Ken's Awesome Freeware Guide

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS TOPIC. BECAUSE IT'S SO LONG, AND HOW I ORGANIZED IT, IT IS CLOSED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. TO LEAVE COMMENTS, PLEASE VISIT MY FREEWARE C&C TOPIC.

ALL ARE WINDOWS XP COMPATIBLE. IF YOU'RE USING VISTA, I HOLD NO RESPONSIBILITY IF YOU USE THESE WHETHER YOU ARE USING XP OR VISTA. USE THEM AT YOUR OWN RISK! IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO YOUR PC DUE TO ONE OF THE PROGRAMS HERE, I AM NOT HELD ACCOUNTED FOR. PLEASE RESEARCH IF THEY ARE COMPATIBLE.

Okay peoples, here's my awesome topic on some very cool freewares. I'd like to make this topic out to slayer766. He's the reason I learned how to do Javascript and much more. I know it was annoying for him to teach a newbie like me but he did help, a lot. So thanks slayer. This is for you and TCZ.

Okay, now this is MY LIST so don't be bitchy about anything here. If you don't like it, move on. Heck I'm not forcing you to read all this. Please exit this topic if you so wish. I'll even link you - Return to the Main Forum. Now that we got that out of the way, I'd like to say that some programs are so obvious like firefox, but they're posted here because they're just so good at what they do. And others are ones either you've never heard of or they're just here in case someone likes it. If you think something should be added to the list, post it in the Freeware C&C topic and if it's okay with you, I may add it to my post. I will give you credit for posting it. But please follow my format if you are going to do that. Also, there will be a Version History at the bottom of this post so if I ever add new programs, just look down there. It'll have the date and program with the link. So it's a very well organized system.

Please note that all the freewares will come with a DIRECT download link, so if you want more information than what I have given, google it. And please do read what I have to say. I spent a lot of time on this and well, it'll be helpful for you to read it before you download it. You only have to read it once to know what the program does.

The format I use is as follows:

Type of program: Program name [Direct Download Link]
Rating: My rating out of 10. (Yes, it's my rating, so butt off. If you don't like it, too bad.)
Description of the program and what it does.

Quick Browsing:

• Graphics/Games: These are softwares programs that either make graphics, enhance graphics or they are just fun games for you to play. Most of the games in here are pretty cool and are 3-D.
• Internet Utility: These are softwares for the Internet, such as browsers, download managers, IM clients, etc.. I know this is just my sorting, but some programs here will also be listed in the Utility department because they can be both. And it may be more convenient for you.
• Media Utility: These are softwares related to music, videos, movies etc.. These softwares will also be listed under the Utility department, but this is just for quick referencing Media Utilities.
• PC Utility: These are softwares that benefits the PC in its performance and maintenance such as anti-virus programs and registry beneficial programs. If you're looking for programs that protects and looks out for you PC and what it's doing, then this is the place you want to go.
• Utility: These are softwares that are either really cool or very helpful to get certain tasks done. These are NOT softwares related to the computer's performance or maintenance.

Version History:

• 07.31.2007
  - Internet Utility -> Anti-Phishing: Comodo VerificationEngine
  - Internet Utility -> Cookies: Expired Cookies Cleaner
  
• 07.18.2007
  - Internet Utility -> P2P Client: FrostWire
  - Internet Utility -> Forum: phpBB3.0 RC3
  - Internet Utility -> Forum: SMF
  
• 07.16.2007
  - Guide Posted.

Graphics/Games    [Back to Top]

• Game: and yet it moves [Download and yet it moves]
  Rating: 10/10
  "and yet it moves" is a puzzle game where you want to get to the end of a level with the help of rotating the world 90 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise. Once rotated, you must adapt to the new environment as a lot has changed. Also, you can die if you jump too high down or get squashed. Get to the end of the level without dying so much and you can submit a high score!
• Graphics: Autostitch [Download Autostitch]
  Rating: 10/10
  For all those people who want to combine two or more pictures smoothly, use Autostitch. It can help you bind two or more pictures together to make one whole picture as though they were never separates. How cool is that? And you don't have to do anything hard. The program has all the functions you need.
• Game: Ballistic [Download Ballistic]
  Rating: 10/10
  Ballistic is a 3-D puzzle game in 2-D perspective. You start out with a ball(s) and you try to rotate the entire world and use gravity to get the ball over to the teleporter before the clock runs out. If like a challenging puzzle game, here's one for ya. Also, hitting objects does affect gravity and other stuff. That gives it a nice twist. Before I close this, I'll put down a the controls as one is not listed in the game.
  Rotate Left - Q, Left Arrow, or Left Mouse button.
  Rotate Right - E, Right Arrow, or Right Mouse button.
  Zoom out - W, Up Arrow, ScrollWheelDown
  Bump/Push - Spacebar, Down arrow.
  Change Focus (if have multiple balls left to collect)- Tab
• Game: Base Invaders [Download Base Invaders]
  Rating: 10/10
  Base Invaders is an awesome 3-D game where you build your defense and trying to take out as many threats as you can. There are a variety of weapons and to see them all and what they do, click here. Other than that, I'll let you experiment and have fun. Note: this file is about 35 MB.
• PC Writer: Desk Marker [Download Desk Marker]
  Rating: 7/10
  Desk Marker allows you to draw on your Windows Desktop screen. Say you want to make a tutorial on how to do something. Well you can actually use this to write on your desktop or circle certain parts with different colors. You can also leave yourself a nice note on your desktop so you don't forget to do that task or something. Just use your mouse to write. Quite cool. It's not too useful for me, but Desk Marker may be for you. I prefer the Desktop Messager over this. Check below for that. And if you're new to this, please download this as well - Sci-Fi Classic
• PC Writer: Desktop Messager [Download Desktop Messager]
  Rating: 9/10
  This is a very sexy program. Way better than Desk Marker. It has all the same functions as Desk Marker. You can write on your desktop or leave a note for yourself. The best part about this program that Desk Marker doesn't have is a record button. You can make a quick video tutorial using Desktop Messager by circling and pointing out how to do certain things. Great for a photoshop tutorial etc. The record and playback feature makes this program a very good and useful one.
• Game: Future Pinball [Download Future Pinball]
  Rating: 10/10
  Future Pinball allows you to customize your own pinball game. It has objects for you to choose from and all you have to do is use them. Place them down and test it out. Make your own Pinball game and play it. How great is that!?
• Game: GAMMA BROS [Play/Download GAMMA BROS]
  Rating: 9/10
  GAMMA BROS is a pixelated game featuring two characters who need to get home to earth for dinner after a day in space (near Jupiter). Their mission is to get back safely, but obviously there will be enemies and troubles ahead. The spaceship they are on has a built-in lazer weapon which can be upgraded as you get deeper into the game. This game is similar to games like Centipede, Galaxian, etc. It starts out boring, but it gets really interesting and really hard. You can play this game online or download it.
• Graphics: GIMP [Download GIMP]
  Rating: 10/10
  The closest competition to Photoshop as far as freewares go. GIMP is not as complicated as Photoshop at first and although it has the ability to make great graphics, it's not as popular nor as powerful as Photoshop. But with experienced GIMP users, they can make really good graphics that appears to be made from Photoshop. GIMP is one graphics program that will be recognized.
• Graphics: IcoFX [Download IcoFX]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is the mother of all icon creation program. It has great resources for creating and editing icons. 3-D icons that is. Well I really enjoy it and there's not much to say about it. You just gotta try it.
• Game: Little Fighter 2 [Download Little Fighter 2]
  Rating: 9/10
  Little Fighter 2 is like a mix of Mortal Combat and Street Fighter. I simply just love this game. It takes place in a wrestling ring and there are different modes - one player up to a dozen. I just like fighting games. This is also like Streets of Rage, except there are no streets and enemies don't pop out at random.
• Graphics: PhotoFiltre [Download PhotoFiltre]
  Rating: 7/10
  One of the best free graphics program out there. The look resembles that of Photoshop. It has some cool Filters, some from Photoshop. But unlike Photoshop, this program loads very fast. The bad news for this is that it doesn't support layers and Photoshop filters.
• Animation: Pivot Stickfigure Animator [Download Pivot Stickfigure Animator]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is a really cool stickfigure animator. If you like making easy animations with stickfigures, then this is definitely a program for you.
• Game: Samorost [Play Samorost]
  Rating: 10/10
  A really cool game. There's nothing really tricky about it, but you just try to click on something with your mouse and make a chain of events that would unfold. It's like an RPG game where you have to do one thing or talk to one person before advancing. This game will sure keep you on your seat, for a while.
• 3-D Graphics: SketchUp [Download SketchUp]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is for all you people who wants do make 3-D graphics. Well here's the perfect program for you. You can make houses, landscape, etc. all in 3-D. I haven't used this myself, but I've tested it. You don't have to be a graphic genius or a graphic pro to use this program. It's fairly simple.
• Game: Soldat [Download Soldat]
  Rating: 10/10
  Soldat is like a popular game named "Worms." If you liked that game, Soldat is just like it except you're not worms. Anyways this is a great 2-D shooting game. Not much to say if you played Worms.
• Graphics: Text-Image Converter [Text-Image Converter]
  Rating: 9/10
  This is NOT a download. It's a site that converts a picture int ASCII format. It's pretty cool. It's free, so here it is. Give it a try.
• Game: The Battle for Wesnoth [Download The Battle for Wesnoth]
  Rating: 10/10
  A great tactics game. It's almost like Fire Emblem if you ever played it. You travel around the map and you fight all these people to reclaim the throne of Wesnoth. This game consists of several units which you can control, many weapons from swords and axes to spells, character traits - health, attack, defense, etc. - different units and promotion, day and night time terrain (at night, the forest is a good defense place), and much more. It's also like Final Fantasy Tactics.
• Game: Toblo [Download Toblo]
  Rating: 10/10
  I love this game. Toblo is a 3-D capture the flag game. You basically run/walk around and trying to capture the flag before your opponent. You use the world as your weapon, literally. If you see a building, destroy it and pick up a 3-D block from that building and throw it. It's very fun. The graphics are awesome too. Also depends on what graphics card you have.
• Game: Unification Wars [Play Unification Wars]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is NOT a download. It's a site where you register and play the game. You start out controlling certain planets and your job is to gain control of all the other planets and the galaxy. Heck, if George Bush can manage the United States, you can manage the entire galaxy easily. Anyways, there are over 700,000 members playing this game. The load time of the game is pretty fast.
• Game: Urban Terror [Download ioUT | Download Urban Terror]
  Rating: 10/10
  Urban Terror is a one person shooting game. It runs on a Quake 3 engine. You are REQUIRED to download both of the files I linked above if you don't have the Quake 3 engine. If you do, then just download the Urban Terror file and not the ioUT. It has great graphics and pretty cool weapons. I love shooting games, so if you like shooting games too, grab this.
• Game: Xenon 2000 [Download Xenon 2000]
  Rating: 10/10
  Xenon 2000 is an awesome shooting game located in space. The graphics in this program are very good! It's quite excellent actually. The only thing I had trouble with was discerning the objects in the background and the objects that are real in the game. Other than that, this game is really sweet and it's not even that big in size - about 15 MB. And I like shooting games.

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Internet Utility    [Back to Top]

• IM Client: AIM [Download AIM]
  Rating: 9/10
  A very popular IM client. A lot of people already have it so I don't need to say much for this one. If you have friends you know who goes on AIM, grab this.
• IM Client: aMSN [Download aMSN]
  Rating: 9/10
  This is a very good MSN client for those who uses MSN/WLM alone. So far WLM doesn't allow tabbed windows, but aMSN sure does. It also has some useful plugins, skins and other features. Google them to find out. Also, it keeps most of the WLM features so you don't miss out on much. I think it disabled on drawing, but I'm not sure. I haven't used it, but from what the features say, it's great. I mean, you can even sign in to more than one account at once! Now that's great. Of course, again, I have Trillian/Pidgin, so I don't use these much, but don't let that stop you from trying them out.
• Torrent: Azureus [Download Azureus]
  Rating: 9/10 (with Azureus Ultra Accelerator: 10/10)
  Azureus is a very good Torrent application. It's very complicated and has A LOT of features and functions, but it's very good. I have one and I love it. To make it even better, grab the Azureus Ultra Accelerator below to speed up the download by 2 or more.
• Azureus Plug-In: Azureus Ultra Accelerator [Download Azureus Ultra Accelerator]
  Rating: 10/10
  It increases the download speed of all downloads in Azureus. That's pretty much it. It's very lightweight and you don't have to manage it. Just run it and box it out. It doesn't fully close when you box it out. It'll still run in your system tray. So leave it alone and let it do its magic.
• Media Downloader: Biennesoft Downloader [Download Biennesoft Downloader]
  Rating: 9/10
  This software is for people who wants to download videos or music from YouTube, MySpace and Google and then convert them to your iPod, PSP, Cell phone, or just have them on your computer. First, this program downloads the file as FLV and then converts it to your selected format. Give it a try.
• Torrent: BitComet [Download BitComet]
  Rating: 9/10
  BitComet is a very powerful torrent application coded in C++. It has the same use as Azureus and that is to help you download large files of about 100+ MB faster. It's just another P2P file-sharing software. I prefer Azureus, but you may prefer this instead.
• Anti-Phishing: Comodo VerificationEngine [Download Comodo VerificationEngine]
  Rating: 10/10
  Comodo VerificationEngine is an on-line fraud protection software. It identifies whether a site is fake or authentic. You may think that it's not too useful to have a anti-phishing software since there aren't too many chances you'll be in huge trouble due to a fake site, but then again, things do happen when you least expect it so it's always good to be on your guard.
• Cookies: Expired Cookies Cleaner [Donwload Expired Cookies Cleaner]
  Rating: 9/10
  This is for all you IE lovers, and to some who don't like IE. This software cleans up all the unused cookies in IE. So for those who uses IE, this is great! And for those who don't use IE, you may want to give this program a one-time run just to clean up all the unused cookies in your IE registry and hard drive and then delete or uninstall it.
• Browser: FastBrowser [Download FastBrowser]
  Rating: 7.5/10
  Well like its name says, FastBrowser is probably the fastest browser in existent. It's stated that it can load 180 web pages at the same time. It also has some cool features such as: tabbed windows, voice function to speak a web page contents, multi-language translations, website scans, link filters, and group workings to have multi-homepages opening at the same time. If you like how that sounds, get it. If you're one of those IE 7.0 people, this is definitely a plus over that. I never actually used it and I'm not sure how safe it is, but it's as safe or safer than IE 7.0. I rated this by the features it offers.
• Browser: Firefox [Download Firefox]
  Rating: 10/10
  If you haven't heard of Firefox by now, chances are you haven't heard of any of my other programs, that's for sure. Firefox is practically the best browser and with its extentions, it can get even better. With enabled tab browsing, a built-in session saver, themes and extentions, Firefox can be customized for almost anyone to use. And it's rated as one of the safest browser ever; although the credits go to the extentions that provide all the maximum protection.
• Download Manager: FlashGet [Download FlashGet]
  Rating: 9/10
  This is, in my opinion, the best download manager for Windows. It optimizes the speed by a lot so it's very useful for downloading multiple big files. I must say, I love this software. I know browsers come with one and well movie files come in torrent format, but this one is very, very good.
• P2P Client: FrostWire [Download FrostWire]
  Rating: 9/10
  FrostWire is another P2P Client. Share files with people and download a file you want - songs, pictures, videos etc. Also, a really cool thing about FrostWire is that it has firewall-to-firewall transfers, which other P2P clients don't. Your PC firewall doesn't work against P2P sharing, so it's good to have a firewall right there pre-installed.
• GMail: GMail Drive [Download GMail Drive]
  Rating: 10/10
  GMail Drive puts a new virtual hard drive into your My Computer. Inside, you can drag in files onto the GMail Drive and it will e-mail it to your GMail account for you to download. So do you want a quicker way or a more convenient way, use this GMail Drive.
• File-Sharing: Gnucleus [Download Gnucleus]
  Rating: 8/10
  A file-sharing program, but it's the only one that supports the G2 network, which is the future of open protocol P2P. It's a very good Gnutella search and download filesharing program. Try it out.
• Notebook: Google Notebook
  Rating: 10/10
  No download link!? What is this? Well Google Notebook is accessible only by logging into Google. You can log into your Gmail account if you have one. After that, you can browse through Google's features to find it or Click Here. This is only compatible with IE and Firefox. You will have to download an extension. After that, it's like note-taking. Highlight a block of words and right click and click on "Note This (Google Notepad)." You can do the same with images. It's great for research assignments, especially school work. I hate writing stuff down, especially just little stuff. And what's even better is for each clipping, it has the link saved so you can visit that site again. The best!
• P2P: Limewire [Download Limewire]
  Rating: 10/10
  Limewire is a P2P file-sharing application. You can share files or download files such as songs, videos, pictures, almost anything. I mostly use it to download songs and sometimes videos. It's a pretty good P2P application. If you manage to get a good connection with someone, a standard 4 MB song should take less than 3 minutes to fully download, at least for me. Your internet connection does affect that.
• Browser: Opera [Download Opera]
  Rating: 9/10
  Opera is a very decent browser. Although it doesn't have all the cool extentions Firefox has, it's still a very good browser. I would say it's the second best browser, Firefox being the first. Well there is an upside to Opera. It's very lightweight and it doesn't take up a lot of CPU and memory usage space. It takes up about half the usage space Firefox takes up and Opera loads web pages much faster than Firefox, even with its Fasterfox extention. So if you're just doing research, Opera is the way to go. It has tabbed windows too and it's very fast on loading web pages. However, if you're more into media, then Firefox is the way to go because Opera isn't as script-friendly and media-friendly as Firefox is. I guess that's why message boards say that they are best viewed in Firefox dued to all the scripts and codes.
• Forum: phpBB3 RC3 [Download phpBB3.0 RC3]
  Rating: 10/10
  I know it's unstable, but it's quite stable. Everyone who tested it would say it's quite stable. phpBB3 is by far better than SMF. phpBB3 has better specific permissions for almost anything you can think of. And the skins for phpBB are quite good. The ACP has tabs like IPB for easy maintenance. It also has group leaders pre-installed so you can assign people to be group leaders. Such a great feature. You can also view the board from the ACP. I simply love phpBB3.0. Once it's stable, SMF is going down.
• IM Client: Pidgin [Download Pidgin]
  Rating: 10/10
  Just call Pidgin to do the job! It has practically all clients working for it - AIM, MSN, Yahoo, Google Talk, ICQ, IRC, Zephyr, QQ, SILC, and many more. This is probably the best IM Client ever. And the best part, you can be signed on to all of them at once! How great is that!? Well grab it and I guarantee you won't be diappointed.
• Programming: PSPad Editor [Download PSPad Editor]
  Rating: 8/10
  This is a very good programmer's pad. It supports most popular programming languages. There are two unique things about this software that stands out to me: 1) it has a built-in hex editor and; 2) it has a built in FTP client so you can edit files through PSPad. I love the number 2 feature because I hate downloading the files off the server, edit it and then reupload them. I would edit it right off the FTP Client, but Notepad and WordPad settings are different. So this is a very good programmer's pad with the FTP client built-in.
• Chat Client: Skype [Download Skype]
  Rating: 10/10
  Skype is a new way to chat with your friends across the Internet. You can make phone calls using Skype and if your friends are using Skype too, it's completely free to make phone calls, especially if they live in a different continent. You can also import all your friends' hotmail, gmail and yahoo account in Skype. Lastly, you can send money using PayPal with Skype and send video snapshots. It's a pretty cool program.
• FTP Client: SmartFTP [Download SmartFTP]
  Rating: 9/10
  It's definitely a really good FTP client. It's free and has all the functions you need in a FTP client. If you don't know what a FTP client does, then you don't need to worry about it. But just in case you want to know, it provides a very simple and convenient way for you to upload multiple files onto your domain/host by just dragging and dropping the files onto the FTP client. Yes, I was talking about websites.
• Forum: SMF [Download SMF]
  Rating: 8/10
  SMF (Simple Machine Forums) is a decent free forum software. So far, SMF has been number one in the free software column for forums for many years now. SMF is a simple forum software and installing mods in SMF is very easy via the ACP. Also, SMF has some very interesting mods that all you have to do is download the mod and let it install itself. A very decent program. Even though SMF will be overlooked when phpBB3.0 Final is released, it is still undoubtedly one of the best free forum softwares in existence.
• Browser: SpaceTime [Download SpaceTime]
  Rating: 10/10
  Welcome to the future of web browsing. SpaceTime configures your browser to be in a space interface, that way, if you have multiple windows opened, some will fade into the background as though your computer had levels in the background. It's so awesome! Got to see it for yourself. I recommend it on Firefox as it's just an extension so if you don't like it, just uninstall it.
• Email: Thunderbird [Download Thunderbird]
  Rating: 10/10
  It's better than Outlook. If you like to have quick access to your email and saving emails to your hard drives, then Thunderbird is great. You can sign in multiple accounts as well. It's a great way to keep track of all your emails.
• IM Client: Trillian [Download Trillian]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is one of my favorite IM Clients. It has a built-in AIM, MSN, ICQ, and Yahoo clients so you can be signed on to multiple IM clients at the same time. It also has tabbed windows enabled so they don't clog up your taskbar. It is definitely a really cool program. I love it. Although if you want a program that supports more IM clients, check out Pidgin.
• Browser: uBrowser [Download uBrowser]
  Rating: 10/10
  Don't let the name stupify you. Not sure if stupify is a word, but whatever. Anyways, uBrowser makes your webpages into 3-D geometric shapes such that when you change your webpage, it'll spin around 3-D like. Quite awesome! It's such a cool-looking browser. If you're someone who likes cool things, grab this!
• Torrent: uTorrent [Download uTorrent]
  Rating: 9/10
  uTorrent is another torrent application. It's pretty lightweight and takes up very little CPU usage memory. That's always a plus. Other than that, it has the same function as all the other Torrent applications.
• IM Client: Windows Live Messenger [Download WLM]
  Rating: 10/10
  I love WLM. It's practically the only messenger I always use. If you're a MSN person and have people on MSN to chat to, WLM is the way to go. Please, whatever you do, do not use the pre-installed MSN Messenger your computer came with. That one is very lame.
• Blogger: Windows Live Writer [Download Windows Live Writer]
  Rating: 10/10
  If you're someone who uses Blogger or Wordpress for making a site, then you must get this. It supports A LOT of blogging services so don't worry about the type you use. It allows you to make entries onto your blog site, but obviously with good features. Duh! It lets you publish it whenever you're ready and it has a few plugins to make it better. One is tags. But I love how it lets me download the site's CSS so I can edit it at will. It's such a great blogging program. It looks just like MS Word with all the features right there for you to use.
• IRC Client: X-Chat 2 [Download X-Chat 2]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is a very good IRC Client. Although I never used it, it's quite well known, or not. If you're into IRC much, then you probably don't know this program. Anyways, I haven't used it before since Pidgin holds it, but I've heard it's pretty good.

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Media Utility    [Back to Top]

• Media Downloader: Biennesoft Downloader [Download Biennesoft Downloader]
  Rating: 9/10
  This software is for people who wants to download videos or music from YouTube, MySpace and Google and then convert them to your iPod, PSP, Cell phone, or just have them on your computer. First, this program downloads the file as FLV and then converts it to your selected format. Give it a try.
• Media Ripper: BookEnc [Download BookEnc]
  Rating: 10/10
  There were times that I really needed a FREE software to convert media files from one type to another. Well BookEnc is great! It also supports ID3 tagging.
• Media Player: Democracy [Download Democracy]
  Rating: 9/10
  This is the best media player ever, and frankly it's the only one you'll need. It plays almost every media format. It can also be used to download videos from YouTube etc and you can watch TV on it. It's the best! I have it, and I love it. The only bad thing about it is it has a pretty slow startup time. That's why I deducted 1 point from my rating. Other than that, it's the best!
• Media Transfer: Floola [Download Floola]
  Rating: 10/10
  Floola lets you transfer media files from and to your iPod without iTunes. I simply love this program. When you transfer a media file to your iPod, there's really no way to find it back and put that file back on your PC, but with Floola, you can. Well you can try to find the file in your iPod, but it's going to be really hard. And if you got a song from a friend and wanted it on your PC as well as on your iPod, Floola lets you. iTunes alone, doesn't, or at least I don't know how to do that.
• Media Converter: iPod Video Converter [Download iPod Video Converter]
  Rating: 8/10
  It's an 8 because I don't have much use for it, but you might. It converts all video files into iPod-friendly. I don't put much videos on my iPod so I don't use it much. But if you're someone who are, then grab this.
• Media Player: iTunes [Download iTunes]
  Rating: 10/10
  iTunes, one of the most famous, if not the most famous media player around. You need it for your iPod and well it's a very good media player. I'm not sure what else there is to say. I simply like it.
• Media Creator: Krut PC Recorder [Download Krut PC Recorder]
  Rating: 10/10
  Ever want to record what you're doing on your computer? No, well what about making a tutorial. It's simpler than writing it down. Well, if you do, then grab this. It'll record all that you're doing on your PC. Great for photoshop tutorials. ^_^
• Media Ripper: Media Coder [Download Media Coder]
  Rating: 10/10
  If you like ripping CDs and DVDs, then this is your program. It rips CDs and DVDs really well and I use it occassionally. And even better, it can convert media formats to tons of other formats.
• Media Slide Show: Slide Show Movie Maker [Download SSMM]
  Rating: 9.5/10
  This is a pretty cool Slide Show Movie Maker. It allows you to make a slide show movie using your pictures and convert all that into a .avi movie. It also has a cool fade in and fade out function. It's pretty unique and useful for some people.

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PC Utility    [Back to Top]

• Anti-Adware Ad-Aware SE [Download Ad-Aware SE]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is a must have. Adwares are one of the most annoying threats to your PC. It has the ability to damage files, KILL YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION, and send out information. Ad-Aware is a free software that scans your computer for threats - cookies, spywares, adwares, etc. and remove them from your PC. I strongly recommend you getting this software for adwares and adwares alone and let another anti-spyware program to take care of spywares.
• PC Care: Advanced WindowsCare [Download Advanced WindowsCare]
  Rating: 10/10
  This a pretty useful program. It provides protection against spyware, adware, and other threats. It also has a built-in scanner for spyware and adware. I can also do a privacy cleanup such as temporary files and fix invalid registry entries. It can also optimize Windows performance. Lastly, it has a built-in System Restore. This is a very useful program and is recommended for everyone.
• Defragmenter: Auslogics DiskDefrag [Download Auslogics DiskDefrag]
  Rating: 10/10
  Your hard drive(s) is(are) one of the slowest components in your computer. It runs and opens files really slow, so you don't need to slow it down any further by having files all over the place. That would take the computer longer to find and open up a file. Disk defragmenting your computer regularily can help speed up your computer's performance. So why get a new software when Windows already has one pre-installed? Well Windows' disk defragmenter is very slow. You know that's true if you ever ran it. So here's Auslogics'. Auslogics' Disk Defragmenter is a lot faster than your Windows defragmenter.
• Defragmenter: Auslogics RegDefrag [Download Auslogics RegDefrag]
  Rating: 10/10
  Like your hard drive(s), your registry requires defragmenting too. There may be thousands of scattered entries in the registry that you like never clean. Some uninstall programs may still exist in the registry. By defragmenting your registry, you can boost your PC performance. Please note that you may have to restart your computer after this process.
• Anti-Virus: avast! [Download avast!]
  Rating: 9/10
  Don't ask me why they named this program with a lowercased 'a.' Anyways, this is a very good anti-virus scanner. At first, you download an evaluation demo, but if you want to use it for free longer than that, register on its site and you'll get a free activation key by email. Not too much trouble.
• Anti-Virus: AVG [Download AVG]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is probably the best FREE anti-virus software. It provides live updates and it does a very good job at protecting your computer. Also, its scanning ability is very good. AVG is one of the most trusted name in the anti-virus corporation. I love this software!
• PC Cleaner: CCleaner [Download CCleaner]
  Rating: 10/10
  I love this program! It cleans away all the crap that is stored on your computer such as temporary files, cache, cookies, recent used files, web sites visited etc.. It completely cleans out all the unneccessary files from your computer. This program also comes with a built-in registry cleaner which is very decent, but I would use a different program for registry-related issues. Though there's no harm in using CCleaner's.
• Anti-Virus: Comodo Anti-virus [Download Comodo Anti-virus]
  Rating: 9/10
  Well Comodo is just the new thing on the block. With its Firewall out and being number one in the free column, it's putting up an anti-virus program too? Wow. For now, I don't recommend this to anyone since it's still in beta, but if you like the Comodo suite, grab it. It has live updates and it does scan your PC fairly well. The reason it's a 9 is because of beta. I'm a huge Comodo fan!
• Firewall: Comodo Firewall [Download Comodo Firewall]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is a definite must have. A great firewall that updates itself so you don't have to. And it's free. I must say, it's strong, it's free and it's better than most of the ones you can buy such as Norton, McAfee etc. This guy alone can eliminate a lot of threats, viruses, trojans, etc. that try to enter your system.
• PC Protection: CWShredder [Download CWShredder]
  Rating: 10/10
  Most of you haven't heard of CWShredder and CoolWebSearch. Well CoolWebSearch is a name given to a large group of browser hi-jackers. CWShredder scans your PC and deletes any traces of CoolWebSearch's trojans/bugs that can be used for hijacking your browser. Very nifty.
• PC Style: FlyakiteOSX [Download FlyakiteOSX]
  Rating: 10/10
  * The only reason this program is here is because it does extensive changes to your PC. *
  If you like the MAC look of a computer, then this is for you. This software changes your entire computer to look like a MAC. A very good simulator. It converts your logon screen, cursors, sounds, visual styles, and other stuff. It also changes your taskbar, folder icons, and it includes the MAC dock at the bottom with your icons. FlyakiteOSX does make a system restore point before it converts your PC so you can undo this if you want.
• PC Cleaning: PC Decrapifier [Download PC Decrapifier]
  Rating: 9/10
  This program has the best name. Decrapifier, . Well anyways, this program is only for Dell PCs so if you're not using a Dell, skip this one. What PC Decrapifier does is it scans your Dell PC in search of pre-installed programs and then it gives you the option of removing such programs.
• Firewall: PeerGuardian [Download PeerGuardian]
  Rating: 9/10
  This is one of the best firewalls ever! It's in a different league than Comodo. What I meant is PeerGuardian is a firewall for your P2P applications. When you're using a file-sharing application to download media, you are exposing your computer to harmful files. And PeerGuardian's job is to make sure those files are safe. Comodo is a main firewall, but I don't think it deals with P2P Clients. The only reason this gets a 9/10 is because it's still in Beta.
• Registry Cleaning: Registry Distiller [Download Registry Distiller]
  Rating: 10/10
  If you ever uninstalled some programs from your computer and think it's completely uninstalled and everything about that program is gone, well you're wrong. The fact is, most of the programs you uninstalled still have registry entries that are leftover. Well clean up your registry with this Registry Distiller. It will search your registry and find all the entries that are dead and gives you the option to delete them.
• Uninstaller: Revo Uninstaller [Download Revo Uninstaller]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is an awesome uninstaller. Not only does it uninstall your programs, it also removes those registry entries. Good eh? And it also has a built-in startup control that enables you to disable whatever programs you want from starting up when Windows starts up. And it also has the ability to remove intenet traces. Very useful program.
• PC Protection: Sandboxie [Download Sandboxie]
  Rating: 10/10
  Okay, this is a MUST HAVE! The only downside to this program is you have to manually start each program using it. So if you want to open up Firefox, you have to open it up using Sandboxie. What it does is it traps everything that you do using that program inside a box and that including anything that comes out of that program such as cookies, viruses, threats, etc. And when you close Sandboxie, all those threats are gone! Great eh? But like I said, even with the annoying part in starting everything using Sandboxie, it still gets a 10 from me.
• Anti-Spyware/Adware: SpyBot [Download SpyBot]
  Rating: 10/10
  A very good program that scans your PC in search for spywares and adwares and then deletes them. SpyBot is quite powerful that it picks up on certain threats common anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-adware programs don't.
• Anti-Spyware: Spyware Blaster [Download Spyware Blaster]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is a very good anti-spyware program. What it does, it does VERY well. It sends out false information about spywares so spywares don't inhabit your computer. Say a spyware is thinking about coming into your computer, well Spyware Blaster sends out saying it's already installed so spyware would not enter. Pretty sweet and ingenius.
• Anti-Spyware: Spyware Terminator [Download Spyware Terminator]
  Rating: 10/10
  This software is just the bomb! Not only does it scans your computer and eliminates spyware, it also integrates itself to your browsers. (You must set those settings once you've installed the program so they are integrated in the browsers.) And what it does from there is that whenever you visit a site or search engine sites, it will have a markup shield next to the link telling you if that site contains any harmful contents. And it can restore your PC to an earlier time. Along with live updates, whoo. I just can't say enough about this awesome software. AND IT'S FREE!
• PC Manager: Starter [Download Starter]
  Rating: 10/10
  Ahh, yes, Starter. I love this software! It's so useful. Starter is a Task Manger, Service Manager and Startup Manager all in one. How useful is that? You don't have to remember all the ways to get to the Service Manager and Startup Manager that your Windows come pre-installed. And Starter is pretty fast. Also, for Startup, it holds all the startup programs and you can disable or enable them. But the best thing is if you disable them, they're still there so you don't have to find them off your PC whenever you want them back. I give this program two thumbs up.
• Free RAM: SweepRam [Download SweepRAM]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is by far the best and only RAM program you'll ever need. All those RAM Optimizers that you have, toss them away. A quick note, RAM Optimizers are bad for your computer. Don't ever use them. SweepRAM isn't a RAM Optimizer. RAM Optimizers gathers and free too much RAM and that's bad because your programs need RAM to run on and freeing them would be like choking them of air. SweepRAM frees up RAM but also ensures that the programs you have running have enough RAM to use.
• TaskBar: TaskBar Hider [Download TaskBar Hider]
  Rating: 9/10
  This is quite useful if you want to have RocketDock or ObjectDock on your computer. It does what the name says - it hides your taskbar. But you can access your Start menu by pressing the Windows icon button on your keyboard, but you won't see the taskbar, which is good because if you have one of the Docks, why would you need it? ObjectDock and RocketDock has the ability to keep your opened windows on its Dock so if you minimized something, it'll just go on the tray, but you MUST enable that feature for it to work. The other way is Alt + Tab to scroll through your opened windows.
• Tray: TrayIt [Download TrayIt]
  Rating: 10/10
  TrayIt allows you to minimize windows to the tray instead of to your taskbar. It also allows grouping so having 2 Firefox windows open and if you minimized both of them, you'll only see one Firefox icon in the tray. Hover over it and it'll show you how many windows of what program are stored there. If you hate clogging up your Taskbar, grab this.
• Registry Cleaning: TweakNow RegCleaner [Download TweakNow RegCleaner]
  Rating: 10/10
  A great registry cleaner. It scans your registry and find files that are dead. Then you have the option to delete those registry entries. Another good thing about this software is that when it scans your registry for any corrupt files, it lists them in separate categories - whether they are safe to delete, unsure or unknown - so it helps you be in control.
• File Recovery: Undelete Plus [Download Undelete Plus]
  Rating: 9.5/10
  A very good and useful program for people who does a lot of stuff on their computer like graphics, scripting, music etc. If you're looking for a file that you know you deleted and completely emptied your Recycle Bin of that file, you would want this program. It searches through all your trashed files and list them by type and alphabetically, whichever you want. It's also a very good program to completely clean away those trashed files so they can never be recovered again.
• PC Utility: Unlocker [Download Unlocker]
  Rating: 8/10
  Okay, although this program isn't used a whole lot, it's very useful. Ever had trouble renaming files because they are still being processed even after you closed it? Or ever had trouble ejecting your USB because it says that it's being used even though the folder is not opened? Well Unlocker's here to the rescue. Unlocker can terminate the processing of anything and allows you to do all that you can't. So whenever you get that stupid annoying message, just pull out Unlocker to kill it. I rated it an 8 because it's not that important, but what it does is extremely useful at times.
• PC Style: WindowBlinds [Download WindowBlinds]
  Rating: 10/10
  WindowBlinds is a powerful program that allows you to customize the look of your entire Windows desktop. It provides a variety of skins for you to choose from and you can customize it however you want. If you want a whole new look for your desktop, this is one program you have to get. Note: Don't go crazy and download every single theme/skin. You'll clog up space and memory usage. Although it's a really good program, it takes up about 250 MB of space, more if you add more skins, and it does use up memory.
• Anti-Virus: Windows Defender [Download Windows Defender]
  Rating: 10/10
  Unfortunately, I can't provide a direct download link for this one as you will need to install a GenuineChecker and paste the code it gives you in order for you to download this anti-virus software. It's a very good one, but if you don't want to go through all the trouble, just get another one.

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Utility    [Back to Top]

• Compression Utility: 7-Zip [Download 7-Zip]
  Rating: 10/10
  It's a free .zip program for ya. It's a pretty powerful program. If you can't afford WinRAR or WinZip in its full version and without that stupid annoying evaluation mode, grab 7-Zip. It's by far the best FREE zip program for me. Well I use WinRAR now. 7-Zip is so powerful that it makes higher compression than WinZip and WinRAR. Though it doesn't support .rar files.
• Word Processor: AbiWord [Download AbiWord]
  Rating: 10/10
  If you only need a word processor and you don't need a powerpoint, excel etc. programs, then don't clog up more free space, get AbiWord. It's free and it doesn't take up much space. AbiWord is pretty fast on startup. And although it doesn't have all the features MS Word does, it has enough to get the job done. The only thing is it doesn't have the spell checker as MS Word does. It doesn't warn you if a word is misspelled. Well, let's fix that. If you scroll down this post, you'll see tinySpell. Grab that freeware and AbiWord is set. ^_^
• PDF Reader: Adobe Reader [Download Adobe Reader]
  Rating: 9.5/10
  It's the number one PDF Reader and it should be. It's the most popular one and almost everyone uses it. The only problem with Adobe Reader is that it's quite slow on load up. If you want a faster one with a little less features, go with Foxit PDF Reader, which is listed below.
• Converter: Convert [Download Convert]
  Rating: 10/10
  It does what the name says. It converts stuff. It has a lot of unit elements and many useful features. Although I don't use it much, this is by far the best converter there is. The only thing this doesn't convert is media files.
• Utility: Dexpot [Download Dexpot]
  Rating: 10/10
  Dexpot allows you to create multiple virtual desktops so you can multitask easier. It stores all your workspace on the desktop and organized quite neatly. If you haven't tried this, you'll wonder how'd you ever manage without it. It's just so awesome! And best of all, it doesn't use up much RAM or space. If you're someone who does multiple things at once, this is a must-have! It's rather hard for me to spill out all the details, but this is one program that I strongly recommend to all. I install it on everyone of my PCs.
• Windows: DM2 [Download DM2]
  Rating: 10/10
  DM2 is a very powerful program with many features. DM2 is all about your windows, the ones you have opened. It gives you options to make them transparent, always on top, hide, set opacity, etc. If you like something cool, then grab this.
• File Search: Documeron [Download Documeron]
  Rating: 10/10
  Documeron allows you to look back on all the files you accessed from a certain date. Say you wanted to find a file but don't remember the name. Well if you can remember if you used it the last week or month etc, you can open up Documeron and tell it to list all the files you've accessed in the last week or month etc. I simply just love this program. So many files, so little time. And it's frustrating finding files.
• NoteTaker: EverNote [Download EverNote]
  Rating: 10/10
  Ever needed something to take down URLs, certain clips of a site, phone number etc.? Usually you would open up MS Word, Notepad or Wordpad for that. Well with EverNote, you don't have to decide. It has great features including drag and drop functions for you to just take down some notes and keep it there. It's very cool and I use it a lot. If you're someone who works with computers a lot, this is a great program for you.
• Folder Utility: FindeXer [Download FindeXer]
  Rating: 10/10
  This utility creates a new column to the left of your folder everytime you open up a folder. In it will be shortcut icons to folders, drives, etc for quick access. To add new folders, drag and drop. It's that easy. Very good way to go to different folders in a snap.
• PC Style: FlyakiteOSX [Download FlyakiteOSX]
  Rating: 10/10
  If you like the MAC look of a computer, then this is for you. This software changes your entire computer to look like a MAC. A very good simulator. It converts your logon screen, cursors, sounds, visual styles, and other stuff. It also changes your taskbar, folder icons, and it includes the MAC dock at the bottom with your icons. FlyakiteOSX does make a system restore point before it converts your PC so you can undo this if you want.
• Quick Launch: Folder Guide [Download Folder Guide]
  Rating: 9/10
  Folder Guide allows you to access certain folders by right clicking and from there, it will branch down all the folders and files located at whatever directory you started with. It's similar to having a Desktop toolbar in your Taskbar. But instead, it's on your mouse and it's more convenient in a way too.
• Folder Shortcut: Folderico [Download Folderico]
  Rating: 9/10
  This is a very handy-dandy program. It allows you to make folders on your mouse's right-click menu. You can also look inside the folders using your mouse and open up documents right away. Very cool and convenient. Fast too. It also allows you to color code your folders just so some stands out.
• Folder Utility: FolderMarker [Download FolderMarker]
  Rating: 5/10
  Okay, so I'm not a fan of this software, but you might. What it does is it allows you to put a folder in a different color so it's easier for you to spot. That's basically it. If you like having different colors for your folders and are sick of looking at the yellow folders so much, then this is one for you.
• PDF Utility: Foxit PDF Reader [Download Foxit PDF Reader]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is simply another PDF Reader. Most of you use Adobe Reader, right? Well if you do, you know how slow and laggy it is. Well Foxit isn't slow or laggy. It opens PDF files really fast! And it allows you to snapshot certain places in the PDF and allows you to copy certain text. I love this PDF Reader way more than Adobe. Though it doesn't have as much features as Adobe such as thumbnails, but so what? All I need is something to open up PDF files fast.
• Map: Google Earth [Download Google Earth]
  Rating: 10/10
  I simply love this program. Especially when I don't know how to get somewhere. I know I can MapQuest it or use Yahoo! Maps, but Google Earth puts you in a place where you can visualize pathways and stuff. I'm not the best at recognizing and remembering street names, so Google Earth allows me to remember just how to walk or get there.
• Folder/Files Utility: HOBComment [Download HOBComment]
  Rating: 8/10
  HOBComment allows you to put comments for both folders and files. So if you ever wanted to leave a comment for a folder or a file, this is the program for you. Also, when you open up a folder and you display the icons in detail format, a new row will be added called Comments. It will list the comment for each file, if that file has a comment.
• Sticky Notes: hott notes [Download hott notes]
  Rating: 10/10
  Yes, the developer named it hott notes (lowercased). Well this is a very good sticky note program that saves text and notes. It's a great way to manage a To-do list. It also has a built-in alarm system, which is cool.
• Image Utility: MWSnap [Download MWSnap]
  Rating: 10/10
  I simply love this program. It allows you to clip certain part of your screen and save it as a picture. Great for graphics tutorials or any kind of tutorials. Or maybe you want to show off your desktop or you want to show something to someone. I have looked a long time for a free snapshot program and MWSnap is a great one.
• Programming: Notepad++ [Download Notepad++]
  Rating: 10/10
  A great notepad for programmers. It supports a large variety of programming languages. I love it, especially its tab functions. I definitely recommend this program to all programmers. Heck, even if you're not a programmer, you can use this instead of that Notepad/Wordpad.
• Utility: ObjectDock [Download ObjectDock]
  Rating: 7/10
  ObjectDock is almost identical to RocketDock except it has a lot more features and functions. The only problem with ObjectDock is that it's quite slow. RocketDock is pretty fast. Other than that, ObjectDock has about the same use as RocketDock, which is to provide quick access to applications in a dock similar to that of the MAC.
• Office Suite: OpenOffice [Download OpenOffice]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is the closest alternate to the MS Office Suite. The only difference is OpenOffice is free and MS Office is not. OpenOffice has all the MS Office has to offer - Word, Powerpoint, Excel etc. It's a great alternative. So if you can't afford MS Office, get OpenOffice.
• Spell Checker: PhraseExpress [Download PhraseExpress]
  Rating: 10/10
  PhraseExpress is a new way to make corrections. You can set your own rules for PhraseExpress such that if you type "nto" it will automatically be changed to "not." But also, you can set something like "btw" will automatically be changed to "by the way." PhraseExpress is going to make your typing days much easier.
• Phone Utility: Pix2Fone [Download Pix2Fone]
  Rating: 8/10
  A very cool software that allows you to send photos from your computer and into your cell phone to use as wallpaper or just for storage. It's compatible with most cell phone brands - Sanyo, Sony Ericcson, Nokia, Motorola etc. And last, but certainly important, this software is only compatible with IE and Firefox.
• Folder Utility: QTTabBar [Download QTTabBar]
  Rating: 10/10
  Okay, if you don't have this, you aren't living! Like the tab windows in Firefox, IE, Opera etc.? Well how would you like them on your own Windows Explorer folders too? Well with QTTabBar, you can. Very customizable and very good for use. I love it. Use it all the time. It's better than having multiple folders open at a time.
• Uninstaller: Revo Uninstaller [Download Revo Uninstaller]
  Rating: 10/10
  This is an awesome uninstaller. Not only does it uninstall your programs, it also removes those registry entries. Good eh? And it also has a built-in startup control that enables you to disable whatever programs you want from starting up when Windows starts up. And it also has the ability to remove intenet traces. Very useful program.
• Utility: RocketDock [Download RocketDock]
  Rating: 9/10
  Ever saw a MAC before? Well if you have, you'll love how it has that little scrollbar at the bottom with all the icons allowing quick access to certain programs. Well here's one for Windows. It has about the same function MAC does and maybe more since you can style it with skins and other features. Pretty cool in my opinion. And it keeps the animation too. If you hover over an icon, it enlarges itself. I rated it a 9 because there is one better than RocketDock, but it's just not as cool looking.
• Media Slide Show: Slide Show Movie Maker [Download SSMM]
  Rating: 9.5/10
  This is a pretty cool Slide Show Movie Maker. It allows you to make a slide show movie using your pictures and convert all that into a .avi movie. It also has a cool fade in and fade out function. It's pretty unique and useful for some people.
• FTP Client: SmartFTP [Download SmartFTP]
  Rating: 9/10
  It's definitely a really good FTP client. It's free and has all the functions you need in a FTP client. If you don't know what a FTP client does, then you don't need to worry about it. But just in case you want to know, it provides a very simple and convenient way for you to upload multiple files onto your domain/host by just dragging and dropping the files onto the FTP client. Yes, I was talking about websites.
• Utility: sTabLauncher [Download sTabLauncher]
  Rating: 10/10
  I like this more than RocketDock. It allows grouping, which is very organized and you can put more programs in this one without it dragging across the whole screen. I'd admit, it's not as cool looking since it doesn't have the icons effect, but I love it!
• Spell Check: tinySpell [Download tinySpell]
  Rating: 9/10
  It's a good spell checker. I would use this with AbiWord since it is a very good word processor but lacks an automatic spell checker. Well with tinySpell, whenever you misspell a word, it will turn yellow and you will be notified.
• Extension: TrIDNET [Download TrIDNET]
  Rating: 10/10
  TrIDNET is a program that allows you to find out the file extension of unknown files. Ever had an unknown file and you don't know what extension it takes, which means you don't know what it is? Well use TrIDNET. It will search up the file in Google and provide results. Most likely the top choice is the correct extension.
• Encryption: TrueCrypt [Download TrueCrypt]
  Rating: 10/10
  Want to protect your data even more? Well use TrueCrypt. This program will encrypt your files to protect them even further. Quite a nifty program. But make sure you don't go crazy and encrypt everything. Generally, you would just encrypt sensitive details.
• PC Utility: Unlocker [Download Unlocker]
  Rating: 8/10
  Okay, although this program isn't used a whole lot, it's very useful. Ever had trouble renaming files because they are still being processed even after you closed it? Or ever had trouble ejecting your USB because it says that it's being used even though the folder is not opened? Well Unlocker's here to the rescue. Unlocker can terminate the processing of anything and allows you to do all that you can't. So whenever you get that stupid annoying message, just pull out Unlocker to kill it. I rated it an 8 because it's not that important, but what it does is extremely useful at times.
• Updater: Update Client [Download Update Client]
  Rating: 10/10
  This update client will look through all your installed programs and compare them to the ones on their respective sites. If there is a newer version, it will allow you to update it. A very nifty program. Please note that you would need to have Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 installed for this to work.

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