Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware
XP Syspad centralizes access to Windows XP functions
by Lee Mathews Oct 27th 2008 at 9:00AM
If you're looking for a slightly more efficient way to access the numerous built-in features Windows XP provides, Xtort's XP Syspad may be of interest to you.
The program's main window provides basic process information and menus that link to just about every OS function you'd ever be looking for. Examples? MSconfig, sysedit, control userpasswords2, iexpress (self-extracting package creator), services.msc.
These are things I access all the time, so I've gotten used to using win+r and typing the application's name to launch it, so firing up Syspad is saving me more than a couple keystrokes.
It can also show and hide desktop icons, recover XP and Office product keys, display your current IP address, clean temp files, quickly access system folders, much more. The list installed programs is a nice alternative to add/remove programs: it loads in a split second and allows you to launch uninstallers as well as remove items from the programs list.
The program's main window provides basic process information and menus that link to just about every OS function you'd ever be looking for. Examples? MSconfig, sysedit, control userpasswords2, iexpress (self-extracting package creator), services.msc.
These are things I access all the time, so I've gotten used to using win+r and typing the application's name to launch it, so firing up Syspad is saving me more than a couple keystrokes.
It can also show and hide desktop icons, recover XP and Office product keys, display your current IP address, clean temp files, quickly access system folders, much more. The list installed programs is a nice alternative to add/remove programs: it loads in a split second and allows you to launch uninstallers as well as remove items from the programs list.
Syspad centralizes over 200 functions - for a more exhaustive listing, visit Xtort's page.
I find the admin and control panel menus particularly useful. Many of the selections will take you directly to a particular pane of an applet (like Internet Options -> programs, for example), which is a nice way to speed up and simplify certain administration tasks.
While not described by the author as being a portable application, I was able to launch the xpsyspad.exe from other machines on my network without any errors occurring. That's good news for me, as I need an application like this on customer and staff machines much more often than on my own.
XP Syspad is freeware, Windows only.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jash Sayani said 10:21AM on 10-27-2008
Wonderful app but has a very poor interface. I can enhance the interface if I get the src.
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Bryan Price said 8:47PM on 10-27-2008
I'll take a look.
And the tag at the end of all your articles via RSS readers is a bit of overkill BTW.
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jfjb said 11:26PM on 10-27-2008
useless for above low-to- average computer-knowledgeable user
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Stefan said 8:02AM on 10-28-2008
Wow, you're a real Mensa candidate aren't you? What tipped you off, the fact the site says "Admittedly, a “power-user” would likely have no real use for this program"?
the man designed this specifically for casual users.
jfjb said 3:26PM on 10-28-2008
Oh yes, the man did a great jjob for those casual users.
That is, Stefan, exactly what I said.
Read again with ESL add-on in parenthesis:
useless for (users) above (the) low-to-average (level of a) computer-knowledgeable user.
Or did I miss something you picked?
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