If you play a lot of video and use Windows Media Player, you've likely come across a number of files that you can't play--you're told you need to find a codec to handle them. Good luck finding that codec, or discovering one you don't have to pay for. Instead, try VLC Media Player. It plays pretty much every media type you can imagine--and no doubt many you haven't imagined. Not only will it play audio and video formats, but it will also play DVDs, VCDs, and many streaming protocols.
You can visit their websites for other operating systems versions.
Price: Free OS: Windows XP File size: 9.0 MB Developer:VideoLAN
Want to print a document directly on a buddy's printer, anywhere in the world? If you're both online, you can do it with PrinterAnywhere.
The free utility installs on both PCs and you can choose the PrinterAnywhere printer from any application. An encrypted version shoots through the 'Net and prints on your buddy's printer. Turn the idea around and you can share your printer with anyone. It's ideal for sending confidential docs (the file's encrypted when sent) and unlike e-mail, it can't be forwarded.
Version: Freeware OS: Windows XP Requirements: 128 MB RAM (256 recommended), 10 MB free disk space, broadband connection File Size: 1.40 MB Developer:PrinterAnywhere Inc.
If you do work in two locations--but don't want to messy with pricey, complicated remote-access software--consider GetByMail. This freebie lets you access another computer through your e-mail account. Your files bypass limited FTP access, firewall problems, and other roadblocks by going through the approved channel of e-mail.
"Well, duh, I can e-mail files," you might say. But there's more to GetByMail than that. The program lets you see remote directory listings and make changes, uploading and downloading files. GetByMail automatically compresses and splits files for downloads and uploads.
GetByMail supports SSL connections over POP3 and SMTP (the prevalent e-mail protocols). It's also compatible with Gmail.
This free version includes ads. To banish the ads--and get unlimited updates and e-mail support--purchase GetByMail Pro.
Version: Freeware OS:Windows 9.x, Windows NT, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP File Size: 2.02 MB Developer:GetByMail.com
Checking traffic isn't always as easy as looking out the window. If you live in one of the major metropolitan areas covered by TrafficGauge, though, you can check it on your PC. This program shows you a map of your area roads. A solid line indicates medium traffic, and a blinking line shows heavy traffic. You can also set the TrafficGauge screensaver to pop up when your PC falls idle.
TrafficGauge provides traffic information for Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles/Orange County, Minneapolis, Orange County and the Inland Empire of California, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. I'm not from this place, so this program is useless. But if you live from this area, grab one now.
TrafficGauge for PC is free for desktops PC's only, the versions for cellphones, and PDAs is not free. At this moment, enjoy the great features of this freeware from your personal computer.
Price: Free OS: Windows 2000, Windows XP File Size: 1172KB Developer: TrafficGauge
The Firefox browser customized to run from a USB drive lets you have your bookmarks, passwords and history on any Windows PC.
If you compute nomadically, you work in multiple offices, dual-boot, or just can't figure out which system on your desk is your main computer--you undoubtedly miss having all of your bookmarks, saved passwords, and history everywhere you go.
One slick way to bring your browsing environment with you everywhere you go is to use a portable version of Firefox that runs from USB drive. Thanks to the determined efforts of developer John Haller, you can download and install a free, customized version of Firefox 2.0, and install it on your thumb drive with a couple of clicks. Some limitations apply, not every extension or plugin will install or work correctly with Firefox Portable, and Java not at all. Haller explains it all on his website, where he offers a whole suite of portable applications, including Mozilla Foundation's Thunderbird e-mail program
Price: Free OS: Windows 98 and later File Size: 5710KB Developer: John T. Haller
Download Now!(You will be redirected to their website).
If you're still using the Print Screen key to dump screenshots into Paint, you might want to take a look at ScreenHunter 5.0 Free.
This tool isn't much more demanding than the Print Screen-to-Microsoft Paint method, but it gives you more control over the details, such as what the screenshot will contain and where it ends up.
ScreenHunter offers three options for screenshots. You can print the whole screen, or instead of cropping the screenshot after it's taken, use a crop-style rectangle to clip out the region you want ahead of time.
Your screenshots can be saved as bitmap, JPEG, or GIF files.
Price: Free OS: Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 9.x, Windows Me, Windows XP File Size: 2500KB Developer:Wisdom Software Inc.
Is your PC getting toasty? Is your CPU getting charred and your motherboard melting? Okay, I'm exaggerating, but if your components are reaching a potentially damaging temperature, Motherboard Monitor can let you know. This free program monitors and reports on the temperatures inside your PC case using the built-in sensors on the processor and motherboard. If things get too warm, it can sound an alarm and automatically shut your PC down before anything gets damaged.
It's a great tool if you build your own PCs because it can tell you if your system is overheating due to insufficient ventilation. It can also monitor the voltages that your power supply is outputting, warning you if they fall below a certain level. In these days of power-hungry graphics cards (sometimes in pairs with up to four GPUs) and the practice of loading a case with drives, an overextended power supply can lead to crashes and data loss, so it's good to know that the power supply is up to the job.
However, it doesn't work with all motherboards: Some won't report back a temperature, and the author stopped updating the program in 2004. But it's still usefull for anyone who has built their own system, or who has added components to their system and is concerned about how hot they get.
Note: This file is not being supported by the developer. At press time, the developer's site is no longer working.
Version: Freeware OS: Windows 9.x and later File Size: 1253KB Author:Alex van Kaam
TorPark is a special portable version of Firefox that incorporates the free Tor anonymizing service that allows you to surf anonymously by relaying your connection through a chain of special Tor servers. It created quite a sensation when it was released last year as it provided users with an easy way to surf anonymously without going through the hassle of configuring complex network settings. It could also be run from a USB flash drive which made it ideal for use on public terminals. A new version has just been released based on Firefox V2.0.0.2 rather than V1.5 used in the original. Additionally, a new optional pay service has been introduced that allows much faster surfing, one of the known drawbacks of the Tor service.
Version: Freeware OS: Windows 98 and later Filesize: 11.0 MB Developer: Torrify LLC
Spin the earth, tilt it, and zoom in to objects as tiny as one building.
Whether you want the world or just a tiny corner of it, Google Earth gives it all to you. You can twirl the planet like a globe and turn it every which way. Once you're done tossing the planet like a Hacky Sack, zoom in for a better look at what interests you. The images--none more than three years old--show every landmark and every urban center in exquisite detail. You even can find your own house.
License type: Free Price: Free OS: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Mac OS, Linux Requirements: Broadband connection Author: Google
Why not make your sensitive data smaller as well as making it a smaller target? BCArchive compresses files and folders while encrypting them. (Of course, to extract the data, you or the data's recipient must extract the data with BCArchive.)
The interface window is small, but you have several advanced options, such as choosing your encryption algorithm. Supported algorithms include Blowfish, Blowfish 448, CAST5, GOST, IDEA, RIJNDAEL, Triple-DES, and TWOFISH. If you prefer, you can go for plaintext or unencrypted data, relying on just a password to protect your files.
Price: Free OS: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP File Size: 2874KB Author:Jetico
Got a hard disk cluttered with thousands of photos and no way to to organize them. Here's great free tool for organizing and renaming files.
It gives you access to the metadata associated with your photos. You can combine snippets of info like your camera model, ISO, exposure data, lens information, and date taken to create truly informative file names for your photos, automatically.
OS: Windows 2000, Windows XP File Size: 324KB Author:Snapfiles
I found a free online scanner that checks your system for viruses, spyware, worms, and other malware.
The Trend Micro™ HouseCall™ is a FREE Web-based solution designed to scan your PC for a wide range of Internet security threats including viruses, worms, Trojans, and spyware. It also detects system vulnerabilities and provides a link so you can easily download missing security patches. After each scan, HouseCall delivers a detailed report, which identifies security threats detected on your computer.
Trend Micro’s HouseCall requires the following minimum system components:
Hardware:
133MHz Intel™ Pentium™ processor or equivalent
64MB of RAM
At least 30MB of available disk space
Operating System:
Microsoft Windows 98SE/NT4.0, SP6a/2000, SP2/XP, SP1/2003 and Windows MCE 2005
Linux Distributions that supports libc6
Solaris 2.6 and above
Software:
Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 6.0 or later
Mozilla Firefox 1.0.5, 1.0.6, 1.0.7, 1.5
Mozilla 1.7.12
Monitor that supports 800 x 600 resolution at 256 colors or higher
Macintosh support requires the following minimum system components:
Macintosh Computer with PowerPC G4 or G5 Processor
MAC OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
512MB of RAM
At least 30MB of available disk space
Mozilla Firefox 1.5.0.1 and later
Important Notes about HouseCall 6.5
HouseCall 6.5 has two independent Core Engines to choose from:
The ActiveX Core Engine: to use this engine, please adjust the IE browser’s Security level to Medium at least and be sure that signed ActiveX objects are enabled.
The Java VM Core Engine- to use this engine, please install the Java VM from www.java.com .
Price: Free OS: Windows 98SE/NT4.0, SP6a/2000, SP2/XP, SP1/2003 and Windows MCE 2005, Linux, Solaris Author:TrendMicro
If you delete a program or format your hard disk, there's always a chance your data can be recovered. If you want to completely erase data, eliminating any possibility of recovery, consider using this free, DOS-based utility. To use the program, you boot in DOS mode from a floppy disk. The utility then erases your drive's data. Because the utility bypasses your drive's logical drive structure organization, it does not matter what operating system you're running: you can use the utility in Windows 9x, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Linux, or Unix for PC. This program conforms to US Department of Defense's standards (5220.22-M) for clearing and sanitizing standard sensitive information.
To use the program, download one of the following files and save the executable to your floppy disk. If you have a bootable floppy disk, download "killdisk.zip;" if you need to create a bootable floppy disk, download "killdiskfloppysetup .zip".
Price: Free OS: DOS, UNIX, Windows NT, Windows 3.x, Linux, Windows 2000, Windows 9.x, Windows Me, Windows XP Author: LSoft Technologies Inc.
Do you need to upgrade or troubleshoot your system, but are unsure of the processor that you're using? The Intel Chipset Identification Utility enables you to identify and, in some circumstances, determine if your Intel processor is operating at the correct and rated frequency intended by Intel Corporation. In addition, supported processors can utilize the Frequency Test feature of the utility to help determine if a processor has been overclocked.
License type: Free Price: Free OS: DOS, Windows NT, Windows 3.x, Windows 2000, Windows 9.x, Windows Me, Windows XP Author:Intel
PhotoPlus 6 is a free program that does a creditable imitation of Photoshop Elements. Along with painting, drawing, and text manipulation tools, there are tools for erasing, filling, and cloning a region.
A Layer Manager lets you work with layers and masks, as you would in Photoshop. Selection tools include a lasso-like Freehand tool. You can adjust the hue and contrast of an image (though you can't experiment with levels and curves, because that option is not available here).
Other features in PhotoPlus 6 are specific to preparing graphics for the Web. The Image Slice and Image Map tools allow you to add hyperlinked hotspots to navigation elements and other online graphics. A PhotoPlus 6.0 companion PDF with instructions and a few tutorials is also available. A tutorial for creating an animated GIF image is included.
License type: Free Price: Free OS: Windows NT, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP File Size: 20000KB Author:Serif Softwarew
Detect and remove components that help hijackers change your browser's homepage. HijackThis includes a dozen checks against hijacker tricks. The program does not target specific programs/URLs; instead, it protects you against the methods used by hijackers to force you onto their sites. The program is continually updated to detect and remove new hijacks.
License type: Free Price: Free OS: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP Author: Soeperman Enterprises Ltd.
This is a must-download for serious overclockers. While SpeedFan touts itself as a monitor for your system's temperature and fan speed, the real reason it's worthwhile is that it lets you easily overclock your PC and then adjust the fan speed so it doesn't overheat.
License type: Free Price: Free OS: Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 9.x, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows Vista Author:Alfredo Milani Comparetti
Makers of rootkits--malware that can be particularly well hidden--consider IceSword the toughest rootkit scanner.
The creators of the Hacker Defender rootkit, one of the most widely used tools among the bad guys out there, made it their goal to defeat IceSword. So far, they've failed.
IceSword is developed by a Chinese programmer who doesn't speak a word of English, but this download is the international version with English dialog boxes and controls.
Note: IceSword comes compressed in the RAR format, so you may also need to download the WinRar utility before you can use it.
What is rootkit scanner? Rootkit scanner is scanning tool to ensure you for about 99.9% you're clean of nasty tools. This tool scans for rootkits, backdoors and local exploits by running tests like:
- MD5 hash compare - Look for default files used by rootkits - Wrong file permissions for binaries - Look for suspected strings in LKM and KLD modules - Look for hidden files - Optional scan within plaintext and binary files
Spare yourself the irritation and energy drain of filling out forms on the Web.
This password manager will fill in forms for you and automatically log you in to sites. You'll need an additional extension to use it with Firefox, however.
OS: Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 9.x, Windows Me, Windows XP File Size: 2310KB
This free, open-source encryption program lets you place files and folders in "safes" of any size.
The best things in life are free, and Truecrypt may be one of them. When you encrypt files on your hard disk, not only do you want to scramble the files, but sometimes you want to prevent others from discovering that the files even exist, a sleight-of-hand known as steganography. Not only does Truecrypt use strong encryption when it creates encrypted volumes (including 256-bit AES and 448-bit Blowfish), it also creates hidden volumes that are indistinguishable from random data.
If you take the time to learn how to use Truecrypt's steganographic features, the program will do a great job of protecting your data from snoops.
OS: Linux, Windows 2000, Windows XP File Size: 1350KB
View the entire Web as a large-print edition with this easy-to-use IE plugin.
Other browsers let you view Web pages at custom sizes--why not Internet Explorer? EasyRead installs two buttons in your IE toolbar. One looks like a plus sign, the other like a minus sign. One lets you zoom in to make your Web pages look bigger, the other zooms out to make them small. Version 1.5 introduces the ability to do this with right-clicks as well. Whether you need things bigger for easy reading or smaller to pack in more information, EasyRead can make your Web reading, well, easier.
OS: Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP Requirements: Microsoft Internet Explorer
Keep your young children engaged and amused with healthy, creative arts and craft activities that won't cost you a cent. Free newsletter packed with easy kids craft projects.
Dial-a-fix is an advanced utility for 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows written by DjLizard in Borland Delphi 7 that repairs various Windows problems, such as:
Windows Update errors and problems with Automatic Updates
SSL, HTTPS, and Cryptography service (signing/verification) issues
COM/ActiveX object errors and missing registry entries
and more.
Dial-a-fix (hereafter known as "DAF") is a collection of known fixes gleaned from Microsoft Knowledge Base articles, Microsoft MVP's, and other important support forums, that will assist you in repairing problems with your system. Although this tool is ordinarily meant for power users, technicians, and administrators, it is quite safe to use even without technical guidance (although guidance is recommended). Simply choose the solutions you wish to apply via checkmarks, and click GO. There are other buttons and tools present on the main dialog as well, such as the policy scanner. All tools and checkmarks identify their purpose when you mouse over them.
DAF's primary philosophy is to fix problems by setting various things back to their original Microsoft defaults. DAF currently does not interface with or repair any third party programs (and there are no plans to do so).
DAF works on all pertinent 32-bit versions of Windows: 98, 98SE, Me, 2000, XP, and Server 2003. Dial-a-fix dynamically disables functions that are not applicable to your version of Windows. The version of Windows with the most support and functionality is currently Windows XP.
The Jodix "Free iPod Video Converter" converts DVD/VCD, AVI, MPEG, WMV, RM, RMVB, DivX, ASF, VOB video files to iPod video format with a few clicks. It's just an easy-to-use interface tacked on to some stock converters, but that doesn't detract from the usefulness of the product.
Freeware, All Windows versions, 1.69MB
Key Features:
It's clean and free, without any adware or spyware.
It supports all popular video formats including AVI, MPEG, WMV (ASF), RM, RMVB, DivX, ASF, VOB etc.
It's stable and fast.
Easy-to-use wizard-like user interface helps you setup conversion process easily.
The output video has excellent image and sound quality.
ID3 Tag can be derived from the input files automatically.
Batch Processing is supported, it can process an unlimited number of files at one time.
Detailed HTML help file is included.
The installing and uninstalling process is very easy.
This a free diary offers rich-text formatting, which means you can spice up your entries with snappy fonts and colors.
iDaily Diary is a free, page-a-day diary program that offers rich-text formatting, which means you can spice up your entries with fun fonts and colors. iDaily Diary entries will also accept images and hyperlinks. There's no limit to how long your "page-a-day" entries can be.
iDaily Diary offers at least two big advantages over paper diaries: first, no matter how sprawling your diary becomes, you can always find a passage again using the Search feature.
Second, iDaily Diary offers password-protection and encryption that's a heck of a lot more secure than those tiny little diary locks that you can open with your thumbnail. If you'd like to put some of your musings online, you'll be glad to know you can export entries in HTML format. Store your diary on a USB drive and you can update it anytime you're near a computer.
A $30 Pro edition of iDaily Diary packs extra features, such as the option to export the entire diary, but even the free version boasts support for multiple languages, including Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Turkish and Japanese.
Another non-Microsoft browser offering a lots of slick features
Flock is a Mozilla-based browser, and looks and feels a lot like Firefox--which is a good thing indeed. But this browser, which runs on Windows, the Mac, and Linux, packs a bunch of new features, mostly built around bookmarks, blogging, and photo sharing.
It's doing things that can be done through a variety of sites, services, and add-ons--but building them right into a browser, and intermingling them in interesting ways. Among the slickest features: It offers built-in blogging.
I looked at a beta a while back. While the product wasn't perfectly polished, I found it promising.
(Note: The product is still in beta, so all the usual caveats about non-shipping versions of software apply here.)
Benchmarking means testing your computer and assigning some sort of score to your computer’s configuration.
Sandra Standard is a great program to use to benchmark your computer because it has a wide variety of individual tests, and it’s free. To get started, you will need to download a copy of Sandra Standard from the Web site located here.
Benchmarking with PCMark05
PCMark 2005 edition, from Futuremark Corporation, is one of the
most popular benchmarking programs for power users available.
PCMark 2005 has a cool online component that allows you to view
your benchmark data on their Web site and compare it to other users' computers. The PCMark05 application is a great way to
provide your computer with an overall score. This score can be
used to compare your system to other systems. The comprehensive
score that is assigned to your system is the result of numerous test
Using these two apps to detect and remove spyware and
adware from your computer will not only rid your
computer of those annoying programs, but will also
speed up your computer and free up disk space.
Visit Lavasoft and download a copy of the basic version of
Ad-aware that is free when used on personal computers.
Visit Spybot’s Web site and download a copy of Spybot Search &
Destroy.
Defending against Viruses
You can avail yourself of the many free antivirus applications. The best free antivirus app so far is called AVG by GriSoft. AVG is a very good antivirus program that is free for home use.
Visit ZoneAlarm’s Web site here and download a copy. The free version is a little hard to find. Your best bet is to look for “ZoneAlarm (free)” under Direct Links, found on the mid-right side of the page.
Sygate Personal Firewall
Sygate is another company that makes a great personal firewall.
Visit Sygate’s Web site here and download a free copy.
To give you an idea of how open your computer really is to the outside world, I recommend that you use one of the various online security screening tests that attempt to probe your computer to find weaknesses. The following is a list of sites that I feel do a good job of letting you know how open your computer really is:
