This page lists some useful free and inexpensive tools and utilities for PC, Mac and Linux users. Sierra Computer Strategies generally considers these to be safe and reliable, but is not responsible for any adverse consequences experienced by end users. Send suggestions to: getinfo [at] sierracs [dot] net
For PCs, Macs and Linux Systems:
Browsers
Firefox: http://www.getfirefox.com
Opera: http://www.opera.com/
Netscape: http://www.netscape.com
Flock: flock.com
Sea Monkey: www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey
Mail clients
Thunderbird: http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/
Eudora (PC & Mac): www.eudora.com
Office productivity
Open Office: http://www.openoffice.org/
PDF Creator (Adobe Acrobat replacement): sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/
Online File Conversions: www.zamzar.com
37 Signals (Online Collaboration): 37signals.com
Zoho (Productivity, sharing, polls, calendar): zoho.com
Google Docs: docs.google.com
Google calendar: calendar.google.com
File Sharing and Syncing (PCs and Macs only):
Foldershare: http://www.foldershare.com
Other:
Pando - Large file sharing/sending: http://www.pando.com/beta/
Password strength tester (from Microsoft): www.microsoft.com/athome/security/privacy/password_checker.mspx
SketchUp Modeling tool (PC & Mac): sketchup.google.com/index.html
Command line refs (Oracle, Windows, Apple, Linux): www.ss64.com
Variety of (mostly) free software [See PC Sites of Note too]:
Site in Netherlands: www.freebyte.com
CNet: www.download.com
Major Geeks: www.majorgeeks.com
Sourceforge: www.sourceforge.net
Freshmeat: www.freshmeat.net
Tucows: www.tucows.com
Best Open Source SW: http://www.digitaldarknet.net/thelist/
"Best" freeware: seetips.blogspot.com/2006/04/best-freeware-guide.html
TechSpot: www.techspot.com/downloads.html
Softpedia (lots here): www.softpedia.com
PC World 101 best freebies:
www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,124883,pg,16,00.asp
Large variety of freeware: www.econsultant.com/i-want-freeware-utilities
Advanced users only:
Nessus: http://www.nessus.org/
Nmap: http://www.insecure.org/nmap/
Ethereal: http://www.ethereal.com/
Show Traffic: sourceforge.net/projects/showtraf
Ettercap: ettercap.sourceforge.net
Dsniff: www.monkey.org/~dugsong/dsniff
TCPdump: www.tcpdump.org
VNC: http://www.realvnc.com/
PGP: http://www.pgp.com and http://www.openpgp.org/
Netcat: http://netcat.sourceforge.net/
NeoTrace Express: http://www.networkingfiles.com/PingFinger/Neotraceexpress.htm
GParted (Free alternative to Partition Magic): gparted.sourceforge.net
Ultimate Boot CD: www.ultimatebootcd.com
Top 100 Security tools (recommended): sectools.org
Security-specific, Privacy and Safe Surfing:
Safe Surfing guidelines: surfthenetsafely.com
Privacy Sites: privacyforbusiness.com/sources.htm
World Privacy Forum: www.worldprivacyforum.org
Electronic Freedom Foundation: www.eff.org
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: www.privacyrights.org/index.htm
Center for Democracy and Technology: www.cdt.org
Electronic Privacy Information Center: www.epic.org
Consumer Privacy Guide: www.consumerprivacyguide.org
Privacy Foundation: www.privacyfoundation.org
Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov/privacy/index.html
Shopping Guides:
PC Magazine: go.pcmag.com/guides
eWeek: buyersguide.eweek.com
Network World: www.networkworld.com/reviews/bg.html
Tom's hardware guide: www.tomshardware.com
InfoWorld: www.infoworld.com/product_guide
CNET: reviews.cnet.com
Spare parts and repairs:
PC Hub: www.pchub.com/uph
Spare Parts Warehouse: www.sparepartswarehouse.com
Techrestore: www.techrestore.com
For PCs
30 Essential software programs for PCs: murl.se/16835
Adobe Reader: http://www.adobe.com
Avant browser: http://www.avantbrowser.com
Index of anti-hacking tools: techdune.com/2007/10/09/amazing-xp-tools-to-arm-your-pc
Fresh Diagnose: http://www.freshdevices.com/freshdiag.html
AIDA32 Diagnosis, benchmarking: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download181.html
Foldersize (show folder sizes in Explorer): foldersize.sourceforge.net
Google Desktop and other tools: http://www.google.com/intl/en/options/
Microsoft TweakUI and other tools: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
7-Zip archiver: http://www.7-zip.org
Iceows archiver (decompresses WinRar): www.iceows.com
Process Explorer and other excellent tools: http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.html
Startup Control Panel: http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml
* Spybot: http://www.safer-networking.org/
* SpywareBlaster for IE: http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
* SpywareGuard: www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html
* Adaware: http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/
Bazooka Adware/Spyware scanner: http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/index.html
Skype: http://www.skype.com/
Trillian: http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/
Picassa photo management: http://picasa.google.com/
Remote PC access: http://www.LogMeIn.com
Time Sync: http://www.truetime.net/software-winsync.html
Free Firewall: http://www.zonelabs.com
Another free firewall: www.personalfirewall.trustix.com
Free programs that execute on a USB: www.snapfiles.com/features/ed_usb_software.html
More portable (USB) apps: http://portableapps.com/
File Unlocker (Delete locked files): ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker
Recover Deleted Files: www.pctools.com/file-recover
* ==> Recommended free anti-spyware or anti-adware tools. See Anti-Virus software, farther down this page, for commercial software.
Backup and Sync software:
Norton GoBack and Ghost (backup/recovery for disks): www.symantec.com
Casper XP easy backup/clone: www.fssdev.com
Retrospect backup (PCs & Macs): www.emcinsignia.com
Acronis True Image: www.acronis.com
PC Replicator (free): www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp
Remote backup (2 GB free, Mac client coming): www.mozy.com
Allway Sync (file, folder syncing): www.allwaysync.com
BeInSync: www.beinsync.com
For advanced users and/or network/security staff:
Putty SSH: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/
Virtual desktop: http://enablevirtualdesktop.com/virtualdesktop/index.htm
Some Microsoft tools (run from command line, "Run"):
All of them: [Note - a link, broken into two lines. Put back together to use]
www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows
/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/ntcmds.mspx
All of them, well arranged, incl. Recovery Console: commandwindows.com
Good short list with explanations:
www.networkclue.com/os/Windows/commands/index.aspx
msconfig: netsquirrel.com/msconfig
sigverif (check for signed files/drivers): www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/kelly93.mspx
regedit: Be careful
cmd: get a terminal window
netsh: Network services shell
findstr: grep, where art thou?
PC Web sites of note:
Best free utilities: http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_46_free_utilities.htm
Bootdisk site utilities: http://www.bootdisk.com/utility.htm
Best freeware: http://seetips.blogspot.com/2006/04/best-freeware-guide.html
Good Beginner/Intermediate Guides: http://www.pcstats.com/beginners.cfm
Bootdisks, Guides, DLLs, Drivers: http://www.bootdisk.com/
Bootdisk Top 20 XP Questions: http://www.bootdisk.com/xptop20.htm
More drivers, DLLS, boot utilities: http://www.freebyte.com/drivers/
Even more DLLs: www.dlldll.com
Troubleshooting, spyware/adware removal: http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/
More troubleshooting XP: www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp.htm
Lots of XP Tips: http://www.xptuneup.com/xptuneup_listview.htm
Tweak XP: http://www.tweakxp.com/
Great Performance tweaks for XP: www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1590
More tweaks: www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Speed up XP tweaks: www.techbuilder.org/recipes/59201471
Startup and Process name database: www.networktechs.com
Repairing Windows boot disk: www.short-media.com/review.php?r=313
Securing XP HowTo: labmice.techtarget.com/articles/winxpsecuritychecklist.htm
Free/Commercial Online [and/or downloadable] Malware Scanners and Anti-Virus Software:
Microsoft Windows Defender:
www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
+ Trend Micro: http://housecall.trendmicro.com
Kaspersky: http://www.kaspersky.com
PestPatrol: http://www.pestpatrol.com
Panda: http://www.pandasoftware.com/
Ewido: http://www.ewido.net
Symantec: http://security.symantec.com
McAfee (A-V and Site Advisor): www.mcafee.com/us
F-Secure: www.f-secure.com
Sophos: www.sophos.com
* Sophos Rootkit Detector/Remover: http://tinyurl.com/jcqyp
CommandOnDemand: http://commandondemand.com/
Computer Associates: www.ca.com
Eset: www.eset.com
+ BitDefender: www.BitDefender.com
Norman: www.norman.com
* Webroot Spy Sweeper: www.webroot.com
* Spyware Doctor: www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor
Note: Commercial Anti-Virus products are more automated, and generally easier to use than free ones. Commercial products range in price from $0 (after a rebate) to $50 or more. Some of them include anti-spyware too. Symantec, McAfee, and Trend are the "market leaders" but all of the above products are really quite good. If you're not religious about this, look for the one with the best price. However if "free" is hard to resist, and you don't mind doing some periodic updating and scanning, by all means look at the products below.
+ ==> Will perform an online scan (use Internet Explorer) and repair detected Viruses.
* ==> Not all anti-virus products have rootkit detectors/removers. Rootkits are an especially nasty piece of software designed to take over your system without your knowledge. Be safe: Use a rootkit detector. The Sophos one is free. Spy Sweeper and Spyware Doctor are two of the best commercial anti-spyware products available today. If Spybot (above) isn't getting rid of your spyware, you need one of these.
Free Anti-Virus (for personal use only):
AVG: http://www.grisoft.com
AntiVir: http://www.free-av.com
Avast!: http://www.avast.com
Reviews of free A-V and Spyware: www.free-antivirus.info
For Macs:
CaptureMe: www.chimoosoft.com/captureme.html
TextWrangler: www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/
iPulse: www.iconfactory.com/ip_home.asp
SuperDuper!: www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html
XMenu: www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/22117
Fire: fire.sourceforge.net
Camino browser: www.caminobrowser.org
Smultron editor: smultron.sourceforge.net
iTerm: iterm.sourceforge.net
iStumbler: istumbler.net
Menu Meters (very cool): www.ragingmenace.com/software/menumeters
Virtual Desktop: www.codetek.com
Free Virtual desktop: virtuedesktops.info
NuFile: www.growlichat.com
Downloads listed by Apple: www.apple.com/downloads/macosx
Many Mac Apps: www.macosxapps.com
List of resources: dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Shareware/Mac_OS
Versiontracker: www.versiontracker.com/macosx
Security-specific: www.pure-mac.com/para.html
More general SW: www.pure-mac.com
Widget Manager (Apple site): tinyurl.com/k7o9h
FolderGlance (Apple site): tinyurl.com/jndj3
SeisMac (Seismograpgh): www.suitable.com/tools/seismac.html
CoconutBattery (Battery info): www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery
Mac Web sites of note:
Mac processes: www.westwind.com/reference/OS-X/background-processes.html
Favorite Firefox (2.x) Extensions:
Adblock Plus
Adblock Filterset.G Updater
Bandwidth Meter
Cert Viewer Plus
CookieCuller
Copy Plain Text
Customize Google
Download Statusbar
Fasterfox
Fire Encrypter
FireFTP
Flashblock
FLST
Forecastfox
Google Browser Sync (from Google)
Live HTTP Headers
McAfee SiteAdvisor
murl [or TinyURL Creator available]
NoScript
PDF Download
Quick Restart
Server Spy
Shazou
ShowIP
Tab Control (disable first two options)
Tabs Menu
Track Package
Update Notifier
View Dependencies
Whois