So you just went to Best Buy, and dropped 100 dollars on the Norton Systemworks Package. What if I told you, you could detect much more than Norton can, with more features, for free?

I created this index guide to help everyone score free programs, and protect their PC. All programs are tested and tried out, and I approve them. Each program has a short description, pros and cons as well. I've used many many programs, so I'll try and pick out the best ones.

Remember, all of these are free. So don't be hesitant to try them out.

1. avast Anti-Virus: Recently found was the avast Anti-Virus program. Its free, and you can get a free key code. The program is a simple anti-virus program loaded with features. The actual program itself is easy to use, it runs much like a CD player/MP3 player. For the customization junkies, you can change its skin, tool around with appearance options and so forth. Its relativley easy to use, but may confuse a few folks.

Features: Avast features some of the best software features in a Anti-Virus program I have ever seen. It features everything that the big programs have and more. It features active protection, automatic updates, and a archive. However, my all time favorite feature of it that just blows me away is the VRDB. Its a archive of all your files currently, so that if you DO get a virus, you can repair your file and return it to its original state. Awesome feature.

Detection: avast picked up a lot of things Norton missed, which was very surprising to me, and these werent new files I had put on the PC, they've been around for a year! Norton skipped it and we paid money for it? Rip off.

Pros: Good detection, loads of features, VRDB
Cons: No scheduled scans

Overall: Great program, may not appear super fancy, but it works and has loads and loads of features. I reccomend it.

Download: http://www.avast.com/

2: Microsoft Antispyware:So we all dropped money for Windows XP, should we get free support and downloads? You bet. Microsoft offers a new Anti-Spyware program that is very, very good. Its free to all Legit Microsoft XP Owners. You must go through a verification process, but it is worth it. The program is easy to use, and performs just as good as all the others.

Features: Featuring daily scans, and automatic updates, this program is loaded with even a active scanner. Best of all, its free.

Detection: It found some stuff Spybot missed. Not a whole lot, but both programs are free (Microsoft and Spybot) so I'm not too shocked. It does detect everything it needs to however.

Pros: Great detection and features
Cons: None

Overall: Easy to use, loaded with features, and free.

Download: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

3: Spybot: Search and Destroy: I have been using Spybot for a decent amount of time now, and it detects mostly everything. Although Microsoft does a better job of getting rid of Spybot.

Features: Updates, Immunization, and so forth. Its a very simple program, yet powerfull.

Detection: Catches mostly everything, but Microsoft caught a majority more. It would catch more obvious Spyware.

Pros: Easy, simple
Cons: Microsoft is better, and free....

Overall: I don't know why you would use Spybot over Microsoft. Microsoft offers everything better in all areas, and its free. Maybe if you don't own a legit copy, you can go with Spybot.

Download: http://www.download.com/Spybot-Searc...-10122137.html

4: Ad-Aware: I've always found Ad-Aware somewhat weak in some areas. It does however remove somethings you would be looking for. I am searching for a better alternative.

Features: Very, very simple with very little features. Its a basic scan and remove program. No active protection, no scheduled scans, hard to update.

Detection: Gets mostly stuff you'd notice, maybe not the stuff you would never even think of.

Pros: Scan and remove
Cons: Lack of features, ease of use, and updates

Overall: Get it if you need to remove something. I rarley use it, I can't seem to update it, or reluctant to update to a newer version.

Download: http://www.lavasoft.de/

Theres my first round of programs for your convenience. This round was basically for protection of your PC. My next round will be media. Check back often to score on some free programs that can save you time and money!

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Thornton to Heatley all day, every day.

Then I'd say you're a n00b.

AVG, son, where is AVG? I use Avast, AVG, and Spybot.

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I tend not to use AVG because I have not had much luck with it, and I always tend to go by results of others when using it.

I dropped Norton Antivirus after several years of using it (it's just become bloatware in my opinion - paying for the amount of code and how much memory it takes up on your computer). I then switched to PC-Cillin Internet Security 2005 (By Trend Micro - www.antivirus.com). Off the shelf it's $49 (cheaper than Norton Internet Security), but I got the full version and 1 year of updates for $25 by clicking on a link from Microsoft (did this for 3 computers now). It's got a built-in firewall, spyware scanner, virus scans, updates every 12 hours, amongst other things. It's also very fast and doesn't bog down my system, and it actually works so well with WinXP... not once did it get in a fight with SP2's security center (with both Norton, McAfee, and ZoneAlarm, I have had the Windows firewall turn on even though they were installed). Lastly, multiple sources (including cnet and Consumer Reports) have rated PC-Cillin the highest antivirus/security software, even over Norton and McAfee.

For anti-spyware, I use MS Antispyware with Ad-Aware. I also do things proactively and I don't use IE or Outlook Express anymore (which eliminated much of where the infections came through).

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ThrillNetwork Webmaster/Systems Administrator -- My Official Fansite -- Get Firefox!
Everytime I ride a coaster, it valleys. I've never been on a stalled coaster or had one roll back (except Wicked Twister and what was Superman: Ultimate Escape, which does that by design).

Is it okay if I add a suggestion.

Winamp- Okay, its a media player, but I find it easier to manage playlists compared to WMP . Also, if your one of those people that love custimization, the official site has a TON of skins and themes. You can also get Winamp Pro for 15 bucks, but only get that if your a big CD burner/ripper.

Winamp Site

There are three choices while downloading, Lite, Full, and Bundle (free download wise). I recommend full (get the bundle if you love Emo Rock music (who likes that crap anyways ?)).

Then, for the Mozilla Firefox users, I present to you, the god extension... Adblock!

Adblock Extension (for Mozilla Firefox)

Adblock does what it says, it blocks ads if you set up a filter for it. Tired of those noisy ads or those "OMG, 1000 FREE SMILEYZ!" ads? Unless you love ads, get this extension, I practically surf ad free and it gives a big middle finger to AdBuzz .

Thats my suggestions

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Here's a few I use...

Irfanview - Do you need a quick editor for resizing images cleanly, and can convert images from one format to another? Do you also need something for fast viewing an image? This is an awesome program, which I've been using for almost 8 years.
http://www.irfanview.com/

Trillian - I have 4 IM screen names (I only use 3)... and I was increasingly on Yahoo and MSN, while AIM is my primary IM. I merged it into Trillian Basic 3. It saves me from having to run 3 IM programs at once, and saving memory and screen space in for other things. Basic is free. Trillian Pro, which adds more IM types and video conferencing, is available for $25 I think.
http://www.trillian.cc/

Gaim - Like Trillian, only with more of an AIM interface. I didn't like it because it lacked some things that I like to have. Open source.
http://gaim.sourceforge.net/

Firefox: Unlike Mozilla 1.x/Netscape 7.x, Firefox 1.0.x is pretty fast, and surfs the web pretty well. 100% compatible with ThrillNetwork, and features live bookmarks (using RSS feeds - TN has 3 feeds), extensions, etc. Also, while all browsers have vulnerabilities, Firefox updates theirs fairly quickly, and was designed with security in mind. Its built-in popup blocker is also better than IE's in my opinion. I also use several extensions, including adblock (I don't block TN ads with it, but I block all the obnoxious ones and anything that evades a popup blocker, because I do believe ads are there for a reason). Also, if a site isn't viewable in Firefox, or requires you to use IE because of some inane thing, they don't deserve your traffic because IE is flawed and not even standards compliant. Also, since I started to use it, I haven't had one piece of spyware installed.
http://www.spreadfirefox.com/?q=affi...&id=45620&t=78

Thunderbird: A great alternative to Outlook Express. It allows me to check out RSS feeds, has a built-in spam blocker (that can be user trainable), and privacy protection.
http://www.spreadfirefox.com/?q=affi...&id=45620&t=78 (click on Thunderbird link at the bottom)

Windows XP Powertoys - I use TweakUI on my desktop... has a bunch of things that let you change Windows settings that are normally not accessible by normal means, or you have to edit an INI file or the registry. TweakUI helps making some of those changes earlier.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx

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ThrillNetwork Webmaster/Systems Administrator -- My Official Fansite -- Get Firefox!
Everytime I ride a coaster, it valleys. I've never been on a stalled coaster or had one roll back (except Wicked Twister and what was Superman: Ultimate Escape, which does that by design).

I use Microsoft Antispyware a lot, and I think it's superior to both Ad-Aware and Spybot. It catches things that both the other two programs miss and it takes a more active role in catching spyware as it comes on instead of just letting it get on your computer, then locating it and deleting it. I still keep Ad-Aware and Spybot on as backups, but Microsoft's program is the one I most use. However, I haven't had much trouble with spyware recently, because of my next favorite free program...
When it comes to web browsers, nothing touches Firefox. It does almost everything IE does, plus it has tabbed browsing, a number of useful extensions, and it's skinable. It's also amazingly resistant to bugs, spyware, and viruses, unlike IE, which is riddled with security holes.
There are a few websites that don't load in Firefox, and for those I use Avant Browser, which is essentially IE with a lot more features. Some of the things I like are filters that block Flash animation and pictures on a page (very useful for people with slow connections) and a "shortcut" option that allows you to enter a few letters instead of a URL. If I enter "TN" into the address bar, the browser takes me to the Thrillnetwork home page. I'd use Avant a lot more if it didn't have all the security flaws.
The last one I want to mention is Sun Microsystems' Star Office 7, a full office suite that students and faculty of an educational institution can download for free. In terms of features and appearance it can't compare to Microsoft Office, but if you don't have a full version of Office, it can come in handy. My computers have Word (one has Excel), but neither have PowerPoint, which I use often. Star Office has an application that comes nowhere near the latest version of PowerPoint, though it is compatible with it. That's really the only feature of the suite that I use.

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Aaron Cedoras: Thrillnetwork Story Editor
"Dead men tell no tales..."

I have to recommend Firefox, I didn't even download the popup blocker, it came with it. Of course it was free, but it is so much faster than Internet Explorer especially with downloads and loading pages.

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Dirty Tramp

I've found that Microsoft AntiSpyware doesn't find much on my computer...I recently installed this software my ISP gave for free and it found 50 infected files moments after I finished a scan with Microsoft. I have yet to find a software that can clean my computer well...I'm still getting popups galore and I don't know how I could get rid of them.

Avast is a good anti-virus program but the problem is it uses a lot of system resources. If your processor is at least 3ghz and you are using at least 512mb of ram, you will be ok. I use both Spybot and Ad-aware. Spybot picks up all the nasty stuff and Ad-aware gets rid of the tracking cookies. Believe it or not, AOL's spyware program is pretty good too.

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