Ad-Aware Free

OS: Windows 2K/XP/2003/Vista

License: Freeware

Size: 18.27MB

Download From CNet

Adobe Reader 9

Latest version for Windows XP, English
Size: 22.3MB

Download can also Include
Google Toolbar if you don’t Uncheck it.
Size: 1.1MB

WinZip

WinZip, the original and most popular compression utility for Windows, is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that quickly zips and unzips your files to conserve disk space and greatly reduce e-mail transmission time.

WinRAR

WinRAR is a powerful compression tool with many integrated additional functions to help you organise your compressed archives.

Clean Your Hard Drive of Wasted Space and help your computer run Faster

CCleaner
License: Free
Size: 2.5MB

CCleaner is a system optimisation and privacy tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It's fast (normally taking less that a second to run). It cleans: Internet Explorer (Temporary files, URL history, cookies, Autocomplete form history, index.dat); Firefox (Temporary files, URL history, cookies, download history); Windows (Recycle Bin, Recent Documents, Temporary files and Log files); Registry cleaner (Advanced features to remove unused and old entries, including File Extensions, ActiveX Controls, ClassIDs, ProgIDs, Uninstallers, Shared DLLs, Fonts, Help Files, Application Paths, Icons, Invalid Shortcuts. So comes with a comprehensive backup feature.) Third-party applications (Removes temp files and recent file lists (MRUs) from many apps including Opera, Media Player, eMule, Kazaa, Google Toolbar, Netscape, MS Office, Nero, Adobe Acrobat, WinRAR, WinAce, WinZip).

After Cleaning your Hard Drive, Defrag Your Files with AusLogics Disk Defrag
Disk fragmentation leads to system slowdowns, PC crashes, slow Startup and Shutdown and sometimes to system failures.

License: Free
Size: 1.5MB
Date Added: June 5, 2007

Windows comes with a built-in disk defragmenter, but I find it to be rather slow and unfriendly. I'm a fan of Auslogics Disk Defrag, an excellent freeware program that offers one-click defragmenting and shows you information about the defragmentation process as it's happening with a helpful visual display. Also, while both programs can't fully defragment your hard drive unless you have 15 percent of drive capacity available, Auslogics can still provide a partial defragmentation if you have less.

If you haven't defragmented your hard drive in a while, you should see a noticeable improvement in your system performance. For some people, the difference will be negligible, but for digital pack rats like me, a regular defrag is essential

• Defend and enhance the performance of your computer
  Norton AntiVirus™
  Norton Utilities™
  Norton GoBack™
  One Button Checkup
  System Optimiser
• Detects and removes viruses and spyware
• Blocks spyware and worms automatically
• Prevents virus-infected emails from spreading
• Finds and removes hidden threats Automatically detects and fixes Windows problems
• Defragments and optimises your hard drive for better performance
• Cleans up unwanted cookies, cache, and temporary files that slow your computer's performance
• Gives you control over the Windows settings and processes running on your system Returns your computer to a pre-crash state after system failures and other major problems
• Recovers individual folders, files, and previous document versions, even if you forget to save them
• Monitors new software installations and reverses the installation if you decide you don't want the software
• Live Update™ Notice alerts you to new features, product updates and threat advisories as available throughout the renewable service period

Warning:

The Following tools are for Serious Users Only and can Degrade your System or even render your Computer inoperable if you do not know what you are doing.

AutoRuns for Windows v8.61

This utility, which has the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows processes them. These programs include ones in your startup folder, Run, RunOnce, and other Registry keys. You can configure Autoruns to show other locations, including Explorer shell extensions, toolbars, browser helper objects, Winlogon notifications, auto-start services, and much more. Autoruns goes way beyond the MSConfig utility bundled with Windows Me and XP.

Startup Control Panel

Startup Control Panel is a nifty control panel applet that allows you to easily configure which programs run when your computer starts. It's simple to use and, like all my programs, it's very small and won't burden your system. A valuable tool for system administrators!

Download ControlCPL Here

Startup Control Panel is compatible with all modern versions of Windows through Windows XP.
Windows Vista, after all these years, finally has a very good startup manager built-in; go to Control Panel > Performance Information and Tools, and then click on Manage Startup Programs on the left.