2 software questions

[dansheen]

I'm putting these in 1 post rather then add a second message. Hope
that's ok.
First question: I played with the trial version of Astonshell and found
one of it's little software additions very useful. It was called
terminator and was a small button that simply listed running processes
and would terminate any that were clicked on. I've seen other programs
which seem to close all the running processes but I mainly use this to
shut down a program that is taking up too much ram and then restarting
the program. Is anyone aware of a simple program that does just this
one thing?

2. I use thunderbird for email. I haven't set up news yet on my
notebook and wonder if there is a news program that is still easy to use
but has more features like ability to block someone. I know there are
many recommended readers. I tried some of the ones recommended on
pricelessware a couple of years ago and most of those seemed complicated
to set up. Just wondering if there are any newer ones or less acclaimed
ones that might be simpler.

 

[Dan Goodman]

I'm putting these in 1 post rather then add a second message. Hope
that's ok. First question: I played with the trial version of
Astonshell and found one of it's little software additions very
useful. It was called terminator and was a small button that simply
listed running processes and would terminate any that were clicked
on. I've seen other programs which seem to close all the running
processes but I mainly use this to shut down a program that is taking
up too much ram and then restarting the program. Is anyone aware of
a simple program that does just this one thing?

2. I use thunderbird for email. I haven't set up news yet on my
notebook and wonder if there is a news program that is still easy to
use but has more features like ability to block someone. I know
there are many recommended readers. I tried some of the ones
recommended on pricelessware a couple of years ago and most of those
seemed complicated to set up. Just wondering if there are any newer
ones or less acclaimed ones that might be simpler.

I've been using Xananews, and find it satisfactory.

Previously, have tried Thunderbird (which I do like for mail), Xnews,
and 40titude Dialog.


--
Dan Goodman
Journal http://www.livejournal.com/users/dsgood/
Clutterers Anonymous unofficial community
http://www.livejournal.com/community/clutterers_anon/
Decluttering http://decluttering.blogspot.com
Predictions and Politics http://dsgood.blogspot.com
All political parties die at last of swallowing their own lies.
John Arbuthnot (1667-1735), Scottish writer, physician.

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

I'm putting these in 1 post rather then add a second message. Hope
that's ok.
First question: I played with the trial version of Astonshell and found
one of it's little software additions very useful. It was called
terminator and was a small button that simply listed running processes
and would terminate any that were clicked on. I've seen other programs
which seem to close all the running processes but I mainly use this to
shut down a program that is taking up too much ram and then restarting
the program. Is anyone aware of a simple program that does just this
one thing?

2. I use thunderbird for email. I haven't set up news yet on my
notebook and wonder if there is a news program that is still easy to use
but has more features like ability to block someone. I know there are
many recommended readers. I tried some of the ones recommended on
pricelessware a couple of years ago and most of those seemed complicated
to set up. Just wondering if there are any newer ones or less acclaimed
ones that might be simpler.

I've been using AppSwat (freeware) on a Windows Me box for around a
year. It does exactly what you described -- allows you to terminate any
program that's running individually, but not additional modules called
up by that program.

To shut down either a program or its "dependencies," you might want to
try Faber Toys, a freeware tool that's quite impressive -- at least to
me (who is not a programmer or systems admin). Tyically, all I ever need
to shut down is the program itself -- I think that it takes all the
little guys with it, so AppSwat does the task I need it for. However,
Faber Toys will show you the entire map of each program that's running,
and allow you to kill anything. (Thanks for your question -- you've
given me an excuse to take another look at it).
Faber toys may be useful, in fact, when you've got a really nasty virus
that's churning away at your hard disk doing non-permanent damage (yet).

I use AppSwat when I want to use certain maintenance functions in System
Suite. Aside: since hell will freeze before I buy anything from this
package's current publisher, I'll be using System Mechanic (commercial
software) and I'll be looking for freeware utilities to take over certin
functions that I'm presently using in the prior version of System Suite.
You can always pick stuff to shut down in Windows with CTRL+ALT+DEL.
However, AppSwat shows more processes and handles this task more
elegantly than Microsoft's approach.

Take a look, and report back, y'hear?

Richard

 

[Frank Bohan]

I've been using AppSwat (freeware) on a Windows Me box for around a year.
It does exactly what you described -- allows you to terminate any program
that's running individually, but not additional modules called up by that
program.

To shut down either a program or its "dependencies," you might want to try
Faber Toys, a freeware tool that's quite impressive -- at least to me (who
is not a programmer or systems admin). Tyically, all I ever need to shut
down is the program itself -- I think that it takes all the little guys
with it, so AppSwat does the task I need it for. However, Faber Toys will
show you the entire map of each program that's running, and allow you to
kill anything. (Thanks for your question -- you've given me an excuse to
take another look at it).
Faber toys may be useful, in fact, when you've got a really nasty virus
that's churning away at your hard disk doing non-permanent damage (yet).

I use AppSwat when I want to use certain maintenance functions in System
Suite. Aside: since hell will freeze before I buy anything from this
package's current publisher, I'll be using System Mechanic (commercial
software) and I'll be looking for freeware utilities to take over certin
functions that I'm presently using in the prior version of System Suite.
You can always pick stuff to shut down in Windows with CTRL+ALT+DEL.
However, AppSwat shows more processes and handles this task more elegantly
than Microsoft's approach.

Take a look, and report back, y'hear?

Richard

Taking a look would be easier if you provided a URL. That said, I searched
for this program, and after finding it impossible to download, for various
reasons, from sites in USA, India and Russia, I finally tracked it down at
this Danish site (it is in English):

http://www.lossepladsen.dk/all4you/TheLostWorld/AppSwat.php

It is not clear whether it will work in XP but I'll get round to giving it a
try.

===

Frank Bohan
¶ When you come to the end of your rope, make a knot and hang on it.

 

[Zo]

I'm putting these in 1 post rather then add a second message. Hope
that's ok.
First question: I played with the trial version of Astonshell and found
one of it's little software additions very useful. It was called
terminator and was a small button that simply listed running processes
and would terminate any that were clicked on. I've seen other programs
which seem to close all the running processes but I mainly use this to
shut down a program that is taking up too much ram and then restarting
the program. Is anyone aware of a simple program that does just this
one thing?

Just to give you another choice, there is a little app at Major Geeks called
"Process Terminator" (12 kb) that may also do what you want. This page
contains both freeware and shareware items, there appears to be quite a few
freeware item of interest.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads14.html

--
Zo
MusicWorld.net


This isn't my tagline! Who put it here?

 

[dansheen]

Just to give you another choice, there is a little app at Major Geeks called
"Process Terminator" (12 kb) that may also do what you want. This page
contains both freeware and shareware items, there appears to be quite a few
freeware item of interest.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads14.html



--
Zo
MusicWorld.net


This isn't my tagline! Who put it here?

Thanks for the help everyone. I've tried both the process terminator and
appswat. They are very similar. I'm sticking with appswat for now.
The 2 things I prefer about it are that it minimizes to the bar and that
it uses less ram then any other program I have.

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

Taking a look would be easier if you provided a URL. That said, I searched
for this program, and after finding it impossible to download, for various
reasons, from sites in USA, India and Russia, I finally tracked it down at
this Danish site (it is in English):

http://www.lossepladsen.dk/all4you/TheLostWorld/AppSwat.php

It is not clear whether it will work in XP but I'll get round to giving it a
try.

Sorry 'bout that, Frank.
Sometimes when I've been using a program for a long time, I've forgotten
where I got it. That was true in this case. I've become more rigorous
about storing the actual URL in the same directory as the program
download nowadays.

I'm glad that you were able to find it. I've found that it reveals a bit
more than CTRL+ALT+DEL does and is more robust in use. I haven't tried
it in XP yet, since I haven't installed XP -- it's sitting on a shelf
awaiting a decision.

If AppSwat doesn't do the job for you, I'm almost certain that there'll
be another product out there that will.

Richard