Computer Maintainance:

These are some useful tools to keep your Windows machine (XP and Vista) clean:

• CCleaner (Crap Cleaner):
  helps you remove unnecessary temporary files you never knew you had, clean up your registry and your system startup conveniently
• Glary Utilities (Free):
  cleans up your registry even more thoroughly
• Revo Uninstaller:
  helps with uninstalling, but even better yet: finds all those temporary and junk files
• Defraggler:
  defragments entire drives or individual files

Security:

Keep safe:

• Spybot Search & Destroy:
  Scans your computer for spyware, lets you immunize your system to prevent such installations in the first place --- make sure to also add the Spybot hosts file
• MS Security Essentials:
  virus and spyware scanneer
• Antivir:
  a great virus scanner, free for personal use
• activate your Windows firewall, or whatever free firewall you can
• get all Windows updates, and visit the Update site regularly (not all updates arrive automatically, sometimes the update software needs to get updated itself)

Privacy while Browsing:

• Mozilla Firefox
• Ghostery Addon for Firefox
• Trackerblock Addon for Firefox
• AdblockPlus Addon for Firefox
• FacebookBlocker Addon for Firefox (if you do not use f*c*book, and do not want it to track you)

Other Tools:

These programs may help you work more efficiently:

• BorgChat:
  send messages within your network. Extremely helpful for sending text, links etc. to other people or yourself if you are working on more than one computer simultaneously

August 17, 2008 / July 24, 2009