www.abithelp.com

Greybear wrote:Blue, check your PM's. The last Quote was already part of the original rewrite

Greybear wrote:If you add an app, please follow the example of all the others.....
Use the [ url= Direct link to the download file ] [ u ] [ center ] [ size= 150 ] Name of Item [ / size ] [ / u ] [ / center ] [ / url ]
Remove the spaces. Quote the article and give props to them.

Click here for visual Example
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As always, if you like the products, remember to help support them. Some take donations, some a fee, but all these have been tested and approved by me (at least those with my name attached)

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Avast! Home Edition

Anti-Virus protection

CNET wrote:This impressive software provides the same steadfast protection of well-known antivirus programs, yet it's surprisingly free.

Avast Home Edition guards your PC and the network with multiple shields that scan executables and files. You can select parameters for scanning, and even choose wildcards to exclude specific file types. You can adjust the sensitivity level for the program's detectors when it comes to scanning downloaded files, instant messages, e-mails, and a host of P2Ps. Its efficient interface opens up window after window to tweak its settings to your liking, for novice to advanced level protection.

Though it took quite some time to run, we're impressed with this application's boot-time antivirus scan. Fortunately, if you're in a pinch you can bypass it. If malicious contents are detected, Avast comes to the rescue with handy virus cleanup tools. Some decent PC controls are even handed out here. You can block certain URLs and file operations, such as writing to files or even renaming, deleting or formatting them.

With immediate real-time protection, clockwork updates, and much more, this free software is highly regarded in our book.

* - You must register the product to get a 1 year free key, otherwise it is a 60day trial at full function.
-- I recomend this product over all other free AVs simply because of its BOOTTIME scan option and their constant updates to both the Definitions and the product.

C|net wrote:CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: CNET Staff

Spybot - Search & Destroy has been in the antispyware game for a long time offering features we've come to expect in the best apps in the category, but bugs and false positives make it difficult to recommend.

The program checks your system against a comprehensive database of adware and other system invaders. It also features several interface improvements, including multiple skins for dressing up its appearance. Scan results now appear arranged by groups in a tree, and a sliding panel lets you instantly view information about a selected item to help you decide whether to kill it or not. The Immunize feature blocks a plethora of uninvited Web-borne flotsam before it reaches your computer. Other useful tools, including Secure Shredder, complement the program's basic functionality for completely destroying files. Hosts File blocks adware servers from your computer, and System Startup lets you review which apps load when you start your computer.

Unfortunately, the program has the tendency to lock up at times and even during the install process for this review, we encountered several errors. The ambitious feature list and functionality make Spybot a good choice for those in search of a second antispyware program, and recent updates have made it run faster. It still makes errors in flagging spyware that isn't, and overall there are others in the category that do a better job.

HandBrake is an open-source, GPL-licensed, multiplatform, multithreaded video transcoder, available for MacOS X, Linux and Windows.

Screenshots

Supported sources:

* Any DVD-like source: VIDEO_TS folder, DVD image or real DVD (unencrypted--protection methods including CSS are not supported internally and must be handled externally with third-party software and libraries), and some .VOB and .TS files
* Most any multimedia file it can get libavformat to read and libavcodec to decode.

Outputs:

* File format: MP4, MKV, AVI or OGM
* Video: MPEG-4, H.264, or Theora (1 or 2 passes or constant quantizer/rate encoding)
* Audio: AAC, MP3, Vorbis or AC-3 pass-through (supports encoding of several audio tracks)

Misc features:

* Chapter selection
* Basic subtitle support (burned into the picture)
* Integrated bitrate calculator
* Picture deinterlacing, cropping and scaling
* Grayscale encoding

LIGHTNING UK wrote:ImgBurn is a lightweight CD/DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-ray burning application that has several modes, each for performing a different task: Read - read a disc to an image file; Build - creates an image file from files on your computer or network (you also can write the files directly to a disc); Write - write an image file to a disc; Verify - ensure that a disc is 100% readable (you can also have ImgBurn compare it against a given image file to ensure the actual data is correct); and Discovery - used in combination with DVDInfoPro, you can check the quality of the burns your drive is producing.

Version 2.4.1 adds a long list of new features, changes, and fixes, including support for burning APE/FLAC/WV files with an embedded CUE sheet, more accurate audio-duration calculations, and a "New Project" option in the File menu.


What's new in this version:

Version 2.4.1 adds a long list of new features, changes, and fixes, including support for burning APE/FLAC/WV files with an embedded CUE sheet, more accurate audio-duration calculations, and a "New Project" option in the File menu.

Canneverbe Limited wrote:CDBurnerXP is a free application to burn CDs and DVDs, including Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. It also includes the feature to burn and create ISOs, as well as a multilanguage interface. Everyone, even companies, can use it for free. It does not include adware or similar malicious components.


Key Features

burn all kinds of discs
audio-CDs with or without gaps between tracks
burn and create ISO files
data verification after burning process
create bootable discs
multi-language interface
bin/nrg → ISO converter, simple cover printing and much more!
Operating Systems: Windows 2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista

Foxit Reader is a free PDF document viewer, with incredible small size, breezing-fast launch speed and rich feature set. Foxit Reader supports Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7. Its core function is compatible with PDF Standard 1.7.

In the past, you've had to download a huge PDF reader from another software company, go through a lengthy installation process and wait for an annoying splash window to disappear just to open a PDF document. Moreover, if you want to annotate a PDF document, you have to pay US$299 to buy certain software.

Now with Foxit Reader, you don't have to endure such pain any more. The following is a list of compelling advantages of Foxit Reader:

* Incredibly small: The download size of Foxit Reader is just a fraction of Acrobat Reader 20 M size.
* Breezing-fast: When you run Foxit Reader, it launches instantly without any delay. You are not forced to view an annoying splash window displaying company logo, author names, etc.
* Annotation tool: Have you ever wished to annotate (or comment on) a PDF document when you are reading it? Foxit Reader allows you to draw graphics, highlight text, type text and make notes on a PDF document and then print out or save the annotated document.
* Text converter: You may convert the whole PDF document into a simple text file.
* High security and privacy: Foxit Reader highly respects the security and privacy of users and will never connect to the Internet without users' permission. While other PDF readers often silently connect to the Internet in the background. Foxit PDF Reader does not contain any spyware.

Greybear wrote:

CDBurnerXP

Alternate link

CD Burning Software

Canneverbe Limited wrote:CDBurnerXP is a free application to burn CDs and DVDs, including Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. It also includes the feature to burn and create ISOs, as well as a multilanguage interface. Everyone, even companies, can use it for free. It does not include adware or similar malicious components.


Key Features

burn all kinds of discs
audio-CDs with or without gaps between tracks
burn and create ISO files
data verification after burning process
create bootable discs
multi-language interface
bin/nrg → ISO converter, simple cover printing and much more!
Operating Systems: Windows 2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista

CDBurnerXP website

Recommended by BlueMonster as a free replacement for that convoluted NERO burning software

Where the built-in and sluggish Windows Add or Remove Programs option fails, freeware Revo picks up the slack. It builds out a useful feature set on top of a fairly light, 1.5MB installation. Launching Revo fires up the Uninstaller screen, which shows icons and titles of all programs installed on your machine. You can change the View to List or Details, if you'd like more information. Right-clicking gives users a list of choices, from the fundamental like Uninstall and Remove from list, to Search Google, Show the installation directory, and quick access to the app's Help file, its About screen, and an Update link.

Revo also provides some powerful tools. Advanced mode adds program-specific Registry key access to the context menu. The Tools Optimizer holds the Autorun Manager, Windows Tools access screen, and a Junk File finder/killer. The Autorun Manager provides one-stop shopping for startup tweaking. Windows Tools pulls together various and disparate basic utilities under one umbrella, and the Junk killer is just killer.

The Tools Tracks Cleaner accesses cache-cleaning features, include standard browser cache functions as well as crash memory dump files, MS Office cleaners, system-wide and program-specific search histories, and more. Another cool function is the Hunter, which offers click-and-drag uninstall and process-killing functionality. Revo and the way that it will revolutionize your uninstall workflow is hard to pass up.

Greybear wrote:This little tool packs a big punch to fixing .Net installlation / Uninstallation issues when someone has done a repair install to an earlier version of the OS.

Do not forget to reboot after running.

MJB wrote:The Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder is a freeware utility that retrieves your Product Key (cd key) used to install windows from your registry. It also has a community-updated configuration file that retrieves product keys for many other applications. Another feature is the ability to retrieve product keys from unbootable Windows installations.

Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder features:

• An optional config file– this functionality lets you pull a key stored in the registry for any software. A sample config file is included in the zip and can be seen here: keyfinder.cfg
• Command line options – /save <location> /savecsv <location> /close /hive <location> /file <filename>
• Load Hive option – allows you to load the registry hive of another Windows installation. To use, put the hard drive in a working machine (must also be Windows 2000, XP or Vista) or use Windows PE (not tested, should work) and click Load Hive. Then point it to the dead Windows install. If you’re using Windows Vista, Administrator rights are required for this feature. You may have to right click on the Keyfinder and run as Administrator.
• Improved Save & Print! – save & print options will now include all keys. Save is also available in text or CSV.