Freeware
This is a list of the freeware that I use and recommend.
Ninite
Ninite lets you easily choose from a list of free software; when you're done choosing it downloads a single installer that installs all of your choices with no dialog boxes, buttons to click or anything! I use this frequently, both at home and in helping my clients set up their computers.
Read everything else here, then go to Ninite to download and install what you want!
Microsoft Security Essentials
Microsoft Security Essentials provides free real-time
protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and
other malicious software.
Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly and efficiently in the
background and automatically keeps itself up to date so that you are
free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want—without interruptions
or long computer wait times.
This has become my all-in-one solution for antivirus and anti spyware protection, both for my my clients and my own computers. Read more and download here.
Google Chrome
Chrome is designed to be fast in every possible way: It's quick to start up from your desktop, loads web pages in a snap, and runs complex web applications fast. Learn more about Chrome here. Download
Foxit PDF Reader
Free, fast and light, Foxit reader does not 'pre-load' itself when Windows starts. It works well with all browsers and is fast, even on older computers. Learn more here. Download.
CCleaner
CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast and contains NO Spyware or Adware. Download
Picasa
Picasa is free photo editing software from Google that makes your
pictures look great.
Sharing your best photos with friends and family is as easy as pressing
a button!
Learn more about Picasa and Picasa Web Albums. Download
Paint.NET
Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for computers that run Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides friendly help, tutorials, and plugins. Download
Launchy
Launchy is a free Windows and Linux utility designed to help you forget about your start menu, the icons on your desktop, and even your file manager. Launchy indexes the programs in your start menu and can launch your documents, project files, folders, and bookmarks with just a few keystrokes! Download
DropBox
DropBox allows you to sync your files online and across your computers automatically. You get 2GB of online storage for free, with up to 100GB available to paying customers. You can sync files of any size or type across Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. DropBox automatically syncs when new files or changes are detected. This is a great way to both back up your work to the cloud and to bring it home; save it at work, access it from home and vice versa with no file copying or backing up to worry about. Learn more here. Download.
Search Everything
Search Everything does one simple thing, but it does it amazingly well. It lets you search your hard disk(s) for files by name. You can use wild cards (* and ?) and / or path names to zero in on the file(s) you want with lightning speed. Learn more here, download here.
Revo Uninstaller
When you want to uninstall a program use Revo; it does a far more thorough job. After running the program's default uninstaller it cleans up other files and registry settings left behind by the program. The pro version is all over their web site, but the free version is more than enough for most users needs. Get it from Ninite to avoid confusion.
7-Zip
7-Zip is a file compression/decompression software that supports just about every kind of file compression protocol out there. It's fast, free and well-designed. You won't need any other file compression software once you install this! Download