Transforming the proverbial frog into a space technology prince
The purpose of this and the following articles is to provide a few (hopefully helpful) answers to a number of questions troubling the users of personal computers. Let it be made clear from the very beginning that I claim to be no qualified technician, nor comfortable enough with the more complex workings of the Infernal Machine so as to assume responsibility for any misunderstanding or erroneous use of the information given below.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The list that follows is more than 10 years old, so many of the featured programs may not be available any more, or my own opinion of them may have changed by now - or they may simply be unsuitable for modern systems and should not be used or tried. It only remains published here for archival and/or "historical" purposes. For more detailed info, explanations and some updated or revised free software suggestions, see FOOTNOTE.
Now here is a list of freeware programs I have so far found useful for the PC's everyday (or more special) trimmings. Some of them come in both demo and commercial versions, but their free versions are fully functional as well, and the best thing is that the functionality does not expire after a set amount of time. I have also made sure, whenever and wherever possible, that they do not come bundled with any unwanted "add-ons" that usually serve as spies for certain advertising companies, or even if they do, that they offer a switch-off option (this is the main reason I recommend those over their counterparts offered by different developers).
The list was comprised having Windows 9x in mind, but most of the programs will work fine in Windows 98SE, 2000, ME and/or XP. Some of them come in special versions for Windows ME and XP, as well as for Windows 98SE. The programs are listed alphabetically. Click on their names to reach the developers' web sites for more technical and download information.
More and more web developers find the PDF format more convenient for their files. Acrobat Reader's latest version can open and read almost anything in this format, although it does not allow the creation of PDF files. There are several advanced features and add-ons (having to do with direct interaction between the program and certain online utilities which are supposed to enhance its functionality, as well as security filters like DocBox by InterTrust) but even if you do not wish to choose this option, the program will work just fine with only the basic functions enabled.
Apple's video/audio player & image viewer, compatible with Windows. Quick Time files are of better quality than Windows Media Player or RealPlayer files, but due to Apple's exclusive software patents, their readability by other relevant programs is usually limited. You may need to download additional plugins or decompressors after installation in order to view certain file types, especially if you have no previous version of the program installed on your PC. In the latest version, most bugs of previous editions (e.g. clashes with other similar programs resulting in computer freezes and monitor black-outs) have been patched up and functionality is dramatically improved.
3) IrfanView, Plugins & Filter Factory
Another wondrous freeware program enabling you to open, view and edit almost every image format (except those infamous double compressed ART files and Microsoft Publisher's WMFs), including but not limited to most video and audio file formats (plus Microsoft PowerPoint and RealPlayer files), as well as dismantle animated GIFs. Its possibilities are virtually countless, perfectly comparable to those offered by other, unreasonably costly and disk space consuming programs. Filter Factory is a small filter library (also downloadable from Irfan's site) applicable to most image formats, enabling you to add jazzy effects to your graphics. The latest downloadable version includes an impressively comprehensive variety of Adobe Photoshop filters.
4) JavaCool (now BrightFort) SpywareBlaster & Spywareguard
Two particularly useful Internet safety tools: SpywareBlaster blocks once and for all most malicious drive-by downloads and ActiveX controls, while SpywareGuard acts as an anti-Trojan and a rudimentary kind of firewall, offering effective real-time protection from the majority of the above mentioned threats.
5) Kephyr Bazooka Adware & Spyware Scanner
An extremely small and lightweight application that scans for a wide variety of malware, including a number of Trojan horses that may go undetected by other tools. Frequently updated, it has the singularity of not cleaning what it finds but walking the user through a detailed manual removal procedure. Perhaps tedious for some, but useful and challenging for whoever is interested in a personally involved view of how things work.
6) LavaSoft AdAware, RefUpdate & RegHance
An absolute must for any regular Internet surfer, as you never know which advertising banners or pop-ups (even on the most innocent-looking web page) contain junkware likely to hijack your browser, mess-up your system files and registry and collect information on each and every click of your mouse. AdAware scours your system and eliminates all possible threats, while being able to warn you whenever it catches anything it suspects but cannot identify. RefUpdate is a tiny, optional (but quite necessary) accessory utility whose aim is to keep the program's reference files to date. RegHance is another optional component that enables the handling of registry entries from within the main Ad-Aware interface.
The best and absolutely necessary diagnostic tool for Windows. The latest versions enable the crushing majority of computer games to run smoothly on those systems.
For European users of Windows 95 & 98 (and sometimes 98SE), whose Regional Settings still display the old national monetary unit in place of the newly established Euro, it is recommended to run an online update check (only takes a couple of minutes) at Microsoft's relevant page (click on Eurotool above and you will be automatically redirected) and download this tiny utility, which will detect whether your country is affected by the Euro change or not, leaving your settings intact if necessary. The only bug is, not all printers are able to print the Euro symbol - but you can always consult your printer's manual on how to configure installed fonts and characters, or search for assistance in numerous online help forums.
9) Microsoft Java Virtual Machine
Always make sure you have the latest version of JVM installed on your system, as it makes up for an interesting number of browser vulnerabilities and system malfunctions.
Microsoft's free utility for correcting broken or no longer valid registry entries. A very simple tool offering the choice of undoing the changes it makes, very useful for fixing the registry after installing or uninstalling software. It comes without any guarantee or technical support, though, and its very first use may cause a registry error, so be warned before installing it. Particular caution is advised to Windows 98SE, 2000, ME & XP users.
A Control Panel tool (dubbed "Powertoy" by Microsoft) comparable to a PC game's level editor, enabling you to literally do whatever you want with your PC - hide or show icons, remove those little arrows from shortcuts, repair your Font and Temporary Internet Files folders in case they lose their special functionality, restore system files after uninstalling software and generally customize your working interface to your own personal liking. Comes in special versions for Windows 98SE, 2000/ME and XP. Absolutely amazing.
12) Microsoft Windows Media Player
The latest versions (plus an optional bonus pack enabling, among other functions, the deletion of Most Recently Used entries) come bundled with a whole lot of bonus add-ons & -ins. A real feast for sworn multimedia devotees, despite a number of recurring bugs ("freezing" the system at will, having trouble with certain CDs and giving random and surreal error messages).
13) RealPlayer
The latest, radically revamped edition of RealPlayer, maintaining all features of earlier versions while offering a jazzy interface, web interactivity and a wide range of optional add-ons & ins to choose from, including the ability to burn CDs and create personal playlists (a privilege previously restricted to byers or registered users of its now obsolete predecessor). You may need to download additional plugins or decompressors after installation in order to view certain file types, especially if you have no previous version of the program installed on your PC. The newest version (2.0) comes bundled with a much more discreet, optionally usable version of the old, infamous Real JukeBox that used to hijack your CD playback settings and destabilize your system.
14) Safer Networking Spybot Search & Destroy
From first-hand experience (having had the honor of being among its very first beta-testers), I wholeheartedly recommend this excellent program as one of the most comprehensive and efficient antimalware scanners around. Free with no limitations for private use only.
A powerful tool (and another one I beta-tested in its earlier stages) designed to erase most traces of Internet activity, while getting rid of accumulated TMP files, resetting the scores of Windows Standard Games and wiping the system clean of almost every kind of junk file. Its only drawback is that it has the tendency to delete everything it detects or suspects as "junk", including things you may actually need (e.g. some file types associated with printer or scanner drivers), so make sure you understand the program's options and use those most appropriate for you. The latest safely usable version is 3.1.2.
16) Sun (now Oracle) Java Virtual Machine
The first (and considered by many as the only truly original) existent Java Virtual Machine, with a customizable console and a small selection of demo games and applications.
17) WinZip
The shareware version of the famous and indispensable compression tool for Windows, offering interchangeable Standard (for experienced users) and Wizard (for beginners) interfaces. Contains another useful utility, Self-Extractor Personal Edition, fully functional although its unregistered use is prohibited. WinZip is supposed to expire after a 21-day trial, but other than a standard message reminding you to upgrade to the full version, nothing stops it from working properly even after the time limit has passed (if you feel a bit put off by the somewhat threatening reminder that keeps appearing at the bottom of the splash screen after the expiration date, try uninstalling the program, restarting your PC and installing it again). A newer beta release is also available to power users of the program.
A tiny but miraculous, totally spyware-free and highly customizable utility, allowing multiple and scheduled simultaneous downloads, as well as pausing and continuing any number of jobs. It integrates itself into the browser, guaranteeing fast and reliable downloads.
For any questions, suggestions, contributions or corrections, please contact me.
FOOTNOTE: As stated at the beginning of this article, the above list is old and largely outdated. If I made a similar one at this moment, almost half of the suggested applications would have been replaced by newer and preferably, open source ones (for instance, Clementine, GOMPlayer, KMPlayer, Nightingale, Songbird & VLC in place of QuickTime, RealPlayer & Windows Media Player, as well as 7Zip, ALZip, CAM UnZip, FreeArc, ICEOWS, IZArc, JZip, Legacy Back2Zip, PeaZip and/or Zipeg instead of WinZip). It would be unthinkable to not have included at least one firewall (e.g. Comodo - if not the best, definitely one of the best around, with Agnitum's Outpost close behind), plus the unsurpassable "Holy Trinity" of free antivirus programs - Avast (yet another one I officially beta-tested during its transition towards the most recent versions), AVG & Avira, formerly AntiVir (Comodo also offers a free antivirus to go with the firewall, but from personal experience I would not yet recommend it, as it still has a long way to go). The free standalone scanner versions of MalwareBytes Anti-Malware and PrevX should have joined the inventory of antispyware protection tools. A few alternate browsers to IE would have been added (Chrome, Firefox, Opera), as well as the now utterly essential CCleaner (of which I also had the honor to be among the first official beta-testers, back when it was experimentally introduced under the graphic name "CrapCleaner") and/or BleachBit & Glary Utilities for regular PC maintenance, Paint.net, PhotoFiltre, PhotoScape, PhoXo, The GIMP & XnView for semi-professional image editing and finally, the amazing LibreOffice by Document Foundation and/or OpenOffice by Apache (in fact, the same open source program taken over by two different organizations, after the last of its earlier sponsors, Sun Microsystems, was bought out by Oracle which subsequantly abandoned the OpenOffice project) as alternatives to the exorbitantly expensive latest versions of MS Office Suite. And of course, a couple of others would have been omitted, since they are no longer developed or are unsuitable/redundant for the latest versions of Windows (i.e. Eurotool, RegClean, TweakUI - the latter of which still works for Windows XP but NOT for Vista & later versions).
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