15 Free Windows Apps that I Heart
1. 7zip - File Compression/Extraction - www.7zip.org
I have been using 7zip for quite a long time and with good reason. 7zip is a small program that sets up easily, quickly, and with no fuss. The shell integration is great for archiving/extracting files and it works very well. A program I have come accustomed to taking for granted, almost.
2. uTorrent - Torrent Sharing and Downloads - www.utorrent.com
Small, easy to use, multiplatform, and lots of configuration options! I originally started using uTorrent because of the abilty to encrypt your connections and have stuck with it since. I use it on Windows and Linux with no problems. Another nice feature of uTorrent is the ability to control your downloads at home through a web browser. Definitely check this one out.
3. Google Chrome - Web Browser - www.google.com/chrome
Chrome has quickly become my favorite web browser by far. It is very simple, still a small download that installs quickly, and renders web pages very very fast. Probably the only down fall is that plugins are not really available yet and it can be a little quirky with some media.
4. Daemon Tools Lite - Image Mount Utility - http://www.daemon-tools.cc/
Having the ability to mount and read ISO’s is fantastic and being able to do it for free is even better. Daemon Tools was one of the first programs around to make ISO’s popular and it is still just as easy and simple today as when it started. The only catch these days is be careful not to install the tool bars and other crap with the installer. No pic, not much to show!
5. Autoruns - Startup Utility - http://tinyurl.com/39338j
Autoruns has been really really helpful when fixing computers infected with junk. This program makes it easy to dig into the registry to prevent things from starting without the clunky regeditor.
6. Notepad++ - Editor/Notepad Replacement - http://tinyurl.com/552wn
What a great program that is freely available. Very lite to install and very useful for anyone typing up their own CSS, Java, HTML, or if you just want a better text editor, period. With syntax highlighting, auto updates, tabs, and a lot more features this is a great great program.
7. PDFCreator - PDF Maker - http://www.pdfforge.org/
Being able to “make” PDF’s or convert something to a PDF is becoming a household thing. PDFCreator is not only easy but it is also free and very powerful. Simply install the program and you now have a very nice PDF “printer” that you can send just about anything to.
8. Hamachi - “Zero Configuration VPN” - www.hamachi.cc
Hamachi makes connecting to and making a VPN as simple as using an internet chat program. Install, setup your network, join your computer, share the network info with your friends, and boom! It really is that simple. No pic again
9. Foxit Reader - PDF Reader - www.foxitsoftware.com
If you cannot notice a trend I like fast, “lightweight,” and useful utilities and Foxit is no different. Foxit will open PDF’s a lot faster than Adobe Reader and is a lot less obtrusive to the rest of your system.
10. Ultravnc - Remote Control and Administration - http://ultravnc.sourceforge.net
UltraVNC takes the basic “RealVNC” to a new level with the ability to transfer files, use it full screen, many more compression opens and a slew of other features I’m sure I’m forgetting. Keep in mind you have to have the UltraVNC server to take full advantage but it is also free and easy to setup so don’t worry.
11. AVG Anti-Virus - Anti-Virus - http://free.avg.com
Free anti-virus protection that comes in an easy to use and unobtrusive package. I had been using FreeAV but now with every update there is a huge advertisement that pops up. Yuck! AVG has one small advertisement that is tastefully put at the bottom of the scanning window and can easily be hid. The program itself also works very well.
12. InfraRecorder - CD/DVD Burning - http://infrarecorder.org/
This is an up and coming CD and DVD Burning suite. Not only is it free but it is also open source. InfraRecorder packs a lot of features into a lean utility that also has a nice interface. Jump on the bandwagon ahead of time.
13. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware - Malware Removal - http://www.malwarebytes.org/
So far, so good for me with this program. It has been able to remove things automatically on the first try items that were taken me quite a long time to do “manually.” Free, simple, use it.
14. VLC Media Player - Media Player - http://www.videolan.org/
Very nice video player that can handle just about anything you have. MPG, MOV, DVD, FLAC, OGG, 3GP, etc etc etc. Probably the only media player you really need any more on Windows.
15. Slowview - Image Viewing - http://tinyurl.com/9noa2s
This really isn’t an active program any more but can be downloaded from the above link. I have stuck with Slowview for about 5 years now just because it’s the easiest program for quickly looking through a directory of pictures. Most people have moved on to IfranView and that is okay too.
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2 Responses to “15 Free Windows Apps that I Heart”
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December 30th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I’m actually going to try some of these. Of the ones listed, I can absolutely vouch for the VLC player. It’s the best free player out there right now. Careful with those “tiny” urls. I think they expire after a short period of time.
January 31st, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I honestly don’t see the point of VLC player when you can install k-lite codec pack and play everything through Windows Media Player. Lately, I’ve been using WMP more because of it. Only thing WMP doesn’t do as well as I would like is matroska (.mkv) files. I know VLC had issues with them as well.