5 free windows ultilities you should download

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-20003850-58.html?tag=rtcol;pop

I ran across the article last month on Cnet.

Number 1 and 5 appeal to me.

Any other cool freebie windows utilities that we should know about?

[KO Gilligan]

dottech.org visitors get Winutilities Pro free - DotTech is a good site, and they've had this deal with YL Computing for a very long time

http://dottech.org/freebies/14274

and something everyone should at least know about is Allway Sync - and now features a lite version you can run from your Flashdrive (I use it for school because there's no install needed).

So get synchronized :D

http://alwaysync.com/

[TerminX]

I guess that WizMouse utility listed appeals to me. I think I'll actually snag that, thanks.

I would recommend these utilities to power users mostly:

Sorry, no links because I'm lazy. These aren't in any order other than the order I thought of them in.

1) Autoruns--advanced configuration of every startup app, service, driver, etc
2) Shexview--display/configure all recognized shell extensions. Makes it easy (when combined with autoruns) to clean up compromised machines and get rid of stuff apps throw into your context menus.
3) ProcessExplorer--taskmgr on crack
4) Mp3gain--clean up the clipping peaks in your mp3s that happen due to bad mastering and mixing
5) Registry Workshop--the only registry editor you'll ever need again
6) Synergy+--updated version of the aging "synergy" app to provide keyboard/mouse input to multiple machines over the network.

[Jeff]

I have the Advanced System Care 3.6 free version. Nice alternative to the other system maintenance utilities. As for an anti-virus utility, I use Microsoft Security Essentials.

[crunchy superman]

WizMouse is kickass - thanks for the link.

[8IronBob]

I subscribe to Maximum PC, so I'm pretty sure that these apps are already included on their monthly CD releases, I'll verify for sure, tho. They may even have recommendations of their own, I'll look on MaxPC's article archives to find out for sure, tho.

[KO Gilligan]

dottechies know about all the killer free apps:

(I need a bigger hard drive ;) )

http://dottech.org/ask-dottechies/16475

[KO Gilligan]

Following is a summary of the dottech.com user recommended freeware utilities, followed by the number of times recommended.

Program Votes Note: if users cast multiple votes, only their first one was counted.

Ccleaner IIIIIIII
Mozilla Firefox IIIIIII
Opera IIIIIII
PowerPro IIIII
FARR IIIII
WinUtilities III
Revo Uninstaller III
IfranView III
Avira Free III
WinPatrol II
GIMP II
Google Chrome II
Faststone Capture II
xplorer² II
Folder Size I
Microsoft Security Essentials I
Advanced System Care I
Comodo Internet Security I
Picpick I
Jarte I
EditPadLite I
XyplorerFree I
FDM I
FreeCommander I
TiddlyWiki I
Screen (*nix) I
RocketDock I
Agnitum Outpost Firewall I
Ubuntu I
RICOlmer I
AnVir Task Manager I
OpenDNS I
Everything (the program) I
Picasa I
StudioLine Photo Basic I
7-Zip I
Bonkenc Audio Encoder I
Slickrun I
ERUNT I
XnView I
Zsoft Uninstaller I
MP3tag I
Transcendence I
FreeBSD I
MemPad I
OpenOffice.org I
Moffsoft Free Calc I
AVG I
Ubuntu Netbook Edition I
MegaMek I
TrueCrypt I
Dropbox I
Ssuite Office I
LastPass I
Comodo Firewall I
Classic Startbar I
Allway Sync I
VLC I
Me.Ri.Quota I
Avast I
Jdownloader I
Orbit Downloader I
Hotkeyz I

[peoplessi]

Speccy is cool little app :)

[8IronBob]

Heh...something tells me that Google Chrome's days are numbered if it didn't make that list, yet Opera and Firefox are almost on top.

[peoplessi]

What exactly? Or is it once again something you've pulled out of your magic hat?

[KO Gilligan]

Heh...something tells me that Google Chrome's days are numbered if it didn't make that list, yet Opera and Firefox are almost on top.

It's listed as Google Chrome with two posts. The users weren't voting anyway, each were just adding to the list, with some redundancies.
I like it, but I can't believe it still has so many things it needs. Like GB said, WTF, no support for "Print Selection" ?

My biggest problem with freeware lately is so many lack Win7 64bit support.

[8IronBob]

I mean, let's face it...Google certainly has a lot more freeware apps around that I ever thought possible. It goes beyond Chrome and Earth anymore. Something to look forward to.

Anyway...I agree that 64-bit support is lacking, even tho it was supposed to replace 32-bit all together within some time. However, that's why I dual-boot Win 7 x64 and Win XP Home, so that way any app that doesn't find itself as being compatible under that environment will find itself on my XP partition instead of my Win 7 one...because there are some apps, especially legacy software from some years ago, that weren't made with backwards compatibility in mind, that just refuse to either install or run under a x64 environment.

[Crosma]

My biggest problem with freeware lately is so many lack Win7 64bit support.A lot of free Windows programs are compiled using MinGW (take that, IceColdDuke), which only has preliminary 64-bit support.

[peoplessi]

Lack of 64-bit support shouldn't be a problem.