Advanced Task Manager (1995) 0 Utility Windows

A task manager replacement for Windows 3.1.

• 1.x

BackMaster (1995) 0 Utility OS2

BackMaster is a backup program for IBM OS/2 that features support for a large number of tape drives. It offers an easy-to-use graphical user interface, and enables a variety of backup configurations including unattended backup. It supports full system restore by creating a set of disaster recovery boot disks.

• 2.x

Backup Exec (1993) 0 Utility DOS Windows

Backup Exec is an easy to use backup program. It can back up files to floppy disks or certain tape drives. companies including Maynard Electronics, Archive Corp, Quest Development Corporation, Conner Peripherals, Arcada Software, Seagate Technology, Veritas Software, and Symantec. On top of that, Microsoft bundled a version with MS-DOS 6.

• 2.x (DOS)
• 5.0 (Win)

Dashboard (1992) 1 Utility Windows

Dashboard for Windows, originally from HP, is a convenient push-button utility which gives you quick access to and maximum control over your Windows programs. and buttons for launching programs. Drag-and-drop support for printing, plotting, and faxing. Miniature screens that make it easy to work with several full-screen programs at once. An alarm clock with a built-in snooze alarm. And "At a glance" feedback to let you know which programs are running and how much memory you are using. It has a resemblance to the Unix Common Desktop Environment toolbar.

• 3.0
• 95

Deskman/2 (1995) 0 Utility OS2

DevTech's Deskman/2 is a set of desktop and system management tools for OS/2. It contains data compression tools, networking tools, performance monitoring tools, and desktop management tools.

• 1995

DESQView (1984) 12 Utility DOS

DESQView, from Quarterdeck, was a DOS application multi-tasker and in later versions functioned as an X client for applications on remote UNIX systems. It competed against IBM Topview. The original DESQ was just a task switcher, but subsequent versions offered preemptive multitasking of well behaved DOS programs on real-mode 8088 PCs. It gained popularity when DESQView 386 added virtual x86 support. This enabled the ability to multi task many poorly behaved programs, and was often used on BBSes due to its excellent COM port handling. It was later overtaken by OS/2 and Windows.

• DESQView X 2.x

FontMinder (1993) 0 Utility Publishing Windows

FontMinder, by Dennis Harrington & Costas Kistos, is a font management tool that streamlines the installation and archival of Windows TrueType and Adobe Type Manager fonts.

• 2.5

Helix Netroom (1995) 1 Utility DOS

Helix Netroom is a memory manager, similar to their Helix Headroom product, but specifically targeted at machines running DOS networking software. Unlike other 386 memory managers that simply page in extra high/UMB RAM, Netroom moves specifically supported TSRs in to an invisible background virtual machine. As a result, large DOS network stacks may be loaded yet not take up any conventional memory needed to run DOS applications. Netroom supported Novell NetWare, Banyan VINES, and LAN Manager networks.

• 3.x

IBM AntiVirus (1995) 1 Utility DOS OS2

IBM AntiVirus is a comprehensive but easy to use virus scanner that supports DOS, OS/2, and Windows. It features the use of "Neural Network" technology, whatever that means, heuristic analysis, change detection, and false alarm elimination. It supports scanning e-mail, attachments, macros, and the ability to run suspicious programs without spreading infections.

• 2.x

MagnaRAM (1995) 0 Utility Windows

MagnaRAM, from Quarterdeck Corporation, is a utility that speeds up virtual memory swapping by compressing swap memory, maintaining a swap "buffer", and making use of unused disk cache memory. Unlike some similar products, this one reportedly does something. It competed against similar tools such as SoftRam, Hurricane, and RAM Doubler.

• 2.0

McAfee VirusScan (1995) 0 Utility DOS Windows OS2

McAfee VirusScan was a very popular and reliable virus scanner during the late 90s. Notably, they distributed a free shareware version of their product. VirusScan was often pre-loaded with OEM computers.

• 2.x

Microsoft Plus! (1995) 60 Utility Novelty Windows

Microsoft Plus! was an add-on package to Windows that added desktop themes, screen savers, sound effects, power-toys, and other assorted goodies for the home user. Plus! 95 also included Internet Explorer 1.0, which was not included in all Windows 95 distributions.

• 95

Monarch (1992) 0 Utility Windows

Monarch is an easy to use business tool that extracts data from printed reports and mainframe data files that you can then import in to tools like Lotus 1-2-3 or Excel. Printed reports files are not always formatted in a consistent fashion - they are formatted for people to read, not machines. But this tool makes sorting through all of that easy.

• 2.x (Win)

Newshell (1995) 5 Windows

Newshell, or the "Shell Technology Preview Update", is a shell update for Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 that gives it the appearance and desktop from Windows 95. Newshell is a beta product, and only meant to demonstrate how the upcoming NT 4 would look.

• Beta

Norton Commander (1986) 83 Utility DOS

Norton Commander is a MS-DOS based file shell that was widely popular due to it's two column design. You could easily copy and move files between one folder or another, execute DOS commands and more. It competed against many other file managers including Gazelle Q-DOS and Xtree

• 5.x

Norton Navigator (1995) 0 Utility Windows

Norton Navigator is a set of user interface add-ons for the new Microsoft Windows 95 desktop shell geared towards power users. Rather than a complete shell replacement like Norton Desktop, Norton Navigator adds functionality to the existing Windows Explorer user interface.

• 1.x

Norton Utilities (1983) 40 Utility Windows

The Norton Utilities is a suite of disk and system utilities designed to enhance system performance and stability. It started off as a set of disk utilities written by Peter Norton, and later was sold by Symantec. It competed against Central Point PC Tools and the Mace Utilities. In 2003, Norton Utilities was merged with Norton SystemWorks, but later split back out.

• 1.0 (95) for Win

PartitionMagic (1995) 25 Utility DOS Windows

A tool from PowerQuest, and later Symantec, that enables manipulation of partitions through its own bootable media. PartitionMagic can shrink, grow, or move partitions without the need to backup and restore files in that partition. It supported a variety of file systems, and the core DOS-based parition tool fit on a bootable 1.44mb floppy disk. It was extremely popular, and made installing or removing multiple OSes much easier.

• 2.x

PC/DACS (1995) 0 Utility OS2

PC/DACS is a system utility that adds password protected access control to a computer. It support session timeout, usage time restrictions, boot protection, system drive encryption, and GUI tools for all administrative tasks.

• 2.x

Pilot Desktop (1995) 0 Utility Windows

Pilot Desktop is a program used to synchronize data with a Palm Pilot.

• 1.x

Quarterdeck GameRunner (1995) 1 Utility DOS

Quarterdeck GameRunner, from Quarterdeck Corporation, is a specialized packaging of their QEMM memory management product that is specifically designed to automatically maximize the memory and speed available to known games. DOS based games of the time used a hodgepodge of memory access methods, that varied from product to product and often created conflicts. GameRunner attempts to mitigate some of this chaos by providing automatic configuration and management.

• 2.x

Sidekick (1984) 3 Utility PIM Windows

Borland Sidekick is a DOS based PIM (Personal Information Manager) and one of the first widely-used TSR (terminate and stay resident) programs. The key feature of Sidekick was that one could use Sidekick's utilities while using most other MS-DOS applications. This was important because MS-DOS had no built-in multi-tasking or task switching capabilities.

• 2.0 for Windows

Stacker (1991) 4 Utility Archive OS2

Stacker, from Stack Electronics, was a hard drive compression tool. It was wildly popular until Microsoft virtually eliminated the third party market for this by including their own drive compression tool with MS-DOS 6. and Expandz! Plus.

• 4.0 (OS/2)

ToyBox Menu Manager / Magic Desk (1992) 0 Utility DOS

ToyBox II, later renamed to Magic Desk, is a simplified graphical menu system that lets you launch your DOS applications from a selection of tiled iconic buttons. Supports nested hierarchies, includes an icon editor, and a number of common icons.

• 3.x (Magic Desk)

WinDelete (1994) 1 Utility Windows

WinDelete, from IMSI, is a Windows 3.1 tool for uninstalling unwanted software and cleaning the system.

• 3.0