These are some of my favorite programs and I think they are worth telling you about. Some of these are free and some are not (though you can download free trials, usually 30 days). Jim

FILEZILLA – FTP programs are used for uploading and downloading files to and from the internet. I use it for building my web site. Hey, I've been a long-time user of WS FTP Pro (last version used: 7.5), and I'm going to tell you that after using Firezilla's free FTP tool for just a short couple hours that I'm sold on it. It makes no difference that I paid for the other one. Firezilla blows it away! It's is an Open Source project, which means it's developed by numerous programmers working together to create excellent pieces of software (they do accept donations, however). It's comes from the same site as another most excellent free program I have used called "Audacity".

FOLDER CACHE – Folder Cache is not a freebie, but it's worth the small price ($19) for what it does. Here's a review written about this excellent program: "Folder Cache is a very useful Windows Explorer add-on that allows you to access a list of recently used folder and favorites folders from the Save and Open dialogs... A must-have tool, that one you use it, you'd never want to miss..." Instead of having to go searching for my regularly or recently used folders I just access Folder Cache and find them in no time! It's a time saver. :)

GHOST TYPER – This is one of those programs I was searching for in the archives and new releases of one of the couple free program newsletters I receive. What this thing does is to automate many of the regular typing functions you use in your day to day writing and emailing. Truthfully, I have yet to take advantage of its many possibilities.

Consider how many times you have addressed an email that if pre-formatted you could simply type something like "#email" and have it spit out your whole opening and closing with any addresses, headers, links, etc? You could enter your email address with a simple typed command like "#ej" Sound handy? This is just the tip of the iceberg! Any typing task you regularly have to manually type out can be formatted with this program. It works with any application you use on your computer.

One of the things I use it for is in quoting my often used Bible verses or passages. It takes a little while to set up, but you can do it a bit at a time, like each time you quote a commonly used one. Think how much easier it would be to type something like "#1cor0518-21" and have the whole passage automatically replace that small phrase (formatted as previously set up) instead of having to find the passage you want to quote, copying and pasting it, and then editing it to remove the breaks and numbered verses, etc??

I use the free version, though there is an upgrade that can be purchased if you want more options.

TEXT PAD – "TextPad® is a powerful, general purpose editor for plain text files. Easy to use, with all the features a power user requires." I only use a small portion of its many options and features. It has become my default text editor because of the extra functions and features available. Text Pad has a free trial download, but must be purchased if kept. It costs a whole $29 (US) and is well worth it. :)

CACHEMAN – "The Cacheman utility is designed to improve the performance of your computer by optimizing the disk cache, memory and a number of other settings. Cacheman prevents frequent paging to the hard disk caused by poor memory management, so you get improved performance, faster system reaction time and greater stability. Wizards and predefined profiles make it suitable for novices and yet it is also powerful and versatile enough for the more experienced user. Cacheman also corrects generic problems on systems with more than 512MB of RAM. "

On top of the RAM recovery in the free version (must purchase for auto-optimization) one of my most regular uses of this program is in it's easy access to all my running programs when needing to shut down a program that was supposed to be turned off. Very handy.

SyncBack 3.1 Back Up Utility – "SyncBack is a powerful freeware program that helps you backup and synchronise your files to: the same drive; a different drive or medium (CDRW, CompactFlash, etc); an FTP server; a Network; or a Zip archive." An excellent backup utility to help ensure those important files are saved.

A43 File Management Utility – a freeware file management utility for Windows XP/2000. I just found this recently and haven't used it extensively but it has many excellent features including an integrated text editor, integrated zip/unzip (that can be turned into self-extracting archives), integrated file search, integrated quick launch of most used programs, favorite buttons, dual-pane view ... and it requires no installation (data is not written to the system registry but saved in an .ini file).

REGISTRY MECHANIC 3.0 – Another excellent program - free trial / $30 to buy - that I regularly use to keep my computer running well. Publisher's description: "Registry Mechanic is an advanced registry cleaner for Windows that allows you to safely scan, clean, and repair registry problems with a few simple mouse clicks. Problems with the Windows Registry are a common cause of Windows crashes and error messages. By using PC tune-up utilities such as registry cleaners regularly, your system will be more stable, your software will run quicker, and your operating system will boot faster. Registry problems can occur for many reasons, including references left behind after uninstallation; incorrect removal of software; missing or corrupt hardware drivers; or orphaned start-up programs. With a few easy steps, Registry Mechanic will scan your entire registry for any invalid entries and provide a list of the errors found. You then can choose to clean each item or automatically repair them all after making a backup without the need for a registry editor such as Regedit. Registry Mechanic tools are free of spyware and adware."