Links to Handy Utilities and Programs
Listed Below, in no particular order, are some links to sites with utilities and programs that may be helpful for emergency managers. Selecting a link will open a new browser window.
Simply close that window to return to this page. A brief description of each site is provided. You may either click on a link or cut and paste it into your browser.
You may use any of these for free, subject to the licensing agreement with each provider. You may find some you want to purchase to get full versions with more features and technical support.
NOTE: Approximate sizes for each file are provided so you can decide whether to download it. Large files can take a long time to download with a dial-up connection. Please report broken or new links to the address below.
Report broken or new links to: edm-class@comcast.net
Open Office Suite
OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org (that's not a typo - it's their name) offers an open source suite similar to MS Office and others.
You may download and use it for free. It is compatible with most other similar suites and may also be shared among other
users as necessary. Details are on their web site. It's about 100 MB but they also offer a CD.
Viewer for Microsoft Word Documents
Microsoft Word Document Viewer
If you don't have Microsoft Word you may download a free reader for it by following this link. The file size is about 12 MB.
Zip File Reader
NOTE: There are some ZIP files in the EDM Students area on this site. If you cannot open them you may go the the PK Ware site and
download a free reader. Click on the icon below to go to their site. Close the new window that will open to return here.
Spyware Removal Utilities
Spyware Terminator
Spybot Search & Destroy
Ad-Aware SE Personal
Spyware and adware can cause your computer to run very slowly or even stop working. This untilites will allow you to remove
most of these threats. Spyware Terminator is a free program that provides real time protection against
spyware and will do daily updates. It can also be configured to run unattended once a day to remove
any spyware found. It's about 8 MB. Spybot Search & Destroy is a little over 4 MB, Ad-Aware is about 3 MB.
AVG Anti-Virus Software
AVG Anti-Virus
Every computer should have an anti-virus program and it should be kept up to date. This free version of AVG Anti-virus will scan
for viruses and it can be kept updated for the best protection. It's about 11 MB.
Zone Alarm Firewall
Zone Alarm Firewall
A firewall protects your computer from hackers and attacks from outside. It's important for Internet users
(which you must be or you wouldn't be reading this). Zone Alarm works well and will block inbound and outbound threats
The Windows firewall only stops inbound traffic but will not stop outbound internet traffic.
This free version is about 7 MB. Click on the "I only want basic ZoneAlarm protection" bar at the bottom of the page.
Cute PDF Writer
Cute PDF Writer
Sometimes you may want to create a PDF (Portable Document Format) file. This program, once installed, functions in the same manner as
a printer. In any Windows program, simply save your document and then select File > Print > and then select "CutePDFWriter" from the list of installed printers.
Next, select a file name and save location. Be sure to read the installation instructions carefully because Cute PDF Writer also needs
the program GNU Ghostscript which is also available here. Adobe Acrobat Reader can read these documents.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
This is a link to the Adobe Acrobat site. You can browse through it to find a version of Adobe Acrobat Reader
that will work on your system (earlier versions are under "archives") NOTE: this is a large
file (about 20 MB) and will take a while to download, especially if you have a dial-up connection. Close the window that
will open to return here.
Still can't find what you want? Try the Google search engine.