Links and DownloadsAll the links and downloads provided on this page are 100% free and 100% legal. There are no demos, no trials and no limitations (apart from some being for personal use only). Select a task below and you'll be directed to the best available downloads for that purpose. So, what would you like to do?
Secure and MaintainEvery computer should have an up to date antivirus. This one does the job and won't cost you a penny. Despite being "Vista compatible", some users are experiencing problems. I would suggest that Vista users download Avast Free Antivirus Click here to download AVG Free. Another free anti virus. This one is also free and offers better compatibility with Vista. Click here to visit the website and download. Every computer should also have an up to date fireawall. This one is more than adequate and gives you complete control of what communicates from your computer to the internet and vice versa. It's also Vista compatible. Click here to visit the website and download. Adware protection is still optionally, but is becmoing increasingly necessary. This provides many options to help keep your computer clean and works with Vista. Click here to visit the website and download. This powerful scanner will find things that most virus scanners will miss. It will attempt to fix them although more serious problems may require more attention. It's also Vista compatible. Click here to visit the website and download. System Information for Windows (SiW) This neat little file will tell you everything there is to know about your PC. Works with Vista too. Click here to visit the website and download. Create Office DocumentsJust like the best of Microsoft's Office suites, Open Office includes a word processor (Writer), a spread sheet tool (Calc), a presentation tool (Impress) and a database creator (Base). It also includes an application for drawing diagrams and sketches (Draw). Unlike Microsoft's Office suites though, Open Office is absolutely free! Not all features are the same as Microsoft's Office, but most people won't notice the difference and will have no difficulty transfering over their Office knowledge. Open Office is also Vista compatible. The website includes lots of free books and guides to help you get started and do things you never thought possible. Click here to visit the website and download. Google Docs lets you create and store documents online. There's no need to download or install anything and the tools allow you to create presentations, spreadsheets, forms and, or course, you typical word processed documents. You do have to register with Google. This is free and offers many other benefits such as iGoogle (a personalised home page). Creating and storing documents online has many advantages over creating and storing them on your computer such as being able to access and edit them from any computer connected to the internet. Click here to access and get started. Create and Edit PicturesGNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) The GIMP is a very powerful photo and picture editing and authoring program. Click here to visit the website and download. This is a very light (small file), versatile and powerful image editor. You can also download an add on file (below) which enables it to open, edit and save Photoshop .psd files. Paint.net has been compared to very expensive alternatives such as Adobe's Photoshop and Corel's Paint Shop Pro. This however is nice and free! Click here to visit the website and download. Paint.Net Photoshop .psd Plugin This plugin (add on) will enable .psd (Photoshop) file support in Paint.Net. The support is not complete, but is at a very workable stage. Click here to visit the website and download. Burn CDs, DVDs and Blue RayThis will burn to CDs, DVDs, HDDVDs and BluRay. Whether it's to back up your files, create copies of some of the free software available here for your friends, make audio CDs, or make DVDs, this free application is the one for you. You can even use this to create ISO files from original discs, ready to be burnt back to blank discs in the future. Despite being called CDBurnerXP, this is fully Vista compatible!. Click here to visit the website and download. Play GamesBefore you go out to buy your next game you should give this site a visit. Simply select the game from the given list and continue. On its first use, you'll be asked to install an applet (click "yes" or "allow"). You will then be taken to a page to tell you if your computer is currently capable of running the game. It will also tell you what has failed you if you can't run the game so that you can go shopping for upgrades. Click here to visit the website. Currently offering almost 200 free games which range in quality from Space Invaders to Hitman 2. We're talking full games here, not demos or trials. It's perfectly legal. The only down side is that some of the better titles require hefty downloads. GameTap requires you to download and install the GameTap Client (Vista compatible) that will manage your downloads and run your games. Click here to visit the website and download. Not all of your games will support the use of a controller. This nifty little piece of software will trick your computer into thinking that key presses on your control pad are key strokes on your keyboard. Works with Vista too. Click here to visit the website and download. A fantastic fan site for some popular first person shooter games including the recent Call of Duty 4. Find plenty of downloads, updates and information about joining the United Kingdom Alliance. Click here to visit the site. CommunicateKeep in touch with all of your gaming friends, no matter what games they play. This works like other messenger programs, but ties in perfectly with games. It will tell you what games your friends are playing and will allow you to join them in game if you have the same game installed. It will also let you take multiple in-game screenshots and video clips which you can display on your Xfire profile or use the files to do as you wish. It's also Vista compatible. Click here to visit the website and download. Most popular online games have fan clubs, clans and / or alliances. Their main method of communication is usually via Team Speak. This runs in the background while you play your game and allows you to communicate with your team mates. Be sure to download the "Client" (Vista compatible) as the "Server" is for the people responsible for the connection. Click here to visit the website and download. If your Clan or Alliance does not use Team Speak, they most likely use this. Again, download the "Client" and not the "Server". This works with Vista although some people are experiencing microphone problems. Making sure that you have the latest drivers from the sound card / motherboard manufacturer's website seems to fix these problems. Click here to visit the website and download. Record, Modify and Convert AudioWith Audacity you can record or edit your own audio files visually. Despite being very professional and top quality, this application, like the rest here, is totally free. It's also Vista compatible. The site also includes tutorials for common tasks such as making your own ringtones. Click here to visit the website and download. Be sure to also download the LAME MP3 Codec (below) in order to save or create MP3 files. Use the LAME MP3 codec to convert files to, or create, MP3 files in the appropriate applications (such as Audacity and CamStudio). Click here to visit the website and download. Top of Page Record, Modify and Convert VideoUse CamStudio to record on screen actions (ideal for making your own tutorials). It's Vista compatible. Click here to visit the website and download. Download and install the Divx Video Codec (below) and the LAME MP3 Codec (above) to achieve best results. Use the Divx video codec to convert or create Divx encoded video files using the appropriate applications (such as CamStudio). Divx encoding offers high quality and high compression resulting in a very usable much smaller file. Click here to visit the website and download. VirtualDub is a video capture and processing tool. If you know what you are doing when it comes to recording and editing video, this free tool should provide you with the basics and more. Click here to visit the website and download. |