Freeware Top 30

The following is a list of 30 programs that I cannot live without.

I wanted this to be the one page a reader can turn to get all the essential free programs they need to install on a new computer.

This list doesn’t cover the best free program in every conceivable category, but for those categories that are represented the programs showcased here in most cases, I would argue, are best-in-class.

This list last updated July 17th 2010:

1- Everything: desktop file search that will transform the way you use your PC 2- : my favorite launcher 3- LastPass: centralized, cloud-based password manager 4. Dexpot: the world’s most advanced free virtual desktop app 5- Imgburn: simple yet powerful CD/DVD burning 6- Avast: solid, effective free antivirus 7- ThreatFire: powerful, memory-resident AntiSpyware protection 8- Mikogo: easy screen sharing and remote access application 9- Sizer: right click “minimize” to snap windows to pre-defined sizes 10- PeaZip: powerful archiving tool to manage ZIP, RAR, and more than 120 compression formats 11- VUE: a visual environment for ideas, notes, thoughts, and everything else. 12- SuperCopier: accelerate, pause, and resume file copying and moving operations 13- FastStone Image Viewer: a versatile, practical image viewer 14- uTorrent: powerful, lightweight Torrent client 15- Q-Dir: small yet versatile multiple-pane file management app 16- PDF-XChange Viewer: the best free PDF document viewer 17- The KMPlayer: the only media player you will ever need 18- Partition Wizard: partition manager and hard drive maintenance tool 19- Send to Toys: add any folder to Windows’ send-to context menu 20- OpenOffice.org: excellent free MS Office alternative 21- FileMenu Tools: enhance your right-click context menu with a wide range of tools 22- Handbrake: converts DVD’s to media files for your PC, iPhone, or portable media device 23- Revo Uninstaller: removes all traces of an uninstalled program 24- Mp3Tag: powerful audio tag management tool 25- DVDFlick: convert video files to DVD 26- WinSCP: powerful FTP client 27- CCleaner: reliable hard drive and registry cleaner 28- FeedDemon: excellent RSS reader with Google Reader support 29- PDFCreator: convert any document to PDF or image formats 30- FreeFileSync: powerful folder comparison and synchronization tool

Some notes before proceeding:

• Download links: for each program are provided at the end of each mini-review. • Installing software: a lot of software tends to bundle other software, typically Yahoo, Bing, and Ask toolbars, in their installers; the good news is that you can always uncheck these options during the installation and disallow this, so pay attention when you install and uncheck anything you don’t want. • The sorting order: don’t put too much meaning into it, as comparing most of these programs to each other is very much an exercise in comparing oranges and apples. • 64 bit: all programs listed here are guaranteed to be 64bit Win7 friendly (as well as 32bit XP, Vista, or Win7). In the case that they may exhibits some quirks or incompatibility it is indicated in the text below.

1- Everything: desktop file search that will transform the way you use your PC

Sounds hyperbolic, perhaps, but I stand by it 100%. “Everything” is a super fast desktop file- search that integrates in the right click context menu. It is fast for the simple reason that it does not scan the hard drive to build its database, but rather uses the raw Master File Table for NTFS drives, which logs all changes made on the partition. This means that you as the user do not have to worry about whether the database you are searching is up to date, about doing manual re-indexing operations, or about areas on your hard drive that are not included in the database; you just use it and it works. The down side is that “Everything” will not work on non-NTFS formatted drives (take my advice and convert your FAT32 drives to NTFS anyway). It also will not search network drives (although it will search extrenal NTFS formatted drives).

Right clicking “search everything” on folders will soon become your method of choice when seeking, well, anything. And I am happy to report that the context menu entry works on both 32 and 64 bit systems.

“Everything” is relatively low on resource consumption (11 megs on my PC). It works on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, 32 and 64 bit.

> Go here to download. Also see my original Everything review.

A close second choice: Locate32; in contrast to “Everything”, Locate32 scans your drive to index, but is super powerful desktop search all the same.

2- Launchy: my favorite launcher If you hear “launcher” and the image that comes to mind is stacks of organized shortcuts, this program will be a revelation. Launchy looks like a floating search box on your desktop (which is exactly what it is, see screenshot).

To use, simply invoke Launchy (by default, using the Alt+Space hotkey combination) and type in the name of the app you seek in the search box. For example to run a program you would type in the first few letters and Launchy will interactively display matches for programs found on your computer. You are unlikely to need more than a few keystrokes before it narrows down the list of results to the program you seek.

Launchy will index the start menu and quick launch folders for shortcuts (i.e. files with .lnk extensions). You can add places as well as file extensions you want it to further index (e.g. look in “program files” for .exe extensions or a folder where you place portable apps). You could tell it to index any type of extension; for example indexing “my music” for .MP3 files will turn Launchy into an instant local music lookup and launch tool. It can also be used to launch Google searches and do a number of useful tasks. Once I got used to this one I began to wonder how I ever managed without it.

> Go here to download. Also see my original Launchy review.

3- LastPass: centralized, cloud-based password manager This program will store all of your passwords in encrypted form in the cloud (i.e. on a remote server supplied by the developers), and then let you retrieve them securely when you need them via its Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome extensions. Which is to say it will lock away all your passwords for all your online accounts in a centralized place, and allow you to access them via a single password that unlocks them all.

The reason LastPass is secure is that the data stored remotely is encrypted, which means that it is worthless to anybody who might access it (e.g. the LastPass developers, hackers, etc). The encryption/decryption is done locally on your computer. I am very comfortable recommending this after almost two years of using this and after seeing the kind of critical acclaim it has received (among which is a PC Magazine Editor’s choice award and other accolades). If you need to know more about how secure LastPass is I suggest Googling it, as this discussion has taken place in many a forum and this is not the place for it.

LastPass supports multiple profile for a single page (e.g. multiple Gmail accounts), and will interactively detect any passwords manually entered and ask if you would like to store them in LastPass. It can also optionally detect and fill in forms for you. The last word on LastPass is that at this point I cannot live without it and I install it on all my computers.

> Go here to download. Supports major browsers, including IE, Firefox, and Chrome; alas no Opera support as of this writing.

4- Dexpot: the world’s most advanced free virtual desktop app

How would you like a ’tabbed desktop’ where each ’tab’ displays its own programs, files, and icons or even its own wallpaper and display resolution. That’s pretty much the idea behind virtual desktops, and Dexpot is the best freeware virtual desktop program around. And while most virtual desktop apps will let you relegate specific windows and programs to specific virtual desktops, what I like about Dexpot is that it lets me relegate icons across my different desktops as well, something which no other free virtual desktop app will. This means that I can keep all of my work icons on my first desktop and shift all of my personal icons to the second desktop (as an example). This is managed via hotkeys; e.g. select files and folders and click shift+alt+3, and they will be instantly be teleported out of sight to your third virtual desktop.

Dexpot has a breadth of functionality and is expandable via a plugin architecture. A favorite plugin of mine is SevenDex, which places my virtual desktops as thumbnails on the Windows 7 launchbar (and is simply awesome, see screenshot to the right). For more on SevenDex check out my article entitled “Seven Apps that work really well in the Windows 7 taskbar“.

> Go here to download [portable version also available]. Also see my original Dexpot review.

5- Imgburn: simple yet powerful CD/DVD burning software Imgburn gets the job done, and offers unmatched simplicity in interface. It may not be the most full-featured so-called “Nero replacement” out there, but it will cover all of your CD and DVD burning needs, including burning to CD, DVD, RW, Dual layer, even HD DVD and Blu Ray disks. Imgburn can create and burn disk images in most formats (BIN, CUE, ISO and several others), can make bootable disks, can burn music CDs from audio files (via CUE images, see here), can burn DVD’s from VIDEO_TS folders, allows overburn, just to name several of its features.

Imgburn is also lightweight and offers a portable version. The only drawback it has is that it may require users to be somewhat technically savvy at times in its reliance on building images to perform some operations. It also cannot build multi-session discs (i.e. add data to a disc that already has some data burned onto it), although it can add tracks to image files.

> Go here to download [portable version also available]. Also see my original Imgburn review.

Related: If you want a more user friendly and a more “typical” experience then by all means check out my other favorite CD/DVD burning software: CDBurnerXP.

6- Avast: solid, effective free antivirus

I had previously written a freeware antivirus comparison article, and two programs stood out, Avira Antivir and Avast. To be sure, this antivirus program comes in at a close second to Antivir for most metrics; however, the differences in performance between the two are so slight as to (probaby) not be statistically significant. Avast presents an advantage in that you do not have to think about the (non)issue of email scanning that comes up with Antivir or worry about any type of nag screen. I feel it easier and more reliable to recommend Avast as my free antivirus of choice because the recommendation comes with less caveats and qualifications, and the program is world-class.

With Avast you can be sure that you very well protected. You will need to register the free version of Avast by obtaining a (free) registration code using a valid email, and the registration process has to be repeated annually. The last thing to mention about Avast is its rather unique interface, which some users find quirky and unintuitive, but which for me is a non-issue.

> Go here to download.

7- ThreatFire: powerful, memory-resident AntiSpyware protection

ThreatFire is a memory-resident antispyware protection software that protects in real-time and is low on system resources. This program is geared towards behavior-based protection, which means that it kicks in whenever it senses something suspicious is taking place. Thus is it is (a) less dependent on constant system and hard drive scans and (b) provides good protection against unknown, brand new and (so-called) zero day threats. It is also very effective and provides excellent protection. The bottom line: use ThreatFire and one of the two antivirus programs mentioned above and you will have all the protection you need, guaranteed, whether or not you also use a firewall program. I will say however that adding a firewall would be a good idea; see below for a free Firewall recommendation.

Note: ThreatFire now works on both 64 bit and 32 bit machines.

> Go here to download (get the free version). Also see my original ThreatFire review.

8- Mikogo: easy screen sharing and remote access application

Mikogo is the kind of software that will leave your colleagues, friends, customers, and collaborators extremely impressed. I say this because it has been both my experience as well as that of friends whom I recommended it to.

What it is is a free program that will let you share your screen remotely with one or many remote collaborators. It also provides remote access to their computer, whereby you can take the driver’s seat remotely if they give you permission. You can also switch roles at a click of a button such that you are broadcasting your screen or your computer is being accessed, if that is what you need. It also offers the option to video record your session for later playback, send files to participants, and even share a virtual whiteboard for shared scribbles and illustrations. The main reason I like this software is that you can perform the screen sharing or remote access functions without requiring that your collaborators install software on their machine or register for an account. All they need to do is visit a URL which you send them and enter an access code, which the program will generate for your session. And although your remote collaborators will have to allow a small executable to run on their machine, the entire platform is otherwise browser based .

The other reason I like Mikogo even when such free screen sharing tools have been proliferating is the sense that this software is constantly being improved (while some others seem to have burst into the scene and kind of languished).

Also worth noting is that Mikogo is multiplatform, and is available for PC, Mac, or Linux, so you can share your screen with anyone regardless of the OS that they are using. You will need to create an account using a valid email address.

> Go here to download. Also see my original Mikogo review.

Related: a close second choice: TeamViewer; highly acclaimed, versatile, powerful.

9- Sizer: snap windows to pre-defined sizes

Sizer lets you right-click on the “minimize” button of a window to select a number of pre-defined window sizes that you can choose from, then instantly resizes the window for you. It is useful for all sorts of everyday, ad-hoc use, but also especially useful if you are a web designer who, say, would like a quick and handy way to resize the browser window to pre-defined sizes. This may seem a a bit of an odd choice in a “favorite freeware” list, but the reason it is here is because after almost two years since I originally reviewed it, it is still one of the first things I install on my computer (I now firmly believe that this function should have been built into Windows).

Sizer offers a portable version, although it may be that the installer version offers better compatibility with Windows 7 64bit (I’m not quite sure).

> Go here to download [portable version also available]. Also see my original Sizer review.

10- PeaZip: powerful archiving tool to manage ZIP, RAR, and more than 120 compression formats

I am often surprised as to how frequently I am asked about a good free archiving software, just because there are so many excellent ones (some of my favorites are TUGzip, JZip, and 7Zip). Yes there are still people out there paying for Winzip (I work with some of them), but for the rest of us I would recommend PeaZip, completely free and open source, looks good, integrates well in the Windows context menu,and is quite powerful. The reason PeaZip is featured on my “best of” page rather than any of the others is that it offers excellent compatibility with both 32bit Windows as well native 64bit Windows 7, whereas some of the others are stuck in a 32bit world and are yet to offer 64bit context menu support (note: 7Zip also offers 64bit support; in fact . And aside from its support for a vast range of compression formats, it is also a full featured archive management program offering archive splitting, joining, conversion, encryption, self-extraction (in 7Zip and Arc formats), and even command line support.

An interesting and easily overlooked feature of PeaZip is the fact that it is a fairly sophisticated file browser, offering advanced filtering, bookmarking, and the ability to “flatten” subfolder views, to name a few features. PeaZip is multi platform (Windows/Linux), and offers a portable version as well.

> Go here to download [portable version also available].

11- VUE: a visual environment for ideas, notes, thoughts, and everything else. VUE is one of the most interesting free programs I’ve seen in a long time. Although you properly classify VUE as a mind mapping program, it is more accurately a visual environment for working with many different types of information. It also encompasses a Powerpoint-like presentation engine that can create presentations out of mindmaps on-the-fly.

I’ve never really quite understood mind mapping programs, no’r have I ever had any inclination to use them; however, this program has become indispensable to me as a platform for organizing notes and thoughts visually.

It is by no means a perfect program is, and in fact could and should become much better; however, it is innovative in many ways and the more I use it the more I like it, and the more I see the potential that it has to offer. Try it out; chances are you will like it and, like me, come to depend on it.

Note: you will need to register with a valid email to download.

> Go here to download. Also see my full VUE review.

12- SuperCopier: accelerate, pause, and resume file copying and moving operations SuperCopier can significantly speed up the process of copying or moving files across drives. This tiny utility (less than 2 megs in memory) runs in the background and kicks in automatically whenever file copying or moving operations are initiated in Windows explorer. Aside from speeding up these operations it will let you pause a copy or move operation and resume it later on, when its convenient.

Once you start using this it is hard to go back. This is especially the case if, like me, you use external hard drive and/or high capacity USB drives to backup your data; in which case SuperCopier can be particularly valuable.

I have previously mentioned a couple of other similar programs in this blog (Copyhandler, TeraCopy), but SuperCopier is the one I would recommend in hindsight. I actually did a little test, transferring about 5 gigs and hundreds of files to an external hard drive using TeraCopy and timing it, then immediately deleting and repeating with SuperCopier; the latter was approx 15% faster.

SuperCopier works well on Windows7 64bit, although I did encounter one minor glitch in that if the files you are copying or moving require administrative privileges the program will likely fail your operation rather than simply ask for a user confirmation.

> Go here to download [portable version also available].

Related: for another similar software that is excellent check out the aforementioned TeraCopy.

13- FastStone Image Viewer: a versatile, practical image viewer

First off, if you’re wondering why I am featuring this program rather than Google’s Picasa, the reason is that although I am quite fond of the latter program I personally prefer a straight image viewer minus Picasa’s image library management/web album functionality.

I’ve reviewed quite a few image viewers on Freewaregenius, including many with stylish interfaces and 3D effects (eg. here, here, and here); however if you want a reliable, “workhorse” rather than “showhorse” type image viewer then FastStone Viewer is the program I would recommend. One of the reasons this makes my top list is that, when viewing images, FastStone employs a simple yet brilliant device in it’s user interface: it displays images using 100% of your screen area, but move your mouse to any of the 4 sides of the screen and various controls appear, only when you need them. Extremely simple but very practical and effective.

FastStone Image Viewer also offers an excellent set of image editing tools and filters, including drawing and annotation tools (the options available for annotation of images are especially useful). It also supports a wide range of image formats.

> Go here to download.

Related: although I prefer FastStone, for other excellent free image viewers (which incidentally are amongst the most powerful you could find), check out IrfanView and Xnview. For other interesting image viewers, check out Viewer2 (with intuitive tagging functions), Vjpeg, and the lightweight First Impression.

14- uTorrent: powerful, lightweight Torrent client uTorrent is a powerful and feature-rich BitTorrent client that nonetheless manages to be very light on resources (less than 11 megs in memory). It has also been recognized for its stability as well as possibly being the fastest out there in terms of downloading performance

I’ve reviewed a handful of Torrent clients on this blog and flirted with a number of other clients; however, this is without a doubt the best torrent client available (free or paid). Aside from its simple user interface, its stability and reliability, one of its strengths is that it is constantly being developed, and that it has emerged as the de-facto, multi-platform Torrent client that developers of, say, mobile apps and remote-control client use when developing apps that interface with a desktop-based Torrent client.

> Go here to download.

Related: you might want to use PeerBlock, in conjunction to uTorrent. It is designed to make it less likely that your downloads might be tracked back to you if this is something you might be worried about.

15- Q-Dir: small yet versatile multiple-pane file management app

Q-Dir is a free file manager /Windows Explorer replacement that provides dual and multiple pane file management and a nice set of features. This program’s strong suite is the very nice user experience it provides (I particularly like the way you can quickly shift across different window pane setups using tiny buttons on the program toolbar). Some of the features it provides include folder and file filtering via search box, saving favorite folders, saving entire “views” (i.e. folder and pane combinations), and browsing compressed archives as folders. Q-Dir can integrate within Windows’ right-click context menu and can be used as a direct Windows Explorer replacement. And although Q-Dir is not as full featured as some other file management programs (such as UltraExplorer for example), I actually used it as my default Windows Explorer replacement on XP because I like its interface and because it is relatively light on resources. Q- Dir can also be run portably from USB. > Go here to download [portable version also available]. Also see my full Q-Dir review.

Related: for another recommend file management program, check out the above-mentioned UltraExplorer.

16- PDF-XChange Viewer: the best free PDF document viewer

Every PC needs a PDF viewer, and PDF-XChange Viewer without a doubt has emerged as the best free alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader. Skip Adobe’s free reader altogether and use this one. Aside from integrating with internet browsers, and meeting all your PDF document reading and form-filling needs, this program provides a good array of PDF annotation tools forms), such as a typewriter tool, text boxes, sticky notes, shapes and lines and even a “stamp” tool to name a few. These tools work with any PDF document, even PDF’s that are not designed to be interactive, and will invariably prove extremely useful. Note that the free version of PDF-XChange Viewer includes inactive entries in its menus and interface for some of the paid version’s offerings, as some sort of teaser. These can be somewhat annoying and I recommend you go to the settings to remove them (the program will look and feel much better). Go to the “Edit” menu, then preferences then registration, and check the box that reads “Hide restricted ’PRO’ functions in the free version”.

> Go here to download [portable version also available]. Also see my original PDF-XChange Viewer review.

Related: for an alternate excellent free PDF reader, check out Nuance PDF Reader, which includes a PDF to DOC conversion option via uploading to an online conversion engine. Also check out my article on free PDF to DOC/Word conversion options if that’s something you need.

1t- The KMPlayer: the only media player you will ever need

The KMPlayer is a feature-rich, free media and DVD player that will handle any media format that you throw at it.

What’s interesting about The KMPlayer is that it comes with self-contained, internal filters, commonly known as codecs, that it uses to decode and play media files without having to install these system-wide on your machine (which is something that most media players do and which results in these filters taking up resources on your system, sometimes unnecessarily). On the flip side, The KMPlayer can take advantage of any codecs which may be independently installed on your system, if need be. > Go here to download. Also see my full review of The KMPlayer.

Related: VLC Media Player is another super awesome media player that will play and stream most everything, and is multiplatform.

18- Partition Wizard: partition manager and hard drive maintenance tool

This is simply a must-have hard drive partitioning tool. It offers compatibility with both 32 bit and 64 bit systems as well as a bootable rescue version on CD on USB. It is easy to user, has a nice interface, and can perform all the usual hard drive partitioning related tasks, such as creating, resizing, moving, deleting, merging, hiding, and deleting of partitions. But Partition Wizard also performs a slew of other hard drive maintenance tasks that I appreciate, such as changing drive letters, converting file systems (such as FAT32 to NTFS, etc.), checking file systems, and performing hard drive surface tests, to name a few.

> Go here to download. Also see my original Partition Wizard review.

19- Send to Toys: add any folder to Windows’ send-to menu

Once I accumulate too many items on my desktop or in my download folder I typically go on a cleanup spree, moving all of these items into appropriate folders on my hard drive. “Send to Any” allows you to add any number of folders to Windows’ right-click send-to menu, allowing you to quickly move or copy items to your favorite folders no matter where you are or what files or folders you are working with, and making the “send to” menu infinitely more useful as a consequence. Also, the “send to” menu seems to be exactly where these folders ought to be. Why am I including this program in my list of must-have freeware? Because I have been using it for a number of years now and it still is one of the first things that I seek when I install software on a new machine. It also works well on both 64 bit as well as 32 bit OS’s.

> Go here to download. Also see my original Send to Toys review.

20- OpenOffice.org: excellent, free MS Office alternative

Let’s face it: everyone needs either MS Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, or all of them. Except MS Office is not free, and while web-based solutions such as Google Docs or Zoho may or may not be the wave of the future, we live in the present and most of us need a good, desktop-based office suite. Enter OpenOffice, an excellent Office Suite developed by Sun Microsystems that delivers elegant, powerful alternatives to all of the MS Office programs and, moreover, offers full compatibility with MS Office, being able to both read and write MS Office document formats (including the newer Office 2007 formats).

If you’re familiar with MS Office programs you will be able to be up and running with OpenOffice in no time at all, as most operations will be intuitive and the learning curve minimal.

> Go here to download [portable version ""X-OpenOffice.org" also available; Italian & English]. Also see my full OpenOffice.org review.

Related: another good free Office suite: Lotus Symphony, developed by IBM.

21- FileMenu Tools: enhance your right-click context menu with a wide range of tools

Is there anything better than having the tools you need in the right-click context menu right at the moment that you need them? The answer: probably, but not too many things.

Not only does FileMenu tools give you a wide range of tools that you can install in your right- click context menu, but it will let you pick and choose precisely the ones you want. The list of available tools and functions keeps growing, with new and innovative tools and functions being added on a regular basis; moreoever, if you have a command line function you can use that in conjuction with FileMenu Tools to add your own custom command in the context menu. I personally like to have the “Advanced renaming”, “File Search and Replace”, “Attributes Changer”, “Shred files”, “Show folder sizes”, “Change Folder Icons” and various path-copy tools in my context menu. Other available tools: split and join files, register and unregister DLLs, move/copy files to favorite folders, and a handful of others.

Last but not least, FileMenu Tools will also let you manage the other entries in your context menu generally that are unrelated to it, very handy when uninstalled programs leave behind entries in the context menu that you do not want.

> Go here to download. Also see my full FileMenu Tools review.

Related: also check out an excellent alternative to FileMenu Tools with menu of the same functions, Lammer Context Menu.

22- Handbrake: converts DVD’s to media files for your PC, iPhone, or portable media device.

This is another program that has withstood the test of time. Handbrake is the real deal and is easy to install and use. Handbrake’s interface is very user friendly while not shirking in terms of features and power under the hood. But best of all it simply works (and is optimized for dual core PC’s).

Two things to note: one, is that Handbrake converts to MP4 and MKV media formats only, and the latest version has dropped support for AVI files which it had offered at one time, because of the relative superiority of the other two formats which it supports in comparison. The second thing is that Handbrake will not remove the encryption from commercial DVDs when you convert them, which is an important step that has to be done via another program. Good free DVD decrypters are DVDFab HD Decrypter (the free edition is all you need), and RipIt4Me (which is no longer in development but works well). Another excellent DVD decryption option is DVD43, which only works on 32bit PCs and provides on the fly decryption, letting you plop a DVD in and convert is with Handbrake instantly while decrypting in real time as if the encryption did not exist in the first place (and without having to rip the DVD to your hard drive)

For a how-to guide on how to use Handbrake with DVD43 to convert DVDs to media files check out my “How to Convert DVDs to iPhone” article. Note that the article was written before support for AVIs was dropped from Handbrake as mentioned above.

> Go here to download. Also see my full HandBrake review.

Related: also see VidCoder, an excellent program based on the Handbrake engine but which tries to further streamline it’s interface.

23- Revo Uninstaller: removes all traces of an uninstalled program

Revo is a replacement for Windows Add/Remove programs utility that filter your installed programs via a searchbox or sort them by column to see what the latest installed programs were. But what really makes it useful is its ability to scan the hard drive and Windows registry for things that the uninstalled program has left behind and remove them.

Revo Uninstaller offers three levels of intervention: safe, moderate, and advanced, which determine how comprehensive or conservative it is going to be when going after items that an uninstalled program might have left behind. (“Moderate” scan has always worked for me, and I pretty much trust it blindly; however, you always have the option to look into what it is going to delete before approving it).

Revo also does a great job removing apps that have a corrupt uninstaller or simply do not offer one to begin with. I have used this probably more than the average user would and it has always delivered (note: you can perform these uninstalls via the so called “Hunter Mode” or “Drag and Drop” mode).

> Go here to download [portable version also available]. Go for the free version, not the trial version. Also see my full Revo Uninstaller review.

Related: also see my article entitled How to uninstall anything: free apps that get the job done

24- Mp3Tag: powerful audio tag management tool

In the age of digital music everyone needs a audio tag management app, and as far as free (or non-free) programs go Mp3Tag is one of the best, if not THE best.

Mp3Tag combines a simplicity of interface with powerful functions. It supports every audio format under the sun and will perform all the usual mass renaming and tag manipulation operations. It will also look up track information from several online sources; freedb, Amazon, Discogs, and even the community-based MusicBrainz database (alas it does not perform digital fingerprinting via MusicBrainz, like a program such as Picard does, which is a strange omission). It also downloads cover art and can save it n the ID3Tag itself.

One feature of Mp3Tag which I am personally quite fond of is the Windows explorer context menu integration (available on both 32 bit and 64 bit OS’s). This simple option lets you right click on a folder or folders or even a selection of audio files to open the audio files in Mp3Tag. After using this program for a few years, I’ve found this option to be invaluable.

> Go here to download. Also see my original Mp3Tag review.

25- DVDFlick: convert video files to DVD

While there are a number of free apps that can author video files to DVD, DVDFlick provides one of the nicest, most user-friendly experiences. What’s more, it is able to process a very wide range of audio and video formats (45+ file formats, 60+ video codecs, and 40+ audio codecs), which is to say it will transfer any media file to DVD, and is nothing short of fantastic. DVDFlick will also easily add menus and subtitles (if any) and will burn to DVD or ISO at the end of the conversion process. The bottom line: it’s simply brilliant.

> Go here to download. Also see my original DVDFlick review.

26- WinSCP: powerful FTP client

If you’re looking for a powerful free FTP client this is the one I would recommend. WinSCP is feature rich, has a built-in text editor for on-the-fly edits of file right on the remote server, offers a portable version, and (for the non-portable version) integrates into the Windows’ send-to context menu. WinSCP supports FTP as well as SFTP and SCP protocols over SSH-1 and SSH-2. It offers a two-pane file-management view, supports drag and drop from Windows explorer, is open source, and supports a number of advanced functions such as directory synchronization, batch file scripting, and a command line interface.

> Go here to download [portable version available].

Related: my second choice for free FTP client: FileZilla

27- CCleaner: reliable hard drive and registry cleaner

CCleaner is simply a must on any PC. Not only does it provide excellent hard drive cleanup of all kinds of junk that invariably accumulated in and clogs up the system, but it’s one of only two or three program whose “registry cleaning” functionality I would use without reservations (I personally think “registry cleaning” should be a very rare occurrence in the course of using a PC, but that’s another story for another post.

CCleaner is also excellent for cleaning up your internet tracks, history, and all the junk files that get downloaded during the course of surfing the internet. One thing that annoys me about CCleaner is the strange frequency of its program updates; if I had a dollar every time this program got updated I would be buried in a little mountain of cash. Also, when installing, make sure to be mindful of what is checked by default and to uncheck the Yahoo toolbar option (ironic that a hard drive cleaning program would foist a toolbar on unsuspecting users, but even developers have to make a living).

> Go here to download. Also see my original CCleaner review.

28- FeedDemon: excellent RSS reader with Google Reader support

In this age of information everyone needs an RSS reader, right? If you are looking for a desktop- based RSS reader I would recommend either FeedDemon or RSSOwl. The reason FeedDemon makes this list and RSSOwl does not is that FeedDemon can function as an excellent desktop client for Google Reader, which I use and recommend.

Some pros and cons. PROS: Google reader integration; the ability to quickly post to Instapaper, Facebook, Twitter, Digg, and delicious; newspaper style layout; system-tray notifications of new articles; content filters (e.g. give me all articles with the word “freeware” in the title or body); saved searches (called “watches”); the ability to categorize post via user-defined tags; quick switching between full, summary, and headline based listings. Cons: does not function as a podcast receiver. Also, technically FeedDemon is adware. However, the small square ads placed in the bottom left of the screen are unobtrusive and low-key, and really do not affect the user experience (note that no ads are displayed in the screenshot above).

> Go here to download.

Related: check out my article entitled “Nine ways to check RSS feeds (including some unusual ones)”

29- PDFCreator: convert any document to PDF or image formats

This software can convert most any document to a PDF document or, alternately, to image(s) of various formats. It installs a so-called virtual printer driver on your machine whereby a new printer appears in your PC’s printers list. To convert any document to PDF or image format simply print it using this virtual printer. While there are many good PDF virtual printers are there, PDFCreator is my top pick because (a) it can create image documents as well as ; (b) it does not require the seperate installation of Ghostscript, and (c) it is open source (in contrast to many of the others which have gone adware over the years).

> Go here to download. Also see my original PDFCreator review.

30- FreeFileSync: powerful folder comparison and synchronization tool

This open source folder comparison and synchronization tool will compare files by scanning their contents or by file size and date; it can synchronize files and subfolders, process multiple pairs of folders at once, load/save folder comparison sessions, create batch jobs that can be run from the command line, and can handle cloned files (i.e. symbolic links or junctures). It also allows for custom syncing rules and command line option. But the reason I like it is the excellent, intuitive user experience it provides. The two-pane “visual comparison” simply makes sense. I use FreeFileSync as a backup tool and it has become one of the first programs that I install on a new computer. (It also offers a portable version, a very handy addition to your USB stick)

Top Freeware Picks

Over and over again the team at Majorgeeks is asked what is the best program to...... ?

So, here is a list of programs to help you choose from the very best.

All-In-One PC Optimization Suites: Don't want to download, manage and run numerous programs to keep your computer in tip top shape? No problem, here are the best choices in that category known as "suites". If you need step by step assistance consider How to Make Your Computer Run Like New in 4 Easy Steps or if your brand new computer is running sluggish try How to Optimize that New Computer.

1: Advanced System Care Advanced System Care has been around for many years and we have used every version. This is truly an all in one suite allowing you to remove malware, clean your history, remove junk files, repair errors and much more. A pro version is available to add features but you will be happy with the free version. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Advanced_SystemCare_3_d5927.html 2: Glary Utilities Glary Utilities is lesser known than Advanced System Care and almost as good. Disk cleaner, registry cleaner, start up manager, file shredder, process manager, shortcuts to Windows tools, memory optimizer and much, much more. Also like Advanced System Care a pro version is available. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Glary_Utilities_d5870.html

3: Simple System Tweaker Ask ANY geek and he will tell you that there are a handful of safe, tested tweaks he applies to his computer to get the most from it. Now you can apply this knowledge yourself with this one of a kind tool. Want to get geekier with it? Then try the Advanced System Tweaker that is much more like the old X-setup (see below). Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Tweaking.com_- _Simple_System_Tweaker_Formerly_Simple_Performance_Boost_d7176.html

4: X-Setup (Older) X-Setup was a pretty hard core tweaking program but was abandoned in 2002. The author agreed to provide a key to Majorgeeks so it could live on. If you are using an older like Windows XP you will enjoy using this. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/X-Setup_d127.html

Anti-virus Protection: Every computer has to have some sort of anti-virus protection. Luckily, you have a lot of great free choices. Of the top of our head we can think of at least five decent, FREE anti-virus programs. Yearly subscription? Why bother?

1: Avira Free Antivirus Avira Free Antivirus has been around for a long time. Overall Avira has good speed, accurate detection and removal and has been consistently rated a 4.7 out of 5 by our readers. A professional version is also available. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Avira_AntiVir_Personal_- _FREE_Antivirus_d955.html

2: Security Essentials Microsoft finally got into the game with free protection for all Windows users in 2010. While the detection and removal is very good, it is easily one of the slowest scanners out there. Not a great choice for power users. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Microsoft_Security_Essentials_for_Windows_d6242.html

3: Avast! Free Edition Avast Free Edition is another free anti-virus that has been around for a long time. Effective, nice interface but it does seem to generate more false positives than others. Overall not a huge factor. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Avast_Free_Edition_d1968.html

4: Panda Cloud Antivirus Panda Cloud is one of our favorites. It is lightweight and easy to use. Actually, you will probably forget it is there. It does not have the best detection rate out there, but then again all anti-virus programs tend to go up and down in quality over time. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Panda_Cloud_Antivirus_d6144.html

Malware and Spyware Removal: Happens to everybody; your trusted anti-virus let something bad in. Here are some freebies to take care of the problem. If you need more help please visit our support forums.

1: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Malwarebytes is one of our all-time top downloads and for good reason. It's simple, fast and effective. For a little over 20 bucks you can purchase full time protection so you don't get infected again. People rarely get infected once. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Malwarebytes_Anti-Malware_d5756.html

2: IObit Malware Fighter Here is another very popular program from IOBit software. Like all free malware removal tools listed here you can scan and remove for free but a professional edition is available for full time scanning and other protection so this does not happen again. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=6088

3: SUPERAntiSpyware SUPERAntispyware might not be as recognizable a name as IOBit or Malwarebytes but don't let that stop you. SUPERAntiSpyware has saved me a few times when other programs have failed to detect or remove a problem. Add this to your toolbox with the others. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/SUPERAntiSpyware_d5116.html

Update Your Drivers: The first thing any tech support person will tell you to do when you have a problem; update your drivers. Your computer hardware needs the latest drivers so everything can communicate properly and your computer can run at its best. You can look up and install drivers one at a time or use one of these program to simplify it.

1: SlimDrivers SlimDrivers has consistently worked for me. It ends up taking quite a few reboots, which can be scary but so far it has not failed me. SlimDrivers offers to install some third party applications but you can opt out so pay attention during the install. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/SlimDrivers_d6737.html 2: Driver Sweeper Driver Sweeper has been around longer than most and has some neat features. Not only will it scan and remove for new drivers it also includes a backup manager. We also like the fact that it remembers where your desktop icons are. If you ever updated your video drivers and your desktop got rearranged then you will appreciate this. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Driver_Sweeper_d6171.html

Free Up Hard Drive Space: The hard drives on computers have 2 problems; they tend to be the slowest part of the computer and they tend to fail more than any other part on your computer. We will be repeating this very important lesson over and over because it affects drive cleaning, defragmenting and backing up your computer. Get the extra junk off your hard drive and free up valuable space.

1: CCleaner Slim CCleaner has been around and highly rated for many years. This is the one you want. It also has a start up manager, registry cleaner and shortcut to remove programs. It is easy to use and a pretty conservative cleaner. We have used it on literally hundreds of computers and never had a problem. A third party program called CCEnhancer is also available adding cleaning support for hundreds of programs. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/CCleaner_Slim_d4191.html

2: JetClean JetClean is mainly designed to remove junk files and protect your privacy however it also can clean the registry, RAM as well as an uninstaller, registry defrag, internet booster and more. It is moving beyond a drive cleaner and almost a complete computer maintenance suite. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=7226

3: PC De-Crapifier Just bought a new computer? Is it running slow because it has a lot of applications already installed? This is all that PC-Decrapifier exists for. It is not a complete drive cleaner like CCleaner but instead the perfect first tool to run on your brand new computer. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/PC_De-Crapifier_d5223.html

Defragment Your Hard Drive: Read what we said above under Free Up Hard Drive Space. This also applies. Fragmented files are all over your hard drive slowing down access to your files. By defragmenting on a regular basis you maintain good hard drive health and performance. You need every advantage you can get in this area. Keep in mind that the Windows built in defragmenting tool is not very good.

1: IObit SmartDefrag The IOBit name appears in the Top Freeware Picks more than once and for good reason. You can also get their defrag program in the above mentioned all in one suite, Advanced System Care but if you want to maintain your own computer with a handful of tools this is a great choice. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/IObit_SmartDefrag_d5318.html

2: Auslogics Disk Defrag Auslogics is another small company who has a range of excellent tools. You can simply install and run this or get a bit geekier with it by going through the advanced options. You want to do a thorough defragmentation of your hard drive at least once a month. Auslogics includes a scheduler as well. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Auslogics_Disk_Defrag_d5266.html

2: Defraggler Defraggler is brought to you by the same guys who created CCleaner. All 3 of these defrag utilities are excellent but if you have CCLeaner already and enjoy it then that might be a good reason to grab this one. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Defraggler_d5777.html

Identify Your Hardware or Computer: Sometimes you might need to know what is inside your computer, often to help people diagnose problems, for example on our support forums. These tools can tell you what you need to know and often will save the information in a text file.

1: Tweaking.com - System Information Tweaking.com is the same guy from PCWinTech.com and all of his utilities are free and 5 star programs so this is no exception. Tweaking.com - System Information can pull basic, moderate and advanced information. Basic will work for most. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Tweaking.com_-_System_Information_d7142.html

Get a Better : You have heard the constant complaints that Internet Explorer is a crappy web browser. While I don't completely agree, it is true that at least 2 other options exist. If you are not happy with Internet Explorer you should know it will not harm your computer to try out another browser. If you prefer Internet Explorer then simply install the other browser and carry on.

1: Mozilla Firefox Mozilla Firefox is one of the most popular browsers out there and for good reason. It is fast, stable and offers enough add-ons to make sure it works exactly as you want it to. The only problem is that there are numerous versions available and that can be a tad confusing. This link will get you one of the last est version. Give it a shot. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Mozilla_Firefox_11.0_Final_d7257.html

2: Google Chrome Google has always been hit and miss. Their software tends to be great or below average. In my opinion Google Chrome can be filed under great just for how fast it renders web pages. You can have add-ons, tabbed browsing and all the features other browsers offer but in a very simple interface. Did I mention it was fast? Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Google_Chrome_17.0.963.83_Final__d7594.html

Protect your computer with a firewall: Most computers today are well protected with Windows built in firewall (average) as well as a router which gives excellent hardware firewall protection. Here are a few choices for those who need an additional layer of protection. Because I rely on my router for protection, I cannot speak to the details but here are our top rated choices.

1: Comodo Personal Firewall 2: fireBwall 2: Privatefirewall

Get a Better Email Client: Outlook Express was nice and simple but with Windows 7 it has been replaced with Microsoft Live Mail and many people do not care for it. It also is no longer bundled with Windows meaning you have to download and install it after you register with Microsoft. What better time to find a better email client? Not sure which to choose? Check out How to get a better (free) email client .

1: Mozilla Thunderbird Thunderbird is an email client from Mozilla who is also the group behind the popular Mozilla Firefox web browser. Installation and setup is easy, the spam filter is very good and it does not require any sort of registration. It also has a ton of add-ons available so you can get this email client to do almost anything you need. I like the portable version as you can simply back up the folder or move it from computer to computer. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Mozilla_Thunderbird_d4064.html

2: DreamMail DreamMail is a lesser known email program that is updated a few times a year at most. What you might like about it is that it looks similar to Outlook Express. If that's a must have requirement for you then it is worth a peek. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/DreamMail_d6568.html

3: Sylpheed I'll make this one short and simple. It is a simple, clean 3 panel interface similar to Outlook Express just like DreamMail listed above. Again, if that is a must have feature then it is personal choice. As far as I recall Sylpheed has been around longer and is updated as much, if not more, than DreamMail. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Sylpheed_d5003.html

Diagnose Problems With Your Computer: Sometimes you need to fix and error or problem. Sadly this can be as simple as diagnosing an error code or getting deep into it to remove malware or fix major issues. Hopefully one of these tools can help you out. If you are having trouble with your wireless performance check out How to Improve Your Wireless Network Performance .

1: IObit Toolbox This is the third, and not last, time you have seen IObit in this list. With their Toolbox you can display/diagnose PC information, enhance PC security, optimize PC performance and repair PC problems. It is portable so you can take it with you. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/IObit_Toolbox_d6503.html

2: Tweaking.com Windows Repair Getting errors from your computer? Windows Repair will go through your system and reset and repair many potential problems with your computer. We have tested it on dozens of computers with no issues. It will not fix everything but it's great at what it does. Especially handy after a malware clean up when something like Windows Updates stops working. A Portable version also available. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Tweaking.com_-_Windows_Repair_d7141.html

3: Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD) Getting a bit geekier here, but not too bad. With Ultimate Boot CD you can boot your computer from the CD\DVD drive to run tools. This is especially useful if you have a computer that will not start at all. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Ultimate_Boot_CD_d4981.html

4: BlueScreenView BlueScreenView scans all your minidump files created during 'blue screen of death' crashes, and displays the information about all crashes in one table. Great program if you just need to diagnose the dreaded blue screen of death. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/BlueScreenView_d6200.html

Backup Your Important Files: Man, if I had a nickel for every time I told someone to back up and then they complain when their hard drive crashes or their computer is formatted that they lost important files. So once again I say to you; BACK IT UP!

1: Dropbox No need for a second hard drive, external drive or DVD. With Dropbox you can use the Cloud to backup your important files. You can also share and sync. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Dropbox_d6413.html

2: DriveImage XML Copy files folders or even your entire partiton to another drive. You can them as well to save space. You can restore images without having to reboot. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/DriveImage_XML_d4919.html

3: Karen's Replicator Karens' has been around for years and we love it. It has some limitations, though. The biggest thing is it will only back up to another hard drive or on your network. If you have a second hard drive, look no further. R.I.P Karen Kenworthy - April 12, 2011. Your software will live on. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Karens_Replicator_d3917.html

4: Erunt Erunt allows you to back and restore your registry. It works better than any other backup like this and since people love to blame the registry or for problems why not get a backup? This has not been updated in 2005 but don’t let that scare you away. It’s perfect as is and still works on the latest versions of Windows. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Erunt_d1267.html

Uninstall Old Programs Completely: Windows uninstaller works. That's about it. When you install software often files, folders and registry entries are left behind to clutter your system. Here are some tools to be sure that you uninstall them completely.

1: IOBit Uninstaller IOBit Uninstaller can remove programs and do a deep scan for leftover files, folders and registry entries. It even has a batch mode, handy for the new or overdue computer clean out. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Iobit_Uninstaller_d6427.html

2: Revo Uninstaller Revo Uninstaller is another very popular utility in this category. It does everything that IObit Uninstaller (above) does and I would call it a coin flip. Either one will work wonders for you. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Revo_Uninstaller_d5706.html

CD\DVD\Blu-Ray Burning Tools: Here is an interesting category. There are a few good burning programs but there are some pros and cons over larger commercial packages. They tend to have less features and sometimes they don't always do what you want. But they don't bloat your system.

1: BurnAware Free I have used this one for years and it is one of my personal favorites. It has worked great for audio CD's and more geeky stuff like burning ISO's. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/BurnAware_Free_d5839.html

2: Ashampoo Burning Studio Free This is an older version of the Ashampoo Burning Studio but it still works great. An advantage to trying this might be if you are having trouble finding all the features you need then you can upgrade to the professional version. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Ashampoo_Burning_Studio_Free_d5937.html

3: CDBurnerXP Another free one I have used for years and really have nothing bad to say about. Then again, this is our Top Freeware Picks so that makes sense. At only 5 megs we bet you will be impressed. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/CDBurnerXP_d4242.html

Recover Deleted Files: Accidentally deleted a file, email or Word document? You might be able to recover it with these free tools. When you delete a file it is not really deleted until that part of the hard drive is overwritten. If you delete something accidentally, you want to recover it ASAP.

1: Recuva Portable For free, Recuva is an excellent choice. It's fast, easy to use and can even try to recover lost emails, deleted music and Microsoft Word documents or temporary files. One of the best choices. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Recuva_-_File_Recovery_d5514.html

2: PC INSPECTOR Smart Recovery Let's get right to the negative. It hasn't been updated since 2006. The good news? It is really designed to recover photos from Flash Card, Smart Media, SONY Memory Stick, IBM Micro Drive, Multimedia Card, Secure Digital Card or any other data carrier for digital cameras. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=5040

3: Unstoppable Copier Another that has not been updated since 2010 but it also has a niche. It was designed to recover files from scratched CD's or defective floppy/hard disks. You won't find another one out there like this for free so it might be your only hope with a damaged CD\DVD. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Unstoppable_Copier_d2623.html

Edit or Manage Your Photos: Back in the good old days (You know, 2000) we had to have our photos developed and put them in a shoebox or scrapbook. Now you can easily take thousands of photos where you used to take 24 or 36. You need to edit and organize these and this is another chance for us to remind you to BACK THEM UP. We could list over a dozen excellent choices here so check out the Graphics section by most popular for more.

1: Picasa Photo Organizer Another home run for Google, Picasa makes organizing all of your photos a breeze. You can create albums, screen savers, slide shows and even edit your photos. It's a very good all in one photo management solution. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/Picasa_d4476.html

2: XnView Photoshop is expensive. Sometimes you need those features but not a full blown, pricey suite. XnView might just fill in the gap. It supports a ton of file format and includes effects, filters and many other features you would not expect for free. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/XnView_Full_d4974.html

3: IrfanView You can apply everything written about XnView and apply it to IrfanView. Both have a very long history. One neat advantage to IrfanView is the IrfanView Plugins which offers additional file formats and effects for IrfanView. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/IrfanView_d4253.html

4: Paint.net Paint.net was actually designed to be a replacement for the old Microsoft Paint that came with Windows but don't let that deter you. It grew into an excellent program offering features that make it as good as IrfanView and XnView. I told you this was an area full of great software! Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Paint.NET_d4548.html

5: The Gimp O.K, one more, I swear. Gimp can be used for many different photo management purposes but its real power lies in photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. See for yourself.

Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/The_Gimp_d4485.html

5: PhotoFiltre I lied. One more. PhotoFiltre Studio is a complete image retouching program. Normally you would expect applying these types of filters or making corrections to be difficult but PhotoFiltre makes it as easy as possible. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/PhotoFiltre_d4587.html

Office Tools: Another list that can go on forever because we have so many excellent tools in our Office category. One of my favorites would be replacements for Microsoft Office due to its high price. If you do not see what you want here, browse the office category by popularity. 1: LibreOffice Productivity Suite Designed to be an Office replacement it does an excellent job. The list of features is too long to go into here, so take a look. It is also available as the next beta as well as a portable version, something the other programs lack. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/LibreOffice_Productivity_Suite_d6644.html

2: OpenOffice.org For Windows Everything said about LibreOffice can also be said about OpenOffice.org. It has been around a long time and this is another one of those coin flips. OpenOffice.org is rated a tad higher if that makes a difference to you. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/OpenOffice.org_For_Windows_d3461.html

3: Tomahawk PDF+ This is a free version of their more feature filled product. You can create PDF and even export into different format. The dictionary, thesaurus and help files are all left out on this free version. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Tomahawk_PDF_d5871.html

4: AbiWord We always have people trying to figure out how to just get Microsoft Word on their computer. Here is a solution with AbiWord. It can do everything Microsoft Word does, integrates seamlessly and document you open or create are compatible with Microsoft Word. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/AbiWord_d5325.html

5: Notepad++ Microsoft Notepad included with Windows works. That's about it. Notepad++ allows you to have Notepad on steroids. It has a WYSIWYG interface and is handy for programmers including HTML, Java, PHP, Pascal, Perl and more. Download at: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Notepad_d4910.html

Very Honorable Mention: Many other cool downloads exist that we have grown to rely on so this category is our own selfish little section of programs we think you will love as well.

1: TeamViewer QuickSupport Got a friend who needs help with their computer or vice versa? With this simple no installation version of TeamViewer you simply run it and get a code to connect to and a password. I swear by this program and so will you. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/TeamViewer_QuickSupport_d6689.html

2: AI Roboform This program allows you to auto fill your passwords in web forms. It protects you if you hit a phishing link and can generate passwords so you can stop using your pets name and have a different, safe password everywhere you go. Free for 10 accounts which covers most of your important accounts. The new Roboform Desktop can be installed wherever you are with a master password. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/RoboForm_Desktop_d2428.html

3: SpeedGuide.net TCP Optimizer Having issues with your internet connection and suspect it is your Windows settings? This program can apply the optimal settings in your Windows registry as well as reset everything to default. If you are having trouble with your wireless performance check out How to Improve Your Wireless Network Performance. Modern operating systems handle the internet well out of the box but if you suspect your settings were changed then it gets no better than SpeedGuide.net TCP Optimizer. We have relied on it for as lng as we can remember. Download at: http://majorgeeks.com/SpeedGuide.net_TCP_Optimizer_d2104.html"> http://majorgeeks.com/SpeedGuide.net_TCP_Optimizer_d2104.html

Feedback and suggestions welcome at tim AT majorgeeks.com

Didn't find what you need? Here are some articles that you might find helpful:

 5 Ways to Use the Internet Safer  How to Make Your Computer Run Like New in 4 Easy Steps  How to Improve Your Wireless Network Performance  How to Optimize that New Computer  How to speed up that slow hard drive  Antivirus: Free Versus Shareware  How to Remove Older Versions of Java  Backup Your Computer with the Free Acronis True Image Western Digital & Seagate Editions