Some of my favorite Windows apps are simple little programs that are little more than a collection of commands with buttons. Take Matt’s System Helper-Outer, which I’ve only just discovered.

Sure, I’ve launched most of these commands from the run dialog so many times that I have them memorized — but an app like Helper-Outer still comes in handy for me. It’s much easier to talk my staff through clicking a couple buttons in the network panel than walking them through opening a command prompt.

And it’s helpful when a part-time tech with less experience is helping me out. Hey, not everyone is as familiar with commands like compmgmt.msc. Helper-Outer makes these tasks – things like starting and stopping the print spooler and Windows Update services, finding an IP via IPconfing, performing a DNS flush – quick and easy.

If Helper-Outer looks like it can make your life a little easier, grab it from Freeware Files – the author’s download link isn’t working at the moment. The app runs on Windows 2000+, though you may need to right-click and run as admin on Vista and Windows 7.