What are your "must-have" tools for Desktop Support?
Posted by jainesh3271@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 131 comments
Hey everyone,
I’m looking to level up my documentation and general toolkit for my Desktop Support role. Specifically, I want to start building out a more robust library of SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for my team and end-users.
What tools are you all using to create clear, easy-to-follow documentation? I’m looking for something that makes capturing screenshots and steps efficient so I don't spend hours formatting.
Beyond documentation, what are the other "Swiss Army Knife" tools you can't live without for daily troubleshooting, remote support, or system diagnostics?
Would love to hear what’s currently in your "IT go-bag" (software-wise).
Thanks!
Montinator@reddit
Sysinternals is a very good toolset. Many tools like tcpview, process explorer, and process monitor
NirSoft.net has a ton of good utilities too. Just don’t get any password viewers as they will be flagged as “potentially unwanted programs” in the antivirus. Bluescreen view is a really useful tool as it will analyze a memory BSOD crash dumps without the need for the debugging tools for Windows
SpaceMonger 1.40 is a good tool. Should still be free and downloadable at some places online, it graphically represents where all the space on a drive is taken up. The bigger the box, the bigger the space
XB_Demon1337@reddit
You can also get WINDIRSTAT instead from Ninite. (Spacemonger)
LittleWhiteDragon@reddit
In 2026?!?!? WizTree FTW!!!
soliwray@reddit
WinDirStat is completely free for commercial use and still works fine, albeit slow.
LittleWhiteDragon@reddit
TreeSize is another option.
JudgeWhoAllowsStuff-@reddit
Not sure if you have downloaded the latest version but it is much faster then it used to be.
JASH_DOADELESS_@reddit
SpaceSniffer is also free and great! :)
Montinator@reddit
I say SpaceMonger 1.4 bc it’s free. There are later versions but you need to pay for them
SpaceMonger looks better than windirstat. Run it with admin rights and you get the whole picture
likwidtek@reddit
I had to finally let go of spacemonger. And it was really really hard. I’d used it for so many years but it was slow and couldn’t deal with modern OSs with symlinks, folder redirection, and all kinds of stuff.
I’ve been chasing that dragon for years. I’ve tried all of them and finally have settled on wiztree. It’s stupid fast and does a good job of giving me the treemap that I need so desperately from years of spacemonger use. I just hate the visual theme and have to tweak it each time I use it a little but the near instant scan speed is worth it.
But Christ I miss spacemonger and wish someone would just make a modern free version of it that looks exactly like the old one but has the tech features of wiztree.
XB_Demon1337@reddit
WINDIRSTAT is free. As you select things it shows you exactly where the space is and the bigger the box the bigger the data.
https://imgur.com/a/WbCV0RJ
Taken directly from my system. Easily understood, browsable and easily readable.
Also found on reputable sites.... https://ninite.com/
D3xbot@reddit
I like filelight from KDE. It scans wicked fast and displays a lovely stacked donut chart that you can drill down into
techierealtor@reddit
A lot of nirsoft is considered malware sadly. Its intention is good, its uses are malicious in some cases.
Montinator@reddit
Obviously password crackers are going to be frowned upon, but there are a lot of system/registey and network tools on the site that are good
BigLeSigh@reddit
Tools don’t solve problems, people do. They are called tools because they can’t do the solving.
What do you think you need for clear doco? Build out your requirements and then filter tool options based on that
DUDEBREAUX@reddit
What a pain in the ass answer.
Dude asked for the equivalent of "what's in your pocket that you carry everyday?"
"Nothing useful unless you tell me more about your pockets."
XB_Demon1337@reddit
Having a tool and not knowing how to use it is better than not having a tool you otherwise would know how to use. At the least you can open the tool and start to tinker.
BigLeSigh@reddit
Not my point, my point is you need to know what you want before you can pick a tool.
People always go for a tool then adapt to it. It’s crazy.
XB_Demon1337@reddit
Again not having the tool you need is worse then not knowing how to use the tools you do have. I would rather a newbie take my entire toolset and set it up on their system and not know how to use all the tools then not know what tools they need and also not be able to get them.
It is so much more logical to get a tool you don't know how to use YET than to struggle without the tool you need NOW.
BigLeSigh@reddit
Nah mate. If you don’t know what you what you require in the first place you can’t pick the tools you need, or evaluate your current toolset against other options.
If your tool is notepad you end up writing things to suit notepad. If you have confluence, but only need notepad, you write the same stuff but are throwing money in the bin paying for the tool you don’t need.
Here’s examples for you. Do you want to paste images direct in. Do you need to lifecycle manage articles. Is it user facing or “internal”.
XB_Demon1337@reddit
You are not reading this properly. You are here assuming someone is spending $10,000 on some tool they have no use for before they need it. That isn't what this is. This is a set of tools used in various troubleshooting tasks and documentation.
So you get something like Notepad++ because you need notes, but you also find out it is a powerful code writing platform, and then it is also really good for parsing data in various ways to find information. And then may also find out it isn't good for actual documentation so you need another tool.
You look for a tool to do that, you get obsidian and learn that for documentation and are happy, but you could go further with a tool that you can control where the data is saved better and share it with a group. So now you invest into a real tool for that.
You didn't know how powerful Notepad++ is at first and found it super useful later. It is also free. You then didn't know how to use Obsidian but you got it and it is free and you learned it, only to find out you outgrew it. Now you buy a full documentation tool and move into that.
Mechanics buy tools they don't need yet all the time and it serves them greatly when they do. Having a torch when you don't need it but you know you will eventually isn't a bad move. Being in the middle of a job where you need a torch and now needing to stop, go to the store, buy a torch, hope the selection is good, hope the torch is good, and then come back and do the job. You wasted so much time and possibly money if the tool isn't the best. When you could have done research, found the best one that works for the jobs you would expect to do, find it on sale or even second hand and then purchase it. Learn to use it properly in some down time and now you have a tool for life essentially.
You are welcome to continue to not have the tools you need all the time and always struggle through problems. I will continue to understand that I can tackle a job and that if I need a tool I will likely have it and if I don't then that job is likely out of my scope anyways.
itishowitisanditbad@reddit
Because
They're bad at it.
Tool certainly won't fix that.
Anyone even capable of spending 'hours' formatting basic end user documentation has royally fucked it up to be at that stage.
It just should never be in that situation.
OP very likely needs to actually just be better at documentation before they look for a shortcut tool to do it for them.
But thats hard so... hit reddit as the easy answer pinata!
BigLeSigh@reddit
Yeah my question is aimed at the same thing.
Massive difference between doco for users and doco for teammates.
Popular_Arugula_6402@reddit
i mean sure use whatever markdown editor you want (Obsidian, Notion, VS Code if you hate yourself). the real trick is getting people to actually *read* them. you can have the most beautiful SOP library in the world with some fancy script but if your onboarding process doesnt shove the link down their throats on day one you're just writing a novel for yourself.
XB_Demon1337@reddit
The things I need most might vary from others as I do mostly networking stuff.
My main tools are
With these I generally can find anything I am looking for and come to conclusions on where the problem is.
narcissisadmin@reddit
I don't have adblocker at work and ugh the WinSCP download page is so scammy looking. And ffs what's up with the default FileZilla download having extra shit packed in?
XB_Demon1337@reddit
I download everything from Ninite. No extra crap and no BS scam pages. I also use adblock just in case for stuff like that.
But really Ninite.com is likely one of the best things you can use for these installs. Quick and easy.
DUDEBREAUX@reddit
Agreed. The added plus is running the program again later and it silently updating everything. My only wish is that it would let you choose the installation path.
blackjaxbrew@reddit
Dang, I can't live without an RMM these days. The amount of scripting and app management built in is a major major time savor. Remote access via multiple programs no matter where a user is. Alerting on servers. Sysinternals is all built in these days. I even get weekly views of proc/mem/HDD usage to determine issues
DUDEBREAUX@reddit
Which RMM?
DUDEBREAUX@reddit
Ninite
RoyalTS
Belarc Advisor
Screenpresso
PowerToys
TKInstinct@reddit
I don't see the point in Ninite these days when you've got better package managers out there.
DUDEBREAUX@reddit
Totally agree. The free version application list used to be a bit more robust.
What do you suggest for a one and done single executable that installs/updates silently and doesn't require any scripting?
REO_Jerkwagon@reddit
Windirstat.exe is one of the single most useful pieces of software ever written for Windows Desktop Management.
DoctorOctagonapus@reddit
I'm more of an old school SpaceMonger guy
Bippychipdip@reddit
Wiztree and wizfile are much quicker
Liquidfoxx22@reddit
Windirstat uses the same method now, and is free, unlike Wiz*
SuperGoodSpam@reddit
I've used both and don't remember either taking my money.
Liquidfoxx22@reddit
Wiz* won't take money - but it's not freeware like Windirstat. If you're using it in a corporate environment, you should be paying for a licence.
Some companies are more of a stickler for this than others. My last employer wasn't bothered, my current one is.
Legionof1@reddit
You just made my day! I have been looking for an alternative to wiztree, I would pay like $100 or $200 but they want 1800 for my company since we have 2 sites…
ez151@reddit
But not as og cool
pabl083@reddit
If going OG I will throw in Treesize
Homesickalien4255@reddit
Treesize ftw. I still use this all the time. I'll have to check out the others though.
BlackV@reddit
Feckers changed licensing, no longer runs on server
Montinator@reddit
SpaceMonger 1.40
Leinheart@reddit
Adding up all the file and folder sizes manually with pen and paper.
likwidtek@reddit
More like an abacus
Julio_Ointment@reddit
Vibe-guessing based on file type.
narcissisadmin@reddit
They don't work remotely.
likwidtek@reddit
I’ve tried so hard to like windirstat. But god the visualization is god awful for anyone used to using spacemonger as many years and I did. I just settled for the closest thing I could find but Jesus my brain just doesn’t understand windirstat’s treemap style choices
ez151@reddit
THIS!!!!! running out of hd space will NEVER go away!
Gee_Pee_Money@reddit
PDQ Inventory and PDQ Deploy
disconnected_tech@reddit
This!
We eventually moved to PDQ Connect, but Deploy & Inventory are legendary.
nuftjedi@reddit
Alcohol
Zpark@reddit
I would say some sturdy table legs, that would give your desktop the best required support for the job
The_Struggle_Man@reddit
Honestly revo uninstaller has been one of the best tools I've used in my career fixing end users computers.
Vesalii@reddit
Love it too. It's helped me a few times in the past.
Montinator@reddit
Yes I’ve had a ton of software that will not uninstall properly (nasty where it asks for the MSI), and revo will nuke it from orbit
If you get the portable paid version, you can deploy it out using SCCM/Intune with the command line utility
techierealtor@reddit
I use this sparingly. 1- a lot of those I’ve seen considered malicious, 2 - they are far more aggressive than normal. Yes they have served me well when I have used them but they are definitely a last resort as they have messed with registry and other things.
Jawshee_pdx@reddit
Most of that is literally what Revo tells you it is doing.
LaDev@reddit
PowerShell
TKInstinct@reddit
I'm not great at it but I'm continuing to learn. CLI in general is fantastic.
EnDR91-EC@reddit
Profwiz -> best account migration tool I worked with
jainesh3271@reddit (OP)
Best one. We just use it to migrate all our end-users. Which is very time-saving; plus you get the most profile config with it.
TheSmoothPilsner@reddit
ProWiz is magic. I work with SMBs and more of my clients are finally starting to drop on-prem AD for Entra, so it’s been a great addition to my toolbox. One of the few tools where you almost can’t believe how well it works.
EnDR91-EC@reddit
Been using it since around 2014, livesaver. Especially for smbs without domains. The struggle to move everything one by one poof dissappeared
TheSmoothPilsner@reddit
ProWiz is magic. One of the few tools where you almost can't believe how well it works.
Fallingdamage@reddit
As many others have commented here, there are tons of tools I might use when working on a problem. Many of these I use or have used to really get into the weeds of something if I need to. However, at at bare bones level for day to day, my swiss army knife is:
Self-Developed tool about the size of windows calc, build with Presentation Framework that runs in powershell. Two menus. One that lists the machine name, one that lists the employee name (pulled from AD). When you select a machine the employee combobox pivots to the employee name and when you select an employee, the machine list pivots to the correct PC. Nice reference point. I select an object and then choose my action: Remote Assistance (launches MSRA), Remote Desktop (launches MSTC), Open Eventviewer for that machine, launch PSEXEC session, launch remote PS session, Open the default $ share, Restart Machine, Shutdown Machine. I can run multiple options against a target at the same time. Shutdown and Reboot presents two extra confirmations!
Screenshots? Windows snipping tool. Passwords and credentials for services? Keepass.
Mostly all baked in windows support features. No need to install 10gb of tools to help an employee fix a browser problem or explain an error they keep getting.
Denver80211@reddit
Beyond Compare one I have not seen yet that I use A LOT. it's not expensive, I get a ton of miles out of it.
RandomSkratch@reddit
ShareX for screenshots and annotations.
PlatinumToaster@reddit
ShareNot use that instead, it's a fork of ShareX that strips the internet upload features. Don't use ShareX. PatchMyPC even has it in their software catalog.
RandomSkratch@reddit
That’s actually awesome to know because that was the first thing I disabled because I don’t need it. Thanks for the recommendation!
MLCarter1976@reddit
Can it do a lot of what Snag it does? I would have to ask for it which is annoying. Are people using it at work and any issues from security team?
RandomSkratch@reddit
I think SnagIt is more polished in terms of layout but ShareX does cover a lot of bases. I haven’t used SnagIt in well over 15 years so I can’t compare recently. I’m using it at work but we don’t have a security team. (I’m the guy haha).
JASH_DOADELESS_@reddit
God yes. I mapped the DPI button on my mouse to be the region select tool.
That + enabling multi region capture in the settings makes ShareX one of the fastest documentation tools in existence for me.
I am known internally at the MSP I work at for my screenshots with step counters, rectangles and arrows lol
AdministrativeFile78@reddit
I just did some research and installed. amazing tool
tvcats@reddit
I prefer IrfanView, double as a fast image viewer and simple editor.
narcissisadmin@reddit
I love IrfanView, but it's only free for personal use.
iBayouu@reddit
someone showed me sharex about 2 years ago and its an immediate install from now on. I wish i could upvote more than once.
ksurface@reddit
This needs more upvotes. Amazing tool.
1776-2001@reddit
Portable Apps
https://portableapps.com/
It contains a lot of the tools mentioned in this thread.
piedpipernyc@reddit
Small HR approved flask of vodka or bourbon.
For those special tickets.
BlackV@reddit
Powershell, nuff said
viswarkarman@reddit
We are using N-Able and it lets you run Powershell with system privs in the background. I find a lot of my time is wasted waiting for users to find a stopping place so I can jump on and troubleshoot or install software. This lets me both of us work simultaneously.
the_computerguy007@reddit
bcuninstaller, it is free. Completely removes software from PC, cleans all the traces, cleans the registry. Your PC will be as if it was before.
Hexnite657@reddit
Medicat usb. It's a beast of a tool.
TankstellenTroll@reddit
My "Swiss Army Knife" Support Tool is MeshCentral. It's an alternative to Teamviewer, onPrem and Open source. I can connect with the MeshCentral Client, RDP or with the CLI on the Clients.
But I only use this Tool in the internal network or with VPN.
tmanXX@reddit
PawetShell
RDP app
Intune
Regedit
bno000@reddit
If you use SCCM. Now Micro Right click tools are a must. And the Roger Zander SCCM Client center.
InevitableOk5017@reddit
Ugh
jainesh3271@reddit (OP)
I am using Hard Disk sentinel to check HDD & SSD health. But sometimes it shows 97% health but System lagging like its 20%. I don't know there's software issue or the hardware is actually gets failed.
Do any other software, tool exists? That we can actually rely on?
techslice87@reddit
Wiztree, powershell, 7zip, rmm, iodd st400 (portable ssd that can load ISOs as bootable rom easily), and a portable crash cart (currently using it-guy.io tool). I keep these in my backpack and on my laptop and can do just about everything I need.
Cyhawk@reddit
Google.
Special mention and thanks to ChatGPT.
-rwsr-xr-x@reddit
RDM from Devolutions. Amazing app with every feature and option you could need.
aieidotch@reddit
https://github.com/alexmyczko/ruptime
Master-IT-All@reddit
A team of L1s.
VibrantInsideOut@reddit
Empathy
likwidtek@reddit
I’d say it’s wiztree (or whatever your favorite license compliant disk analyzer is), eset online scanner, sysinternals (so many goodies), windows update, Lenovo commercial vantage/system update, newest NVIDIA drivers, Intel DSA, google, and cmd/pwsh solve about 99% of the issues out there.
slugshead@reddit
OneNote.
ohbikepilot@reddit
Dear god...no.
skidleydee@reddit
Obsidian is the truth
CrackedInterface@reddit
treesize, hiramsboot, advanced ip scanner, greenshot(better screenshotting, , putty,
EduRJBR@reddit
I believe OP asked for a way to write documentation to be read by users, and maybe even written by selected users of any department about their own subjects, and I'm not sure if the suggestions gere are not intended for self notes.
I started to fiddle with wiki solutions, but here I saw mentions to Obsidian: would it serve my needs mentioned above?
ohbikepilot@reddit
Sourced controlled documentation. Write it in Markdown and save it to repos in github/gitlab. It is far easier than fighting Word formatting, or some other CMS. Additionally it's collaborative, and you can pick the editor of your choice.
GitLab renders Markdown well enough for internal docs, user facing docs can easily be deployed to a static webpage with something like MKDocks.
XB_Demon1337@reddit
He asked for both. As most of us still struggle with documentation it makes the most logical sense the majority of us would give up our tool sets instead of documentation tools.
digiden@reddit
Patience
Buddhas_Warrior@reddit
Those licenses are expensive!
warrtyme@reddit
Asheraddo@reddit
Ifixit set is such a godsend.
XB_Demon1337@reddit
They have great tools, it is a shame though that they got butt hurt at LTT when their screwdriver was announced and released. I don't understand when both sets of tools are great in their own right.
Julio_Ointment@reddit
I have a huge tool bag of ifixit tools and bespoke things for like 29 different phones and Mac products
mikeredstone@reddit
Windirstat
sexuallyactivepope@reddit
Wireshark and the ability to turn off the firewall. Every problem I've had in the last 5 years.
Ok_Employment_5340@reddit
Splashtop
Prestigious-Hat-9114@reddit
Treesize to identify what folder or file has a big size. Patchcleaner to clean those orphaned patches
Traditional-Fee5773@reddit
Biggest issue is usually documentation, so what is your budget, do you already use any platforms that have a wiki style format - confluence / onenote / gitla pages etc?
I like dokuwiki or even a document in a git repo is enough. Doesn't matter what it is as long as it is some shared document - eventually you can plug an AI chatbot into it to solve most basic issues before it disturbs your workflow.
You don't mention which platform you are supporting - BSD/Linux/MacOS/Solaris/WIndows etc, that always helps to inform your support person (Reddit), I'm sure you expect the same from your users when they report an issue.
InfinityConstruct@reddit
Whiskey
Traditional-Fee5773@reddit
Whisky is much better
Brandhor@reddit
I spent a minute trying to find this software that I never heard of before realizing what you meant
Coldwarjarhead@reddit
This... And excedrin to help with the headaches from banging my head on the wall.
I'm going to have this printed on a banner to hang above my door:
Ignorantia sanabilis, stultitia sempiterna.
OkAssistance7072@reddit
For documentation, OneNote and Word and snip tool for screenshots. I'll also randomly use Visio for rack and network diagrams.
Other than that I use powershell, advanced IP scanner, putty, and notepad every day. Besides the rmm stuff those are the most common.
SaucyKnave95@reddit
My brain.
Tall-Geologist-1452@reddit
udemy and/or ctb nuggets to skill up.. tools are not the end all be all.. you have to know how to use them.. curiosity, discipline are your two greatest assets.
Zaiakusin@reddit
A mute buttion.
SolidKnight@reddit
I mostly use built-in tools and scripts. Then I make them available from a menu in Remote Support for quick access.
VeryRealHuman23@reddit
Big user of systernal stuff for when the oddballs of oddballs shows up.
Fences to keep my shit organized on my desktop like policies, forms, and triage apps.
RDP, self explanatory.
And a good flathead screwdriver.
skidleydee@reddit
Obsidian for documentation
weird_fishes_1002@reddit
Are your workstations AD Joined and you’re on the same network? Or are they remote? Entra joined?
RainStormLou@reddit
Microsoft word, control shift S, and MS paint lol. I saved a template in 2009 and haven't found a good reason to use a different one.
memorize every.cpl and .msc utility or Google windows god mode. I don't personally use God mode, but I know a lot of people who do and I can definitely see it being useful. calling it God mode is pretty stupid when it should actually be "direct access to all the shit that Microsoft is trying to obscure from administrators for no discernible reason because it should be available in control panel"
harrywwc@reddit
It's hidden in there ;)
BadAsianDriver@reddit
Camera phone to receive photos and videos from users and to do facetime or something similar.
I_ride_ostriches@reddit
Powershell, and in my day psexec. In fact all of the sysutils tools are super handy