Your Favorite Freeware for Windows

[Soopafresh]

How about a thread ? Let's have a few requirements:

1) Freeware Only. No 30 day trials, no spyware included, etc.

2) Just the best of the best.

3) Include a link to the hosting web page if you know it, and a short description.
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-Crap Cleaner - Cleans out all histories, cookies, etc for IE and FireFox, also has an app uninstaller, registry fixer, and more.

http://ccleaner.com/

-EMCO Malware Bouncer - Gets the stuff SpyBot and Ad Aware always miss. Seriously good.

http://www.emco.is/malwarebouncer/features.html

-Acrobat Reader Speedup Tool - You'll be amazed if you read a lot of PDFs.

http://www.tnk-bootblock.co.uk/prods/misc/

-FoldersReport - Small and Very Fast Folder Size Util

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/folrep.html

[redwudz]

IE Spell: A self-contained speller that sits on the IE toolbar. Works great for forums like this so you don't look illiterate because of typos.

http://www.iespell.com/


One Touch Shutdown: When you don't really need to tell your computer twice that you want to shut it off.

http://www.tucows.com/preview/229345.html

[Italic]

For me best freeware programs are :

Open Office 1.1.3
(you don't need to spend money to have something similar to Office)

Mozilla Firefox & Thunderbird
( IMHO better than IE and Outlook Express, excellent estensions)

Avast Antivirus
(constantly updated, it works fine)

Sygate Personal Firewall
(a good program to check all processes to the net)

DVDx
(freeware for converting DVD to Divx)

[fritzi93]

Antivirus:
Avast
AVG

Malware cleaners:
Adaware
Spybot

Firefox Extensions:
Launchy (If a page won't load, switch to IE instantly)
Download Statusbar

Shell Extensions (Oldies but goodies):
Absolute Shield File Shredder (Kill & overwrite)
Send To (Copy or move files to another directory)

[yoda313]

Hello,

adaware

dvdshrink

dvd decrypter

gspot

virtualdub (and virtualdubmod)

musicmatch + itunes (both good media players plus the option to buy the music )

I'm sure there are more but can't think of them now.....

Kevin

[bazooka]

Firefox
dvdshrink
dvddecrypter

[Capmaster]

DVDShrink (DUH!!)
DVDInfo Pro
Camstudio
Iconlayoutsave
Hardcopy
Savings Bonds Wizard

[housepig]

FileZilla - great FTP program
StarDownloader - download accelerator / manager
Audacity - audio editor
SequioaView - graphic representation of hard drive files - allows you to easily identify disk hogging files.
The Gimp - image editing software
Inkscape - SVG vector-drawing software, similar to Illustrator
CutePDF Writer - allows you to print from almost any application to a PDF file - great for archiving web pages.

[Garibaldi]

Slideshow Movie Maker
GUI For DVD Author
DVD Shrink
Firefox

Firefox Extensions:
SuperDragAndGo -drag a link to a new tab

[BJ_M]

virtualdub and virtuadubMOD
DVDShrink
dvd decrypter
and freewaire spekl chkers

[lordsmurf]

RestoreDesktop - desktop icon manager

[Goober57]

Goldwave

(Free version. Maybe that's changed)

______________

[racer-x]

For me:

Irfanview - An exellent all around image app, very powerfull. I even have a shortcut on my send to list.

Regcleaner - very nice app to clean out the registry and much, much more.

Windows Media Player Clasic - Simply the best media player, bar none.

Wax2 - An awesome free advanced video editor with 3D rendering capabilities.

VirtualDub-Mod - no need to explain here.

DVDShrink - Again, if I have to explain, you wouldn't understand.

DvdDecrypter - Ditto.

BitrateViewer - Very informative tool to view Mpeg vital statistics.

[racer-x]

Hey housepig:
Thank's for the link for Inkscape. Downloading it now, if it's any good, I can uninstall Illistrator.

I love small efficient apps that can do what big overbloated apps can do. The only exceptions are PhotoShop and Premiere.

[housepig]

racer-x -

good deal, I hope it does what you need it to do. I haven't d/l'd the new version yet - let me know how you like it.

[ViRaL1]

In addition to those mentioned, I like GuruNet. It's a taskbar app that allows you to right click on any word in windows (editable or not) and it will look it up, good for spell-check etc.

http://www.gurunet.com

[burnman99]

Ooooh Fave Freeware, there are soooo many:

Remember while I have had good success with the following programs, your mileage may vary:

Defense:
AVG AntiVirus
Adaware SE
Spybot
Spyblaster
Sygate Firewall

Browser:
Firefox 1.0 Best overall Browser due to the copious amount of extensions.
K-Meleon 0.9b Many good built-in features.
Mozilla/Netscape Good features including advanced search sidebar.


Office:
Open Office - Great Open Source Office Suite 2.0 will be out soon!


Image Viewer:
Irfanview - Absolute best batch converter/viewer.

Image Editor:
The Gimp
Serif PhotoPlus 5.5 - Note: this program is Free but must be registered.

Video Editing:
Avisynth (Amazing Program!)
Virtualdub Mod
Zweistein

Audio Ripping:
Audiograbber
CdEx
Audiocrusher
Lame Mp3 (required for Audiocrusher & Cdex i think)

Audio Editing:
Audacity

Mpeg Encoder:
Quenc (New Version Out!) Outstanding avs enocder.
AVIDemux Outstanding AVI/Mpeg Enooder.

DVD Authoring:
DVDAuthorGUI (Why my $79 DVD-Lab just sits there & rots )

CD/DVD Burning:
CDBurnerXP Pro (Update to 3.5b will come soon!)
DeepBurner
Burrrn (Nice Audio CD Burning Program)
Burnatonce (At the moment one of the very few free .cue/bin programs)

VCD Author:
VCDImagerGUI

Media Players:
VLC Media Player
Media Player Classic

Compression:
Freezip
7zip
Ultimatezip (may be charging now)


Mux/Demux
Mplex Multiplexer 1.0
Batch Demux

3D
Blender (Have not actually used this but is highly recommended)

Misc

SETI@home
Clickomania (Addicting Game!)
Good Ole Freecell
Microsoft Pinball (Only the ME or XP on 2K the flippers Suck!

That's my list!

Rog

[mastersmurfie]

My favorite freeware apps...

AVG Antivirus

http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/


ScreenPrint32

http://www.screenprint32.com

Outpost firewall

http://www.agnitum.com/download/outpost1.html

iISystem Wiper

cleans IE history...http://iisoftware.net/index.php?clean.html

As well as VirtualDub, DVDDecrypter, DVDShrink

and others that I'm sure I can't think of right now...

mastersmurfie

[ChrisX]

For me I can think of VirtualDub and Windows Media Player.

[BJ_M]

My favorite freeware apps...

AVG Antivirus

http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/


ScreenPrint32

http://www.screenprint32.com

Outpost firewall

http://www.agnitum.com/download/outpost1.html

iISystem Wiper

cleans IE history...http://iisoftware.net/index.php?clean.html

As well as VirtualDub, DVDDecrypter, DVDShrink

and others that I'm sure I can't think of right now...

mastersmurfie

OUTPOST firewall is very good - but the freeware version is pretty limited - it also has some issues running on XP they claim (and so do thier users) .. but it does have a ton of plug in you can get for it and is quite good performance for software firewall -- but i found all software firewalls after soem time seem to have issues - and switched to hardware firewall and NAT from now on myself ..

[Baldrick]

Firefox
Kerio Personal Firewall 2.1.5
Media Player Classic

[hudsonf]

xplorer2
Firefox
Thunderbird
IrfanView
SimpleOCR

[Garibaldi]

Windows Media Player Clasic - Simply the best media player, bar none.

Yes! Definitely!

I would like to add:
tovid (encode alot of formats to vcd, svcd, or dvd in linux) I'll post a link if you want
GNU/Linux (my personal favorite flavour is Slackware)
granted these 2 aren't "Windows Freeware" they can be used in windows with something like cgywin

Pear PC
Gaim

[NamPla]

Hammerhead Rhythm Station

MAME arcade game emulator

Audacity (plus all the excellent free VST plugins)

CDex

...plus of course ALL the excellent video-related freeware out there. Freeware, in my eyes, rivals some of the most expensive commercial software out there.

[Garibaldi]

...plus of course ALL the excellent video-related freeware out there. Freeware, in my eyes, rivals some of the most expensive commercial software out there.

Agreed. IMHO open source software is very good quality (look at Debian, its a great example of this) because unlike commercial software there is no deadline to meet, so the bigs get worked out before the big releases like they should be instead of just going ahead with the current working one because the deadline is here (this is just my opinion, please don't take it to heart).

[Sifaga]

I have used this for years now, i like the mini bar that lives in the Toolbar of your active window.

System Tray Player
http://www.netean.com/stp/

STP (SysTrayPlayer is simple MP3 player that runs at the system tray and takes just a little of display space and processor time. It also has an equalizer and a simple playlist editor, plus several unique features you won't find in other players.

[Garibaldi]

I have used this for years now, i like the mini bar that lives in the Toolbar of your active window.

System Tray Player
http://www.netean.com/stp/

STP (SysTrayPlayer is simple MP3 player that runs at the system tray and takes just a little of display space and processor time. It also has an equalizer and a simple playlist editor, plus several unique features you won't find in other players.

This is a great app! I just downloaded it and love it! Its so small but has a ton of features. I especially like how it has a bar that you can have up that sits in the middle on the top of your screen (like the slit in fluxbox) and displays song info and the paly buttons.
I'd highly recommend it.

[duffyr83]

DVD Decrypter
DVD Shrink
ImgTool
AdAware
AVG AntiVirus
ExtractNow-this is a nice little tool

[NamPla]

Inkscape - SVG vector-drawing software, similar to Illustrator

Wow that looks interesting, never heard of it before?

As for graphics programs, The Gimp looks great but haven't had a good look at it yet. I've tried PhotoShop, but I always fall back on the old familiar Ulead PhotoImpact 3.02 SE that came freely bundled with an old computer mag CD, ages ago. It does everything I want (and more)! PhotoShop looked too hard, ha

[Dr. DOS]

Memories for the Web (free) from the makers of Memroies on TV

http://www.picturetotv.com/mow.htm