Task-Oriented Tools
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OpenOffice.org
Free Office Suite
www.openoffice.org/
|
OpenOffice.org is a multiplatform and multilingual office suite
it is an open-source project. Compatible with all other major office suites, the product is free to
download, use, and distribute. To help build the community, join us.
Open Office Base, Open Office Calc, and Open Office Writer, look and feel just like their Microsoft
and Lotus counterparts. The icons and menu have a very similar look and will only take a few minutes
to get used to. You can save your files in many of the industry standard formats. To take full
advantage of the suite, you’ll need an add-on called JAVA from Sun Micro Systems.
|
Cost
FREE
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RSS Reader
Really Simple Syndication
www.rssreader.com
|
Read RSS and XML News Feeds:
RssReader is a program to read RSS and Atom news feeds.
RssReader collect news in the background at user configurable intervals and warn
with a little popup in the system tray that there is a new message arrived. You
can click the news headline to see a short description of the news and click or
open the original news web page in an RssReader browser or default browser window.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a format for syndicating news.
Many news and web log sites support RSS by adding these pictograms as xml or rss
to their web pages
RssReader support RSS versions 0.9x, 1.0 and 2.0 and Atom 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3.
Running under Windows 98/NT/Me/2000/XP/2003. RssReader is FREEWARE, which means
that you can freely copy the original installation package without any modifications
and give it away to all of your friends. We don't take any responsibility for any
damage to your computer caused by installing or inappropriate use of this program.
|
Cost
FREE
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Spam Fighter
Email Management
www.spamfighter.com
|
Removes Spam from Outlook & Outlook Express
SPAMfighter has partnered up with Microsoft to build the strongest, safest and most effective anti spam tool on
the market. So if you use Outlook or Outlook Express and you want to get rid of spam, just install SPAMfighter.
And if you use it at home, it's 100% free
|
Cost
FREE
|
Atomic Clock
Time Management
www.worldtimeserver.com/
atomic-clock
|
Set Computer's Time to Atomic Clock This program will connect to one of the time servers operated by
the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States, and will compare the time
of your computer with the time on the servers operated by the NIST. This program will then display the
difference between your system and the servers and if greater than 15 seconds, it will offer you the
option of adjusting your PC by the displayed amount.
The overall uncertainty in this comparison should be no worse than +/- 5 seconds under all circumstances
and will be substantially less than this value in most cases.
This utility is provided free of charge, so please feel free to share it, redistribute it, and use it any
way you wish, provided you do not alter the program in any way.
|
Cost
FREE
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Belarc Advisor
Personal PC Audit
www.belarc.com
|
Computer hardware and software analyzer
The Belarc Advisor builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware,
including Microsoft Hotfixes, and displays the results in your Web browser. All
of your PC profile information is kept private on your PC and is not sent to any
web server.
|
Cost
FREE
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Google Desktop
File Management
www.desktop.google.com
|
File Search & News Update Utility: Google Desktop puts information from your files, email, chat logs, and Web history at your
fingertips, helping you perform fast, easy searches directly from your Windows Desktop. With
a fully configurable sidebar, you also can display constantly updated news, weather, stocks,
and other data. Note: Requires Windows XP or Windows 2000 SP 3+
|
Cost
FREE
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IZArc
File Management
www.izarc.org
|
Archive Utility: This is a free archive programs. IZArc stands just above the rest. Even many former WinZip lovers
prefer IZArc because of its straightforward interface, ability to handle a wide range of formats,
and hassle-free integration with the Windows Explorer shell. Features include creation of
self-extracting archives, antivirus integration, customizable toolbar, and color-coded file listings.
|
Cost
FREE
|
JR Split File
File Management
www.spadixbd.com/
freetools/jsplit.htm
|
A free file splitter allows you to split a large file into smaller files and create a standard .bat
file that can be used to reconstruct a copy of the original file. This file split function is useful for
breaking large music, graphic or text files into more usable segments or for breaking a file into segments
to fit on multiple diskettes or for emailng puposes. New version 2.1 supports drag drop and command line call.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Nero 7 Ultra
File Management
ww2.nero.com
|
Backup / Disk Burnner: Ahead Software’s Nero is burning done right?with an intuitive
layout that offers plenty of options for every type of burning task. Be sure to also take
advantage of this utility’s BackItUp and Cover Designer features. True, Nero isn’t cheap,
but it’s everything you need for burning.
|
Cost
$99.99
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WebPad
File Utility
www.dzsoft.com
|
HTML Editor
DzSoft's WebPad is an extensible HTML editor with PHP and ASP syntax highlighting. Features one-click
preview in built-in browser, HTML Tidy tool from the World Wide Web Consortium to format and
cleanup your HTML code and much more. You can add virtually any feature to DzSoft WebPad with the
power of conventional HTML and JavaScript.
|
Cost
$19.00
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N-View
File Utility
www.nvu.com
|
HTML Editor
For you web page creators who don't need a lot of bells & “Nvu” may be right up your alley.
In the lower portion of the screen you’ll find tabs very similar to Microsoft’s Front Page.
The tab for HTML tags shows you the layout for the web page. For novice users, this is a big
help when separating a header from the body of a page. For more advanced designers the source
tab will show the page in full HTML code. And of course, preview will show the page in a preview
mode so you can check your work. A spell checker is included along with the ability to insert
forms, tables, and links. Unlike other free web design software, this program is open source.
http://www.nvu.com
|
Cost
FREE
|
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HTML Help Toy
HTML Email Cloaker
|
Notepad's Web Design -- Is a collection of tools and information for the budding HTML pro. Collected
here are tons of articles and basic layman-language explanations of various aspects of getting
started in HTML. Also covered is some advanced information such as Search Engine Optomization (SEO) and
try to simplify the subject and clear away a lot of common myths. -- And believe me there are a lot
of common myths out there!
HTML-Help-Toy: This is a simple but powerful little HTML learning tool.
It requires no installation so just save it in any folder (ex: c:\html tools\) and then run it once.
It will add a shortcut to your desktop to help you find it next time.
HTML-Email-Cloaker: This is a free and powerful HTML-Email obfuscating
tool which will transform your email address into a form that cannot be read by spiders. Make sure
to add this tool to your HTML toolbox. HTML-Email-Cloaker is the most powerful cloaker I've yet seen
anywhere. It combines the four best cloaking techniques together to confuse even the most clever
SPAM-spider.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Tight VNC
Network / File Management
www.tightvnc.com
|
Remote desktop control: TightVNC is a free remote control software package derived from the popular
VNC software. With TightVNC, you can see the desktop of a remote machine and control it with your local
mouse and keyboard, just like you would do it sitting in the front of that computer. TightVNC is:
- free, GPL-licensed, with full source code available;
- useful in remote administration, remote customer support, education, and for many other purposes;
- cross-platform, available for Windows and Unix, compatible with other VNC software;
- well maintained and being actively developed.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Core FTP LE
Network
www.coreftp.com
|
File Transfer Utility: This free, secure FTP client gives you a fast, easy, reliable way to update and maintain your
website via FTP. It also provides a secure method (via SSL, TLS, or SFTP) to upload / download
files to and from FTP servers. Check out the list of features and you'll find almost every feature
you need, all in a free ftp program. There are no popup ads, advertising or spyware and you're never
asked or reminded to register.
|
Cost
FREE
|
SmartFTP
Network
www.smartftp.com
|
File Transfer Utility: SmartFTP (File Transfer Protocol) can save you plenty of headaches with a sensible, clutter-free
interface and smart transfer features that take advantage of high-speed connections. Browsing through
local and remote folders is as simple as perusing Windows Explorer, complete with efficient drag-and-drop
ability. SmartFTP also features automatic reconnection and resumption of broken transfers, thorough firewall
support, and FXP (File eXchange Protocol) support, which lets you copy files from one FTP server to another.
|
Cost
FREE
|
FavoritesSearch
File Management
www.dzsoft.com
favorites-search.html
|
File Management Utility:
Internet Explorer plug-in that adds a convenient explorer bar to search in Favorites. If you are
an active web surfer and often use the Favorites, installing DzSoft Favorites Search is
absolutely necessary for you.
|
Cost
FREE
|
MWSnap
Graphics
www.mirekw.com
|
Screen Capture Utility: Use MWSnap, a powerful utility that captures anything, including menus, windows, fixed or freely-drawn
rectangular portions of the screen, or the entire Desktop. Screen shots can be saved in varying color
depths and formats, including BMP (bit map), JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), GIF (Graphics
Interchange Format), PNG (Portable Network Graphics), and TIFF (Tagged Image File Format).
|
Cost
FREE
|
Photoshop Album
Starter Edition 3.0
Graphics
www.adobe.com/products/
photoshopalbum/starter
|
Photo Manamement Utility: Discover the basics of digital photography with Adobe® Photoshop® Album Starter
Edition software, the free software that makes it easier than ever to view, find, fix, and share your photos. It's fast, easy, and best of all — it's free!
Fix common photo flaws — like red eye, color, and brightness — in a single click.
Easily share your memories! Attach photos to e-mail, or send them to mobile phones. Make your own prints, or order
prints, photo books, and more online.
Find any photo in a snap with automatic organization that lets you view all of your digital photos in one place
using a familiar calendar view.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Picasa
Graphics
www.picasa.google.com
|
Photo Manamement Utility: Google’s Picasa takes picture organization to new heights with a scanning process that lets you easily
see your pictures, move them, and rename them. Picasa also includes labeling and rating systems that can
help you group pictures, plus you can keep single pictures in multiple albums, similar to how Google lets
you store email in its Gmail service. This free utility also includes a nice selection of editing tools to
give your pictures some basic touch-ups.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Virtual Dub
Graphics
www.virtualdub.com/
|
Video capture/processing utility This is for 32-bit Windows platforms (95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP),
licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). It lacks the editing power of a general-purpose
editor such as Adobe Premiere, but is streamlined for fast linear operations over video. It has
batch-processing capabilities for processing large numbers of files and can be extended with third-party
video filters. VirtualDub is mainly geared toward processing AVI files, although it can read (not write)
MPEG-1 and also handle sets of BMP images.
|
Cost
FREE
|
XnView
Graphics
www.xnview.com/
|
A View & Convert Graphics Utility: XnView features include: The import of about 400 graphic file
formats Export about 50 graphic file formats Multipage TIFF, Animated GIF, Animated ICO support
Image IPTC, EXIF metadata support EXIF auto rotation support IPTC editing Resize, rotate, crop
support Lossless rotate & crop (jpeg) support Adjust brigthness, contrast... Auto levels, contrast Modify
number of colors Apply filters (blur, average, emboss, ...) Apply effects (lens, wave, ...) Fullscreen mode
Slide show with effects Batch convert, batch rename Create WEB page easily Screen capture Create contact
Sheet Create or edit Multi-page file (TIFF, DCX, LDF) TWAIN & WIA support Print support Drag & Drop support
Compare image side by side Filmstrip layout 44 languages support And many many other things... No Adware,
No Spyware
|
Cost
FREE
|
Real Player
Music & Video
www.real.com/player/index.html?src=downloadr
|
Basic Real Player
Get the newest basic player
You get all this — FREE:
Best video & audio quality ever
Plays every major media format
LivePause and Perfect Play allows you to control your video streams
Transfer your music to over 100 portable devices
Note: Click on FREE Real Player
in the top right corner of the realpayer download page...
|
Cost
FREE
|
Windows Media Player 10
Music & Video
www.microsoft.com/windows
/windowsmedia/mp10
|
Windows Media Player 10 gives you more music and more choices, and for the first time makes it
possible to sync high-quality music, video, and photos to the latest portable devices.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Ultra Player
Music & Video
www.ultraplayer.com/
|
UltraPlayer handles the playing chores for MP3, WMA, RealAudio, WAV, MIDI, CD Audio, Internet
radio, AND video files (Windows Media, AVI, MPEG, Real). It looks and sounds great, it's
lightweight and powerful, and it's more handy than a big bucket full of llamas and aliens.
"Seriously, this is one of the few Windows Players that has the potential to overthrow Winamp."
|
Cost
FREE
|
BearShare
File Management
www.bearshare.com
|
Peer to Peer file sharing program
BearShare is a leading file sharing program. Intuitive design, millions of users, safety features
and quick setup - what more could you ask for? How about Free exclusive BearShare music, help
with common questions and Free tools! Come see what everyone is talking about.
BearShare utilizes a completely decentralized peer to peer network, and is the most advanced file
sharing application around. Trade any type of file: mp3, video, images, software, etc. It runs on Windows.
|
Cost
FREE
|
iMesh
File Management
www.imesh.com/
|
Peer to Peer file sharing program
iMesh is a peer-to-peer file-sharing program that lets you find, download, share, and publish audio and
video files, computer games, images, photos, and just about any document. An ever-growing community of
millions of registered users ensures quick location and download of virtually any type of file available
on the P2P network.
iMesh 6.0 allows you to explore and experience the power of the iMesh network where you can access millions
of songs and a great music community instantaneously. With the power of the iMesh network you can listen to
and download songs that are 100% legal. Our service is adware and spyware free and is endorsed by the key
players in the Music Industry. With iMesh 6.0 you get: Instant Connections. A powerful Search Engine. Access
to a diverse and evolving music community. Great tools to share and experience music including, playlists,
unique compilations and great mood music. 100% Legal Downloads. No Advertising, Adware, Spyware. Squeaky clean.
|
Cost
FREE
|
KaZaA
File Management
www.kazaa.com
|
Peer to Peer file sharing program
Kazaa uses peer-to-peer technology. This means that individual users connect to each
other directly, without need for a central point of management. All you need to do is
install Kazaa and it will connect you to other Kazaa users.
Up to 15 'Search More's:
You can now ‘Search More’ up to 15 times. This means you can access up to 3,000 results per search. Each ‘Search More’ displays up to an additional 200 search results.
Search Agent:
Searching for a file? Get Search Agent on the case to perform repeated searches every 30 minutes over a 24 hour period.
Multiple simultaneous searches:
Searching is now much faster and more efficient. Run up to 24 concurrent searches.
Multiple search results tabs:
Each search you perform is displayed in a new window. This means that your search results won’t be overwritten by each new search you perform.
‘Quick’ and ‘Advanced’ search tabs:
‘Search’ view allows both quick and advanced searches. Use the advanced search to obtain more accurate results in less time.
Web search:
Use Kazaa to search the web.
|
Cost
FREE
|
SHAREAZA
File Management
www.shareaza.com
|
Peer to Peer file sharing program
Shareaza is a peer-to-peer client for Windows that allows you to download any file-type
found on several popular P2P networks. Shareaza is FREE & contains NO Spyware or third-party products.
|
Cost
FREE
|
SyncBackSE
File Management
www.2brightsparks.com
|
Backup Utility:SyncBackSE will give you more power over what you back up and how you do it. Backups are
fast and effortless, and aggressive compression keeps your files small and manageable.
Single-button recovery gives you ease of mind, as does the utility’s 256-bit AES (Advanced
Encryption Standard). True to the “sync” in its name, SyncBackSE also can keep two computers
perfectly synchronized with the same files.
|
Cost
$20
|
Restoration
File Management
www.geocities.jp/br_kato
|
File Search Utility: Restoration may not look pretty, but it does a darn good job of scouring hard drives for
previously deleted files. This utility lets you search complete drives or search for a
complete or partial file name. When you find a deleted file, you can simply copy it to the
location of your choice.
|
Cost
FREE
|
11 Popular Toolbars
The following 10 toolbars represent a diverse offering of the best of what is currently available. All of
these toolbars are configurable with Internet Explorer, although many are also agreeable with other popular
browsers. And the price is right—free
One caveat: Make sure you read the toolbar’s privacy policy. Some toolbars collect personal information for
marketing reasons, tracking your online habits, and a myriad of other information. Most of the toolbars we
list here do not collect personal information, but the few that do have reasonable privacy policies. As
always, make sure you use your antivirus software to scan any software you download.
|
Google Toolbar 3.0
Search Utiliy
www.toolbar.google.com
|
Internet Explorer Menu Add-On:
The toolbar that started the craze is still a top contender. Google’s bar allows you to access Google
features from any Web page, as well as the ability to search within the pages of any site with the
Google search engine. This handy toolbar also offers a pop-up blocker, automatic forms filler,
spell-check, translator, and an auto-link feature that turns street addresses into links to online
maps. In addition, you can integrate the software with the Google Desktop Search that makes it easy
to browse your computer and launch applications. A Firefox version is also available.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Yahoo! Toolbar
Search Utiliy
toolbar.yahoo.com
|
Internet Explorer Menu Add-On:
Yahoo!’s toolbar offers a pop-up blocker, as well as an antispyware utility. You’ll find that easy access to
Yahoo! Music Engine and other various Yahoo! services, including news and weather, are nice extras. However,
an account is required to use many of its features. Yahoo! has released a new version of the toolbar for the
popular Firefox browser, but it lacks some of the features of the Internet Explorer model. Yahoo!’s message
boards provide welcome support for any software questions.
|
Cost
FREE
|
A-ToolBar 3.0
Search Utility
www.metaeureka.com
|
Internet Explorer Menu Add-On:
This formidable toolbar boasts an incredible 50 tools. As one might expect from such versatility,
however, some of the features are less useful than others. Biorhythm charts and a love calculator
might not be at the top of your list, but others, such as Desktop search, dictionary, and a currency
converter, are certainly handy. Moreover, the full suite of 20 network and Web tools will fill advanced
users with joy. Pop-up blocking, metasearching, and the ability to add new search engines make A-ToolBar
an A+ in our book.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Quero Toolbar
Search Utility
www.quero.at
|
Internet Explorer Menu Add-On:
Slim and simple, Quero keeps the focus on searching instead of offering dozens of confusing and seldom-used
tools. And rather than take up valuable Desktop space, Quero replaces the standard address bar of Internet
Explorer. Choose from 12 useful search engines while the built-in Flash and pop-up blocker suppress unwanted ads.
Quero also provides keyboard shortcuts and find-as-you-type functionality to IE. And for those whose eyesight
needs a bit of a boost, the built-in zoom is a welcome relief.
|
Cost
FREE
|
jetToolBar
Search Utility
www.cowonamerica.com
|
Internet Explorer Menu Add-On:
This well-designed toolbar sits unobtrusively on your Desktop, allowing you to easily organize, find, and launch
programs, utilities, and bookmarks. More than a dozen tabbed categories of shortcuts for applications allow
convenient access. Furthermore, the generous allotment of seven sizes of buttons and categories to choose from
makes for easy readability. Fully customizable, jet’s drag-and-drop features are ideal for quickly adding and
removing buttons and categories. You can dock the toolbar on any side of the screen. If you have a mic, you can
even run the program with your voice.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Advanced Searchbar
Search Utility
www.advancedsearchbar.com
|
Internet Explorer Menu Add-On:
Although this toolbar’s name probably won’t grab your attention, its features certainly will. A vast selection
of about 100 search engines, 60-plus news providers, and three-dozen email clients awaits you. Advanced
Searchbar integrates with many popular spyware-removal programs, blogs, and instant messengers. Icons allow
easy access to scores of applications, including the built-in file shredder, RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
reader, calculator, pop-up eliminator, weather reports, driving directions, and Web page translation.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Viewpoint Toolbar
Search Utility
www.viewpoint.com/pub
|
Internet Explorer Menu Add-On:
The Viewpoint Toolbar provides a unique and timesaving way to surf by allowing you to preview search
results with real-time thumbnails and annotated text. You can easily save, search, and share favorites
using the same graphic approach. DogEar marking makes it easy to recall and bookmark important sites.
Additional features include pop-up blocking and a digital photo manager.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Furl Toolbar
Search Utility
www.looksmart.com
|
Internet Explorer Menu Add-On:
Anyone who has ever felt the frustration of a short memory or a dead bookmark will appreciate the
thinking behind Furl. This software is a revolutionary approach to finding (and finding again!) stuff
on the Web. Furl transforms the Web into your personalized Web by storing a whopping 5GB of your surfed
pages on servers that are accessible from any Internet-connected computer. You can make the pages public
or keep them private, as well as annotate and search them—making it ideal for students and researchers.
Install Furl as a toolbar or in your bookmarks.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Copernic Meta
Search Utility
www.copernic.com
|
Internet Explorer Menu Add-On:
This excellent search agent is a Web researcher’s dream. Quickly and easily metasearch the Web for images,
audio, multimedia, news, auctions and more from the browser toolbar. Don’t have your browser open? No problem.
Perform the same search from any application, anytime via the Copernic box in the Windows taskbar. Copernic
features specialized categories such as Web, Shopping, Dictionary, and Thesaurus that query multiple search
engines at once. You can easily add and manage custom search engines, assign keyboard shortcuts and find info
by highlighted keywords in pages.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Blinkx
Search Utility
www.blinkx.com/overview.php
|
Internet Explorer Menu Add-On
Nobody wants strangers to read the contents of his PC, but what if that stranger were a computer? Would
you call that stranger a friend? Well, you might if it were Blinkx. This amazing software uses advanced
algorithms to assess the info you’re viewing and then retrieves additional relevant content from Web pages,
news articles, video, and more, in addition to files and email already on your PC. You may never need a
keyword or complicated search method again.
|
Cost
FREE
|
ToolbarBrowser
Search Utility
www.toolbarbrowser.com
|
Internet Explorer Menu Add-On
Can’t decide which toolbar to download? Perhaps you want them all—or none! The ToolbarBrowser
(www.toolbarbrowser.com) can solve either problem. If you are concerned about limited screen
real estate, this free software uses tabbed controls, making it simple to manage multiple toolbars.
As if that weren’t enough, this handy tool actually lets you build your own toolbar. Now you can
take all of the best features of other toolbars and easily create your own custom program. Best of
all, ToolbarBrowser’s Web site offers extensive help, including a tutorial, FAQ, and support forum.
Although the software only works with Internet Explorer, you can write toolbars in HTML (Hypertext
Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), Java, or even Flash. Perhaps your toolbar will
become the next big
|
Cost
FREE
|
Network and/or Security
|
ewido security suite
Network Security
www.ewido.net
|
Virus Protection: The ewido security suite offers real-time protection against Trojans, keyloggers, worms,
hijackers, spyware, and dialers with its daily updates, vigorous analysis tools, and
heuristic scanning to detect unknown threats. This utility will even scan and clean out
the Windows Registry and then scan within archives, and its current threat data-base
covers more than 185,000 known threats.
|
Cost
$29.95
|
Ad-Aware SE
Network Security
www.lavasoftusa.com
|
Spy-Ware Protection: Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware is a long-standing favorite of security buffs. With its slick interface,
regular updates, and efficient scanning, this program almost makes dealing with spyware a
joy, particularly when it returns the usual horde of suspects after a scan. In addition to
spyware, Ad-Aware can also find and delete privacy-related items such as search terms used
in the Google toolbar, documents opened by Microsoft Word, the last download directory used
by Internet Explorer, and others.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Spybot
Network Security
www.safer-networking.org
|
Spy-Ware Protection: While it isn’t nearly as attractive as Ad-Aware, it’s equally effective. Spybot will find
entries that Ad-Aware doesn’t, so it’s wise to use both programs (one at a time) each time you scan for
spyware. As with other security programs, be sure to regularly update Spybot so that it’s always using
the most current spyware definitions. Spybot also includes some immunization features, but you're better
off using SpywareBlaster for prevention.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Spyware Doctor™
PC-Tools
Network Security
www.pctools.com/
spyware-doctor/
|
Spy-Ware Protection: Spyware Doctor provides three-way spyware protection for your PC
through real-time threat blocking, advanced system scanning and immunization against known
browser infections. This is one of the many reasons why the award-winning Spyware Doctor
has been chosen by millions of users to protect their PCs against spyware, adware, trojans,
keyloggers, spybots and other tracking threats.
|
Cost
FREE
|
SpywareBlaster
Network Security
www.javacoolsoftware.com
|
Spy-Ware Protection: Ad-Aware and Spybot are adept at eliminating spyware, but they won’t do much to prevent it from appearing
on your computer; in fact, by the time you scan, any installed spyware might already have leaked
information to a remote party. SpywareBlaster prevents the installation of ActiveX-based spyware, adware,
browser hijackers, dialers, and other intrusions, and it can block suspicious cookies via IE and Firefox.
One of the most appealing aspects of SpywareBlaster is that it doesn’t hog system resources because it
doesn’t even need to be running in the background.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Active Ports
Network Security
www.protect-me.com/freeware.html
|
Network Port Monitoring:
With Active Ports, you can get an immediate look at all open TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol) ports on
your computer, and you don't need to have a mountain of networking certifications under
your belt to understand the data. Active Ports instantly analyzes all connections and lists
the process, remote IP address, remote port, and path of the program using the process for
each entry.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Kaspersky
Anti-Virus
www.kaspersky.com
|
With an interface that’s a breeze to navigate and a wealth of options for fine-tuning your protection to
the way you want it. If you don’t want to fuss over your antivirus protection, this utility lets you
select from one of three levels of protection that instantly configures the protection. Kaspersky can
detect viruses in more than 700 compressed file formats, and it offers new virus definitions every hour.
|
Cost
$39.95
|
AVG
Anti-Virus
free.grisoft.com
|
One of the most trusted is AVG, which delivers nonobtrusive protection with a resident shield, email
scanner, scheduler, update manager, and virus vault. Although you won’t find the breadth of options
available in paid antivirus utilities, you’ll get enough to maintain reasonable control over your
antivirus environment.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Sygate
Firewall
smb.sygate.com
|
Even if you have a router, a software firewall is a good idea to monitor outgoing connections initiated
by other software, including worms and Trojan horses. Some software firewalls are unnecessarily complex,
but Sygate Personal Firewall includes default settings that make it amazingly easy to use. If you happen
to like software complexity, this firewall does include plenty of intuitive options for creating advanced
rules, and the software’s interface displays all running applications, Windows Services, and incoming and
outgoing traffic history.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Zone Alarm
Firewall
www.zonealarm.com
|
Solid security foundation for your Internet-connected PC
Blocks hackers, spyware, and Trojans from communicating with the Internet
Stops intruders from accessing your PC; makes your PC invisible to hackers
Provides precise security controls
Free ZoneAlarm - Basic PC Firewall protection for the home user. Is this product right for you? Their
checklist
will help you decide.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Password Safe
Encryption Utility
passwordsafe.sourceforge.net
|
Password Safe is a free Blowfish-encrypted utility that stores all of your passwords in one place.
To use it, simply enter your safe combination (or password) in the Password Safe welcome window,
double-click an entry to copy the password to your Clipboard, and paste it into the appropriate
password field. Just don’t forget your safe combination, and make sure you regularly back up your
password file.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Efficiency & Customization
|
SpaceMonger
File Management
www.werkema.com
|
If you really want to see what’s happening under the hood, use SpaceMonger. This nifty utility
displays all files and folders as boxes that consume the overall storage of a hard drive,
giving you a bird’s-eye view of how much space certain programs and files are using in
relation to other data.
|
Cost
FREE
|
O&O Defrag
File Management
www.oo-software.com
|
Defrag Utility:
The watered-down version of Diskeeper included with Windows XP is frightfully inefficient, so if you want
properly defragged hard drives, you need a third-party utility such as O&O Software’s O&O Defrag, a
powerful, easy-to-use defragger that works fast and transparently. The newest version features a
one-button defrag, support for notebooks, and a screen saver mode. Aside from the brainless one-button
mode, you can choose from five different defrag methods
|
Cost
$44.95
|
FlashGet
File Management
www.amazesoft.com
|
Download Manager to Boosts Download Speed and Manage Downloaded Files:
If you're still using a dial-up Internet connection, you need a download manager to both boost your
download speeds and manage downloaded files. FlashGet boasts an increase in downloading speed of up
to 500%, and although you might not experience an increase that ridiculously high, you’ll
definitely notice a marked improvement. This tool splits files into pieces and downloads them
simultaneously to squeeze as much data as possible through your available bandwidth. Management
features let you set the software to automatically dial up, hang up, and shut down?all on its own.
|
Cost
$29.95
|
Microsoft's
PowerToys
Windows XP
PowerToys Page
SyncToy
RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer
ClearType Tuner
HTML Slide Show Wizard
Open Command Window Here
Alt-Tab Replacement
Tweak UI
Power Calculator
Image Resizer
CD Slide Show Generator
Virtual Desktop Manager
Taskbar Magnifier
Webcam Timershot
|
These utilities expand on Windows functions to give you more power over your Windows environment,
and all of them are stable and safe (even though Microsoft says it won’t provide support for
them). The best of the bunch is Tweak UI, which opens the door to a spectacular number of hidden
Windows settings. Other winners are the Alt-Tab Replacement and Image Resizer.
SyncToy:
With new sources of files coming from every direction (such as digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, portable
media players, camcorders, PDAs, and laptops), SyncToy can help you copy, move, and synchronize different
directories. Download or learn more.
RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer:
Are you a serious photographer? Now you can organize and work with digital RAW files in Windows Explorer
(much as you can with JPEG images). This tool provides thumbnails, previews, printing, and metadata display
for RAW images. Download or learn more.
ClearType Tuner:
This PowerToy lets you use ClearType technology to make it easier to read text on your screen, and installs
in the Control Panel for easy access.
HTML Slide Show Wizard:
This wizard helps you create an HTML slide show of your digital pictures, ready to place on your Web site.
Open Command Window Here:
This PowerToy adds an "Open Command Window Here" context menu option on file system folders, giving you a
quick way to open a command window (cmd.exe) pointing at the selected folder.
Alt-Tab Replacement:
With this PowerToy, in addition to seeing the icon of the application window you are switching to, you
will also see a preview of the page. This helps particularly when multiple sessions of an application are open.
Tweak UI:
This PowerToy gives you access to system settings that are not exposed in the Windows XP default
user interface, including mouse settings, Explorer settings, taskbar settings, and more.
Power Calculator:
With this PowerToy you can graph and evaluate functions as well as perform many different types of conversions.
Image Resizer:
This PowerToy enables you to resize one or many image files with a right-click.
CD Slide Show Generator:
With this PowerToy you can view images burned to a CD as a slide show. The Generator works downlevel
on Windows 9x machines as well.
Virtual Desktop Manager:
Manage up to four desktops from the Windows taskbar with this PowerToy.
Taskbar Magnifier:
Use this PowerToy to magnify part of the screen from the taskbar.
Webcam Timershot:
This PowerToy lets you take pictures at specified time intervals from a Webcam connected to your
computer and save them to a location that you designate.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Konfabulator
Desktop Display
www.konfabulator.com
|
Using a system of “widgets,” Konfabulator lets you boost the usefulness of your desktop PC without
sacrificing stability. Other desktop UI enhancers tend to be buggy, but Konfabulator features
attractive, mostly reliable desktop additions that you can configure depending on your needs.
About a thousand widgets are available, providing news feeds, weather, calendars, Web cams,
traffic cams, reminder lists, alarms, games, audio players, search tools, conversion tools, and
many more. Some widgets are memory-intensive, so if your system is low on RAM, you should limit
the number of widgets you use at a time.
|
Cost
FREE
|
EasyCleaner
Cleaning Utilitie
personal.inet.fi/business/
toniarts/ecleane.htm
|
Defrag Utility:
Over time, your Windows Registry grows clogged with unused data that can slow the performance of your computer. EasyCleaner is a compact, fast program that searches for invalid Registry entries and lets you delete any that you choose. But that’s not all; EasyCleaner also removes invalid entries from the Add Or Remove Programs list, searches for duplicate files on your hard drive(s), lets you manage startup programs, and deletes privacy-related items, among other tasks.
The watered-down version of Diskeeper included with Windows XP is frightfully inefficient, so if you want
properly defragged hard drives, you need a third-party utility such as O&O Software’s O&O Defrag, a
powerful, easy-to-use defragger that works fast and transparently. The newest version features a
one-button defrag, support for notebooks, and a screen saver mode. Aside from the brainless one-button
mode, you can choose from five different defrag methods
|
Cost
FREE
|
AM-DeadLink
www.aignes.com/deadlink.htm
|
Right now, chances are pretty good that your browser’s bookmark file is full of links that point to
dead pages. Chances also are pretty good that you don’t feel like testing every single link to see
which ones are actually dead. AM-DeadLink will do the dirty work for you by loading all of your saved
bookmarks and checking every last one of them to see which work and which don’t. The tool will tell
you whether a particular page is OK, if it redirects you to a new page, or if it’s gone altogether.
You can then gather the dead pages together and delete them all at once.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Eraser
type
www.heidi.ie/eraser
|
When you delete files in Windows and empty the Recycle Bin, the files aren’t necessarily gone
for good. Instead, Windows simply reallocates the data to another area until it needs that
space because doing so is more efficient for the file system than actually deleting it.
However, if someone uses recovery software, he can find files you thought you deleted. The
Eraser program permanently deletes files quickly and easily by overwriting their data multiple
times. You also can use this program to erase free space that could contain files you
previously deleted using the aforementioned insecure method.
|
Cost
FREE
|
CCleaner
Hard Drive Cleaner
www.ccleaner.com
|
CCleaner is a heavy-duty cleaner. This no-nonsense utility finds all the usual junk, such
as temporary Internet files and temporary Windows files, but it also finds rarely used
data that’s leftover from program installations, as well as unused logs, memory dumps,
and useless program data. Because CCleaner is so powerful, make sure you inspect what it
wants to delete before you actually delete it.
|
Cost
FREE
|
CPU-Z
Diagnostic Utility
www.cpuid.com
|
CPU-Z is a freeware that gathers information on some of the main devices of your system.
CPU
Name and number.
Core stepping and process.
Package.
Core voltage.
Internal and external clocks, clock multiplier.
Supported instructions sets.
Cache information.
Mainboard
Vendor, model and revision.
BIOS model and date.
Chipset (northbridge and southbridge) and sensor.
Graphic interface.
Memory
Frequency and timings.
Module(s) specification using SPD (Serial Presence Detect) : vendor, serial number, timings table.
System
Windows and DirectX version.
Directions for use
Install and Remove
CPU-Z does not need to be installed. Just unzip the files in a directory and run the .exe. In order to remove the program, just delete the files, and that's it.
The program does not copy any file in any Windows directory, neither writes in the registry.
|
Cost
FREE
|
Please Note:
It’s better if you install each utility one at a time, test it for a while to make sure it works properly
and doesn’t conflict with anything else in your Windows environment, and then close it and install
another one. For some utilities, especially the cleaning and tweaking programs, it’s a good idea to close
all other applications before using them.
Always read the software’s manual or Readme file if you’re not sure what a certain function does because
one wrong move could cause you to lose data or otherwise screw up your previously stable PC. Above all,
have fun with these tools and use them regularly to keep your PC humming like a well-tuned machine.
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