Freeware Utilities
Performance, Recovery, System Freeware UtilitiesAudit all hardware and software installed
The Belarc Advisor builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware, missing Microsoft hotfixes,
anti-virus status, CIS (Center for Internet Security) benchmarks, and displays the results in your Web browser. All of
your PC profile information is kept private on your PC and is not sent to any web server.
Audit all hardware and software installed: Belarc Advisor
Automatically logon without the login screen
Windows NT/2K provides Registry settings that can be set so that a user is automatically logged in the next time
the system would otherwise put up the logon dialog box. However, the Registry values are hidden very deep, and are a
pain to configure. This program, Autologon, will do the Registry configuration for you, and allow you to enable and
disable auto-logon when you want.
Automatically logon without the login screen: Autologon by SysInternals
Automatically adjust cpu loads
Process Tamer is a tiny (140k) and super efficient utility for Microsoft Windows XP/2K/NT that runs in your system
tray and constantly monitors the cpu usage of other processes. When it sees a process that is overloading your cpu, it
reduces the priority of that process temporarily, until its cpu usage returns to a reasonable level.
Automatically adjust cpu loads: Process Tamer
Backup/restore the windows registry
The Emergency Recovery Utility NT. Registry Backup and Restore for Windows NT/2000/2003/XP.
Backup/restore the windows registry: ERUNT
Boot machine from a CD
UBCD4Win is a bootable CD which contains software that allows you to repair, restore, or diagnose almost any
computer problem. Our goal is to be the ultimate free hardware and software diagnostic tool. All software included in
UBCD4Win are freeware utilities for Windows.
Boot machine from a CD: Ultimate Boot CD 4 Win
Build custom install windows CD
Have you ever wanted to remove Windows components like Media Player, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, MSN
Explorer, Messenger... How about not even to install them with Windows? nLite is a tool for permanent Windows
components removal and pre-installation Windows setup. After removal there is an option to make bootable image ready
for burning on cd or testing in virtual machines. With nLite you will be able to have Windows installation which on
install doesn't include, or even contain on cd, unwanted components.
Build custom install windows CD: nLite
Burn/create CD/DVD iso image files
ISO Recorder allows (depending on the Windows version) to burn CD and DVD images (DVD support is only available on
Windows Vista), copy disks, make images of the existing data CDs and DVDs and create ISO images from a content of a
disk folder.
Burn/create CD/DVD iso image files: ISO Recorder
Capture all text written to screen
Textractor is a text monitor for Windows XP/2000/NT. It captures and logs all text a program writes to the screen.
Some programs write information so fast that your eye can't read it. Many programs write lots of text without
supporting the Windows clipboard. Textractor gives you the chance to capture all text an applications outputs without
having to retype it or using an OCR program. Textractor also works with console applications.
Capture all text written to screen: Textractor
Change system settings
This PowerToy gives you access to system settings that are not exposed in the Windows XP default user interface,
including mouse settings, Explorer settings, taskbar settings, and more.
Change system settings: Microsoft Tweak UI
Clean up temp folders
Empty Temp Folders (emptemp) helps you manage folders that contain temporary files, left over by other
applications. It's easy to add any folder and you can empty a folder (or all folders) with one click. Also emptemp
will let you list and delete cookies, history files and temporary internet files (this requires MS Internet Explorer
version 5+).
Clean up temp folders: Empty Temp Folders
Over 35 million downloads!!! CCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool. It removes unused files
from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of
your online activities such as your Internet history. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a
second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware!
Clean up temp folders: CCleaner
Clean up the registry
EasyCleaner is a small program which searches the Windows registry for entries that are pointing nowhere.
EasyCleaner also lets you delete all kinds of unnecessary files such as temps and backups. You can search for
duplicate files and you can view some interesting info about your disk space usage! You are also able to manage
startup programs, invalid shortcuts and add/remove software list. ToniArts may not be held accountable in any way if
EasyCleaner affects your computer in a negative way.
Clean up the registry: EasyCleaner
RegSeeker is a perfect companion for your Windows registry! RegSeeker includes a powerful registry cleaner and can
display various informations like your startup entries, several histories (even index.dat files), installed
applications and much more! With RegSeeker you can search for any item inside your registry, export/delete the
results, open them in the registry. RegSeeker also includes a tweaks panel to optimize your OS! Now RegSeeker includes
a file tool to search for duplicate files, bad shortcuts and more!
Clean up the registry: RegSeeker
Completely wipe/delete a file
Simple File Shredder is a utility that securely deletes your files so they can't be restored using recovery
software. When you delete a file using the conventional Windows delete method, the file is not actually destroyed.
Windows simply acknowledges the file is no longer needed and considers it free space. The deleted file will exist in a
recoverable state until it's over-written with other data.
Completely wipe/delete a file: Simple File Shredder
Completely wipe/delete a hard disk
Eraser is an advanced security tool (for Windows), which allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your
hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. Works with Windows 9x/98/ME/NT/2000/XP,
Windows 2003 Server and DOS. Eraser is Free software and its source code is released under GNU General Public
License.
Completely wipe/delete a hard disk: Eraser
Defrag the hard drive
One of the limitations of the Windows NT/2000 defragmentation interface is that it is not possible to defragment
files that are open for exclusive access. Thus, standard defragmentation programs can neither show you how fragmented
your paging files or Registry hives are, nor defragment them. Paging and Registry file fragmentation can be one of the
leading causes of performance degradation related to file fragmentation in a system. PageDefrag uses advanced
techniques to provide you what commercial defragmenters cannot: the ability for you to see how fragmented your paging
files and Registry hives are, and to defragment them. In addition, it defragments event log files and Windows 2000/XP
hibernation files (where system memory is saved when you hibernate a laptop).
Defrag the hard drive: PageDefrag by SysInternals
Defrag On-The-Fly or use as a scheduled defragger. Use the free version or register for full functionality. DIRMS
and Buzzsaw are programs that are used for the defragmentation of hard drives. Defragmentation of a hard drive will
improve a computers performance. It will also (in theory) increase the reliability of a hard drive.
Defrag the hard drive: DirMS-S
Defrag the hard drive continously
This program continuously keeps hard drives defragmented with "on-the-fly" defragmentation. It monitors the drive
and detects when fragmentation occurs. Once fragmentation occurs, the program automatically corrects the
fragmentation. It waits until the CPU usage is minimal before performing the defragmentation.
Defrag the hard drive continously: Buzzsaw-S
Display CPU information
CPU-Z is a freeware that gathers information on some of the main devices of your system.
CPU
Name and number.
Core stepping and process.
Package.
Core voltage.
Internal and external clocks, clock multiplier.
Supported instructions sets.
Cache information.
Mainboard
Vendor, model and revision.
BIOS model and date.
Chipset (northbridge and southbridge) and sensor.
Graphic interface.
Memory
Frequency and timings.
Module(s) specification using SPD (Serial Presence Detect): vendor, serial number, timings table.
Display CPU information: CPU-Z
WCPUID/XCPUID is the program that displays the CPU information of your personal computer. Shows Frequency,
Multiplier, Chipset Info. etc...
Display CPU information: WCPUID/XCPUID
Display Microsoft ProductID and the CD-Key of MS-Office, Windows, Exchange Server, and SQL Server
ProduKey is a small utility that displays the ProductID and the CD-Key of MS-Office, Windows, Exchange Server, and
SQL Server installed on your computer. You can view this information for your current running operating system, or for
another operating system/computer - by using command-line options. This utility can be useful if you lost the product
key of your Windows/Office, and you want to reinstall it on your computer.
Display Microsoft ProductID and the CD-Key of MS-Office, Windows, Exchange Server, and SQL Server: ProduKey
Display NTFS compression ratio of folders
NTFS offers file based compression but the compression rate isn't displayed anywhere. For any folder on an NTFS
volume, NTFSRatio shows the size and the compression rate of this folder and also of its subfolders. Compression and
decompression can be done inside NTFSRatio with immediate review of the result. Results can be printed or exported.
NTFSRatio can be called from the Explorer context menu of any folder.
Display NTFS compression ratio of folders: NTFSRatio
Display TCP/UDP endpoints and applications using them
TCPView is a Windows program that will show you detailed listings of all TCP and UDP endpoints on your system,
including the local and remote addresses and state of TCP connections. On Windows NT, 2000 and XP TCPView also reports
the name of the process that owns the endpoint. TCPView provides a more informative and conveniently presented subset
of the Netstat program that ships with Windows. The TCPView download includes Tcpvcon, a command-line version with the
same functionality.
Display TCP/UDP endpoints and applications using them: TCPView by SysInternals
Display all file activity in real-time
FileMon monitors and displays file system activity on a system in real-time. Its advanced capabilities make it a
powerful tool for exploring the way Windows works, seeing how applications use the files and DLLs, or tracking down
problems in system or application file configurations. Filemon's timestamping feature will show you precisely when
every open, read, write or delete, happens, and its status column tells you the outcome. FileMon is so easy to use
that you'll be an expert within minutes. It begins monitoring when you start it, and its output window can be saved to
a file for off-line viewing. It has full search capability, and if you find that you're getting information overload,
simply set up one or more filters.
Display all file activity in real-time: FileMon from SysInternals
Display all startup programs that run on my computer
This utility, which has the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows
you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows
processes them. These programs include ones in your startup folder, Run, RunOnce, and other Registry keys. You can
configure Autoruns to show other locations, including Explorer shell extensions, toolbars, browser helper objects,
Winlogon notifications, auto-start services, and much more. Autoruns goes way beyond the MSConfig utility bundled with
Windows Me and XP.
Display all startup programs that run on my computer: Autoruns by SysInternals
Display all windows updates (hotfixes and service packs) installed
WinUpdatesList displays the list of all Windows updates (Service Packs and Hotfixes) installed on your local
computer. For hotfix updates, this utility also displays the list of files updated with these hotfixes. In addition,
it allows you to instantly open the Web link in Microsoft Web site that provides more information about the selected
update, uninstall an update, copy the update information to the clipboard, or save it to text/HTML/XML file.
Display all windows updates (hotfixes and service packs) installed: WinUpdatesList
Display and automatically optimize memory usage
Freeware application to free and optimize your computer's RAM (Random Access Memory), resulting in an increase in
system performance and productivity. Automatically configures itself for ease of use and also features advanced
options and customizability. FreeRAM XP Pro has been designed to be easy to use yet highly customizable by computer
novices and experts alike.
Display and automatically optimize memory usage: FreeRAM XP Pro
Display hard drive status information
Due to growing interest and many user requests for new functions in HDDlife, we have decided to continue
development of HDDlife and to make it a commercial product. You can
download the freeware version of HDDlife here.
We hope you'll find HDDlife useful!
Display hard drive status information: HDDlife (small print freeware)
Display motherboard system information
Motherboard Monitor (MBM) is a tool that will display information from the sensor chips on your motherboard in your
Windows system tray. MBM supports a wide range of Chipsets & Sensor Chip combinations. It can sense temps from
Cpu, HDD, GFx and Mobo. It does also sense Fan speeds. If it senses that your hardware is overheated it can protect it
by Shutting it down (user configured). To see if MBM5 supports your hardware check out the Motherboard List.
Display motherboard system information: Motherboard Monitor
Display system benchmark report
Fresh Diagnose is a utility designed to analyze and benchmark your computer system. It can analyze and benchmark
many kinds of hardware, such as CPU performance, hard disk performance, video system information, mainboard /
motherboard information, and much more...
Display system benchmark report: Fresh Diagnose
Display system information
EVEREST Home Edition is a freeware system information, system diagnostics and benchmarking solution for home PC
users, based on the award-winning EVEREST Technology. It offers the world's most accurate system information and
diagnostics capabilities, including online features, memory benchmarks, hardware monitoring, and low-level hardware
information.
Display system information: Everest Free Edition
Samurize is an advanced system monitoring and desktop enhancement engine for Windows 2000/XP/2003. IT
professionals, overclockers, gamers and desktop modders alike use Samurize for system information, weather reports,
news headlines and much much more. And best of all, Samurize is 100% free!
Display system information: Samurize
StatBar is a freeware system status bar which provides a handy, orderly overview of your system's condition.
StatBar comes with 6 different color schemes and 19 information modules, allowing you to monitor and control various
aspects of your system. This includes memory, CPU and disk usages, system uptime, Winamp control, network throughput,
Internet time synchronization, and more. It features a built-in update check as well, which can download and install
the latest version for you.
Display system information: StatBar
SysMetrix is a skinnable clock and metering application. It's purpose is to provide system metrics in a variety of
interesting, useful, and cool ways.
Display system information: SysMetrix
TinyResMeter is a small tool that display usefull realtime system resources informations, but it also give much
more details thru context menu when you right-click over displayed fields!
Display system information: TinyResMeter
WinBar is a free and compact program that lets you monitor your system and provides easy access to frequently used
controls. WinBar will run on any Windows 9x or Windows NT based operating system. This program is absolutely free of
charge and does not contain any advertisements or spyware.
Display system information: WinBar
Display which pgrogrms are accessing the registry
Regmon is a Registry monitoring utility that will show you which applications are accessing your Registry, which
keys they are accessing, and the Registry data that they are reading and writing - all in real-time. This advanced
utility takes you one step beyond what static Registry tools can do, to let you see and understand exactly how
programs use the Registry. With static tools you might be able to see what Registry values and keys changed. With
Regmon you'll see how the values and keys changed..
Display which pgrogrms are accessing the registry: Regmon by SysInternals
Display/edit registry entries neatly
Registry Jumper is a small utility that makes system registry navigation easier. This tool allows you to open
desired registry keys in Windows Regedit by one click. Works in two modes: GUI mode and command-line mode (opens the
registry key supplied as a command-line parameter). Additionally, Registry Jumper handles the "regjump://" custom
protocol, which, for example, can be used in links in HTML pages to point to specific registry locations.
Display/edit registry entries neatly: Registry Jumper
Find which program has a particular file or directory open
Ever wondered which program has a particular file or directory open? Now you can find out. Process Explorer shows
you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded. The Process Explorer display consists of
two sub-windows. The top window always shows a list of the currently active processes, including the names of their
owning accounts, whereas the information displayed in the bottom window depends on the mode that Process Explorer is
in: if it is in handle mode you'll see the handles that the process selected in the top window has opened; if Process
Explorer is in DLL mode you'll see the DLLs and memory-mapped files that the process has loaded. Process Explorer also
has a powerful search capability that will quickly show you which processes have particular handles opened or DLLs
loaded.
Find which program has a particular file or directory open: Process Explorer by SysInternals
Have you ever bored by this Windows message: "Error Deleting File or Folder,... There has been a sharing violation.
The source or destination file may be in use.", when you try to delete, move or rename a file? WhoLockMe is a little
extension for your Microsoft Explorer. It permeets you to list all the process locking your selected file.
Find which program has a particular file or directory open: WhoLockMe Explorer Extension
Monitor bandwidth usage
BitMeter 2 is a bandwidth meter, it allows you to visually monitor your internet connection by displaying a
scrolling graph that shows your upload and download speed over time. BitMeter is freeware - ie. it is given away
completely free of charge, there is no trial period, no time-limited features, no spyware, and no adware,
guaranteed.
Monitor bandwidth usage: BitMeter 2
ter is a small, customizable network bandwidth monitoring program for Windows 95/98/98SE/ME/NT4/2000/XP. NetMeter
is and will always stay freeware. The program has been tested extensively on Windows 2000 and XP, but it should work
just as well on all other Win32 operating systems.
Monitor bandwidth usage: NetMeter
Monitor voltages, fan speeds and temperatures
SpeedFan is a freeware program that monitors voltages, fan speeds and temperatures in computers with hardware
monitor chips. SpeedFan can even access S.M.A.R.T. info for those hard disks that support this feature and show hard
disk temperatures too, if supported. SpeedFan supports SCSI disks too. SpeedFan can even change the FSB on some
hardware (but this should be considered a bonus feature).
Monitor voltages, fan speeds and temperatures: SpeedFan
Optimize the windows registry
NT Registry Optimizer. Registry Optimization for Windows NT/2000/2003/XP.
Optimize the windows registry: NTREGOPT
Optimize TCP/IP settings
The TCP Optimizer is a free, easy Windows program that provides an intuitive interface for tuning and optimizing
your Internet connection. There is no installation required, just download and run. The program can aid both the
novice and the advanced user in tweaking related TCP/IP parameters in the Windows Registry, making it easy to tune
your system to the type of Internet connection used. The tool uses advanced algorithms, and the bandwidth*delay
product to find the best TCP Window for your specific connection speed. It provides for easy tunning of all related
TCP/IP parameters, such as MTU, RWIN, and even advanced ones like QoS and ToS/Diffserv prioritization. The program
works with all current versions of Windows, and includes additional tools, such as testing average latency over
multiple hosts, and finding the largest possible packet size (MTU).
Optimize TCP/IP settings: SG TCP Optimizer
Recover passwords of network connections
When you connect to a network share on your LAN or to your.NET Passport account, Windows XP allows you to save your
password in order to use it in each time that you connect the remote server. This utility recovers all network
passwords stored on your system for the current logged-on user.
Recover passwords of network connections: Network Password Recovery
Recover that password
Cain & Abel is a password recovery tool for Microsoft Operating Systems. It allows easy recovery of various
kind of passwords by sniffing the network, cracking encrypted passwords using Dictionary, Brute-Force and
Cryptanalysis attacks, recording VoIP conversations, decoding scrambled passwords, recovering wireless network keys,
revealing password boxes, uncovering cached passwords and analyzing routing protocols. The program does not exploit
any software vulnerabilities or bugs that could not be fixed with little effort. It covers some security
aspects/weakness present in protocol's standards, authentication methods and caching mechanisms; its main purpose is
the simplified recovery of passwords and credentials from various sources, however it also ships some "non standard"
utilities for Microsoft Windows users.
Recover that password: Cain & Abel Password Recovery
Remotely control another computer
TightVNC is a free remote control software package derived from the popular VNC software. With TightVNC, you can
see the desktop of a remote machine and control it with your local mouse and keyboard, just like you would do it
sitting in the front of that computer.
Remotely control another computer: TightVNC
Reveal the password behind the ***** in some applications
Many applications, like CuteFTP, CoffeeCup Free FTP, VNC, IncrediMail, Outlook Express, and others, allows you to
type a password for using it in the application. The typed password is not displayed on the screen, and instead of the
real password, you see a sequence of asterisk ('****') characters. This utility can reveal the passwords stored behind
the asterisks in standard password text-boxes.
Reveal the password behind the ***** in some applications: Asterisk Logger
Run benchmark tests
3DMark06 is the worldwide standard in advanced 3D game performance benchmarking and the latest version in the
popular 3DMark series! 3DMark06 tests include all new HDR/SM3.0 graphics tests, advanced SM2.0 graphics tests, AI and
physics driven single and multiple cores or processor CPU tests and a collection of comprehensive feature tests to
reliably measure next generation gaming performance today. Futuremark's exclusive Online ResultBrowser web service
tracks and compares 3DMark06 scores.
Run benchmark tests: 3DMark06
Run only approved programs
Trust-no-exe is a executable file filter. It attaches to the operating system and filters all executable files, be
it.exe.com.dll.drv.sys.dpl etc from all drives and all network shares against a list of files or paths, you, the
administrator provide as trusted applications. If a prohibited executable (one not in the allow list or one explicitly
defined in the deny list) is loaded, a popup box informs the user with an intelligent message that can be customised
to your site.
Run only approved programs: Trust-No-Exe
Scan IP/open ports
Angry IP scanner is a very fast IP scanner and port scanner. It can scan IP addresses in any range as well as any
their ports. Its binary file size is very small compared to other IP or port scanners. Angry IP scanner simply pings
each IP address to check if it's alive, then optionally it is resolving its hostname, determines the MAC address,
scans ports, etc. The amount of gathered data about each host can be extended with the available plugins.
Scan IP/open ports: Angry IP Scanner
Stress test the system
Heavyload is inteded to stress all resources of a PC (like CPU, RAM, harddisk, network, operating system, etc.) in
order to test, if it will run reliable under heavy load. This is useful for testing important NT file or database
servers before using them productively, or just to check if your new PC might get too hot when used intensively. To
stress your PC or server, HeavyLoad writes a large test-file to the temp folder, it allocates physical and virtual
memory and it draws patterns in its window.
Stress test the system: HeavyLoad
Tweak security settings
Safe XP allows users to quickly tweak various security and privacy related settings in XP. The options include
Media Player settings, Services settings (error reporting, time synch, remote registry etc.), as well as and option to
remove items from the Start menu, network security settings and more. Safe XP improves your system performance and
makes Windows to run faster, more secure and reliable! It is suitable for beginners and experts!
Tweak security settings: Safe XP
View/kill running tasks
Taskill is a process viewer and killer. It works in GUI or CLI mode and can kill multiple instances of the same
task in one go.
View/kill running tasks: Taskill