There’s no reason to pay big bucks for Windows software. There are literally hundreds of free applications out there that perform the same tasks as the commercial applications. Below are the top 20 picks for 2009 as selected by The Computer Psychic. (Download link is at the end of this article.)
- Google Chrome
A faster, more stable web browser. It starts faster, it loads pages faster, it’s simpler to use. Forget Internet Explorer and Firefox. Try Chrome.
- Macrium Reflect
A backup solution that will create complete disk images as well as incremental backups. Save your backups to a network drive or burn them directly to CD or DVD.
- OpenOffice.org
The premier Microsoft Office replacement. Read and write Word and Excel documents, as well as Word Perfect documents.
- Audacity
Might not be for everyone, but if you ever need to edit or enhance audio files, this outstanding app is for you.
- Microsoft Security Essentials
An exceptional all-in-one anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-malware application. As good as, if not better than, everything else out there.
- Paint.net
Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for computers that run Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools.
- AutoIt
An easy-to-use scripting language for Windows. Have you ever wanted to start programming? AutoIt is a good introduction. Simulate mouse clicks, application functions, and control Windows actions.
- JR Screen Ruler
Using a virtual ruler, measure any element on your computer screen. Measure inches, pixels, picas or centimeters, either vertically or horizontally.
- 7-Zip
Quickly becoming the new standard for file compression, 7-Zip can handle all major formats, including Zip, RAR, ISO and others, plus its own superior 7z format.
- Cute PDF Writer
Print any document to the industry standard PDF format, compatible with Adobe Reader.
- Ccleaner
The industry leader in system optimization and cleaning. Remove unneeded files, fix errant registry settings and more. Warning: Ccleaner is an advanced technical utility. Be sure to have current system backups before using.
- CDBurnerXP
Burn CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. Create and burn ISO files and bootable disks.
- KeePass Password Safe
KeePass is an open-source password manager. You can put all your passwords in one database, which is locked with one master key or a key-disk. So you only have to remember one single master password or insert the key-disk to unlock the whole database.
- BitTorrent
Open source file sharing application for quick downloads of large software and media files.
- Eraser
Securely delete files from your system, eliminating all traces of them.
- WinMerge
Compare two files or folders in a visual interface. View differences line by line, and merge changes in an easy-to-use format.
- SyncToy
Synchronize folder contents between two computers. Use this tool to merge changes from one folder or computer to another, or use it to perform easy backups over the network.
- Overdisk
Overdisk provides you with a visual graphic showing just how much disk space is being used by any folder or sub-folder.
- VLC Media Player
Play virtually any media file format with this universal video/audio player. Don’t waste time downloading codex’s. This one app handles them all.
- Sandboxie
Isolate your web browsing from all other elements of your system, protecting your computer from viruses, spyware and malware.
Read this article on The Computer Psychic for download links.
About the Author:
With over 20 years industry experience, Steven O Smith is the owner of The Computer Psychic, providing affordable on-site computer repair to residences and business in the Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR area. Visit http://www.thecomputerpsychic.com for more valuable information and free software.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – 20 Must-Have Freeware Programs
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