Computer Maintenance Utilities
CCleanerWhen you run applications on your computer like MS Word, MS Excel etc … and just generally use your computer, lots of temporary files and registry entries are created.
These files continue to build up and after a while, they can start to affect the performance of your computer – this is due in large part to fragmentation and the increased number of files on your hard disk drive.
CCleaner is a great free utility to help cleanup and remove these unnecessary files and registry entries. Once installed (watch out for the Yahoo Toolbar option when installing) it can be run by just right clicking your recycle bin and selecting “Run CCleaner”.
Computer Security
McAfee Avert StingerFrom the official site: Stinger is a stand-alone utility used to detect and remove specific viruses. It is not a substitute for full anti-virus protection, but rather a tool to assist administrators and users when dealing with an infected system. Stinger utilizes next generation scan engine technology, including process scanning, digitally signed DAT files, and scan performance optimizations.
i.e. Many viruses and forms of malware are becoming more sophisticated and can detect and stop anti-virus programmes running on the computer or evade detection by them. Stinger is very useful at removing such malware when run from a booted Windows PE type system – a bootable version of Windows on a CD/DVD/USB flash drive. Now that you are not booting your computer from your hard disk drive using (potentially) infected files which may interfere with your anti-virus scan, you can run Stinger which should hopefully detect and remove the malware or virus.
AVGAVG comes in a few different versions. The free version provides Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware support. The subscription based product also provides a firewall and a couple of other things. Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems all include a firewall which although very basic at first has gradually improved with the release of each new version of Windows. However, this built-in firewall is no match for a commercial or dedicated firewall product. But for a lot of people’s needs, it may suffice.
Compared to other antivirus and anti-spyware programmes, I find AVG a lot less bloated and faster in operation, and it’s probably high up among the better free anti-virus products.
Web Applications
Mozilla FirefoxFree and Open Source web browser. Although it does have it’s problems (just like all web browsers), this is my preferred web browser – primarily because of the many great add-ons that can help to make your surfing so much safer and more productive.
To access the add-ons, once in Firefox, go to Tools > add-ons > “Get Add-ons Tab”. If you know what you want then type it in the search box, alternatively, click Browse All Add-ons.
Mozilla ThunderbirdFree and Open Source email client. It’s a nice and simple email programme that also has support for RSS feeds and newsgroups. Like Firefox, it has some great Add-ons. These are called “extensions” and can be accessed in a similar way to Firefox.
If you want to encrypt your email using OpenPGP, check out the Enigmail Add-on.
Video and Media Applications
VLC Media PlayerFree and Open Source video and audio player that support nearly all media formats out of the box. A great app that takes away the need to trawl the Internet for codecs. There’s even a portable version that you can keep on your USB flash drive that allows you to play video and audio from any computer!
System Tools
Sysinternals Process ExplorerProcess Explorer is a much more advanced version of the Windows Task Manager.
“Ever wondered which program has a particular file or directory open? Now you can find out. Process Explorer shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.”
Sysinternals Process MonitorProcess Explorer is a much more advanced version of the Windows Task Manager.
“Ever wondered which program has a particular file or directory open? Now you can find out. Process Explorer shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.”
