AVG 6.0 Anti-virus		Running anti-virus software is absolutely essential in this day and age, but peace of mind doesn't necessarily have to involve handing over your credit card details. AVG is an anti-virus package that's absolutely free of charge. It features all the things you'd expect from a commercial anti-virus package, such as updates to recognise the latest nasties, and a scheduler to perform scans at convenient times.

Stuffit Expander 7		While Winzip will take care of virtually every type of compressed archive that's sent to a Windows user, there are times when you could receive a format that it can't handle. Most commonly, a Macintosh user could transport a number of files to you in the HQX format, in which case you're stuck. Unless you've got a copy of Stuffit Expander of course! Aladdin Systems has thankfully produced free versions of Stuffit Expander for Windows, Linux and Solaris platforms, along with MacOS.

PowerToys		Powertoys is a collection of utilities and tools produced by Microsoft developers after Windows itself has been released to manufacturing. At the time of writing, there were 10 Powertoys available for Windows XP, including a graphing calculator, a self-executing slideshow generator, a webcam controller, and even an Alt-Tab replacement which showed a preview icon of the actual document being worked on - great when you're running, say, multiple sessions of an Office application. You can download from the selection of PowerToys at MS' website.

FreshUI		At first glance the FreshUI utility appears to offer similar facilities to Microsoft's own TweakUI, but it goes several steps further, offering a number of (mostly on or off) settings to modify aspects of the desktop user interface from the start menu to the task tray, but additionally includes sections on network, power management, shutdown and startup, along with a couple of options to modify how Windows talks to various hardware devices.

DirectX 8.1		While not exactly a utility in the same sense as most of the others in this feature, DirectX remains an essential download none-the-less. DirectX is a suite of APIs (Application Program Interfaces), which basically allow software to communicate with your multimedia hardware, from 3D graphics and audio to joysticks and mice. Indeed most multimedia devices demand the latest version to be installed for compatibility. The latest version 8.1 works with Windows 98 upwards and is included as standard with Windows XP. You will need to visit the website for the latest version of DirectX.

Folderinfo		Folderinfo delivers detailed reports about the contents of any folder on your PC. More than just simply right-clicking a folder and requesting its Properties, Folderinfo returns a wealth of data including file name, size, date and allocated space. Cleverly it'll also tell you immediately what's new in the folder, which is handy for comparing and managing files. Folderinfo can also output a report in HTML or direct for printing, detailing the precise contents of a folder and any sub-folders within.

Wordweb		If you've ever felt the Dictionary or Thesaurus in popular Office applications doesn't go far enough, consider installing a copy of Wordweb instead. This little utility sits patiently in your SystemTray, waiting for you to enter a word. It'll then offer a definition, along with synonyms and even types of, or parts of, the word you've entered. Wordweb is also a dab hand at solving anagrams and filling in the blanks, but this feature is sadly not available in the free version.

Openoffice		Sun Microsystem's Staroffice was, until very recently, a free download. With the launch of Staroffice 6, Sun has changed its policy: the full office application suite would now charged at (a still very reasonable) £50, while a new completely free version called Openoffice would be made available via the website. You get a fully-featured word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation graphics program which are all compatible with Microsoft Office, along with an HTML editor, maths and a drawing package.

Tweaking Toolbox		Serious tweakers of the Windows user interface could often be entirely satisfied by Microsoft's own TweakUI utility, but with the launch of the XP version, much of the really cool stuff has gone missing. Fortunately Tweaking Toolbox offers a magnificent array of adjustments including removal of clutter or so-called unremoveable components, setting up advanced restrictions, and ensuring Windows looks and works the way you want it to.

Girder		Girder is a Windows automation utility. Commands are stored in a tree-like structure and are triggered by what Girder calls events. It can be a little daunting to setup at first, but fortunately Girder is the darling of many enthusiasts who use their PCs as home entertainment centres, and want to emulate the single key-press control of conventional domestic systems. As such you'll find plenty of web forums offering support and advice on configuring it with a vast array of devices.