Operating systems in general and Windows in particular are far from perfect. They all lack functions that could make our working with computers much easier. Luckily enough there are coders who have also thought about it and have gotten down to work, creating some really useful tools which will boost your productivity to an unsuspected level. Here we present our personal top ten, all for free. Once you try any of them you'll wonder why they're not bundled with Windows!

• Taskbar Shuffle - drag minimized windows around the taskbar
• Context Menu Editor - clean Windows context menus
• freeCommander - a two-pane explorer to manage files more easily
• TrayIt! - save space in the taskbar by minimizing to the system tray
• PlacesBar Tweaker - customize, open and save dialogs with your favorite folders
• Xentient Thumbnails - preview photos as thumbnails in every dialog window
• Folder Marker - add a bit of color to Windows folders
• Unlocker - unlock (and delete) stubborn files
• TaskSwitchXP - change between applications with style
• ClipMagic - expand Clipboard's capabilities