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Favorite Free Software Programs

• Iceows - Archiver [like WinZip]
• IZarc - Another archiver [like WinZip], link compliments of Peter Mosmans, Netherlands

• Loads of freeware archivers [like WinZip or WinRAR] posted here.
• WinMD5 - Ensure the files you download haven't been tampered with. Drag the downloaded file into the program window. You need .NET to run v2.x. If you do not have .NET installed (I don't) and do not want to install it, download & use v1.x (I do)

• Wizmo (Windows Gizmo) - Stand-alone app by Steve Gibson. Does simple stuff like turn off your monitor, shutdown your computer, standby, eject/unmount, etc. All done through software commands.

Lap-top'ers in particular will find this app irreplaceable, as they (usually) have no other way to turn off their monitors (other than waiting). Written in assembly, so the code is tiny. No overhead to worry about. (thx SH)

• UltraFXP - FTP client, Recommended by Krist Byrne. He says, " I've used many FTP clients over the years. This one seems best. The guys developing it used to charge for it, got in some court case and had to offer it for free. I don't know if they still update it, but the version I have, 1.07, is uber-stable.

• SIW (System Information for Windows) - System info tool. Blows others (like the Belarc Advisor) out of the water. Doesn't even need to be installed. I've never needed any system-info it couldn't find for me. Awesome proggie. (thx SH)

• Firefox - Browser (like Internet Explorer). This is the browser-only component of Mozilla. Lean and mean. Called a "Next-generation browser". Worth familiarizing yourself with. Could become very popular. See here.
• Firefox Extensions - Over 150 available (thx to Peter Mosmans from Amsterdam)

• Avant Browser - Web browser (like Internet Explorer). I can tell from my web logs that many people use this browser to surf the Net. It actually uses certain installed parts of Internet Explorer, so it already knows your preferences and passwords. It already has a following. Worth looking into.

• PC Wizard - Provides systems information
• CPU-Z - Provides detailed information about your CPU, motherboard, etc.

• Bit Torrent - The next generation in peer-to-peer file sharing & distribution. Must have (or soon-to-be). You need to understand how it works first, and configure it correctly, especially if you have a firewall (which you should). Not a program you can install and forget about. Worth taking the time to understand. See here and here and here and here and especially here and here.
• BitTornado - Shadow's Experimental BitTorrent - A feature-rich version of the original from TheShadow.

• Memtest86 - Memory diagnostic
• DC++ - Open source file sharing, based on C++ programming language. Features.

• Media Monkey - MP3/music Manager.
• GuruNet - ALT-click on any word to get its definition. Close the GuruNet window & you're right back where you were. Other, encyclopedic functions, too. Both pay & free versions available. Connects to the Net, so it's zippier with a broadband connection. Update: 06.jan.2005: their new site is based around Answers.com (same principle, ad-supported, like Google).

• Latest update (28apr2004): Deleted CamStudio (bought by Macromedia, who changed the named to RoboDemo, now US$600), and Aida32 (now a stripped-down version called Everest). Everest Pro is US$30. [Thanks, James.]

• HotCPU Tester Pro - lite edition. See here for more on testing system stability.
• Mailman - Mail-list manager, loaded with features. Open-source.

• DivX - Only the player is free, but contains spyware.
• Xvid - MPEG-4 video codec. Open source project. Promising. May become become big, depending how much development goes into it. Guide here.