Software

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TeraCopy showing images having been sent out ona desktop
TeraCopy is still the first app I install on every new Windows PC for 4 important reasons

Windows file copying is broken, and this 20-year-old app is still the fix.

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Custom app store for GitHub created using Claude Code on my ultrawide monitor.
I built a dynamic GitHub app store with Claude, now I don't have to rely on Google for open-source app discovery

Finding and installing apps from GitHub can be an absolute headache. So I got Claude to solve it for me.

Open mini PC showing an installed NVMe SSD and memory modules beside the removed bottom cover.
I thought my mini PC's SSD was dying, but 3 simple tests saved me from buying a replacement

My old SSD was acting suspiciously, but four simple checks showed the drive itself wasn’t actually the problem.

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Laptop screen showing an Excel worksheet with the Navigation pane open on the right.
These little-known Excel clicks can save you time every day

Small changes to how you interact with Excel can simplify formula writing, formatting, data entry, and navigation.

Docker apps hosted on a Windows 11 system running on an Android table with Portainer open.
I asked Claude and Gemini to build a Docker app—one was smoother, the other smarter

Both models surprised me in pleasant and unpleasant ways.

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Laptop screen showing a calculated column selected in an Excel dataset in a regular range.
Don't practice Excel with boring datasets: 4 real Pokémon projects that stick

Stop learning Excel with fake data—use Pokémon instead.

Laptop screen showing an interactive Grist dashboard with data tables, cards, and summary charts.
I stopped pretending Excel is a database and switched to this open-source app

Grist made it easier to connect related records, build dashboards without cell grids, and let those relationships drive the interface.

5
An open cardboard box with icons of open-source apps floating out of it, including PowerToys, KSnip, Everything, and yt-dlp.
These lightweight open-source apps should be built into Windows 11

In praise of perfect software.

Windows 11 Installed apps settings showing software installed on the PC.
7 popular apps I refuse to install on my Windows PC

My PC doesn't need every popular app when built-in tools and browser-based alternatives already handle most of my needs.

4
Microsoft Clippy on a surface with paper around it.
Desktop pets are having a renaissance, and they actually make you more productive now

We've come a long way from the old days of Clippy.

Laptop screen with ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet displaying the a table containing rows of sales data.
I replaced Excel with this open-source alternative for a week—I wasn't ready for the difference

Many of ONLYOFFICE's core spreadsheet tools worked, but even basic Excel workflows became increasingly frustrating to reproduce.

3
Microsoft Edge showing the How-To Geek homepage and an organized Favorites bar on a laptop screen.
I stopped hoarding bookmarks and built a system I actually use
Web

Years of clutter cleared, bookmark bar freed up, and a simpler setup for the links I actually use.

ChatGPT's blank welcome screen beside a blank Microsoft Excel workbook on a laptop
I've used Excel professionally for decades—here's where ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini still fall short

AI can help solve Excel problems, but I still rely on Excel when rules, context, and verification matter.

Illustration of a spreadsheet with a magnifying glass next to it, a chart in the background, and the Excel logo.
Your Microsoft Excel file needs a hidden backend worksheet

Keep your workbook tidy and efficient.

Obsidian website homepage displayed on a Windows laptop with app preview graphics.
I built an Obsidian knowledge base without writing a single word in the Obsidian editor

I built an Obsidian Knowledge vault without even touching the editor. Here's what I use to make it work.

2
A  laptop with VLC side-by-side with MPC-HC video player.
This free VLC alternative for Windows keeps things simple without losing the essentials

MPC-HC is a better VLC alternative for Windows users who mostly want to open videos without any extra complexities.

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OneDrive photo files displayed on a Windows laptop.
Google Photos just killed automatic PC backups—here are 4 alternatives

Google Drive dropped automatic PC photo backups, but OneDrive, Amazon Photos, iCloud, and local storage can take over.

2
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A laptop displaying a web page with a dialog box and HTML markup shown below.
This is the easiest way to build interactive websites without JavaScript

You don’t need to write your own code to get modern, functional websites with powerful components, smooth animations, and request/response behavior.

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three app folder named New Defaults open in Windows 11 start menu.
3 more free, open-source (FOSS) apps to replace your defaults

The default apps you chose years ago may not be the best options anymore—and you'd never know unless you looked.

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3D illustration of Tux, the Linux penguin mascot, depicted as an elderly figure with a white beard, glasses, and a cane, standing in front of a display showcasing some Linux distros.
7 discontinued Linux projects I still miss today

Some old ideas deserved far more time than they got!

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