A very important discipline for any computer user is to keep backup copies of important data. Disaster WILL strike one day! These tools help you to easily create copies of files, records, directories for storage elsewhere on your computer, a backup system. a CD, DVD or external drive.

Need to see the contents of a .dat or zip file? Need to review large collections of text files? These tools can help.

Programs intended to deal with routine, multiple, sometimes boring tasks that usually aren't urgent enough to need action "now" so can be processed in "batches" later.

If something really, really has to end up on a piece of paper, here are plenty of utilities to make your printer work the way you want it to!

Various tools for burning data to a CD, retrieving data from a CD or making a CD run automatically when it's inserted into a CD-ROM drive.

Finger trouble?... sitting there saying Oops? Fear not, perhaps not all is lost and something that needs to be undeleted can be retrieved. Check out these little saviours.

The attributes of a file affect it's type and also control, for example, some files won't allow you to delete them unless you change the file's attribute. These tools are powerful and need handling / using with care.

It's around here somewhere! - Which file is that info in?! - What did I name that file?! Sound familiar? If the file is somewhere in the electronic bottomless pit of your hard drive then these "fishing rods" may just be what you need.

Compressing a file down to it's smallest possible size is useful when a big file needs to be transferred. Also very handy for making a file small enough to carry around on a floppy disk. These files are commonly called Zipped files.

A file splitter is a very useful tool to split a file or program into pieces for storage, security, or transfer. The pieces are put back together when they reach their destination or when the file is to be used again.

Need to copy a file completely or just a bit of one? These tools offer a whole range of features and options that will help.

"Miscellaneous" is one of those catch-all collections for all odds & ends that don't fit into specific categories. If you want or need something that comes under the "File Management" heading but can't find it anywhere else try looking here.

Checksums, crc16, crc32, md5, SHA-1, are all values for files that allow the file to be compared to the original. These programs provide essential tools for integrity verification of downloaded or copied files, some also allow you to create the verification value for your own files.

Need to rename a bunch of files? These tools will help re-name them individually, by the hundreds or by the millions. If you own a digital camera you'll know all about using these programs!

It's a very common mistake to believe that sending unwanted files / records to the Trash Can or Recycling Bin removes them entirely. Traces of the files or even complete copies can still be on a system hard drive somewhere. These utilities make sure that if something is deleted it's gone forever. Use with CAUTION, even data recovery services shouldn't be able to retrieve data deleted this way.

Another box of goodies that pretty much explains itself. If your files & folders are a disorganized mess & organizing them is now top of your 'to-do' list check out these tools.

Monitor or check files or directories for changes. Useful for developers or content creators where more than one person works on the files. These tools are also useful for detecting changes made by a virus or malware.

In this case "Other" means File Manager programs that can be used as an alternative to Windows Explorer. Most offer additional features &/or more flexibility.

Computers love to create extra copies of files whether we want them or not. They take up more and more room as time passes and these tools are intended to hunt them down for removal but be CAREFUL! not all duplicates are unnecessary & you could create chaos if you delete the wrong one! Make a backup first.

Do you work on files at home & at work? Use a PC plus a laptop, PDA, portable USB drive, Blackberry, etc.? These programs will help you keep all copies of the files in sync & update them properly.

Just as real world filing cabinets and folders in boxes can gather cobwebs and dust the same goes for the computer equivalent. These Mops, dusters, brooms, dustpans and brushes will help you 'clean house'!

If Windows Explorer is your File Manager of choice here are some add-ons, enhancements, extensions that add to it's features.