Software for Free – Completely Legal, Secure and Free

So what is the best free windows software available? There are many websites out there offering free software but as with many “free” offers on the Internet these often turn out to be hoaxes as the software turns out to be a trial version or worse still is found to contain viruses or spyware.  I decided to put together a list of completely free software for the Windows Operating System that I have used and found not only to be free but also to be extremely useful:

• Skype VOIP – allows users to make voice calls over the Internet. Calls to other Skype users is free while international and mobile calls are at greatly reduced prices. Other features include instant messaging, file transfer and video conferencing. A “must have” software program for cost conscious companies. Highly recommended. [ Download Skype Now ]

• AVG Anti-Virus - a highly recommended anti-virus protection tool and in my opinion the Best Free Windows Software available on the Internet. More robust and equally as secure as the fee paying alternatives offered by Norton and McAfee. [ Download AVG Anti-Vius Now ]

• Open Office – open source (free) alternative to Microsoft Office. Ideal for home computer use or for small / start-up companies who wish to keep costs down. [ Download Open Office Now ]

• Spybot Search & Destroy – detects and removes malicious spyware. Spyware silently tracks your online actions to create a marketing profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge. [ Download Spybot Now ]

• PC Tools Firewall Plus – a good firewall for protecting Windows users against threats on the Internet, and is far better than the built-in firewall due to its easier-to-use GUI As well as level of customization. Download PC Tools Firewall Plus Now

• Mozilla Firefox - an award-winning Web browser – fast, secure and fully customizable to your online needs. [ Download Mozilla Firefox Now ]

• Mozilla Thunderbird – a powerful email application which is extremely secure and fully customizable to your personal email needs. [ Download Mozilla Thunderbird Now ]

• FileZilla - a fast and reliable FTP client and server with lots of useful features and an intuitive interface. Ideal for uploading pages to your website. [ Download Filezilla Now ]

• VLC Media Player - a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats (MPEG, DivX, mp3, etc. ) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. [ Download VLC Now]

Please feel free to comment below or recommend additional software not listed above. I will continue to add to the Software for Free list as I come across additional free windows software that proves worthwhile.

Highly Recommended Free Spyware Software

Spyware is any software that covertly gathers user information through the user’s Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.

The biggest and most common effect of spyware is that it slows a computer down. Spyware is a software program and like all software programs it uses system resources to run. However, unlike most other programs, Spyware is not designed to run effectively on your computer. To ensure your computer is running optimally you should protect against Spyware – to assist you in choosing the best Spyware Protection Software I have compiled the following “Free Spyware Software” list to help you select the best software to suit your needs:

• Spyware Doctor – a spyware remover program and provides real-time protection against spyware, adware, Trojan horses, keyloggers, spyware cookies, adbots, spybots, browser hijackers, and phishing attacks. Spyware Doctor is easy to use and requires few PC resources. Its scanning speed is delivered by multiple specialized scanners. Almost any function of Spyware Doctor can be updated through the Smart Update process. Download Spyware Doctor Now

• SpywareBlaster - prevents spyware from being installed in the first place. SpywareBlaster prevents the installation of ActiveX-based spyware, adware, dialers, browser hijackers, and other potentially unwanted programs. It can also block spyware/tracking cookies in IE, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape, and many other browsers, and restrict the actions of spyware/ad/tracking sites. Download SpywareBlaster Now

• Spybot Search & Destroy – used to detect and remove a multitude of adware files and modules from your computer. Spybot also can clean program and Web-usage tracks from your system, which is especially useful if you share your computer. Modules chosen for removal can be sent directly to the included file shredder, ensuring complete elimination from your system. Download Spybot Search and Destroy Now

All programs that form part of my “Free Spyware Software” list are completely free to download and will help protect your computer against Spyware or remove Spyware from an computer that is already infected. To completely protect your computer a spyware tool should be used in conjunction with a firewall and virus protection software.

What is the Best Free Firewall available to Download?

Simply put a Firewall is security program that filters the data coming through a network (or Internet) point into your private computer. If incoming data falls short of the security measures specified in your firewall then the data is blocked and an alert raised. A Firewall is crucial for protecting against malicious viruses, spyware, spam and unauthorized access.

I have put together a complete list of the “Best Free Firewall Software” that describes the best free firewall software that is available to download for free and without registration – please choose the firewall that best your needs and use it effectively to protect against threats to your computer’s health.

• Comodo Firewall **** – brings excitement back to the free-firewall category with a spiffy interface and impressive performance. It protects any Windows 2000 or XP SP2 system from hack attacks, and it blocks unauthorized programs from using the Internet—even programs whose malware-style trickery fooled some other free firewalls. Downlaod Comodo Firewall Now

• PC Tools Firewall Plus *** – a good firewall for protecting Windows users against threats on the Internet, and is far better than the built-in firewall due to its easier-to-use GUI As well as level of customization. Also, its prompts are far less annoying, so that it is much suitable for home users. However, unavailability of component monitor, detailed access level permissions, and full internationalization support may put that piece of software second to ZoneAlarm Free, and third to Comodo Firewall. Download PC Tools Firewall Plus Now

• Outpost Firewall FREE ** – The FREE version of Outpost Firewall offers a basic protection solution for casual web surfers and low budget systems. On the plus side the Open architecture allows third-party plug-ins and presets help handle permissions for known program types. On the negative side Outpost is not recognized by XPSP2 Security Center and is easily disabled by malicious software. Overall best avoided for average users but offers plenty to computer savvy folk – geeks Download Outpost Firewall Now

One of the firewalls specified in this list should suit your computer protection needs perfectly. If you are aware of other free firewalls that are not identified here please leave a comment below and I will add it to the “Best Free Firewall” list.

A common question I am asked from frustrated computer users is “why is my computer so slow?”. Many computer users see the performance of their computer suffer over time and do not understand why.  As a result I have compiled the following list of the most common reasons why a computer performs poorly and is not as efficient to use as previously:

• Low RAM Capability - Random Access Memory (RAM) is used by a computer to store data for processing by the central processing unit (CPU), also known as the processor. Low RAM capability will result in slow processing of requests causing your computer to perform slowly and inefficiently.

• Unnecessary Operating System Services – many services provided by your operating system (Windows) are totally unnecessary and take up valuable computer resources (processor time / memory).

• Boot (Start up) Overload – each software program you install secretly claims boot (start up) status. The more software you install the more processes run automatically at start-up, increasing boot time.

• Existence of Spyware – Spyware is malicious software that covertly gathers user information and slows down a computer considerably through its use of background processes.

• Registry Bloat – a computer uses something called a “Registry” to keep track of detail such as its original configuration, installed applications, configuration changes etc. Many software programs you install are not coded efficiently and include extra clutter that contributes to Registry Bloat – this affects the performance of your computer greatly.

• Poorly Fragmented Hard Drive – over time, a computer’s files can be scattered over your hard drive causing file retrieval and file searches be slower than expected.

• Poor Quality Security Software – a large number of anti-virus and other security software demand a large amount of computer system resources and memory, thus slowing the computer down.

• Remnants of Uninstalled Programs – uninstalled software programs have not deleted all required files on your computer.

• Windows and Temporary Files Over load – a large number of useless files can build up over a period of time and add significant cluster to your system.

• Hardware Problems – general wear and tear of your hardware over an extended period of use can lead to a slow down in performance.

If you have been scratching your head wondering “Why Is My Computer So Slow” then it is quiet probable that one or more of the issues identified here is actively affecting your computer.

To get your computer back running at optimal performance you should speak to one of our computer experts about our expert computer repair services.