The best free tools for your computer

In this feature, we will take you through our top 50 secret free downloads and explain exactly why you should have them running on your PC.

You will find everything from system utilities to accounting packages. And since they are free, you have got nothing to lose by giving them a go. All downloads listed here are also spyware-free, so there is no risk to your computer.

1 Capture images from your PC screen
Grabbing a snapshot of your desktop can be useful in many scenarios, for example keeping a copy of an online receipt. Gadwin Printscreen lets you capture the active window, a section or the entire desktop.

2 Get information about your PC’s health
If you are curious about what is going on inside your PC or trying to diagnose a hardware problem, Serious Samurize tells you all you need to know, including system temperatures, processor usage and much more.

3 Spruce your desktop wallpaper
Adding your own wallpaper is a great way to personalise Windows but the same image can become stale. Point Wallpaper Juggler to a folder full of images, however, and it will periodically change your wallpaper so you will never get bored of the same background. It can even download wallpaper images from the web.

4 Tidy up your desktop
Having multiple windows open simultaneously can soon clutter a desktop. Winroll makes all active windows roll up into their title bar, clearing your desktop in seconds. You can also instruct specific windows to stay on top of others, send them to the back or make them translucent.

5 Back up files with ease
If you want to quickly and effortlessly create backups from your computer and send them to a CD, DVD or an FTP site the Comodo Backup is the tool for you. Scheduled backups are available, but it will also immediately create backups of important files as soon as they are saved.

6 Clear up your hard disk
Windows comes with its own built-in defragmenting tool that attempts to speed up hard disk access times on your computer but it’s not particularly fast and has limited features. Defraggler is a faster alternative and allows you to limit the process to just a selection of files, making your PC run more smoothly.

7 Copy your entire hard disk
If you want to make a complete backup of your computer, disk imaging is the way to go. Driveimage XML is easy to use and lets you make an exact copy of entire disks or partitions. You can also use it to browse through previously saved copies, transferring any files that you need.