There are various tools that will enable you to maintain your hard drive. These include migrating content from one computer to another, copying the contents of an old drive to a brand new drive, partitioning a large drive or simply backing up your most important data. Luckily for you, you don't need to go out and buy all these applications separately as companies such as Paragon Software have bundled the core functionality in to one toolkit; namely Paragon Hard Disk Manager 8.5 SE which we're giving away completely free of charge.

Paragon Hard Disk Manager 8.5 SE, worth £21, is a complete hard disk management toolkit that will enable you to copy, merge, backup and partition your drive. This is an exclusive download for Incisive Media web users and is available for a limited period of time.

Paragon Hard Disk Manager 8.5 SE link.

A new PC will be free of viruses and other malicious software, but get online and your system is under threat instantly. Although many new machines do ship with at least basic anti-virus support, it would be well worth protecting your PC as thoroughly as possible. A good all-in-one security application enables you to protect your computer from viruses as well as identify potential threats and remove any unwanted items. The benefit of a single application is that you do not have to worry about how well different applications will work together.

Comodo Internet Security 3.5 is a free suite comprising of a number of different security utilities all designed to provide maximum protection for your computer. This tool provides goo protection against almost anything you may encounter when browsing the web and there is also a professional version available for even more thorough protection.

Comodo Internet Security 3.5 link.

Often mistaken for the oldest web browser, Internet Explorer was indeed the browser of choice for many for a number of years. Unfortunately though, as newer versions were few and far between, people began looking for alternatives. One reason IE was so widely used was because it shipped with Windows itself and even with Mac OS until fairly recently. There are now a number of alternatives available including Firefox and Opera, but there are other alternatives based on Internet Explorer itself.

Avant Browser 11.7 is an alternative browser that has a similar look and feel to Internet Explorer, but has a number of extra options. You can deactivate certain elements of web pages, including pictures and flash animation as well as block pop-ups and other advertisements. Worth trying if you're looking for a quick, lightweight web browser. 

Avant Browser 11.7 link.  

By now, I'm sure you're sick of us going on about how, after a period of time, your Registry will be cluttered with irrelevant information after using your PC to test and the uninstall new software. The problem is that the supplied uninstallers do not always remove all the file associations left behind by unwanted software. The result is that your PC can take far longer to boot than necessary. With the latest issue of Computeractive magazine, on-sale right now, you can get the full version of PC Tools Registry Mechanic 7, worth £30.

PC Tools Registry Mechanic 7 will examine your Registry and check for information that it thinks is safe to remove. In theory, this should speed up your PC with a more streamlined Registry. You can backup your current Registry so if you do experience problems, you can quickly restore your old database.

Computeractive issue 279 link.

If your job requires you to travel and work in different cities or  countries from day-to-day and/or stick to strict deadlines, organisation is very important. It wasn't so long ago, carrying diaries and organisers or even business cards would have been the items used by most, but technology has now superseded these more traditional items. Laptops, PDA's and mobile phones now enable most of us to stay organised, and if equipped with some sort of personal information manager, keep track of important dates and other scheduled tasks.

EssentialPIM 2.81 Free is a freeware personal information manager which will help enable users to stay organised from day-to-day. It can be used as a calendar, to take important notes and handle your contacts. It's a small application but has an easy-to-use interface, and has a host of other useful features.

EssentialPIM 2.81 link.

Go out and buy your new PC and you'll find that it ships either pre-configured in various partitions that the manufacturer has decided is most suitable for your requirements or as one continuous block. Fear not, you can quickly and easily amend, create or delete partitions on any drive with commercial partition management software. Luckily for you, with the latest Christmas edition of PCW magazine, on-sale right now, you can get the full commercial version of Paragon Partition Manager 9 SE, worth £21.

Paragon Partition Manager 9 SE is all you need to manage your drive partitions, whether the drive is internal or connected externally. Use it to create, delete, merge or expand existing partitions. You could have a small system partition, then separate the rest of the drive so you have partitions for your work and media files.

PCW Christmas edition link.

When its time to purchase a new computer there are a number of things to consider, and if you haven't done your research you can easily come unstuck. Many computer manufacturers advertise their products with various facts and figures, some you may understand but others are a little vaguer which can be frustrating when comparing machines. Obviously manufacturers need to make a profit on each machine and sometimes cut corners to save themselves money, the trouble is that manufacturers can disguise poor components in seemingly 'good value' packages.

Belarc Advisor 7.2 is a useful freeware application that will perform a detailed audit on your computer, identifying all installed hardware and operating systems. By performing a thorough audit you can identify how well your system is really performing, or if it matches the manufacturers advertised figures.

Belarc Advisor 7.2 link.  

The latest computers ship with huge hard drives, large enough to store all of your applications, files, folders and media libraries. Your new machines drive may be divided into smaller partitions already, or be a single, large partition, either way you may want to change how your hard drive is partitioned. Windows does not enable you to do this easily or effectively, so a good third party application may give you more flexibility when creating or managing your drive and its partitions.

O&O Partition Manager 2 has a similar look and feel to the Disk Manager that ships with Windows, but provides greater flexibility and a number of more advanced features as well as supporting a number of disk types. Use it to divide your drive, change the size of partitions and move them to a different location.

O&O Partition Manager 2

Microsoft have noticed that Google, Zoho and others have moved to what has been dubbed 'cloud computing' where you edit and publish documents and other work, online. You install and store a spreadsheet on your computer, you simply do everything online. Indeed, you can even host your files online. With the next version of Office, your license will enable you to edit your documents and other files online. However, it may be too late as many other companies are producing advanced online 'apps'. The added advantage of these online tools is that you don't need to worry about your operating system or host computer.

SlideRocket is a good example of an software-as-a-service model which will enable you to create an advanced presentation online. As the tool is online, you can access from nearly any computer and, of course, enable other online users to access and work on your presentation. There is a limited free version and and individual and business version.

SlideRocket link

We are all aware of video portals such as YouTube and have probably used it at one time or another, to watch sporting clips, music videos or even a favourite cartoon from your childhood. Sites like YouTube are great fun and are fine when searching for popular or well known clips but when it comes to finding something rare or specific; it may struggle to come up with the goods. As broadband connections become faster and more reliable a good RSS player may be worth considering as they provide a greater choice of clips which may be downloaded straight to your computer.

Miro 1.2.8 is an online television service that provides a comprehensive list of clips and channels for you to watch. You can view online or download your favourites and watch them on your computer at a later date. Miro will automatically store and manage your clips, deleting the oldest as you download new ones. Mac OS X and Linux versions are available from the GetMiro WebSite.

Miro 1.2.8 link.

A smooth running PC is something we would all like but unfortunately, most of us know it's not that easy. People are dealing with computer problems on a daily basis; some may be minor issues, others more serious. The worst case scenario for most is when your computer has difficulty booting, maybe through a viral infection of some sort. If your machine won't boot there is no way you can identify the problem, let alone begin fixing it. However, before you begin taking drastic steps there may be an effective way of recovering your computer, and all the files stored on it.

System Rescue CD 1.1 is a freeware utility comprising of selection of useful programs on a bootable CD designed for repairing Windows. As it's a bootable CD it does not require Windows to start and is still able to read files from a Windows hard disk. It can also use your computer to access the Internet to identify and find answers to any problems.

System Rescue CD 1.1 link.   

As well as being the world's largest online music store, iTunes is also one of the largest music managing applications available, for both Mac and PC. The success of iTunes is mostly down to its usability, but that's not to say it doesn't have its faults. One of the most frustrating thing about iTunes is that it does not enable you to perform any tasks directly from your iPod, without using and iTunes equipped machine, which can be completely impractical if on the move, you maybe travelling abroad and have no access to a computer, let alone one equipped with iTunes.

Floola 3.8 is a standalone, cross-platform application that can be launched directly from your iPod and requires no installation. It supports all commonly used features such as artwork, smart playlists and podcasts. You can also use it to convert audio or video, so that you can copy almost any file to your iPod and even enables you to add YouTube and MySpace videos by entering the URL.

Floola 3.8 link.   

Portability is something that many computer users take advantage of, USB devices are a quick and easy way of storing and transferring data between numerous machines. Hugely convenient and fairly cheap,  modern USB drives store a reasonable amount of data and are small enough for you to take on the road. The trouble with all this data moving back and forth is that recognising recently edited and saved documents can become a little trickier, especially as drives become larger.

Allway Sync 8.4.2 is a synchronisation tool that enables you to synchronise files across multiple computers, ensuring recently saved documents are synchronised to save any confusion. The application can be set to synchronise at chosen intervals or you can use it to update newly saved documents. This may be a handy utility for those on the move.

Allway Sync 8.4.2 link. 

Over a period of time, depending on how much you use your computer, it will gather necessary and unnecessary data, storing it deep within your systems Registry. The Registry is usually larger than required simply because it retains a wealth of out-of-date information regarding removed files and applications; this information often accumulates and will ultimately result in your PC processing Registry information more slowly. In more extreme cases, this information will increase the time it takes your computer to boot.

Auslogics Registry Defrag 5 is a useful freeware application, easy to use for novices attempting to compact Registry information. Compacting information will reduce start-up time and your machine will become more responsive. The program also provides accurate visual representations of fragmented areas of your drive.

Auslogics Registry Defrag 5  

There are a number of applications deemed essential for many, like a word processor. However there are also a number of other useful tools that perform simple, yet necessary tasks. Such applications include a screen grabbing tool, download manager and a tool to rename multiple files. A good file renaming tool enables you to easily change the names of multiple files as well as other renaming procedures as well as support numerous tags. By using such a tool, prevents you from having to manually edit the names of individual files.

ReNamer 5.40 is a freeware utility that enables you to easily change and edit the names of multiple files and folders at one time. Although this tool may easily be overlooked, it has a number of useful implications, especially for people who simply haven't got time to manually edit file names or those with limited patience.

ReNamer 5.40 link. 

There's nothing more frustrating when you have to work on a temporary computer when you are working away from the office. If you had your own way, you'd probably spend an hour re-configuring the computer, installing your favourite apps, before you even start to use the PC. However, you probably won't be able to install software, make system changes, so you're restricted to the basic installed apps. One solution is to take your own portable USB drive, with installed applications, and use this on the host PC.

Opera 9.61 USB Edition is the portable version of the web browser that will enable you to install it on a portable drive (or even your iPod) and then connect this to the host PC and use the apps in a self-contained environment without them leaving a trace on the host PC. It means you can use your own configured browser, with all your favourite bookmarks, without it leaving a web trail when you remove the USB device. Ideal.

Opera USB Edition link.

Buying a fast new hard drive is an ideal way of speeding up your old PC. Any modern hard drive should be faster than what you already have installed, so your PC will boot more quickly and launch applications swiftly. However, after writing files to your drive, it will slow as the drive contents become fragmented. Ironically, this large drive will slow considerably as your PC take far longer to find and load the content.

IObit SmartDefrag 1.02 is a free disk defrag tool that will enable you to re-arrange your drive contents in to a logical sequence so your system can find and load files more swiftly. It's one of the few free disk defragmentation tools that will work in the background and sort your drive contents whilst you use your PC.

IObit SmartDefrag link.

It's too easy to think that you need to buy a new PC. You don't. A computer from two years ago will only be slightly slower than a brand new machine. Even all-in-one machines enable you to upgrade the memory and the hard drive. If you have a small hard drive, you could go out and buy a bigger drive, connect as a slave and migrate the data from the old drive to the new one. You could even migrate a partition, rather than the entire drive, if you only wanted to upgrade an existing drive you use for file storage.

Paragon Drive Copy 9 Personal is a commercial tool designed for the sole purpose of moving and migrating data from one drive to another or from partition to partition. It doesn't matter if your drive is internal or external, or a combination, every option is supported. Although it's a tool you'll use irregularly, at £16.95 it's worth adding to your portfolio of software.

Paragon Drive Copy link.

In a business environment staying organised enables you to stay on top. Many people who work toward regular deadlines often rely on colleagues and others working to their own timetables, this can make the need to share information about meetings and schedules more important. The trouble with larger offices and organisations is that each department may be using different computers, running different operating systems and other software which may hinder the ability to collaborate and share important data.

Chandler 1.0.2 is an opensource personal information manager that enables you to share work related information irrespective of platform. It also offers an online hosting service which can be set up and offer access to other users so all necessary calendar information can be shared.

Chandler 1.0.2 link.

Have you ever attempted to print a website, particularly a site that's made up of dynamic content? Unless you scale down to a level where it's guaranteed to fit on your page, most of the time the web content will spill across multiple pages, resulting in a poor experience. There are many examples where you'd like more control over your printed pages. For this, you need a specialist printing tool.

FinePrint 6 is a commercial print management tool that acts as a printer driver, so when you print your document(s), you are then given full control over the output. For example, you can turn your pages in to a mini-booklet, which is ideal if your document is designed for distribution.

FinePrint link.

Not too long ago, a good FTP client would have been a useful weapon in the arsenal of most Internet users. With the development of modern web browsers FTP clients have become less relevant, and also because broadband has given us greater connection speeds. The average Internet user has probably never used an FTP client, or has no reason to, but if you regularly download, and especially if you upload files to the Internet, an FTP client may be a convenient way of quickly uploading data.

FileZilla 3.1.5 is a standalone freeware FTP client that enables users to transfer all manner of files to and from the Internet. In combination with your broadband connection you can administer a remote site or make use of any free homepage space to get your files online more efficiently. The application is very similar to using the Windows Explorer, although you'd be working with two windows rather than the single pane.

FileZilla 3.1.5 link.  

There are times when you'll need to design an invitation, a company or group newsletter or even want to print address labels for your post. Either way, you could turn to a word processor, but as these tools are not page layout applications, you won't be able to get precise control over how elements are positioned on your page. It's far easier to use a desktop publishing tool where you simply drop in a box for an image, import the image and then move it to any location on the page.

With Computeractive magazine issue 278, on-sale now, you can get the full commercial version of Serif Page Plus 9, which is Vista compatible and worth £69. With this DTP tool you can quickly layout a page and even publish it as a commercial quality PDF document for printing.

Computeractive 278 link.

The Internet is huge, so finding relevant web pages isn't always easy. There's also an over reliance on one particular search engine, from Google, for our results. One interesting plugin for Safari has recently been ported to work across Firefox and Internet Explorer and will enable you to quickly enter a search term and see instant results that are most relevant to your requirements.

Inquisitor is an free add-on that used to be Safari-only and is now available for both Firefox and Internet Explorer. It was recently bought by Yahoo and, as a result, is now based around the Yahoo search platform, meaning search results are restricted to this network. It's currently only in beta - and you have to login to the Mozilla add-ons website in order to download - and we couldn't get it working on our main desktop-based Firefox 3. Simply never appeared in our Add-ons manager.

Inquisitor link.

Installing software is a piece of cake, especially when on the Internet; you can install an application such as a media player without even realising. So if installing software is so easy, why is it so difficult to remove certain applications from your system? Even after using the Windows Add/Remove utility, not all applications will be completely removed, often leaving files and folders on your system. Some programs may require a third party application for complete removal.

Total Uninstall 5.0 will remove all traces of files and folders associated with unwanted applications. The application monitors where folders are placed during the installation of all new applications and this makes the removal of them more thorough and effective.

Total Uninstall 5.0 link.

Many of us have used eBay at some point or another whether to buy or sell an item, but for some, eBay is almost an addiction. eBay is fairly easy to use, even for a complete novice but if you regularly use eBay and need to keep track of your items, it can get confusing. There are a number of users who now make a considerable amount of money or even run a business using eBay and although there are numerous tools to ensure you win items, there are very few that help with the business aspects of eBay.  

AuctionX2 1.1 is designed to increase your eBay sales. Use it to create graphs that will show which products are performing most productively, download sales reports and even monitor the profit you're making on items as well as monitor repeat bidders and customers. Unfortunately, although it's a useful concept, AuctionX2 suffers with its poorly designed user-interface.

AuctionX2 1.1 link.

Only yesterday we mentioned that Mamutu used an alternative approach to fighting (potential) security threats on your PC. Instead of using definition updates to stop the latest threats, it uses a proactive approach based upon activity on your PC. If it detects something unusual, it will block and ask if you want the activity to continue. We also mentioned that PC Tools ThreatFire was one of the other recent tools that is designed to take an alternative approach to dealing with threats.

PC Tools ThreatFire 4 is now available and this ships with a few new features such as a detailed analysis of all current processes, an improved user-interface as well as the addition of the free PC Tools AntiVirus, which offers additional protection.

PC Tools ThreatFire link.

Online passwords are part-and-parcel of secure web browsing, from accessing email to online banking they are required to keep personal or sensitive information safe. When using your own desktop or laptop, these passwords are often saved or remembered by your web browser, so there's almost no need to manually type them in. Unfortunately though this may make remembering passwords even more difficult and if you are using a different machine, how do you remember all the different online passwords you may use on a daily basis?   

KeePass Portable 1.14 is a password safe utility that enables you to keep all of your passwords securely in one place. As this is the portable version, you can take your email, Internet and online banking passwords with you, on a portable vice such as a USB key. By using a master key, you have access to all important passwords no matter what computer you may be using.

KeePass Portable 1.14 link. 

It's debatable whether a Registry cleaner actually helps speed up your PC. The theory is that when you install and then remove software from your PC, information is retailed in the Registry about the software location, filetypes, startup files and more. This means that when you reboot your PC, it may look for missing files when you start the machine, which means that it takes longer to launch. By checking your Registry for irrelevant information, it should streamline how your computer finds and ignores certain files, thus improving the usability of your computer.

Eusing Free Registry Cleaner 2.0 appears to be a major new revision of the popular free Registry cleanser. However, it isn't, despite the version update. It contains a few visual improvements to the user-interface, support for more languages and a few other additions. However, if you've never used Eusing, it's a good no cost option.

Eusing Free Registry Cleaner link.

Although most of us are aware of or use digital music, not everyone is aware that MP3s can be compressed differently, depending on your needs. In comparison to CDs and especially Vinyl, MP3s provide far less musical information, but what they lack in quality they make up for in convenience. Most of us use portable MP3 players on the move or at the gym, but would put on a CD or even a record when at home. The trouble with older analogue formats is that they often require you to dig out your old record player so you can listen to them. You may own rare or live versions that can no longer be purchased, so why not record and convert your audio for more convenience.

Reaper 2.53 is a powerful audio editor that enables you to create original compositions, but a more useful application for many could be to record and convert your analogue audio formats, such as vinyl or even VHS to a more user-friendly digital files. Another bonus is that you can take your rare or favourite tracks wherever you go, as well as preserving the original formats.

Reaper 2.53 link.

As many of us are working remotely these days, it's important to keep in touch with other users. For business users, LinkedIn or Plaxo is a good source, but neither provide a chat client. Skype is an excellent alternative, although it's not that well used for home users. Windows Live Messenger, AOL Messenger or the social networking tools from Facebook or MySpace are used more often. Indeed, some old-school users still use ICQ or even IRC for chatting and making live instant contact with other users across the Internet. What you need is a chat client that brings as many of these technologies together, within one application.

Pidgin 2.5.2 is the premier Windows-based multi-format chat client that should enable you to chat to other users, irrespective of their choice of network. Unfortunately the theory doesn't include Skype (which uses a closed system) nor Facebook, two of the more popular formats for online chats, so it's more suited to the home user and a portable version isn't too much use unless you have a Yahoo, MSN or similar account.

Pidgin and Pidgin Portable links.

Traditionally, most security software will rely on definition updates to recognise and protect your system against the latest threats. Generally speaking, this works. Most threats are recognised and defeated before a mass breakout and, as you'll often receive a new threat by email or by downloading a file, if you haven't got Internet access, you often won't be affected. However, some of the more ingenious virus developers are finding new ways to get in to your machine, so you need new technology that takes a pro-active approach to stopping threats.

Mamutu 1.7 is a tool that takes a pro-active approach to security. It doesn't rely on security updates, but attempts to evaluate a potential threat by behaviour. Don't think Mamutu is new to this kind of pro-active prevention. The PC Tools ThreatFire uses a similar approach and PC Tools recently added this to Spyware Doctor 6 and other security developers are doing the same thing. So you'd have the best of both worlds - behaviour analysis and old-fashioned definition updates.

Mamutu link.

It must be really frustrating for many Opera users. The browser has been around longer than most, yet all the talk is about Firefox v Internet Explorer and, more recently, Google Chrome. Sure, all three have their merits, but Opera is an immensely powerful, extremely fast cross-platform browser and is one of the only browsers that has been available in a mobile format which can be used on your smartphone. Yet it's also free.

One of the few reasons we can think of is that corporate IT policy states you must use the browser of their choice and this is primarily Internet Explorer. Some allow the installation of Firefox and, because of this, it's grown more popular - as users like to keep the same bookmarks across both home and work, it's a reason why people have migrated across to Firefox as their 'other browser'.

Opera 9.61 is now available and ships with a number of minor fixes and a few interface improvements. However, if you've not tested the recent Opera 9.6, which shipped with a host of new features, give it a go now.

Opera link.

Only a few years ago, Webroot Spy Sweeper was the default commercial anti-spyware application of choice. Although it's still very popular in the States, it's less well known through Europe, primarily due to a limited amount of marketing or press, which resulted in limited exposure for their brand. We gave away a 12-month edition of Spy Sweeper 5.5 last year and it was immensely popular. For a good reason, it's an excellent and well-updated security tool.

Webroot Spy Sweeper 6 is now available and, in addiiton to additional support for combating the latest threats, this version now supports the facility to backup your most important files. Ideal for protecting your work. You can even access these files anywhere in the world and restore back to your PC if you suffer from a system loss or file error, in the future. You get 1GB of free storage to get you started.

Webroot Spy Sweeper 6 link.

Organisation is either your strong point or it isn't, in the workplace or at home. Some people are just better at managing tasks easier than others, but depending on your job, there may come a time when a little planning is needed. Instead of scribbling down notes on a scrap of paper only to lose them shortly after, it may be time to look into many of the task management tools out there. Task managers can help track tasks, view schedules and even monitor ongoing costs.

Task Coach 0.71.1 is an application designed for a user to manage single or multiple tasks. The application is also cross-platform, meaning it can be used across Windows, Mac OS and Linux; however, the application is currently designed for single users which mean tasks cannot be shared with other users, but it is in its infancy. Luckily though, the developer intends to migrate the tool so that this information can be shared with other users.

Task Coach 0.71.1 link.   

Once we find a web browser we like we tend to stick to it, updating it when a new version is available. However, what performs well on one machine may not be quite as effective on another; after all, there isn't exactly a shortage of alternatives. There's not always a huge difference between the majority web browsers but some are designed with specific browsing habits in mind. Flock for example, combines integrated photo sharing and social networking with RSS support. But there are other open source browsers that are definitely worth a try.

K-Meleon 1.5.1 is an open source browser that's based on the Gecko rendering engine used by Mozilla Firefox. It looks like a cross between Internet Explorer and Firefox and is fairly easy to get to grips with. Although it's not as widely used as other browsers, it is fast and very lightweight. Like Firefox, it also has a number of plug-ins available.

K-Meleon 1.5.1 link. 

Most of us work across various computers, whether at home or at work. Snag is, we want the same information across every machine. These include our favourite websites so we can quickly book a holiday at work or check the latest news whilst we're at home. Mozilla has an official solution called 'Weave', but it can be a little cumbersome and insists on shutting down after Firefox, which means you have to wait for it to find the Weave server, check the status and then upload your updated content.

Foxmarks 2.5 is alternative Firefox bookmarks synchroniser. In the new version there is now an option to synchronise your passwords, so if you open an account on one computer, the password/login information will be transferred to any other computer with Firefox (and, of course, Foxmarks 2.5) installed.

Foxmarks link.

Once we've purchased a new PC most of us will intend on using it for a couple of years before upgrading or purchasing something new. When it's time to upgrade most manufacturers have improved hardware significantly but you still need to consider what your needs are, and what upgrades will be most beneficial. By choosing the correct upgrades for your specific needs, whether gaming, video editing or browsing the web, you could improve your systems performance in those areas significantly.

CPU-Z 1.48 is a free utility that enables you to gather extensive information on the CPU installed in your computer. All areas of performance can be analysed such as speed, cache details and more and you can also use it to find information on other related hardware such as your motherboard and installed memory.

CPU-Z 1.48 link.