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Free Software for Windows

If you have Windows, here's a list of great, free software programs - all of which are free of spyware and adware - that I like to use, and others that I don't use, but are great too.

Install one of the download accelerators below first, to speed up the following downloads, and prevent having to download again after losing your Internet connection.

Please Note: The following lists of software are hidden from sighted visitors and keyword searches with Javascript. If you prefer viewing them without having to click on the links to show them, or want to do a keyword search, or print this page, either disable Javascript in your browser, or view them without Javascript.

Download Accelerators | skip
- If your Mozilla-based browser or Thunderbird e-mail program won't use your download manager to download a file, try getting it to work with FlashGot.
- WellGet (awarded Editor's Choice by SixFiles.com - integrates with Internet Explorer)
- LeechGet (5 stars by WebUser.co.uk, 4 stars by Softpedia.com - integrates with Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla Suite - no longer updated, Firefox and Opera browsers)
  - To get LeechGet to work with an alternative browser, download the Mozilla / Netscape / Opera plugin as well.
- Free Download Manager (4 stars, 3 cows - integrates with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla Suite - no longer updated, Netscape and Opera browsers)
- Download Accelerator Manager (4 stars, 3 cows - integrates with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla Suite - no longer updated, Netscape, Opera, MSN Explorer, Avant Browser, Maxthon and other browsers)
- Star Downloader (4 stars, 3 cows - integrates with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla Suite - no longer updated, Netscape and Opera browsers)
- Download Express (3 stars, 3 cows, 5 stars by SnapFiles.com - integrates with Internet Explorer and Firefox)
- DLExpert (Download Expert) (3 stars - integrates with Internet Explorer)
- Hide The Download Accelerators

Then use the following optimizers to speed up your computer and keep it from slowing down in the future. Better yet, switch to Mac OS or GNU/Linux and you'll have no need for these programs.

Why Is My Speedy PC S-l-o-w-i-n-g D-o-w-n? (Mar. 2004 article)
Gunk Busters! How to Get Your PC Running Like New (Nov. 2005 article)

Optimizers | skip
- The following are free and commercial software that either block or erase temporary files and malicious scripts that tend to slow your computer down.
- Spyware and Adware Removers and Blockers
- Security Suites
- Antivirus
- Antitrojan
- Antirootkit
- Host Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems
- Sandbox or Hypervisor
- Mini Script Blocker
- DIRMS (Do It Right Microsoft) and Buzzsaw | skip
  - DIRMS and Buzzsaw - DIRMS plugin for BartPE or better yet Ultimate Boot CD for Windows - (possibly the very best defragmenters for Windows NT4, 2000 and XP, partly because Buzzsaw defragments in the background on-the-fly, that is, as files fragment - free for personal use - the author claims they do a better job than Diskeeper, O & O Defrag, PerfectDisk and Windows' defragmenter)
  - Note: DIRMS and Buzzsaw won't run in Windows 95, 98 or Me, or in GNU/Linux.
  - Note: You can prevent most system and application file fragmentation if you put 1)the virtual memory file (called a swap file - WIN386.swp - in Windows 95, 98 and Me, and a page or paging file - pagefile.sys - in Windows 2000 and XP), 2)temporary Internet files, 3)e-mail and 4)downloads on a partition or hard drive separate from Windows, set the memory file's minimum and maximum size limits to the same size, and put your applications and documents on a third partition or hard drive to prevent fragmentation and limit file corruption.
  - Defragment your hard drive once a week to extend its life, minimize errors and if you have an older, slower hard drive, improve performance.
  - WARNING: Using a defragmenter before securely erasing private data, moves that data to other locations, making them easier to recover. If you have sensitive data, use one of these erasers / wipers / shredders first!
  - ATTENTION: DIRMS and Buzzsaw come in a service/GUI version that includes an installer (DirMS-S and Buzzsaw-S - DIRMS also comes in a command line version, DirMS-CL). The service/GUI version currently requires either an ethernet connection or the Microsoft Loopback Adapter, to work. (see the DIRMS and Buzzsaw forums to learn more)
  - If you choose to use the Microsoft Loopback Adapter, you'll need to enable ''Client for Microsoft Networks'' and ''File and Printer Sharing'' in the Loopback connection for DIRMS and Buzzsaw to recognize your machine and for the Register button to appear, and .
  - WARNING: Enabling ''Client for Microsoft Networks'' and ''File and Printer Sharing'' on a computer not connected to a network, unnecessarily opens two security holes through which the computer can be attacked.
  - DIRMS and Buzzsaw also come in three versions: free unregistered, free registered and commercial. The free unregistered versions have limited functionality: they don't defrag most system files. The free registered versions have full functionality and must be re-registered (for free) on the DIRMS web site every 30 days (click on the Evaluate button). And the commercial versions have full functionality and don't require re-registration.
  - If you're using one of the supported operating systems, here are the official instructions for using DIRMS and Buzzsaw.
  - Here's what I do:
  - To use DIRMS: | skip
    - 1. I extract the executable, nonservice / nonGUI DirMS-CL file to my C drive, without creating a folder. If you prefer using the service/GUI version, just click on the setup files to install them where you like.
      2. I load Windows in Safe Mode so that system files, as well as nonsystem files, can be defragmented, and to avoid problems that can occur when defragmenting in regular mode (press the F5 button repeatedly when starting or restarting your computer);
      3. I log in and click Start;
      4. click Run;
      5. type cmd and press Enter or Return;
      6. in the window that pops up (it has a black background), it says C:\Documents and Settings\ACCOUNT NAME>, so...
        
        I type cd \ to get the main C prompt and press Enter or Return. (If you see the C:\> prompt by itself with no text after it, you can skip this part)
      7. type dirms c to defragment C drive and press Enter or Return;
      8. and when it's done defragmenting,
      9. I type dirms c compact, not to compact the files, but to minimize the space between the files, and press Enter or Return;
      10. then type exit and press Enter or Return, or click the X, to close the window.
    - Note: I don't use the -q (quick) command because the quick defragmentation isn't as thorough.
    - Hide My DIRMS Instructions
  - To use Buzzsaw: | skip
    - WARNING: Going online in the default Windows account, which unfortunately is the administrator account, isn't safe. I strongly recommend being safe and urge you to create a Limited User account, secure Windows and do your usual daily work - especially going online - in your Limited User account.
      
      The service/GUI version of Buzzsaw doesn't require administrator rights because as the author says, it runs as a service with SYSTEM permissions. So it'll work just fine in a Limited User account.
    - ATTENTION: The service/GUI version currently requires an ethernet connection or a Microsoft Loopback Adapter. However, the author said he plans on making a version available that won't require one of them. Neither of them is required with the earlier command line version, but since that version requires administrator access, I strongly recommend using the service/GUI version instead in a Limited User account when online to keep your computer and data secure.
    - If in spite of the risk you want to use the earlier command line version of Buzzsaw in your default administrator account (not recommended!), here's what I used to do when I had it.
      1. I start Buzzsaw;
      2. double-click on Buzzsaw's tray icon;
      3. wait a while until the letter for my hard drive(s) appear(s) under Available Drives (ex.: C);
      4. click on the drive(s) I want defragmented;
      5. click the right arrow button (-->) to move my hard drive(s) to the Watching Drives list.; and...
      6. click the X to close the window (this doesn't stop Buzzsaw).
    - I recommend defragmenting your hard drive with DIRMS first.
    - Then always run Buzzsaw in the background (right-click the Buzzsaw file and create a shortcut, then put the shortcut in the Startup folder to run it every time).
    - And run DIRMS once a week, to keep your computer running as fast as possible, and to minimize errors.
    - If you need more information about or help with DIRMS or Buzzsaw, check out the Help guides and the Forums.
    - Hide My Buzzsaw Instructions
  - Hide The DIRMS and Buzzsaw Section
- PageDefrag (a page file defragmenter - set it to defragment the page file at every bootup)
- NTREGOPT (a registry optimizer for Windows NT/2000/2003/XP)
- An Eraser / Wiper / Shredder | skip
  - If you surf the Internet a lot, unnecessary files build up very quickly. Run an eraser daily to remove them securely and keep your computer from slowing down.
  - If you have or have had private, sensitive data on your hard drive, be sure to also use an eraser to securely erase old, private files, remnants of private files you've deleted, and ever-growing index.dat files. skip
  - Or, if you have nothing to hide and don't need to make Web surfing history virtually unrecoverable, clear your browser's cache and AutoComplete data.
  - Hide The Eraser Section
- A Registry Cleaner | skip
  - Over time, Windows' registry accumulates outdated and unnecessary data that slows down your computer. Run a registry cleaner / system optimizer often to clean it.
  - WARNING: Using a registry cleaner may corrupt and disable Windows. Always back up your registry before cleaning it, just in case. To be even safer, create a disk image with one of the following software, in case the registry backup fails to restore a working registry.
  - Note: Windows Experts recommend avoiding registry cleaners and occasionally doing a clean install of Windows instead.
  - Free Registry Cleaners
  - skip
  - A Forum Discussion About Free Registry Cleaners at Scot's Newsletter
  - A Discussion at Wilders Security | Another Discussion at Wilders Security
  - A Discussion at Tech Guy
  - Paul Thurrott's Windows XP Pro Clean Installation Guide
  - How to Back Up Windows' Registry, Your Settings and Data
  - Hide The Registry Cleaner Section
- Hide The Optimizers Section
Other Software | skip
- AbiWord - AbiWord plugin for BartPE or better yet Ultimate Boot CD for Windows - (a great little alternative word processor to Microsoft Word)
- AdKiller (a great little banner ad blocker for Internet Explorer)
- Atomic Clock Sync (synchronizes your computer's clock with an atomic clock server)
- EditPad Lite (replaces Windows XP's buggy notepad - unlimited undo and redo feature)
- Firefox (award-winning Mozilla-based browser) (for Windows, Mac OS X and GNU/Linux - arguably the best, fastest and most secure alternative to Internet Explorer) skip
  - Why Not Internet Explorer?
  - Why Firefox?
  - Firefox Extension Backup Extension (FEBE)
  - Privacy Extensions for Firefox
  - Security Extensions for Firefox
  - ProCon Extension for Firefox (content filter)
  - Build the Perfect Browser (46 great, free add-ons for Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2)
  - Top 15 Firefox Extensions - PC Magazine
  - 50 Best Firefox Extensions for Power Surfing - Quick Online Tips
  - Best Firefox Extensions Volume I
  - Best Firefox Extensions Volume II
  - Best Firefox Extensions Volume III
- Foxit Reader (a small, fast alternative to Adobe Reader)
  - PDF Download (a Firefox extension that allows you to read PDF documents with Foxit in a Firefox tab)
- GIMP (a photo and image editor - review)
- GoodSync File Synchronizer (synchronizes RoboForm passcards or any other files between a computer and a USB key or between two computers - recommended for RoboForm2Go, formerly Pass2Go, users)
- Google Toolbar (a very effective popup blocker and search engine for those who choose to keep using Internet Explorer in spite of the security and privacy risks that still come with using it)
- HDD Health or HDDlife (alerts you when your hard drive is getting close to crashing) If you want to make sure you don't lose your files, get what may be the best hard drive monitor and data recovery software (or not): Steve Gibson's SpinRite 6.0 (under $100 US).
- Instant Messengers
- IMsecure (encrypts your instant messages)
- IM Translator (translates instant messages into your or others' native language)
- MailWasher (allows you to remove spam from email server before downloading your email)
- Offline NT Password and Registry Editor
- OpenOffice - OpenOffice plugin for BartPE or better yet Ultimate Boot CD for Windows - (a productivity suite compatible with all major office suites PC Magazine's review - review of 2.0 beta)
- Opera (a fast, secure browser for Windows, Mac OS X and other BSDs and GNU/Linux)
  - Opera Mobile and Mini
  - Portable Opera for a USB Key
  - Questions About Switching to Opera
- RoboForm2Go (formerly Pass2Go) (stores RoboForm passcards and other private data on an encrypted USB key or dongle, a secure thumb drive with AES - the strongest encryption available - pull out your USB key and no traces of Pass2Go are left on your computer)
- Picasa (for organizing, editing and sharing your digital photos)
  - A Review of Picasa
  - Create a Picasa Web Album
- Pop-Up Stopper Free Edition (a great popup blocker for Internet Explorer - review - switch to Firefox for secure, popup-free browsing)
- Privoxy (a great ad blocker - if you're not afraid to configure it - if you're familiar with technical web design, try Proxomitron)
- RoboForm (a very convenient username and password manager with automatic form entry - it's secure, too: form entries are saved in strongly encrypted files)
- Skype (for calling other people on their computers or phones - review)
- Sleepy (Use this program if you have trouble pulling yourself away from your computer at night.)
  - If you're tempted to bypass Sleepy by changing the system clock before Sleepy shuts down your computer, I recommend buying the newest version, which locks the clock. I also recommend setting a password you can't remember and not saving it.
  - Buy Sleepy
- Thunderbird (email program) (a secure and easy to use alternative to Outlook and Outlook Express)
- Ultimate Boot CD for Windows (a recovery boot disk based on BartPE, but has more utilities and other software)
  - BartPE (a preinstalled Windows environment on a bootable CD-ROM, a great alternative to a boot disk)
  - Categories of Plugins for BartPE
  - The Complete List of Plugins
- Portable Applications for a USB Drive
- Webshots (for organizing and sharing your digital photos - review)
- Web Editors: WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) Web Page Editors | NonWYSIWYG Editors
- World Time (unlimited configurable clocks - digital, analog, internet time - each with it's own time zone)
- Yahoo! Desktop Search (desktop search utility - PC Magazine's Editor's Choice - review)
- Ian ''Gizmo'' Richards' Best Free Utilities
- More Freeware at TheFreeCountry.com
- Hide The Other Software Section
Web Sites with Spyware- and Adware-Free Software | skip
Web Sites with Rated Freeware | skip
- NoNags.com (the best)
- SnapFiles.com (all software is adware- and spyware-free)
- FreewareFiles.com
- FreewareHome.com.
- Recommended Freeware / Shareware Sites
- Hide The Rated Software Section
Windows XP Maintenance and Update Resources | skip
- New to computers? Learn the basics at Newbie.org.
- If you're a senior citizen, visit SeniorNet.org.
- Fixing Windows with Knoppix
- Need some help getting your computer fixed? Check out the following support sites reviewed and rated by Ian ''Gizmo'' Richards at TechSupportAlert.com. skip
  - Best Free Support Sites
  - Best Paid Support Sites
  - Best Troubleshooting Sites
  - Best PC Support Resource Sites
- TechSupportAlert.com
- PCSupportAdvisor.com
- Ian ''Gizmo'' Richards' Best Sites for Windows Tips, Tricks and Tweaking
- MVPs.org (Microsoft's Most Valuable Professionals)
- PC World's Award-winning Columnists
- The Digital Duo
- Answer Line
- Call for Help with Leo Laporte | skip
  - Leo Laporte's The Tech Guy Radio Show
  - Leoville Town Square Forums
  - Leoville
  - TWiT.tv (formerly ThisWeekInTech.com - a podcast with Leo Laporte and friends)
  - TWiT Live
- CyberWalker.com
- WinGuides.com
- DriverGuide.com
- TweakXP.com
- TweakHound.com
- BlackViper.com
- TheElderGeek.com
- TomsHardware.com
- Chris Pirillo's LockerGnome.com
- TheChrisPirilloShow.com
- Amber Mac (Call for Help)
- Mike Lazazzera (Call for Help)
- DougKnox.com
- PCWorld.com
- PCMag.com
- CNet.com
- ZDNet.com
- MaximumPC.com
- Hide The Resources Section

Did you make Windows, GNU/Linux or Mac OS X sufficiently secure before using it? And are you using security software to minimize the risks to your computer and your privacy? If not, but you'd like to learn more, check out my Security & Privacy page.

Need to find out what your kids have been up to online? Or your spouse? Get one of the following online history viewers. skip

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Brent's Place at brentsplace.info

Put online May 4, 2000 by Brent.
Web space provided by BigBlueHost.com.
A review of BigBlueHost.com.
Very cheap web hosts and their reviews.
I never had any problems with my former host, QualityHostOnline.com. I only changed hosts because they discontinued the very inexpensive package I had.
A review of QualityHostOnline.com.
HTML training provided by Maricopa College's Writing HTML tutorial. (free and online, but not compliant with current web standards)
- How to Create a Web Page the Right Way
Edited with EditPad Lite.