on your drive.  This tool might allow you to look for key strings in the malicious application and maybe do some "forensics" type investigation on the running process before you nuke it and clean the machine. Might help you assess what you are dealing with. USB portable.
• Geek To Live: Power replacements for built-in Windows utilities - Lifehacker - There are quite a few nice tools in this list collection.  I use a number of them, and others I am familiar with but choose alternatives.  Either way, it's a nice collection worth perusing.

Have fun playing with these toys.

--Claus