Best free windows software
These are my favorite free windows utilities.
Acrobat replacement – Foxit reader
This util loads in like a second instead of a minute for the bloated stupid acrobat client from adobe. I don’t use acrobat reader anywhere anymore.
Backups – Mozy
2GB free! back up your keepass password database (below) and all your important documents, bookmarks etc. It is stored in a massive earthquake proof bunker in Utah. HIPAA compliant and everything. I HIGHLY recommend using the link above and getting mozy NOW. They give you 2GB to get started. Then if you refer your other email accounts and friends you will be up to 3gb or 4gb in no time. Plenty of space for your password file, and critical documents, maybe favorite photos.
Browsing- FireFox and Mcafee site advisor
Firefox seems to be more stable in my experience. Security wise I’d say your are full of BS on a FireFox vs IE battle. They both have vulnerabilities all the time. Since FireFox became mainstream it became a target. Exactly what will happen as Mac gains market share.
Mcafee site advisor- install this and edit the settings to highlight links in red, yellow and green. Even a nerd can appreciate seeing the red links when you are googling info to do your job. And it is fun to google “fluffy kitten screen-savers” and see how many sites your aunt already visited and realize why you have to clean her machine every time you go there.
Email - Gmail
Gmail rocks. free calendar sharing, document sharing. You can save a lot of IT and run gmail for your company. Use Outlook 2007 and IMAP for users that don’t like the gmail conversation style. Get digital certificates from thawte for email and you get a pretty red ribbon on your emails in outlook.
File sharing – Azureus
I wouldn’t recommend a file sharing program for *ahem* non-legit reasons so use your imagination and isohunt. But say you need fedora core 8, download the torrent file and azureus will share away.
Instant messenger – Pidgin
Open source and you can load all your accounts from all providers in one client.
Password manager – Keepass
This encrypted database is really safe for keeping all your passwords. Just remember your keepass password and cut and paste the others. It will add to your clipboard and remove it after X seconds. Back this up with Mozy from above and you will NEVER lose your passwords.
Photos- Google’s Picasa and (no more Hello)
Hello is gone!!!! It was the greatest picture sharing Instant messager thing ever! I will miss you hello. The google web album thing is nowhere near the coolness of Hello.
Picasa is a sweet program for managing your photos. Edit your photos, auto-correct color, crop, all the normal useful tools. I use the automatic link to shutterfly all the time to print photos. I think owning a photo printer is stupid. What a waste of money when you can just upload to shutterfly and have them mailed. If you
Remote Desktop - logmein
Log me in free edition gives you a web console to manage all the people you help. It burns through multiple NAT layers. It is awesome. If you pay you can drag files from your desktop to theirs. It always works as long as their machine is powered on and connected to the net. They don’t even have to be logged in.
If you are on the same network as another machine windows remote desktop blows the doors off everything else. At my last job I used it exclusively.
VPN – Hamachi
Really easy setup, good encryption, makes it easy to share files, remote desktop through several NATs. Start it as a service and manage remote laptops anywhere they go.
Zip utility- 7zip
7zip is the best open source zip and unzip util around. 7zip works BETTER than winzip. It integrates to right click, unzips rar, cab, iso, arj, lzy, chm, msi, wim, z, cpio, rpm, dev and nsis at the moment. It is the master zipper. AND it is free and open source. Check up on new versions once in a while.
Have other favorite free utilities? Let me know.