software
Software We Install Use
🖥 Software, Apps & Utilities We Install & Use
Deployment & Updates
| Tool | Platform | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ninite.com | PC | Great “update-all-at-once” site that lets you install/update multiple programs without dealing with individual installers, prompts, etc. | https://ninite.com/ |
| MacApps | Mac | The best alternative to Ninite for Mac. Choose apps for quiet, fast, and easy automatic installation. | https://macapps.link/ |
Internal & Remote Communication
- Internal Messaging: We use Google Chat and Signal for internal messaging and communication.
- Work Phone Number: Google Voice is used for employees to create and use as a work phone number.
- Employees will never give out their personal phone numbers to customers/clients.
- The Google Voice mobile app allows for “Do Not Disturb” mode to enable/disable when you are and are not working.
Remote Support Applications
| Tool | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| TeamViewer | The main remote support application we use (subscription). We mainly use TeamViewerQS. | https://www.teamviewer.com/en-us/ |
| LogMeIn | Our go-to remote support solution for companies that need remote support/access for 10 or more computers. | https://www.logmein.com/ |
| RealVNC | A free alternative/solution for 1-2 systems. | https://www.realvnc.com/en/ |
| AnyDesk | Used if/as needed. | https://anydesk.com/en |
| RustDesk | Open source remote desktop alternavite with self-hosting capabilites. | https://rustdesk.com/ |
💻 PC Tools & Utilities
Bootable & Imaging Tools
| Tool | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Hiren’s All-In-One PE/USB Boot Disk | Great bootable utility with TONS of diagnostic software: password recovery, data recovery, disk & boot loader repairs, various diagnostics, and more! | http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/ |
| Medicat Boot USB | A USB/SSD based toolkit that helps compile a selection of the latest computer diagnostic and recovery tools into an easy to use toolkit. | https://medicatusb.com/ |
| Sergei Strelec Boot USB | Bootable USB disk for Windows 11, 10 and 8 PE for maintenance, hard disk and partition work, backup/restore, diagnostics, data recovery, and Windows installation. | https://sergeistrelec.name/winpe-10-8-sergei-strelec-english/ |
| GParted | A free partition manager that enables you to resize, copy, and move partitions without data loss. Some repair capabilities as well. | http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php |
| MemTest86 | A free, thorough, stand-alone memory test for x86 architecture computers. | http://www.memtest86.com/ |
| Offline NT Password & Registry Editor | A utility to reset the password of any user that has a valid local account on your Windows System. | http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/ |
| CloneZilla | A partition and disk imaging/cloning program similar to True Image® or Norton Ghost®. | https://clonezilla.org/ |
| Macrium Reflect Free | One of the best no-cost solutions on the market for backup, cloning, or disk imaging software. | https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree |
| Windows OS Media Creation Tool(s) | Used to create installation media (USB flash drive or DVD) to install, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows. | https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-installation-media-for-windows-99a58364-8c02-206f-aa6f-40c3b507420d |
Data Recovery & Disk Management
| Tool | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| BleachBit | Quickly frees disk space, guards privacy by clearing cache, deleting cookies, clearing Internet history, shredding temporary files, deleting logs, and discarding junk. | https://www.bleachbit.org/ |
| WinDirStat | A disk usage statistics viewer and cleanup tool for various versions of Microsoft Windows. | https://windirstat.net/ |
| Piriform Recuva | Recovers files deleted from your Windows computer, Recycle Bin, digital camera card, or MP3 player. And it’s free! | http://www.piriform.com/recuva |
| R-STUDIO Data Recovery (Paid) | The most comprehensive data recovery solution for recovery files from NTFS, FAT, HFS/HFS+, APFS, XFS, UFS, and Ext2/Ext3/Ext4 FS partitions. | https://www.r-studio.com/ |
| HFSExplorer | An application that can read Mac-formatted hard disks and disk images (HFS, HFS+, HFSX), including most .dmg disk images. |
http://www.catacombae.org/hfsx.html |
| DiskInternals Linux Reader | Access files and folders on Ext, UFS, HFS, ReiserFS, or APFS file systems from within Windows. | https://www.diskinternals.com/linux-reader/ |
| Ext2explore | An explorer-like utility to explore ext2/ext3/ext4 files. Supports LVM2 and EXT4 extents. Can view and copy files and folders. | https://sourceforge.net/projects/ext2read/ |
| IsoBuster | CD/DVD and BD/HD DVD data recovery software that can interpret, open, and extract various disk image files, including DMG. | http://www.isobuster.com/download.php |
| Revo Uninstaller Free | Scans for “leftovers” to find and remove leftover Windows Services, Drivers, File associations, Shell Extensions, and more. | http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html |
| MyDefrag | A completely automatic, fast, and low-overhead disk defragmenter and optimizer for Windows. | http://www.mydefrag.com/Manual-DownloadAndInstall.html |
Productivity & Media
| Tool | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| CutePDF Writer | Installs itself as a “printer subsystem” to enable virtually any Windows application to create professional quality PDF documents for free. | http://www.cutepdf.com/products/cutepdf/writer.asp |
| Sumatra PDF Viewer | A slim, free, open-source PDF reader for Windows. Minimalistic design, small, secure, and fast startup. | http://blog.kowalczyk.info/software/sumatrapdf/download-free-pdf-viewer.html |
| VideoLAN VLC Media Player | A highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats, DVDs, VCDs, and streaming protocols without external codec or program. | http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ |
🔒 Security Software (PC & General)
| Tool | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Malwarebytes Antimalware | Excellent all-around “Anti-malware” program. | https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download |
| ADW Cleaner | Searches for and deletes Adware, Toolbars, Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP), and browser Hijackers. | http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/ |
| Spybot Search & Destroy | The Swiss Army Knife of Security. Malware Removal, System Repair, and Optimization. NOTE! Do not install or arm the “Tea-Timer” feature as it can be intrusive and cause conflicts. | http://www.safer-networking.org/spybots-own-mirror-1/ |
| JRT (Junk Removal Tool) | A security utility that searches for and removes common adware, toolbars, and PUPs bundled with freeware. | http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/junkware-removal-tool/ |
| RKill | Automated malware disabling software. Allows you to set the stage for effective virus scanning and more efficiently find and remove viruses. | http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/rkill/ |
| Windows Defender Offline Scanner | Bootable Virus Removal Utility from Microsoft. | http://blogs.technet.com/b/security/archive/2012/09/19/microsoft-s-free-security-tools-windows-defender-offline.aspx |
| Microsoft Security Essentials | FREE Antivirus software from Microsoft. | http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download |
| Bitdefender Free | FREE Antivirus software from BitDefender. | http://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html |
| Avast! FREE | FREE Antivirus software from Avast. | https://www.avast.com/index |
| UnHackMe | Allows you to detect and remove a new generation of Trojan programs—invisible Trojans. | http://www.greatis.com/unhackme/ |
| Trend Micro’s HijackThis | Inspects browser and OS settings to generate a log file. USE EXTREME CAUTION when removing anything, as settings can belong to legitimate software or malware. | http://free.antivirus.com/hijackthis/ |
| TDSKiller | Utility developed by Kaspersky Labs that allows EFFECTIVE removal of rootkits. | http://support.kaspersky.com/5350?el=88446 |
🍎 Apple & Mac Software & Apps
System Utilities
| Tool | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Mac OSX Installation Media | Download and install current, or previous versions, of Mac OSX operating systems. | https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683 |
| Macs Fan Control | Application for real-time monitoring of fan speeds and temperatures. Helps solve overheating and fan noise problems. | https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control |
| Hot | A macOS menu bar application that displays the CPU speed limit due to thermal issues. | https://hot.macupdate.com/ |
| Stats | Mac OS system monitoring software. | https://mac-stats.com/ |
| Onyx | A multifunction utility used to verify system file structure; run maintenance/cleaning tasks; configure Finder, Dock, Safari parameters; delete caches; rebuild databases, and more. | https://www.titanium-software.fr/en/onyx.html |
| Mac Cleaner Pro | Professional tools for Mac cleanup. Keep your Mac always fast, clean, and organized! | https://nektony.com/mac-cleaner-pro?srsltid=AfmBOoowXj9MxGxH07ec4zTA0-sNbVnYl7aEC_q9DBQ29dH4SzttXjaw |
| GmsartControl | Graphical user interface for smartctl to query and control SMART data on hard disk and solid-state drives. |
https://gsmartcontrol.shaduri.dev/downloads |
| DriveDX | Advanced hard drive health diagnostics, drive health monitoring, and hard drive health testing software. | https://binaryfruit.com/drivedx |
| Disk Inventory X | A disk usage utility for Mac OS X that shows the sizes of files and folders using a “treemaps” graphical view. | https://www.derlien.com/ |
| coconutBattery | Shows live information about your battery health, charge cycles, and current maximum capacity in relation to the original capacity. | https://coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery/ |
Security (Mac)
| Tool | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Malwarebytes AntiMalware (MBAM) | Protection specifically designed to catch malware on Mac without hogging system resources. | https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac |
| ClamXAV | Provides effective malware protection on a single Mac or an entire network. ClamAV is one of the oldest Unix AntiVirus programs. | https://www.clamxav.com/ |
| Clario | Modern protection for your Apple Computer and digital identity from viruses, unsecured Wi-Fi, ID theft, or hacking, in real time (100% Detection rate). | https://clario.com/ |
General Programs (Mac)
| Tool | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine | A tiny menu bar program. Click it to prevent your Mac from automatically going to sleep, dimming the screen, or starting screen savers. | https://www.caffeine-app.net/ |
| VNC | Securely access and manage any device, from anywhere! | https://www.realvnc.com/en/connect/download/viewer/macos/ |
| Sublime Text | Text editing, done right! | https://www.sublimetext.com/ |
| The Unarchiver | The only app you need to open RAR on Mac. Supports infinitely more archive formats than the native macOS utility. | https://theunarchiver.com/ |
| Keka | Mac OS file archiver. | https://www.keka.io/en/ |
| PDF Expert | A uniquely fast, reliable, and easy-to-use PDF software with powerful features in an intuitive interface. | https://pdfexpert.com/ |
| BitWarden | Secure cloud syncing password manager with regular third-party security audits (GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA, etc. compliant). | https://bitwarden.com/ |
Software Removal Tools (Mac)
| Tool | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| AppCleaner | A small application that thoroughly uninstalls unwanted apps by finding and safely deleting all associated files. | https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ |
| TrashMe | Used to remove junk files and large macOS files (app caches, system updates, log reports, Xcode files) to recover gigabytes of space. | https://www.jibapps.com/apps/trashme3/ |
Web Browsers
| Tool | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Brave Browser | 3x faster than Chrome. Better protection from Google and Big Tech. Built with privacy in mind. | https://brave.com/ |
| Vivaldi | Offers features and add-ons from various browsers with unrivaled customization options and built-in features for better performance, productivity, and privacy. | https://vivaldi.com/ |
| Choosy (Mac Only) | Prompts you to select from the browsers on your Mac so you can decide which browser is right for a particular link. | https://choosy.app/ |
| OpenIn (Mac Only) | A native application that allows you to choose what happens when you click on a web link or an email link, and even open specific programs for certain file types. | https://loshadki.app/openin4/ |