Many of the best applications are available on the Internet for little or no cost. The following programs are some favorites.
Freeware
- System cleaner – CCleaner
- Encryption package – GnuPG for Windows
- File renaming utility – Bulk Rename Utility
- File restoration utility – PC Inspector File Recovery
- Drive encryption software – Truecrypt
GPL or Something Similar
- Secure file Eraser – Eraser
- Office suite – OpenOffice
- Internet browser – Firefox
- Multimedia viewer – VideoLAN
- System restoration utility – Trinity Rescue Kit
- “Live” Linux package – Knoppix
- FTP client – FileZilla
Free for Noncommercial Use
- Antivirus software – AVG Anti-Virus
- Picture viewer – IrfanView
- Spyware remover – Spybot
- Windows firewall – ZoneAlarm
An addition to this list is Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware. This program has been awesome for the quick elimination of malware on a variety of computers.