October 31, 2008 11:21 AM PDT

Best Windows software for a hard-hit economy

by Jessica Dolcourt
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In tough economic times like these, good freeware becomes worth its weight in gold. Professionals who squeeze every feature out of their top-shelf software will likely appreciate the investment, but those of us with more modest goals can still do just about anything for free.

Assuming you can put up with a homlier appearance and a few minor character flaws, we've got some tools to help you save your hard-earned dough. This list is by no means exhaustive, so feel free to chime in with your own favorite cash-saving apps.

Jessica Dolcourt reviews the latest and greatest smartphone apps, in addition to a healthy dose of Windows software. E-mail Jessica and follow her on Twitter.
Topics:

Digital photography,

Security and spyware,

Utilities and drivers,

Audio/MP3,

Design,

Office Software,

Windows Software,

Developer Software,

File Sharing

Tags:

Freeware

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by Forked_Tongue November 1, 2008 1:29 AM PDT
Instead of the antivirus programs on that list I would recommend the free "Avast Home" instead, because it has one thing those other two don't have, a virus remover. Best part is that it can be downloaded from here at cnet http://www.download.com/Avast-Home-Edition/3000-2239_4-10019223.html?tag=contentBody;mostPopTwoColWrap&cdlPid=10888427. A little resource hungry but since includes a rootkit detection/protection, continous scan (after the initial scan, and you can do manual archive level scans), and no ads it's perfect for most people.
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by darkmax1974 November 1, 2008 2:56 AM PDT
well actually... a better and more able internet security is just out of beta. Everyone should try Comodo Internet Security. Works great with a good fan base support
by Shadowbat November 3, 2008 9:54 PM PST
Actually both AntiVir and AVG remove viruses and spyware. I still prefer Avast even though you can't schedule scans with the free version.
by kirvic November 1, 2008 4:03 AM PDT
???? ????????? ? ????????? ????? ??????? ? ????????
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by John52745 November 1, 2008 6:53 AM PDT
"Tone This" looks good but...... I installed the program and entered my e-mail address and cell phone number (my bad). The program will not run. All you get is a series of error messages that lead to the program shutting down. I'm not shure how well CNET screens software before recommending it.
BEWARE
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by J-Do November 7, 2008 12:47 PM PST
John, that doesn't sound right. Did you check to make sure that your phone is supported? That's on ToneThis' website. Or--it could be that the file didn't download properly. Have you tried stripping it out and trying the installation again? I tested a few versions of the program over a long period of time on a plain old XP. It works.
by crell88 November 1, 2008 8:50 AM PDT
For those needing a project management tool as part of their office suite, I also high recommend adding OPENPROJ.org to complement the OpenOffice.org suite. It has the same feel and ************ as MS Project and it is still free! I've used it now on five different programs and found it to be seamless in its application.
It can be downloaded from here at cnet at:
http://www.download.com/OpenProj/3000-2076_4-10726371.html?tag=mncol&cdlPid=10726370
or directly from Projity (now Serena) at:
http://www.openproj.org/
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by bigsis2244 November 1, 2008 2:47 PM PDT
Reading this has helped me decide to download open office. I have a word processing program I already downloaded, but the fact this one works with windows helped me decide to replace it.
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by Hanto November 3, 2008 6:34 PM PST
Totally agree with Forked_Tongue with AVAST FREE being the BEST free antivirus product going at this time. I just saved my system from the especially virulent Win32.VIRTOB infection last night during an overnight scan. No Spamming, No ads, archive scan, and configurable automatic deletion/quarantine. Just plain old fashioned hard work. Can't ask for any more then that from anything.
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by MarianPenny November 4, 2008 4:50 AM PST
I have Avast and it tells me I have a virus (under "Warning") - but I don't know how to deal with it???? and I can't find anywhere where it tells me .....
(Sorry, I know I am a thick novice and this is probably a very daft question!)
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by Seeker1948 November 13, 2008 3:28 PM PST
Not at all daft, nor even thick. Forked tongue (above) stated that AVAST Home version has it's own virus removal tool. That would be the ticket for you. Now, I'm sure there is a charge for that one, but it is well worth it; especially for a newbie. (Supposing that your web prowling habits are similar to other newbies) You can rarely have too much security and you need it to come highly recommended and have multiple capabilities. You need: AntiSpy, AntiVirus, AntiMalware, Registry Cleaner (be very careful here), and I have a Defragmenting program that is much better and a lot faster than the one that comes with the computer. I spend 1 day/wk and do nothing but maintenance on my computer. being a newbie at computers is a lot like being a new Mommie: you don't really know what you're doing, but you know it is important to do the right thing, because what you do now will be the outcome later. Maybe try to find a mentor. I was lucky - I had my very own Geek! Regards, Seeker
by alanjmcke December 20, 2008 8:55 PM PST
good luck trying to cleaning out all the files of comodo if you decide not to use this program later.
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by alanjmcke December 20, 2008 8:57 PM PST
avast catches all the viruses very well \
avg on the other hand allows a few viruses to get through into your system
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