Windows: AutoPatcher, the small but powerful utility that makes it easy to install Windows updates while offline, and on multiple systems, has added support for Windows 7, giving users more control over when and how they update their systems.

There are big props for AutoPatcher, because for people with slow connections, big jobs to pull off, or quite a few systems to keep updated, it’s far more convenient than going the official Microsoft Updates route. To use this version, you’ll download the package, run “apup,” then let AutoPatcher build its own program from the most recent updates. Once that’s done, run AutoPatcher from your initial downloaded folder, and tell it which updates you want to download and, optionally, install. Because it’s a portable application, those updates you grab can be brought to any other Windows 7 system, and you can grab updates for XP, Vista, and other editions as well.

AutoPatcher is a free download for Windows systems only.

Windows only: Free utility Disk Space Fan analyzes your hard drive usage to help you determine what’s taking up space on your hard drive, representing it all with fancy visualization eye candy.

Disk Space Fan joins a long line of disk visualization tools, from the classic WinDirStat to DriveSpacio, Disktective, and others. WinDirStat has always had a special place in our hearts when it came time to visualize our hard drive usage and knock off space-wasting files, but it’s not the most attractive tool in the toolbox. Disk Space Fan does the same sort of disk analysis, but it’s also very attractive in addition to being very functional.

Eye candy aside, its scans are fast, and the Explorer integration makes it open up any file or folder for a closer look. You can click any slice to drill down further (and yes, it has fancy animated transitions when you do the clicking), and you can open or delete any file or folder directly from the app.

Disk Space Fan is a free download, Windows only. (Mac users, check out previously mentioned GrandPerspective.) A Pro version is available with a few more features, but the core features that make it great are available for free.