Alright, I'll admit it.  I finally got hit with a virus.

Well, sort-of. I first thought that the strange "YOUR COMPUTER IS NOT PROTECTED" icon in my taskbar was some indication that my antivirus software of-choice had finally flipped out for good. Double-clicking on the icon brought up an obviously fake replica of Windows Security Essentials that, more annoyingly, wouldn't close no matter how many times I clicked on it. Over and over, my machine would be assaulted with "*.exe is not secure!" messages. My Internet sessions grinded to a halt no matter which browser I tried using. I started to fear for the safety of my World of Warcraft account.

As it turns out, I only got nailed with an annoying piece of malware. But after running through a number of analysis and removal techniques (which ultimately failed, as I had managed to disable the malware's process from starting up as-is using good ol' msconfig), I had amassed quite a list of rootkit removal programs, hardcore malware eliminators, and antivirus applications that were more surgeons in training than general practitioners.

I now share them with you.

Look, it's easy enough to install a common antivirus scanner on your system and call it a day. But you, like me, might forget to do so throughout the course of your PC building life. Or, worse, your system might become compromised in such a way as to render your analytical tools entirely useless. In that case, it's time to roll up your shirtsleeves and get crackin' with the digital equivalent of bleach for your mucked-up PC.

ComboFix

We'll start with a biggie.  ComboFix is a super-power analytical tool for finding tough-to-reach spyware and malware infestations and blowing them to digital bits.  A word to the wise, however: consider this the bug-bomb of your cleaning arsenal.  While it could very well solve your problems in one big hit, you might also end up killing your house cat if you haven't taken the necessary precautions during the elimination.  For example, make sure you're running the most up-to-date version of the application.  Or, better yet, hit up one of these forums to make sure that said latest version is running perfectly and accurately on other people's systems.

Due to its power, ComboFix does have the capacity to make unexpected alterations to your computer.  That's not to say that ComboFix intends to turn your system into a brick; that's just a possible side effect of the application's comprehensive techniques for rooting out your malware woes.  Tread carefully.  Or, better yet, hit up the aforementioned forums and post your log file if you're having any trouble (or are still infected) after-the-fact: ComboFix is, in many ways, an analytical tool for giving other users the information they need to know in order to write you a customized solution to your issue.

Download it here!

Avira AntiVir Rescue System

Oftentimes, a virus will be buried so deep within your system that it's impossible to isolate it for deletion.  Perhaps the virus spawns multiple copies of its executable whenever its closed.  Maybe there's just no way for you to prevent the unwanted executable from loading whenever you fire up a specific program or, worse, your operating system as a whole.  Booting into safe mode isn't an option (or doesn't work), and you're running low on options.

Thus enters Avira's AntiVir Rescue System.  Burn this image to a disc and tuck it away in a safe place.  The next time your system reaches catastrophic levels, slap this CD into your drive and boot directly into the Linux-based antivirus environment.  The app will allow you to perform one of three lifesaving features on your compromised system: rescuing your system's data in case you have to nuke your hard drive for good, repairing the system as-is, and running a comprensive virus scan across every bit of data on your drive.  If none of these three options save your system, you might want to take your hard drive out in the back yard and throw some holy water on it.

Download it here!

RootRepeal

Simply put, rootkits are the scourge of a functioning, happy system.  To defeat these powerful instruments of digital pain, you need an equally strong--yet flexible--solution for assessing the situation and eliminating the problem.  RootRepeal is that program for you. But I warn you, this isn't your average one-click elimination utility.  RootRepeal is a comprehensive scanning application that requires you to think through the information it's able to pull up about the hidden, locked, or fake files on your system.  Similarly, RootRepeal works to diagnose system functions that have been hooked: a classic sign of a middleman-type program that's affecting your system when things are otherwise looking fine.

This program only scans; it doesn't fix.  That said, you need to know your enemy before you can Google up ways to eliminate him.

Download it here!

Erunt

If your registry has become too corrupt by malware or other such digital baddies, you usually have no choice but to start a brand-new path toward a working operating system--a format, a reinstall, and a few more hours spent getting your system back the way it was pre-destruction.  Erunt aims to take a little burden off your shoulders by offering you a means for backing up and restoring your registry.  The application can back up your registry as you see fit or, if you're especially nervous, can automatically back up your registry with each boot of the operating system.  While that might not do you much good if your corrupt registry becomes your new backup, Erunt could still be the guiding light between you and the unpleasant task of a complete system rebuild.  To that, I say, "yuck."

Download it here!

Returnil

One of the surest ways to avoid a catastrophic infection of your system is to block it off from modifications by any person that isn't you.  You can accomplish this one of three ways: locking the door to your room, setting up a password on your machine that's some horrific obscenity (as to discourage friendly use), or slapping your entire system in a virtualized environment with Returnil.  But this isn't just some VMware clone.  No, Returnil actually locks down your primary operating system (when activated) without the typical resource drains of having to have an entirely second virtualized environment up-and-running.  Changes to the Returnil-based OS can be committed to a virtual drive or non-system disk if you so desire.  Otherwise, any alterations made within the operating system will be eliminated upon the restart of your system.

Jumping in and out of this "System Safe" mode just requires a simple restart of your PC.  If you're throwing a party or otherwise opening up your system for access by other users--or if you happen to install a ton of freeware applications each week as a part of your job--Returnil is the best solution for keeping your system in perfect working order.

Download it here!

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Listening to the Maximum PC podcast #131 this past week (I'm behind) brought back some fond memories.  Not only was there a little glint in my eye because I was actually mentioned on said podcast, but I was also tearing up a bit at the realization that the very art of podcasting could serve as an excellent Freeware Files roundup.

Thus, here we are!  Podcasting is a huge topic in itself, so I'm trying to bridge a bunch of different worlds in this week's list of awesome applications.  Just interested in listening to podcasts?  Don't worry--I've got you covered.  Looking to make a Maximum PC (or Freeware Files) fan podcast of your own?  You'll find a fun trick or two within the bits and bytes of this week's post.  Tired of all the same-ol', same-ol' podcasting programs that you read about on all the other tech sites (like iTunes, cough cough?)  Well, I'll do my best to surprise you with a new app or two!

Even if, like me, you think that 99-percent of all podcasts are lame and not really worth your time, you can also use some of the enclosed apps and utilities to exert some editing influence over existing audio files.  As well, you'll even find an awesome player for video and music files that even comes with a built-in Bittorrent download capability.

Have I whet your podcasting whistle yet?  Great.  Let's begin!

Robert's Podcatcher

If you're just looking for a way to grab the latest versions of audio recordings on the 'net, why bother with a bulky program like iTunes or its graphically intense cousin, Zune? Robert's Podcatcher is a perfect application for identifying and downloading all the latest updates to a syndicated podcast feed.  It works rather simply: Enter a stream, and the program will go out and download the very latest episode in the feed.  The next time you launch the application, it'll automatically grab all the new files that have been put up since the last time you loaded the program.  The program can run in the background of your system and scan for new updates to your podcast feeds along set intervals.

Download it here!

The Levelator

If you've ever recorded an audio file of a conversation--especially one handled over a VoIP medium like Skype--you've probably been frustrated by the volume disparity between all the voices on said recording.  You might sound super-loud, one of your subjects might sound deathly quiet, and a third party might warble between the two extremes depending on how often he or she has had to move away from the microphone to breathe.

Anyway, you can definitely fix this problem by applying limiting effects and other such audio trickery using complicated paid-for apps (or open-source software, like Audacity).  Or... you can grab The Levelator, which fixes the issue for you without requiring so much as a peep of parameter setting from you.  Just drag your crazy-sounding file over the interface and let The Levelator do what it does best--automatically try to make everyone in the file sound as equal in volume as possible.  Editing audio doesn't get much easier than this!

Download it here!

Miro

Now we're getting intense.  Miro is an application that's mainly geared for watching videos.  Not only can you view (and download) YouTube HD files, but you can also use the app to subscribe to (and play) video podcasts as well as a wide range of other common video file.  Miro's extended this functionality to audio podcasts as well--again, it's not the program's forte, but it's a welcome addition to an otherwise feature-packed media player.  The icing on the cake lies in Miro's Bittorrent support.  If there's a particular Bittorrent RSS feed that you care for (who's podcasting with Bittorrents anyway?), you can one-click add it to to Miro's scan list.  The program will download new files automatically using its integrated libtorrent engine.

Download it here!

Streamripper

It wouldn't make much sense to just outright record a podcast while it's playing--as in, make an audio recording of a live podcast you're listening to.  That pretty much defeats the entire concept of a podcast, doesn't it?  Well, if you've found yourself in this predicament or, conversely, have a favorite Internet radio station that you'd love to have a downloadable archive of, then Streamripper is your ticket.  This console utility will record and automatically separate tracks for any of the five following streams:

• .mp3 Shoutcast streams
• .mp3 Icecast streams
• .nsv (Nullsoft Streaming Video) streams
• .aac Shoutcast/Icecast streams
• .ogg streams

And if you want to get a little fancier, Streamripper can also take care of LasfFM streams and Live365 streams, amongst others.

Download it here!

LoadScout

File transfers are cheap, right?  Look, it might not break your bandwidth bank to download huge files--like a .zip archive of your favorite podcasts or, for that matter, the 150MB "Gordon's Greatest Rants Ever No Really" Maximum PC podcast.  If you're on anything but a cable Internet connection, the prospect of downloading huge files on a whim doesn't sound very appealing.  The situation's compounded if you're being asked to download a huge file based on something you may or may not even like to begin with.

That's where LoadScout comes into play.  This helpful application allows you to extract snippets of .zip archives and .mp3 files to your computer so you can judge for yourself whether you want the whole archive or audio file. Don't let the older appearance of LoadScout throw you off--this application is a powerful tool for power downloaders that want only what they like without having to waste precious bandwidth on guesswork.

Download it here!

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Let it not be said that I don't pay attention to the demands of the readers.  No sooner did I wrap up another comparative analysis of three slammin' freeware applications for altering your desktop in new and unique ways then, well, you all talked.  And talked.  And talked.

That's not a bad thing, however.  A number of you voiced support for your favorite applications and utilities that you use to radically transform the look of your traditional Windows desktop in some pretty awesome ways.  It would be a shame to let these suggestions languish in the comments thread of an old article, however.  So, this week, Freeware Files is all about you.  I'll be featuring your suggestions for applications and showing people why they should consider your alternatives for giving their desktops a refreshed look.

Got it?  Let's begin!

3DNA

What.  The.  Hell.  Sorry to be so blunt, and I apologize for offending anyone's sensitive ears.  Let's not kid ourselves, however.  That's the first think you'll be thinking when you go to load up 3DNA, a desktop transformation that takes the concept of a 3D environment one step further... off the deep end.  I kid, but it's just that much of a radical transformation.  Unlike the previously featured Bumptop, which allows you to manipulate your desktop as if it was a 3D cube of-sorts, 3DNA turns your desktop into the equivalent of Second Life.

Is it useful from a functional standpoint?  Doubtful.  Is it cool to run through?  Admittedly... yes.  Just not if you're a Windows 7 user, however--there's no support for that OS just yet!

Download it here!

Hyperdesk

On the flip side from 3DNA, we have Hyperdesk.  This application doesn't really transform the look of your desktop in a significant way per se--it's more akin to slapping a new layer of paint on a building than retrofitting the underlying framework.  Still, the skins created by The Skins Factory, Hyperdesk's creator, are nothing short of artistic wonders.  Nor are they free.  So what, then, is Hyperdesk doing in a Freeware roundup?  Keep this one on your radar, because you'll occasionally find widgets or skins for free (or cheap.)  Hey, it's not like da Vinci worked free either, eh?

Download it here!

RocketDock

Have we covered this application before?  Yes.  Does it still do the same thing it did then?  Yes.  Did many of you scream and clamor when we didn't include this in our "apps that transform your desktop" feature profile?  Yes.  To be fair, RocketDock doesn't actually change the entirety of your desktop--hence it's omission.  What it does, however, is pretty great.  The application gives you a little launching bar that almost perfectly mimics what you'd find in Apple's OSX platform.  You know, the bar that you move the mouse over, and the icons get bigger as you scroll through them, and you cackle with glee, et cetera.

The transparency of this application really helps it stand out as a beautiful addition to desktops of all varieties.  Were it only so easy to completely remove the Windows taskbar in favor of this little guy--that's how much RocketDock, well, rocks.

Download it here!

Samurize

Here's a big gun for you.  Samurize is a great desktop replacement tool that operates along the same vein as Rainmeter.  My experience is that it's a little tricky to use, but not complicated enough to make you want to give up before you've managed to stick your first CPU meter on your desktop. 

I might be getting ahead of myself here, so permit me to take a step back.  Samurize is an application that basically adds a layer on top of your desktop, which you can then populate with widgets of all varieties to transform your desktop into a customized, one-of-a-kind experience.  Everything from abstract clocks to CPU use meters are yours for the tweaking--and even if you're uncreative (or confused), you can pick from a variety of preconfigured "configs" that others have created for you.

Download it here!

SharpEnviro

This shell replacement for the Windows doesn't skin your desktop, nor does it dump widgets overtop your desktop's existing look and feel.  When I say "replacement," I mean just that: You're getting an entirely new look and configuration to play around with, styled in a similar condition to Litestep (from the aforementioned desktop UI application showdown.)

SharpEnviro succeeds in its ability to present a bit more of a user-friendly setup over competing shell replacements.  You won't be screwing around in notepad to make your potential changes. The configurations and launching elements are all styled in an easy-to-navigate GUI, and you're free to make additional modifications--like adding new toolbar configurations--without having to deal with the hassle of figuring out just what exactly it is you're doing.  Heck, SharpEnviro even comes with built-in support for switching between two separate desktops featuring their own individual windows.  You won't see that in a Microsoft-based product!  These are just a few of the highlights of this super-simple desktop replacement--you'll definitely want to explore the nooks and crannies of this app.

Download it here!

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Security rivals thermal paste as the most important thing you have to keep in mind when building or using a system. Every bit of software on your PC should be updated; every external access point into your digital life, closed.  There's no reason why you should be handing over the keys to the castle to random Internet strangers.  Powerful virus protection, a strong firewall, and a bit of common sense -- among other tricks -- will go far to preserve your fortress of a system.

Now that's all well and good for the desktop in your living room, but what about third-party machines?  We've all had to jump on a system over which we've had no control--no observance or administrative rights to ensure that every bit of the operating system checked out to ideal security standards.  You can always head over the falls in a barrel and type your passwords and login credentials blindly, with no foresight or worries that you're inputting valuable information on a potentially infected machine.  That, or you can do what I'd do: Make sure that your every keystroke and action is somehow safeguarded through the use of portable applications that you can carry on a storage device of your choice (cough USB key cough).

And that's exactly what I'll be exploring in this week's Freeware Files: Five awesome portable apps that you can carry with you to increase your security presence on a PC that isn't yours.  These aren't panaceas--you'll still want to be as critical and as cautious as you would previously.  However, they're a step in the right direction toward (hopefully) a data-leak-free lifestyle.

Active Kill Disk -- Hard Drive Eraser

In a world of small arms, I'll start with the security nuke: If you need to wipe a drive that's too far beyond saving due to malware, virus infections, or some other critical issue, you'll want to slap a copy of Active Kill Disk on your USB key post-haste.  Provided you're rocking a bootable USB key, you can use this app to fire up a DOS-based destruction tool for unruly digital files.  The free version of the app only allows you to erase your drive using the one-pass zero method.  Stronger techniques will require you to pony up a price for the full version of the app.  However, unless you're trying to avoid a government inquiry or something, this should be all you need for bringing your beleaguered hard drive back in line--and making sure that your key information is gone for good!

Download it here!

FreeOTFE

Similar to the popular privacy app TrueCrypt, FreeOTFE allows you to create and access encrypted volumes of information on a system--which, naturally, will appear as just a stream of junk for anyone lacking the proper authorization credentials.  The beauty of FreeOTFE is that, unlike TrueCrypt, you don't actually have to install an application in order to gain access to this powerful protection.  You don't even need administrator rights for the encryption to work!  While this app might not make the most sense if you're frequently jet-setting between systems, it's an ideal solution for building additional privacy into something like your work system.

Download it here!

PortableTor

Need a quick way to access Web sites while reducing your ability to be tracked?  PortableTor is the easy solution for gaining access to a large network of proxy servers (really, other people) that bounce your traffic requests around before pointing them toward the final destination you seek.  The only problem with the Tor solution is that, by nature, traffic exiting the Tor network isn't going to be encrypted.  That would theoretically allow someone serving as an exit node for Tor to eavesdrop on what gets passed out between that machine and said destinations.  Still, for an easy-to-use privacy solution, PortableTor sure beats surfing the Internet vanilla-style.

Download it here!

PuTTY Portable

Right on the heels of PortableTor comes PuTTY Portable.  This app doesn't allow you to join an encrypted network of proxies.  Rather, you can use PuTTY to fire up an encrypted SSH connection -- or tunnel -- to your desktop computer that's presumably located in a safer surfing location than wherever you happen to be.  Once this connection is live, you can use this protected gateway to do your normal network routines like browsing around, checking email, et cetera.  Others won't be able to decrypt the information you're sending out and you won't be forced to use an unsecure network to conduct your important business!

Download it here!

NetWrix USB Blocker

If you're on the flip-side of the equation and are looking for ways to keep your system free from the USB-based applications others are carrying around, then this app is a perfect way to lock down your system from unauthorized, portable access.  NetWrix USB Blocker helps you turn off all (or a select number) of your USB ports, which will prevent anyone from simply walking up, slapping in a USB key, and ripping out your saved passwords in a single setting.  The app requires the use of Microsoft's Group Policy Management, so make sure that's installed on the system of choice before you go to run NetWrix USB Blocker.  After that, your system will be safe from unwanted flash drives!

Download it here!

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

As much as we like to multitask, there's only so much a processor can handle at once. And some processes, like games, monopolize CPU clock cycles, making it inconvenient to run other processor-intensive utilities in the background. That's why we keep our home PC powered on while we're at sleep or at the office. Forget about energy savings--a powerful PC is meant to be utilized!

From scheduled FTP downloads to converting digital photos and more, here are the ten best ways to keep your PC busy so it won't miss you when you're gone. Downtime be damned!

Record TV Shows and Movies

Sure, you can record TV shows and movies while you use your PC, but what do you do if you have two or three programs all battling for your attention? If you can't catch your favorites on Hulu or Boxee, or if you don't have a TV tuner than can handle multiple programs, take advantage of repeat broadcasts of many programs; catch the game live, and record your favorite news programs or movies later.

If your favorite movie station insists on having a marathon of your favorite movie, you might as well record the 2AM showing and watch something else in prime time. If you use Windows Media Center, you can use either the program guide or the movies guide to record movies.

Patch Applications and Run Windows Update

Windows Update enables you to decide when to download and install updates for Windows and for Microsoft Office and other programs supported by Windows Update/Microsoft Update. The default setting is in the middle of the night, but if your PC is busy with other tasks then, consider a time like Wednesday morning after you head off to work (Wednesday morning is also a perfect time to catch Microsoft's Patch Tuesday updates). Need a reminder on how to adjust your settings? Here's how to do it with Windows XP and with Windows Vista (and Windows 7).

Scan Your PC with Anti-virus and Anti-malware Software

Although most current anti-virus and anti-malware programs can run while you use your computer for other tasks, you're still better off to check your machine for problems when you're not using it. Depending upon your favorite software, you might be able to schedule scans from within the software, or in some cases, you might need to run Windows Task Schedule/Scheduled Tasks service separately.

To find out if your favorite programs have built-in scheduling, you might need to switch to the program's advanced mode or advanced menus.  For example, to schedule scans with Spybot S&D, you must switch to the Advanced mode and open the Settings tag to locate the scheduler. However, you might need to update to the paid versions of some scan programs to have access to scheduling functions.

Depending upon the speed of your anti-virus and anti-malware scanners, you might be able to schedule them on the same day or night. If possible, schedule the scanner's update process to run before the scan program itself.

Check Your Hard Drive for Errors with Chkdsk+Defrag

While malware and spyware can deep-six your computer's performance, so can problems with your hard disk's structure. Use the dynamic duo of chkdsk and defrag to check your hard disks for errors and defragment files to keep your storage in good shape.

Chkdsk can be run from the command prompt, and by using command-prompt switches when you schedule chkdsk to run, you have a great deal of control over how chkdsk works. If you want to repair disk errors on the C: (system) drive, you'll need to schedule chkdsk to run at startup.

You can shut down and restart Windows automatically using Task Scheduler, enabling you to run Chkdsk on the system drive at startup. You should run Chkdsk before you run Defrag on a given drive to assure that files are not being moved to corrupt portions of the disk.

In Windows 7, you can select multiple drives for defragmenting, which realigns small file fragments into larger contiguous blocks. This enables faster file reads and writes, especially on drives with frequent changes, such as the drive you use for temporary or swap files or drives with frequent modifications to data files.

Backup Your PC!

You can configure most commercial backup programs as well as Windows's own backup programs to run on a schedule. To make scheduled backups work properly, keep the following in mind:

• Use an external hard disk or network location that's big enough for the backup (you won't be around to flip DVDs or removable media in and out of a backup drive). Use the default compression setting for the best combination of backup performance and backup size.
• Use the backup scheduler included in the backup software.
• Make sure your backup location is ready to receive the backup. With an external hard disk, make sure it's turned on and connected to your PC. With a network backup, make sure the remote drive or server is connected to the network – preferably, to a wired rather than a wireless connection.
• If you have time, verify the backup.
• For best performance, use gigabit Ethernet for network backups and eSATA or USB 3.0 for local drive backups.

To learn more about using Windows 7 backup, see our Windows 7 feature focus article. 

Process Photos and Transcode Videos

If you’re a serious digital photographer, you already know that shooting in RAW mode provides much more control over exposure, white balance, and other factors than shooting in JPEG. However, when it comes to sharing or printing your photos, JPEG rules. Cut out the tedium of converting your photos manually by using automation features in your photo editing software.

With Photoshop Elements and Adobe Camera RAW, you can use Process Multiple Files to convert RAW files into virtually any other format supported by Photoshop Elements, apply quick fixes, resize images, rename files, and add labels.

With Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Camera RAW, you can use the Image Processor to automate the conversion process and run actions. If you still use Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Camera RAW, you can also use Image Processor.

Depending upon what type of video you're encoding or transcoding, there are many choices, all of which take time better spent when you're away from your PC. Here are some of our tutorials and product guides:

How To: Download, Save and Convert Flash Video to Play on your iPod or DVD Player

Ultimate Guide to Playing and Transcoding Downloaded Videos

The Last DVD and Blu-Ray Ripping Guide You'll Ever Need

The Power User's Guide to Video Encoding with Handbrake

The Top Transcoding Apps for Watching Content on Consoles

Schedule Bittorrent Downloads and Pre-Load Steam Games

Whether you use FTP or Bittorrent to transfer files or play games delivered via Steam, you're pushing a lot of information through your home network to the Internet (and vice-versa). Here's how you can take advantage of away from your PC time to handle heavy bit-pushing.

If you use file transfer protocol (FTP) to shuffle files around, you know there are plenty of freeware versions to choose from. Unfortunately, just about all of those that include a scheduler feature will cost you a few bucks. One that won't cost you anything is WinSCP. Use its scripting feature to schedule file transfers. For a low-cost FTP program that doesn't require scripting to schedule transfers, consider ProSoft FTP Scheduler Standard Edition (about $25, 15 day trial).

Want to schedule Bittorrent transfers? Check out the Scheduler feature built into uTorrent. Scheduler allows you to adjust transfer speeds, go idle, or upload only at the times you select. For a  tutorial, see page 7 of our own Paul Lilly's 20 Essential Tricks and Skills Every BitTorrent User Should Know. Be sure to see the comments for tips on using Dropbox and PeerBlock to improve uTorrent performance.

While Steam doesn't provide a way to schedule your downloads, you can pause and restart a game download whenever you want.

Run a Music Server

There's no need to drag your music collection between home and office. Give your iPod or Zune a rest and use our own Norm Chan's How To: Stream Your Music Library to Any Computer tutorial to bring your music to your office. The most time-consuming step (page 2) is importing your music into Netjukebox, so it's a perfect candidate for running it before you hit the hay or head to the office.

Compiling Code or Render Graphics

Compiling code and rendering graphics are among the most time-consuming tasks you can perform, so you shouldn't waste precious playtime by watching your computer munch program and video bits.

Start these processes before you clock out for the evening or as you start off to work. To make sure they run as quickly as possible, set your computer's power management for high performance and turn off other tasks that might interfere, such as Windows and application updates and other processes (such as the ones listed in this guide). If you're rendering graphics to an external drive or building a DVD or Blu-Ray disc, make sure your external drive is ready to roll and that you have a suitable blank disc in your drive.

Contribute to Distributed Computing

You can "give something back" to the world by devoting unused computer cycles to a cause you support. You can help make scientific discoveries or fight deadly diseases, and there's no shortage of causes looking for your help. For a list of projects, see these Maximum PC stories: Facebook and Intel want You to Donate Your Spare Cycles, Freeware Files: Five Free Distributed Computing Projects for your Idle PC!, and New Distributed Computing Initiative Wants to Create Artificial Life. Need more options? See Wikipedia's list of distributed computing projects and Distributed Computing Info's list of projects.

How to Manage It All When You're Away

Whether you're running apps that include built-in schedulers or need to start them yourself, you're going to want a way to log into your home PC from the office and keep an eye on what's going on. You could use commercial services like GotoMyPC, but if you're looking for a powerful freebie, check out the remote connection apps in our story The Ultimate Free Network Applications, Period. During your coffee breaks or lunch, you can stay in complete control of your PC at home.

Optical drives aren't potatoes. You can't boil them, mash them, or stick 'em in a stew. And by that, I mean there's simply not that much you can do with your average digital coffee holder. Optical drives read CDs. Optical drives write CDs. And... well, unless you have your drive hooked up to some kind of crazy Rube Goldberg device that feeds your guinea pig whenever you eject the tray, there's simply not much else you're going to be able to do with this essential part of your PC. CD goes in; CD goes out--end of story.

Of course, I'm being a little tongue-in-cheek with this description. There's a great deal you can do with your optical drive on the software side of things. Here's the problem: There are a ton of different programs out there for ripping, burning, and mounting images, amongst other behaviors. Finding the best-in-class application for your device can be like trying to find a tiny scratch on the bottom of the disc itself--a mind-numbing task that's sure to frustrate you as you sift through the 30 different utilities you've pulled down onto your desktop.

Allow me ease the pain a bit. In this week's freeware files, I'll be taking a look at some of the must-have software to supplement your CD drive. With these five apps, you'll be covered for a wide range of uses--ripping all different kinds of media to your (presumably) terabytes of storage space, burning your own custom discs and presentations based on preexisting files, and converting physical media to digital images that you can pull up off of your hard drive instead of ever having to fiddle with a disc again.

Let's begin!

Ripping: Handbrake and Exact Audio Copy

I wish I could point to a better tool for ripping your DVDs and Blu-ray discs than Handbrake. Unfortunately, there isn't one. There might be apps that offer more settings and customization options than Handbrake, but they certainly aren't without their learning curves. This easy-to-use app delivers a sturdy, helpful GUI for figuring out all the nuances of video ripping-and believe me, there are a ton. Check out Maximum PC's helpful guide to making the most of your Handbrake download, especially for the Blu-Ray ripping part of the deal. By itself, Handbrake doesn't do the greatest job with this kind of media. You'll definitely want to hit up the utilities AnyDVD or DVD43 to supplement your ripping, though it might be worth your while to use the encoding tool RipBot264 instead of Handbrake for Blu-ray rips.

As for audio, you have a few solutions. You can use a program like iTunes or Songbird as your default, all-in-one media warehouse and ripping solution (I recommend either; especially the latter if you don't own any Apple products). If you just want to rip your audio without all the additional cataloging support, check out Exact Audio Copy. This free CD ripping application does a great job of reading through the nicks and scratches of older media to get an accurate, digital copy of your physical disc. You get full ID3 support for tagging your audio and can automatically compress your files to whatever algorithm you want post-rip (especially useful if you combine Exact Audio Copy with the awesome AutoFLAC add-on).

Download Handbrake here!

Download Exact Audio Copy (and AutoFLAC) here!

Burning: ImgBurn and DVD Flick

Sound familiar? Again, ImgBurn is really a best-in-show kind of app that's well-suited to handle all the different kinds of files you throw at it. Want to straight-up burn an image (BIN, CUE, DI, DVD, GI, IMG, ISO, MDS, NRG, and PDI) to a disc? There you go. Want to create your own image file for burning or mounting later? Just fire up the program and select all the files you want to slap into the new archive. Need to burn audio CDs, DVD, or hi-def video discs? Easy as pie. To say that "ImgBurn" is comprehensive would be an understatement--this app literally does it all (and can automatically shut off when it's done!)

So why, then, would you want to grab DVD Flick? This app is like a slimmed-down version of Handbrake. You don't rip the DVDs yourself, rather, DVD Flick runs you through the whole media creation process: take preexisting video files, configure them up to meet your final specifications, and burn the disc. And unlike Handbrake, you can actually create little titles for your movies. It's a perfect way to give a little bit more organization to the 35+ video files you've packed onto your media of choice.

Download ImgBurn here!

Download DVD Flick here!

Mounting: Gizmo Drive

I frequently mention Virtual CloneDrive or Daemon Tools as two of my favorite image mounting programs out there. But, now, a new contender has entered the fray. I've really been enjoying using Gizmo Drive thus far, as this app delivers a comprehensive amount of support for even more file formats than I thought previously existed. Case in point: Not only can you use this freeware app to mount your standard disc images (ISO, CUE, BIN, NRG, etc.), but you can also load VHD files (used with Microsoft's Virtual PC program) into a virtualized optical drive as well. That's a pretty unique feature for mounting apps at this point, which gives the head-nod to Gizmo Drive as one of the best examples in its category.

Download it here!

Slideshows: DVD Slideshow GUI

This one's a little bit esoteric, but hear me out. Sure, you can burn a ton of your pictures and such to whatever media you want. But what's the point of doing this without incorporating a little pizazz as well? Are you really going to impress everyone when you have to tell them to fire up the ol' Windows Photo Gallery just to scroll through your shots? That's where the open-source DVD Slideshow GUI comes into play. This simple-to-use application gives you a number of different transition effects to slap between pictures (and movies!) you've arranged yourself. You can set durations, print subtitles, and run all sorts of visual effects throughout your little presentation. And when you're done, you can burn your masterpiece directly out of the app itself!

Download it here!

Autoplay: Ed's Autorun INF Generator and PStart

Like peas in a pod, these two utilities will allow you to create a little menu for launching programs, opening files, and doing whatever else it is you want to do whenever you stick one of your finished CDs in the drive for the first time. I'll start with PStart. If you have a ton of portable apps, executables, or .bat files stuck in a folder, then be sure to install PStart as a portable application to this folder. That's key, as this allows PStart to then use relative paths for the shortcuts it creates for its little launching menu. From there, feel free to add whatever programs you want to said launcher.

Once you're done, fire up Ed's Autorun INF Generator and select the main PStart executable as the one you want to automatically launch once the CD or DVD is first read by the drive. It's as simple as that. You'll now have a cute little icon-driven menu for launching elements on your discs instead of having to revert to the old, boring way of searching for these programs through Windows Explorer. Lame.

Download Ed's Autorun INF Generator here!

Download PStart here!

You know Adobe's portable document format: PDF. It's everywhere, from downloadable documentation for a motherboard you need to tweak to press releases from the assemblyman from Lower Someplace, PDFs rule. Why? It's not hard to understand:

• PDF files are supported by computers and mobile devices, including smartphones; comparable formats such as Microsoft's XPS don't enjoy nearly as wide a level of support
• PDF files are cross-platform, enabling you to create a PDF on a PC and read it on any other device with PDF support
• PDF files can be secured in varying ways, including view-only and view and print/no edit, and so on
• PDF files can support hyperlinks, images, and other rich media features
• PDF documents can be optimized for web display, eBook readers, PC printing, and high-resolution professional printing

Add up these reasons, and it's easy to see why PDF make sense if you need to distribute a document that can be read everywhere.

Although Adobe sets the standards for PDF files with its Acrobat PDF creation and Reader PDF display software, Adobe isn't the only game in town when it comes to PDF creation. In this article, you'll discover if your system is already ready to spit out a PDF on demand, how to add PDF output to your system, and how to track down free tools that enable you to perform some PDF editing.

Check the File Menu for PDF Output Options

Depending upon the software included on your system, you might already have a PDF creation program installed. To find out, open the File menu. If you see an option such as Publish to PDF or Export to PDF, your application includes a built-in PDF creation feature.

Core WordPerfect Suite X4 and Open Office 3.1 are two current office suites that include PDF output in the File menu. To add PDF output to Microsoft Office 2007, download the free Microsoft Save As PDF plugin.

If you don't use applications that include PDF output, you can add PDF output by installing a PDF creation program that runs as a virtual printer driver. These programs install an option in the Print menu, so you can use File, Print to create a PDF file.

PDF Settings 101

Depending upon the PDF creation solution you use, you have varying amounts of control over the size, quality, and features in the completed PDF file. Some PDF creators provide a selection of PDF styles that optimize output for online, print, or other uses.

Some creators also provide additional options through a tabbed interface that appears during the creation process, or might add PDF settings to the Advanced Options portion of the PDF virtual printer's properties sheet. Some of these options include:

Compatibility

Various versions of the PDF standard have been created over time, each adding additional capabilities. Although Adobe now supports PDF versions up to 1.7 (used in Acrobat/Reader 9.x), most freeware PDF creators output PDF version 1.5 (compatible with Acrobat 6.0 and above) and might offer compatibility with older versions.

Style

While you can individually adjust settings for resolution, font embedding, graphics quality, and other options that can influence file size, a PDF style option provides a quick way to select from optimizations for commercial printing, online viewing only, printing and viewing, and options designed for archiving (PDF/A).

Editable Text – or Not

By default, text in a PDF file remains editable if you create the PDF file from a word-processing or other text-based document. However, if you used non-standard fonts in the original document and cannot embed the fonts in the PDF, you might need to select the option to export all text as curves. Doing so enables the document to look just like the original even if the fonts are not available on the target system, but essentially converts the PDF file into an image file.

Compression

By adjusting the level of bitmap compression or by selecting different styles (which also affects bitmap compression), you can greatly affect the size of the final document. However, there's no free lunch. Note the huge difference in image quality between the default (view/print) and the eBook versions of the file.

Color Model

The default color model is RGB, which matches the way that displays work with color. However, if you are creating a PDF file for printing, you should choose CMYK if your PDF creator allows this option.

Security

Some PDF creators provide options for password-protection of the PDF file, or can restrict the user's ability to print or edit the file.

Hyperlinking, Transition, and Presentation

Most PDF creators are designed primarily to create PDF files suitable for viewing or printing. However, PDF files can also include hyperlinks, transitions, and control over the user interface. PDF creators that support these features, such as the Export to PDF option in OpenOffice 3.1, will also prompt you for settings that control how the document will first look when opened, whether users can interact with the PDF file or just view it, whether hyperlinks in the document will function,  and others.

Adding PDF Output to Your System with Freeware

For this article, we tested three freeware PDF creators and compared their results to the Export to PDF feature in OpenOffice 3.1. For testing, I created two one-page documents, both of which included a large bitmap. One was stored as a rich text format (RTF) file, and the other was stored as a Microsoft Word 97-2003 file.

CutePDFWriter

CutePDF is a small download (about 3.7MB), but when you install it, there's a catch – you must also install a free PS2PDF converter such as Ghostscript (the installer provides a link). That's just the first limitation in CutePDF. If you're looking for control over your PDF output quality, CutePDF also falls short. CutePDF offers no option to select PDF version, compression levels, security, styles, or other common PDF settings, but it does include a resolution setting. Its Advanced Option menu is primarily designed to configure the Ghostscript Postscript-compatible driver it uses for output. CutePDF produces a good-looking PDF file that was also the largest file of the four programs selected, and when you save your PDF file, it includes a plug for a more powerful paid version.

doPDF

DoPDF is a freebie from novaPDF. DoPDF offers more control over the output PDF file than CutePDF, including page size and the option to embed fonts. However, like CutePDFWriter, doPDF does not support PDF version, compression levels, security, or styles, and includes a plug for a more powerful paid version during the creation process. DoPDF created a PDF that was one-third the size of CuteFTPWriter with identical image quality.

Bullzip Printer

Bullzip Printer, despite the name, is the most powerful of the three virtual PDF printer drivers in this comparison. You can control most PDF settings through the Advanced Options dialog of the Bullzip PDF Printer driver.

You can also save documents in most popular bitmap formats as well as PDF. It supports PDF version settings, initial zoom level, quality settings, watermarks, passwords, and can also append and merge PDF files. It provides the most features of any of the freeware PDF writers in this roundup, and it produced the smallest file of the three.

Bullzip Versus OpenOffice 3.1

OpenOffice 3.1's Export to PDF lacks Bullzip's ability to select the PDF version (although it can create a DF/A-1a file suitable for document archiving), but it can create PDF forms, provides plenty of control over how a PDF document will display, and maintains hyperlinks in the document. When creating a one-page PDF file with a large bitmap and hyperlinks, Bullzip lost the hyperlinks, while OpenOffice 3.1 preserved them.

Bullzip's output file was one-fifth the size of OpenOffice 3.1's, making it a better choice for print or web display, but if you need to create an interactive or self-playing PDF file, OpenOffice 3.1's a better choice.

Editing PDF Files using Web Apps

You can try out lots of PDF editors for free, but sooner or later it's time to pay up or clean off. If you only need occasional PDF editing, consider a couple of free online services:

PDFescape: Includes touchup, merge, form, and markup capabilities. Registration is not required, but allows you to store edited files online.

PDFHammer: Includes security, metadata, page deletion and reordering, and file combining.

Extracting Photos for Free

Want to pull images from a PDF file? Download the freeware Some PDF Images Extract and you can pull JPEG images from PDF files.

A-PDF offers a trial version of its A-PDF Image Extractor. Check out the website to see how you can get a free license.

Conclusion

Before you create a PDF, decide how you want to use it. The way you create it has a lot of impact on its size and features.

It's difficult to envision a life without email. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. Suffice, digital messaging is just a fact of geek life that we all have to deal with on a daily basis. Whether your inbox gets flooded with messages like the Nile during rainy season, or it's barren as one of those outback wastelands that Bear Grylls likes to visit, you probably aren't using your email client of choice to its fullest potential.

That's ok. Neither was I before undertaking the research for this week's open-source and freeware roundup. But now that I have seen the light, as it were, I would never go back to the ol' vanilla installations of Outlook, Thunderbird, Gmail, or whatever one's particular email utility of choice happens to be. There are just too many interesting ways to tweak and alter the normal email experience to better enhance your ability to read, organize, and shuffle your messages.

That's kind of "the big point" of the roundup this week--making your email work better for you. Click the jump, and I'll show you five apps and utilities for taking your email processing to the next level!

KLS Email Backup

If you're the kind of person who likes to run full system backups, then congratulations--you may skip over this helpful piece of freeware because you're as protected as you're going to get on your PC. That said, you might want to keep reading anyway. If your email is a lot more critical to your daily life than what your weekly (or whatever) backups provide, then you'll want to check out KLS Email Backup and its wide array of potential uses. This simple app makes it easy to backup and restore a huge range of programs to local or network drives, including both full and incremental backups as well as zip-based compression. I'd list the all the supported clients here, but it might take up another full paragraph...

Download it here! 

MailDrop

You've seen plenty of examples of how to use the popular file-synchronizing client Dropbox to, well, keep a consistent folder full of files across however many desktops or laptops you use. Here's another trick: MailDrop is a little utility that, once run, will open up your common Dropbox folder to the wonderful world of email. The program runs in the background of your system and checks an email account you specify on a fairly regular basis. When it finds new messages and attachments in this account, it'll automatically download the files and slap them into your Dropbox folder, which will then synchronize said files across whatever computers you've elected to put into your Dropbox Web.

And no, you don't need to make a new email account to use this functionality--MailDrop will only look for files and messages in a specific "Dropbox" folder in your messaging system (or Dropbox label, if you're on Gmail).

Download it here! 

OutSync

Outlook-only on this one, folks. And what a bummer that is, because OutSync is a pretty useful tool for automatically populating your Windows contacts with photographs of your friends. The only catch is that you have to have a working Facebook account for this to happen. Why's that? OutSync mashes up your Windows contacts with their respective profile photographs on their Facebook accounts. It might sound lame at first glance, especially to those of you who aren't into the whole Web 2.0 community thing. But the alternative--manually finding a picture for every single contact you know--sounds a bit mind-numbing to me.

Download it here! 

Zindus

Fair's fair, Thunderbird users. Here's an add-on that's for you and you alone. Zindus is a simple little utility that allows you to synchronize your Google Contacts with Thunderbird's Personal Address Book (or an address book that's been named after your particular Gmail address). The synchronization is two-way, so feel free to add and update new information on either the Thunderbird or Gmail side. If you're an intrepid user, you might notice that certain fields don't exactly correlate between the desktop client and your Web client. Zindus tracks following fields during your synchronization attempts:

• Full Name
• Primary Email address and Second Email address
• Phone Numbers: Home, Work, Work Fax, Pager, Mobile
• Instant Messaging (AIM)
• Company and Title
• Notes 

Download it here!

Googsystray

All this talk of desktop clients makes me feel like I've overlooked a biggie. I apologize for not finding an application or utility that's more applicable for a whole host of Web-based email services than what's offered by Googsystray. However, I think it's safe to say that most--if not all--of us have Google accounts for some kind of service. I mention that fact, because Googsystray is an excellent tool for keeping abreast of what's going on in all of the Google services worth knowing about. As the name implies, this app pops up a little message box in the corner of your desktop whenever something new happens in one of the following services:

• Gmail
• Google Voice
• Calendar
• Reader
• Wave 

It's as simple as that! You can have the app notify you with a little sound if you prefer, and even run a specific command whenever a particular action takes place (like a new item popping up in your RSS feed, for example).

Download it here!

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

It's been exactly a month since we last visited the topic of Google Chrome. With both Windows and OSX beta versions of the browser now supporting add-ons, and with nearly 1,500 possible extensions flooding the Chrome Extensions "marketplace" since December 8, 2009, it's about time to take another look at the overflowing mass of Chrome add-ons. Why? To build the perfect browser, of course. Allow me a moment to monologue:

I've been a Mozilla Firefox user for a long, long time. Simply put, I love extensions. Being able to build new elements into my browsing experience, from Cloud-based bookmark synchronization to Sudoku puzzles, has been one of the more awesome elements of using this piece of software. If only it was that easy to enhance or extend the usefulness of any program one installed!

I've been hesitant to switch to Chrome for this very reason--without add-on support, I'm missing out on 50- to 75-percent of the awesomeness I've build into my admittedly slower and more memory-hogging browser, Firefox. But that's an argument that's slowly dying away. A number of Firefox's best add-ons have made the conversion over to Google Chrome, and that's exactly what I'll be exploring in this Freeware Files roundup.

These extensions are the crème de la crème. The best. The add-ons you should rush to pack into any new installation of Google Chrome, period. But that's not all--I'm also going to take a look at some apps that interact with Google Chrome or, in some cases, replace Google Chrome entirely... you'll see what I mean when it comes to interesting alternatives!

Apps

Chrome Privacy Protector

When Google Chrome installs on your machine, it installs with a unique ID that, in theory, could make the browser traceable to you in some fashion. I'm not suggesting that Chrome has some huge security breach or that there exists a huge record of everybody's installation / browsing / add-ons / whatever. However, the fact of the matter remains--there's an identifying number tied to your installation. If you're a privacy geek, that's not cool. And if that's not cool, then Chrome Privacy Protector is the app you'll use to get rid of this variable.

Download it here!

Iron-Version or ChromePlus

These two browsers, variants of Google Chrome (technically, the open-source Chromium version of the browser), each offer a different set of customizations and built-in add-ons that might be just what you're looking for if you find the standard version of Chrome to be a bit lacking.

Here's the deal: Iron-Version focuses on building a more private browsing experience, in that it strips out a number of features that would be used to send Google information of any sort. No longer will your browser have a user ID associated with it, send any data to Google in any form, update itself from Google's servers, or use any alternative error messages when your browsing experience goofs up.

ChromePlus, on the other hand, doesn't concern itself with privacy as much--more usefulness. Although this Chrome variant still strips out parts of the whole "sending information to Google" routine, it also packs a lot of great functionality directly into the browser that you'd otherwise have to find via add-ons.

For example, this version of Chrome allows you to double-click in the area of any tab to close it--take that, tiny "x" button. You can quickly open up new tabs by dragging a link on a page to anywhere on that page, and you can also navigate back and forth through your Chrome browsing experience using built-in mouse gestures. Even better, you can load up the Internet Explorer rendering engine directly via Chrome for pages that don't play well with Google's browser.

Download Iron-Version here and ChromePlus here!

On page two: The Top 5 must-have Google Chrome Add-ons!

Add-ons

Google Mail Checker Plus

If you don't use Gmail, I apologize in advance. However, this add-on is tremendously useful if you only use the Webmail version of the app, but still want to know as soon as new messages hit your inbox without having to keep a Gmail tab open all the time. Google Mail Checker Plus sticks a little icon next to your address bar and--unlike Google Mail Checker--gives you a host of configuration options, including the amount of time it should wait between checking for new mail and whether you want to always connect to Gmail via SSL, amongst other options.

Download it here!

Xmarks Bookmark Sync

If you haven't heard about Xmarks Bookmark Sync, you've been living under a rock. Google Chrome can synchronize its bookmarks via your Google account--a great solution for keeping the list of your favorite sites up-to-date regardless of what machine you're using Chrome on. However, if you use multiple browsers throughout your day, the built-in synchronization for Chrome will never catch the tabs in your other favorite apps. Xmarks can and will. This add-on does an excellent job of keeping a consistent database of your bookmarks regardless of the browser you're surfing with.

Download it here!

LastPass

Read the description of Xmarks above. Now remove the part about Google Chrome synchronizing anything and replace all instances of the word "bookmarks" with "passwords." In short, LassPass is an awesome way to securely keep track of all your major passwords across one or many browsing apps. Instead of having to remember a ton of different passwords for all your sites, LastPass does this all for you. Once it recognizes that you're on a site with a saved password, it'll send an encrypted version of your login to the site automatically--a keylogger won't work to steal your information as you won't actually be typing in your credentials to access a site after the first time! Of course, there's more to LastPass than just this feature, but it's certainly one of the add-on's bigger selling points.

Download it here!

Session Manager

If you're like me, you keep a ton of tabs open for research, archiving, and "I'll get to it later" excuses. And when your browser crashes or otherwise screws up, the built-in auto-restore might not work to speed--on Firefox, for example, an errant pop-up window can suddenly become the "last saved session" the browser remembers. If that happens, you can kiss the 40+ tabs you were saving goodbye. Session Manager allows you to save and restore browsing states as if it was nothing. This add-on is the perfect tool for preventing unexpected browser tab loss forevermore.

Download it here!

Adblock or Adthwart

You asked for 'em and here they are! If Web advertising hacks you off--and I'm talking about obtrusive, in-your-face, or offensive Web advertising--then you'll want to grab theAdblock or Adthwart add-ons to nuke these unpleasant additions to your favorite Web sites. I'm not actually sure which add-on I like better, to be honest. Your success with either will depend on your own personal preference. Both do a great job of using predefined lists to accelerate your blocking experience. However, in doing so, you might be stripping the monthly food budget of a lot of hardworking Web folk so, uh, tread... carefully?

Download Adblock here and Adthwart here!

I'll preface: not that kind of hardcore file management. And I'll promise: I will do my best to not make some kind of witty reflection about how it's the new year, and you should really use this time to finish that big resolution of getting your computer's file system all tidy and organized, et cetera. Only, I just said that. And that's exactly what this first Freeware Files of the 2010 is about. Enclosed within the bits and bytes of this post are five killer applications that are designed to help out your cluttered, aging file system by hunting down junk, helping you organize, and giving you new ways to tackle issues that bugged you in 2009.

There's no freeware app that's going to get me to stop with this extended metaphor, unfortunately. But don't let that keep you away from the helpful programs found within the bowels of this very post. Need an app that better manages your Windows 7 libraries? Got it. Need a way to recover deleted files from a USB key? Fear not. Want to catalog and delete the duplicate files taking up unnecessary space on your system? Get ready to itch that trigger finger.

Those are but mere snippets of the full assortment of apps in this week's roundup. If frustrating file issues and a steadily decreasing amount of hard drive space makes you mad, then get ready to pop five different freeware chill pills.

Migratr

If you're sitting on a large stash of photographs in hopes that they'll somehow sprout wings and fly away to your favorite online hosting service, you're in for quite a wait. While Migratr can't help you get your pictures from your hard drive to your favorite online photo gallery of choice, it's an awesome tool for duplicating the contents of an online photo archive to a new service entirely.

The cool thing about the freeware app Migratr is its sheer compatibility: In one app, you have a direct route to quickly get your photos transferred (really, copied) to more than 10 different photo hosting services. Jump from Photobucket to Flickr. Jump from Flickr to Smugmug. Jump from Smugmug to Picasa. Does this have anything to do with actual desktop-based file management? Not really. However, to dry up the future tears streaming down your face when your years' worth of photographs are eliminated in a single, unfortunate drive crash, there is no better solution than Migratr. In but a few clicks, you have insta-backups all around the Web--backups that preserve your original EXIF data, mind you.

Download it here!

iBin

Delete a file on your system and it goes to your recycle bin. Delete a file on your USB key... and you're stuck. Stuck until now, that is. The useful app iBin creates a new recycle bin of sorts on a portable device of your choosing, tasked with storing the deleted files from your USB drive until you're ready to cut the cord for good. A super-helpful configuration screen actually gives you more options to work with than the default Windows recycle bin, and an easy-to-use file list delivers the name, size, and deletion date of the files you've since recycled from your key.

The only sticking point with iBin is that it uses the term "recycled" to actually mean "restore," whereas traditional Windows users might mistake this for "delete for good." The "Clear data selected" option is actually the big delete key for files that have been recycled. Er. Deleted. Er. Trashed?

Download it here!

Win7 Library Tool

Windows 7's libraries--large file organizers that can scoop up certain files from across your operating system into giant combined folders--are pretty cool tools for those with media files scattered all over the place. However, just try adding a networked location as part of a library. Odds are good you will run into difficulty. Solving that problem became the genesis of the Win7 Library Tool, but that's not all this little utility can deliver for Windows 7 library enthusiasts. Not only will you be able to add un-indexed folders to your libraries for now and evermore, but you'll also be able to:

• Backup and restore your library configuration for quick resetting following an OS reinstallation or for transfer to a different PC.
• Create a mirror of your libraries in a new [systemdrive]:\Libraries folder, which gives you easier access to said libraries by eliminating your need to hunt through a large list of folders.
• Change the icons for your libraries!

Download it here!

Auslogics Duplicate File Finder

The name says it all. This application combs through your system and spits out a list of all the duplicate files on your PC. You can then peruse said files and choose which, if any, you want to delete from your system for good. Sounds easy, right?

Just to make sure that it's catching exactly what you want it to catch, Duplicate File Finder comes with a number of configurable options for the searches it runs on your system. You can have the program match files by their exact name, size, date and time, or contents--which includes an MD5 check, in case two files are bit-for-bit identical but exist under different names in your file system. You can set the program to scan for particular files, like multimedia or applications, and tell it to ignore any files under a specific size. Who cares about those tiny little text files on your drive when you can go after the bigger space hogs?

Download it here!

NTFSRatio

Just how well is the NTFS file system--and I hope you've switched to the NTFS file system--compressing your folders? Only one way to find out! Fire up the NTFSRatio utility, which gives you way to scan folders and subfolders on your system to determine just how much compression you've achieved for a particular file or folder. If you've found that this ratio just isn't up to your specifications, then you can compress or decompress the folder directly through NTFSRatio. It's that easy.

Download it here!

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!