5 Free Essential Apps for any Windows PC

  Often I am given a new PC by friend or family to set up.  Or a PC that’s been gummed up by spyware. When I go to tweak or rebuild the system, these are the five main applications I install.

Spywareblaster

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Passive Browser protection that helps lock down IE from installing common spyware.  Update and run once a month.

Spybot Search and Destroy

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

A Swiss army knife of spyware protection tools. It also has a passive Browser wall that is good for most common browsers including Firefox and Opera. It also has a scanning tool that rival big-name Virus protection software.  While it will not always remove virus and Trojan's , it is often a faster way to determine is any is residing on your system.

 

CCleaner

http://www.ccleaner.com/

A PC “de-gunker” that does a much better job at removing temp files and other accumulated garbage that soaks up valuable space. It has some advanced registry features however for most users they can disregard this.  Just watch when you install it as it tries to put in a yahoo toolbar ( they have to make money somehow).

 

Auslogics Disk Defrag

http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/disk-defrag/download

Fast, free and easy.  What more could one ask.  It’s clearly better than built in Windows defrag ( although windows defrag is built off same software foundation). Do this once a month on all your drives.

 

Alzip archive utility

http://www.altools.com/Downloads/ALZip.aspx

Deal nicely with all type of archive files; .rar, .zip, ect.  Runs super fast, integrates with windows menu’s nicely, and is spyware free.

It does display some tiny ads in some menu’s when your using it, but it is not too bad considering it is free.