• Memory Upgrade Tool – Discover what type of Memory your computer uses.

Windows Tools

• Windows Update – Used to get all the latest Microsoft Windows Updates downloaded automatically to your computer. Has a lot of benefit but use with caution stick with the critical updates typically
• PFrank – PFrank is a bulk file renaming tool that allows you to quickly and easily rename multiple files. This is great for renaming photos and music files that are very similar.

Multimedia Programs

• DeepBurner – DeepBurner is free DVD and CD burning software that allows you to make bootable disks and .ISO image files, as well. There is a Pro Version, too, but many people will feel the free version does everything they need.
• Windows Media Player – WMP is continuously evolving to grow with the needs of Windows and PC users who demand the best from one of the oldest media players. Check the Windows Media Player website often for new releases.
• QuickTime – Apple’s answer to the Windows media player. This player has different versions from free to commercial that allow you to do just about anything you want. Available for Windows machines, too.

Browsing & Email tools

• Mozilla Firefox – Free competitor to Internet Explorer, and arguably better.
• Mozilla Thunderbird – An excellent e-mail client.

Firewall Software

• ZoneAlarm Firewall – There’s a free and a commercial version. Easy-to-use firewall blocks hackers and other unknown threats.
• Comodo Internet Security – Comodo’s award-winning free security suite, offers prevention-based, Default Deny Protection (DDP) technology to prevent malware in your PC.

Compression tools

• Wizip – Winzip has been around for a long time. This file compression utility allows you to zip and unzip files and has an easy to follow Wizard that allows you to accomplish your compression tasks easily. WinZip is shareware and has a trial period before you are required to purchase.
• WinRar – WinRAR is a powerful archive manager that allows you to compress and decompress .zip and .rar files. It is shareware and also has several different themes to choose from to customize the icons. Unlocks most compressed files.
• 7-Zip – 7-Zip is a great open source zipping utility that many techs use in the field. It’s free and works great. It’s for packing / unpacking: 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR. For unpacking only: RAR, CAB, ISO, ARJ, LZH, CHM, Z, CPIO, RPM, DEB and NSIS.

Memory Utilities

• Memtest86 – Memtest is considered one of the best memory diagnostic utilities out there. This free tool will allow you to make a bootable CD or floppy disk that runs the program automatically when you turn on your PC. By running this program for a few hours you will be able to pinpoint hardware problems with your memory that may have been causing your computer to crash
• Windows Memory Diagnostic – Windows Memory Diagnostic is a great tool you can download if you do not have Vista (Included in Vista). Download and put the program on a disk. Insert the disk and reboot to that drive and let the diagnostic check your RAM for errors.