Recommended Free Software

Over the years I've come across several pieces of free software that is extremely helpful or just fun to have. I'll explain why I put each item in my list:


Yahoo! Widgets
-Great fun on your desktop. This beats vistas Sidebar by a mile. It runs far better on the system. There are a TON of widgets to be had.

CCleaner
-Cleans up your system. Simple as that. Lightweight program that does a far better job of cleaning your computer than Windows standard cleaning. Customizable to the extreme, this is one program I advise everyone to download.

MSN
-THE best Instant Messenger for free. Tons of great options and many people use it.

Windows Live Writer
-An excellent program for those on the go. You can write up your blogs on this desktop program and publish straight to your blog. It's easy to sync, lightweight, and simple to use.

WinRAR
-The ONLY program you should be using to open zipped (compressed) folders.

Google Chrome
-In my opinion, the best browser for the Windows system. Lightweight, faster than any other web browser, more secure than any other browser, and far more stable with separate processes for each tab. Meaning if one tab is crashing, only that tab will close, instead of all the other tabs, which no other browser has yet to do.

VistaGlazz
-Want to change your system's appearance quickly and easily? This is the program for you. It changes your DLL's to allow custom Themes and Styles.

Free mp4a to MP3 Converter
-Best program you can get to convert your MP4 audio files to MP3. iTunes automatically changes all audio files to MP4's, which is not good. My MP3 player cannot play MP4 files. If you're like me, then get this program. It is excellent.

uTorrent
-The most widely used torrent client in the world. It's lightweight and extremely easy to use.

Combined Community Codec Pack
-This is basically a pack to "teach" your computer how to read certain file types. It's something you should get if you're a graphics designer or some such.

RocketDock
-My favorite out of all of the free dock programs out there. I know many people like StarDock, but you have to pay for the plus version which has most of the more useful features. With RocketDock, you get all those features (most of them), for free. You get to apply custom skins and icons, plus you can do just about everything with it. It's very lightweight and just makes your life easier on the computer.