Firefox Browser

The wait is over. Get Firefox 1.0, the faster, better web browser. Now available in 27 languages, for Windows®, Mac OS X and Linux. "I suggest dumping Microsoft\'s Internet Explorer." Walt Mossberg, Wall Street Journal.

Best of all - it's free.

Spybot Search and Destroy

Spybot offers a wealth of useful features and delivers handy tools such as an e-mail list of opt-out addresses so that you can stop unwanted solicitations. Search and Destroy also includes a file shredder to securely overwrite unwanted documents that get deleted from your PC. Best of all, Spybot is free.

Ad-Aware

Ad-Aware is designed to provide advanced protection from known Data-mining, aggressive advertising, Parasites, Scumware, selected traditional Trojans, Dialers, Malware, Browser hijackers, and tracking components. With the release of Ad-Aware SE Personal edition, Lavasoft takes the fight against Spyware to the next level.

Registry First Aid

Tired of Windows® crashing? Sick of having software lock up on you or taking forever to load? The problem could be all of those incorrect registry entries caused by software installations and un-installations that went awry!

Registry First Aid scans the Windows registry for orphan file/folder references, finds these files or folders on your drives that may have been moved from their initial locations, and then corrects your registry entries to match the located files or folders. In addition, if your registry has links to files of deleted applications, Registry First Aid will find these invalid entries and remove them from your registry. With Registry First Aid, your Windows registry will be always clean and correct, helping your programs load faster and speeding up your computer.

A limited version of Registry First Aid is available for free download.

Cool Web Shredder

A small utility for removing CoolWebSearch (aka CoolWwwSearch, YouFindAll, White-Pages.ws and a dozen other names).

Spybot S&D tends to forget essential parts of the hijack, so until it updates, you can trust this to completely remove the hijack. Updated to remove the new variants once they come out.

This tool will find and destroy all traces of the CoolWebSearch (CWS) hijacker on your system. CWS is free.

Zone Alarm Firewall

ZoneAlarm® is the essential security solution that protects you, your computer, and your personal information from destructive hackers, data thieves, malicious email attachments, worms, and other emerging Internet threats.

ZoneAlarm firewalls are trusted by millions of users worldwide. ZoneAlarm Pro is fully compatible with major anti-virus software and Windows® operating systems (XP, Me, 2000, 98SE).

The basic Zone Alarm firewall is free.

Microsoft AntiSpyware

Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware (Beta) is a security technology that helps protect Windows users from spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Known spyware on your PC can be detected and removed. This helps reduce negative effects caused by spyware, including slow PC performance, annoying pop-up ads, unwanted changes to Internet settings, and unauthorized use of your private information.

The Microsoft program is still in Beta testing, and requires that you verify that your installation of windows is legal. You may have to find your windows install CD to use this.

InstantNotes

InstantNotes is a marvelous web based application that lets you make and archive notes relating to specific web pages. Your notes and information can be accessed from anywhere you can be online. Free for 90 days.