Top 10 Best Free Data Recovery Software of 2016

ROHIT CHOUDHARY: TECHMAFIYA brings you a list of the best data recovery software of 2016 which are totally free. These data recovery tools save a lot of hassles after we accidentally delete some important files or we do not take backups before formatting a hard drive. Using these free recovery software, you can recover your data back on your PC.

We lose our important data from hard disk by accidentally pressing the Delete key. Sometimes, a software bug or virus can also corrupt your hard disk. In that case, you need the best data recovery software or a recovery tool to recover your important data back at any cost.
At this point of time, a data recovery software come in handy. We have compiled a list of best free data recovery software considering factors such as whether the software can recover RAW, Unallocated, Corrupt or Formatted Hard Disk; its ability to recover from different file systems such as FAT, FAT32, HFS, NTFS etc.; the array of devices supported; time taken for file recovery and user friendliness to name a few. Here is a list of-

Top 10 Best Data Recovery Software 2016 for free:

1. Recuva:

The fact that Recuva is on the top of the best data recovery software list, may not come as a surprise to the most of you. Some of the features that bring Recuva on top of the list of Best recovery software are:

• Superior file recovery
• Advanced deep scan mode
• Secure overwrite feature that uses industry & military standard deletion techniques and,
• Ability to recover files from damaged or newly formatted files
• Easy User interface

2. TestDisk:

A list of best data recovery software can hardly be termed as being complete without a mention of TestDisk. Packed with features and a file recovery system that can easily overshadow that of any other data recovery software, TestDisk has a lot to offer for both novices and experts. Here are some of the TestDisk’s features:

• Allows users to recover/rebuild the boot sector
• Fix or recover deleted partition table besides being able to reliably undelete files from FAT, exFAT, NTFS and ext2 file systems.
• Available on all major platforms such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X etc and is in fact quite popular as it can be found on various Linux Live CD’s.

Although being a command line tool, TestDisk may not be suitable for some users for data recovery.

3. Undelete 360:

With the looks of a typical Office application, the Undelete 360 is built on a fast yet efficient algorithm which enables the user to undelete files. Here are some of the features of Undelete 360:

• Works on a variety of devices such as Digital cameras, USB’s etc.
• It includes a data-wiping tool, a Hex Viewer along with the ability to preview files before recovery.
• Does a great job in recovering recently deleted files as compared to other free data recovery software
• Also able to recover files of a wide variety of types such as DOC, HTML, AVI, MP3, JPEG, JPG, PNG, GIF, etc.

However, scanning speed needs major improvement and it also lags out its competition in terms of recovering data.

4. PhotoRec:

Definitely one of the best data recovery software out there, PhotoRec is widely acclaimed for its powerful file recovery over a wide variety of devices ranging from digital cameras to hard-disks. Here are some of the features of PhotoRec recovery tool:

• Compatible with almost all major platforms such as Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS X etc.
• Comes packed with the ability to recover more than 440 different file formats.
• Features such as the ‘unformat function’ and the ability to add your own custom file types do come in handy.

Although I wouldn’t advise this free data recovery software to beginners as it is completely devoid of a GUI and uses a command line interface which may intimidate some users.

5. Pandora Recovery:

Pandora recovery is one of the most reliable and effective best free data recovery software out there. Pandora recovery tool has a lot to offer to its users. Here are some of the features of this tool:

• Ability to recover deleted files from NTFS and FAT-formatted volumes
• Preview deleted files of certain types (image and text files) without performing recovery
• Surface scan ( which allows you to recover data from drives that have been formatted) and the ability to recover archived, hidden, encrypted and compressed files it packs quite a punch.
• Its interface is very easy to get a hang of and provides an explorer-like view along with color coded & recovery percentage indicators.

However, its file detection system is not that reliable and needs to be improved further. The software could be made portable as well so that it doesn’t consume any space on the hard disk and thereby not consume space that a file which we wish to recover once consumed.

6. MiniTool Partition Recovery:

Standard undelete programs like Recuva, Pandora etc. are perfect for recovering a few deleted files, but what if when you have lost an entire partition? Then you will probably need a specialist application like MiniTool Partition Recovery. Here are some of the great features of this recovery tool specialized in partition recovery:

• An easy wizard-based interface
• Specialized in data recovery on an entire partition
• Point MiniTool Partition Recovery tool at the problematic drive and it will scan for the missing partition.
• Generates a recovery report which will let you know what the program has found to help you in data recovery
• Can’t use data recovery on a bootable disc here.

7. Wise Data Recovery:

Wise data recovery tool is one of the fastest undelete tools among the best data recovery software. Besides being faster, it also comes with some nice features. Here is a list of its features:

• Easy and an intuitive interface
• Can recover deleted files from local drives, USB drives, cameras, memory cards, removable media devices etc.
• Faster search filter by selecting inbuilt file extension groups using the file’s type.
• Compatible from Windows XP to Windows 8.

Wise data recovery tool is quick at performing file scans during recovery process but the availability of a deep scan mode would have been better.

8. Puran file Recovery:

Puran file recovery works in 3 main recovery modes. These recovery modes are:

• Default Quick Scan (It simply reads the FAT or NTFS file system for deleted files from the recycle bin etc.)
• Deep Scan (includes scanning all available free space) and,
• Full Scan (checks all space on the device for the best chance of recovery)
• Works from Windows XP to Windows 8

Using the “Find lost files” option turns Puran File Recovery into a tool to recover all files from a lost or damaged partition. Something else you can do is edit the custom scan list which stores file signatures for more accurate recovery of badly damaged data.

9. PC Inspector File recovery

PC Inspector File Recovery Works well on both FAT and NTFS drive even if the boot sector has been erased or damaged. Here are some of the features of this recovery tool.

• Simple search dialog can help locate files by name.
• Recovered files can be restored to a local hard disk or network drives.
• Can recover image and video of several types of files in different formats such as ARJ, AVI, BMP, DOC, DXF, XLS, EXE, GIF, HLP, HTML, JPG, LZH, MID, MOV, MP3, PDF, PNG, RTF, TAR, TIF, WAV and ZIP.
• Can scan just specific areas of the disc with the Cluster scanner
• Works perfectly from Windows XP to Windows 7

However, the interface is a little confusing mess of tabs. So, be careful with this tool.

10. Restoration

Restoration data recovery program takes the final position in the list of top 10 best data recovery tools. It is no different and is similar to the other free undelete apps on this list. Even if it is in the tenth position, here are a few things that we liked about this data recovery tool:

• Very simple and easy to use
• No confusing and no cryptic buttons or any complicated file recovery procedures
• It can recover data and files from hard drives, memory cards, USB drives, and other external drives as well.
• Does not need to be installed and can run data recovery from a floppy disk or USB drive.
• Supports Windows Vista, XP, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95 and also, successfully tested Windows 7 and Windows 10.
• Sometimes, runs into a problem with Windows 8

Bonus File Recovery Software:

11. Stellar Data Recovery

Living up to its name, Stellar Data Recovery performs a stellar job in recovering your data from your Windows PC and Mac. If you are regretting your decision of deleting recent files, Stellar Data Recovery tool is here to help you in an effective way. This risk-free program recovers data from different types of storage devices like memory cards, smartphones, USB drives, hard disks etc.

Using Stellar Data Recovery program is simple. Just download it, start the scan, and you are able to recover from the past data disasters. If you are willing to give it a try, here’s the download page.

Editor’s pick: 

I would personally recommend Piriform’s Recuva to all our readers, hands down. With superior file recovery , an advanced deep scan mode, a secure overwrite feature that uses industry & military standard deletion techniques and the ability to recover files from damaged or newly formatted files , Recuva is undeniably one of the best free data recovery tools out there. Its portability (the ability to run without installation) is one feature that sets it apart from the others.

The User Interface wouldn’t let you down either with a file-recovery wizard and an application manual mode available to your disposal which provides color coding (indicating the probability of the recovery of a file) along with the ability to preview files before undeleting them. Recuva is definitely a notch above all others and undoubtedly the most complete and reliable free data recovery software available today.

How To Repair Corrupted Pen Drive or SD Card In Simple Steps?

TechMafiya: In this article, I am going to tell you about various methods which will help you to repair your corrupted SD card or Pen drive. Very often we face this problem of a corrupted storage device and this guide will surely answer all your questions.

Dealing with a corrupted SD card or pen drive is a tedious task. We spend hours to get back our storage into working condition but get nothing. This article comprises of various methods which will help you repair your corrupted pen drive or SD card.For SD card, you will have to insert it into the slot provided in your computer or by using a card reader. Use adapter if you have a microSD card. It will not work if you connect some device having the SD card like a smartphone or a camera. Check out these different methods.

Different methods to repair corrupted pen drive or SD card:

Change the drive letter

Sometimes your computer is unable to assign drive letters (like C, D, E) to your storage media. Due to this reason the files on it can’t be accessed. To resolve this issue, you can assign the drive letter to your device.

Here are the simple steps to fix the corrupted pen drive or memory card by assigning a correct drive letter:

1. Connect your storage media to your computer.
2. Right Click on My Computer/ This PC. Click Manage in the drop down menu.
3. Click Disk Management in the left side and wait for a few seconds so that Windows can load the Virtual disk service.
4. Right Click on your storage media and click Change Drive Letter and Paths.
5. Click the drive letter (it will turn blue) and click Change.
6. Select the drive letter from the drop-down list. Click Ok.

Try to use it on another PC

Maybe the issue is specifically on your PC. Try connecting your SD card or pen drive to another computer. Hopefully, it may work and you’ll be able to backup your data from it.

Reinstall the drivers

There are times when the drivers that runs your pen drive get corrupted and our PC will not be able to detect your storage media. You can reinstall drivers by these simple steps:

1. Right click My Computer/ This PC. Click Manage.
2. Click Device Manager on the left side.
3. Double-Click Disk Drives in the list. Right Click on the name of your pen drive.
4. Click Uninstall. Click Ok.
5. Disconnect your storage media and restart your PC.
6. Connect your pen drive again. Your PC will detect it.

Also Read: Speed Up Internet Using CMD (Command Prompt)

Repair corrupted SD card or Pen Drive using Windows Explorer

This is the most commonly used procedure to repair a connected storage media to your computer.

1. Open My Computer or This PC.
2. Select the corrupted drive and Right Click.
3. Click Format in the drop down menu.
4. Click Restore Device Defaults in the popup window.
5. Click Start to begin the format process. You can uncheck the Quick format option if you want the computer to deep scan the drive/card for errors but this will take time. So, uncheck it only if you fail in the first attempt.
6. Click Ok in the next dialog box which will warn you that the data will be lost. The format process will complete in a few moments and you will have your error free SD card or pen drive.

Repair corrupted Pen Drive or SD card using CMD

This process involves Windows command prompt which is commonly known as CMD. In this, you have to enter some CMD commands and Windows will forcefully format your corrupted pen drive/SD card.

1. Connect the corrupted pen drive or SD card to your computer.
2. Hover your mouse on the Start button and Right Click.
3. Click Command Prompt (Admin). A CMD window will open.
4. Type diskpart and press Enter.
5. Type list disk and press Enter. A list of all the storage devices connected to your computer will be displayed.
6. Type select disk <the number of your disk> and press Enter. (Example: select disk 1). Important: Make sure you enter the number correctly. Otherwise, you may format your internal hard drive. You can type list disk again to check whether you are going correctly. There will be a star (asterisk symbol) before the name of the selected disk.
7. Type clean and press Enter.
8. Type create partition primary and hit Enter.
9. Type active.
10. Type select partition 1.
11. Type format fs=fat32 and press Enter. The format process will finish in a few minutes. You can write ntfs instead of fat32 if you want to carry files larger than 4 gigabytes. Don’t close the CMD

Recover your lost data

You can use Sandisk Rescue Pro to recover your data in case you have deleted your files or formatted your SD card/Pen Drive by mistake. The SD card needs to be in working condition to perform the recovery process. Other notable data recovery software is Recuva by Piriform. For more information on data recovery, check out our list of the top data recovery software.

The Ultimate A to Z List Of Windows CMD Commands You Need To Know

TechMafiya: Command Prompt or CMD is a command line interpreter in the Windows family of operating systems created by Microsoft Corporation. In this article, we have tried to curate an A to Z list of Windows CMD Commands. The list includes both internal and external commands applicable to the command prompt.

In the case of Windows OS, most users are not even remotely concerned about the Command Prompt or cmd.exe. People know that there is some inbuilt software with a black screen which is used to troubleshoot Windows issues sometimes. For instance, when a user has to repair a corrupt pen drive. On the other hand, Linux users are very much familiar with the command line utility and it’s a part of their daily computer usage.

CMD is a command line interpreter – a program designed to understand the commands input by a user, from a text file, or any other medium – in Windows NT family. It is the modern version of the COMMAND.COM which was the default shell present in the DOS operating systems and as a command line interpreter in Windows 9x family.

Similar to Linux command line, the Command Prompt in Windows NT – Windows X, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 – is quite efficient. Using various commands, you can ask your Windows OS to perform desired tasks which you normally do by using the GUI.

How to open Windows CMD?

You can open the Windows Command Prompt by typing cmd in the Start Menu search bar. Alternatively, you can press CTRL+R to open the RUN utility, type cmd, and pressEnter.

Are the Commands Case-Sensitive?

The commands used in the Windows Command Prompt are not case-sensitive, unlike the Linux command line. For example, when you type dir or DIR, it’s the same thing. But individual commands may have various options which can be case-sensitive.

A to Z List of Windows CMD Commands

Here is an A to Z list of Windows CMD commands which will be beneficial to you. Once you get the hang of these commands, you can do most of your work more quickly without using the normal graphical interface.

To display help for the commands:

command_name /?

Press Enter.

For example, to see help for the ping command:

ping /?

Note: Some of these commands may require relevant service or Windows version to work correctly.

A – Windows CMD commands

A	Description
addusers	Used to add and list users in a CSV file
admodcmd	Used for bulk modifying contents in an active directory
arp	Address Resolution Protocol is used to map IP address to the hardware address
assoc	Used to change associations for file extensions
associat	One step file association
at	Run a command at a specific time
atmadm	Display connection info of the ATM adapter
attrib	Used to change file attributes

B – Windows CMD Commands

B	Description
bcdboot	Used to create and repair a system partition
bcdedit	Used to manage boot configuration data
bitsadmin	Used to manage the Background Intelligent Transfer Service
bootcfg	Used to edit boot configuration in Windows
break	Enable/Disable break capability (CTRL+C) in CMD

C – Windows CMD Commands

C	Description
cacls	Used to change permissions of files
call	Used one batch program to call another
certreq	Used to request a certificate from a certification authority
certutil	Manage Certification Authority files and services
cd	Used to change folder (directory) or go to a specific one
change	Used to change terminal services
chcp	Displays the number of active console code page
chdir	Same as cd command
chkdsk	Used to check and repair issues in the disk
chkntfs	Used to check the NTFS file system
choice	Accept user input (via keyboard) to a batch file
cipher	Used to encrypt/decrypt files and folder
cleanmgr	Used clean temp files and recycle bin automatically
clip	Copy result of any command (stdin) to Windows clipboard
cls	Clear CMD screen
cmd	Used to start a new CMD shell
cmdkey	Used to manage stored usernames and passwords
cmstp	Used to install or remove a connection manager service profile
color	Change the color of the CMD shell using options
comp	Compare contents of two files or two sets of files
compact	Compress files and folders on an NTFS partition
compress	Compress one or more files
convert	Convert a FAT partition to NTFS
copy	Copy one or more files to another location
coreinfo	Show the mapping between logical and physical processors
cprofile	Cleans specified profiles of wasted space and disabled user-specific file associations
cscmd	Configure offline files on a client computer
csvde	Import or Export the data of an active directory

D – Windows CMD Commands

D	Description
date	Used to display the date or change it.
defrag	Used to defragment system hard drive.
del	Used to delete a file(s).
delprof	Used to delete user profile(s).
deltree	Used to delete a folder and its sub-folders.
devcon	Access the command line device manager utility.
dir	Used to display files and folders list.
dirquota	Manage File Server Resource Manager quotas.
diruse	Used to display disk usage.
diskcomp	Compare contents of two floppy disks.
diskcopy	Copy data of one floppy disk to another.
diskpart	Make changes to partitions of storage, both internal and connected.
diskshadow	Access the Disk Shadow Copy Service.
diskuse	View used space in folder(s).
doskey	Used to edit command line, recall commands, and create macros.
driverquery	Display a list of installed device drivers.
dsacls	View and edit access control entries for objects in active directory.
dsadd	Used to add objects to active directory.
dsget	View objects in active directory.
dsquery	Find objects in an active directory.
dsmod	Used to modify objects in an active directory.
dsmove	Rename or move an active directory object.
dsrm	Remove objects from an active directory.
dsmgmt	Manage Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services

E – Windows CMD Commands

E	Description
echo	Turn command-echoing feature on/off, display a message on the screen.
endlocal	End localization environment changes in a batch file.
erase	Used to delete on or more file(s).
eventcreate	Add custom event to Windows event log (Admin rights required).
eventquerry	Display list of events and their properties from event logs.
eventtriggers	Display and configure event triggers on local and remote machines.
exit	Exit the command line (Quit current batch script).
expand	Uncompress one or more .CAB file(s)
explorer	Open Windows Explorer.
extract	Uncompress one or more Windows cabinet file(s)

F – Windows CMD Commands

F	Description
fc	Used to compare two files.
find	Used to search a specified text string in a file.
findstr	Used to find string patterns in files.
finger	Display information about user(s) on a specified remote computer.
flattemp	Used to enable/disable flat temporary folders.
For	Run a command in a loop for a file(s) for defined parameter.
forfiles	Used for batch processing of selected file(s)
format	Used to format a disk.
freedisk	Used to check free space on a disk.
fsutil	File system utility to manage file and drive properties.
ftp	Use FTP service to transfer files from one PC to another.
ftype	Display/ Modify file extension type associations.

G – Windows CMD Commands

G	Description
getmac	Used to display the MAC address of your network adapter.
goto	Used to direct a batch program to a line identified by a label.
gpresult	Display Group Policy Settings and Resultant Set of Policy for a user.
gpupdate	Update local and active directory based on group policy settings.
graftabl	Turn on the ability to display an extended character in graphics mode.

H – Windows CMD Commands

H	Description
help	Display a list of commands and see online information for them.
hostname	Used to display hostname of the computer.

I – Windows CMD Commands

I	Description
icacls	Used to change permissions of files and folders.
iexpress	Used to create a self-extracting zip archive.
if	Used for conditional processing in batch programs.
ifmember	Display the group(s) an active user belongs to.
inuse	Replace the files which the OS is currently using (restart required).
ipconfig	Display and change Windows IP configuration.
ipseccmd	Used to configure IP Security policies.
ipxroute	Display and modify routing table information used by IPX protocol.
irftp	Used to send files over an infrared link (infrared functionality required).

L – Windows CMD Commands

L	Description
label	Used to change the name of a disk.
lodctr	Update registry values with latest performance counters.
logman	Used to manage performance monitor logs.
logoff	Log a user off.
logtime	Add the date, time, and a message to a text file.
lpq	Displays print queue status.
lpr	Used to send a file to a computer running the Line Printer Daemon service.

M – Windows CMD Commands

M	Description
macfile	Manage files server for Mackintosh.
makecab	Used to create .cab files.
mapisend	Used to send email from command line.
mbsacli	Microsoft Baseline Security Analyser.
mem	Used to show memory usage.
md	Used to create directories and sub-directories.
mkdir	Used to create directories and sub-directories.
mklink	Used to create symbolic link to a directory.
mmc	Access Microsoft Management Console.
mode	Configure COM, LPT, CON system devies.
more	Display one screen of output at time.
mountvol	Create, list, or delete a volume mount point.
move	Used to move files from one folder to another.
moveuser	Move user account to a domain or between machines.
msg	Used to send a pop-up message to a user.
msiexec	Install, modify, consfigure using Windows Installer.
msinfo32	Display system information.
mstsc	Create a remote desktop connection.

N – Windows CMD Commands

N	Description
nbstat	Display NetBIOS over TCP/IP information.
net	Used to manage network resources and services.
netdom	Network Domain Manager utility
netsh	Display or modify network configuration
netstat	Display active TCP/IP connections.
nlsinfo	Used to display locale information
nltest	List domain controllers, force remote shutdown, etc.
now	Display date and time.
nslookup	Check IP address on a Name Server.
ntbackup	Backup data to tape using CMD or batch file.
ntcmdprompt	Runs cmd.exe instead of command.exe in an MS-DOS application.
ntdsutil	Manage Active Directory Domain Services
ntrights	Used to edit user account privileges.
ntsd	Only for system developers.
nvspbind	Used to modify network bindings.

O – Windows CMD Commands

O	Description
openfiles	Queries or displays open files.

P – Windows CMD Commands

P	Description
pagefileconfig	Display and configure Virtual memory settings.
path	Set PATH environment variable for executable files.
pathping	Latency and Packet loss info for each node in the network path.
pause	Used to stop processing of a batch file.
pbadmin	Starts Phone Book Administrator
pentnt	Detect Floating Point Division error in the Pentium chip.
perfmon	Access performance monitor in CMD
perms	Display a user\’s ACL permissions for a file.
ping	Test network connection to a computer.
popd	Go to the latest path/folder stored by PUSHD command
portqry	Display TCP and UDP port status.
powercfg	Used to configure power settings and know battery health.
print	Used to print a text file(s) from CMD.
printbrm	For backup/recovery/migration of the print queue.
prncnfg	Used to configure/rename a printing device.
prndrvr	List/add/delete printer drivers.
prnjobs	List/pause/resume/cancel print jobs.
prnmngr	List/add/delete printers, display/set default printer.
prnport	List/create/delete TCP printer ports, display/change port configuration.
prnqctl	Clear printer queue, print a test page.
procdump	Monitor system for CPU spikes, generate a crash report during a spike.
prompt	Used to change the Prompt in CMD.
psexec	Run a CMD process on a remote computer.
psfile	Display remotely opened files, close an open file.
psinfo	List system information about a local/remote machine.
pskill	Kill a process(es) using its name or process ID.
pslist	Display process status and info about active processes.
psloggedon	See active users on machine.
psloglist	Display event log records.
pspasswd	Used to change account password.
psping	Used to measure network performance.
psservice	Display and control services on a machine.
psshutdown	Shutdown/restart/logoff/lock a local or remote machine.
pssuspend	Used to suspend a process on a local or remote computer.
pushd	Change current folder and store previous folder for use by POPD.

Q – Windows CMD Commands

query session or qwinstaDisplay user session info on Terminal server or RD session host.query termserver or qappsrvList all terminal servers and RD Session host servers on the network.query user or quserDisplay user session info on a terminal server or RD session host server.

Q	Description
qgrep	Search file(s) for a given string pattern.
query process or qprocess	Display information about processes.

R – Windows CMD Commands

R	Description
rasdial	Display Remote Access Service Status.
rasphone	Manage RAS connections.
rcp	Copy files to a computer running remote shell service.
recover	Recover readable data from a defective disk.
reg	Display/add/change registry keys and values in Windows registry.
regedit	Import/export/delete settings from a .reg text file.
regsvr32	Used to register/unregister a DLL file.
regini	Used to change registry permissions.
relog	Export performance counters to other formats like TSV, CSV, SQL.
rem	Add comments in batch file.
ren	Used to rename a file(s).
replace	Used to replace a file with another file of same name.
reset session	Used to reset a remote desktop session.
rexec	Run commands on remote machines running Rexec service.
rd	Used to delete a folder(s).
rmdir	Used to delete a folder(s).
rmtshare	Manage file and printer shares local or remote servers.
robocopy	Used to copy files and folders that have changed.
route	Display/change the local IP routing table.
rsh	Run commands on remote servers running RSH service.
rsm	Manage media resources using Removable storage.
runas	Run a program as a different user.
rundll32	Used to run a DLL program.

S – Windows CMD Commands

S	Description
sc	Use Service Controller to manage Windows services.
schtasks	Schedule command(s) to run at a specific time.
secedit	Configure system security.
set	Display/set/remove environment variables in CMD.
setlocal	Control visibility of environment variables in a batch file.
setspn	Manage Service Principal Names for an Active Directory service account.
setx	Set Environment Variables permanently.
sfc	System File Checker
share	List/edit a file share or print on any computer.
shellrunas	Used to run a command as a different user.
shift	Change the position of the batch parameters in a batch file.
shortcut	Create a Windows shortcut.
shutdown	Shutdown the computer.
sleep	Put computer to sleep for specified number of seconds.
slmgr	Software Licensing Management tool for activation and KMS.
sort	Used to sort and display a redirected or piped input.
start	Start a program, command, or batch file.
strings	Find ANSI and UNICODE strings in binary files.
subinacl	Display/modify ACEs for file and folder permissions.
subst	Associate a path with a drive letter.
sysmon	Monitor and log system activity to Windows event log.
systeminfo	Display detailed configuration information about the computer.

T – Windows CMD Commands

T	Description
takeown	Used to take the ownership of a file.
taskkill	Used to terminate on or more running processes.
tasklist	Display a list of running apps and services.
tcmsetup	Enable/disable TAPI client.
telnet	Communicate with a remote machine using TELNET protocol.
tftp	Transfer files to and from a remote machine running TFTP protocol.
time	Display/change system time.
timeout	Delay a batch file execution for specified seconds.
title	Change the text on top of CMD window.
touch	Change file timestamps.
tracerpt	Process event trace logs and generate trace analysis report.
tracert	Trace route to a remote host by sending ICMP request messages.
tree	Display a folder structure in the form of a graphical tree.
tsdiscon	Terminate a remote desktop connection.
tskill	Terminate a running process on a RD Session Host server.
tssutdn	Shutdown/reboot a terminal server remotely.
type	Show contents of a text file.
typeperf	Write performance data to a CMD window or a log file.
tzutil	Time Zone Utility.

U – Windows CMD Commands

U	Description
unlodctr	Remove performance counter names and explain text for a service from the registry.

V – Windows CMD Commands

V	Descrption
ver	Show version number of installed OS.
verify	Verify whether files are saved correctly on the disk.
vol	Show disk volume label and serial number.
vssadmin	Show shadow copy backups, installed shadow copy writers and providers.

W – Windows CMD Commands

W	Description
w32tm	Access Windows Time Service Utility
waitfor	Used to synchronise events between networked computer(s).
wevtutil	Retrieve information about event logs and publishers.
where	Find and display file(s) in the current directory.
whoami	Display information about the active user.
windiff	Compare contents of two files or sets of files.
winrm	Windows Remote Management.
winrs	Windows Remote Shell.
wmic	Windows Management Instrumentation Command.
wuauclt	Windows Update Agent to download new update files.

X – Windows CMD Commands

X	Description
xcalcs	Change ACLs for files and folders.
xcopy	Copy files or directory trees to another folder.

This was the ultimate A-Z List of Windows CMD Commands which has been created with the inputs from SS64 and TechNet. A lot of attention has been paid while preparing it but if you find any discrepancy, feel free to notify.

Did you find this helpful? Tell us in the comments below.

How To Find If Someone Logged Into Your Windows PC At A Given Time?

TechMafiya: Do you ever wish to know if someone used your Windows computer without your permission? Few people know that an inbuilt utility named Event Viewer can help them out and tell lots of information like the start-up and shutdown time of their computers. To do this, one simply needs to open Event Viewer and filter the logs to see the required details.

Very often we share login credentials of our Windows PCs with others, just to let them access it for a limited period of time or due to some other unavoidable reason–and forget to change the password. Without a doubt, it’s a very poor security practice.

This also makes us wonder how can we know if something is being done to our computers in our absence. To accomplish this task, one can use the inbuilt Windows Event Viewer feature. It’s useful for system error logging, warnings, and informational events etc. However, very few people know about it.

Whenever a Windows user starts a program on a PC, it posts a notification in an Event Log. It also records every hardware glitch, driver issue, security changes, system access, etc. It’s basically a database that keeps recording all the significant system activities in the form of simple text files.

In this article, I’ll tell you how to find if someone logged into your computer at a given time.

How to start Event Viewer in Windows PC?

To start Event Viewer in your Windows 7 and 8.1, you need to click the Start Button and open the Control Panel. Now find the System and Maintenance option and click on it. There, you’ll find Administrative Tool which will contain Event Viewer.

On Windows 10, one can simply type Event Viewer in the desktop search box. Alternatively, one can use Windows+X+V key to launch the program.

Another way to open the Event Viewer to find if someone logged into your computer at a given time is by using the Run dialog. To do this, press Windows+R key. It will open Run dialog. Now type eventvwr and click OK.

How to find if someone logged into your computer without permission?

Now, after opening Event Viewer in your Windows PC, you need to locate Windows Logs > System. In the middle pane, this will open a list of the events that took place when Windows system was running. The events might take a couple of moments to populate.Here, click on any row in the middle pane to open a new pop-up with the information about that particular event. Now, to find out if someone logged into your PC, you need to sort this data.

To do this, click on the Filter Current Log button in the right pane. Firstly, make sure that Event logs field shows System. Secondly, make sure that User field shows <All Users>.As shown in the screenshot, enter event IDs 6005 and 6006 in the empty field. This will filter the System events.

You can see the start-up and shut down time in the Date and Time column. Here, Event ID 6005 means “The event log service was started” (i.e. start-up time) and 6006 means “The event log service was stopped” (i.e. shut down time).You can also use the Custom view option if you wish to check this data regularly.

Did you find this tutorial on how to use Event Viewer to find if someone used your computer without your knowledge helpful? Don’t forget to drop your feedback in the comments section below.

How To Delete Your Facebook Account Permanently

TechMafiya: Sometimes you want to get out of the Facebook world. Most of the people know about deactivating their Facebook. But it is also possible to delete your Facebook account permanently. But do remember to download a copy of your Facebook data before deleting your account.

Facebook is the biggest social network in the world with around 1.13 billion active users per day. An uncountable number of profiles are created every day. Many people post almost all of their life activities on Facebook and for some people, it’s only a medium to remain connected with their old friends and remember their birthdays.Sometimes you want to get out of your Facebook life and enjoy the real world. You do this by deactivating your Facebook account. But you can also delete your Facebook account permanently if you want to leave Facebook for the rest of your life.

Backup your Facebook data

Before saying goodbye to your Facebook life, you should backup your data in case you need it at a later point in time.

1. Go to Settings.
2. While in the General tab. Click Download a copy of your Facebook data.
3. Click Start My Archive.
   
4. Enter your Facebook account password. Click Submit.
5. Click Start My Archive in the Request My Download box.

Facebook will then gather all your data and send the copy to your registered email address.

How to deactivate your Facebook account?

It’s simple. You might be thinking why I am telling you such simple thing. If you know how to deactivate your Facebook account, it’s good. But some people might not be aware of this. Here are the steps to deactivate your Facebook account:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Click Security in the left pane.
3. Click Deactivate your account.
   

How to delete your Facebook account permanently?

One thing that most users want to know is how to delete Facebook account permanently. For this, follow the steps:

1. Log into your Facebook account.
2. Visit this link, https://www.facebook.com/help/delete_account
3. Click Delete My Account.
   
4. I can’t go further as I don’t want to delete my Facebook account. So, go ahead yourself.

Important things to consider before deleting your Facebook account

Make sure you’ve downloaded a copy of your Facebook data before deactivating or permanently deleting it. You might be aware of the fact that you can gain access to your Facebook account after you’ve deactivated it. But be careful, you won’t get the chance to change your mind after you’ve deleted your Facebook account permanently. So, take your decision wisely.

It will take 90 days for Facebook to delete all your photos, videos, posts, likes, comments, messages, and everything else. Other Facebook users won’t be able to visit your profile during the deletion process. However, the text messages, images you’ve sent to your friends via chat will reside at their end because they’re a part of their account also. You can ask them to delete your messages.

How To Auto Delete Your Facebook Account After Your Death

TechMafiya: The Facebook account of a person who has passed away can be memorialized after a request submitted by a verified person. However, Facebook also provides you with an option to auto-delete your Facebook account after getting notified about your death.

Death is inevitable but all the living beings seem reluctant to face this hard truth of life. It is more painful for the close connections of a deceased person because it is hard to fill that vacant space in their lives. Nowadays, many people spend a large part of their lives on the internet, especially, on social platforms. The situation worsens when people comes across the social media profiles of their loved ones or receive birthday notifications.Facebook is probably the most popular of all such platforms. It has appropriate options which allow a deceased person’s Facebook profile to be memorialized – the ones with Remembering written – after getting a request from a verified person.

A friend or a family member can either initiate,

1. A memorialization request:
   https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/234739086860192
2. An account deletion by a special request for a deceased person’s account:
   https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/228813257197480
   Note: A proof of death is required.

A person can select Legacy Contacts for their Facebook account. Legacy contact can do basic tasks – once the account has been memorialized – like writing a pinned post, respond to friend requests, and update the profile picture and cover photo. However, they can not Login into the memorialized account, change any other information, read chats with other friends, etc. If there is no Legacy Contact attached to an account, no one will be able to make any changes.

Now, if you don’t want to keep your Facebook account alive after your death you can get it deleted automatically after you pass away. Here are the steps to do so:

1. Sign-in to your Facebook account.
2. Click the down arrow near the Home button.
3. Click Settings in the drop-down menu.
4.  Click Security on the left-hand side.
5. Click Legacy Contact.
6. Click Request account deletion.
   
7. Click Delete After Death.
   

Facebook will delete your account including all the data present in it after someone notifies them about your death.

If you have something to add, tell us in the comments below.

What Is A Batch File In Windows? How To Create A Batch File?

TechMafiya: In Windows, the batch file stores commands in a serial order to be used by the command line interpreter CMD as an input. In this article, I have mentioned the basic steps by which you can create a batch file of your own in order to automate tasks on your Windows machine.

What exactly is a batch file?

The batch file is a term which often falls on the ears of Windows users. Basically, it’s a way of doing things without actually doing them. Wait, before you ask me whether I am high, let me elaborate the batch file and its working.

You might be aware of the Windows command line interpreter known as CMD or Command Prompt. It takes various commands as input through the keyboard and processes them. Being a Windows user, most of us are not much comfortable with anything that doesn’t look good, and CMD is one of them.

A batch file does the work of a mediator between you and the command prompt. It is a file – with .bat, .cmd, .btm file extensions – containing the CMD commands. When you run a batch file, the commands written in it are executed in the Command Prompt following a serial fashion. Otherwise, these would have to be entered manually line by line.

What’s the use of a batch file?

Now, why should you keep the commands in a batch file? A batch file saves your time, otherwise, would be invested in typing the same commands again and again. For instance, you can schedule your Windows OS to shut down after a specific amount of time using the command prompt. If you have created a batch file for the shutdown operation, you’ll only have to double-click to run it, like you normally open applications, and your Windows will shut down after the time you have already set.

If a developer wants to use the command prompt on your machine while installing software, he can do so by including a batch file in the setup files. Otherwise, you would have to run the commands which I guess won’t make you happy. In a nutshell, it is a script file used to automate tasks in DOS, Windows, and OS/2 operating systems.

While creating a batch file, you can also enable loops (for), conditional statements (if), control statements (goto), etc. You can run a batch file directly from the command prompt by typing its name. Also, you can run one batch file from another batch file using the CALL command.

Things to know before creating a batch file

Creating a batch file is all about commands and crafting them appropriately for best use. You need to be aware of some basic Windows CMD Commands which will help you create basic batch files.

title: It used to change the title text displayed on top to CMD window.

echo – Displays the input string as the output. Use ON or OFF option for ECHO to turn the echoing feature on or off. If you turn on the ECHO, the CMD will display the command it is executing.

pause – Used to stop the execution of Windows batch file.

EXIT – To exit the Command Prompt.

cls – Used to clear the command prompt screen.

:: – Add a comment in the batch file. The Command Prompt ignores any text written as a comment.

To open a file using cmd, you need to navigate to that folder/directory using the command line. Then type the name of that file along with its file extension. For instance, you need to run a text file named HelloWorld. Type HelloWorld.txt and press Enter.

These commands can help you to create a basic batch file. You can improve your batch file by learning more commands from the Windows CMD Commands list.

How to create a batch file in Windows?

Here, I am going to tell you steps to create a small batch file.

1. Open a new notepad file. You can also use any similar text file editor, like Notepad++.
2. Type the following commands in the text file:
   
   echo off
   title My Test Batch File
   :: See the title at the top. And this comment will not appear in the command prompt.
   echo Test file executed.
   echo I am too lazy to write commands again and again.
   pause
3. Save the text file with the extension .bat instead of .txt. For instance, testbatch.batin my case.
   Note: Make sure the Hide File Extensions feature is turned off in Windows. Otherwise, you will not be able to change the file extension. To check, go to Control Panel > File Explorer Options > View tab > Uncheck Hide extensions for known file types.
4. To Run the batch file, simply double-click it. The CMD Window will open automatically with the desired output.

You can also try echo on in the command mentioned in Step 2 to see what it does. Now, every time you’ll run this file the same text will be displayed. You can also use the .cmd extension in place of .bat extension.

Do something more

Some time ago, I told you about checking the battery health on your Windows machine by using the POWERCFG utility. Earlier, you had to do a lot of work. In order to check the battery health, you had to open CMD, type the command, and then go to the location where the output file gets stored.

Let’s give some rest to your hands by creating a batch file and automate the task.

Create a batch to generate Energy Report:

In a new text file, type the following command:

powercfg/energy

C:\WINDOWS\system32\energy-report.html

Save the file as energyreport.bat or any name you like. Keep in mind you use the correct file extension.

Create batch file to generate Battery Report:

In a new text file, type the following commands:

powercfg /batteryreport

C:\Windows\System32\battery-report.html

Save the file as batteryreport.bat or any name you like.

Important: The POWERCFG utility only works with administrator privileges. So, you will have to run these batch files in “Run As Administrator” mode. You do so by Right Clicking the batch file > Click Run As Administrator.

 

If you run these battery checking batch files without administrator privileges, it will show you version of the report which is already stored at that location. Using batch files with admin rights will display the latest data.

So, this was the brief walkthrough of creating a batch file. You can use the A to Z Windows CMD Commands List to create more batch files as per your requirement.

If you have something to add, tell us in the comments below.

Can A Software Know Whether It Is Running On A Laptop or Desktop

TechMafiya : There are different chassis types available for computers like laptops, desktops, towers, workstations, etc. It’s easy for humans to know which type of computer they are using. But how does the software know whether it is running on a laptop or a desktop?

By work, a laptop, and a desktop is created to do the same thing and has the same sort of hardware inside. The visible difference between the two categories of computer hardware can be sufficient for the humans to realize their separate personalities.

That’s for the humans, but how does the software installed on these machines know whether its home is a laptop or a desktop, or any other chassis like a Tower, etc. And is surely possible as you might have seen in the case of Microsoft Windows. The Hibernate option is not present on desktop machines which have an option called hybrid sleep. Clearly, Windows is able to draw a line between a desktop and a laptop.

The presence of a battery can help a software to detect the type of computer. Also, the IDs associated with various components present can convey the information to the operating system and in turn any other software wanting to know about the machine type.

HARDWARE IDS CAN BE USED TO KNOW THE COMPUTER TYPE.

The type of computer can be known by analyzing the CPU ID. And that’s obvious because a separate type of processors is available for laptops and desktops.

How to know your computer type

You can check the chassis type of your machine. For Windows, the Windows32_SystemEnclosure can be used to discern the chassis type. In order to do so, you can read the following TechNet document.

Security Is PAINful — The Four Cornerstones Of Security

TechMafiya : Digital security is always a hot topic, but its growth is accelerating. In order to implement security, you need to understand security. But in order to really understand it, you need to start with the fundamentals — Privacy, Authentication, Integrity, and Nonrepudiation.

Security is a trade-off, there’s no denying that. Security makes things slower, more complex, less convenient, and sometimes confusing. That’s why they say security is a pain, but what exactly does it mean? The acronym PAIN is used for the four components of security, Privacy, Authentication, Integrity, and Nonrepudiation.

Privacy

We all know and understand what privacy is. It’s protecting your information from peering eyes. But it goes a little further than that in the world of digital security. Privacy can mean anonymity in a world that tries to track everything you do. While each application has a different requirement of privacy, there’s a common thread — encryption. Encryption has been around for over two thousand years. It’s been used in almost every major war in the last several centuries. It’s clearly a very important aspect of security. So, what should you look for in an encryption suite?

• Peer reviewed algorithms
• Open Source software
• Open Source or Open Standard protocols

Peer reviewed algorithms have been mathematically examined by cryptanalysts for weakness and exploits. This is a must because a backdoor could exist or there could be some mathematical attack that the cryptographer was not aware of when they designed the algorithm. You want the software to be open source so that it can be audited and updated to address any bugs or security concerns. And finally, you want your protocols to be open source or based on open standards for similar reasons — they’re audited and continuously inspected because many people rely on them.

The trade-off with encryption is that strong encryption requires time to compute, meaning that there’s an additional delay before the data is ready for transmission or storage.

Authentication

Authentication is the process of determining that you are who you claim to be, much like how many collectibles come with a certificate of authenticity, in order to be secure you must prove your identity. Authentication can be tricky, especially when two parties are in mutual distrust, to begin with. We typically authenticate with a password in addition to our username, your password is what proves your authenticity. But passwords can be guessed or cracked. This is why it’s important to have strong passwords, or better yet, multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication is much simpler than it sounds. It simply means that instead of relying on a password as the single authentication criteria, you have an additional criterion such as a digital token or fob that produces a numeric code for authentication. Email is often used as secondary authentication when passwords need to be reset, but this is only a half-measure. Many services have opted for using mobile phones as another authentication method. While this is safe and practical in theory, it is actually insecure due to SMS protocol vulnerabilities. That aside, it is an excellent example.

So, why don’t we just have like half a dozen factors of authentication for all of our accounts? Well, that would be because security is a pain. Imagine having to manage all those different factors. It would become quite the nuisance.

Integrity

A large part of secure communications is knowing that something wasn’t altered by an assailant before you received it. That means, you want to determine whether the information has retained its integrity. You should always assume that a channel of communication is insecure until you have proven it to be secure, and even then, it is difficult to detect when an attacker has obtained any amount of access to a channel. While an attacker might not be able to see all communications going over a channel, they can still attempt to alter data before it’s put on the wire. This is known as a “man in the middle” attack. By implementing a method to verify the integrity of the data, you can ensure that any altered information is discarded. This integrity check is usually done using hashes. The original message is hashed and then the hash is encrypted with a private key. This way, even if an attacker intercepts the message, and even if they possess the public key, they cannot encrypt the hash (which is expected to be encrypted) in such a manner that when decrypted, it will be equal to the hash of the altered message. This is a very effective way to ensure data integrity, even when poorer hash algorithms are used, like MD5, because the hash is always encrypted anyway.

If this whole integrity thing is so simple, why don’t we all use that, and wouldn’t it make for a good authentication method, too? Data integrity is simple to determine with hashes but you also have to determine the validity of the hash, so you could hash the hash, but then you’d have to verify the hash of the hash as well. Confusing, right? Instead, we use encryption to encrypt the hash so when decrypted with the wrong key, or malicious encrypted with the wrong key, it won’t match and we know it has been altered, or maybe just corrupted, but it’s still important to know. If public key encryption (or asymmetric encryption) is so great, why isn’t everyone using it? Well, because it requires infrastructure, so-called Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and PKI leads us right into our next pillar of security.

Nonrepudiation

In a secured environment, everyone has authenticated which means everyone can be identified. We all know that we can’t always trust the people within our walls. So, even with a secure system, we could have an assailant among the users who can authenticate and participate on the secure channels. That’s a pretty scary thought. Instead of letting anyone just wreak havoc on the system without any consequence just because they’ve already authenticated, we use nonrepudiation. Nonrepudiation is conceptually the converse of identification and authentication. It is the ability to determine that someone did do something, even if they claim they didn’t, and furthermore, eliminate the possibility that it was someone else. As Sherlock Holmes said, “when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” How do we determine that it couldn’t have been anyone else? Well, the same way we determine data integrity, by using Public Key Infrastructure. By enforcing the use of PKI to carry out certain tasks like administrative tasks, dealing with confidential information, or communicating instructions, you can make certain that every action can be tied to the person that performed it. Now, it’s quite possible that someone could steal another’s private key due to someone’s carelessness, so in addition to the key a second factor would be required, typically a password that decrypts the key (meaning the key is useless on its own). All of this ensures that in a secured system there is no anonymity, and without anonymity, there should always be a witness to the crime.

If Public Key Infrastructure is so great, why doesn’t every organization use it? Because it’s just another thing to manage.

PKI is the one single solution that can assist in all of the aspects of security. A PKI certificate is actually just a text file with a large amount of information. The typical contents of a standard X.509 PKI certificate are as follows:

• Certificate
  • Version Number – This is incremented every time the certificate is expired (or revoked) and renewed.
  • Serial Number – This is a unique identifier for the certificate on the system that created it, also known as the issuer.
  • Signature Algorithm ID
  • Issuer Name – This is the system that generated the certificate, also known as a Certificate Authority.
  • Validity period
    • Not Before – A ticket cannot be used before is predecessor has expired (or at least shouldn’t)
    • Not After – A ticket has an expiration for security reasons, much like when a password expires.
  • Subject name
  • Subject Public Key Info
    • Public Key Algorithm – This could be RSA or Diffie-Hellman.
    • Subject Public Key – This is the key itself.
  • Issuer Unique Identifier (optional)
  • Subject Unique Identifier (optional)
  • Extensions (optional)
• Certificate Signature Algorithm – The algorithm used when signing.
• Certificate Signature – This is the signature performed by the Issuer indicating its integrity.

Make sure to check out the link above this list to the Wiki page for X.509 standard certificates, which is where I got this full list, and there is much more information as well.

Obviously, there is more to security than just using PKI, like ensuring that you are using up-to-date software with security patches, anti-malware, and so on. But, with respect to the human aspect of security, which is often the weakest point in any organization’s security, all four PAINful pillars can be built using PKI.

For those who are interested in playing around with PKI themselves, be sure to take a look at GNUPG, an open source implementation capable of all of the above (except the server side portion). How many Fossbytes readers use PKI at work or for their programming projects? Let us know in the comments below.

Top 15 Free Apps for Your Android Smartphones

ROHIT CHOUDHARY: Apps are the beating heart of Android. The Google Play Store is home to millions of them and fortunately for us, many of the most impressive don’t cost a penny. In this article, we’ve rounded up a bunch of the best free Android apps you’ll find there in 2016.

• Best Android apps
• Best Android games

You can hit the quick links below to jump to any apps that catch your eye, but before you move on, be aware that we have omitted certain excellent free apps purely because we don’t believe it’s necessary to cover them again here. WhatsApp, Chrome, Maps, Drive and YouTube all have more than one billion installs according to the Play Store: let’s just say those are pretty good.

These are the best free apps for Android. / © TechMafiya

Jump to what you like:

• Photos
• Skype
• Spotify
• Inbox by Gmail
• Swiftkey
• Pushbullet
• Dropbox
• Duolingo
• Podcast Addict
• Evernote
• Greenify
• AccuWeather
• Amazon Kindle
• Twilight
• Dashlane

Photos

Google Photos is the best ‘gallery’ or ‘album’ type app you’re likely to find. Unveiled at Google I/O 2015, Photos made headlines chiefly because it’s a free app that offers unlimited photo and video storage (though there are some restrictions on file size).

Photos combines automatic backup, sharing features and some straightforward editing functions, as well as an incredible photo-organization algorithm, to create a powerful photo app that’s hard to beat.

The Photos search and organization tools make sorting through your snaps a piece of cake. / © TechMafiya

Google Photos

Skype

Skype is an app that allows you to make free voice and video calls, and it’s sometimes easy to forget what a wonderful thing that is. Skype has been letting you call anyone, anywhere, for free, since it was first released all the way back in 2003.

Though Skype connections are rarely perfect – even to this day – it remains the best and most widely used service of its kind (until WhatsApp video calls arrive, right?). As a business tool for group video calls, screen sharing and messaging, or just a way to connect with family from afar, Skype still sets the bar.

Skype is a world-changing service. / © TechMafiya

Skype – free IM & video calls

Spotify

Spotify is your gateway to mountains of free music streaming. It has a huge library, it can be easily synchronized between multiple devices, and its Radio, Discover and Mood playlists regularly present fantastic new music for your ears.

The free Spotify app does rely on adverts which are played between every three or so songs, but it’s a small price to pay for such a comprehensive and useful service. Just be warned that the more you use it, the smarter it becomes: you’re going to find more good music than you know what to do with.

Spotify is arguably the best streaming music app around. / © TechMafiya

Spotify Music

Inbox by Gmail

Inbox by Gmail is Google’s attempt to fix email. If you find yourself with an inbox overflowing with thousands of emails, only several of which you actually care about, you’re not alone. Inbox is a whole new take on email – so don’t be put off by the initially frightening interface – which bundles certain types of emails together to make sorting them, marking them as read, or ‘snoozing’ them for a later date, easy.

And that’s the beauty of Inbox by Gmail: it makes managing email less laborious. Best of all, it’s not actually restricted to Gmail accounts. Take a few days to get used to it, and enjoy an easier inbox forever more.

Once you try Inbox by Gmail you’ll never return to regular email. / © TechMafiya

Inbox by Gmail

SwiftKey

Calling out the best keyboard app is never easy. As probably the most used app on your phone, the keyboard you choose is a very personal decision. But for us, SwiftKey, which was once a paid app, provides the best balance of speed, usability and features.

It’s highly customizable and it quickly learns your writing habits to make auto predictions. What’s more, if you’re somebody who often writes in multiple languages, SwiftKey’s predictions and autocorrect are (often) smart enough to know what language you’re trying to type in, meaning there’s no need to switch on the fly.

Fast, accurate and customizable: it’s Swiftkey. / © TechMafiya

SwiftKey Keyboard

Pushbullet

Pushbullet is one of those apps that people are skeptical about until they actually start using it. This Android app syncs content between your smartphone and desktop computer in the most efficient way possible.

Install it on your phone and as a web browser add-on, and you can easily view and share SMS texts, messages, links, photos, videos, files and more between your own devices and your friends’. Simply put, Pushbullet makes sharing easier.

Pushbullet closes the gap between desktop and mobile. / © TechMafiya

Pushbullet – SMS on PC

Dropbox

Besides Google Drive, Dropbox is the next great free backup service. With easy sharing features and automatic backups, Dropbox is an excellent solution for those who want to save on device storage, and share content with friends or family.

Though you might find yourself quickly running out of photo and video space, you can unlock more by installing Dropbox on other devices and sharing it with friends.

Take advantage of Dropbox’s free service and start backing up files today. / © TechMafiya

Dropbox

Duolingo

The benefits of learning a second language extend beyond simply “understanding someone else”: there are numerous – and significant – health benefits associated with it, and Duolingo could be your first step to getting there.

Duolingo gamifies language learning to make it more engaging and to give you a greater sense of accomplishment for even basic understanding. It’s an excellent introduction to a second language or way to improve your existing skills.

Start learning a second language and track your progress with Duolingo. / © TechMafiya

Duolingo: Learn Languages Free

Podcast Addict

If we were to recommend the best podcast app, it would obviously be Pocket Casts. But Pocket Casts isn’t free; for the best free podcast app, we recommend Podcast Addict.

Podcast Addict makes discovering and downloading podcasts simple. Though the user-interface won’t exactly blow you away, its helpful search options assist you in finding the content you’re looking for, even if you don’t have a specific podcast in mind.

You can pay a little money to remove the app’s ad banner, but otherwise Podcast Addict doesn’t have any feature restrictions in the free version. Even if you’re not into podcasts now, with this intuitive app, you might soon become addicted.

If you didn’t love podcasts before, you will once you start using Podcast Addict. / © TechMafiya

Podcast & Radio Addict

Evernote

The Evernote developers understand that note taking is meant to be quick and easy, but they also understand that smartphones present an opportunity that simple post-it notes and fridge magnets never could.

So, Evernote lets you create written notes, but it also supports voice memos, lets you share files with friends and colleagues, and gives you access to your reminders from a number of different devices. Certainly one of the best-looking and most feature-filled productivity tools on Android.

Evernote is much more than just a way to take notes. / © TechMafiya

Evernote – stay organized.

Greenify App Hibernator

Greenify is tool which can be used to increase battery life and device performance but, unlike the plethora of other apps that claim to do this, Greenify genuinely works. You can use this app to restrict what apps are working in the background on an individual basis, based on easy-to-interpret information provided by Greenify, and make use of its ‘automated hibernation’ mode so that this is taken care of whenever you lock your device.

It’s a powerful tool, but with great power comes great responsibility. Greenify makes it incredibly easy to stop useful apps operating in the background, and this isn’t always a good thing. Try not to disable your morning alarm or messaging apps.

Analyze and restrict apps with Greenify. / © TechMafiya

Greenify    

AccuWeather

Weather apps are a dime a dozen, but AccuWeather is our current recommendation. Wikipedia tells me that the actual company was founded in 1962 and in many ways it feels dated (the AccuWeather website is still optimized for 4:3 display formats; I’m surprised it’s not in black and white).

But, ultimately, AccuWeather is difficult to look past for accurate, detailed forecasts on a global scale. What it’s lacking in style, it makes up for with the cold, hard numbers: especially when hail is forecast.

AccuWeather: an oldy but a goody. / © TechMafiya

AccuWeather

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Kindle or Play Books: both are free and both have huge digital libraries backing them. While Play Books is probably already on your device, Amazon Kindle will compliment this by further broadening the purchase options available.

Amazon began it all selling books online, and eBooks are now a huge part of its sales focus. That’s good news for us because its Kindle app is an incredible source of reading material with free and paid eBooks, frequent offers, and an awfully intuitive interface. There’s no good reason not to download this.

If you like reading on a phone or tablet, get the Amazon Kindle app. / © TechMafiya

Amazon Kindle

Twilight

Twilight is a small, inconspicuous free app that will help you achieve better sleep: go and download it now. I’ve written about it before and, unless you just really hate the idea of having a red screen before bedtime, I can’t think see why you wouldn’t want it.

Twilight filters the blue light out of your display which can be harmful to your quality of sleep; this is a well-documented side effect of backlit displays. Twilight will make your display dimmer and give it a red hue, but use it in the evenings before you fall asleep and you’ll soon feel the benefits.

Feel better, every day, with Twilight. / © TechMafiya

Twilight

Dashlane

Find it a struggle to manage all your passwords? Download Dashlane and thank me later. This app seeks to make it easy to log in to any website that requires a password. Once you create your Dashlane account, simply add all your existing passwords and logins (if you can remember them) so that when you next visit these sites, Dashlane can auto-complete the fields.

Of course, as with any password saving service, security may concern you: especially when all of them can be held behind the apps four-digit pin code (should you set this up). And, disappointingly, the app is currently only supported in its own Dashlane Browser, not Chrome. Still, as far as password master keys go, this is the best solution on Android.

Dashlane speeds up the website login procedure. / © TechMafiya

Dashlane: #1 Password Manager

What did we miss? What would you say is the best free Android app? Let us know in the comments.