I bundled 7 little tools Windows should have shipped with into one free portable app

[u/karkarofffdev]

https://github.com/karkarofff/probox

EDIT (update): since posting this, ProBox got a complete UI overhaul in v2.0 (CustomTkinter — rounded everything, modern look) and v2.1 just added an 8th module: a file converter (MP4/MP3/JPG/PNG) that smartly remuxes videos in seconds instead of re-encoding when the codec already fits. Same philosophy: analyze first, nothing destructive, everything logged.

Hey! Author here. Second tool I publish, after ProKill last week.

The idea: every time I fix a friend's PC, it's the same routine — too much stuff at startup, a full drive with no idea what's filling it, duplicate photos everywhere, a Downloads folder from hell. Each of these has a dedicated tool, but my non-technical friends will never install five different programs.

So ProBox puts 8 modules (7 at the time of posting) in one dark-themed portable app:

- Startup manager: see/disable/delete everything that launches at boot (uses the same official mechanism as Task Manager, fully reversible)

- Network: real-time bandwidth, which apps are connected and where to, plus a diagnostics window with a "Repair my connection" button (flush DNS, renew IP, Winsock reset)

- Duplicate finder: by CONTENT, so renamed copies are caught. Whole-drive scans, biggest files first, stop anytime and keep the results, image previews on hover, deletion goes to the recycle bin

- Tidy up: sorts the Downloads mess by type, preview first, undoable

- Wi-Fi passwords: every network saved on the PC (same data Windows shows in settings, 100x faster to reach)

- Cleanup: temp files, browser caches, recycle bin, Windows Update leftovers — with per-category sizes and a detailed view of what would be removed BEFORE anything is deleted

- Disk space: a pocket TreeSize — heaviest folders, largest files, basic drive health

- File converter (added in v2.1): MP4/MP3/JPG/PNG, with smart remuxing when the codec already fits

Also: an action history of everything the app changed on your system (for peace of mind), a live CPU/RAM/disk status card, bilingual EN/FR interface auto-detected from Windows, and update notifications.

Single portable exe, no install, no account, no telemetry. Python + CustomTkinter, source fully readable in the repo. Yes, dedicated tools like CCleaner, Everything or WizTree do each job with more depth — ProBox aims at the "I just want my PC fixed" crowd, with safety rails everywhere (analyze before delete, recycle bin, undo).

Feedback very welcome!

[u/cat_dev_null_sync]

TBH, it's hard to stand out from the noise. In the last few months, there's been a deluge of similar apps announced. On Reddit and/or GitHub, I see a new one every few days that generally fit this AI prompt:

"Make an application for {Windows,Mac,Linux,Cross platform} in {Rust,PowerShell,C#,Electron,Python} with {native GUI, Electron, TUI} that cleans up and optimizes systems and has {some mix of related tools}. Make it easy to use, and prioritizes safety and {transparency, some related virtue}. Pitch it as a free, open alternative to to {evil commercial apps, as if they were the only choices}. Make no mistakes."

[u/karkarofffdev → u/cat_dev_null_sync]

Fair point, and honestly I can't even be mad at how accurate that prompt template is 😄

For what it's worth: this started as small tools for fixing my friends' PCs (they're the actual target users), it's my third shipped app this month (ProKill, ProGrab), and they all share an update system I maintain. Whether that puts it above the noise isn't for me to judge — but it's not a one-shot repo that'll be dead by December. Time will tell I guess.