We share links all of the time for good computer programs. I've learned about a lot of these from Bill D and John-In-Kansas, among others. I share them regularly. I hope the techies in the group will contribute to (and trace) this thread so we can find these discussed in one place.

The occasion for starting the thread was finding a really great list that covers all sorts of eventualities - from a blogger I hadn't heard of until I found that he is a respected enough reviewer of technology that Lenovo has given him a computer to review and give away. He writes from an education standpoint, lots of programs that teachers can use, but programs teachers can use are often good for everyone else as well.

The page that caught my eye was Must-Have Windows Software (Updated - 12/31/2010). I have barely cracked the surface of this fabulous list, but I'll share it now so you can take a look.

BTW: The program that Bill D has sent me to that has been most useful over the years is BillP Studio's WinPatrol. That one little program, even in its free form, has saved me a lot of grief, because it guards my registry. Won't let anything write to it without my sayso. And I can disable programs that managed to sneak in when they were installed. If they aren't needed at startup, they don't need to preload the program, and this easily disables those push-to-the-front-of-the-processor programs.

I also have started using Malwarebytes. I go to ZNet and Cnet to read reviews about these programs before downloading them, and malwarebytes is good for a lot of reasons. Adware, spyware, viruses. I use other background software also, but this one is my new favorite.

Anyone else have programs to share?

SRS