Pointers to Freeware
I have found an interesting site that claims to list the "Best-ever" freeware utility programs. Besides listing the best freeware for each of 46 categories, it discusses other contenders, explains the pros and cons of each, and is generally informative. The site is aptly named The 46 Best-ever Freeware Utilities.
Another very good site for freeware is ZDNet's Software. This site has the software categorized and many entries within each category. Not all of the software is free but you can filter the free software in each list of programs to get only freeware. As far as I can tell, ZDNet does a great job of filtering out malware (e.g.: trojans, viruses, etc...) so you can download and install pretty much anything they provide with impunity. Of course, there is no guarantee that the software will do what you want, but at least you know you can remove it with ease.
What I find most helpful from these sites is Window's utilities. Windows (which I pretty much have to run on my work machine) gets slower and slower over time. The only real fix is to reformat the disk and start from scratch. That being said, cleaning your registry routinely helps. ZDNet has 213 freeware programs that have the word "registry" in their description. Many of these are free registry cleaners. In general, they are just a good site for high-quality free Window's utilities.
Perhaps you'll find something useful at one of these sites.
Also, if you have another favorite freeware site, let me know or simply reply to to this posting. (Feel free to plug your own site if it is apropos.)
