The best things in life are free. Unfortunately, the reverse is also sometimes true: Some of the worst things on the Web are free.
Many of the free programs on the Web aren't worth the time it takes to download them; they're inadequate compared to commercial versions. Even worse, some free offerings are downright evil: They use the lure of getting something for nothing to induce you to download a fake program that is loaded with adware, spyware and viruses.
That's why alarm bells ought to ring when you see the word free. But there are free programs out there that are just as good as commercial software, and sometimes better. In some cases, companies use terrific free programs to introduce you to the commercial software they sell. Other times, a free program is used as a virtual advertisement of a programmer's skills.
Finding worthwhile free programs is a bit like panning for gold. The trick is separating the gold from the dirt. Today I'll offer my list of free programs that seem like solid gold to me. I invite you to e-mail with your own list of great free programs you've discovered -- and tell me about free programs that were a disappointment.
OK. Enough talk, let's start prospecting.
Belarc Advisor
This free program easily earns the right to be at the top of the list. It creates a complete inventory of all the programs installed on your computer. It also takes a detailed look at your computer hardware: the amount of memory installed, free hard disk space, the model number of your video adapter. And it takes advantage of a technology called SMART to examine the health of your hard disk.
There are so many uses for this program. Lost the activation serial code for your software? No problem, Belarc lists it. Need to know the service tag number assigned to your computer (required information to get tech support in some cases)? It's right there. Ever been bombarded with technical questions you couldn't answer when you've called a tech support line for help? The answers can be found with Belarc.
You can download this gem of a program here: www.belarc.com
CCleaner
Many products, free and commercial, promise to clean up your hard disk, speed up your computer and even fix problems in a key section of Windows called the Registry. Almost without exception these programs do more harm than good.
Meet the exception: CCleaner. It delivers on its promise to clean your hard disk of unwanted programs. It will also safely remove bad or unused entries from Windows Registry. It's fast and safe. And it can perform so many tasks that it would take the space of this entire column to list them all. It's a Swiss Army knife of programs and all of them are terrific. For instance, it can often remove balky programs that Windows' own uninstall feature can't touch.
You can download it here: www.piriform.com/ccleaner
Note that you may find an offer to provide additional support for $24.95. Pass up that offer (once you've used the program for a while you can make an independent decision about paying). There's also a link for donations. I make donations for programs I've used and find to be worthwhile.
Skydrive
If you've ever tried to e-mail an enormous file, you probably ran into problems. Most Internet providers have limits on the size of e-mail attachments. Even if your file is under the limit, sending it can take forever since uploads move much slower than downloads. Besides, why subject your recipient to a long download? Instead, store that file online free using Windows Live Skydrive. That way you can share it, password-protected, with as many or as few people as you'd like.
Unlike some free online storage offers that limit you to 2 gigabytes or less, you can store a hefty 25 gigabytes at no cost. But the advantages don't stop there. If you have a work or school project that requires collaboration with others, Skydrive is perfect for you. Upload a Microsoft Office file and team members can edit that file online. And they can do that even if they don't have Microsoft Office installed.
You can sign up for this service here: http://explore.live.com/windows-live-skydrive
Anti-virus software
There's no one clear winner here. Instead, there are several programs that work exceptionally well. One that surprised me is Microsoft's own Security Essentials. It provides excellent protection with no glitches or computer slowdowns. Maybe that's because a program created by Microsoft is almost certain to get along with Microsoft's Windows. But there are other good options, including AVG and Avast.
Unlike Security Essentials, AVG and Avast also make commercial anti-virus software. The free versions are intended as a hook to grab new customers, and there's nothing wrong with that. Start with the free version. If it pleases you, you might decide it offers enough protection, or you can move to the commercial version with the assurance gained by trying the free one first. A caution: Using more than one anti-virus program can create real problems. If you decide to try one of these, you must remove the program you are using now.
Download the programs here:
Security Essentials: www.microsoft.com/en-us/security_essentials/default.aspx
AVG: http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage
Avast: http://tinyurl.com/3d2bdh
Adware/spyware
Just as in the anti-virus category, there are several programs I can recommend. I've been using Superantispyware and am delighted. But Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free is such a fine program that choosing between the two is difficult.
You can't lose with either. So flip a coin if you wish, or try one for a while then switch to the other. Just be sure that you do protect your computer. Lately I've found adware and spyware to be the likely suspect, even more so than a virus, when a reader reports computer problems.
To download them:
Superantispyware: www.superantispyware.com
Malwarebytes: www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free
Take a look at the free programs I've mentioned. And please let me know about some of your favorites, as well as the fool's gold -- the free programs you've tried that haven't panned out for you.
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