Recommend me up: The software recommendation thread

[Paranoia]

Following on from SexuallyAbusedPanda's thread about CCleaner, I thought it'd be nice to get some more recommendation of software other people like. I'll try and put it into a nice list.

CCleaner - Tool for clearing out wasted storage space. Removes temp files and other unwanted space wasters. Watch out for it clearing browser history/cookies though. SexuallyAbusedPanda
http://www.ccleaner.com/

Defraggler - Freeware defragmentor. Allows defragmenting of individual files. LooseCannon
http://www.defraggler.com/

MalwareBytes - Anti Malware scanner. Freeware anti-malware software that is currently considered to be the most thorough. Paranoia
http://www.malwarebytes.org/

PeerGuardian2 - A small app that bans IPs connecting to your PC. This includes spyware and adware, but is most commonly used to ban government/corporate/bigbrother IPs. ekay
http://phoenixlabs.org/pg2/

Picasa Photo Viewer - A very good Image Viewer, much more sleeker than the windows alternative with more features. This is bundled with Picasa3, which is also a great photo editor/organiser. ekay
http://picasa.google.com/

[ekay]

PeerGuardian2 - A small app that bans IPs connecting to your PC. This includes spyware and adware, but is most commonly used to ban government/corporate/bigbrother IPs.
http://phoenixlabs.org/pg2/

Picasa Photo Viewer - A very good Image Viewer, much more sleeker than the windows alternative with more features. This is bundled with Picasa3, which is also a great photo editor/organiser.
http://picasa.google.com/

[Paranoia]

While I think PeerGuardian2 sounds great for blocking RIAA etc. when bittorrenting, I found it completely impractical for day to day use. How do you use it ekay? It blocks allsorts of companies IPs, which restricts access to loads of websites inc. BBC etc.

[ekay]

I don't find it blocking things like that. But I do use the perma-allow list, especially for gaming. When I connect to something and it hangs or fails, I just look at the most recently blocked IPs and perma-allow any that shouldn't be there.
So far I've allowed all Valve IPs and company I work for IPs (for remote desktop). But have not had a problem with websites like BBC.
PG2 comes with 4 IP lists; Ads, Government, P2P and Spyware. If you still find it being a nuisance just block specific lists (like Spyware and Ads).

[LooseCannon]

PasswordSafe

Mine lives on a memory stick.

[SexuallyAbusedPanda]

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722

Mozzilla addon that will stop all scripts running from a webpage. You can set perma exception or temp allow a website. Its pritty useful to help protect against malicious crap being run from the web to your comp Got used to it very very quickly tho

[Carth]

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722

+1

I've been using it for a while now, it's the best. Very active project too, they're constantly keeping you safe against new dangers.  

[stoned_llama]

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722

+1

I've been using it for a while now, it's the best. Very active project too, they're constantly keeping you safe against new dangers.  :twisted:

There's also VLC, *the* media player. Forget about installing dodgy codec packs ever again. Not sure I've ever found a video that doesn't play in this baby out the box - and it's platform independant - and open source!

[Paranoia]

FAO: No script users

http://adblockplus.org/blog/the-monetization-dilemma

No suggesting you should stop using it, just insightful.

[Zofo]

PeerGuardian2 - A small app that bans IPs connecting to your PC. This includes spyware and adware, but is most commonly used to ban government/corporate/bigbrother IPs.
http://phoenixlabs.org/pg2/

I don't use any sort of P2P so is this still beneficial to me do you think?  Any downloading is newsgroup based

[stoned_llama]

PeerGuardian2 - A small app that bans IPs connecting to your PC. This includes spyware and adware, but is most commonly used to ban government/corporate/bigbrother IPs.
http://phoenixlabs.org/pg2/

I don't use any sort of P2P so is this still beneficial to me do you think?  Any downloading is newsgroup based

I wouldn't bother tbh - IPs 'connecting' to your PC should all be blocked anyway (everyone presumably has a router firewall or at least a software firewall); for outgoing connections, if you're not using P2P, you're in no way improving your 'privacy' when downloading via non-P2P (ie. newsgroups) by using PeerGuardian.

[stoned_llama]

FAO: No script users

http://adblockplus.org/blog/the-monetization-dilemma

No suggesting you should stop using it, just insightful.

That link goes to an Adblock Plus related article/site(?). I don't see where NoScript is mentioned(?).
And I don't see why what's discussed (companies offering $$$ for bundling advertising/similar in to an installer - which the extension auther declined) would make us wanna stop using NoScript or Adblock Plus(?).

I just got up and had a smoke, so maybe I've missed something  

[Paranoia]

Sorry, I linked to the wrong article: http://adblockplus.org/blog/attention-noscript-users  :teasing-knob:

[stoned_llama]

Aha. That link makes more sense
Dodgy behaviour from the NoScript developer...
Looks like the community got it sorted out though:

I sincerely apologize with ABP users. Even though information about its presence and how to remove it in two clicks was given on the AMO install page, on this site's install page, on this very release note page and in the FAQ, not including a prompt asking for explicit permission beforehand from the start has been a very bad omission, and I want all the ABP users who felt betrayed to know how much I'm sorry for that. As a sign of good will and repent, current NoScript 1.9.2.6 completely removes the ABP filterset on startup with no questions asked. Thanks for your patience.
-- Giorgio

[DeathByDribbling]

Software: Update Notifier
http://cleansofts.org/view/update-notifier.html

Someone on titan found this.  It goes through all your programmes, tells you which ones aren't up-to-date, and provides a link to allow you to update them.  Works quite well.  Don't even have to install it if you don't want too - it can run off a memory stick.