UVK forums

Hello, I'm announcing the first release of Tech tool store BETA, my latest creation. Tech tool store is a technician tool that contains more than 400 free tools packed in a simple, fully featured package.

The tool is still in BETA stage. This topic allows you to test the tool for free, report bugs and request features.

Because there is no online help available yet, I'll provide here a quick introduction to Tech tool store's main features.

Installing Tech tool store

Tech tool store does not require any installation, it is fully portable.

Basically you download TechToolStore.exe and move it to your toolkit's mass storage device. This can be a pen drive, SD or micro SD card, external hard disk drive, network drive, or whatever storage device you may use to run tools in the client machines.

Tech tool store will create a folder named Tech tool store tools, in its current directory. This folder will hold all the application's data, including databases, downloaded tools, reports, saved selections and settings.

To remove Tech tools store permanently, just delete its executable and the Tech tool store tools folder.

Interface

The program's interface is very simple and effective. The left pane contains a few buttons and links which give you quick access to the most important features. The right pane contains the list of available tools. This list has a context menu that can be accessed either by right-click, or by pressing the "three lines" menu button just above the list, to the right of the window.

The buttons in the left pane containing "selected" in their names, like in "Update selected", will perform the corresponding action to all the checked items in the list, and in top-to-bottom order.

The buttons in the context menu perform mostly actions related to the highlighted item in the list.

Updating the desired tools

You can start by selecting the tools you think you may need to use in your repairs, and click the Update selected button.

Tech tool store will then download the selected tools, after which they will be ready to use in your client's computers.

The next time you update those tools, Tech tool store will only download them if there is a new version available, making the future update process very fast.

Hiding unneeded tools

Given the large number of tools available, you may never use some of the tools. You can hide those tools by selecting them, and pressing "Hide selected from the list.

Hidden tools can be restored later by pressing Restore hidden tools.

Running tools

To run tools in your client's machine, run Tech tool store directly from the file storage device. For instance, if you have Tech tool store in a USB stick plug it in to the client's machine and run Tech tool store from there.

Then, select the tools you wish to run and press Run selected. The selected tools will be executed in top-to-bottom order.

You can also run one single tool by double-clicking it. In this case, if the tool has not been downloaded yet, it will be automatically updated before executing.

Tools that do not have a portable version are automatically installed and run. Support for automatic uninstall of these tools will be added in the future.

To make the selection process easier, Tech tool store allows you to save the current selection, and load it back later. You can make use of this feature to create selection presets for specific repairs, such as malware removal, internet repair, maintenance, etc. To load or save a selection, open the list's context menu and press Load/Save selection. The max number of saved selections is unlimited.

More useful features

• The groups in the list are collapsible/expandable.
  "Find a tool" feature to help you quickly locate a specific tool.
  Quick selection of all the tools in the list, or all the tools in a specific group.
  Tools can be move up/down within their groups, or can be moved to the "My favorite tools" group at the top of the list.
  Tool description tooltips. Can be disabled in the application settings.
  Quick "Jump to the tool's location" feature.
  Incredibly small application size (less than 1,5 MB).

Adding your own tools

You can add your own tools to the list. Just press "Add tools" and fill out the new tool's form with the desired data.

However, please consider posting a reply to this topic asking for the tool to be added to the built in tools. This will probably save you some time, and will help us to create a more complete tool.

Application and database updates

Tech tool store loads the tools' list from a database. This database can be updated without the need to update the application itself. So, if you find out a tool is not working, please post a reply to this topic, and we'll update it ASAP.

Application and database updates can be accesses by clicking "Settings (Alt+S)" or "About Tech tool store", in the lower left pane.

In-development features

• Uninstall support for non portable tools. Done
  Automatic Application and database updates (at application launch). Done, requires license
  Licensing support. Done
  HTML professional reports. Done, requires license
  Support for unattended command line switches.

Enjoy, and don't forget to leave your feedback

Download Tech tool store

Great thanks. I will download and try it out when I get back on my computer. Running from my iPad right now.

Ran into this error. Not sure if it was my computer, your program, or the way the Patch MY PC program worked.

Sorry, the picture didn't attach. Not sure how to attach in this particular forum. Click on this link to see it.
https://plus.google.com/photos/10106086 ... 4baQn7PnKw

Hi FredJClaus. Tech tool store does not make use of IPersistFile, so I assume the error message comes from the Patch MY PC program.

It is an Access denied error, the application was trying to save a file in a directory it didn't have access to write to.

You should ensure that the administrators group have access to write to the "Tech tool store tools" folder.

Fred,

I like it. This is a very convenient way to do many things.
I'll play with this and let you know what I find out. Thanks.

First update: Version 1.0.0.1.

New features:
Automatic cleanup of temporary database related files.

Some bugs fixed.

@Brink. Glad you liked it.

Brink is correct. I can't wait to get back home and download the update.

Limited feed back....

Fred

I am disappointed... I was waiting for a notification to show up that you had the beta ready and as such I did not see it till 3 days after you posted it. I was on vacation part of that time.

However.....

After seeing the app....

Saaaweeeeettttt!!!

I do like it a lot!

Thank you!

Jim

Jim, better late than ever. Glad you liked it.

Merry Christmas!

You too, Fred, if you do the Christmas thing

I have only good things to say about this. Making this for us is much appreciated. Just curious though, why do it as a separate app and not as a third party tools panel in uvk?

Brink,

Tech tool store and UVK are two different apps. Tech tool store was specially designed for what it does, while UVK wasn't.

For instance, because UVK needs to be installed, all the downloaded tools would be removed when you uninstall it.

Sometimes, things are just not compatible, and you need to make a different app.

Just come across this, Brilliant. This should certainly help keep things organised.

Glad you like it Trajet.

The database has just been updated (RogueKiller 64 bits download was no longer working).

Don't forget to check for database and application updates regularly!

I've just bought the branded version of UVK and am having a look at Tech tool store.
It seems to be similar to ketarin for downloading tools,
plus it has a preset tool list,
plus it has the ability to run the tools.

I currently use ketarin and find that you continually have to check for tools which no longer download due
to problems such as download path changing - it requires regular maintenance and becomes a nuisance very quickly.

I would like to be able to resize the main window. For example to make it taller to see more tools listed.

I like the familiar left pane, right pane interfaces of:
Control Panel -> System
Control Panel -> Programs and Features
Control Panel -> Windows update
and I like the tech tool store interface where you have a left pane and a right pane.

I think UVK would look and function better, and be more easily accessible to the average Windows user if it was changed to having the left pane, right pane interface, rather than the current 'icon button' interface.

Steve,
I use a website (http://ninite.com) to keep most common user type softwares up to date (java, adobe reader, many more, etc ). I like the ninite installer because it automatically answers no to bundled junkware and that you can just rerun the installer later to update everything that you chose.

I use the Tech Tool Store to download and update more advanced types of diagnostic softwares that a technician would use. I like the interface, and I like that is pre-populated with software links unlike ketarin.

Kertarin is great for all kinds of other updates though because of the ability to add your own links, but then again Tech Tool has that option also. As you mentioned though, ketarin does require lots of maintenance due to webpage changes by software authors.

Just wondering what ever happened with this app? We all loved it but I don't see it on the website anywhere, or did I miss that too? Is it something that can be added to UVK?

The link to download the beta is in the OP at the top of the page.

Oh I know. I still have it on my flash drive from the OP. Just wondering if it ever came out of beta.