Some of you may have upgraded your computer this Christmas. Either a larger hard drive or a new machine. The first thing you'll notice is that everything boots and launches, immediately. This is due to your fresh drive, slim Registry and organised hard drive. Start installing software, remove applications and, after a few months, your computer will be back to taking a while to boot and applications will take far longer to launch. This is due to drive fragmentation where files are stored on your drive in no logical manner, meaning your drive head takes far longer to locate and load the data.

With the February 2009 issue of PCW magazine, on-sale right now, you can get the full current version of Uniblue DiskRescue 2009, worth £20. This tool is designed to examine your hard drive and defragment; which means the contents are re-organised in a logical manner so they can be located and loaded more swiftly.

PCW February 2009 link.

The problem with a standard web browser is that it assumes you want to catch all your downloads within one folder or requires you to specify a destination every time you choose to save a file. Even though Firefox 3.1 is forthcoming, the download manager still assumes a 'catch all' approach to managing your downloads. You could use a separate download manager, but they are more orientated towards downloading files more quickly.

Advanced Save Folder 0.9.1 is an experimental add-on for Firefox that enables you to specify a folder for your downloads based on the file extension or source website. For example, if you want to move your downloaded .mov files in to a specific folder, you can set this up. Alternatively, you can force all downloads from a particular website to download to a unique folder.

Advanced Save Folder link.

We've giving you an early Christmas present. If you visit your newsagents this week you may find that the latest issue of Computeractive, issue 283, ships with the full commercial version of Paragon Drive Backup 9 Personal, worth £16. This is a backup application that will enable you to either backup your entire drive, drive partition or individual files. It supports differential backup, so you won't need to backup your entire partition every time you want to run a backup.

If you act quickly, issue 282 of Computeractive is still on-sale, along with the free full version of Ashampoo Photo Commander 6, worth £25.

Computeractive issue 283 link.

Only a few years ago we found new web pages by following the links from our favourite sites. These days we've got lazy and resort to searching through Google and other engines. Problem is, we rarely leave the first results page, so we rarely see some of the newer or smaller websites as they do not have the power or momentum to reach the top of the results. The answer is to search and find sites through alternative methods.

Shareaholic is an add-on for Firefox that will enable you to share a web page or website with other users via social networking sites. For example, if you find a page of interest, you can share this page with Facebook users, MySpace, Digg or Stumbleupon.

Shareaholic link.

Many peoples first experience of using a PC is typing up a document, often using Microsoft Word. It's not only Word but the whole Microsoft Office suite is something that many PC users have become accustomed to, even if it is expensive. Although it's a very able package, many of the features that ship with programs such as Word remain unused by many, so why pay so much? It may be worth looking into some of the many open-source alternatives now available, some of which enable you to open, edit and save documents using the Word Document file format .doc.     

OpenOffice Portable 3.0 is a very able open-source alternative to Microsoft Office. The suite ships with a spreadsheet tool, word processor and a presentation application as well as other utilities. This is the portable version of the popular freeware tool so it can be taken on the road.

OpenOffice Portable 3.0 link.

When your PCs hard drive begins to fill up, instead of deleting excess data many people simply purchase a large external USB drive. Modern external drives ship with a huge amount of memory for minimal cost so it's a viable solution; the only trouble is keeping track of all the USB devices connected to your machine. These devices could be scanners and printers or your mouse and keyboard, either way you won't want to pull out your USB cable if you're not sure of which piece of hardware it's connected to.  

USBDeview 1.29 is a handy utility that lists all USB devices connected to your computer including previously used devices. The application displays information on connected devices such as names and descriptions and even serial numbers for mass storage devices.

USBDeview 1.29 link.

Sending one or two photos via email is relatively easy, but sharing a larger collection of images can be a little trickier. One way is to create an online gallery that can be viewed by friends and family, wherever they may be. This is a far easier than emailing images to others and there's no need to compress images, this not only makes it easy for anyone uploading images but it also makes it easier for anyone that wishes to view them.

JAlbum 8.1.4 is a photo gallery producing application that enables you to create online albums from your digital photographs and other images. No other software is required to view uploaded images, just your web browser. You can also use the application to create themes and layouts for albums then simply drag and drop in your images.

JAlbum 8.1.4 link.

People do not like change, so there's still many users out there who are still using old browsers to surf the Internet. There are good reasons for this. People have their bookmarks nicely sorted and do not want to take the risk on moving them across to the new browser. Also, for most people, they do not see the benefits of an upgrade. It's a web browser. How different can the web appear between Firefox 2 and the more recent Firefox 3?

Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.20 was made available yesterday and it's now the last version of the v2.x range that will be supported by Mozilla. This means if you do not upgrade and use the more recent Firefox 3 will be the only web browser updated and supported by Mozilla and any holes or security issues with the old v2.x will not be resolved.

Mozilla Firefox 2 and Firefox 3 links.

We are all guilty of visiting online video portals such as YouTube to kill time, maybe to watch a music video or an amusing clip. These short and entertaining clips are easily found but if you are looking for something more specific, like a rare music video or film clip, many online video portals struggle to come up with the goods. Searching numerous sites for rare footage can be time consuming, so is there any way of finding and viewing videos from multiple sites?

Ashampoo ClipFinder 1.53 is a utility that enables you to search across multiple online video portals for rare videos. The application supports all popular video portals, you can then use it to preview clips as well as download your favourite videos.

Ashampoo ClipFinder 1.53 link.

Set up a computer for your family, allowing your kids to play games, surf the web, with you wanting to use the PC for your work, and you may find that the next time you use the computer, your applications start slowly and the system takes ages to boot. You may find web browsing is like being back on a dialup connection and you wonder what you can do to salvage the system. Short of re-installing Windows, most people won't know what to do.

Ashampoo WinOptimizer 6 is the latest version of the popular tweaking, optimisation and system tweaking tool that will enable you to defrag your hard drive, Registry, cleanse unwanted data from your machine and generally speed up your system. The latest WinOptimizer v6 contains a disk defragmentation module, a one-click cleanser and more.

Ashampoo WinOptimizer 6 link.

Often mistaken for the oldest web browser, Internet Explorer is still the number one browser for many Internet users and has been for a number of years. However, one downside with Internet Explorer is that updates are few and far between and this lead people to begin looking for alternatives. There are now a number of very able and sometimes preferred options which include Firefox and Opera, but there are good alternatives based on IE itself.

Avant Browser 11.7 is a browser with a very similar look and feel to IE, but ships with numerous extra options. One useful feature is the ability to deactivate selected elements of web pages from pictures and flash animation to pop-ups. Another advantage is that it's reasonably lightweight, making it fast.

Avant Browser 11.7 link.

If you need to share information, notes and project details with other computers, there's nothing better than Evernote. As an example, we use the tool to collate information about software across the Internet. This may include web URLs, download info, a screengrab or just a press release that's been emailed to our inbox. Either way, we want to a) remember this information so we can put it online later and b) make sure the same information is available across desktop, laptop and other machines.

Evernote 3.0.0.981 enables you to do this and much more. Indeed, if you login with the same generic username and password, then you can also share this account information with other users on your project and enable them to share your notes and ideas. With the latest Evernote 3.0.0.981, Premium users will be able to synchronise files (up to 25MB in size) along with other notes. This means that you could attach code, a PDF or an MP3 with your notes and synchronise with your other computers.

Evernote link.

Anyone who uses a computer on a regular basis will have personal information of some kind stored on it, whether it's a personal computer or one used at work. Most files and folders that you have stored may not be overly private but you will have private or sensitive information you will need to keep secure. The easiest way to keep this data secure is to use a file security program, that way you can hide, encrypt and lock folders on your computer.

Folder Lock 6.1.2 is a useful application that enables users to keep folders and files from being opened by other users. The application will also protect data stored on any removable media such as USB Flash drives and CD-RW. The application ships with a friendly user interface and is incredibly easy-to-use.

Folder Lock 6.1.2 link.

Getting online is easier than ever and wireless technologies are enabling us to so wherever we are, but it hasn't always been so straightforward. Not all that long ago Internet service providers offered suites that were designed to work with the provider that shipped with all the applications required to access the Internet via a dial up connection. These suites are usually equipped with a browser, email client and an IRC client among other tools.

Mozilla SeaMonkey 1.1.14 is an all-in-one internet suite that ships with the hugely popular Firefox browser as well as Thunderbird, an IRC chat application and Mozilla's HTML editor. Although Internet suites aren't as widely used as they once were, this is a useful collection of apps, but aimed at those who like and use Mozilla products.

Mozilla SeaMonkey 1.1.14 link.

Many organisations are located in multiple locations. Development may not be centralised, either. It may require different programmers, working in various timezones, including other users who may be working on documentation, graphics for your project and more. These users will need access to the same files and be able to discuss the project real-time. This will involve writing files in and out of a secured area without overwriting files produced by other users.

TeamDrive 2 Preview is the latest version of the project collaboration tool that will enable you to share and work on files across multiple users. It will be available in Windows, OS X and Linux versions, so you'll be able to share data across computers, irrespective of operating system. When someone creates a new file, this data is synchronised to your machine, so you always have every project file on your PC.

TeamDrive link.

Install software on your computer and it's too easy to forget to update. Some tools include an auto-update facility where they will check online for the latest version, inform you when a new version is available and will often download automatically in the background and update. With software that you use to access the Internet, you need to make sure that you have the latest software installed as you can be assured that rogue developers are working hard to find holes within released applications.

Result? If they find a hole, they release spyware or other malicious software that takes advantage of a hole in your system and will use this to exploit both your computer and personal information.

Secunia PSI 1.0.0.3 is a free personal software inspection tool that will scan your computer for installed software and look for known issues. It will then give you a report of potential problems and new software and let you know that you need to upgrade.

Secunia PSI 1.0.0.3 link.

There are a number of different personal firewalls available, from full commercial apps to freeware options. The trouble is many of these applications claim to offer better, or a more specific type of protection than the next, which can be confusing to someone looking for a simple firewall to protect their computer with. When looking for the right firewall it's important to consider whether it's worth purchasing a commercial app or whether a good freeware option will suffice, and it's also important to find software that's regularly updated as this ensures you are protected from the latest online threats.         

PC Tools Firewall Plus 5 is an effective freeware firewall application which can be used to protect your home computer. It ships with a variety of useful features that help provide thorough protection for your PC. This firewall will also enable you to protect your machine by preventing other users from accessing it whilst connected to a network.

PC Tools Firewall Plus 5 link.

Remembering the many computer and Internet passwords we accumulate can be a real headache, often having several for online accounts alone. Regularly use passwords are more easily remembered but remembering all of them is almost impossible. The trouble is that when setting up an online account, remembering or storing a password usually means jotting it down on a scrap of paper, and throwing it away without realising. The easiest way of storing passwords is to use a password storage application, so you can refer to it for forgotten user names and passwords.  

Password Safe 3.15 enables you to manage all of your old passwords, quickly generate new ones as well as organise and retrieve them. Use it to store all of your passwords with a single encrypted master password or use multiple databases to further organise your passwords.

Password Safe 3.15 link.

Transferring large amounts of information from one PC to another can be difficult, modern hard drives are fairly big and this can make the job both confusing and time consuming. However, there may come a point where you are required to move data from an old machine to a new one and moving files and folders may be less straightforward than first thought, especially if your new machine ships with an updated operating system. A synchronisation tool could help you to transfer data more easily.

Easy2Sync 1.32 is a useful freeware application that helps you to transfer data across multiple machines, irrespective of operating system. This is the ideal solution for moving data from an old machine to any new machine or moving information from a personal computer to a work machine with ease.

Easy2Sync 1.32 link.

Many Internet users have used eBay at some point, either to buy or sell an item or just to have a look. However there are people that regularly use eBay and some that make a living from buying and selling items over the Internet. When dealing with multiple items it's important to keep track of items coming in and going out. The trouble is, although there are a number of tools that ensure you win items, there are very few that help with the business aspects of eBay.

AuctionX2 1.1 is a tool that enables you to manage eBay sales more effectively. You can create graphs showing the performance of individual products, download sales reports, monitor profit margins and keep track of repeat bidders and customers. The idea and functionality are good, but the interface does let the application down.

AuctionX2 1.1

Although there are a number of fast and effective browsers available, Microsoft's Internet Explorer is the browser of choice for many and there are still some websites that require you to use IE to view them. An increasing number of people are looking for and using alternative browsers such as Opera and Firefox which provide more customisable features. If you still prefer Internet Explorer though, are there any useful enhancements available?

IE7Pro 2.4.4 is an add-on for Internet Explorer that enables users to adjust the browser to personal preference. Features include mouse gestures, tabbed browsing, web page capture and ad blocking as well as many more useful features. The latest version has support for the 64-bit version of Internet Explorer 7, as well as a Google Search option and more.

IE7Pro 2.4.4 link.

Some days you turn on your PC and as it boots, it appears to take longer than usual, as if it has a mind of its own. This can also happen when you are using an application, all of a sudden they can begin behaving erratically and it becomes difficult to close them down and it can feel as if you have little or no control over what your PC is doing. Although you can use the Windows Task Manager to view and manage open applications, it can be a little more difficult to get more control without the relevant knowledge.

Magic Utilities 5.52 is a small suite comprising of three applications designed to help you manage and maintain a smooth running computer. There's an uninstaller for the safe removal of unwanted items from your PC, a start-up organiser that enables you to manage applications you wish to run as your machine boots and a process killer that can be used to force unresponsive applications to close.

Magic Utilities 5.52 link.

Google Mail is a popular platform for handling your email as it not only enables you to read, write and access your email from any host PC, you can also arrange for it to access your regular POP3 email and collate within one interface. Indeed, Sky have recently teamed up with Google to use the Gmail system for Sky users. However, what happens when you can't open your web browser and keep logging on to the system to check for new email?

Google Notifier 0.6.3.10 is an add-on for Firefox that sits in the bottom of your web browser and informs you when you have new email. It's subtle, too. When you have new unread email in your Google Mail account, it simply changes the red envelope to blue. You can then login through your web browser.

If you're a Mac OS X user, however, you may want to check the fantastic Mailplane which brings Google Mail to a standalone email client. Windows version is in discussion.

Gmail Notifier and Mailplane link.

It's always wise to have the latest drivers installed on your PC. Apart from compatibility issues, your PC will always get the most from your hardware with the latest drivers. Problem is that Windows installs a lot of safe vanilla drivers on your computer to make sure your system just works, once you've installed the operating system. First thing you'll want to do is find and download the latest drivers. Problem is, if you suffer from a system-related crash and need to re-install Windows, you will have to find and download all the drivers again.

DriverBackup 2.0 is a tool that you can use to examine your system, check for the drivers you have installed, then backup them all up to a remote location, CD or other removable device. If you have problems in the future, you can simply restore the drivers in one go, back on to your PC.

DriverBackup 2 link.

If you're an experienced PC user, you would probably see yourself as being reasonably computer literate, but there are certain areas that may be beyond your capabilities. Manually tweaking your operating system by editing your Registry is an area that should be treated with caution as, without the correct skills it's all too easy to create unwanted and problematic Registry entries. One solution would be to use a tried and tested optimisation tool, although they have a more general approach to optimisation, they are far safer to use, especially for less experienced users.

Fresh UI 8.20 is a free Windows optimisation tool that can be used to configure your operating system with very little risk. There's no need for any Registry editing which means you can tweak and configure your PC without fear of interfering or potentially damaging key areas of your operating system.

Fresh UI 8.20 link.

We spent months waiting for Opera 9.5 and we were guilty of releasing every single weekly beta on vnunet.com. After a few months, this became a quest. However, we were amazed to hear that Opera are now working on v10 and that's hit the first alpha. If that's anything like 9.x, the release will be months off. Still, if you like to be on the cutting edge of web browser development, then you'll want to follow the development of Opera 10. Already it's shaping up to be a compelling browser. We tried the Mac OS X version and it was very stable.

Opera 10 alpha 1 is built on the forthcoming Preso 2.2 rendering engine which has acheived an amazing 100/100 from the Acid 3 test. Unheard of. Most web browsers are lucky to pass the test and never reach a 100% score. Opera 10 will have an auto-update feature so you always have the latest version on your computer, an inline spell checker so your forms will be checked as you type and much more.

Opera 10 alpha 1 link.

Only recently we gave you the full commercial 6-month edition of Iolo System Mechanic 8. Our most recent full commercial app is TuneUp Utilities 2007, which is proving to be one of the most popular full commercial downloads so far. Both are very similar tools and both are recommended. Both are system tweaking, tuning and maintenance tools that will enable you to get the most from your computer. You can use them to clear trash, tweak your Registry, defrag your drive as well as search for potential system issues.

System Mechanic 8.5 is now available and this is a minor update for Vista 64-bit users. It means you can now tweak, tune and optimise your 64-bit operating system. Believe it or not, there are few tweaking tools designed to get the most from the 64-bit architecture.

System Mechanic 8.5 and TuneUp Utilities 2007 links.

For most people upgrading or replacing a computer tends to be done every few years. When it's time, most manufacturers' machines will have improved significantly as they ship with newer hardware and operating systems. When replacing or upgrading a computer it's important to identify which upgrades will be most beneficial. By correctly choosing the necessary upgrades you'll have a computer that suits your needs.

CPU-Z 1.49 is a free tool that enables users to gather an extensive audit on your computers CPU. All areas of performance can be analysed such as cache details, speed and more as well as find details on other related hardware including installed memory and your motherboard.

CPU-Z 1.49 link.

In a surprise move, Microsoft have released the first beta preview of the forthcoming Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2), which is available for both the 32-bit and 64-bit edition, in either one self-extracting download or as a standalone ISO image that you can use to install on either Vista or Server 2008.

Microsoft Windows Vista SP2 beta contains a number of application compatibility updates, support for the latest Bluetooth 2.1 specification, improved WiFi support, better streaming of HD video, the ability to burn Blu-ray discs, Windows Search 4.0 built-in to the OS and much more. Note that there are a few compatibility issues with older security software. The release notes detail issues with AVG AntiVirus 7.x (v8 is fine) and PC Tools Spyware Doctor 5.x (v6 is fine).

Microsoft Windows Vista SP2 beta installer or Vista SP2 ISO links.

One way of downloading large files is to do so by using a torrent file, these can be sourced fairly easily and shared with others. Torrent files are actually separated into pieces, arriving from different machines, and then reassembled on arrival. Like a download manager, a good torrent client will enable you to control all aspects of file sharing, from downloading and sharing to queuing and setting speed limits.

BitComet 1.07 is a free file sharing tool that's BitTorrent compatible and designed to help you manage all aspects of torrent file management. Use it to queue, pause and resume downloads. Although it's very similar to BitTorrent, it ships with a better interface. 

BitComet 1.07 link.

It's important to prevent clutter building up on your computer, not only for the benefit of your computers performance but also for privacy reasons. Most of the files accumulated are relatively harmless but some may be more sensitive, containing personal information. Some tools are more thorough than others at completely removing these files, so it's important to find an application that's proven to work, so you won't have to second guess its effectiveness.

CCleaner Portable 2.14.763 is the portable version of the popular standard version. This version enables you to run the application without having to install it; this also makes it possible to customise cleaning options. You can also put the application on an external or portable drive.

CCleaner Portable 2.14.763 link.

Typing up a letter or document is most people's first experience of using a computer, usually with Microsoft Word. Many people don't really move away from Word and before long, it becomes difficult to begin using an alternative. The reason for moving to an alternative is usually cost, as with many other office applications, Word is an expensive piece of software and if you're on a budget, it's not always a viable option. But cost is just one reason, other people look for alternatives as they do not require all the features that ship with Word.

AbiWord 2.6.5 is a free and competent word processor that's compatible with Microsoft Word documents. The application itself may not be as feature rich as word but it still offers extensive functionality, more than enough for the average user. There are also free plug-ins available via the AbiWord website.

AbiWord 2.6.5 link.

Only yesterday did we mention that the Amazon UK MP3 music store has gone live. This store enables users to download DRM-free audio from the site and some of the prices are certainly compelling. For example, the latest Will Young album - if you like that kind of music - is available for only £3 as a download. However, whereas the Apple iTunes Music Store is a self-contained manager that enables you to purchase, download and manage your tracks from the application, the Amazon MP3 store requires some basic technical knowledge.

Amazon MP3 Music Downloader is a simple free tool that enables your computer to intercept the MP3 audio files you purchase and download from the store and integrate directly in to your existing music manager, whether that's iTunes or another tool.

Amazon MP3 Music Downloader link.

There are numerous freeware download managers available, all of which claim to increase download speeds or provide a more secure download. Most of us use or have used a download manager at some point, often noticing that they don't always improve your download experience. However, there are some more effective managers out there that do improve speeds and provide a more secure environment for downloading files.

Download Accelerator Plus 9 claims to increase download speeds by around 400% by identifying the most reliable serving download. The application can also split the download into several segments and access them from multiple sources if necessary as well as manage your downloads. 

Download Accelerator Plus 9 link. 

Tweaking the performance of your Windows operating system may sound relatively easy, but if you don't really know what you're doing, it could have the opposite effect. There are a number of applications available that will help you get the most from your PC, some of which are free. When looking for a tool it's important to identify one that will enable you to enhance performance in the required areas, or a complete tool, one that lets you choose which area of your system will benefit most from being optimised.

Ashampoo PowerUp 3.23 is a tweaking and optimisation tool for your Windows PC that ships with a number of pre-configured settings or 'profiles' designed to enhance particular areas of your PCs performance. This enables you to quickly tune areas of performance, depending on what you may be doing.

Ashampoo PowerUp 3.23 link. 

It only seems like a few years ago when we had to give a commercial printer a Quark document, relevant images, in the right format, on a disc, so they could output your work. It didn't always go to plan and you had to meet their specifications or they couldn't print. These days it's far easier to print commercial documentation as you simply give them a commercial-grade PDF document. However, you can't really use a free PDF application to achieve these results.

novaPDF 6 is a PDF generation tool that's been around for a long time and has recently received a major upgrade (well, major as in version change). At a base level, it will enable you to output a PDF document, suitable for either web download or commercial printing, from just about any Windows application.

novaPDF 6 link.

Web ads are not only annoying; they can also hinder browser performance as you wait for them to load. These adverts are usually located away from the page or site you may be visiting and this is what causes your machine to slow down, and what hinders your browsing experience. The trouble with online adverts is that they feature on almost all websites in some way or another, so avoiding them is almost impossible, unless of course you use an ad-blocker.

Adblock Plus 1.0 is a useful addon for Firefox that enables you to prevent annoying adverts. Download the plug-in, right click a chosen add, and it won't be downloaded again. Alternatively, choose a filter subscription and block adverts automatically. Note that this blocker is designed to prevent in-line ads, not pop-ups.

Adblock Plus 1.0 link. 

Like many users, we were big fans of iTunes and the whole iPod experience. However, in recent years we've somewhat stopped purchasing music online, mainly as the DRM experience left us feeling cold. If you own more than a couple of computers, you want your music available on all. Ditch an old drive or simply upgrade your computer and it's way too easy to forget to deauthorise an existing edition of iTunes. Result? You quickly lose your 5-PC entitlement for downloaded digital audio tracks.

When Amazon launched their US-only audio download store, they launched it as a DRM-free product, which means you can do whatever you want with your purchased audio tracks (by 'anything', we mean you can store them on any device or any computer, as long as you keep them to yourself), in the same way you have complete control over your purchased CDs.

Now Amazon UK have launched their DRM-free audio store, which are recorded at a high 256Kbps, supplied as an industry standard MP3 file and they claim they have a million tracks. For example, the latest Take That album "The Circus" was £3 for the entire album, the last time we checked.

Amazon UK digital audio store link.

Most people will go out and purchase and audio CD or use an online music store to purchase a song or album they like but more casual music listeners, who aren't too worried about audio quality, will use music download sites to obtain the majority of their music. Unfortunately most file sharing sites are littered with users sharing poorly compressed or recorded audio files, all of which do no justice to original audio recordings. However, if you do want to listen to a track online, is there any way of legally obtaining free audio files using the web?

Songbeat 3.1 is an interesting application that enables you to search for, listen to and download audio files for free, well, kind of. It uses search engines to locate audio files rather than relying on users to share files from their drives, the audio is streamed but can also be downloaded but you only get twenty-five free downloads, after this you are required to upgrade, which costs of course.

Songbeat 3.1 link.

Having a website is a must for many, especially those who own a business or need to advertise themselves to a large audience. Unfortunately a good website can be a hefty investment, and for most people, creating their own may be too challenging. Even template-driven applications may be confusing, especially if you don't have an understanding of web-building languages. Once you've overcome the initial design and layout stages, you've then got to think about hosting and site maintenance.

TOWeb 2.71 is an application designed to enable novice users to create and maintain their own website. You can add text, images and other content to your site whilst TOWeb provides assistance with the rest, helping you to create a professional looking, well made site. 

TOWeb 2.71 link.

We've said this many times before, but the big problem with old hard drive technology is that it doesn't always store your data in one continuous block, making it easier for your drive head to locate and load the relevant files. This is made worse when you have a large hard drive with lots of small files that you constantly write and delete from your drive. Over time, your drive will become fragmented with the data located in different areas, causing your system to spend more time loading data.

Diskeeper 2009 Home is arguably one of the more well-known commercial disk defragmentation tools that will enable you to keep your drive in shape. However, it will work in the background and defragment on the fly, without it affecting the use of your computer.

Diskeeper 2009 Home link.

Take a look at most modern websites and they are made up of advanced CSS (cascading style sheets) that are beyond the comprehension of most web users. CSS enables you to define particular styles and then apply those styles to particular areas across your website. Coding up a CSS isn't something you'll want to do using Notepad or a Notepad replacement. You'd be better using a dedicated tool. However, if you only want to get started, it's a good idea to try a basic free CSS editor.

Free CSS Toolbox 1.2 is a free CSS edit and formatting tool from the guys behind popular web development tools such as the bigger commercial RapidCSS and HTMLPad Pro. Free CSS Toolbox is simplist tool for generating CSS, but it enables you to drop in tags and validate your code before you test it live.

Free CSS Toolbox link.

With the rise of mega-pixel digital cameras, the resulting images are often way too large to offer to other users on your homepage. As a result, you're best turning to archiving your photos and simply giving users a download link to the archive, rather than the individual photos. The same theory applies to files you'll want to make available. Problem is that many of us turn to the standard .zip compression, but this doesn't always give the best results when trying to compress modern media.

7-Zip 4.62 is the latest version of the popular free archive manager that will enable you to open, create and manage compressed archives. It supports the 7z format, which is becoming the popular alternative to the ancient .zip format. Even Adobe now use the 7z format to provide their trial software to end users.

7-Zip link.

It's tricky trying to get in to the spirit of Christmas on the 3rd of December, but everyone likes free software, exclusive downloads, prizes and discount vouchers. Luckily for you that's what Avanquest's annual Advent Calendar will offer a web user. Don't forget, even though it's the 3rd of the December, you haven't missed out on the first two days of the month. Simply go back and select the date and take advantage of those promotions. On the 1st of December, as an example, you can get Website X5 Smart Edition for free.

Closer to Christmas you may find that the Avanquest Advent Calendar throws up some big hits. Some important free gifts.

Avanquest Advent Calendar link.

Only recently did we tell you about the fantastic new release of TuneUp Utilities 2009, which will enable you to tweak, cleanse and optimise your PC. We say 'fantastic' as it's one of the few commercial tools that warranted our investment. It ships with a combination of tools that enable you to speed up your PC and get the most from your computer. It will also automate the cleansing of your computer so that you can let it do its thing whilst you get on with your work. However, you might not be ready to take the plunge and, for that reason, we're giving the full version of TuneUp Utilities 2007, worth £30 and is full Vista 32-bit compatible.

TuneUp Utilties 2007 is still comprehensive tweaking, tuning and optimisation software and it's certainly comprehensive. Note that you will need to enter the serial code provided to turn the download in to a full commercial version. Incisive Media are authorised distributors of this full software promotion.

TuneUp Utilties 2007 link.

Windows is highly customisable with the right software. For example, you can quickly drop in and replace an icon if you find an alternative. There's no reason why you can't produce your own, however. If you have a logo that you want as your system icon, simply load it in to an icon editor and then export it as an icon. If you see an icon on your Mac that you want for your Vista PC, moving it across isn't too tricky with the right software.

Axialis IconWorkshop 6.3.2 is commercial icon editing software but it is some of the best around. It supports the facility to load in and read a Mac-based icon and even design and export an icon toolset for your favourite application.

Axialis IconWorkshop link.

How do you go about choosing the security software that you think will protect your system? When we install a security suite we often become over reliant on the technology and it's this over reliance that can cause our downfall. If your security suite is not up to the job or not updated frequently, then you'll have a situation where the latest Trojan or virus will infect your machine and you won't be able to get back in to your PC.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 is one of the better security suites and, better still, Kaspersky offered us a 30% off coupon that brings down the retail price from £39.99 to £27.99. You can also get 30% off Kaspersky AntiVirus 2009, if you already own a firewall or spyware technology.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 and Kaspersky AntiVirus 2009 links.