Windows applications
This list is categorized into the following groups:
System Utilities
Browser Tools
Email Tools
Download Tools
Graphics Tools
Search Tools
Networking Tools
Security / Privacy Tools
Office Applications
Miscellaneous
System Utilities
SyncBack — Easily back-up, restore, and synchronise files and directories, whether they be on a local drive, a network drive, an FTP server, a ZIP archive, or on removable media. Great for users with a notebook for work and a desktop system at home. Automatically keeps newer versions of files syncronized between computers! Highly configurable, highly recommended. FREEWARE, but please donate if you find the program useful: Donate via PayPal
Cobian Backup 5 — a small and simple utility to backup files and directories from some place in your computer to another place in the same computer or to a shared drive in another machine. You can set the program to automatically make a backup within regular intervals of time, for example daily, weekly, etc. Cobian Backup offers additional support for ZIP compression and can be run as a service (in the background) under NT/2000/XP. The program uses very few resources. FREEWARE / OPEN-SOURCE.
ClocX — ClocX is a truly beautiful analog clock enhancement for your desktop. You can choose from a wide variety of styles, all of them high quality and very attractive. You can also use it to run one-time or recurring alarms, that can play a sound file, launch a message box or run an application of your choice. In addition, the program offers features like antialiasing, transparency, click through, calendar display, customizable priority and more. If you never thought you'd need a desktop clock, ClocX may change your mind! Additional image packs are on the download page linked above... Screenshot here, but doesn't do it justice. Yes, I know it looks like the picture was taken on a Mac; there is a surprising number of PC users who wish to make their plain-jane Windows machines look like something else… FREEWARE.
WindowBlinds — WindowBlinds gives Windows a fully "skinnable" user interface. You can change the style of title bars, buttons, the Start bar, toolbars and much more. It gives you total control over your graphical user interface. Screenshot here, but doesn't do it justice. TRIALWARE - Buy it here if you decide to keep it - $19.95 USD.
Web Browser Tools
ieSpell — a free Internet Explorer browser extension that spell checks text input boxes on a webpage. It should come in particularly handy for users who do a lot of web-based text entry (e.g. web mails, forums, blogs, diaries). Even if your web application already includes spell checking functionality, you might still want to install this utility because it is definitely much faster than a server-side solution. Plus you get to store and use your personal word list across all your applications, instead of maintaining separate ones on each application. FREEWARE for personal use only; commercial users, see this page to calculate the cost per PC.
Google Toolbar — click on link to learn more.
AI RoboForm — AI RoboForm is a free password manager and one-click web form filler with some serious Artificial Intelligence. Consider this the perfect replacement for Claria (was Gator), as there is NO adware, NO spyware, and requires NO registration. Very well behaved with all browsers including those listed below. FREEWARE for personal use, TRIALWARE for 30 days for commercial use (after trial period, full Pro version available for businesses for $29.95 USD).
Mozilla — Web-browser built for 2004, with advanced e-mail and newsgroup client, IRC chat client, and HTML editing made simple &mdash all your Internet needs in one application. Arguably the best web browser available, it sports a built-in popup blocker, tabbed browsing uses less taskbar space, its standards conformity beats Internet Explorer by a mile, loads pages quicker, and doesn't have 1/100th the security holes! Image Manager lets you control image rendering to block offensive images or to speed up the rendering of web sites. Built-in email client is clean and easy to learn, with built-in anti-spam filters (Bayesian). There's too much going for this program; I can't stop talking about it, and it's at the top of my list of all-time best programs to turn people on to. FREEWARE / OPEN-SOURCE.
Avant Browser — Don't like the idea of leaving your precious Internet Explorer behind? Can't blame you, and neither can these guys… Avant Browser can be best described as a custom web browser application. Avant Browser is a standalone application designed to expand services provided by Microsoft Internet Explorer, so it's 100% code-compatible with IE; it uses parts of IE for its own purposes (Mozilla is built from the underpinnings of the Netscape Navigator browser). Because of this, you MUST have IE 5.5 or newer installed (XP has IE 6.0 already installed). But you get tabbed browsing, built-in Google/Yahoo searchbar, popup blocking, and more! Worth upgrading your IE for… FREEWARE, but donate if you're feeling guilty.
Email Tools
Downloading Tools
Graphics Tools
Search Engine Tools
Google Toolbar — Best way to get rid of popups in Internet Explorer, and gives you a great search bar to boot! Easily accessible, easily configured, and easy to get rid of if you don't like it. Requires Internet Explorer 5.0 or later for search options; IE 5.5 or later for popup blocking feature. Runs in all versions of Windows from Win 95 and up. Mac OS X users, you don't need it if you use Apple's Safari browser; it's built-in. Try it out, it's FREEWARE!
Networking Tools
Security & Privacy Tools
avast! Antivirus for Windows — This is my favorite FREE antivirus product for the Windows platform. It's fast, has a good interface, easy to set up and use, protects all email accounts on your system, auto-updates when it detects an internet connection… You just can't go wrong with it! Note that the free version is for home or non-profit use only, and the company asks that you register on the website (quick and painless, and I haven't received any spam by doing so after ten months). Works on Windows 95 and up. FREEWARE for personal use only (requires free registration); commercial users, see this page to purchase inexpensive licenses (this is for workstations only; call me for licensing costs on servers).
AdAware — The defacto standard in adware and spyware removal on the Windows platform. There are three versions: AdAware (Standard)(free requires manual scan), Plus (adds real-time monitoring and blocking for $26.95), and Professional (more for network scanning, added plugins for servers, $39.95). Free version is for home use only; businesses can buy the Plus or Pro versions in single or multiple license packs. Works on Windows 98 and up.
iI System Sweeper — Use this program to "clean up" a system. Clears all browser histories, temp files, cookies, auto-fill information, and on and on and on! After running this app, you'd never know someone had used the computer to surf. FREEWARE! NOTE: Direct link to author's site didn't seem to be working right, so I've linked to the project page at SnapFiles.com temporarily.
Kaspersky AntiVirus Personal — Currently the best antivirus program available. Half the size of Norton AV and McAfee AV, faster scanning, more accurate, incredibly helpful 24/7 customer support and an easy-to-navigate interface. With all of these pros, what must the cons be like? I haven't seen any. $34.95 buys the program every year, unlike Norton which charges upwards of $70 for the program (with a one-year subscription to updates) and $25 every year for extending your subscription. With Kaspersky, you get the newest program every year, which is for the best. NOTE: The above link goes to RegNow (Digital River), which I have affiliated my company with, allowing me to sell over 25,000 items from different companies. It's the same price as if you purchased directly from Kaspersky, and you're still fully supported by the company! For a 30-day trial download, click here: Kaspersky AV Personal Trial
Office Applications
OpenOffice.org — a full-featured, open source office productivity application suite which includes components for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, data charting, formula editing, PDF creation and file conversion facilities (including those for Microsoft Office formats). Essentially, it's the free open-source answer to Microsoft's Office Suite. OpenOffice.org is the open source project through which Sun Microsystems has released the technology for the popular StarOffice[tm] Productivity Suite. All of the StarOffice source code is available under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) as well as the Sun Industry Standards Source License (SISSL). Sun is participating as a member of the OpenOffice.org community. It's highly cross-platform (Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, BSD, Solaris, etc.) and truly the most internationalized office suite in existence. More documentation available here. FREEWARE / OPEN-SOURCE !