Best Freeware

Categories	Applications	Key Advantages
Internet
Browser	Firefox	customizable
Instant Messaging	Digsby	multi IM, email alerts
Anti Virus	AVG Anti Virus	against viruses and spyware
Download Manager	Gigaget	more than fast
P2P File Sharing /1	eMule	popular
P2P File Sharing /2	BitTorrent	access to rich media
Business & Finance
Office Suite	OpenOffice	open source, ISO standards
PDF Viewer	PDF-XChange Viewer	add highlights, comments
PDF Writer /1	BullZip PDF Printer	allow various settings
PDF Writer /2	CutePDF Writer	create PDF on the fly
PDF Tools /1	PDFill PDF Tools	merge, split, re-order, etc.
PDF Tools /2	Tweak PDF	modify document properties
Personal Info Manager	EssentialPIM	keep all your info
Personal Finance /1	GnuCash	double-entry accounting
Personal Finance /2	Money Manager Ex	simple and easy to use
Loan Calculator	JE Loan Calculator	handy and fast
Unit Converter	Convert	easy to use, customizable
Audio & Video
Media Player /1	RealPlayer	download flash video
Media Player /2	iTunes	cover-flow view
Media Player /3	1by1	play directly
MP3 Editor /1	mp3DirectCut	non-destructive cut
MP3 Editor /2	mpTrim	volume and fade change
Tag Editor	Mp3 Tag Tools	support lyrics and pictures
Media Converter	WM Converter	extremely easy to use
Image
Image Viewer/Editor /1	Photoscape	all-in-one
Image Viewer/Editor /2	XnView	fast and simple
Image Viewer/Editor /3	IrfanView	simple, powerful
Image Editor /1	Paint.NET	layers, special effects
Image Editor /2	PhotoFiltre	easy to use
Image Organizer	Picasa	organise and share
Screen Capture	FastStone Capture	powerful and lightweight
Color Picker	Color Cop	compact and powerful
Tools & Utilities
File Manager	FreeCommander	dual panes, zip & unzip
Archiver	IZArc	support many formats
Backup	SyncBack	backup and sync files
Encryption	AxCrypt	easy to use
Splitter	The File Splitter	split & join files for email
Font Viewer	AMP Font Viewer	quick overview
Dictionary	WordWeb	one-click, works off-line
Calendar	Rainlendar	support events and to do
Alarm Clock	Alarm Clock 4 Free	multiple alarms, snooze
Tray Clock	TClock Lite	a nice tweak
Windows Manager	XNeat Windows Manager	on-top, hide, transparent
Context Menu Editor	Fast Explorer	right click what you need
CD/DVD Burner	Burn4Free CD/DVD	support various drives
CD/DVD/BD Burner	Ashampoo Burning Studio	simple and intuitive
System Maintenance
Applications Launcher /1	Free Launch Bar	works with Quick Launch
Applications Launcher /2	Stardock ObjectDock	slick Mac interface
System Optimization	CCleaner	fast, multi functions
Startup Control /1	WinPatrol	remove/delay startup, etc
Startup Control /2	Ashampoo StartUp Tuner	tune startup & services
Uninstaller	Revo Uninstaller	fast, clear leftover
Memory Monitor	RAMPage	tiny yet useful
Software Development
Installer	Inno Setup	customizable setup
Computer Language	Visual Basic 2008 Express	simple, fun, easy to learn
Source Code Editor	Notepad++	support many codes
Icon Editor	IcoFX	all-in-one solutions

“ Right-Click What You Need! ”

Fast Explorer is a handy utility that will allow you to manage context menus items of file objects displayed in a file manager, such as Windows Explorer or Total Commander. With Fast Explorer you can create new menu items, submenus, dividers, specify menu bitmaps and hint text, and manage existing menu items added by other programs.

Fast Explorer is a very simple way to make your often used file actions quickly accessible. It handles both static and dynamic context menu items and can assist with even more…

For an ultimate control over dynamic context menu items added from within Fast Explorer you can define your own look & feel using the custom-drawing feature.

Fast Explorer-driven context menu items can be associated with any file type registered in Windows shell, including the wide range of predefined shell objects:

• All files;
• All files and file folders;
• All non-associated files;
• All folders;
• All file folders;
• File folder background;
• Entire network;
• All network shares;
• All network servers;
• All printers;
• All drives;
• Audio CD in drive;
• DVD drive

and a set of perceived types, like Image, Text, Audio, Video, Compressed, or System.

On the other hand, it’s pretty easy to detect and clean up orphaned context menu items or remove context menu items added by other applications or context menu extensions without manual digging in the Registry.

WinPatrol allows you to add, remove, disable or delay startup programs. In addition, it offers other features such as cleaning up Taskbar and ActiveX programs, monitoring and exposing adware, spyware, cookies and other malicious software.

This program puts you back in control of your computer. Its goal is to help you better understand what programs are running on your computer and to alert you to any new programs added without your permission.

It’s FREE and has been assisting computer users for over ten years.

WinPatrol was the pioneer in using a heuristic behavioral approach to detecting attacks and violations of your computing environment. Traditional security programs scan your hard drive searching for previously identified threats. WinPatrol takes snapshot of your critical system resources and alerts you to any changes that may occur without your knowledge.

Convert is a free and easy to use unit conversion program that will convert the most popular units of distance, temperature, volume, time, speed, mass, power, density, pressure, energy and many others, including the ability to create custom conversions.

Convert runs on the following operating systems:

• Windows 95
• Windows NT 4
• Windows 98
• Windows 98SE
• Windows ME
• Windows 2000
• Windows XP
• Windows 2003
• Windows Vista (32-bit & 64-bit)
• Linux/UNIX/anything that runs Wine

XNeat Windows Manager adds additional features to the Windows taskbar and system tray, that enables you to minimize any window to an icon in the system tray (instead of the taskbar), keep any window on top, set a custom transparency level, and also hide any window or tray icon.

Furthermore, the program allows you to re-arrange the order of the taskbar buttons by simply dragging them around.

XNeat Windows Manager integrates into the right-click menu of the taskbar and system tray. It also allows you to change the taskbar appearance by hiding the Start button, system clock and other elements.

Features:

• Taskbar sorter that arranges taskbar buttons
• Keep windows always on top of other windows
• Send any window to the system tray
• Make any window transparent
• Tweak the taskbar appearance
• Hide any window
• Switch active window faster
• Improves productivity by making frequently-used applications faster to locate

WinPatrol allows you to add, remove, disable or delay startup programs. In addition, it offers other features such as cleaning up Taskbar and ActiveX programs, monitoring and exposing adware, spyware, cookies and other malicious software.

This program puts you back in control of your computer. Its goal is to help you better understand what programs are running on your computer and to alert you to any new programs added without your permission.

It’s FREE and has been assisting computer users for over ten years.

WinPatrol was the pioneer in using a heuristic behavioral approach to detecting attacks and violations of your computing environment. Traditional security programs scan your hard drive searching for previously identified threats. WinPatrol takes snapshot of your critical system resources and alerts you to any changes that may occur without your knowledge.

The award-winning Web browser is now faster, more secure, and fully customizable to your online life.

With Firefox 3, we’ve added powerful new features that make your online experience even better.

Features:

• Compatible with modern Web pages and technologies
• Active security features and the industry’s fastest response times
• Thousands of free ways to personalize your online experience
• Superior speed and performance
• 100% free and open source software
• Password Manager
• One-Click Bookmarking
• Improved Performance
• Smart Location Bar
• Instant Web Site ID
• Full Zoom
• Platform- Native look & feel

Download (7.15MB)

Firefox with a nice add-on Past Modern theme

The File Splitter is a free Windows program that will split any file into pieces of any size and later combine the pieces to form the original file.

This is particularly useful if you want to email someone a file that is larger than the maximum size allowed in an email message, or if you want to upload a file larger than the limit for each upload.

New Features:

• Files up to about 9 billion gigabytes can be split. The previous limit was 4 gigabytes.
• A .exe file is produced to combine the pieces, instead of a batch file.
• The file to split can be dragged-and-dropped from Windows Explorer.

TClock Lite allows you to modify the clock on the taskbar in Windows. TClock Lite is a simple and updated version of TClock, made from TClock2ch that was originated by volunteers.

It provides all the benefits of the original clock as well as many enhancements and a number of useful additional features.

Features:

• A tiny footprint and does not require installation
• Display and customise calendar, time
• Customise Start Button and Start Menu
• Built-in alarm

Setting example:

1. Right click on your TClock Lite on your toolbar, and go to TClock properties.
2. Go to clock and expand the file.
3. Go to format, set to 12H.
4. Select Customise format, change it to ddd, mmm dd \n h:nn tt
5. Click apply, TClock Lite will show up as follows:

Sun, Jun 29
11:30 AM