PC Help

With me regularly helping colleagues and friends out of PC problems I thought I would build a page with links and info I usually end up giving to them.

I obtained this list from as site at work, and all were said to contain no adware or spyware, but I cannot guarantee this, or that the software will work. Most here are untested by me.

Security software (anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewalls etc.)

AVG (Gadget17 uses this)
Antivirus software

Spybot Search & Destroy (Gadget17 uses this)
Spyware remover

Ccleaner (Gadget17 uses this)
CCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool.

Adaware
Hunts for nasty nefarious spyware on your PC

SpyHunter
Spyware scanner
Contains adware / spyware: unknown

Avast Antivirus
Antivirus software

WinPatrol
Will sniff out Worms, Adware, Spyware, Cookies, Trojan horses and other virus type, malicious, nasty “mysteryware” that may attack your computer.

a2 (Asquared)
Antitrojan software (Note: you do have to register on-line)

Spywareblaster
Helps prevent spyware getting on your pc in the first place.

SpywareGuard
Stops stuff trying to take over your homepage/search engine

HijackThis
Prevents Homepage hijacking

CWShredder
Helps remove “cool web search” homepage hijacking malware

Zonealarm
Software firewall, trial version of Pro followed by cut down free version

Kerio Personal Firewall
Firewall

Sygate Firewall
Firewall

Outpost firewall
Firewall

Comodo
Firewall

Startup Monitor
Tiny program. Monitors when programs try to set themselves to run at startup and asks you if you wish to grant them permission. Can stop nasties.

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System tools and utilities

TeamViewer
Desktop Ssoftwareharing – Remote Control – Support

EasyZip
File compression utility

Quick Zip 3.06.1
A free alternative to Winzip supports 19 compression formats.

IZArc
Archiving “zip” tool (supports almost all compression formats)

Startup.cpl
Control what programs start at boot time

EndItAll 2
Lets you easily terminate in one shot all non-essential programs and
processes

CDRIdentifier
Identify CDR manufacturer

ISOBuster
Extract files from CD images/CDs

Nero plug-ins
Burn directly from various audio formats

THERename
File renaming utility

HJSplit
Splits large files into smaller ones that can be emailed/transferred between machines & re-assembled

NexusFont
Font viewer and organiser

DeepBurner
CD / DVD burning utility with support for large number of drives and formats

Datalifeguard tools
Western Digitals own freeware to analyse & format Western digital hard drives (Can format from windows)

SiSoft SANDRA
PC diagnostics tool. Analysis of PC gives some very useful info also hasbasic benchmarking.

Free RAM XP Pro
Small utility which does what it says on the tin reclaiming RAM.

Webshots desktop
It allows you to arrange wallpapers with any pictures you want, can download some very high resolution pictures there and set it to do a slideshow for a screensaver. Makes wallpaper management easy and much better than the standard windows display properties.
Contains adware/spyware: contains an ad

Aida32
Tells you what’s inside your PC

Autopatcher XP
Patch your OS. May be a worthy addition, free, useful, but big

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Office software (word processing etc.)EditPadLite
Notepad replacement

AbiWord
Lightweight word processor

602PCSuite
Office replacement

OpenOffice.org 1.1.1
Full open source office suite

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Instant messaging and voice chat

ICQ
Instant messaging, program. Allows the trading of files but ISNT P2P software

Trillian
IM client, which can interface with all the major ones, like MSN, AOL, etc. Free.

Yahoo messenger
IM client
Contains adware / spyware: unknown

MSN messenger
IM client
Contains adware / spyware: unknown

CW Communicator
(Freeware) Send Morse code across the internet

Teamspeak
Free Voice communication program, speak to your mates abroad for free

Ventrilo
Voice Communication Package

Gamevoice
Voice Communication Package

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Web browsers

Mozilla
Web browser

Opera
Quick web browser with built in email client
Contains adware / spyware: Free version has small advert.

Firefox
Tabbed browser from Mozilla

GreenBrowser
Web browser that uses the IE settings but enables tabbed browsing

MyIE2
Tabbed browser (Based on IE Shell)

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Email clients and utilities

Foxmail
E-mail client with built-in pop server preview/delete [similar to MailWasher]

Pegasus Mail
Extremely (if not excessively!) well featured email program.

Mozilla Thunderbird
Email and News application

YahooPOPs!
Retrieve/send email from a yahoo account using a standard email client

Quickdelete
Check emails on the server without having to download.

Mailwasher
Allows you to preview and delete mail before downloading. Anti-spam tool

PostCast Server
Run a mail server on your own PC
Contains adware / spyware: unknown

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Other net tools

SmartFTP
FTP client

FileZilla
Open Source FTP client with a drag-and-drop interface.

Leech FTP
Freeware FTP client

Typsoft FTP
FTP server

PuTTY
Free SSH/Telnet client

Fresh Download
Download manager

DLExpert v0.98
Freeware download manager

Sam Spade for Windows
Net tool for performing traces and gaining information on internet users / sites. Used for spam fighting and general net detective work.

OE QuoteFix
Allows user to configure how Outlook Express quotes when replying to messages

Unbrand IE/OE
Removes branding (e.g. provided by Freeserve) in these applications

Free Surfer MkII
Pop Up Stopper (for IE)

Google toolbar
Pop-up stopper and search interface
Contains adware / spyware: unknown

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Audio, video and graphics

Exact Audio Copy
CD ripper/burner & basic audio editor
Note: this is “cardware” and you are required to send a postcard to register

mkwACT
Lossless audio compression [shorten format] converter

FLAC
Lossless audio compression [flac format] converter

Monkey’s Audio
Lossless audio compression [ape format] converter

dBPowerAMP Music Converter
Convert between various audio formats

Multi-Frontend
Convert between various audio formats

WavTrim
Remove silence from start/end of WAVs

Winamp media player
Media player (for lower spec pc’s Winamp 2.x. Later spec pc’s Winamp 3.x)

Twins Video Player
Plays videos with quite a few options available. Playlist options, slow motion options etc.

Microsoft Windows Media Encoder
Create windows media format sound and video files, or stream across the internet!

Audacity
Freebie Sound editor

Ultraplayer
MP3/CD/video player for windows (I think Linux version available not 100% though)
For those that find Winamp too bulky, nice compact easy to use, will read playlist files from Winamp as well

QuickTime
Apple’s media player
Contains adware / spyware: unknown

ID3 tag remover
removes ID3 and ID2 tags from MP3`s so Winamp / Ultraplayer show the file name… easier for renaming stuff

Irfanview
Compact, easy to use image viewer. Plug-ins available to view many other file types

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Games and game-related

Steam
Half Life’s Free Online Games/Shop/News/Friend List package.

The All Seeing Eye
Games Server Locating tool

Half Life Server World
Games Server Locating Tool

Cheating Death
Anti Cheat Software for Counterstrike

Punk Buster
Anti Cheat software for other games (including Battlefield Vietnam)

Wolfenstein Enemy Territory
Free team based first person shooter, take part in missions against people from all over the globe

Imogen
Faithful remake of classic ’80s BBC Micro platform / puzzle game

Grand Theft Auto
The original, now available free from the developers

America’s Army
“The official U.S. army game” — a first person shooter
Contains adware / spyware: unknown

FSM flight sim
Radio control flight simulator. You can also buy an interface so that you can use your normal radio control transmitter to control them. Loads of extra planes can be found, also free.

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Miscellaneous (i.e. I didn’t know where else to put them)

Weatherpulse
A good little program which you can configure for your local weather

SatScape
Free Track hundred of satelites in real-time anywhere in the world

Celestia
Free Real-time space simulation

Fractint
Make pretty pictures (Fractal generator)

SETI@home
Screensaver that helps process the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Word Web
Offline Dictionary (Freeware version at bottom of page)

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