|
|||||
Anti-virus
 |
avast! Free Antivirus Expect great all-around protection against viruses and trojans. |
 |
AntiVir Free Version Lightweight and solid. Good ratings. Worth looking into. |
 |
AVG Antivirus Free Edition Not as good as Avast or Avira but with considerably less bloat. The most popular free antivirus. |
 |
Microsoft Security Essentials Simple, effective and lightweight protection suite. |
 |
Comodo Internet Security Free security suite, includes both a firewall and anti-virus protection. |
 |
Lavasoft Ad-Aware+ Free A complete anti-virus and anti-malware solution in one tidy free package. |
 |
Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition A capable cloud-based antivirus that’s relatively light on resources with decent detection rates. |
 |
BitDefender Free Antivirus Finally BitDefender has released a free version of their antivirus software, optimized for Windows 8. |
Malware Removal
 |
IObit Malware Fighter Advanced malware & spyware removal utility. The pro versioncomes with some really cool features. |
 |
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware Easy-to-use, simple, and very effective anti-malware application. |
 |
Spybot S&D Detects and removes spyware. Compliments anti-virus apps. Has a very good reputation. |
 |
Threatfire Spyware removal tool with real-time antispyware protection. Lightweight and memory sparing. |
 |
Superantispyware Lightweight scanner to detect and remove spyware, adware, trojans, and other threats. |
 |
Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool A free tool for the removal of a variety of different viruses and malware, presented alongside virus-specific tools. |
 |
Dr.Web CureIt! A standalone virus removal tool that can be used alongside your existing virus scanner with no installation required. |
Firewall Apps
 |
PC Tools Firewall Plus 6 Powerful firewall capable of providing excellent protection. |
 |
Comodo Firewall (standalone) Long been considered one of the best free firewall tools available. |
 |
ZoneAlarm Free Firewall Provides the best overall firewall protection for advanced users. |
 |
Online Armor Free All of the normal features of a firewall and more. |
 |
Ashampoo FireWall Free Very easy to use and navigate. For intermediate users. |
 |
Peerblock Provides control over who your computer “talks” to online by blocking known bad addresses. |
 |
TinyWall A great free firewall solution that puts you in charge of whitelisting applications in a non-intrusive manner. |
Featured
The apps and services listed under “Featured” category participate in the MakeUseOf Rewards program. You can exchange your points for a free copy or subscription. Each product has been selected because of its quality, so check them out. We think you’ll like what you see.
 |
LastPass Secure plugin to store and synchronise login passwords across browsers. Comes auto-login and form filler. |
|
Lavasoft Ad-Aware+ Pro A full-featured security suite. This edition will protect one PC for one year. |
 |
IObit Advanced SystemCare Free One-click approach to help protect, repair, clean, and optimize your PC. |
|
IObit Malware Fighter Advanced malware & spyware removal utility. The pro version comes with some really cool features. |
 |
RightNote Pro Create multiple types of notes; organize, store, schedule and even sync them with Evernote. $59.95 |
 |
MediaMonkey Full-featured music player and music collection organiser. |
 |
Glary Utilities PRO The premium version of Glary Utilities, costs $27.97. Adds background automation, 24/7 technical support and commercial use. |
 |
TuneUp All-purpose de-duper, title fixer, album art finder. One-time purchase of $49.95. |
 |
CyberGhost Classic VPN client that obscures your IP address. 1-year Classic subscription ($69.99) with access to premium servers |
 |
Bitdefender Internet Security Anti-virus protection, 2-way firewall and parental controls. 1-yr, 1PC subscription worth $49.95 |
 |
Super Easy Video Converter 2 Makes the transition between different format and devices a quick, intuitive process. |
 |
Switch Switch lets you schedule shutdowns or shutdown remotely; reboot, enter sleep mode and more. |
 |
InPaint his amazingly simple tool will help you remove unwanted elements from any photograph. |
 |
Crashplan+ One of the best backup solutions for home users. Backup 10 GB od data to the cloud. |
Defragmenters
 |
Defraggler Another excellent defrag tool. Portable. From the same guys behind hugely popular CCleaner. |
 |
IObit Smart Defrag Extremely easy to use. Works continuously in the background. |
File Recovery
 |
Recuva Very effective in restoring deleted files. Extremely popular. |
 |
FreeUndelete No frills, just focused on the zen of file recovery. |
 |
ADRC Data Recovery Software The Renaissance Man of free data recovery. Not as popular as Recuva but still has its own fans. |
 |
Pandora Recovery An easy to use yet powerful file recovery application. |
 |
PhotoRec Designed specifically for the recovery of lost photographs, PhotoRec is very powerful free software. |
 |
TestDisk Incredibly powerful free software for recovering whole lost partitions and making non-bootable disks bootable again. |
Uninstallers
 |
Revo Uninstaller Free Fast and very effective at uninstalling just about anything. Popular choice for the purpose. |
 |
IObit Uninstaller New kid on the block. Gaining popularity. Boasts a bunch of features not found on other uninstallers. |
 |
Absolute Uninstaller Less popular than the other two but probably the simplest to use one. |
 |
Advanced Uninstaller PRO It might say “PRO” in the title but this uninstaller is completely free and already Windows 8 friendly. |
 |
GeekUninstaller Tested by MakeUseOf to be one of the most effective uninstallers out there. |
Backup Apps
|
Crashplan+ One of the best backup solutions for home users. Backup 10 GB od data to the cloud. |
 |
Mozy Incredibly smart, highly secure, set-it-and-forget-it backup solution. Backups data to web. |
 |
FBackup Easily backup important files and documents, personal settings and plugins. |
 |
Clonezilla Live CD to completely clone your hard drive. |
 |
SyncBack Freeware Selective synchronisation, local and remote backup to an FTP server. |
 |
FreeFileSync Open source folder comparison and sync tool. Optimised for speed and usability. |
 |
CopyTo Synchronizer Wide set of options for backing up, updating, and synchronizing files. |
 |
DriveImage XML Easily Backup or copy entire disks block-for-block directly to another drive without the need to reboot your computer to run the cloning process. |
 |
Cobian Backup A backup program that supports scheduling on both local and networked machines. |
 |
SugarSync A multi-platform syncing tool that features 5GB of free space and mobile compatibility. |
 |
ToolWiz Time Freeze A tool for creating cloned restore points for testing changes without risking your own system. |
 |
Todo Backup Able to backup the entire operating system, program settings, browser data, emails and other data. |
PC Maintenance
|
IObit Advanced SystemCare Free One-click approach to help protect, repair, clean, and optimize your PC. |
 |
CCleaner Scores high points all around. The most popular choice at the moment. Not as many features as in others. |
 |
Soluto Speed up Windows boot time by removing unnecessary apps from startup. Very effective. |
|
Glary Utilities Includes over 15 useful system maintenance tools. Been recommended by MakeUseOf several times! |
 |
Secunia Personal Software Inspector A free utility that scans your PC for outdated programs in need of updates. |
 |
D7 The Swiss army knife of Windows utilities, D7 is powerful professional-grade software for diagnosing a huge variety of problems. |
 |
CPU-Z A simple tool for detecting a huge range of hardware information about your PC and the components inside it. |
 |
GPU-Z Get detailed information about your graphics card including memory type and speed, software versions and temperatures. |
 |
Process Explorer An advanced version of Windows Task Manager from Microsoft for a more detailed look at what’s running on your PC. |
 |
WinDirStat A free tool for visualising your disk space usage. |
 |
Speccy A complete system information tool for your Windows PC, Speccy tells you exactly what hardware you’ve got under the hood. |
 |
ToolWiz Care A complete maintenance program for Windows, with a ton of features for optimizing and cleaning up your PC. |
 |
CPUID PC Wizard The big brother to CPU-Z, PC Wizard is a complete benchmarking tool for your PC and its components. |
 |
SUMo Software Update Monitor does exactly that – monitors software for available updates and downloads them for you. |
Browsers
 |
Google Chrome The fastest, minimal design browser (from Google) now with extension support. Growing extremely fast. |
 |
Firefox More than 6,000 add-ons for every possible feature. The most customisable browser to date. |
 |
Safari A web browser from Apple. Designed to emphasize browsing. Also features extensions. |
 |
Opera The “fastest and most advanced” browser available today. |
 |
Maxthon A fast and stable browser with support for multiple rendering engines. |
Email Clients
 |
Thunderbird Increasingly popular email client from the same guys behind Firefox browser. One of the best email clients for Windows. |
 |
Postbox Express A simple, yet powerful, new email application for Windows. Check it out. |
 |
Google Notifier Alerts you when you have new Gmail messages. Simple and handy. |
Communication
 |
Skype The most popular cross-platform VoIP application. Must-have for everyone online. |
 |
Pidgin Easy-to-use, cross-platform, multi-protocol chat client. Supports all major chat programs. |
 |
Digsby An alternative multi-protocol instant messaging app. Cross-platform. Extremely popular. |
 |
Trillian Astra Popular multi-protocol instant messaging client. |
 |
Raptr A social network and messaging service for gamers to keep in touch. |
 |
Google Talk Google’s standalone GTalk client for Windows is a simple yet effective tool. |
 |
TeamSpeak Built with the gamer in mind, TeamSpeak is a popular VoIP solution that works across a range of desktop and mobile devices. |
 |
Mumble Intended for use with your favourite multiplayer game, Mumble is a great open source cross-platform low-latency VoIP client. |
 |
Dolby Axon A free VoIP program for gamers from Dolby, allowing for a unique surround-sound setup – a must try! |
 |
Free Video Call Recorder for Skype Just like the name says a free tool for recording video and audio conversations on Skype, Windows 8 ready. |
Image Tools
 |
Paint.NET Strong candidate as a potential substitute for Photoshop for beginner/intermediate users. |
 |
FastStone Image Viewer One of the best image viewer, converter & editor bundles. |
 |
IrfanView The Swiss Army knife of image viewers/editors. Extremely popular. |
 |
Google Picasa Powerful photo manager software from Google. Includes 1-click photo retouching features. Easy online photo sharing. |
 |
GIMP Very capable graphic editor with Photoshop-like features. Often labeled as free Photoshop alternative. |
 |
PhotoScape Another good free and easy-to-use photo editing application. |
 |
Inkscape An open source vector graphics editor that uses the Scaleable Vector Graphics (.SVG) format. |
 |
RIOT – Radical Image Optimization Tool A free tool that makes light work of optimising images for the web while maintaining quality and small file sizes. |
 |
XnView A small utility for viewing and converting images that reads around 400 formats. |
 |
XnConvert Easily batch convert, resize and apply effects to images with this open source software. |
 |
Zoner Photo Studio Free Tweak, fix, manage and share your precious memories with Zoner, software that rivals paid software. |
 |
Neox Screen A free and open source screenshot manager that’s lightweight yet powerful. |
Audio Tools
 |
foobar2000 Advanced audio player for Windows with highly customisable user interface. |
 |
Songbird A popular music player based on Mozilla’s code. Includes some really useful plugins. |
 |
Audacity Very popular open source software for recording and editing audio tracks and sounds. |
 |
iTunes Music player and video library organiser. Hosts the iTunes Store. |
|
MediaMonkey Full-featured music player and music collection organiser. |
 |
Winamp Well-known, lightweight, small-footprint media player. |
 |
CopyTrans Manager Alternative iPod manager app. Sync and transfer music & files to iPod, iPhone, iPad. |
 |
TagScanner A multifunction program for organizing and managing your music collection. |
 |
MusicBee A basic music player with a few thoughtful additions, including tag completion. |
 |
Tomahawk A social music player that can pull content from a range of sources including YouTube and Soundcloud. |
 |
Spotify Streaming music service client complete with Facebook integration and iDevice management. |
 |
AIMP Another full-featured audio player expandable with skins and plugins. |
Video Tools
 |
VLC Media Player Extremely popular cross-platform video player that can play almost any video file. Highly recommended by many. |
 |
Handbrake Open source, cross-platform, video converter that can convert video files between many video formats. |
 |
VirtualDub Open-source and portable video editor. |
 |
Media Player Classic Replica of WM Player. Includes only the most basic controls but can play pretty much any video. |
 |
Freemake Free video converter & DVD burner that’s easy to use. |
 |
Format Factory Multifunctional audi and video converter. Supports MP4, AVI, WMV, FLV, SWF, RMVB and lots more. |
 |
PotPlayer From the creator of the original KMPlayer comes PotPlayer, a faster and improved media player. |
 |
CamStudio A high quality freeware screen capture utility with support for lossless video output. |
 |
XBMC A powerful, mature open source media centre that rocks. |
 |
Plex A great looking media centre solution that also works remotely and with mobile devices. Download | Full review | eBook |
 |
UMPlayer A light video player with some great features and over 270 in-built codecs. |
 |
Freemake Video Converter Convert over 200 filetypes to formats that work on a plethora of mobile, media and gaming devices and the web via Flash and HTML5. |
 |
Miro A feature-packed alternative to iTunes for managing video, music and podcasts with ease. |
Files and Drives
 |
FileMenu Tools Customise the right-click context menu of Windows Explorer. Adds lots of useful functions and utilities. |
 |
FreeCommander Free file browser and Windows Explorer replacement. Two-pane browsing, secure file deletion and more. |
 |
TeraCopy Copy and move files at maximum speed. Pause and resume file transfers. |
 |
EASEUS Partition Master All-in-one, easy to use disk partition manager. Create, resize and merge partitions. |
 |
Unlocker Can’t delete a folder or a file? Getting an error that it’s being used by another program? Unlocker can easily delete it. |
 |
TreeSize Free Shows you where your precious hard drive space has gone to. Easily view how much space is being used by each folder. |
 |
DropIt Tiny tool to automate categorizing files and folders. Drag a file on top of it and it will place it for you where you need it. Portable version available. |
 |
Free Opener An easy way to quickly open over 80 types of file types using one tiny program. |
 |
SyncToy Free application that synchronizes files and folders between locations. |
 |
Filezilla A free, lightweight and robust FTP client for transferring files to and from the web. |
 |
zeZebra A cross-platform tool for sending and receiving files with absolutely no size limit. |
 |
MultiCommander A feature-packed alternative file manager to Windows Explorer that uses a dual-panel layout. |
 |
Google Drive The evolution of Google Docs keeps your documents synced between the cloud and your PC. |
 |
Skydrive Microsoft’s cloud storage solution comes with 7GB of space for storing documents and images. |
 |
AxCrypt A fuss-free encryption solution that also doubles as a deletion tool for eliminating any traces of a file. |
Documents
 |
LibreOffice Microsoft Office alternative. Open source professional productivity and office suite. |
 |
Dropbox Must-have for everyone. Sync folder with docs and files to web or other PCs / Macs. Share documents. |
 |
Notepad++ Popular open source text editor. Favoured by many, including programmers. |
 |
FoxIt Reader Really light alternative to Adobe Reader. Open PDF files. |
 |
doPDF Easily convert documents and pictures to PDF files from any Windows program with two clicks. |
 |
PDF Xchange viewer Desktop and portable PDF viewer. Lightweight and fast. |
 |
Nitro PDF Reader Read PDFs, create PDFs. Extract content, annotate and fill PDF forms. |
 |
PDFTK Builder Free graphical interface version of PDFTK. Merge, split, decrypt, encrypt, watermark PDF files. |
 |
VIM Text Editor Highly configurable text editor. |
 |
PDFsam Easily split and merge PDF files. |
 |
Windows Live Writer Compose then publish your blog posts with a click straight from Windows Live Writer. |  |
MartView Read PDFs and eBooks on your PC in style from MartView’s attractive interface. |
 |
Kindle Amazon’s Kindle app lets you read and manage your eBook collection from your Windows PC. |
Productivity
 |
Fences Provides rectangular containers for your desktop to visually organize your icons. Very handy! |
 |
Rainlendar Very easy to use and lightweight calendar for your Windows desktop. |
 |
Evernote Save your ideas on the go and instantly take notes. Access notes from anywhere. Highly recommended! |
 |
VirtuaWin Gives you multiple virtual desktops to organize your workflow. Highly customisable. |
 |
Launchy A powerful keystroke based program launcher that lets you open program and files really quickly. |
 |
Send to Toys Enhances the right-click ‘Send To’ system menu. Personalise and configure the Send To menu content. |
 |
Dexpot Create virtual desktops to separate different running apps and Windows. Comparable to Spaces on Mac OS X. |
 |
Q-Dir Free multi-pane file manager to save you time. Portable version available. |
 |
ClipX Tiny, free clipboard history manager. Access up to 1024 items in your clipboard’s history. |
 |
Bruce’s Unusual Typing Wizard Gain typing speed and accuracy with its unique touch-typing teaching program. |
 |
SendToSendTo Easily add new entries to the right-click “Send To” menu. |
 |
Ditto Saves each item placed on the clipboard allowing you access to any of those items at a later time. |
 |
Wunderlist A multi-platform list syncing app for keeping track of your todo lists from any device. |
 |
FreeMind An open-source mind mapping solution written in Java that can be as simple or as complex as you need. |
|
RightNote Pro Create multiple types of notes; organize, store, schedule and even sync them with Evernote. $59.95 |
 |
ResophNotes A very simple and fast note-taking app for Windows that supports online sync with Simplenote. |
 |
Visual Understanding Environment VUE is a free and open source mind map application comparable to similar paid products. |
Archive Managers
 |
7-zip Takes care of most of your archive extracting/compression needs. Supports ZIP, RAR and many others formats. |
 |
Universal Extractor With over 50 supported file formats, Universal Extractor is superb. |
 |
IZArc One archive utility to rule them all. Supports almost all formats. |
 |
PeaZip User friendly, free and open source archive manager with enough features to satisfy power-users. |
 |
Hamster Lite Archiver Another freeware archive manager with a bold interface and good compatibility. |
Optical & Disc Image Tools
 |
ImgBurn CD/DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-ray burning tool. Also, lets you easily create image files from CDs and DVDs. |
 |
CDBurnerXP The most popular free alternative to Nero Burning ROM. Burn CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. |
 |
bitRipper Back-up your DVDs as AVI files or MPEG to your hard drive. Excellent backup tool for DVDs. |
 |
CDex Open-source digital audio CD extractor. Saves CD tracks as MP3′s. |
 |
DuBaron CD2ISO A great tool to extract ISO images from CDs or DVDs. Very simple and easy to use. |
 |
Virtual CloneDrive Mount a virtual drive to open and playback ISO image files (CD/DVD images). |
 |
DVDShrink The easiest and one of the better free DVD ripping and backup tools. |
 |
Exact Audio Copy The most accurate and error-free audio CD extractor. Can extract MP3s from a CD. |
 |
DVD Flick Easy-to-use DVD creation software. Allows adding subtitles and making DVD menus as well. |
 |
WinCDEmu Mount ISO, CUE, NRG, MDS/MDF, CCD, IMG images by simply clicking on them in Windows Explorer. |
 |
DVDFab HD Decrypter One of the only free tools that supports the decrypting of Blu-Ray discs. |
 |
DaemonTools Lite Lightweight and free disk virtualization software for installing virtual drives and mounting disk images. |
Downloads
 |
uTorrent Speedy, efficient, and free. The most popular BitTorrent client. |
 |
Deluge An awesome but unappreciated cross-platform BitTorrent client. |
 |
YouTube Downloader HD Downloads YouTube videos with just a few clicks of the mouse button. |
 |
PeerBlock Control/block your PC’s communication with ad or spyware servers. Secures P2P activities. |
 |
Free Download Manager Open source download accelerator and manager. Increase download speeds and resume broken downloads. |
 |
Jdownloader The most popular download manager. Quickly and efficiently download files from sites such as Rapidshare, Megaupload and many others. |
 |
FlashGet A download manager that supports HTTP, FTP and BitTorrent protocols amongst others. |
 |
MiPONY A download manager designed to facilitate downloading from file lockers like Rapidshare. |
 |
Freemake Video Downloader Download and keep embedded videos from thousands of websites, supports Facebook as well as YouTube and audio extraction. |
Others
|
LastPass Secure plugin to store and synchronise login passwords across browsers. Comes auto-login and form filler. |
 |
TrueCrypt Free open-source, cross-platform disk and data encryption tool. Encrypt and hide sensitive files. |
 |
TeamViewer Request remote technical assistance. Connect to remote computer. Zero setup required. |
 |
PortableApps Suite A collection of useful portable apps that can be stored on USB stick. Carry the apps with you wherever you go on a thumbdrive. |
 |
Sticky Password Free password and identity manager. Browser add-on for automatic login and form-filling. |
 |
KeePass Free, open source, lightweight and easy-to-use password manager. |
 |
LiberKey Suite of over 300 free useful software apps that you can carry with you wherever you go. |
 |
Hiren’s BootCD All-in-one bootable CD providing an alternate boot environment to troubleshoot Windows problems. |
 |
Eraser Advanced security tool to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive. |
 |
iPrint Print multiple pages on each sheet of paper, delete unwanted pages. Lowers printing costs. |
 |
Antirun Protects your PC by blocking viruses and malware from infected USB thumbsticks and flash drives. |
 |
Everything Locates files and folders by name instantly. |
 |
Game Booster 3 Speeds up your PC for faster gaming. |
 |
DriverPack Solution 11 Makes the job of finding and automatically installing drivers really easy. |
 |
XAMPP Easy to install Apache distribution with MySQL, PHP and Perl. No manual setup required! |
 |
Calibre Free open source eBook management software with support for conversion and syncing. |
 |
Rainmeter A desktop customisation tool with support for functional skins. |
 |
Rocketdock An elegant dock solution for Windows with support for add-ons. |
 |
VirtualBox Free virtualisation software for creating and running virtual machines. |
 |
TunnelBear Need to access a website that’s restricted to the US or UK? Try TunnelBear. |
 |
f.lux This small program adapts your PC’s display to the time of day in order to reduce eye strain and fatigue. |
 |
Connectify Easily create your own adhoc wireless networks to share your ethernet internet connection wirelessly. Free and commercial ($29.99) versions available |
 |
Copernic Desktop Search Home A powerful and customizable desktop search solution. |
 |
Classic Shell Upgraded to Windows 8 but missing the Start Menu? Classic Shell is the freeware software you’ve been looking for. |
 |
VMWare Player Run virtual PCs with ease using VMWare Player, simple virtualisation software that is free for personal use. |
 |
ObjectDock Like the Mac OS X dock but using Windows? ObjectDock is free for personal use. |
 |
SpeedFan A free utility for checking the speed of fans, as well as system temperatures. |
Disclaimer: All applications listed were thoroughly reviewed. MakeUseOf is not responsible for any damage and/or data loss
that might result from use of any of the above mentioned applications.
|
|||||
Anti-virus
|
avast! Free Antivirus Expect great all-around protection against viruses and trojans. |
|
AntiVir Free Version Lightweight and solid. Good ratings. Worth looking into. |
|
AVG Antivirus Free Edition Not as good as Avast or Avira but with considerably less bloat. The most popular free antivirus. |
|
Microsoft Security Essentials Simple, effective and lightweight protection suite. |
|
Comodo Internet Security Free security suite, includes both a firewall and anti-virus protection. |
|
Lavasoft Ad-Aware+ Free A complete anti-virus and anti-malware solution in one tidy free package. |
|
Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition A capable cloud-based antivirus that’s relatively light on resources with decent detection rates. |
|
BitDefender Free Antivirus Finally BitDefender has released a free version of their antivirus software, optimized for Windows 8. |
Malware Removal
|
IObit Malware Fighter Advanced malware & spyware removal utility. The pro versioncomes with some really cool features. |
|
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware Easy-to-use, simple, and very effective anti-malware application. |
|
Spybot S&D Detects and removes spyware. Compliments anti-virus apps. Has a very good reputation. |
|
Threatfire Spyware removal tool with real-time antispyware protection. Lightweight and memory sparing. |
|
Superantispyware Lightweight scanner to detect and remove spyware, adware, trojans, and other threats. |
|
Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool A free tool for the removal of a variety of different viruses and malware, presented alongside virus-specific tools. |
|
Dr.Web CureIt! A standalone virus removal tool that can be used alongside your existing virus scanner with no installation required. |
Firewall Apps
|
PC Tools Firewall Plus 6 Powerful firewall capable of providing excellent protection. |
|
Comodo Firewall (standalone) Long been considered one of the best free firewall tools available. |
|
ZoneAlarm Free Firewall Provides the best overall firewall protection for advanced users. |
|
Online Armor Free All of the normal features of a firewall and more. |
|
Ashampoo FireWall Free Very easy to use and navigate. For intermediate users. |
|
Peerblock Provides control over who your computer “talks” to online by blocking known bad addresses. |
|
TinyWall A great free firewall solution that puts you in charge of whitelisting applications in a non-intrusive manner. |
Featured
The apps and services listed under “Featured” category participate in the MakeUseOf Rewards program. You can exchange your points for a free copy or subscription. Each product has been selected because of its quality, so check them out. We think you’ll like what you see.
|
LastPass Secure plugin to store and synchronise login passwords across browsers. Comes auto-login and form filler. |
|
Lavasoft Ad-Aware+ Pro A full-featured security suite. This edition will protect one PC for one year. |
|
IObit Advanced SystemCare Free One-click approach to help protect, repair, clean, and optimize your PC. |
|
IObit Malware Fighter Advanced malware & spyware removal utility. The pro version comes with some really cool features. |
|
RightNote Pro Create multiple types of notes; organize, store, schedule and even sync them with Evernote. $59.95 |
|
MediaMonkey Full-featured music player and music collection organiser. |
|
Glary Utilities PRO The premium version of Glary Utilities, costs $27.97. Adds background automation, 24/7 technical support and commercial use. |
|
TuneUp All-purpose de-duper, title fixer, album art finder. One-time purchase of $49.95. |
|
CyberGhost Classic VPN client that obscures your IP address. 1-year Classic subscription ($69.99) with access to premium servers |
|
Bitdefender Internet Security Anti-virus protection, 2-way firewall and parental controls. 1-yr, 1PC subscription worth $49.95 |
|
Super Easy Video Converter 2 Makes the transition between different format and devices a quick, intuitive process. |
|
Switch Switch lets you schedule shutdowns or shutdown remotely; reboot, enter sleep mode and more. |
|
InPaint his amazingly simple tool will help you remove unwanted elements from any photograph. |
Defragmenters
|
Defraggler Another excellent defrag tool. Portable. From the same guys behind hugely popular CCleaner. |
|
IObit Smart Defrag Extremely easy to use. Works continuously in the background. |
File Recovery
|
Recuva Very effective in restoring deleted files. Extremely popular. |
|
FreeUndelete No frills, just focused on the zen of file recovery. |
|
ADRC Data Recovery Software The Renaissance Man of free data recovery. Not as popular as Recuva but still has its own fans. |
|
Pandora Recovery An easy to use yet powerful file recovery application. |
|
PhotoRec Designed specifically for the recovery of lost photographs, PhotoRec is very powerful free software. |
|
TestDisk Incredibly powerful free software for recovering whole lost partitions and making non-bootable disks bootable again. |
Uninstallers
|
Revo Uninstaller Free Fast and very effective at uninstalling just about anything. Popular choice for the purpose. |
|
IObit Uninstaller New kid on the block. Gaining popularity. Boasts a bunch of features not found on other uninstallers. |
|
Absolute Uninstaller Less popular than the other two but probably the simplest to use one. |
|
Advanced Uninstaller PRO It might say “PRO” in the title but this uninstaller is completely free and already Windows 8 friendly. |
|
GeekUninstaller Tested by MakeUseOf to be one of the most effective uninstallers out there. |
Backup Apps
|
Mozy Incredibly smart, highly secure, set-it-and-forget-it backup solution. Backups data to web. |
|
FBackup Easily backup important files and documents, personal settings and plugins. |
|
Todo Backup Able to backup the entire operating system, program settings, browser data, emails and other data. |
|
Clonezilla Live CD to completely clone your hard drive. |
|
SyncBack Freeware Selective synchronisation, local and remote backup to an FTP server. |
|
FreeFileSync Open source folder comparison and sync tool. Optimised for speed and usability. |
|
CopyTo Synchronizer Wide set of options for backing up, updating, and synchronizing files. |
|
DriveImage XML Easily Backup or copy entire disks block-for-block directly to another drive without the need to reboot your computer to run the cloning process. |
|
Cobian Backup A backup program that supports scheduling on both local and networked machines. |
|
SugarSync A multi-platform syncing tool that features 5GB of free space and mobile compatibility. |
|
ToolWiz Time Freeze A tool for creating cloned restore points for testing changes without risking your own system. |
PC Maintenance
|
IObit Advanced SystemCare Free One-click approach to help protect, repair, clean, and optimize your PC. |
|
CCleaner Scores high points all around. The most popular choice at the moment. Not as many features as in others. |
|
Soluto Speed up Windows boot time by removing unnecessary apps from startup. Very effective. |
|
Glary Utilities Includes over 15 useful system maintenance tools. Been recommended by MakeUseOf several times! |
|
Secunia Personal Software Inspector A free utility that scans your PC for outdated programs in need of updates. |
|
D7 The Swiss army knife of Windows utilities, D7 is powerful professional-grade software for diagnosing a huge variety of problems. |
|
CPU-Z A simple tool for detecting a huge range of hardware information about your PC and the components inside it. |
|
GPU-Z Get detailed information about your graphics card including memory type and speed, software versions and temperatures. |
|
Process Explorer An advanced version of Windows Task Manager from Microsoft for a more detailed look at what’s running on your PC. |
|
WinDirStat A free tool for visualising your disk space usage. |
|
Speccy A complete system information tool for your Windows PC, Speccy tells you exactly what hardware you’ve got under the hood. |
|
ToolWiz Care A complete maintenance program for Windows, with a ton of features for optimizing and cleaning up your PC. |
|
CPUID PC Wizard The big brother to CPU-Z, PC Wizard is a complete benchmarking tool for your PC and its components. |
|
SUMo Software Update Monitor does exactly that – monitors software for available updates and downloads them for you. |
Browsers
|
Google Chrome The fastest, minimal design browser (from Google) now with extension support. Growing extremely fast. |
|
Firefox More than 6,000 add-ons for every possible feature. The most customisable browser to date. |
|
Safari A web browser from Apple. Designed to emphasize browsing. Also features extensions. |
|
Opera The “fastest and most advanced” browser available today. |
|
Maxthon A fast and stable browser with support for multiple rendering engines. |
Email Clients
|
Thunderbird Increasingly popular email client from the same guys behind Firefox browser. One of the best email clients for Windows. |
|
Postbox Express A simple, yet powerful, new email application for Windows. Check it out. |
|
Google Notifier Alerts you when you have new Gmail messages. Simple and handy. |
Communication
|
Skype The most popular cross-platform VoIP application. Must-have for everyone online. |
|
Pidgin Easy-to-use, cross-platform, multi-protocol chat client. Supports all major chat programs. |
|
Digsby An alternative multi-protocol instant messaging app. Cross-platform. Extremely popular. |
|
Trillian Astra Popular multi-protocol instant messaging client. |
|
Raptr A social network and messaging service for gamers to keep in touch. |
|
Google Talk Google’s standalone GTalk client for Windows is a simple yet effective tool. |
|
TeamSpeak Built with the gamer in mind, TeamSpeak is a popular VoIP solution that works across a range of desktop and mobile devices. |
|
Mumble Intended for use with your favourite multiplayer game, Mumble is a great open source cross-platform low-latency VoIP client. |
|
Dolby Axon A free VoIP program for gamers from Dolby, allowing for a unique surround-sound setup – a must try! |
|
Free Video Call Recorder for Skype Just like the name says a free tool for recording video and audio conversations on Skype, Windows 8 ready. |
Image Tools
|
Paint.NET Strong candidate as a potential substitute for Photoshop for beginner/intermediate users. |
|
FastStone Image Viewer One of the best image viewer, converter & editor bundles. |
|
IrfanView The Swiss Army knife of image viewers/editors. Extremely popular. |
|
Google Picasa Powerful photo manager software from Google. Includes 1-click photo retouching features. Easy online photo sharing. |
|
GIMP Very capable graphic editor with Photoshop-like features. Often labeled as free Photoshop alternative. |
|
PhotoScape Another good free and easy-to-use photo editing application. |
|
Inkscape An open source vector graphics editor that uses the Scaleable Vector Graphics (.SVG) format. |
|
RIOT – Radical Image Optimization Tool A free tool that makes light work of optimising images for the web while maintaining quality and small file sizes. |
|
XnView A small utility for viewing and converting images that reads around 400 formats. |
|
XnConvert Easily batch convert, resize and apply effects to images with this open source software. |
|
Zoner Photo Studio Free Tweak, fix, manage and share your precious memories with Zoner, software that rivals paid software. |
|
Neox Screen A free and open source screenshot manager that’s lightweight yet powerful. |
Audio Tools
|
foobar2000 Advanced audio player for Windows with highly customisable user interface. |
|
Songbird A popular music player based on Mozilla’s code. Includes some really useful plugins. |
|
Audacity Very popular open source software for recording and editing audio tracks and sounds. |
|
iTunes Music player and video library organiser. Hosts the iTunes Store. |
|
MediaMonkey Full-featured music player and music collection organiser. |
|
Winamp Well-known, lightweight, small-footprint media player. |
|
CopyTrans Manager Alternative iPod manager app. Sync and transfer music & files to iPod, iPhone, iPad. |
|
TagScanner A multifunction program for organizing and managing your music collection. |
|
MusicBee A basic music player with a few thoughtful additions, including tag completion. |
|
Tomahawk A social music player that can pull content from a range of sources including YouTube and Soundcloud. |
|
Spotify Streaming music service client complete with Facebook integration and iDevice management. |
|
AIMP Another full-featured audio player expandable with skins and plugins. |
Video Tools
|
VLC Media Player Extremely popular cross-platform video player that can play almost any video file. Highly recommended by many. |
|
Handbrake Open source, cross-platform, video converter that can convert video files between many video formats. |
|
VirtualDub Open-source and portable video editor. |
|
Media Player Classic Replica of WM Player. Includes only the most basic controls but can play pretty much any video. |
|
Freemake Free video converter & DVD burner that’s easy to use. |
|
Format Factory Multifunctional audi and video converter. Supports MP4, AVI, WMV, FLV, SWF, RMVB and lots more. |
|
PotPlayer From the creator of the original KMPlayer comes PotPlayer, a faster and improved media player. |
|
CamStudio A high quality freeware screen capture utility with support for lossless video output. |
|
XBMC A powerful, mature open source media centre that rocks. |
|
Plex A great looking media centre solution that also works remotely and with mobile devices. Download | Full review | eBook |
|
UMPlayer A light video player with some great features and over 270 in-built codecs. |
|
Freemake Video Converter Convert over 200 filetypes to formats that work on a plethora of mobile, media and gaming devices and the web via Flash and HTML5. |
|
Miro A feature-packed alternative to iTunes for managing video, music and podcasts with ease. |
Files and Drives
|
FileMenu Tools Customise the right-click context menu of Windows Explorer. Adds lots of useful functions and utilities. |
|
FreeCommander Free file browser and Windows Explorer replacement. Two-pane browsing, secure file deletion and more. |
|
TeraCopy Copy and move files at maximum speed. Pause and resume file transfers. |
|
EASEUS Partition Master All-in-one, easy to use disk partition manager. Create, resize and merge partitions. |
|
Unlocker Can’t delete a folder or a file? Getting an error that it’s being used by another program? Unlocker can easily delete it. |
|
TreeSize Free Shows you where your precious hard drive space has gone to. Easily view how much space is being used by each folder. |
|
DropIt Tiny tool to automate categorizing files and folders. Drag a file on top of it and it will place it for you where you need it. Portable version available. |
|
Free Opener An easy way to quickly open over 80 types of file types using one tiny program. |
|
SyncToy Free application that synchronizes files and folders between locations. |
|
Filezilla A free, lightweight and robust FTP client for transferring files to and from the web. |
|
zeZebra A cross-platform tool for sending and receiving files with absolutely no size limit. |
|
MultiCommander A feature-packed alternative file manager to Windows Explorer that uses a dual-panel layout. |
|
Google Drive The evolution of Google Docs keeps your documents synced between the cloud and your PC. |
|
Skydrive Microsoft’s cloud storage solution comes with 7GB of space for storing documents and images. |
|
AxCrypt A fuss-free encryption solution that also doubles as a deletion tool for eliminating any traces of a file. |
Documents
|
LibreOffice Microsoft Office alternative. Open source professional productivity and office suite. |
|
Dropbox Must-have for everyone. Sync folder with docs and files to web or other PCs / Macs. Share documents. |
|
Notepad++ Popular open source text editor. Favoured by many, including programmers. |
|
FoxIt Reader Really light alternative to Adobe Reader. Open PDF files. |
|
doPDF Easily convert documents and pictures to PDF files from any Windows program with two clicks. |
|
PDF Xchange viewer Desktop and portable PDF viewer. Lightweight and fast. |
|
Nitro PDF Reader Read PDFs, create PDFs. Extract content, annotate and fill PDF forms. |
|
PDFTK Builder Free graphical interface version of PDFTK. Merge, split, decrypt, encrypt, watermark PDF files. |
|
VIM Text Editor Highly configurable text editor. |
|
PDFsam Easily split and merge PDF files. |
|
Windows Live Writer Compose then publish your blog posts with a click straight from Windows Live Writer. | |
MartView Read PDFs and eBooks on your PC in style from MartView’s attractive interface. |
|
Kindle Amazon’s Kindle app lets you read and manage your eBook collection from your Windows PC. |
Productivity
|
Fences Provides rectangular containers for your desktop to visually organize your icons. Very handy! |
|
Rainlendar Very easy to use and lightweight calendar for your Windows desktop. |
|
Evernote Save your ideas on the go and instantly take notes. Access notes from anywhere. Highly recommended! |
|
VirtuaWin Gives you multiple virtual desktops to organize your workflow. Highly customisable. |
|
Launchy A powerful keystroke based program launcher that lets you open program and files really quickly. |
|
Send to Toys Enhances the right-click ‘Send To’ system menu. Personalise and configure the Send To menu content. |
|
Dexpot Create virtual desktops to separate different running apps and Windows. Comparable to Spaces on Mac OS X. |
|
Q-Dir Free multi-pane file manager to save you time. Portable version available. |
|
ClipX Tiny, free clipboard history manager. Access up to 1024 items in your clipboard’s history. |
|
Bruce’s Unusual Typing Wizard Gain typing speed and accuracy with its unique touch-typing teaching program. |
|
SendToSendTo Easily add new entries to the right-click “Send To” menu. |
|
Ditto Saves each item placed on the clipboard allowing you access to any of those items at a later time. |
|
Wunderlist A multi-platform list syncing app for keeping track of your todo lists from any device. |
|
FreeMind An open-source mind mapping solution written in Java that can be as simple or as complex as you need. |
|
RightNote Pro Create multiple types of notes; organize, store, schedule and even sync them with Evernote. $59.95 |
|
ResophNotes A very simple and fast note-taking app for Windows that supports online sync with Simplenote. |
|
Visual Understanding Environment VUE is a free and open source mind map application comparable to similar paid products. |
Archive Managers
|
7-zip Takes care of most of your archive extracting/compression needs. Supports ZIP, RAR and many others formats. |
|
Universal Extractor With over 50 supported file formats, Universal Extractor is superb. |
|
IZArc One archive utility to rule them all. Supports almost all formats. |
|
PeaZip User friendly, free and open source archive manager with enough features to satisfy power-users. |
|
Hamster Lite Archiver Another freeware archive manager with a bold interface and good compatibility. |
Optical & Disc Image Tools
|
ImgBurn CD/DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-ray burning tool. Also, lets you easily create image files from CDs and DVDs. |
|
CDBurnerXP The most popular free alternative to Nero Burning ROM. Burn CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. |
|
bitRipper Back-up your DVDs as AVI files or MPEG to your hard drive. Excellent backup tool for DVDs. |
|
CDex Open-source digital audio CD extractor. Saves CD tracks as MP3′s. |
|
DuBaron CD2ISO A great tool to extract ISO images from CDs or DVDs. Very simple and easy to use. |
|
Virtual CloneDrive Mount a virtual drive to open and playback ISO image files (CD/DVD images). |
|
DVDShrink The easiest and one of the better free DVD ripping and backup tools. |
|
Exact Audio Copy The most accurate and error-free audio CD extractor. Can extract MP3s from a CD. |
|
DVD Flick Easy-to-use DVD creation software. Allows adding subtitles and making DVD menus as well. |
|
WinCDEmu Mount ISO, CUE, NRG, MDS/MDF, CCD, IMG images by simply clicking on them in Windows Explorer. |
|
DVDFab HD Decrypter One of the only free tools that supports the decrypting of Blu-Ray discs. |
|
DaemonTools Lite Lightweight and free disk virtualization software for installing virtual drives and mounting disk images. |
Downloads
|
uTorrent Speedy, efficient, and free. The most popular BitTorrent client. |
|
Deluge An awesome but unappreciated cross-platform BitTorrent client. |
|
YouTube Downloader HD Downloads YouTube videos with just a few clicks of the mouse button. |
|
PeerBlock Control/block your PC’s communication with ad or spyware servers. Secures P2P activities. |
|
Free Download Manager Open source download accelerator and manager. Increase download speeds and resume broken downloads. |
|
Jdownloader The most popular download manager. Quickly and efficiently download files from sites such as Rapidshare, Megaupload and many others. |
|
FlashGet A download manager that supports HTTP, FTP and BitTorrent protocols amongst others. |
|
MiPONY A download manager designed to facilitate downloading from file lockers like Rapidshare. |
|
Freemake Video Downloader Download and keep embedded videos from thousands of websites, supports Facebook as well as YouTube and audio extraction. |
Others
|
LastPass Secure plugin to store and synchronise login passwords across browsers. Comes auto-login and form filler. |
|
TrueCrypt Free open-source, cross-platform disk and data encryption tool. Encrypt and hide sensitive files. |
|
TeamViewer Request remote technical assistance. Connect to remote computer. Zero setup required. |
|
PortableApps Suite A collection of useful portable apps that can be stored on USB stick. Carry the apps with you wherever you go on a thumbdrive. |
|
Sticky Password Free password and identity manager. Browser add-on for automatic login and form-filling. |
|
KeePass Free, open source, lightweight and easy-to-use password manager. |
|
LiberKey Suite of over 300 free useful software apps that you can carry with you wherever you go. |
|
Hiren’s BootCD All-in-one bootable CD providing an alternate boot environment to troubleshoot Windows problems. |
|
Eraser Advanced security tool to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive. |
|
iPrint Print multiple pages on each sheet of paper, delete unwanted pages. Lowers printing costs. |
|
Antirun Protects your PC by blocking viruses and malware from infected USB thumbsticks and flash drives. |
|
Everything Locates files and folders by name instantly. |
|
Game Booster 3 Speeds up your PC for faster gaming. |
|
DriverPack Solution 11 Makes the job of finding and automatically installing drivers really easy. |
|
XAMPP Easy to install Apache distribution with MySQL, PHP and Perl. No manual setup required! |
|
Calibre Free open source eBook management software with support for conversion and syncing. |
|
Rainmeter A desktop customisation tool with support for functional skins. |
|
Rocketdock An elegant dock solution for Windows with support for add-ons. |
|
VirtualBox Free virtualisation software for creating and running virtual machines. |
|
TunnelBear Need to access a website that’s restricted to the US or UK? Try TunnelBear. |
|
f.lux This small program adapts your PC’s display to the time of day in order to reduce eye strain and fatigue. |
|
Connectify Easily create your own adhoc wireless networks to share your ethernet internet connection wirelessly. Free and commercial ($29.99) versions available |
|
Copernic Desktop Search Home A powerful and customizable desktop search solution. |
|
Classic Shell Upgraded to Windows 8 but missing the Start Menu? Classic Shell is the freeware software you’ve been looking for. |
|
VMWare Player Run virtual PCs with ease using VMWare Player, simple virtualisation software that is free for personal use. |
|
ObjectDock Like the Mac OS X dock but using Windows? ObjectDock is free for personal use. |
|
SpeedFan A free utility for checking the speed of fans, as well as system temperatures. |
Disclaimer: All applications listed were thoroughly reviewed. MakeUseOf is not responsible for any damage and/or data loss
that might result from use of any of the above mentioned applications.
Hide 438 Comments
What about AIMP and Audiograbber?
thanks, will look into it
I agree, AIMP is awesome and even has a built-in tag editor that supports album art. I use it constantly.
I also use AIMP3 great music player.
AIMP is light and better sound than winamp or itunes
I have a website created in an old version of FrontPage, that is WAY past the capacity of FP to synchronise. On moving to Win 7 X64, FTPSync doesn’t have an X64 version, so I found GoodSync. I highly, highly recommend it.
Convert X to dvd should be under CD/DVD tools
And its the best, lag free, error free dvd creator ive ever used. My library grows……..
How about Ommwriter, PicPick and RIOT?
thanks for the input, will check it out
How about suggesting effective software for updating drivers (no scams please) that does not cost.
that’s a very good idea. We’ll make sot include one such app on the next update.
try slimdrivers…ive been using it and its awesome. also their other products slimcomputer and slimcleaner is very nice
tried slimdrivers on my computer and it decided i needed Sierra Wireless drivers, 1 i dont have a sierra device, 2, my router is wired and considering i was clicking on update for my USB not ethernet after using slimdrivers i had to use a recovery img,
My wireless mouse usb didnt work at all after using the supplied drivers from slimdrivers only been connected for 4years and running perfectly before the usb update, my 1.5tb developed sector errors after installing the pci sata controller cards updated drivers, which now has to be rma’d. it was working perfectly before that update.
my piece of advice stay well clear of SLIMDRIVERS unless you want to start buying new hardware.
Just do a System Restore using the Restore point before the changes. No damage done.
slim drivers freeware
Truly sad!! Absolutely no mention of the “Other” OS and I’m speaking of Linux, of course! Then again “Who needs Windows, when there are no Walls?!”
Ears have walls.
I apologize for last post, as there IS mention & some stuff for Linux, my comment was a little hasty. Windows just isn’t a flexible OS that the user can truly own & customize everything on/in it to their liking
also for Mac, http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/the-best-of
Ubuntu should be here.
just scroll up…. there are links on Linux apps compilation and Mac too
How about alternatives to Chrome (Srware Iron & Comodo Dragon) & Firefox (Pale Moon)
JDownloader is missing!!
thanks for the input, it will be added soon.
I wonder if I’m the only one having trouble with downloading the FREE OPENER software.
just checked, worked fine.
try from this link, http://www.freeopener.com/download.html
Aibek
Comodo Programs Manager is a very good and free uninstaller.
I have a problem with a laptop. I need an OS CD Microsoft Windows XP. The unit model is hp Compaq nw8240. Please send me a copy the OS in email which I can later download into a CD. Thank you in advance. More power!
Froilan,
I’m afraid you’re asking this question in the wrong place. I think you best refer to this article: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/borrow-download-windows-installation-disk/
… and ZipGenius?
GOM >= VLC. Agree.
no way VLC way better than GOM
agreee!
Simply put ,brilliant collection, no doubt.The real thing ,
Suitable for all , newbies to geeks
What about MagicDisc or Gizmo Drive? Or PeaZip? ImgBurn?
thanks for the input, will check them out
JDownloader, TagScanner, Ditto, Everything and Launchy should have been included as well.
thanks for recommendations, wil check them out
You missed the best software to run on your windows computer. Run a linux installation. In 5 minutes you will have a computer without malware or viruses. Fee graphics, office, database and entertainment programs that is upgraded for free when new versions or bug fixes become available. And the updates actually work rather than break your computer. If you are still using windows – why?
bsplayer under video tools and for ALL TOOLS PortableApps and Liberkey. great job. thanks to all for great work
everything i need is in here.
i hope mods will create something like ninite which i can click programs i wanted then a onetime download and install.
thanks for the input. we’ll consider using ninite.
Aibek
Aibek, sir can you please also consider adding in audio category comet player. It is also free and with most basic audio player features but with an added fun of auto LYRICS search and displays in the panel where you can sing-a-long with the music you’re playing. http://www.cometplayer.com/
thanks for the input, will deifnitely check it out before the next update. Though the audo category is pretty competitive I must say)
Oh, you must add XnView to your list of must-have software! Please! It’s absolutely incredible! It supports MANY features, including a HUGE support range for reading and writing image formats, filters, organizing, lossless operations, filters, and much, much more! It’s free to use for non-commercial usage.
http://www.xnview.com/ If it’s overlooked to be added, at least I hope those reading this will take a look and those who already use it will comment and testify to this fantastic software.
thanks good apps for windows pc
are they compatible with windows 7 also
yes, most of the mentioned software work on Windows 7
you guys are wonderful……..more of please
We try!
Great programs… But do you have any programs to maximize battery life that you may recommend?
See, 20 Ways To Increase Laptop’s Battery Life
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/20-ways-to-increase-the-life-of-your-laptops-battery/
also check out MakeUseOf posts that are filed under: battery life
http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/battery-life/
Some related questions from MakeUseOf Answers
How can I increase my laptop’s battery life?
http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/increase-laptops-battery-life/
How can I maximize the life time of a lithium-ion battery?
http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/maximize-life-time-lithiumion-battery/
If you’re looking for specific software program that can preserve battery life I recommend you
to ask this on MakeUseOf Answers, http://www.makeuseof.com/asnwers/
Aibek
BEST PLAYER is PotPlayer. Simply plays evrythink, great simple GUI and menus and you can inteligently setup everything
- AIMP for Audio
- GOM for Video
- Multi Commander for File (better than FreeCommander)
- WinDirStat for File (better than TreeSize Free to locate big files)
- Mipony for Download (jDownloader support more sites, but Mipony doesn’t require Java)
- VirtualBox for Other
thanks for the recommendations, will definitely check them out before the next upgrade.
Mipony and Multi Commander are completely new to me. Never heard of them before.
Believe or not but my roomate’s sister makes USD80 an hour on the computer. She has been fired from work for 10 months but last month her income was $7396 just working on the computer for a few hours. Here’s the site to read more… MakeCash17.cøm
good software, and waht about battery care
would you consider this essential app to have? any recommendations?
How about JetAudio??
Sure, will check it out as well.
What’s so great about it though?
Aibek
Some useful applications that you can consider: Screamer Radio, Screenpresso Free, Everything (search alternative), DustBuster (garbage file removing utility).
Give them a chance!
also UMplayer is really good
thanks, I will definitely check it out.
what are your favorite features? what makes it special for you?
Nice List, thanks
Missing a section for Media Center programs though.
Mediaportal, XBMC
Thanks for the feedback Mark.
I am going to be testing some media centters in a week or two
and will try to add a couple of media center apps to the list after that.
Aibek
Oh, misspelling! That’s “Rainlendar” not “Rainlender”
thanks for heads up. corrected.
Aibek
Don’t forget SugarSync for backup solutions! hxxp://sugarsync.com
Acronis True Image Home 2012
Maybe if you like getting your software when wearing a patch and resting a parrot on your shoulder!
missed Secunia PSI, Connectify and Process Explorer.
thanks, will check them out again before next update to the page.
Hi im new to makeuseof and i actually have a question about the 100 free downloads for windows. Whats the difference between the windows application of this software and the downloadsthat are for free. are these free downloads better than the windows 7 stuff? cheers…
There are only a few apps here which are available on Windows by default. In almost all such cases we believe that third-party tools listed here are better
than their default Windows counterparts.
it’s a great collection !!!!!
thanks to make use of.
Think u should have added Burn aware free in the list for noobs …
Excellent piece of software ( non-buggy and straight forward )
thank, will definitely check it out before the next update
soda pdf reader is great if you want see your pdf’s in 3d.A must try and i bet you’ll like it.
thanks for the input
Threatfire Malware Program is not free.
There is a free version, just checked.
See here, http://www.threatfire.com/download/#
WOW!!!!!! I love this site… its a gift of complete stuff
Hi, MUO, Did you editted this page these few last days?
Because as I remembered, there is Google Canary here.
Am I in the wrong place anw ?.?
Hi Mickeel,
Are you referring to Google Chrome browser? It’s still listed under Browsers category.
This page is constantly updated and new tools being added as we discover them.
We didn’t remove any software apps recently.
Aibek
I suggest to add Virtualization or Sandboxing category for free apps like VMware Player and Sandboxie
thanks, will look into it before the next update
i’d like to say thanks for what you do and have done. it’s not to often you find a resource or utillity that offers free downloads and includes the software. to many times i’ve been bit by so called offers of download for free, just to be asked for billing info after a partial install. i have no problem with a fee for a service, but be upfront with it.come on man! anyway, this is is just what a student needs to help further an education. now i can make use of what little money i have for food, look out dollar menu! whats that? free wifi?!? can it get any better? thank y’all again.
you’re welcome)
thx for showing n explain them
thanks but should also keep ms office 2007 for free
Love it!
Thanks 
this is wholesome softwares, but games are not listed why? EXPLAIN
Why is Dropbox categorized under “Docs”? It’s more file synchronization, so it should be under Backup.
Also, I was disappointed to not see Skydrive (25 free GB), Windows Live Mesh or Sugarsync on the list. I feel like they beat out some of those.
Dropbox is probably categorized under Docs because it’s great to manage documents across multiple computers. The storage space is a little small for serious backups.
I am desperately in need of a “file / folder comparison utility” with the ability to compare multiple directories at one time to find the “most recent version – or – more options of what one wants to compare” in a file, THEN to copy these “most recent files” into a separate directory… hopefully this makes sense.
I have so many backups of the same data from many reimages, that it is now a major task to compile all my files into ONE place. I have tried a few, all fall short of what is needed to compare multiple directories for some reason, unless I’m not using them properly.
I am not a geek but can get around pretty good. Some of them are very difficult to understand, then setup takes forever – all for one comparison. Then same MO for next “batch” to compare.
PLEASE help me find something that will work, free, paid or otherwise.
I have many miles to go to gather all my data in one place and am lost at this point.
Thank you.
Mark, I recommend you to ask a question at MakeUseOf Answers.
How about Rainmeter.net? Rocketdock.com? Inkscape?
thanks, i will go through each one of them again before the next update top the page.
All great tools. Thanks for sharing, Peter!
All great tools. Thanks for sharing, Peter!
free finger prenter software
Why not add MiPony to “Downloads”? It’s like jDownloader, but easier to use and uses less resources.
jDownloader is more popular and has a very good reputation among users.
I was wondering if there’s a software that allows to comment PDF files but not like those yellow bubbles that you see in Adobe now. Something easy to use, and draw on it (in case of equations)
This is an amazing page, most of these I already have, and you already got my 100% trust!
Sara,
I highly recommend Foxit Reader!
There are tons of options for comments. You can either add one like a Post-It note and when you close the note, you’ll only see a placeholder. Or you can use the typewriter feature and write directly in the PDF. Foxit also allows you to make drawings inside PDFs. And best of all: it’s free.
Hey Sara,
I personally never needed those features on my PDF reader so can’t tell for sure which one has such features.
Though I am pretty sure there should be a bunch of PDF readers supporting that feature.
Why don’t you ask about it on MakeUseOf Answers, http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/
Aibek
Media Players
Video-GOM
Music-Spider player.
thanks, will check them out
very good all software r working in windows
too bad the best of windows isnt good at all
I THINK THIS IS THE BEST SITE FOR SEARCHING SOFTWARE ,.
Super apps: Strokeit, F.lux, Breakaway Audio Enhancer, Rainmeter, cFosSpeed
For backup, I use Cobian (www.cobian.se). Free and easy to use. Best part is it doesn’t stuff all the files into a proprietary archive. It just duplicates all the files and folders. I use Cobian to back up my small network onto a big USB drive.
I second Cobian, I use it as well. I think I also suggested it for this list, but apparently it didn’t make it.
Great collection of handy software.
Nice tools :d .
Great job .
Thanks you .
Love this, thank you for sharing… I constantly get asked what to use on PCs and what apps I prefer. Most are listed right here…
many thanks for compiling this list
glad to hear that you liked the page. please spread the word.
Thanks for this site i am so much happy for find this site…………
You might want to look into Calibre (http://calibre-ebook.com/) for e-book management.
didn’t consider it as essential tool when making the list for the first time.
will check it out again.
Aibek
Also need Winrar..
winrar is NOT free, dude!
what about adop reder and adop flash playar
yes this site is exellent i prefer every time
KOoL……………………….RokKin* site damm Luv it !
Need more instructions like wise regarding day 2 day common pc n software issues ,threads.njoy *
Thanks a Lot…………
how can i get a free software that can be used to search for free music download.thanx
1 of the Best site
One of the best site for Software
nice work….
This is great
thanks for the input.
neat place haven’t tried anything, just wonder if these items work effectively or is this just what it says and nothing else…..
The only way to find out is to try them…
Don’t see SugarSync here … It seems rather good.
i want to remot control softwares
i have internet shop
very good site in my view ……………giriver 8439881423
process explorer should be in here, its the ultimate task manager
ITS AWESOME
greatest page
what about Zune? it is the essential iTunes alternative. It is simpler. it all so is better designed and coded than the Apple Bloatware well all hate (especially for windows)
min kyawswar
minkyawswar@gtalk.com
A library of free soft wares for anyone.
AWESOME COLLECTION
momin
I LOVE THIS SITE…………………………….
Wow i probably just downloaded 4 programs from this! thanks!
ple i want to more knowledge for computer
on this id
skyrinkuyadav@gmail.com
Hi, give Cubic Explorer a try and consider adding to you list. I found it very useful as file browser.
For antivirus I use BT net protect plus, but that might only be for british peple…
assa hay
Internetdownloadmanager knownas idm is best download manager, supports refreshing address, works great even in slower connections.
IDM is not free. It is a 30 day trial and after that it does not start!
best only best
Very interesting! Open on all levees, thank God He parted the Red Sea
mydefrag for deframentation. It’s free and lightweight. I find it especially handy for moving all the data to the front of a drive in preparation for resizing a partition. (which windows cannot do)
Thanks
you can also add
Tortoise SVN
Wireshark
Immunity Debugger
BSPlayer free
Adobe Reader
Daemon Tools Lite
WideCap
Xampp/Wamp
Ashampoo Burning Studio Free
CamStudio
WinMerge
Filezilla
FlashGet
no audio output device is installed
thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Great collection, thank you.
But I miss AIMP and AIMP tools as well. They are outstanding and free softwares.
nice
Great list of software’s for Windows, but Nimbuzz should be included in the list.
At the document and pdf section, the absolutly shoud be included pdfcreator, extremely stable, I use it a my office for years and never had a crash. Maybe not very fast, but stable
thank you for best web.good luck.
A great list, I think zeZebra should also be in here- take a look
thanks, will check it out
i know nothing about it
this websites is the best and continue adding new software.
s it all opensource software ? or
What about MpcStar player…the best media I’ve experienced so far!
thanks, will check it out
nice .. thanks a lot
forgot System Explorer (an outstanding free product which hands-down beats task manager)? Your exclusion makes me wonder about those that you DO recommend.
How about Comodo Dragon browser? Tho’ I’d long loved Chrome it uses waaaaay too much CPU resources – like 50% at least, at ALL times! ! Comodo Dragon is barely using between 9% and 27% – an overall savings of more than 50% and much more secure as I can attest after running my standalone security cleaners, etc.
comodo dragon browser is very slow, maybe it lighter than firefox but not to google chrome
On several occasions I have chosen downloads from those individuals posting their favorites-of-type omissions by your site (from this very ‘forum’) and have found them to be excellent products which your site seems to have overlooked.
could you send in some examples
what about internet download manager and tune up??
will deff. check the out before the next update to the page
Internet download manager and tune up utilities isn’t free software,
good quality product u hv..
what about thiny Purrint that captures everything in just 1mb and its free…
thanks, will definitely check it out
What about JetAudio and Eset NOD32 5 Antivirus& Firewall?
Nod32 is awesome. Don’t know about JetAudio.
.
this is very useful.
thank you
good site all things avlaible
good one site is really good
If I could make a suggestion, why didn’t you guys recommend Spotify? It gives you music for free and legally with I believe 20 hours of free music a week (haven’t checked in a while). Definetely worth looking into.
thanks for the input, will definitely take this into account on the next update to the page
Make Use Of ROCKS!!!
fantastic
but i want some best software
Weren’t you able to find any on this page? What is it that you are looking for?
What about Download Accelerator Plus (DAP) ?? I think it should be included in the Downloads section. DAP is a very popular software and used by millions of users !!
Great info …., thanks
awesome
ya.. these are really very good softwares..
any password breakers?
Apparently not.
nope, only the tools that have a wide appeal
To find lost password to Windows use Hiren’s BootCD.
wow, this site it complete, well organized…just…Bravo!!!
thank u 7ob <3 ^_^
amazing
THANKS
I have have one app in almost every section
An excellent resource. Lot’s of oldies and some newbies too. I would suggest perhaps that Inkscape should be added to anyone’s must have list if they are a Technical writer, like myself, or a Graphic Designer. I cannot convince my office to add my Photoshop suite/ Corel Draw solutions I own on my business laptop. From using them, I can tell you that they offer quintessential resources for professionals. And in the case of Inkscape, they are truly the first software platform to openly embrace the .SVG file, and through their leadership should be able to develop an existing, and often unsupported universal standard that would compliment the .PNG and .PDF files well.
Greate! Kukur………
Awe Some Guys Great Website
thanx chalis
tnx
You should try SPlayer and add it to the Video category. It’s a lightweight, yet stylish and elegant. Most video formats are supported (even more than vlc without having to install Kcodec) and it automatically add other videos, of the same format and in the same folder, to the playlist. The UI is so nice and easy. It can automatically download subtitles from the internet and you have the advantage of changing the appearance of the subtitles. Easy remove the black bar on the video with one click and enjoy a movie in the full size of your screen. Only thing I found to be annoying is sometimes the whole app becomes corrupt then all the text of the player is in korean or something. Hopefully this will get fixed when it’s popularity rises. Well that is all from me. Check it out – It’s a really good, yet still unpopular app.
thanks, will definitely check it out before the next update to the page
this is the best software provider
I would like to download almost everything! Thanks
For a great uninstaller, I use Comodo Programs Manager.
isnt free or not? i’m using Iobit uninstaller and i’m very satisfied with the performance
The Best Windows Software Site
hi guys i need one software to ride or change my IP address so i can open any brosower thanks
Jefevir,
it may take a while until this page is updated with the type of tool you are looking for. Meanwhile, the best way to receive some recommendations is asking a question at MakeUseOf Answers.
bedankt er zitten goede programma tussen
great info for me and i really like it!
of course, thanks.
You should try this browser Rock melt
http://www.rockmelt.com/
I tried it, but found it to be a bit bloated and overwhelming. Maybe I’m not the target audience though. (Not huge into social networks and what not.)
i love this post
nice thanks
superb and best software.
thanks..
I would like to recommend Maxthon internet browser, very fast browser said to be couple of times faster than Chrome:
http://www.maxthon.com/
thanks for the recommendation, we’ll check it out
Eh, to be honest, the fact that it’s operated out of China makes me hesitant.
this is the most best site ever
How about this tool Make blu-ray/DVD media playable with any player software.
http://www.bd-free.com/
who can tell something ,thanks in advance
I see that you recommended AVG antivirus. I would not recommend AVG for anyone. I have the paid version of AVG and got bombarded with viruses TWICE! The first time I was able to download another, free, antivirus to clean my computer. The second time it infected every program to include my Window7 and I had to take in for repair. AVG interfaced and told me they could not find viruses on my computer but their antivirus program found 24 viruses. I am now using Kasperky. It does not slow down my OS like AVG did and it catches all viruses BEFORE they get on my computer. STAY AWAY FROM AVG!
thanks for the input, we’ll take into consideration on the next update to the page.
You offer an excellent site & service – Thank you – I don’t often bookmark a shortcut to something I come across.
thanks 2 u
I would add Peazip and Cathy (disk index – cataloger), both are extremely useful and problem free.
What about an IP camera viewer with audio?
any free app you can recommend that can record your screen? something that can be used for tutorials? i am now using Freez Screen Video Capture (windows) but quality is too low. TIA
Hey Erald,
Try searching MakeUseOf for “screen recording” or “screen capture”, we wrote a bunch of articles on the subject. I am sure you will several good apps for that. You may also ask about this on MakeUseOf Answers, http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/
Aibek
Erald,
I recommend you to ask that question over at MakeUseOf Answers.
In case you’re still looking, I’d suggest Screencast-O-Matic. Great program that’s completely free and simple to use.
http://www.screencast-o-matic.com
I use DVDstyler to make DVD’s from all kinds of video files…
There is a portable version too…
http://portableapps.com/apps/music_video/dvdstyler_portable
I really appreciate Make use of. I have learned so much. I have so much fun reading everything. I also appreciate that it is free. Thanks so much!
I really like Make Use Of. I would like to recommend that you include MusicBee as an alternative to the other audio player/organizers. I have used most of the apps listed, and have found MusicBee to be superior to all others in that category. It has a great combination of useful features without being bloated. In fact, it is the very first audio player/organizer that has every feature that I was looking for. Don’t take my word for it, check it out.
thanks, we’ll definitely check it out
Thanks Tim! MusicBee has been added to the list of apps to consider the next time we review this page.
Great list.But software for high end video and image editing,sequencing,CGI,VFX named Blender is missing.It has some high end features and its free
For downloading off of Rapidshare and like web sites, I like to use MiPony. No listings of eBook readers, like Kindle or Caliber or Nook.
Best antivirus i think is Avast, i have paid license in i have no problems.
you can download free license from here: http://softneo.com/avast-free-antivirus
I would suggest downloading Avast from the official website, http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download
For torrent I recommend qBittorrent (“qBittorrent is based on Qt4 toolkit and libtorrent-rasterbar.”) . http://www.qbittorrent.org/
this site is just awesome than any othe.very useful,hepful,free and best,fullfills everythng
thanks for sharing so much apps,i only knew 10-20 of them.
Yes softwares are really working fine Thank you very much
What about adding ‘slawdog smart shutdown’ and ‘Speccy’ ?
thanks, we’ll check them out before the next update to the page
Softwares are excellent.
But I can not find a nice encrypt software. Why not pick the Easy Encryptor in the collections.
Great list. About virusscanners, Panda should definitely be on the list too. It’s rated amongst the best (together with avira and avast) and is probably the most lightweight of them all. Also, AVG is, in contrary to your description, one of the more bloated freeware scanners atm.
FileMenuTools is not properly working after download…
wow I like it so so much.Keep it up!
You guys and girls are doing a good (informing and educating) job, many thanks and keep it up!
HI There…
is it all will never ask serial number to register, and or to use and operate each software will never ask same serial number ???
thanks and regards…
Hi Harry,
Almost all of the the listed apps here are free and don’t require any activation code or serial number.
Your missing XNView
The tool is like FastStone but with all the features of Picasa and partially gimp. It has been around since Win2000.
http://www.xnview.com/
iobit has stopped permanently the development and maintenance of IObit Toolbox(as a standalone product). However, he will continue developing and maintaining IObit Toolbox in their flagship product, Advanced SystemCare. So, if you need to continue using IObit Toolbox, please download the latest version of Advanced SystemCare here.
Thanks.
I use Copernic Desktop Search a lot.
It’s great, especially to find stuff within Outlook (E-Mails, Tasks, Contact)
got a hp lappie…used “tune up” to maintain and defrag my laptop…but once visited the service centre and they said the third party or other softwares as such hamper the battery and may reduce the battery life in the run…so better use windows own “disk cleanup” and “disk defragmenter” just to be on the safe side…
comment if i am wrong
You have a great site and its a great post. Almost all the software’s listed are free that’s great but what’s the problem the best licensed software’s when you can get the licences of almost all the softwares in the internet for free or just with a little trick use it free.
I use Kaspersky pure, Windows 7, Office 2010 and many more all for free.
well, the thing the software you’re referring to isn’t normally FREE. And using a cracked version considered stealing in many countries.
Check out SpaceSniffer, it’s an awesome visualization tool to help you see which directories are consuming the most hard disk space.
Love this, good options
i would recommend any software from the given options…
but for maintaining a pc, or to keep them tuned using softwares like TuneUp Utilities , or
CCleaner or any other defragmenting or cleanup software… i would not recommend any..
my laptop retailer said these third party or other softwares harm the battery life and decrease and degrade them in long run…so it is best to use window’s own provided -
-disk cleanup and disk defragmenter
Thanks for the reflection, Sachin.
Proponents of third party applications argue that a lot of thought and development time went into making these better than the native Windows tools. The native Windows uninstaller, for example, has been shown to be very bad at properly uninstalling software, leaving a lot of junk in the registry or on the hard drive. Other native tools, such as defrag, disk cleanup, or partition management lack key features or make it very complicated to achieve the same result.
I’m not sure how these tools could harm the battery life. They could definitely drain the battery if you would let them run in the background continuously. However, this is a decision each user has to make.
i agree …
for like Revo uninstaller pro is one of the best software removal tools…
and i had been myself using these softwares to maintain my lappie for a while now….wonder why they said so…
but its obvious that they use more system resources and power
and them are tech experts too…we can’t simply take them wrong
I’d recommend XMPlay(http://support.xmplay.com/) as a lightweight yet highly customizable and extensible (via provided plugins) replacement for Winamp
Cheers
Good day
Can we use them with windows 7?
Regards
Yes of course you can!
i would like to say ive had a few problems in the past with softonic.com ive had viruses/spyware after downloading software from softonic.com so i would watch out what your downloading from softonic.com ok thanks
Thanks for the heads-up, Darrell!
What typically happens is that when you use the Softonic installer, you are offered additional downloads. However, you can deselect and thus choose not to install them. Often, those additional apps, e.g. toolbars are recognized as spyware by antivirus software.
what is the best video player ??
Personally, I think VLC is the best. It’s also the top choice in the list above.
sir i am a daily visitor of your site. But i have found that some people copy your post and they dont give you any credit
please visit this site and take strict action against it
http://www.meetgajjar.in/p/best-windows-software.html
Thanks for the heads-up, Ratnesh. We are aware of these copy cats.
Please add Peazip to the Archive Managers. It’s small, fast and very reliable. Just right-click and extract anything. It’s even portable if you wish.
Clint, Peazip has been added to our review list for the next update of this page. Thanks for the suggestion!
I use many of the utilities mentioned. However, it amazes me how these types of sites never mention the Maxthon Browser. I have used it for a year and nothing compares in speed, built-in tools, safety and flexibility. ALL of the others have become hogs where Maxthon has remained lien. Try it.
Not sure why Maxthon Browser is not on this list. However, we will consider it for the next update of this page. Thanks for the input!
some one to help me,
i need a software to help me access internet for free .
Andy,
This is not an easy question to answer, especially without knowing your situation. I would recommend posting a question on MakeUseOf Answers. Please add a little more information, for example how you access the internet now, what devices you own, and in which country you live.
what about skydrive,
Thank you Mihovil! We will take it into account when updating the page.
I suggest you to add MusicBrainz Picard to the Audio section. It’s a cool application
Thank you for the suggestion, Thomas! I have added it to the list of apps to review for the next update of this page.
I suggest oovoo in communication category, its a good alternative to skype.
http://www.oovoo.com/home.aspx
Under archive managers, check out Extract Now. It’s much better than 7-zip. Just make sure not to download Incredibar when installing it. It’s tough to locate and remove.
Another all-in-one you can add to the others group is D-7. I own my own part time consulting business and between D-7 and Hiren’s boot disk, I have found almost no software issues I have not been able to resolve for customers.
Thanks for the cool and informative website.
Gene
You should check Kestrel GX, that’s one of the best and most complete photo software i have used so far. I’ve been using it for over a year now and must say that it’s far much better than many commercial photo software. It’s free.
Nice to see irfanview in the list too. I’ve been using this software for quite some years now. Keeps getting better with each new release.
Melissa
You didn’t include the wonderful Panda cloud antivirus in security .
How about ePrompter and Waterfox.
take a look at zoner photo studio free, I currently use this and I’ve used picasa and irfanview before, but I find this one to be better
what about your uninstaller?
i need a free program like folder lock !
thank you very much
Have you tried idoo File Encryption? You can use it to lock files and folders, as well as encrypt them. You can find it in our directory here: http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/idoo-file-encryption-desktop-app-lock-files-folders-usb-flash-drives/
for cd/dvd burning, imaging etc alcohol 120. Great piece of software, has more functionality than any other copy program on the market(that i have ever found, and ive used a good bit of the ones on that list).
teamspeak/mumble/ventrilo are also very useful for VOIP in certain situations(mostly for gaming), yes skype also works but especially for slower PC’s these outperform due to a smaller amount of resources used.
Thank you for the recommendations, Cliff! These have been added to the list of apps to review for the next revision of this page.
i think you should look at nexus. it’s perfect…
http://www.winstep.net/nexus.asp
Makeuseof is totally awesome for making all of this available!
I use a number of the programs listed here, but I would add the free version of NoteTab (NoteTab light) available from http://www.notetab.com . I install it on every computer I work on.
Missing some pretty good one’s here and repeating a few, also some are just plain bloat ware. I think you should narrow it down to a tool which is best for each purpose.
SumatraPDF
FScapture (Portable as free)
two which for sure should be on there
Thanks
Thanks for the suggestions, I added them to our list of apps to review.
Noticed has included Sumatra PDF in his review of PDF readers, Chris Hoffman.
Nice to see it featured.
For web site to download most of free software is NINITE.COM, by checking off the software you wish to install. The web site creates a silent install, doesn’t install any toolbars or misc. junk. I use this site when I am sitting up new computer for a friend.
Great list but can’t believe you missed Spyware Blaster it’s one of the first Apps I install on my machine when I do a re-install about once a year. Here’s the link take a look see what you think –
http://www.brightfort.com/spywareblaster.html
Don’t forget about CrashPlan for backup. I use it and it’s very good
Great suggestion, Ryan! We should definitely add that one, considering we published an article about it: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-back-up-pcs-to-each-other-via-the-internet-using-crash-plan-personal/
you can list one more freeware called Spotflux http://www.spotflux.com/. this really nice to make internet more secure,safe and private .
n What about the Freemake Softwares
Freemake Video Converter and Freemake Downloader, they are pretty awesome and FREE !
thanks for the update it is very very cool and easy to use. this is just a note to every one in your company so if possible forward to a general mail box so all can see, this web site is proably the helpful on the web in todays world it is great to have such a broad based information at my finger tips.
keep up the great work. JOB WELL DONE ONE AND ALL.
Know of any good programs which help to safely remove flash/external drives? It always bugs me when no programs are open and windows says its still using it..
Gregg,
You can use a tool called USB Disk Ejector or you could follow the steps outlined in this CNet article to avoid Safe Removal and the error message in the future: Quickly remove USB devices without using Safe Removal
Another great program for the Audio section is MusicBee
Nice list. Would love to see Kestrel GX in that list – http://www.kestrelfly.com
Kestrel GX is a free photo editor and photo organizer. This software has been highly rated by many top download sites including CNET and was even featured in many PC magazines. If you need any more info do get in touch with me.
Krishley.G.D.Purmanun
Developer of Kestrel GX
http://www.kestrelfly.com
nice list.
One I have had great luck with is SlickRun. Its like Launchy, but much faster and “out of the way”.
http://www.bayden.com/slickrun/
Why isn’t Download Accelerator Plus in your list? It’s an excellent program, especially for downloading large files. In the free version it uses 4 or 5 download locations to split the file up and download simultaneously. I use it a lot.
Hiren’s appears to be a great CD of utilities, but as best I can tell, it is infected with some nasty malware. At least that is what Microsoft Security Essentials says.
Check out the following:
Renamer – http://www.den4b.com/
Duplicate Cleaner – http://www.digitalvolcano.co.uk/
Wireshark – http://www.wireshark.org/
Google Earth – http://earth.google.com/
WorldClock – http://www.carefile.com/WorldClock/
What about VSO Downloader?
Although I gotten dvdvideosoft from this very website I’m not seeing it here. A little tear. It can download (whole playlists), convert, and a lot more.
Windows live mesh, unfortunatly has been a kind of discontinued. (you can not sync your files with it anymore). Instead you can now use the skydrive app, which in my opinion did not quite met the awesomeness of mesh. You should probably check it out to see it for yourself.
Good luck with all,
Newnottakenname
Unfortunately when you read through the comments, as the tech help comments, some of the quotes and comments are just not respectful or related. I hope you dont mis-understand me as an Englishman living in a different country, I am not racisist in any way but the comments and suggested answers need to be filtered in my opinion.
I have wrote for, and still do for many sites, but dont find it entertaining to write for sites that dont monitor the replys that they get, or allow a multitude of un-related answers to make the post count look good.
Sadly, at the moment the main influx of answers here is from India/Asia, again not to be racisist but would suggest it is for the prizes offered rather than help that can be given.
I’d like to add some more great FREE Win programs…Nexus (INCREDIBLY flexible docking program, can simulate OS X), Sublime Text 2 (GREAT text and HTML editor with plugins, I like better than Notepad++), Memory Optimizer (really works great!), Light Alloy (great playlist media player with awesome file support, light on resources, portable version available), Smart Defrag 2 (fast, very effective), Advanced Uninstaller Pro 11 (yes, FREE, very effective with great tools), peazip (fine program).
I would like to recommend COMODO Programs Manager for Uninstallers Section…
It’s one of a Unique Software by COMODO…
U’ll definitely forget about other un-installers coz COMODO programs manager actually records paths to all files (in directory as well as registry) when installing a software so much faster un-installing as it discards the need to search for the un-installer file and registry edits…
Quite an interesting list! Many of the programs have pride of place on my systems.
However, quite shocked that your audio section does not mention AIMP3.
As a disabled ex systems manager I rely a lot on music as after 3 strokes concentration is difficult. I have spent an awful lot of time trying ‘free software’ of all kinds and I think just about every audio player there is! AIMP3 is now my default, indeed only, player and I have installed it on all the family’s laptop etc. One of the most relevant points is that you are offered upgrades at least twice a year – it is actively being developed!
Thanks for your efforts, MUO is also loaded on all the familys kit!
There is a tool called http://www.tagkeys.com which is used for shortcuts. E.g. you type “.addr” and it will insert your full address in any windows program. I have not found a similar tool anywhere else.
Hello
FreeMind is a very good planning, productivity and presentation software.
And thanks for this very good and usefull list.
I would suggestion when you update this list that you mark which ones are new. So we can see what has been added.
Excellent suggestion, Will! We will keep this in mind.
Thanks for the updated best Win software list – several app’s I shall have to check out. However, I would have added 3 software treasures: Goodsync (the full version is worth every penny), SyncToy (still a gem for it’s efficient simplicity) and Axcrypt (not the very strongest file encryption out there, but offers auto re-encryption on file closure – bliss).
Oops! – further to prev’ comment – I see you did mention Synctoy. Quite right – I would have given it a more enthusiastic write-up personally.
Also take a look at WinPatrol it’s great for cutting down your start up items, you can disable items and also have them on delayed start great App.
I reckon Antirun is MALWARE. It hijacks your browser with some Greek search bar and redirects you to Greek websites. I could not get rid of it with Windows Restore, and had to reinstall a drive image backup to get rid of it.
I think you should include Autohotkey and Belvedere
Hi there
your website is fab
thank you
Search Everything by voidtools available for free download on voidtools is a wonderful tool to search file names (if want to search file with a particular extension, then write the extension along with the file name e.g. nero exe).
It displays results before a blink of the eye!
thanks, I will check it out
Great list, but what is the best piece of software that can check for duplicate pictures?
David,
For software suggestions, I recommend asking a question on MakeUseOf Answers.
Is there any chance of Game Booster 3 getting a full review? Always a little hesitant about DLing and using it.. A good look at what it does and how it works (and any potential issues) would help me out a lot.
Love this list! So what’s the best software for creating a flipbook?
Linda,
I recommend asking a question on MakeUseOf Answers to get suggestions.
Thank you very much for this list. really useful.
hy all of you there the site is awesome. I like it too much.
I would also like to contribute to the software.
Please tell me how can i do it.
Among the things I have downloaded that is Avira, Comodo Firewall, Universal Extractor(Great extractor of installers, zips, rars) , Mipony(Great for bulk Mediafire Downloads), Virtual Box, TeamViewer, NitroPDF.
Better include Norton Identity Safe in the “Others” section until October. A great Password Manager which is free for a limited time
Thanks for the recommendation, Chris! I have added Norton Identity Safe to our list of tools to review. Although I’m not sure we will add something that is free temporarily.
Please include PeaZip(peazip.sourceforge.net) as well. Open Source alternative to 7Zip
We have also covered Peazip before in a review – http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/peazip-fantastic-free-alternative-winrar-winzip/
Tina, norton identity safe is completely free now. I suggest that it should be included.
I have Google Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer as browsers. Would adding Opera and Safari interfere or cause confusion between browsers or would it enhance my Internet capabilities?
Since I am NEW in this what are the Applications you would recommend in….Audio. Video.. Downloads Antivirus software..(across the various sections). There are so many and you don’t want to duplicate or utilize unnecessary software. Please help.
Dennis,
Three browsers are more than enough. Adding more would not necessarily interfere with already installed browsers. However, I wouldn’t run them all at once.
I’m afraid it’s hard to make recommendations from all the categories without knowing your needs. And since you are new to this, it’s likely you don’t really know your needs either. Just try the first listed, it’s usually the most popular. For example VLC as audio/video player or Avast as antivirus programme.
PowerMenu by Thong Nguyen – I use it every day to hide progs in the systray or set priority
Prey (tracking stolen devices)
While the comments list is already too long for most people to spend reading, I will add to it. These articles are great for helping get Windows customized and working how you want for FREE. It’s easy to spend 1/2 the price of your computer just to get it working how it should out of the box. $20 for 3rd party app to remember location of windows correctly, $20 to be able to re-size dialogue boxes, $49 to have ‘windows explorer’ ‘preview’ pane in separate window on 2nd monitor, $20 to get screen-savers and wallpaper to work correctly across dual monitor, $20 to upgrade pitiful sound control options from task-bar. This list is way more massive than what I just typed quickly. This page helps find a cheaper way to use you computer the way you want to.
Oh my goodness I totally agree. I worked at Best Buy (Not for them, just at the store.) and I always felt bad for the elderly people that got suckered into paying for anti-virus/spy-ware software. The same people who pay for anti-virus software are probably the same people still pay for porn.
iobit advanced system care should be on there
How about adding GOMPLAYER for videos and TuneUp Utilities for utility??
very good ………………………..i like very much,,,,,,,
ive just started using some of your manuals on win.7 and other tips.a great help for me.thanks guys !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
very good….was helpful…:D
I am looking for a free video downloader that will detect on;line video’s on page viewing and give me an option of where to download them to. Any suggestion would be deeply appreciated. Thank You
Hi Brian,
Nothing comes to mind immediately. But perhaps you can put this question to our wider community at MakeUseOf Answers [http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/]
You could try Audials Moviebox. MUO is giving licenses away for free in exchange for points. Pretty good deal, and I think it might be what you’re looking for.
I am using Freemake Video Downloader, it is absolutely free. But to use is, you must install .Net Framework 4.0 first
You guys are AWESOME. Thank you!
Could I suggest putting the comments on a separate page? The main page is getting so large, it takes forever to finish loading before I can even begin to scroll down. The “Hide Comments” option does not persist between sessions.
Thanks!
Doc
Good point, Doc and thank you for the feedback!
We will look into the issue and see what we can do.
Missing productivity application: CintaNotes
http://cintanotes.com/
A great way to manage notes that is both light weight, easy to use, and has a very very powerful search and tagging system. I use it daily and consider it a diamond in the rough.
Check it out.
very good collection actually
precisely picked
I do not recommend Comodo firewall, it is the most annoying program I have ever installed onto systems.
Any particular annoyance(s) you would like to mention here about Comodo?
I stopped using Comodo simply because of how much attention it was requiring of me. (Too many prompts/pop ups) Perhaps it works better than the standard MS firewall, but it made using my computer more of a chore than it needs to be.
Have you tried PhotoFiltre as an image editor?
Also small foorprint and easy to use with many featurs…
Yes, it is pretty good for an under 2MB program. We hadin fact taken a look at it –
8 Simple Free Photoshop Alternatives that are under 2 MB
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-simple-free-photoshop-alternatives-that-are-under-2-mb/
Thanks To U & Ur thoughts
Which is the Best Software to Upgrade Windows 7 Drivers
I mainly use very old and slow computers, and that generally rules out even lightweight antiviruses, so Microtrend Housecall is nice. Just run it whenever you want, there is no background apps running.
Please suggest any software’s which can lock drives or folders (other than Trucrypt) and also software for downloading online videos. Thanks in advance.
The best website I ever gone through. Thank you soo much …:)
Krishna,
Have you tried to search MakeUseOf? We have definitely written articles about such apps. See my search for lock folder and download online video, respectively.
You could also ask for recommendations on MakeUseOf Answers.
VLC media player is the player for me. really works out.
http://www.kmpmedia.net/ This is the official website for KMPlayer .
why don’t you included zune in audio list?
One of best uninstallers is Advance Uninstaller Pro version 11.11 and it is free. Advanced Uninstaller PRO is the ultimate uninstaller for Windows, allowing you to uninstall programs quickly and completely using its simple and intuitive interface.
For more information go to: http://www.advanceduninstaller.com/
Looks good. Thanks, we will check it out and consider it for the next updated list.
I have some ideas
1)I think Makeuseof should pick 1 or 2 software/apps as the best in each category
2)Label commercial software/apps as trialware or shareware
Bitdefender is , in my opinion, the best anti-virus program for windows, period !
Nice collection of freeware, but why antivirus tools like Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool, Dr.Web CureIt! 6.0 are no listed here, as they are the best tool to remove rootkits, trojans and other malware, when other installed antivirus fails to cure.
We keep updating the list. Maybe, in the next round these will find a mention. Thanks for the suggestions.
Hi
Is there a cd/dvd burner software similar to Nero? I want to back up files to cd/dvd and when I insert the cd/dvd the software must make a list of files that have changed and automatically back up as pre – Nero5 versions did?
Mac
There are quite a few CD/DVD burner tools, but for your particular requirement…hmm. Maybe, you could ask this in our Answers section. The wider community could have a solution.
MakeUseOf Answers – http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/
I think Daum potplayer deserves a place in the video tools list – from the creator of km player…. plays anything you throw at it and lite on resources…. i see it on par with vlc… hope u look into it… Sincerely speaking, this is one of the websites that i would run into , if at all i’m havin any queries in regards to pc , ….and this coloumn is really buzzin with exciting freewares . Another suggestion is auslogics readyboost , a tidy piece of software for windows maintenance.
The download link for CopyTo Synchronizer seems to be pointing to a dead website or they forgot to pay the bills.
It still seems available by all the various sites that rehost programs that one that sounds like wikipedia for software..
The hosting seems to have expired. Thanks for spotting that.
I am a Computer Professional and use Avira Free Antivirus in my desktop, laptop and also recommend to all my clients. Its really a very good antivirus and its free.
Time for an update to this page, I think. New reviews of the software.
I personally like using the free download gamebooster it really helps to stop unwanted programs and allows for greater performance.
excellent list but should it be updated more frequently? There ‘s a myriad useful softwares out there
Our lists are being updated regularly. We have people responsible for lists and they review the comments for suggestions before updating the list. So if you see something missing, please add it as a comment. Thank you!
FotoSketcher would be a good addition for the Photos/Images section.
http://www.fotosketcher.com/
AVG software works, but it sucks up your computer’s memory, which will slow your computer down.
I have used the anti-virus software from Lavasoft, it worked great, I did a full system scan, and at the end, it said that my computer was highly infected. I ran a full system scan a couple more times, and my computer was free of threats.
For PDF view best is MartView
This is the best list of software on the internet. Thank you MUO.
Good list. I look forward to your 2012 list. I’m a computer technician- so of the apps I use daily are:
Avast http://www.avast.com
Sugarsync https://www.sugarsync.com/
ScreenConnect http://www.screenconnect.com/
Chrome
D7 http://download.cnet.com/D7/3000-8022_4-75450656.html
I also enjoy-
Tapatalk http://www.tapatalk.com/
Amazon Kindle
Viber http://www.viber.com/
Vuze(a.k.a Azureus) should be considered, it’s a more powerful torrent client than uTorrent. Great list though.
This is Actualy a really good list of software even i would recomend, the only additions i would add are Gpu-z and Cpu-z but theese are mostly power-user Apps.
I recommend IObit’s free advanced systems care and smart defrag 2 to all who have slow running PC’s.
+1 for AVG
I’d like to share http://www.holyfile.com as a software resource with you guys. It don’t replace Makeuseof, but supplement it well.
thanx i could have used some of the stuff years before
VirtuaWin made my day !!!
vlc was really good i downloaded it
I’m glad to see Comodo Internet Seucrity in Anti virus list as i,m using it my own for last 3 years or so never had a problem
though i’ve been used kaspersky too and in my opinion it was best of best Anti Virus Software ( only if they make it free like comodo ) well its expensive that’s why i had to move to comdo otherwise i,m pretty sure KAsperSky is best antivirus, well
its just my opinion you may agree with me or not
What about orbit downloader?
Excellent guide
Check these out: Hamster Lite Archiver, NexusFile, Inbox2.
Thanks for sharing. Inbox2 looks promising, as do the others. In fact, we had reviewed it long back – http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/access-email-social-messages-place-inbox2/
Many thanks for all the great news and reviews you provide! This software is really useful! THANKS
I have became a big fan of the site since I bump into this page and tried out some of the software on top. Totally grateful for makeuseof,com, keep up the good work!!!
Interesting site. I would add:
ObjectDock-Place start menu on the dock and combine with Start Killer to rid the earth of the start button
Acive Ports-excellent peer viewer
ToolWiz Time Freeze-Record changes to a system over time and revert after the session is over. Great for testing
SpeedFan-Easy to see temps and fan speeds. Make adjustments to fan speeds.
CPUID PC Wizard-Comprehensive system information and a benchmarking tool
Comodo Programs Manager-Great installer/unistaller
GBoost-Gaming optimizer best I have used
Windows Search 4.0 (for XP)-upgrade search capabilities of XP
Active Ports looks useful. Thanks for the recommendations. We will surely consider them when it’s time to update this page.
Please add some software for windows 8 platform
NOTE: Bitdefender now has a “Free Antivirus” version and should be included in this page. Here’s the site: http://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html
aimp3 must be added
I Would like MakeUseOf team to review Registry Recycler which perhaps is a best free registry cleaner available today in 2013. Here is the Site Link:
http://www.registryrecycler.com/
what about KGB Archiver though it doesnt support most formats but the compression rate is super atleast unmatched its free should be incuded
That is an insane list holy “#%”#
Already downloaded 3 essential tools I didn’t even know I needed, thank you.
I have two suggestions to the list:
1. Watermark software (http://freewatermarksoftware.com)
As a photographer this can sometimes be very good when showcasing previews of ie. wedding photos.
2. OUTDATEfighter (http://www.spamfighter.com/OUTDATEfighter)
Easy keep all my programs and software updated.
Again thank you for all the great tools.