Download This: Simplify Routine Tasks

PC World Associate Editor Erik Larkin is filling in for Laura Blackwell, who is on maternity leave.

Working with computers is generally about as convenient as going to the DMV. But this month I'll discuss two software downloads that are dedicated to making routine tasks easier to perform.

Instant Hash

The first application tries to free you from the Catch-22 of online passwords. You know how it goes: You're bound to forget them if you play it safe and use a variety of strong passwords, but you run a big risk if you reuse the same password at every site. Most of us tend to recycle passwords, but that invites online thugs to a credentials feast when they break into one poorly protected, unimportant site and steal your log-in there; they can (and will) turn around and try the stolen credentials at online banks and other financial sites.

Well, rejoice, fellow password-haters. I've found a great free solution called Password Hash that combines security and convenience. This browser add-on for Firefox 1.5 and 2.0 and for Internet Explorer 6 lets you keep use the same password at your end for every site, but converts it into a strong and unique password on-the-fly before sending it to the target site. Though I ran across it in a book for IT professionals (Network Security Hacks from O'Reilly), it's extremely easy to use. The Stanford University folks who created it understand that most people won't use complicated security software.

Password Hash works its magic when you hit F2 or type @@ in a password field on a site. You then type your standard password, and when you hit Enter, the add-on combines the password with the domain name (such as google.com or pcworld.com) of the site you're logging in to, and runs them through a calculation (called a hash) to create a unique, strong password. Using the domain name provides a measure of protection against phishing sites, because Password Hash will generate a different password for a spoof sitea??say, bankofamerican.com--than the one it generates for the real site, bankofamerica.com.

What's more, you don't have to save the password anywhere: If you add Password Hash to a different browser on a different computer, it will still generate the same password at any given site. If you can't install the add-on but need to use a different browser somewhere, you can type your usual password and URL into the Password Hash Web site and get the Password Hash password--via an encrypted connection, of course.

It's not a perfect security scheme--nothing is--but it's far, far better than sticking with the "Batman25"-type password that many people use everywhere now. I'd suggest using it, at a minimum, for your sensitive financial accounts. (I'm using it now and gradually switching my passwords over.)

The one gotcha: Password Hash doesn't yet work with IE 7, and its developers haven't announced when it will. But they do say that such compatibility is in the game plan.

Easily Access Favorite Programs

Whereas Password Hash is a behind-the-scenes, utilitarian program, my second download recommendation is just the opposite. The great-looking, Vista-ready ObjectDock 1.5 from Stardock is a desktop utility that creates a Mac OS X-like dock on the edge of your screen from which you can quickly launch programs that you use regularly. The Quick Launch feature of the Windows taskbar lets you do the same thing, but ObjectDock permits you to add many more programs than would fit easily in the visible portion of the taskbar. And because you can set ObjectDock to auto-hide, it will stay out of the way until you need it.

You can also add downloadable docklets--free applets (similar to the Gadgets in Google Desktop or the Sidebar in Windows Vista) that display weather information or available computer memory, give you quick access to Web searches, or perform a range of other functions. The software is highly customizable: You can change a dock's size and on-screen position, and you can choose from various effects when you mouse over an icon.

Using the free version of ObjectDock, you can create one dock with all of the preceding features. The $20 paid version supports multiple docks, including a tabbed hideaway dock on which you can organize all of your program launchers by type. The paid version adds features such as the ability to view system tray icons, too, making it more useful as a taskbar replacement.

The program shouldn't strain your CPU, but it will require some memory: I'm using the program now to run two docks, and it uses about 30MB of system RAM for the purpose.

One of my two docks auto-hides on the top edge of my screen and has launchers for my most commonly used programs. The other is a tabbed dock with 'Graphics,' 'Apps,' and other software categories tucked away on the right side of the screen. I played around with using a dock to replace the Windows taskbar, since ObjectDock can show running tasks and system tray icons as well as application executables, but I found that I preferred the regular taskbar--after using another nice Stardock download called WindowBlinds to change its looks, that is.

What do you think of these programs? Is your favorite file missing from PC World's Downloads library? E-mail your comments to Erik Larkin. Messages containing attached files will be deleted unread.