PC World Picks

These nine downloads selected by PC World’s editors can help you improve and correct what you put down in writing, be it on a document or on the Web. Here are five of ‘em:

WordWeb Dictionary-Thesaurus
Use this powerful tool to quickly find definitions, synonyms, and even pronunciations.

TextPad
This streamlined text editor will appeal to programmers and anyone […]

When all hope seems lost, it usually isn’t. These 9 tools chosen by PC World’s editors can help you restore your PC back to health. Here are five of ‘em:

Vista Recovery Disc
Recover data from a damaged Vista system with this little-known Microsoft utility.

Drive Image XML
Free, reliable imaging software that covers all the basics.

Smart NTFS Recovery
Smart […]

With larger hard drives, your files are probably multiplying rapidly. Get control over them with these 9 tools selected by PC World’s editors. Here are just five of ‘em:

FlexTk Professional
Catalog files, analyze disks, and perform data migration with this powerful utility.

Horodruin
Synchronize multiple folder with this handy, but occasionally unintuitive, utility.

Ant Commander 46
Manage files and directories […]

PC World’s editors selected these 10 downloads, mostly free, which do the job of very expensive image editing software. Here are five of ‘em:

GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)
Retouch photos and create images with this freebie.

Photoshop Elements
Enhance your digital images without the feature-overhead of other photo-editing programs.

Photo Resizer Pro
Quickly resize a photo without waiting forever for […]

PC World’s editors suggest these 13 downloads, mostly free, to help you optimize your communications with others, improve security, and generally improve your online life. Here, we share five of ‘em:

Digsby
Communicate with multiple instant messengers and social networking sites.

SMTP Diagnostics
Troubleshoot problematic SMTP connections.

Ad-Aware 2008 Free
Remove spyware and protect your privacy with this popular free anti-spyware […]

These vital tools, selected by PC World’s editors, will protect your PC and will help you rid your computer of a variety of threats.

Ad-Aware 2008 Free
Remove spyware and protect your privacy with this popular free anti-spyware program.

Spybot Search & Destroy
This anti-spyware program is free, provides proactive protection, and is largely effective.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
Free program […]

The top ten filesfor May of ‘08 on PCWorld.com include an eclectic mix of fun applications and productivity tools. Here, we share five of ‘em:

Ad-Aware 2008 Free
Remove spyware and protect your privacy with this popular free anti-spyware program.

Spybot Search & Destroy
This anti-spyware program is free, provides proactive protection, and is largely effective.

Quake III: Arena
Now the […]

These seven tools selected by PC World’s editors will save you, and your data, after a disaster strikes. Here are five of ‘em:

DeepBurner Free
This CD/DVD burning program is effective, but it’s limited to basic tasks.

HoboCopy (2000 and Vista version)
Copy files that are in use with this clever utility.

Active@ Boot Disk
This useful and elegant boot disc […]

PC World proudly proclaims a dozen of its newest downloads, as reviewed its editors. Here are five of ‘em!

Microsoft WorldWide Telescope
Stroll through the sky with this celestial software.

Avira AntiVir Personal
Detect and eliminate viruses, get free protection for home users.

Firefox
Firefox 2 adds polish but no earth-shattering improvements over version 1.5.

DeepBurner Free
This CD/DVD burning program is effective, […]

These apps, selected by PC World’s editors, will help you find and connect to networks, set up a virtual private network, and even do some social networking via Wi-Fi.

Wireless Wizard
Display a great deal of information about your current wireless connection.

Plug and Browse
Easily move between wireless networks, and retain important settings.

Wi-Fi Guardian
Surf securely through Wi-Fi Hotspots […]

Use these tools selected by PC World’s editors to get the most out of your audio and video files.

Windows Movie Maker
Use your PC to create, edit, and share home movies.

MP3&WAV Converter
This collection of three utilities aims to help you manage your audio files.

Morpheus
Peer-to-peer software in transition means many unfinished downloads.

Nero 7 Ultra Edition
Burn your own […]

Ready for a pulse-pounding brain workout? Thrill to these arcade-style games selected by PC World’s editors. You never saw these fresh picks down at the arcade. And hey, you don’t worry about having a big stack of quarters handy.

Nanotron
Blast germs into oblivion in this arcade-style game.

Peggle
Knock out pegs and enjoy whimsical backgrounds […]

PC World’s editors selected these top utilities that’ll help you optimize, improve, and protect your PC.

Cygwin
Add some Linux features to your PC with this freebie.

RegClean
Clean your Windows Registry of corrupted or unused Registry keys.

Motherboard Monitor
Find out if your PC is overheating with this free utility.

WinPatrol 2007
Kill off unwanted background programs like worms, adware, […]

PC World’s editors have collected the newest versions of very popular products.

3S Accounting
Take care of your small-business finances with this tool.

AceMoney Lite
Track your spending habits, manage your budget, and monitor investment performance.

Paragon Partition Manager Personal
Create, delete, and manipulate hard drive partitions with this excellent software.

Outlook Express Attachment Extractor
Saving a bunch of attachments out of Outlook […]

Many recently posted, as well as long-time favorites, made the list of most popular downloads at PC World this month.

Ad-Aware 2007 Free
This free anti-spyware program with a solid scanning engine has a significantly improved UI.

Windows Movie Maker
Use your PC to create, edit, and share home movies.

DVD Shrink
Back up your movies on DVD to your hard […]

PC World’s editors chose these tools that will help you get through your workday faster.

CCleaner
Remove useless files from several applications, including Microsoft apps.

Foxit Reader
This free utility lets you view PDF files, and edit any of the text they contain.

AbiWord
Replace Word with this multiplatform, free alternative that covers the basics.

StarOffice
Share your Office-style documents between Solaris, […]

With these files, selected by PC World’s editors, create a very personalized desktop that will help you work faster and have more fun using your PC.

WindowBlinds
Give your PC a personal touch with this shell enhancement.

Vista Start Menu
Juice up the Windows Vista Start menu and make it more useful.

xplorer2 Lite
Compare directories side by side with this […]

These tools, selected by PC World’s editors, many of them free, can stop virus attacks, help you clean up problems caused by malware, and help you investigate odd behavior by your PC.

TrueCrypt
This free, Open Source encryption program lets you place files and folders in “safes” of any size.

Comodo Firewall Pro
This free firewall received top ratings […]

From the PC World editors, here are 15 applications (mostly free), that can credibly replace big bucks software. Five of ‘em are:

Gnumeric
An Excel competitor that won’t put a dent in your wallet.

Kexi
A great replacement for Access, particularly if your database is heavily graphic.

Soulseek
Not only figures out what song you’d like from the ones you’ve already […]

From PC World’s editors: RSS Readers, screen capture tools, site builders. Try ‘em out, because most of them are free.

RSS Ticker
A Firefox add-on for serious news junkies.

Feedreader
Read RSS news feeds with this free Windows utility.

Miro (formerly Democracy Player)
Video feed aggregator and recorder with a grassroots bent also lets you search the major video sites from […]