[Year 12 SofDev] Best 50 Free Downloads

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Web's Best 50 Free Downloads

March 13, 2009 5:02 AM AEST by Tim Danton etc © 2009 Dennis Publishing 
www.pcauthority.com.au/Feature/110139,webs-best-50-free-downloads.aspx
(Note: clickable-links for all software mentioned at the above website)


Stack your system full of software without paying a penny, with our guide 
to essential downloads 

Here, we’ve compiled our top 50 downloads – from apps that are measured 
in kilobytes to the Google Pack’s 200MB – all of which are guaranteed 
performers. We’ve covered a wide range of applications, including 
everything from browser add-ons, security software, music packages right 
through to Photoshop alternatives. 

Before you start downloading, a little housekeeping: although we’ve taken 
great care to personally test each of the software downloads we 
recommend, we haven’t installed all 50 on the same machine. So while 
we’re happy to vouch for them individually, we can’t guarantee that any 
of these downloads will be compatible with each other or with other 
software on your PC. We’d also implore you to download the software from 
our recommended sites and scan it for malware before you install it.


1. Google Pack
Size: up to 240MB

Google’s ever-expanding compendium of free software is now so impressive 
that it outstrips the bundled applications that come with most PCs. The 
latest addition to the family is StarOffice, the slightly enhanced 
version of the open-source OpenOffice. With a high-quality word 
processor, spreadsheet, PowerPoint-like presentation software and 
database, it’s a genuine alternative to Microsoft’s premium-priced market 
leader.

Spyware Doctor sifts through your hard disk with commendable diligence, 
ripping out malware that even our paid-for security software failed to 
detect. Skype remains the best and most widely used VoIP application on 
the market, while Firefox is our browser of choice. 

All that’s before we’ve mentioned Google’s own-brand software: the 
elegantly designed Picasa excels at organising and making basic edits to 
your digital photo collection; Google Desktop keenly sniffs out files and 
documents that you’d long since given up hope of seeing again; while the 
Google Toolbar includes a useful pop-up blocker and other enhanced search 
features for both IE and Firefox.

There are a couple of makeweights in the Pack, but the smartly designed 
installer makes it easy to pick and choose the applications you want. 
Google Pack also provides regular reminders when there’s a new version of 
an application or fresh additions, meaning you don’t have to keep 
checking back. For a company that focuses on online apps, Google’s not 
half-bad at desktop software. 


2. Paint.NET 
Size: 1.6MB


Anyone who’s interested in digital imaging but doesn’t want to shell out 
for Photoshop (or even Photoshop Elements) could do a lot worse than 
download this sparkling gem.

Paint.NET started life as a Microsoft project to replace the woefully 
underpowered Paint application that’s bundled with Windows, and is now 
being lovingly maintained by former project members. It’s updated 
regularly with bug fixes and new features, although it already offers 
almost everything you’d expect to find in paid-for rivals – and then 
some. Paint.net will prove invaluable for photographers, with control 
over curves, hue and saturation, as well as both manual and auto-level 
adjustment. There’s full support for layers, plus a generous selection of 
artistic effects to add fizz to lifeless photos. Like Photoshop, extra 
features (such as the ability to import RAW files) can be introduced with 
a dazzling library of free plug-ins, and there’s also a huge selection of 
online tutorials to dive into. For us, it just holds the edge over The 
GIMP (www.gimp.org). 


3. CPU-Z 
Size: 510KB


It’s no coincidence that this tiny utility ends up installed on all the 
PCs and notebooks that come into the PC Authority Labs: it takes mere 
seconds to tell you everything you need to know about the core 
components. Constantly updated to support the latest CPUs, it gives you 
real-time clock-speed readouts, along with details of steppings, 
multipliers and cache; motherboard model and chipset; RAM speed, timings 
and even the memory slots you’ve filled. In short, it’s a Rough Guide to 
your own PC. 


4. Pidgin
Size: 10.8MB


Pidgin handles your every IM need, allowing you to communicate using one 
interface across a huge array of networks, from AIM, MSN and Yahoo, to 
the less common Zephyr, Bonjour and others. 

It’s a little rough around the edges, but its open-source roots mean it’s 
constantly improving. And while many would argue for the inclusion of the 
more polished Trillian (www.ceruleanstudios.com), Pidgin gives you access 
to all these networks for free.

5. Startup Control Panel
Size: 59KB

We’re not going to pretend this application does anything particularly 
glamorous, but for quickly gaining control of your system’s startup 
programs it’s invaluable. Categorised by the locations that startup 
programs can hide themselves away, each entry can be disabled, deleted or 
edited – the latter being particularly handy for changing command-line 
switches. Once you delete an entry, it stays in a holding area rather 
than disappearing completely, keeping everything tidy but giving you a 
backup if something stops working. 


6. IE7Pro
Size: 2.2MB

We know that many PC Authority readers wouldn’t touch Internet Explorer 
with a bargepole, but for those who do IE7Pro is a must-have. A 
customisable inline spellchecker and inline search are on par with 
Firefox, of course, but the mouse-gesture support, sophisticated ad-
blocking and powerful cut-and-paste features make for a more pleasurable 
experience. The fact that it runs discreetly is the icing on the cake, 
and new features (as well as a handy selection of user-written add-ins) 
appear in each of the regularly updated new versions.


7. Foxit Reader 
Size: 2.2MB

Few people look further than Adobe Reader for opening PDFs, but Foxit 
is a worthy alternative. The first thing that strikes you is its speed. 
After years 
of viewing PDFs at Adobe’s dawdling pace, the swift response of Foxit is 
a revelation. Pages packed with high-quality pictures and text open with 
minimal fuss and scroll without the irritating lurches so common to the 
industry standard bearer. The install is very quick, and the 2.2MB 
download snack-sized when compared with Adobe’s 20MB meal. Despite the 
small footprint, most familiar features are accounted for, although 
thumbnail views of pages are conspicuous by their absence.


8. Sun NetBeans 
Size: 195MB

Sun’s free Java IDE (integrated development environment) is a stunning 
programming tool. As stable as you could ever expect an IDE to be, it has 
every feature you’d find in commercial offerings. Download the profiling 
tool and you have a powerful method of developing the fastest Java apps 
possible. You can even use it for C and C++ development with the add-on 
pack – all free. Other open-source projects, notably Eclipse 
(www.eclipse.org) are an alternative, but nothing can touch NetBeans for 
its stability and ease of use.


9. WebGuide
Size: 4.5MB

For anyone who’s realised they forgot to record the latest episode of 
CSI, WebGuide is ideal: this nifty program lets you remotely access a 
Windows Media Center system to schedule recordings, and manage recorded 
TV programmes from any internet-connected computer. Now completely free 
WebGuide offers features such as streaming video, TV, music and photos, 
and is ideal if you forget to schedule a recording. And there are 
versions for both XP Media Center Edition, Windows Home Server and Vista, 
too.


10. Microsoft SyncToy
Size: 1MB 

SyncToy is one of Microsoft’s PowerToys, and is an excellent tool for 
backing up files over a network. The program allows you to create folder 
pairs – each folder can be anywhere on your network – and then keeps the 
contents of the two folders synchronised. It even keeps track of when you 
rename files, so changes are reflected in the other folder. This also 
applies when you move or delete files. 


11. Webaroo 
Size: 9.1MB

Webaroo lets you search and browse the web when you’re on the go without 
an internet connection. It does this using pre-made web packs, which you 
can download from the website. Alternatively, you can download pages from 
any website you like. Once you download the content onto your laptop or 
mobile device, you can browse it like normal, and when you connect to the 
internet again your device will be updated with fresh versions of the 
pages.


12. DupKiller 0.8.2 
Size: 3.9MB

You’d be surprised at how much disk space you can free up by running this 
program, which detects duplicate files on your hard disk. It will also 
search network drives, removable storage and CDs or DVDs. You can choose 
to exclude certain folders or file types from your search, and opt to 
delete the files to the Recycle Bin or directly from your hard disk. 
Binary comparisons mean the files don’t even have to have the same 
filename. Very clever.


13. FileZilla 
Size: 3 MB

Windows already supports FTP transfer, but as anyone who’s used it will 
testify it’s pretty basic. FileZilla allows you to store frequently used 
FTP sites along with their accompanying usernames and passwords. You can 
also send server commands, making FileZilla a godsend for those who run 
websites hosted elsewhere. Secure FTP (SFTP) is supported as well – a 
feature lacking even from some paid-for FTP software.


14. ImgBurn 
Size: 1.9MB

Spend a lot of time with Linux? If so, you’ll be familiar with the hassle 
of finding software that can handle ISO files. ImgBurn weighs in at a 
shade over 1.5MB, yet is incredibly handy. You can burn ISOs to CDs and 
DVDs, and there’s a utility for erasing RW discs. Alternatively, you can 
capture an ISO image from an existing disc, which is useful for long-term 
archiving. 


15. SpeedFan
Size: 1.6MB

It’s only natural to be curious about the health of the components in 
your PC, but to be absolutely certain you need this brilliant little 
utility. SpeedFan collects the information from the temperature-sensing 
components in your PC, allowing you to determine whether your noise-
killing fan adjustments are making your CPU run too hot, for instance. 
You can also control fan speed and see the SMART status of your hard 
disk, giving you access to your disk’s early warning system.


16. Orb
Size: 14.7 MB

You can view your TV and photo collection and access other media files 
wherever you are, courtesy of Orb (www.orb.com) 


There are plenty of other applications designed to let you access your PC 
remotely, but there are none with the media-handling capabilities of Orb. 
Once installed, you can access your PC, of course, but besides being able 
to browse your hard disk and open your documents you can also get at 
music and film files. Click on one of them and Orb will transcode the 
file on-the-fly, adjusting quality settings for the speed of the networks 
you’re connected over.


17. Sun VirtualBox 
Size: 17.4MB


Sun (formerly Innotek) VirtualBox is a complete virtualisation system 
that can run any x86-compatible operating system within Windows or Linux. 
The virtualised OS runs at almost native speed and can use the host’s 
network connection and even much of its hardware (drivers permitting). It 
isn’t the only virtualisation package in the world, but it’s our 
favourite thanks to its ease of use and its custom extensions that 
improve performance and usability in common operating systems. 


18. Thunderbird 
SIZE: 6.4MB


Thunderbird is a POP3 mail client that does everything Outlook Express 
can, and more. Multicoloured tagging and almost instant searching make it 
easy to get around your inbox. The Firefox-like find-as-you-type feature 
is also handy for swiftly tracking down buried messages. Best of all, 
hundreds of plug-ins let you extend the software to your taste, adding 
optional features such as integrated encryption, a localised spellchecker 
or navigation by mouse gesture.


19. Avira AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic
SIZE: 16.3MB


AntiVir beat many paid-for security apps in our Labs test. 

Everybody needs virus protection, and our antivirus group test (web ID: 
108813) found AntiVir to be one of the most effective – and it’s 
completely free. True, it isn’t the most fully featured antivirus package 
around, and you have to live with the occasional nag window urging you to 
upgrade to the paid-for version. But for sheer effectiveness, AntiVir is 
almost unbeatable, with only the commercial Kaspersky Anti-Virus package 
doing better in our Labs test.


20.JDiskReport 
SIZE: 0.6MB

Hard disks are like sock drawers: they always seem to be inexplicably 
full. JDiskReport shows you where all your precious space has gone, 
visually breaking down your usage by folder – so you can see which 
directories are the fullest – or by type, enabling you to see at a glance 
whether your MP3s or your family photos take up more space. There’s even 
a simple ‘top 50’ file list, to lead you straight to the worst culprits.

21. UltraVNC
SIZE: 820KB

UltraVNC is a powerful remote access system that lets you connect to any 
computer and use it as if you were seated in front of it. It isn’t the 
only free remote-access package, but it’s the most versatile, with built-
in file transfer and a whole host of features for making remote computing 
practical and relatively painless.


22. SiSoftware Sandra
SIZE: 14.3MB

While techies love the raw figures provided by CPU-Z (see no. 3), Sandra 
gives a wider-ranging overview of your system, laying bare every detail 
of your BIOS and hardware in a series of easy-to-read reports. It can 
also benchmark components and compare scores against a huge database of 
hardware, so you can check how your system measures up. A paid-for 
version adds extra modules, but the free edition is fully functional and 
not restricted in any way.


23. HijackThis
SIZE: 390KB

HijackThis is a simple but extremely useful tool in the right hands: it 
lists every non-standard startup setting on your system, whether in the 
Registry or another configuration file, exposing unwanted startup items, 
browser helpers and even malware. A single click returns settings to 
their default value, preventing the unwanted software from launching with 
Windows. Use with care, though, as untutored meddling in the Registry can 
have dire consequences.


24. Azureus
SIZE: 7.6MB

BitTorrent has a reputation as the technology of choice among pirates, 
but it also has plenty of legal applications, such as distributing Linux 
ISOs. In our view, the king of BitTorrent clients is Azureus, a 
standalone Java application that offers a great range of features, 
including watched folders, IP filtering, SSL encryption, extensive 
torrent statistics and a plug-in architecture to add even more features 
should you have more esoteric needs.


25. FFDShow
SIZE: 320KB

FFDShow is a DirectShow decoding filter for decompressing DivX, XviD, 
H.264, FLV1, WMV, MPEG1, MPEG2 and MPEG4 movies. If you don’t know what 
that means, don’t worry – just install it and revel in the fact that 
Windows Media Center can now play movies in the popular DivX and XviD 
formats. More technical users will also appreciate the huge range of 
options the filter exposes, from closed captioning to custom audio mixing 
and adaptive video quantisation.


26. Stardock ObjectDock
SIZE: 12.1MB

The Start Menu is all very neat and logical, but let’s be honest: if you 
only use a few major applications the Mac OS X dock is a prettier and 
more accessible interface. And now you don’t need to buy a Mac to get it: 
ObjectDock is a beautiful, fast, free implementation of the OS X dock for 
Windows that’s even more versatile than the real thing, with customisable 
graphics and live mini-thumbnails in Vista.


27. IsoBuster
SIZE: 2.6MB

IsoBuster is a handy tool for extracting files from a CD, DVD or Blu-ray 
disc image without needing to burn it to a disc. It supports a huge range 
of formats, including ISO, BIN/CUE pairs, Nero images and even Apple DMG 
files. In addition, you can use it to explore the structure of physical 
discs and attempt data recovery from damaged media. The free version has 
limited UDF support, but is otherwise fully usable.


28. Audiograbber
SIZE: 1.6MB

Audiograbber’s interface may seem a little unpolished compared to the 
audio ripper built into Windows Media Player, but it’s a far more 
powerful package, letting you configure every aspect of the ripping and 
encoding process. It can normalise the volume of ripped tracks before 
encoding them, take tracks from a folder instead of a disc, and use a 
free online CD database to identify inserted CDs and automatically tag 
MP3s accordingly.


29. Rockbox Utility
SIZE: 2.8MB

Ever wished your portable MP3 player knew a few more tricks? Rockbox is a 
complete firmware replacement for a range of MP3 players, including 
Archos, iriver and Apple products. 

It supports all the playback features you’d hope for, and lets you manage 
files and playlists on the move. Extra treats include bookmarks, gapless 
playback, real-time MP3 encoding (for devices with microphones), OGG and 
FLAC support, and a five-band EQ. 


30. ScummVM 
SIZE: 2.4MB

If you’ve ever felt the urge to revisit a classic adventure, you need 
ScummVM, a Windows-based virtual machine that can run a wide range of old 
LucasArts games based on the Scumm scripting language, including Maniac 
Mansion, Day of the Tentacle and the Secret of Monkey Island. You still 
need the data files from the original game, but ScummVM handles 
everything else, leaving you free to concentrate on vanquishing the evil 
pirate, LeChuck.


31. Google SketchUp 
SIZE: 33.3MB

After SketchUp’s original developers added the ability to produce 3D 
buildings for Google Earth, Google bought the company, improved it 
further and then – amazingly – made it free. While there’s still a paid-
for version, the free edition would be superb even if it cost hundreds. 
It’s all you need to model and render complex objects, as well as simpler 
items such as text. 

It’s blissfully easy to use (and comes with excellent tips to get 
started), and you can even model and texture your own house with 
photography and put it onto Google Earth. An essential app for the 
budding architect or designer in all of us. 


32. Feedreader
SIZE: 4.5MB

With the burgeoning popularity of RSS feeds, a host of readers have 
popped up to satisfy our inner news junkie, and Feedreader is among the 
best. This latest version supports all major syndication formats and is 
packed with preloaded feeds for those still searching for their own 
favourites. The user interface is sparse, which may not be to everyone’s 
taste, but it’s highly configurable, quick and simple to use, which makes 
handling multiple feeds a doddle. All in all, Feedreader is good news. 


33. AbiWord
SIZE: 5.2MB

AbiWord is billed as ‘word processing for everyone’, and with versions 
for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux it pretty much has the whole computing 
gamut covered. As you might expect from a word processor that arrives in 
a mere 5MB download, there’s no great sophistication here: its basic 
feature set is roughly comparable to Google Docs & Spreadsheets, but 
without any of the online service’s grating delays or awkward interface.

The streamlined feature set and large icons make it a great choice for 
the kids’ computer, and it writes to virtually all the major document 
formats (including DOC, RTF and ODT), so compatibility won’t be an issue. 
A DOCX converter is on the way.


34. SyncBack
SIZE: 1.8MB 

This deceptively powerful little app is a fuss-free backup manager. 
Simply point the software at the files you wish to back up, set the 
destination drive and SyncBack does the rest. Handily, the software runs 
a simulation of the backup first, so you don’t spend half-an-hour backing 
up your C drive only for it to choke on a troublesome file near the end. 

The scheduler can be set to wake your PC for out-of-hours backups, and 
there’s a bevy of advanced options to perform backups to an FTP server, 
compress documents into a Zip folder or close certain apps before 
running. 


35. Free Download Manager 
SIZE: 5.8MB

So much more than just a download accelerator, FDM handles everything 
from the basics like resuming broken downloads and finding mirrors, right 
through to creating multiple connections and setting up scheduled 
downloads. It can download everything from a website in one go, or just 
selected file types and extensions, and there’s even a social side, as 
you can request other users’ opinions of a file before you download it. 
Better still, it’s open source.


36. dBpoweramp 
SIZE: 4.1MB

Quite rightly nicknamed “the Swiss Army knife of audio”, dBpoweramp has 
long been a staple of PC Authority’s Real World Benchmarks. With a no-
fuss interface, it supports just about any format known to man via plug-
ins. Licensing restrictions mean the LAME MP3 encoder and AMG’s music 
guide expire after 30 days, but they’re no huge loss and there’s no 
nagging. 

There are two paid-for upgrades, but the free version will still interest 
audiophiles with its wide support for obscure and lossless formats, along 
with tidy integration into the Windows Shell. 


37. Audacity
SIZE: 2.2MB

If evidence were needed that open-source software is capable of 
greatness, this is it. This tiny download is a surprisingly comprehensive 
multitrack audio recorder and editor; capable of recording a full band, 
yet perfect for podcasts or simpler setups. 

The number of simultaneous tracks you can make is naturally limited by 
your hardware inputs but, crucially, there’s support for real-time input 
monitoring and playback while recording, so you can make any overdubs you 
need. MIDI support is limited, and editing slightly idiosyncratic, but 
it’s astonishing how much this program is capable of. 


38. ZoneAlarm
SIZE: 200KB

The free ZoneAlarm firewall has been a favourite in the PC Authority 
office for many years, delivering dependable security without the 
constant nagging of other security software. ZoneAlarm will alert you 
when apps attempt to access the internet for the first time – handy for 
knee-capping those apps that snidely report back to base without any 
prior warning. 

There’s also a one-click Internet Lock that immediately shuts off all net 
traffic if you suspect something’s gone horribly wrong on your system. 
It’s undoubtedly inferior to ZoneAlarm’s paid-for protection, but sturdy 
enough for those who don’t need granular control over their security 
software.


39. HandBrake 
SIZE: 3.5MB

HandBrake is an open-source DVD-to-MPEG4 converter for Windows, Mac OS X 
and Linux. It allows you to watch your movies on a portable video player, 
or store them on a hard disk for on-demand playback using Windows Media 
Center or a network video-streaming device. 

HandBrake can work directly from a DVD or a VIDEO_TS folder, and can 
output to MP4, AVI or OGM formats, using either MPEG4 or H.264. For 
audio, you can select AAC, MP3, Vorbis or AC-3 passthrough.

40. VLC media player 
SIZE: 9.3MB

If you have a strange media file that no other video player will touch, 
throw it at VLC and the chances are it will play. The interface is 
nothing to write home about, but it will deal with anything, even ISO 
images containing video CD or DVD content. In fact, the only thing it 
won’t touch is RealPlayer files. Its name stands for Video LAN Client, 
stemming from the fact that it can act as both client and server for 
media-streaming apps using a range of streaming protocols. 


41. VirtualDub
SIZE: 1.3MB

VirtualDub is a legend among open-source apps. Written according to old-
school principles, it aims to be the fastest tool for capturing, 
processing and re-encoding video files from one format to another. 
Performance-critical sections are hand-coded in assembly language – a 
practice almost unheard of in these modern times, but it certainly pays 
off, with VirtualDub regarded as one of the fastest encoding applications 
there is. It isn’t especially easy to use, but technically it’s near-
flawless.


42. Gainward ExperTool
SIZE: 630KB

Is the whine of your Nvidia graphics card’s fan driving you up the wall? 
Nvidia’s latest driver control panel lets you control fan speed, but only 
in 3D mode, which doesn’t help when it decides to spin up while you’re 
editing a Word document. Intended only for Gainward cards, ExperTool 
nonetheless works with a great many other Nvidia-based cards, and allows 
you to control the fan in both 2D and 3D modes for blissful silence – 
without forking out S100 for a quiet heatsink. A little gem.


43. Process Explorer
SIZE: 1.6MB

Process Explorer is a powerful replacement for the Windows Task Manager. 
It gives you full diagnostic and descriptive information for all the 
processes running on your system, including details of which DLLs and 
memory-mapped files have been loaded by each process. Colour highlighting 
lets you see at a glance what state processes are in, and naturally 
anything unwanted can be killed with a mouse click. It’s the system-
monitoring tool that should have been bundled with Windows.


44. TVersity Media Server 
SIZE: 14.1MB

TVersity is a completely free media server that offers many benefits over 
using Windows Media Connect or other servers. The program (still in beta) 
lets you manage all your media and create a tailored entertainment guide –
 a personalised line-up of channels. It can serve this media to almost 
any networked device in your home – or an internet-connected device such 
as a PSP – transcoding video and audio on-the-fly so that, for example, 
you can watch DivX videos on your Xbox 360, even though the console 
doesn’t support DivX.

45. TweakUI
SIZE: 146KB

TweakUI gives you easy access to all of Windows XP’s hidden user 
interface settings that the normal Control Panel won’t let you play with. 
Want menus to pop up more quickly? Don’t like the little arrow that 
appears on shortcut icons? TweakUI lets you change these defaults and 
many, many more. It isn’t just cosmetic, either: useful functions include 
automatically logging on a particular user at startup and disabling 
autoplay on selected drives.


46. Password Safe
SIZE: 1.9MB

There are lots of utilities around that act as a secure repository for 
all your passwords, but few can claim a world-leading cryptologist as 
their author. Password Safe uses internationally renowned cipher man 
Bruce Schneier’s Twofish algorithm, rendering your online credentials as 
safe as you could expect them to be. 

The idea is you let it remember all your passwords – bank, webmail and so 
on – then choose and remember just one super-secure password to protect 
them all. The project is now open source, but Schneier was the original 
author – visit his page at www.schneier.com/passsafe.html


47. LogMeIn Free
SIZE: 8.9MB

If you thought Windows’ Remote Assistance was an impressive remote-
support tool, prepare to be amazed. LogMeIn Free is Dom Perignon, Remote 
Assistance is Strongbow. Once you’ve downloaded the utility onto your PC 
(or the person you’re supporting has), you can access it from any 
location via the LogMeIn website – and, perhaps best of all, as the 
service is web-based it works through any firewall or router, which is 
the key advantage it holds over UltraVNC (see no.21). 

So if you want to access your own computer, you can do so: send and 
receive email, browse directories, run programs and so on. Likewise, 
fixing someone’s PC becomes as simple as walking them through the 
installation of LogMeIn Free. Unlike UltraVNC, however, file transfers 
aren’t possible.


48. VMware Server 
SIZE: 147MB

VMware has established itself as the world’s leading virtualisation 
software company. Previously a commercial product, VMware Server is now 
free, although you still need to register and get a product key. Don’t 
let the name fool you – you can install graphical non-server OSes and use 
any standard PC hardware. What’s more, you can download a huge range of 
ready-to-run ‘virtual appliances’, complete virtual hard disks with 
operating system and applications already installed. 

We’ve found VirtualBox (see no.17) an easier system to set up, with 
simpler networking, but if you have trouble installing a particular 
operating system or application, or just want to use the industry-
standard virtualisation application, give VMware Server a whirl instead. 


49. Taskbar Shuffle
SIZE: 640KB 

No prizes for guessing this tool’s party trick, but you might be 
surprised at how useful it can be, particularly for those with a dozen 
applications open at once. With support for XP and Vista, Taskbar Shuffle 
adds the much-needed ability to rearrange not only your taskbar buttons, 
but System Tray icons, too, as well as swiftly changing their auto-group 
settings. Best of all, you can set it to be transparent, so all you get 
is the extra features with none of the shouting.


50. Cypherix Cryptainer LE
SIZE: 3.1MB

Encyrption isn’t just for ASIO agents: anyone who handles sensitive 
information should consider it. And you can’t hide behind too-difficult-
to-use excuses: not only is Cryptainer LE free, it’s also simple to 
install and use. It creates a secure volume (under Vista, this appears as 
a “device with removable storage” in Computer), which you then drag and 
drop your data into. 

The main restriction of this product is the vault’s maximum 25MB size, 
but there’s no compromise when it comes to security, as Cryptainer offers 
you the choice of either the highly respected Blowfish448 algorithm or 
AES256.

--

Cheers,
Stephen



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