For Omar

How I Use Claude Code
Without Destroying My Computer

Hey Omar — you hard-carried me through physics, calculus, Salesforce, and basically every hard thing I’ve ever done. You’re smarter than me and we both know it. But I’ve been building things with Claude Code and I wanted to show you what I’ve been up to. This is me proving I’m not completely worthless.

I built a suite of 9 free desktop tools because Claude Code — the AI that helps me build websites, write code, and pretend I know what I’m doing — kept destroying my computer. Saturating my internet, pinning my CPU, crashing my WiFi so bad my wife started asking questions. So I fixed it. With tools. That I built. With Claude. Yes, the irony is not lost on me.

Here’s the full setup. Every tool is free, open-source, and portable. You’d probably understand all of this faster than I did building it, but that’s the point — I’m showing my work for once.

See All 9 ToolsFull Claude Code Setup Guide

The Problem

I use Claude Code 8-12 hours a day. It builds my websites, writes my components, runs TypeScript compilers, deploys to Vercel, and manages git. While it’s doing all that, it’s also:

  • ✕Uploading megabytes of context to Anthropic's API (saturating upload bandwidth)
  • ✕Spawning node.exe processes that peg all CPU cores at 100%
  • ✕Running Next.js builds that use 4-8GB of RAM
  • ✕Leaving orphaned dev servers on ports 3000, 3001, 3002...
  • ✕Making my wife ask 'why is the internet slow again?'

The Solution: 7-Tool Workflow

I built these tools one by one as each problem surfaced. Now they all run together and Claude Code coexists peacefully with everything else on my machine.

1

Bandwidth Governor

— Rate-limits Claude Code's upload/download bandwidth

Claude Code pushes and pulls so much data that it saturates your internet connection. Your Zoom calls drop, your wife's Netflix buffers, your smart home stops responding. Bandwidth Governor caps Claude to whatever percentage you set — I use 60% upload, 40% download — so everything else keeps working.

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2

Process Governor

— Caps CPU and memory usage per-app

When Claude Code spawns TypeScript compilers, Next.js builds, and linters simultaneously, it can pin all your CPU cores at 100%. Process Governor limits node.exe to a set number of cores so your machine stays responsive. I cap it at 50% — Claude still runs fast, but I can also use my computer.

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3

Game Governor

— Kills background bloatware automatically

Before I start a Claude session, Game Governor kills all the background processes I don't need — Spotify, Discord, OneDrive sync, Windows telemetry. Frees up 2-3GB of RAM and 10-15% CPU. Same tech gamers use to reduce lag, repurposed for AI coding sessions.

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4

Port Pilot

— Manages all your localhost ports

Claude Code spins up dev servers, API routes, and preview instances. Sometimes they don't clean up after themselves. Port Pilot shows every listening port, what process owns it, and lets you kill stale ones with one click. No more 'port 3000 already in use.'

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5

Clipboard Vault

— Searchable clipboard history with secret detection

When you're copying API keys, environment variables, code snippets, and error messages back and forth with Claude — you need clipboard history. Clipboard Vault keeps everything searchable and auto-flags anything that looks like an API key or token so you don't accidentally paste secrets.

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6

System Pulse

— Real-time system monitoring with cloud dashboard

When something goes wrong — a runaway build, a memory leak, a process eating 8GB — System Pulse catches it. It tracks CPU, memory, and network per-process and sends alerts. I can even check it from my phone if Claude is running a long build while I'm away.

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7

Nimbus Toolbox

— Launches everything from one place

One click launches all the tools I need for a Claude session. Bandwidth Governor, Process Governor, Game Governor — all from a single system tray icon. It auto-discovers which tools are installed and lets you clone any you're missing.

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The Result

✓

Internet dies during builds

Stable — Zoom, Netflix, and Claude coexist

✓

CPU at 100%, machine freezes

Capped at 50% — computer stays responsive

✓

8GB RAM from background junk

2-3GB freed before each session

✓

'Port 3000 already in use'

One-click kill on any stale port

✓

Lost that API key I copied

Full searchable clipboard history

✓

No idea what's eating resources

Real-time per-process monitoring

How Glen Actually Prompts Claude

Omar — the tools are half the story. The other half is how I actually talk to Claude. It’s not what you’d expect. There’s no formal spec, no careful prompt engineering. I just... tell it what I want in the most Glen Bradford way possible. Here are the actual patterns.

1. Big Vision, Loose Execution

I give high-level creative direction and let Claude figure out the implementation. I don’t spec components or write tickets. I describe a vibe and expect it to get there.

glen: “make this page look better like [reference URL] -- all the blogs you’ve made should look way more professional; and by professional; i dont mean like professional; i mean you know; like what glen bradford would do for sport because it’s awesome”

2. Stream of Consciousness Additions

While Claude is working on something, I fire off additional ideas as they come to me. No waiting for it to finish. No organized follow-up. Just raw brain-to-terminal.

glen: “i’ll also take low fives”
glen: “but; too slow them there”
glen: “unless it is within a second”

This was for a high-five counter with a “too slow” mechanic. Claude figured out what I meant.

3. Massive Scope, Zero Hesitation

I don’t break things into small tasks. I ask for entire page suites, full features, and deployment — all in one prompt. Claude handles the scoping itself.

glen: “make a big page and deal about pi day --- do all this and deploy and get the build passing and lets go”

4. Cross-Pollination

I connect completely unrelated domains and expect Claude to find the thread. Friday the 13th + Pi Day + “nobody cares about what I talk about” = a unified page with a coherent theme. Normal people don’t think like this. Claude keeps up.

glen: “it’s pi day and also friday the 13th was yesterday and nobody cares about what i talk about so make it about that”

5. Personality-First Development

Every feature needs my voice. It’s not enough for something to work — it has to feel like Glen Bradford built it. Return visitor greetings, high-five counters with “too slow” mechanics, celebrity shrine pages with custom “superpowers.” I don’t describe the feature — I describe the energy.

glen: “i want returning visitors to feel like they walked into a bar where everybody knows their name but it’s also a video game and they’re leveling up”

6. Ship Immediately

No staging. No review cycles. No “let me think about it.” I tell Claude to push to production when it’s ready and move on to the next thing. 230+ pages built this way and counting.

glen: “push to prod when ready”

That’s it. No fancy system prompts, no carefully crafted instructions. Just vibes, velocity, and an AI that somehow understands what “like what glen bradford would do for sport” means. The tools on this page keep my computer alive while I do this 8-12 hours a day.

Try It Yourself

All 9 tools are free, open-source, and portable. Download the Nimbus Toolbox to get started — it auto-discovers and launches everything.

Get the Desktop SuiteFull Setup Guide

Built by Glen Bradford — because Claude Code kept destroying his internet and he got tired of apologizing to his wife about the WiFi.