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Kill AdWare Dead

Ad-aware 5

Some programs may install files on your hard drive that secretly download ads. Makers of Web tools such as Usenet readers, instant messaging programs, and Napster clones use the advertising to support their products. But such ad programs can threaten your privacy and lead to system crashes. To be safe, download Lavasoft's free Ad-aware 5. It scans your Windows Registry and your hard drive for traces of the ad tools and deletes them. Frequent updates keep you a step ahead of the ad-download companies.

SUMMARY

Lavasoft Ad-aware 837KB

The Cookie Patrol

Cookie Crusher

Someday all browsers will make it easy to sort through the cookies that Web sites use to identify you and track your browsing habits. But I wouldn't hold my breath. In the interim, The Limit Software's $15 Cookie Crusher 2.6b can help. Set it to accept or reject all cookies from a single server on a site (such as the server holding your shopping cart) or all cookies from an entire Internet domain (those cookies dished up by a company such as DoubleClick, for instance). The program tells you whether a cookie tracks your surfing, serves advertisements, or provides a shopping cart.

SUMMARY

The Limit Software Cookie Crusher 1.1MB

Trusty Virus Defender

EZ Antivirus

For an efficient and reliable virus scanner, get ETrust's $20 EZ Antivirus program. In our recent tests, it quickly scanned a virus-infested hard drive, caught every piece of nefarious code, and achieved a perfect score in repairing the infected files. The downside: It's a bare-bones application that doesn't allow you to schedule automatic scans or retrieve automatic virus-definition updates; you must remember to manually download the latest inoculations. Updates are free for the first year and $10 a year thereafter.

SUMMARY

ETrust EZ Antivirus 3.9MB

File Management on Steroids

PowerDesk

You'll never feel the need to open Windows Explorer again once you start using Ontrack's free PowerDesk 4 File Manager. It has many customization features, including single- or dual-pane views, file compression and decompression, file preview, a file-sort indicator, and a powerful file finder. Unlike Explorer, PowerDesk has a toolbar with icons for all available drives, making copying and moving files a one-click snap--instead of a scrolling scavenger hunt.

SUMMARY

Ontrack PowerDesk1.1MB

Scrubbing Off Ads

WebWasher

As advertising revenues have dwindled on the Internet, the ads have gotten more aggressive. They blink, pop up, and barge into your browser page. Scrub away pesky ads with WebWasher 3. It blocks ads (including the ever-annoying pop-up variety), cookies, and invisible Web bugs that track your surfing. Best of all, it practices what it preaches: It's free to noncommercial users and it never pesters you to upgrade to a paid version.

SUMMARY

WebWasher 1.2MB

Show Some Skin

WindowBlinds

Tired of Microsoft's taste in interfaces? Redecorate. Stardock's WindowBlinds 2.2 lets you apply skins that give Windows new graphics, detailing, and colors--turning the operating system's appearance into anything from a Macintosh look-alike to a Leonardo da Vinci tribute. You can download and customize any of more than 1000 free skins, or design your own with Stardock's SkinStudio. WindowBlinds is a blast, but heads up: It conflicts with certain apps, and the flashier skins bog down sub-600-MHz PCs. Both WindowBlinds and SkinStudio are free to try; they're $20 apiece to register.

SUMMARY

Stardock WindowBlinds 1.3MB

Rev Up the Windows Key

WinKey

Do you use the Windows key on your keyboard? Chances are, you don't. On most PCs, the function of the Windows key is limited to opening the Start menu and some folders. But Copernic Technologies' free WinKey program will give you a reason to start using that overlooked key. Billed as a keyboard enhancer, the software lets you create simple Windows-key shortcuts that launch applications, folders, Web pages, and other items, making Windows efficient and easy to use. It's a snap to program, and it supports up to 200 key combinations.

SUMMARY

Copernic Technologies WinKey 1.2MB

Sheltered System

ZoneAlarm

If you're constantly connected to the Web, your PC is especially vulnerable to hacker attacks. Zone Labs' free ZoneAlarm 2.6 can give you some protection. It blocks attacks from the outside and guards against dangers that originate within your PC as well, preventing Internet-bound applications from opening ports into your system. ZoneAlarm also makes a digital fingerprint of authorized apps so that Trojan horses can't slip by, masquerading as trusted programs. Just before press time, Zone Labs announced version 3 (due out this month), designed to protect program components (such as DLLs) from being changed and to provide an online help function that explains security vulnerabilities in plain English. For added privacy controls, such as ad blocking and cookie management, consider buying the Pro version.

SUMMARY

Zone Labs ZoneAlarm 2.8MB

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