Japanese Translation: Yasushi Aoki has translated the Tools List to Japanese! You can find it here http://www.hanselman.com/tools/ja-jp/ 訳: 青木靖.

Everyone collects utilities, and most folks have a list of a few that they feel are indispensable. Here's mine. Each has a distinct purpose, and I probably touch each at least a few times a week. For me, util means utilitarian and it means don't clutter my tray. If it saves me time, and seamlessly integrates with my life, it's the bomb. Many/most are free some aren't. Those that aren't free are very likely worth your 30-day trial, and perhaps your money.

Here are most of the contents of my C:/UTILS folder. These are all well loved and used. I wouldn't recommend them if I didn't use them constantly. Things on this list are here because I dig them. No one paid money to be on this list and no money is accepted to be on this list.

Shameless Personal Plug: Discover more cool tools and programming tips on my weekly Podcast with Carl Franklin - Podcast Feed/ Discover more cool tools and programming tips on my weekly Podcast with Carl Franklin - Hanselminutes Podcast Archives ) - "Our show is guaranteed not to waste your time. Free free to listen in double speed and waste half as much."

This is the Updated for 2007 Version of my Original List and 2005 and 2006 List, and currently subsumes all my other lists. Link to http://www.hanselman.com/tools when referencing the latest Hanselman Ultimate Tools List. Feel free to get involved here in the comments, post corrections, or suggestions for future submissions in the HanselForums. I very likely made mistakes, and probably forgot a few utilities that I use often.

New Entries to the 2007 Ultimate Tools are in Red . There are dozens of additions and many updated and corrected entries and fixed links.

don't reproduce this in its entirety, I'd rather you link to NOTE: Pleasereproduce this in its entirety, I'd rather you link to http://www.hanselman.com/tools . I appreciate your enthusiam, but posts like this take a lot of work on my part and I'd appreciate that work staying where it is and linked to, rather than being copy/pasted around the 'net. Also, I do believe in the Permanence of the Permalink, and I will do everything in my power (as I have for the last 4+ years) to avoid Link Rot. If you're reading this content and you're not at http://www.hanselman.com/blog , perhaps you'd like to join us at the original URL ?)

The Big Ten Life and Work-Changing Utilities

A Developer's Life

The Angle Bracket Tax (XML/HTML Stuff)

XPathMania from DonXML - This is an extension to the XML Editor within Visual Studio 2005 that allows you to execute XPath queries against the current document dynamically. Created under the Mvp.Xml umbrella project - also a kickbutt XML extension library.

- This is an extension to the XML Editor within Visual Studio 2005 that allows you to execute XPath queries against the current document dynamically. Created under the Mvp.Xml umbrella project - also a kickbutt XML extension library. SketchPath for XPath - SketchPath does for XPath what Regulator did for Regular Expressions. It's early beta, but it's totally hardcore.

- SketchPath does for XPath what Regulator did for Regular Expressions. It's early beta, but it's totally hardcore. Web Services Studio Express - A nice little interactive Web Services tester, source included, hosted up on CodePlex.

- A nice little interactive Web Services tester, source included, hosted up on CodePlex. Mindreef SOAPscope - The original. The glory forever, this is more than an Add-In, it's a complete XML Web Services design studio. It's a bargain and works even better when setup in a workgroup. It keeps a database of all Web Services traffic, but it's more than a sniffer. It also analyzes data for WS-I compliance and allows for record and replay of messages. "It's Tivo for Web Services!" It'll cost you a bit, but if you do Web Services all day, it's worth the money.

- The original. The glory forever, this is more than an Add-In, it's a complete XML Web Services design studio. It's a bargain and works even better when setup in a workgroup. It keeps a database of all Web Services traffic, but it's more than a sniffer. It also analyzes data for WS-I compliance and allows for record and replay of messages. "It's Tivo for Web Services!" It'll cost you a bit, but if you do Web Services all day, it's worth the money. XmlSpy - Just buy it.

- Just buy it. SSW Link Auditor - C#-based Link Auditor that crawls your site looking for bad links and makes a fine report. SSW has a pile (like 60) of great products. They do cost money, but they are very modestly priced. Disclosure, I know the owner, he's a nice guy.

Regular Expressions

Launchers

Slickrun - still the sexy favorite, this little floating magic bar keeps me moving fast, launching programs, macros and explorer with its shiny simplicity.

Tell them I sent you. Also available is an Open Source project called MagicWords (not updated since Feb 07) that looks similar to SlickRun.

- still the sexy favorite, this little floating magic bar keeps me moving fast, launching programs, macros and explorer with its shiny simplicity. Tell them I sent you. SmartStartMenu - Shaun Harrington has created this elegant little application that lives in the task bar and automatically indexes the list of items in your Start Menu for quick access with the speed of AutoComplete. It will take system commands, paths to launch explorer, even UNC paths. Launch anything on your system with less than 4 keystrokes. It also adds new context menus to Explorer like CopyPath and Open in DOS box to Explorer.

- Shaun Harrington has created this elegant little application that lives in the task bar and automatically indexes the list of items in your Start Menu for quick access with the speed of AutoComplete. It will take system commands, paths to launch explorer, even UNC paths. Launch anything on your system with less than 4 keystrokes. It also adds new context menus to Explorer like CopyPath and Open in DOS box to Explorer. Martin Plante, hot off his gig at Xceed has created slimKEYS , a "universal hotkey manager" with a simple .NET plugin architecture. If you've got ideas or thoughts, visit the slimCODE Forums.

Have you ever wanted to bind something to Shift-Ctrl-Alt-Window-Q but didn't know how to grab a global hotkey? This will launch programs, watch folders, and find files. It has great potential as more and more plugins appear.

, a "universal hotkey manager" with a simple .NET plugin architecture. If you've got ideas or thoughts, visit the slimCODE Forums. Have you ever wanted to bind something to Shift-Ctrl-Alt-Window-Q but didn't know how to grab a global hotkey? This will launch programs, watch folders, and find files. It has great potential as more and more plugins appear. Humanized Enso - Unquestionably the smoothest and most interesting user interface of the launchers, Enso pops up as the Caps-Lock key is held down, and performs the command when the key is released. It takes a minute to understand, but it's a very clean UI metaphor.

- Unquestionably the smoothest and most interesting user interface of the launchers, Enso pops up as the Caps-Lock key is held down, and performs the command when the key is released. It takes a minute to understand, but it's a very clean UI metaphor. Tidy Start Menu - If you still love the Start Menu, but you've installed everything on this list and your menu takes up more room than you have pixels, this program will organize it all. Also try SMOz (Start Menu Organizer)

- If you still love the Start Menu, but you've installed everything on this list and your menu takes up more room than you have pixels, this program will organize it all. Colibri - The closest thing so far, IMHO, to Quicksilver on Windows, although this little gem has a slow startup time, it runs fast! It's being actively developed and promises integration with a dozen third party programs. It also formally supports "Portable Mode" for those of you who like to carry your apps around on a USB key.

- The closest thing so far, IMHO, to Quicksilver on Windows, although this little gem has a slow startup time, it runs fast! It's being actively developed and promises integration with a dozen third party programs. It also formally supports "Portable Mode" for those of you who like to carry your apps around on a USB key. DashCommand - The world continues to try to make QuickSilver for Windows and the very fresh DashCommand is a good start. Dash does a nice job of using the current context (like the currently selected folder) for it's commands. Select a folder in Explorer, call up Dash and say Zip and it's zipped.

- The world continues to try to make QuickSilver for Windows and the very fresh DashCommand is a good start. Dash does a nice job of using the current context (like the currently selected folder) for it's commands. Select a folder in Explorer, call up Dash and say Zip and it's zipped. Launchy - Another do it all application, this one Open Source and written entirely in .NET , Launchy binds to Alt-Space by default. This app also has the potential to be Quicksilver like if it start including support for stringing together verb-noun combos. It's pretty as hell and totally skinnable (there's TWO Quicksilver skins included!)

- Another do it all application, this one Open Source and written , Launchy binds to Alt-Space by default. This app also has the potential to be Quicksilver like if it start including support for stringing together verb-noun combos. It's pretty as hell and totally skinnable (there's TWO Quicksilver skins included!) AppRocket SkyLight -this little bar sits at the top of your screen, popping down an active list of Bookmarks, Programs, Music, Web Queries and more. It's unclear if this tool is being enhanced for future versions as folks have reported not hearing from the company in a while.

-this little bar sits at the top of your screen, popping down an active list of Bookmarks, Programs, Music, Web Queries and more. It's unclear if this tool is being enhanced for future versions as folks have reported not hearing from the company in a while. ActiveWords - Arguably the most minimal of these launchers (as it can have no UI at all if you like!), but the most configurable. ActiveWords watches everything you type, in every application, so anything you've just typed could potentially be used by you to launch a program, a macro, send email, or give you Auto-Correct in any application. Check out their screencast/demos and their scripting language. It also is the only launcher (I've seen) with explicit support for the Tablet PC and allows ink to trigger an "Active Word."

- Arguably the most minimal of these launchers (as it can have no UI at all if you like!), but the most configurable. ActiveWords watches everything you type, in every application, so anything you've just typed could potentially be used by you to launch a program, a macro, send email, or give you Auto-Correct in any application. Check out their screencast/demos and their scripting language. It also is the only launcher (I've seen) with explicit support for the Tablet PC and allows ink to trigger an "Active Word." DirectAccess - Similar to ActiveWords in some ways, but with a fresher UI, this speedy app lets you build up collections of system-wide abbreviations for quick access.

- Similar to ActiveWords in some ways, but with a fresher UI, this speedy app lets you build up collections of system-wide abbreviations for quick access. Dave's Quick Search Bar - Written originally in JavaScript and now written in magic and ensconced in voodoo, this little Toolbar sits in your Windows Task bar (or wherever you choose to drag it) and supports a huge community of macro writers who've enabled it as a Calculator, Web Searcher, People Finder, Currency Converter and literally hundreds of other tasks via simple to write plugins. Very actively developed and on the web for over 5 years (that's like 100 people years). It even has a Search Wizard to create your own web searches by example.

- Written originally in JavaScript and now written in magic and ensconced in voodoo, this little Toolbar sits in your Windows Task bar (or wherever you choose to drag it) and supports a huge community of macro writers who've enabled it as a Calculator, Web Searcher, People Finder, Currency Converter and literally hundreds of other tasks via simple to write plugins. Very actively developed and on the web for over 5 years (that's like 100 people years). It even has a Search Wizard to create your own web searches by example. Google Desktop - Google Desktop has an option that let's you use it as a quick program launcher along with fantastic search abilities by tapping Ctrl-Ctrl.

- Google Desktop has an option that let's you use it as a quick program launcher along with fantastic search abilities by tapping Ctrl-Ctrl. Find and Run Robot - Lightweight, small, quiet until you need it. This little application allows for tunable heuristics to make it work like you think. Demo Screencast here.

- Lightweight, small, quiet until you need it. This little application allows for tunable heuristics to make it work like you think. Demo Screencast here. Run++ - The only ClickOnce launcher I've found. Requires .NET 2.0. It was developed using the free Visual Studio Express!

Window Management

Ultramon - When an item is on this list twice, it's on purpose. Ultramon is the first thing I install after Windows. I sure wish someone would just buy this guy's company.

- When an item is on this list twice, it's on purpose. Ultramon is the first thing I install after Windows. I sure wish someone would just buy this guy's company. GridMove - Some how I keep turning to Grid Move. I've got three large monitors and this simple little application causes your windows to "snap" to configurable locations. Less resizing, more work. ZMover - I'm not quite ready to give this guy my $15, but I'm close. ZMover keeps a small database of your applications and lets you set preferences for size, position and Z-order. Basic, and should have been built into Windows.

- Some how I keep turning to Grid Move. I've got three large monitors and this simple little application causes your windows to "snap" to configurable locations. Less resizing, more work.

Stuff I Just Dig

Low-Level Utilities

Websites and Bookmarklets

Tools for Bloggers

Amazoner - RoyO's applet dedicated to making it easier to create Amazon Associate links. This little. How about a Windows Live Writer plugin anyone?

- RoyO's applet dedicated to making it easier to create Amazon Associate links. This little. How about a Windows Live Writer plugin anyone? DasBlog - Easy to install and requires no database, DasBlog runs this blog. Actively developed. (Disclaimer, I work on the team.) Subtext - Another ASP.NET blogging engine based on SQLServer. Actively developed.

Easy to install and requires no database, DasBlog runs this blog. Actively developed. (Disclaimer, I work on the team.) FeedDemon - My favorite aggregator. Always on the cutting edge and very actively developed. $30. RSSBandit - Free, Open Source, and written in .NET. The first aggregator for many.

- My favorite aggregator. Always on the cutting edge and very actively developed. $30. FeedValidator - If your RSS/Atom feed doesn't pass FeedValidator's tests, it's crap. Seriously. Crap.

- If your RSS/Atom feed doesn't pass FeedValidator's tests, it's crap. Seriously. Crap. BlogJet - I love this little guy. Works great with DasBlog, supports spellcheck, file upload, makes clean HTML, and includes Music Detection support as well as posting of Audio to your blog.

I love this little guy. Works great with DasBlog, supports spellcheck, file upload, makes clean HTML, and includes Music Detection support as well as posting of Audio to your blog. Windows Live Writer - The ultimate offline Blog Post tool? Not quite, it's beta, but it has an easy SDK. If you don't like it, change it.

Smart People and their Pages for Utils They Wrote

Alt.Lang

Browser Add-Ins

Things Windows Forgot

Outlook AddIns and Life Organizers

Sciral Consistancy - A strange little tool with a stranger name, this little jewel helps you get those niggling little "every once in a while but have to get done" tasks done.

- A strange little tool with a stranger name, this little jewel helps you get those niggling little "every once in a while but have to get done" tasks done. ToDoList - This popular CodeProject submissions is a surprisingly full-featured ToDo list manager. It also is an excellent reminder that useful stuff can still be done in MFC and it contains a number of useful utility classes. Tasks are stored in XML. It's a very useful tool for Getting Things Done because it encourages you to device and sub-divide your tasks into smaller, more management chunks.

- This popular CodeProject submissions is a surprisingly full-featured ToDo list manager. It also is an excellent reminder that useful stuff can still be done in MFC and it contains a number of useful utility classes. Tasks are stored in XML. It's a very useful tool for Getting Things Done because it encourages you to device and sub-divide your tasks into smaller, more management chunks. Getting Things Done (GTD) with Outlook ClearContex t - Artificial Intelligence for your Outlook Inbox. Speedfiler - A replacement for Move To Folder in Outlook; file your messages as fast as your can press Enter. Taglocity - A learning system, Taglocity tags, filters, searches, and teaches itself about your mail.

Windows Live Local for Outlook - Map your appointment and meeting locations directly from within Outlook. Get driving directions, print detailed maps, find optimized trip routes, and estimate travel times. Receive reminders based on the estimated travel time. Even find the nearest Quiznos!

- Map your appointment and meeting locations directly from within Outlook. Get driving directions, print detailed maps, find optimized trip routes, and estimate travel times. Receive reminders based on the estimated travel time. Even find the nearest Quiznos! SyncMyCal - I've got data in Outlook Calendar and Google Calendar, and SyncMyCal was the easiest and least expensive way for me to get these two calendars in sync.

- I've got data in Outlook Calendar and Google Calendar, and SyncMyCal was the easiest and least expensive way for me to get these two calendars in sync. PocketMod - Has nothing to do with Outlook, but everything to do with getting organized. This tiny book is created by some creative folding and your printer. Design it and print it yourself for free.

- Has nothing to do with Outlook, but everything to do with getting organized. This tiny book is created by some creative folding and your printer. Design it and print it yourself for free. gMove Outlook Migration - The things gMove does could arguably be done with a manual process, but that process is tedious and often error prone. The price was low and it worked exactly as advertised when I moved thousands of emails from Outlook to Gmail.

Ultimate Registry Tweaks

Windows Explorer Integration (and other Integrate-y things)

LinkShellEx - This tool subsumes the tool below with the same functionality and more! Manage all your junctions and hard links with clean Explorer Integration. If you're digging Junctions (NTFS Reparse Points/Symbolic Links) like I am, then you're lamenting the fact that Windows Explorer is CLUELESS about them. Well, no longer, thanks to Travis and his Junction Overlay for Explorer. This tool isn't really needed in Vista, FYI.

This tool subsumes the tool below with the same functionality and more! Manage all your junctions and hard links with clean Explorer Integration. If you're digging Junctions (NTFS Reparse Points/Symbolic Links) like I am, then you're lamenting the fact that Windows Explorer is CLUELESS about them. Well, no longer, thanks to Travis and his Junction Overlay for Explorer. This tool isn't really needed in Vista, FYI. ExecParm - Like Right Click|RunAs...it's even better with ExecParm adding the ability to execute with parameters. Everything else at this site is awesome also, including ClipName.

- Like Right Click|RunAs...it's even better with ExecParm adding the ability to execute with parameters. Everything else at this site is awesome also, including ClipName. ASP.NET Development Helper - Nikhil, a dev lead on ASP.NET 2.0, created this wonderfully elegant developer helper that plugs into IE and gives you lots of insight into what's happening in ASP.NET while you develop. Want a FireFox version? Sure.

- Nikhil, a dev lead on ASP.NET 2.0, created this wonderfully elegant developer helper that plugs into IE and gives you lots of insight into what's happening in ASP.NET while you develop. Want a FireFox version? Sure. PowerMenu - Great little hook that adds item to the System Menu that let you change the Transparency or Priority of the current window.

- Great little hook that adds item to the System Menu that let you change the Transparency or Priority of the current window. SummerProperties - a Shell Extension that adds a Tab to File Properties that calculates the file's checksum.

- a Shell Extension that adds a Tab to File Properties that calculates the file's checksum. PrivBar - This util is great if you're trying to avoid running as Administrator. It adds a bar to Explorer that uses text and color to let you know what Privilege level you're running at.

- This util is great if you're trying to avoid running as Administrator. It adds a bar to Explorer that uses text and color to let you know what Privilege level you're running at. Preview Handler Association Editor - Stephen Toub's tiny tool lets you associate extensions with Preview Handlers.

- Stephen Toub's tiny tool lets you associate extensions with Preview Handlers. Plaxo - I love the way Plaxo integrates with Outlook, tells me about upcoming Birthdays and has kept my whole Address Book up to date.

- I love the way Plaxo integrates with Outlook, tells me about upcoming Birthdays and has kept my whole Address Book up to date. BrowseToSender - This little Outlook Add-In takes you to the website of the sender of the currently viewed email.

- This little Outlook Add-In takes you to the website of the sender of the currently viewed email. PureText - Ever wish Ctrl-V didn't suck? And when I say "suck" I mean, wouldn't you rather spend less of your live in Edit|Paste Special? PureText pastes plain text, purely, plainly. Free and glorious. Thanks Steve Miller.

- Ever wish Ctrl-V didn't suck? And when I say "suck" I mean, wouldn't you rather spend less of your live in Edit|Paste Special? PureText pastes plain text, purely, plainly. Free and glorious. Thanks Steve Miller. BCWipe - Check out all the fine software from Jetico, but don't forget to pick up BCWipe and don't just delete your files, wipe them off the face of the earth. Very clean integration with Explorer.

Continuous Integration and TDD

TabletPC Indispensables

ASP.NET Must Haves

Visual Studio.NET Add-Ins

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