Included are excellent free security applications, one doesn’t have to break the bank to get protection for that new PC.
My own preferences,
Firewall
Windows XP native firewall blocks incoming traffic only.
Free: Comodo Pro
Update: Be aware that Comodo has taken the ASK Toolbar route.
Certifiedbug, May 27, 2008. Comodo SafeSurf Toolbar-ASK Toolbar
Windows Vista native firewall filters both incoming and outgoing network traffic.
It took several months for vendors to introduce a third party firewall compatible with Vista.
Free: Comodo Pro
Update: I no longer recommend the Comodo Firewall.
Anti-Virus
Pay for: Eset NOD32
I have used NOD32 four plus years, on XP and now Vista. It is quiet, does the job well and has a small footprint.
Free and pay for versions: Avast
Free and pay for versions: Avira AntiVir
Anti-Spyware
Free for personal use: Patrick M Kolla’s Spybot-Search and Destroy
Multi purpose support utility
Free and pay for versions: Bill Pytlovany’s WinPatrol
Defragmentator
Free: Windows Vista Disk Defragmenter Disk Defragmenter FAQ
By default Disk Defragmenter on Vista runs automatically at 4:00 am every Sunday morning. It is a pretty basic utility which does not give you any detailed information about the hard disk fragmentation level or the defragmentation progress.
Pay for: Diskeeper
I have DisKeeper 2008 Pro Premier set on automatic defragmentation, which it does using low CPU priority resources. No need to fuss with scheduling anymore.
Shuffling a lot of files around daily, I like DisKeeper running silently in the background defragging files on-the-fly. The program has plenty of documentation, options and useful Help Topics.
Plus you can watch it at work if you want to.
Screen Capture and more
Pay for: SnagIt by TechSmith.
With SnagIt, users can capture, edit and share any image, including scrolling windows, objects, menus, video, text, and Web pages and include them in emails and instant messages, PowerPoint presentations, MS Office documents, marketing and sales materials, technical documentation, class handouts, Web sites and blogs.
Video Creator
Pay for: Camtasia Studio by TechSmith.
System optimization and privacy tool
Free: CCleaner
Data backup and disaster recovery
Pay for: Acronis® True Image
Paint-with a difference.
Open Source and Free: Paint.NET
This is not the application that comes with Windows, it has many features one would expect in a pay for program. Highly recommended.
Minimum System
- Windows XP (SP2 or later)
- or Windows Vista
- or Windows Server 2003 (SP1 or later)
- .NET Framework 2.0
- 500 MHz processor (Recommended: 800 MHz or faster)
- 256 MB of RAM (Recommended: 512 MB or more)
- 1024 x 768 screen resolution
- 200+ MB hard drive space
- 64-bit support requires a 64-bit CPU that is running a 64-bit version of Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2003, and an additional 128 MB of RAM
Please note that Paint.NET uses your hard drive to store temporary files related to undo/redo. Because of this, actual disk space requirements will depend on the type of actions you perform on an image, and on the size of the image.
Password Manager
Open Source: KeePass
Good program with updates frequent enough to show this is an open source project with heart.
News Reader
Google Reader
Newsgator RSS Suite is now free and sports a new look.
FeedDemon for Windows
NetNewsWire for Macs
NewsGator Go! for Mobiles
NewsGator Inbox for Microsoft Outlook
NewsGator OnLine
FTP
Free: FileZilla
Free: SmartFTP
Write To Blog
Windows Live Writer
Firefox Add-On ScribeFire
Browsers
Opera
Microsoft IE7
Mozilla FireFox
Mail Client
Mozilla Thunderbird
Thunderbird has a integrated Calendar extension called Lightning allowing it to perform email-related calendar tasks.
Mozilla Sunbird® is a stand alone Calendar.
Web Mail
Windows Live® Hotmail
Misc
Windows Live® Alerts on MSFN.
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