Version: 2008
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Utilities & Operating Systems

From driver downloads to registry cleaners, CNET Download.com features all the latest utilities and drivers. Whether you're looking for FTP clients, compression utilities, or software to back up your hard drive, CNET Download.com has you covered. See all 9,579 in this category.

for the week of: November 08Downloads
  1. 1.
    WinRAR (32-bit)

    File Compression390,217

  2. 2.
    Advanced SystemCare Free

    Diagnostic Software248,381

  3. 3.
    Glary Utilities

    System Utilities215,505

  4. 4.
    WinZip

    File Compression128,353

  5. Get the blackberry apps you need.
  6. 5.
    Smart Defrag

    System Utilities91,042

  7. 6.
    Advanced Registry Optimizer

    Diagnostic Software73,129

  8. 7.
    CCleaner

    Diagnostic Software65,696

  9. Continuous Data Protection.
  10. 8.
    Auslogics Disk Defrag

    System Utilities44,461

  11. 9.
    WinRAR (64-bit)

    File Compression36,663

  12. 10.
    Easeus Partition Master Home Edition

    File Management35,688

See all most popular software

  1. Monitor PC activity by logging websites, keystrokes and chats.
Release date
  1. File Properties Changer Nov 11

    File Management

  2. CDRoller Nov 11

    File Management

  3. Extension Copy Nov 11

    File Compression

  4. Data Destroyer Disk Wipe Nov 11

    File Management

  5. XP Tweaks Unlocked Nov 11

    Maintenance & Optimization

  6. Wise Registry Cleaner Pro Nov 11

    Diagnostic Software

  7. Memory Booster Gold Nov 10

    Other

  8. PerformanceTest Nov 10

    Diagnostic Software

  9. BurnInTest Standard Nov 10

    Diagnostic Software

  10. BurnInTest Professional Nov 10

    Diagnostic Software

See all new releases

  1. 1.
    WinZip

    Make it easy to zip and unzip files for quick, efficient, and secure data transmission and storage.

  2. 2.
    WinRAR (32-bit)

    Take full control over RAR and ZIP archives, along with an ability to unpack a dozen other archive formats.

  3. 3.
    FreeRAM XP Pro

    Increase your system performance by cleaning the content of your RAM.

  4. 4.
    Smart Defrag

    Defrag your hard drive in the background automatically.

  5. 5.
    Auslogics Disk Defrag

    Defragment your disks and improve computer performance and stability.

  6. 6.
    Ashampoo WinOptimizer

    Speed up searches on your hard drive and optimize overall system performance.

  7. 7.
    Diskeeper

    Defragment PCs and servers in real time, with zero overhead, to maximize system performance.

  8. 8.
    TuneUp Utilities 2010

    Increase performance, free up disk space, and solve PC problems.

  9. 9.
    Revo Uninstaller

    Uninstall unwanted and even broken applications accurately.

  10. 10.
    7-Zip

    Archive files in different formats and manage them.

See all editor's picks

from the download blog

Must-have Windows tools

Posted by Jessica Dolcourt on Nov 05, 2009
We round up seven system utilities to help keep your computer in top form. Did we mention they're all free?

an introduction to Utilities & Operating Systems

Have you ever added a TV tuner card to your computer, only to have the DVD drive stop working? Maybe you've tried to install software and gotten an error message such as "The file foofah.dll is missing or damaged." The only time most people will need to deal with a driver is when something goes awry. Essentially, a driver is a piece of software that communicates the special needs of a hardware device or software application to an operating system. Windows comes with most of the drivers you need, but sometimes plugging in a new device--such as a digital camera or printer--will trigger a search for drivers. If the maker of your device doesn't offer drivers on its Web site, try searching our library for the name of the device or corrupted DLL.

This category is also the home of popular programs such as the top-rated SmartFTP Client, which made our list of the best free utilities. Installing and uninstalling software, deleting files, and other daily tasks can take a toll on your computer's performance. To test how well your PC is running, try a benchmarking program such as SANDRA Lite. Cleaning out the dead wood with a system optimizer such as Ace Utilities or System Mechanic will straighten out some Registry problems, improve system speed, and free up disk space. Don't forget to back up your data regularly with something like Second Copy so you can replace any files you regret erasing, such as the driver for your nVidia ForceWare Graphics card.

File-compression tools include the classic WinZip and the newcomer WinRAR, which are both excellent shareware products that provide lots of free functionality. Among the wide variety of software within Tools & Utilities, you'll find bookmark managers such as Bookmark Buddy, download managers such as Download Accelerator Plus, file-sharing tools such as LimeWire or Morpheus, and search tools such as Google Desktop.