Tinkerers will always try to create something out of nothing, and the same principle applies to computer programmers as well.

Learning a high-level programming language such as C/C++/C# is mandatory if you want to call yourself a real programmer.

But if you really want to stand out from the crowd of programmers, you need to go back to low-level programming languages. Why? Because that's where it all begins (think BIOS!).

Students of computer science have probably heard about assembly languages at school, and the words “you can manipulate registry files” most likely caught their attention.

So, what happens when you want to take a file apart and find out what's under the hood? Then you use W32DASM.

W32DASM is a shareware that you can use to disassemble Windows files (e.g. EXE, DLL) and attempt to crack them (just make sure to backup before doing so).

There is no installation process, so you simply run the executable file. The user interface can look rather intimidating at first sight but you have to know how to program in the assembly language to understand W32DASM.

Unfortunately, mouse scrolling and drag-and-dropping files don't work.

Once you open a file to disassemble, you will probably be starring at a weird font. Make sure to switch to another one in the Disassembler menu by checking with the font sample.

You will love W32DASM if you're a fan of reverse engineering (start with the ending and work through the beginning). What can you do with it? For example, you can create a key generator.

The application takes up minimum CPU and memory resources.

So, if you want to get the true programmer experience and “time travel to low-level programming” (an era which is not obsolete, by the way), then use W32DASM with confidence.