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☺ = good for beginners ¤ = recommended for advanced users
Table of Contents☺ Internet Explorer - comes with Windows. Update to version 8
FireFox: general download
FireFox Add-ons: FireFTP (FTP Client)
¤ Apache: Apache has been the most popular web server on the Internet since April 1996. The November 2005 Netcraft Web Server Survey found that more than 70% of the web sites on the Internet are using Apache, thus making it more widely used than all other web servers combined.
HTTrack Website Copier allows you to download a World Wide Web site from the Internet to a local directory, building recursively all directories, getting HTML, images, and other files from the server to your computer.
Xenu - checks Web sites for broken links. Link verification is done on "normal" links, images, frames, plug-ins, backgrounds, local image maps, style sheets, scripts and java applets. It displays a continously updated list of URLs which you can sort by different criteria. A report can be produced at any time.
Disk Backup: Macrium Reflect XP and Vista compatible disk imaging software with BartPE and Linux based recovery options. Create a disk image while running Windows. Image to Network, USB, FireWire drives and DVD. Built in scheduler. 32 bit and native 64 bit versions. Industry leading compression levels and speed.
File Backup: 7-Zip supports (packing / unpacking) 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR formats; and (unpacking only) RAR, CAB, ISO, ARJ, LZH, CHM, Z, CPIO, RPM, DEB and NSIS formats. It has self-extracting capability for 7z format, integration with Windows Shell, a powerful File Manager, and a command line version.
¤ Partition Tools: GParted (Gnome PARTition EDitor) Good for creating, reorganizing, and deleting dp partitions.
Floppy Image v1.5.2 Creates image files of floppy disks and creates floppy disks from those images (for backup, storage or transfer). You can choose to save the image file compressed, uncompressed or as a self-extracting exe file. You can also add descriptions to your image files.
Screen Capture:
Vista: Vista comes with a screen capture tool, in C:\windows\system32\SnippingTool.exe
☺ WinXP: WinSnap Version 1 is FREE. Version 2 and onwards is shareware. This has more features than Vista's "SnippingTool".
[Note: a screen capture tool is included in XnView – see “Image editors” below]
¤ System Lock-down: Shared Access (aka "Windows Steady State") from Microsoft. This is what we use for our Common Access Computers.
Windows System Internals: A superb set of system tools - but not for the beginner. Some particularly useful tools are:
¤ Autoruns: This utility, which has the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows processes them.
Process Explorer: Find out what files, registry keys and other objects processes have open, which DLLs they have loaded, and more. This uniquely powerful utility will even show you who owns each process.
Process Monitor: Monitor file system, Registry, process, thread and DLL activity in real-time.
NirSoft Another good set of system tools. Some useful tools are:
AdapterWatch: displays useful information about your network adapters: IP addresses, Hardware address, WINS servers, DNS servers, MTU value, Number of bytes received or sent, The current transfer speed, and more.
MyUninstaller: an alternative utility to the standard Add/Remove applet of Windows. It displays the list of all installed application, and allows you to uninstall an application, delete an uninstall entry, and save the list of all installed applications into a text file or HTML file. It provides additional information for most installed applications that the standard Add/Remove applet doesn't display.
Free Personal Firewall & Internet Security Software from FirewallGuide.
Security at Home - web site from Microsoft
☺ Anti-Virus: AVG This freeware product uses the following technologies to detect computer viruses: Scanning - searching for character strings that are characteristic of a given virus; Heuristic analysis - dynamic emulation of the scanned object’s instructions in a virtual computer environment; and Generic detection - detection of instructions characteristic of the given virus/group of viruses.
Firewall: Zone Alarm - includes four interlocking security services: a firewall, an application control, an Internet lock, and Zones. The firewall controls the door to your computer and allows only traffic you understand and initiate. The application control allows you to decide which applications can and cannot use the Internet. The Internet lock blocks Internet traffic while your computer is unattended or while you're not using the Internet, and it can be activated automatically with your computer's screensaver or after a set period of inactivity. Zones monitor all activity on your computer and alert you when a new application attempts to access the Internet.
Windows Defender: a free program that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. It features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected and minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive.
Microsoft Security Essentials: provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. It is a free download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology.
☺ Picassa (from Google). Download Picasa is software that helps you: Locate and organize all the photos on your computer, Edit and add effects to your photos with a few simple clicks, and Share your photos with others through email, prints, and on the web.
XnView: overview, English download XnView is a utility for viewing and converting graphic files. Features include import of about 400 graphic file formats, and export of about 50 graphic file formats.
Players: Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XP offers new ways to store and enjoy your digital media. It's easier than ever to access all of your music, videos, pictures, and recorded TV on your computer. Play it, view it, organize it, or sync it to a portable device for enjoying on the go, or share with devices around your home—all from one place.
¤ Codecs: COmpressors/DECompressors may be needed to increase the functionality of a multimedia player. For example, the Windows Media Player released with Windows XP (and with Vista Home Basic) can not play DVDs! However, you can add the necessary codecs from K-Lite Codec Pack (and we suggest "Profile 4" for use with Windows Media Player).
Sound Editors:
Goldwave v4.26 Version 4.26 is an old one - but the latest version that is free.
Video Editors:
JRE (Java Run-time Environment) from Sun. Java software allows you to run applications called "applets" that are written in the Java programming language. More About Java Software
Open Office (click on large green button for latest version). OpenOffice.org is a multiplatform and multilingual office suite and an open-source project. Compatible with all other major office suites, the product is free to download, use, and distribute. Most versions of Open Office have included Sun's JAVA Run-time Environment (but some have not). A JRE is required for Open Office.
Optical Character Recognition: SimpleOCR - If you have a scanner and want to avoid retyping your documents, SimpleOCR is the fast, free way to do it. The SimpleOCR freeware is 100% free and not limited in any way.
The recommended method for creating a PDF is to create / edit the content in Open Office, and then "Export to PDF". However, to create PDFs from any program that is able to print, use a PDF virtual printer.
CutePDF Writer - CutePDF Writer installs itself as a "printer subsystem". FREE for personal and commercial use! Requires a PS-to-PDF converter such as Ghostscript (recommended). You can get the free GPL Ghostscript 8.15 here.
☺ PDF ReDirect - similar to CutePDF, but with a few more controls. Also performs PDF file merging.
Microsoft Word Viewer 2003
Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer2007
Microsoft Excel Viewer 2003
Remote control software allows you to view and fully interact with one computer desktop (the "server") using a simple program (the "client" or "viewer") on another computer desktop anywhere on the Internet.
Teamviewer - establishes connections to any PC or server all around the world within just a few seconds. You can remote control your partner's PC as if you were sitting right in front of it.
VNC (Virtual Network Computer) - must give your email address. The two computers don't even have to be the same type, so for example you can use VNC to view a Windows Vista desktop at the office on a Linux or Mac computer at home. For ultimate simplicity, there is even a Java viewer, so that any desktop can be controlled remotely from within a browser without having to install software.
Revised: October 16, 2009
File: Freeware.htm