What's New - Recommendations have changed...Please Read!!!

For free security & antivirus/antispyware protection for XP, VISTA & WINDOWS 7, I recommend Microsoft's Security Essentials plus Threatfire along with Microsoft's built-in firewall fully activated. It is also advisable to install Advanced SystemCare Free which will clean & speedup your computer (also adds some basic security protection).  If you use Internet Explorer and/or Firefox, I highly recommend WOT otherwise use Opera for a secure web experience.

Top Recommended Downloads:

• Advanced SystemCare Free - a great product from IO Bit.  Want a faster computer? This will scan & fix many problems on your 2000/XP and Vista or Windows 7 based PC including removal and prevention of some malware software.
• AVG Anti-Virus - They have updated the freeware edition to version 9.x.  If you are using any older free edition, please download the improved version. It is still a decent free Antivirus program.
• Easycleaner 2.0 - a basic tool for cleaning your system of unwanted .tmp files and registry entries.
• Mozilla's Firefox - A free alternative web browser with lots of plugins. Also if you are using Outlook Express and don't need the features of MS Outlook, try Thunderbird - a free mail program with built-in anti-spam features.
• Microsoft Security Essentials - This is Microsoft's NEW free antivirus/antispyware protection.  It is not as sophisticated as some more well known paid security suites, but it is easy to install, doesn't slow down your computer, and is reasonably effective - plus it's free.
• OpenOffice.Org - The best non-Microsoft Office compatible product.  Now supports all MS Office documents including the new 2007 XML file format.  If you don't need Outlook, why buy Microsoft Office?  This one is free.
• Opera - a very secure web browser.  Not as many "plug-ins" as Firefox, but a bit more responsive. Version 10 is now out and seems to work well when Internet Explorer isn't.
• Threatfire - This program by PcTools adds some basic Intrusion Protection to your existing antivirus. I recommend using Threatfire as a add-on solution with Microsoft's Security Essentials.
• Windows Defender - a very basic Microsoft Anti-spyware product. Not the best by any measure, but a fundamental tool to have on a Windows XP system (it is included with Vista & Windows 7) - What is Spyware?
• WOT - Web of Trust is a free add-on for users of Internet Explorer and Firefox to protect you from dangerous websites that contain malicious software or try to steal your private information.
• Zipcentral - a free zip/unzip tool.  This is an older product, but is fully free and works fine for most .zip files.