Mac OS X Basic Troubleshooting & Maintenance

http://www.gballard.net/macrant/osx_troubleshooting.html - "When a computer starts acting flaky -- unstable, crashing, freezing or generally misbehaving -- it's a corruption issue 98 percent of the time (unless we've recently done something to it, and there is 98 percent of our clue). After I've ruled out the two-percent by removing whatever I recently added, I will start with the Mac OSX basics:..."

Find all the password-protected or encrypted files on a PC...

http://www.lostpassword.com/encryption-analyzer.htm - "Find all the password-protected or encrypted files on a PC or over the network.

Key Features

* Scans files fast - over 4,000 files per minute on an average PC
* Supports over 100 different file formats
* Lists recovery options and launches appropriate password recovery modules if necessary
* Provides detailed information: file formats, protection methods
* User-friendly Explorer-like interface
* Available as SDK for .NET
* Free version available

Benefits

* For Home Users

You get a free check of how secure your files are. With EA you can also verify that you still have passwords for your important files. If you need to unprotect your file, you do not have to search
for an appropriate product - EA does it for you and runs the required password recovery module. Enjoy the easy-to-use explorer-like interface with all the necessary options at hand."

Asterisk Key shows passwords hidden under asterisks...

http://www.lostpassword.com/asterisk.htm - "Asterisk Key - shows passwords hidden under asterisks...Asterisk Key shows passwords hidden under asterisks. Click here to download this free utility.

Features    
* Uncovers hidden passwords on password dialog boxes and web pages    
* State of the art password recovery engine - all passwords are recovered instantly    
* Multilingual passwords are supported   
* Full install/uninstall support"

Messenger Key - Instant Messenger Password Decoder

http://www.lostpassword.com/messenger.htm - "Messenger Key - password recovery for instant messengers. Messenger Key is a program to recover passwords for ICQ, MSN, Google Talk and Yahoo instant messengers. Click here to download this free utility.

Features:
    * All versions of Mirabilis ICQ starting with ICQ 99 are supported
* Mirabilis ICQ Lite is supported
    * MSN Messenger is supported New!
    * Google Talk Messenger is supported New!
    * Yahoo Messenger is supported New!
    * State of the art password recovery engine - all passwords are recovered instantly
    * Multilingual passwords are supported
    * Full install/uninstall support"

JScreenFixMIDlet - Fix a Stuck Pixel on Your Cell Phone

http://www.jscreenfix.com/faq/17-how-do-i-run-the-jscreenfixmidlet- "First you need a phone or device that supports Java (Most mobile phones and PDAs made in the last 3 years do). Look for an application called Java or Java Launcher in your phone's menu. Copy both JScreenFixMIDlet.jad and JScreenFixMIDlet.jar to your phone's memory. Usually this is done by a USB cable. Now choose the Java option and specify install, browse to the JAD file and select it.

You can also download JScreenFixMIDlet directly by visiting www.jscreenfix.com on your phone. The mobile version of the page and the midlet application is only 8,500 bytes in size.

Now choose run to fix stuck pixels on your phone or device using the JScreenFixMIDlet."

New CD Repair Tool Freeware

http://www.recoverytoolbox.com/cd.html - "Recovery Toolbox for CD Free A tool for recovering date from damaged CD/DVD/HD DVD/Blu-Ray disks

Recovery Toolbox for CD Free (download) has been developed for recovering data from corrupted media of all types that are most common nowadays: CD, DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, etc. The program allows you to recover files of any types. The tool completely scans disks and saves as much information as possible. During the recovery process, Recovery Toolbox for CD Free uses a lot of different algorithms, which considerably increases the amount and quality of recovered data.

The user will get a complete and readable report about all details of the recovery process.

The program allows the user to control the recovery process in the most comfortable way: what files and from where to recover, where to save data and so on. It is also possible to view all necessary information both about the source of the data being recovered and about the location they will be saved to."

Theory on How Securely "Erased" Data Can be Recovered

http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/secure_del.html - I think this is a classic paper on how its possible or at least used to be, theoretically at least to recover data from an "erased" hard disk that has been overwritten several times in the manner suggested by security experts as the best practice short of destroying the disk physically...

Fix Task Manager

http://www.taskmanagerfix.com/ -  "Fix Task Manager Task Manager Fix is a freeware utility to fix task manager disabled by spywares, trojans and displays error message : "Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator", which blocks access to Windows Task Manager.

When you try to open Windows Task Manager, by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL the following error often appear: "Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator". This error message appears due to restriction placed in the Windows Registry.

One can easily enable the Task Manager by editing some registry settings. For a normal user editing registry is not easy and a bit risky. Task Manager Fix is designed to enable disabled Task Manager. Download the FREE Task Manager Fix tool to quickly enable Task Manager.

Handy windows system recovery tool to remove Task Manager restrictions. Download Task Manager Fix This download (Task Manager Fix v1.0) is FREEWARE.

Freeware is copyrighted computer software which is made available for use free of charge, for an unlimited time, as opposed to shareware where the user is required to pay ( e.g. after some trial period or for additional functionality). More info at Wikipedia."

Disk Imager Freeware

http://www.getdata.com/download.php?FILE=EzyImager.exe - probably high quality since it's from GetData.

Free Advice on Dealing with "Dead" Hard Drive

http://bernardbelanger.com/computing/hd/index.html - "Your Hard Disk seems dead. It's not responding anymore. You hear a few "biz biz" when you're trying to boot from it and then it stops and you can't access it.

You try everything, and I mean everything because I know you... You even knock it, you even rock it because you remember having read that it might help. And that's true, the damned thing is just stucked in there. You well may succeed, but maybe not. You lost everything, and a hard disk.

Stop crying. The thing is dead, so why don't you open it ? You have nothing to loose. Get a screwdriver and have a peek inside. Don't touch the plates, don't touch anything. Plug it. Try to boot, from it or from another one or from a floppy, doesn't matter.

Observe. As you start up, the arm moves a bit (biz biz) but then it stops. Push on it a bit. The head will now go all the way to the inner part of the plates. That's the " biz biz biz biz biz biz biz biz biz biz biz " you're familiar with. If not, cut the power off and put it back on ; try something, you'll get lucky.

Save your data on another disk.

At the next restart, maybe you'll have to help it again, maybe not. It depends on how lucky you are."

X3F Repair - Freeware

http://www.x3frepair.com/ - "X3F Repair - FREE

The X3F file type is a RAW image photo taken by digital cameras with X3 sensors. The X3F format is popular because the files contain compressed raw data with a preview image and all the information needed to archive top-quality photographs and to render them to output files for different uses.

However, .X3F files can easily become corrupted so that RAW .x3F digital photos cannot be accessed.

X3F Repair will allow you to quickly open and repair a corrupt or damaged .X3F file."

Canon RAW File Recovery Freeware

http://www.crwrepair.com/ - "Canon RAW File Recovery Software

CRW Repair is a data recovery program for Canon RAW (.CRW) photos. It is designed to recover damaged or corrupt CRW files (.crw files) that will not open normally. The recovered file can then be saved as an error free CRW file.

CRW Repair is simple to use

* Select the CRW file you want to repair or open;
* CRW Repair will test and repair the file size of the CRW file;
* A preview of the repaired file is displayed in the preview window;
* Click "Save" to save the repaired CRW file.

The CRW file type is mostly used when there is a requirement of later processing of the photos. The RAW format has a structure that is fundamentally similar to TIFF, however the RAW format gives you the maximum possible options to manipulate things like exposure or white balance. There is no real downside of shooting in a RAW format except that the images are larger so not as many images will fit on a memory card.

A primary source of CRW corruption can be a change in file size. CRW files are structurally very complex and even a slight change can render the CRW file inaccessible. CRW repair examines the file size to ensure that it is correct.

Canon cameras also usually store a JPEG image along with the RAW image inside the CRW file. This allows users to quickly get access to a jpeg, but also have the option to manipulate the RAW data at a later stage. CRW Repair also give you the separate ability to access and extract the .jpeg image."

Nice List Including Some New Freeware for Data Recovery of Various Kinds

http://www.filetransit.com/freeware.php?name=Ipod_Recovery - Doesn't seem to be any specific IPod recovery programs that's really freeware here. On the other hand some of the deleted file recovery programs listed here might work.

IPod Recovery Freeware Add-in for WinAmp

http://mlipod.sourceforge.net/?page=home- Ipod plug-in for Winamp that probes the IPod database for lost songs and will fix corrupt timestamps on tunes.

http://www.winamp.com/- WinAmp the freeware media player.

Winmail Opener

http://www.eolsoft.com/freeware/winmail_opener/- Winmail Opener is a small and simple utility that allows you to view and extract contents of TNEF-encoded messages (infamous winmail.dat). That means if you receive winmail.dat on your e-mail, with Winmail Opener you can view the rich text message contents and attachments embedded into this file.

You may receive winmail.dat files from the senders who are using Microsoft Outlook (97, 2000). Winmail.dat contains all attachments and rich text message, and not all e-mail clients can recognize its format. Winmail Opener is the solution. Winmail Opener features

* Winmail Opener is absolutely free - no nag screens, no ads, no spyware, no time limit.
* Supports RTF message text.
* You can drag-and-drop TNEF-encoded files into Winmail Opener for opening them.
* You can drag-and-drop decoded attachments from Winmail Opener to any location for saving them.
* Allows to operate with embedded attachments with standard system popup menu (Open, Open with, Copy, etc.)
* Supports command line mode for batch decoding.
* The executable has small size and low system requirements.

MBR Repair

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.comp.freeware/browse_thread/thread...

New to Me Free Excel and Word Password Cracker

http://www.excel-cracker.com/- Ms Word Excel Cracker is a handy tool, designed to recover lost or forgotten passwords for password protected *.xls files created using Microsoft Word, Excel 97 2000 XP 2003 application or any other excel or word-compatible software.

Have you ever used password protected word or excel files? Perhaps you received such kind of files with important data from your business partner by e-mail or may be you keep data in password protected doc or xls files to prevent an illegal access.

If so, then you happened probably to forget or to be incapable to find a password to one of these *.xls, *.doc files. It becomes a more trouble if you need data stored in the file immediately.

This is not a problem any more!

Click here to view screenshots

Ms Word Excel Cracker is a completly FREE Software. It contains absolutely NO ADWARE, NO SPYWARE, NO REGISTRATION, NO POPUPS, NO MALWARE or other unwanted software.

Update to L0phtCrack Method for Cracking Windows Passwords

http://www.geekwithlaptop.com/crack-windows-passwords/

New Comprehensive Corrupt Lotus 123 Recovery Steps Displayed on IBM/Lotus Site

http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?fdoc=wplcsmart&rs=479&uid=sw...

Word Document and Application Errors and What to Do

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/ApplicationErrors.htm- seems to be run by MS Word MVPs.
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/CorruptDoc.htm- interesting page in site above.
http://www.gmayor.com/what_to_do_when_word_crashes.htm- another smaller site for what to do when Word crashes.

Rare Text Extractor BinText is Uploaded to the Group

I have uploaded Foundstone's excellent useful text extractor BinText. They no longer list the program on their site. It's now here:

http://groups.google.com/group/datarecoveryfreeware/web/bintext.zip

"The event log file is corrupt" Error on 64 Bit Version of Windows and Windows Server

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899416