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- Microsoft GIF Animator
Supported Systems: Windows 95 and up NOTE: I have removed the link to the download at CNET and am instead providing a SnapFiles link. SnapFiles has a good rating with WOT and McAfee Site Advisor, and I've scanned the download with multiple antivirus programs and found no problems. Regardless, please inform me immediately if you find any safety problems with this download link. This program is no longer supported by Microsoft or even hosted on their site, but it serves its purpose well as a simple GIF animation creator. You can create new frames from the clipboard or from files, you can set the duration of individual frames, you can configure looping and transparency, and a few other features. It isn't very fancy, but it does about everything you need if you create your frames in a separate program like Paint or Photoshop. (Review)
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- Microsoft Image Composite Editor (ICE)
| Supported Systems: Windows XP and up Additional Requirements:Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (32-bit / 64-bit), .NET Framework 4 ICE is a panorama stitcher – it takes a group of overlapping photos and uses them to form a panoramic image, including panoramas that span a full 360 degrees. It also allows you to tweak settings, such as cropping, panoramic rotation, types of projection, and in which format to export. Formats include JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG, HD Photo, and Deep Zoom - exporting in the Deep Zoom format will allow you to view the panorama in HD View, another excellent Microsoft tool (see below). You can also upload and share your panoramas on Photosynth, where others can view them interactively by rotating and zooming. If you visit Photosynth, you can find many awesome examples that show off what ICE can do. When started writing this list, I had not previously used Microsoft ICE. After I used it, I could instantly tell why it receives so much praise. I really hope the requirements don't put off too many people because it really is one of the best Microsoft programs out there. The installer will redirect you to all of its dependencies, but I've provide links for those who want them. The Photosynth application and a free Live account are also required to upload to the Photosynth site. (ICE Review)
- HD View
Supported Systems: Windows XP and up HD View was pointed out to me by a reader, and I'm awfully glad of it. HD View allows you to view very large high-definition images in your web browser, particularly panoramas. These images can be so large some of them push 4 gigapixels - HD View allows you to explore these images by panning and zooming in and out, viewing the fine details, and I highly recommend viewing some examples. You can use Microsoft ICE to create HD View images if you export them using the Deep Zoom format. I recommend exporting into a new folder because multiple files are created in the process - double-click on the html file to view your image in your web browser.
- Cliplets
| Supported Systems: Windows 7 What do you get when you take a single frame from a video, but then you select an isolated region of the frame in which the video plays back? You get what Microsoft calls a "Cliplet", and this neat program lets you make cliplets easily. The website offers a handy video tutorial to help get you started.
- Image Resizer
Supported Systems: Windows XP only One of the PowerToys for Windows XP, Image Resizer lets you quickly resize one or multiple images to fit within a certain length and width. You right-click on the file(s) and select "Resize pictures" to bring up a simple interface, where you can select one of four pre-set sizes, or specify your own. You can also choose whether to save over the original files or create new files. Unfortunately it does not have its own dedicated page so you need to click on the "PowerToys" tab to locate it.
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- Windows Live Photo Gallery
Supported Systems: Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7; Click here for an XP version Photo Gallery lets you organize, tag, upload, and edit your photos, among other features. The editing features are no replacement for programs like Photoshop, but they are handy for quick and easy alterations. (Review)
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- Windows Live Movie Maker
Supported Systems: Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 (XP users can find "Windows Movie Maker" in their Programs menu, but the features are not as up-to-date) Movie Maker doesn't boast a set of advanced features, but the features it includes are sufficient for many users and are ideal for putting together slide shows and short videos. Plus, you can use it to publish your videos on SkyDrive, Youtube, Facebook and Flickr.
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- Screenrecorder
| Supported Systems: Windows XP and up Additional Requirements: If you are running Vista or 7 32-bit, you may need to install this fix to make the program work. The aptly named Screen Recorder utility provides a quick and easy way to record your screen, whether it's your entire screen or a specified window. The simplicity of the program makes it perfect for the novice computer user, and even experts may find it handy for recording quick videos. The installation is a bit annoying- on the blog page, download the file "UtilityOnlineMarch092009_03.exe". Run this file to extract the 32 and 64-bit installers, then run the appropriate one. If you don't have Windows Media Encoder 9 Series installed, the installer will install this first. Re-run the installer and the program will finally be installed on your system. If you'd like a more robust program with more options, see Expression Encoder 4 below.
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- Expression Encoder 4 with SP2
Supported Systems: Windows XP SP3 and up Other Requirements: .NET Framework 4.0, Silverlight 4.0, at least 1GHz processor and 1GB RAM- see website for additional requirements The replacement for Windows Media Encoder, Expression Encoder 4 is a high-performance video encoding program. It is mainly geared toward Silverlight projects but it also exports in Windows Media format, and it includes some video editing features. One excellent feature (which alone makes it worth installing) is the screen capture component, which is easy to use and yields high quality videos that can be immediately opened in Expression Encoder for editing and exporting. The free version of the program leaves out some features, including support for some formats and a ten-minute screen capture limit (a features comparison table can be found here).
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- Photo Story 3
Supported Systems: Windows XP and up | Alternate download location A very easy yet powerful program for creating slideshows. The program walks you through each step, providing a variety of different feataures along the way. You can add effects of every sort, from photo effects to transition effects to panning and zooming effects. You can add text to each picture, narration, and background music. Overall I think this program is outstanding, and I wish I had started using it years ago. Just be aware of two things: the only video format it can save is wmv, and WGA validation is required if you download from Microsoft. (Review)
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