Yahoo! Widget Engine 4.5.2

Yahoo! Widgets help you save time and stay current by bringing an always-updated, at-a-glance view of your favorite Internet services right to your desktop. The Yahoo! Widget Gallery offers over 4,000 desktop Widgets - the most available anywhere online. Yahoo! Widgets is the only major desktop Widgets platform that works on both Windows and Mac OS.
Save time with live updates right on your desktop
Your favorite info comes to you
No need to surf around for what you use most
Convenient at-a-glance view keeps your Widgets in line
Get all of your personalized updates in one place
Neatly organize your Widgets along any edge of your desktop .

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/

Y'z Dock 0.8.3

Y'z Dock is a program toolbar, very much like the dock in MacOS X. It is no longer being updated but still has a very large user base.

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/

WindowBlinds 7.0

WindowBlinds is a software utility that allows you to completely change the look and feel of Microsoft Windows.

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/

Total Commander 7.50a

Total Commander is a file manager for Windows similar to well-known DOS file manager.

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/

TaskSwitchXP 2.0.11

TaskSwitchXP is an advanced task management utility that picks up where the standard Windows Alt+Tab switcher leaves off. It provides the same functionality, and adds visual styles to the dialog and also enhances it by displaying thumbnail preview of the application that will be switched to.
TaskSwitchXP also has a powerful process and window management capability that allows you to quickly close/minimize applications and their groups. The unique capabilities of TaskSwitchXP make it useful for tracking down multitudinous windows, and provide insight into the way Windows and applications work.
Small and FAST!
Designed for Windows XP, based on XP Visual Styles
Window snapshots as thumbnail preview
Task management capability
Highly configurable
Full mouse and keyboard control
Multilingual user interface .

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/

Samurize 1.64.3

Samurize is the popular advanced system monitoring and desktop enhancement engine for Windows. IT professionals, overclockers, gamers and desktop modders alike use Samurize for system information, weather reports, news headlines and much much more.
Samurize's features include:
an unrivaled set of built-in meters (Disk utilization, CPU usage, network traffic, system temperatures...)
ultimate customizing and skinning possibilities with no programming knowledge required
monitoring your own computer or others over a network
tiny memory footprint and CPU usage
the first system monitoring tool with a true WYSIWYG editor
full extensibility via scripts and plugins with a powerful plugin SDK/API
minimal software requirements (no .NET or Service Packs necessary)
multimonitor support .

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/

RocketDock 1.3.5

RocketDock is a smoothly animated, alpha blended application launcher. It provides a nice clean interface to drop shortcuts on for easy access and organization. With each item completely customizable there is no end to what you can add and launch from the dock.
Now with added Taskbar support your minimized windows can appear as icons on the dock. This allows for better productivity and accessibility.
Features:
Minimize windows to the dock
Real-time window previews in Vista
Running application indicators
Simple drag-n-drop interface
Multi-monitor support
Supports alpha-blended PNG and ICO icons
Icons zoom and transition smoothly
Auto-hide and Popup on mouse over
Positioning and layering options
Fully customizable
Completely Portable
ObjectDock Docklet support
Compatible with MobyDock, ObjectDock, RK Launcher, and Y'z Dock skins
Runs great on slower computers
Unicode compliant
Supports many languages and can easily be translated
A friendly user base .

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/

Rainlendar 2.7 Beta 85

Rainlendar is a customizable calendar that displays the current month. It is a very lightweight application that doesn't use much system resources or take much space on your desktop.
Small and lightweight
Different type events can have different appearence
Supports Windows transparency
Synchronizes events between several clients
Localized for multiple languages
Shows an alarm when an event is due
Supports iCal files.
Shows Outlook's appointments
Includes a todo-list
Works also as Litestep plugin
Displays the current date in tray icon
Can stick to the desktop (i.e. doesn't hide with Show Desktop)
Hotkeys for quick access
Easy skinning with an UI .

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/

ObjectDock 1.9

ObjectDock is a program that adds a skinnable dock to your Windows desktop. It is one of the most popular desktop enhancement programs available.

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/

Launchy 2.1.2

Launchy is a free windows utility designed to help you forget about your start menu, the icons on your desktop, and even your file manager.

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/

Growl 2.0

Growl lets you know when things happen. Files finished downloading, friends came online, new email has arrived - Growl can let you know when any event occurs with a subtle notification. The rest of the time, Growl stays out of your way. Along with letting you know when things happen, Growl also gives you full control over how you are notified and what action (if any) you want to take in response to the notification. You can choose to be alerted with a visual indicator or an audible alert, both, or neither. You can choose the type of display that is shown, whether the display remains on the screen, the importance of the notification, and even if the notification should be forwarded to another computer.

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/

Google Desktop 5.9.911.3589

Google Desktop makes searching your computer as easy as searching the web with Google. It's a desktop search application that provides full text search over your email, files, music, photos, chats, Gmail, web pages that you've viewed, and more. By making your computer searchable, Desktop puts your information easily within your reach and frees you from having to manually organize your files, emails and bookmarks.
Google Desktop doesn't just help you search your computer; it also helps you gather new information from the web and stay organized with gadgets and sidebar. Google Gadgets can be placed anywhere on your desktop to show you new email, weather, photos, personalized news, and more. Sidebar is a vertical bar on your desktop that helps you keep your gadgets organized.
Other features include:
Quick search box
Smart indexing
Multiple file types
Find deleted files
Deskbar and floating deskbar
Lock search
Microsoft Outlook integration .

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/

Alt-Tab Thingy 4.0.4

If you are not familiar with the Alt-Tab task switcher in Windows, it's a keyboard short-cut (hot-key) to enable fast switching between applications/windows.Alt-Tab Thingy is a replacement to add brand new features to help you switch tasks faster and more efficiently than ever before!
Features:
Use the cursor keys to make your selection
Use the mouse as well as the keyboard
System tray icon
Drag and Resize windows by clicking anywhere on the window
Window preview
Can be disabled (handy for games players)
Settings window for enabling/disabling features
Informative tooltips
Ghost windows!
Auto Off feature (user controlled variable timer)
Allows minimizing of windows to the system tray
Monitors windows for change of caption/z-order/deadtray icons etc...
Display resolution selector
Icon/List view
Variable preview size
Mouse wheel support
Automatically minimizes or closes Explorer windows
Blacklist feature removes apps from the task preview (right-click on them to enable) .

http://www.filehippo.com/software/desktop/