Free Tools & Utilities

some of many free tools available online

Adware/Spyware
Adware/Spyware - Gathers information about the user in order to display advertisements in the web broswer based on the information it collects from the user's browsing patterns. Tools which you can use to remove most of the common adware and spyware files.

Ad-aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware
Spybot http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download
Anti-Virus
Virus - A program or piece of code loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. All viruses are manmade and can also replicate themselves. These tools will help you fight viruses and worms by scanning your e-mail attachments and other files which are located on your computer.

AntiVir http://www.free-av.com
avast! http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
AVG AV http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1
Housecall http://housecall.trendmicro.com
McAfee AVERT Stinger http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/
Panda ActiveScan http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan
Browser Protection
Browser protection - prevents execution and installation of most Active-X-based adware, spyware, browser hijackers, dialers and other unwanted code such as viruses and worms. Additional protection for your web browser when accessing the internet.

SpywareBlaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
SpywareGuard http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html
Desktop Search
Desktop Search Tool - very useful utility which cuts down your search time for those hard to find (or remember) documents, pictures or mp3 files. Find any file on your computer in a flash. All common file types will be recognized (.doc, .gif, .html, .jpg, .pdf, .txt, .zip...).

Copernic Desktop Search http://www.copernic.com/
Google Desktop Search http://desktop.google.com/
Yahoo! Desktop Search http://desktop.yahoo.com/
E-mail Client
E-mail Client - runs on your computer and allows you to organize, send and receive e-mails. It is called client as it is a second component to the client-server architecture. They establish a connection with a mail server and allow you to view and respond to your e-mails. (I know, a bit simplistic explanation) ;)

Mozilla Suite http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/
Thunderbird http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/
Firewall
Firewall - designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network and/or computer. Sofware designed to protect your PC from many online threats. Even though they significantly increase the security of your computer, they are NOT bullet-proof. Hardware-based firewalls are often more effective.

Kerio http://www.kerio.com/kpf_home.html
ZoneAlarm http://www.zonelabs.com
Graphic Viewer/Editor
Graphic Viewer/Editor - allows you to view and edit your photos. Some of the applications support video files as well.

IrfanView http://www.irfanview.com/
Picasa http://picasa.google.com/index.html
XnView http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pierre.g/xnview/enhome.html
HTML Editor
HTML Editor - allows you to create, edit and publish web pages created in HyperText Markup Language, the authoring language used on the World Wide Web (WWW).

AceHTML http://software.visicommedia.com/en/products/acehtmlfreeware/
Nvu http://nvu.com/download.html
Pop-up Blocker
Pop-up Blocker - any software used to disable any pop-up, pop-over or pop-under advertisement window that you would see while using a Web Browser. Block those annoying pop-ups.

Google Toolbar http://toolbar.google.com
Pop-Up Stopper http://www.panicware.com/product_psfree.html
Yahoo! Toolbar http://toolbar.yahoo.com/
Rootkit Scanner/Remover
Rootkit - a type of malicious software activated each time your system boots up. They are often difficult to detect because they get activated before your Operating System (OS) has completely booted up. Remove Rootkits from your machine.

F-Secure Blacklight http://www.f-secure.com/blacklight/
Malicious Software Removal Tool http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx
RootkitRevealer http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/RootkitRevealer.html
RSS Readers
RSS - Stands for Really Simple Syndication Technology that pulls in text, audio and video content from across the web then adds summaries to modules on a web page. Usually done on a subscription basis and viewed with a RSS reader. Get all of your news in one place. Syndicate several different web sites into one easy to view customizable page.

NetNewsWire http://ranchero.com/netnewswire/ (OS X)
SharpReader http://www.sharpreader.net/ (Windows)
Straw http://www.nongnu.org/straw/ (Linux - GNOME)
SFTP Client
SFTP - Secure FTP protocol used to connect to web and file servers through port 22 (TCP). For the most part is has completely replaced FTP.

Fugu http://rsug.itd.umich.edu/software/fugu/ (OS X)
WinSCP http://winscp.net/eng/index.php (Windows)
SSH Client
SSH (secure shell) - internet protocol that allows a user to connect to a remote host via an encrypted link which is protected by a super long pass-phrase - developed by SSH Communications. SSH Secure Shell is the de facto standard for remote logins. It solves the most important security problem on the Internet: hackers stealing passwords. SSH protects a network from attacks such as IP spoofing, IP source routing, and DNS spoofing.

Cygwin http://www.cygwin.com/ (Linux like env. for Windows)
Fugu http://rsug.itd.umich.edu/software/fugu/ (OS X)
PuTTY http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/ (Windows and UNIX)
Tech Blogs
Blog - is a short version of the term ‘web log.’ The common blog is a publicly accessible web-based journal. Blogs allow the posting and updating to the journal by non-technical people. Now almost anyone can start a blog! (www.blogger.com is a popular site). Some of more popular tech blogs:

Cnet News http://news.com.com/2072-10784_3-0.html?tag=ne.tab.hd
Techdirt http://www.techdirt.com/
The Hive http://hive.net/member/default.aspx
ZDNet http://blogs.zdnet.com/
Trojan Scanner/Remover
Trojan - apparently useful and innocent program containing additional hidden code which allows the unauthorized collection, exploitation, falsification, or destruction of data. A program or file that appears to be useful and harmless but which has harmful side effects such as destroying data or breaking security on the system on which it is run. Trojans are similar to viruses except they don't propagate themself as viruses do. Remove Trojans from you machine.

a-squared http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/
ewido http://www.ewido.net/en/
Trojan Scanner http://www.windowsecurity.com/trojanscan/
Web Browser
Web Browser - program such as Firefox, Mozilla, Opera, Internet Explorer, and others that are used to view pages on the World Wide Web.

Firefox http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
Mozilla Suite http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/
Opera http://www.opera.com/
Windows XP Only
MS Powertoys for Windows XP - they add fun and functionality to MS Windows XP. PowerToys are additional programs that developers work on after a product has been released. Note: Powertoys are not a part of standard Windows OS and as such are not supported by Microsoft.

MS Powertoys for XP http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
- Some of the descriptions have been taken from Tech Dictionary.

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