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Business & Computer Supplies
Business Education
Communication
Computer Tools
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Document Creation
Legal Resources
Marketing
Media File Creation
Planning / Organization / Productivity
Project Management & Collaboration
Travel
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Green Business
Resources for Nonprofits
Starting a Business
Visitor Favorites
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Last-Minute Deals
Favorites
How-To Ideas
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If you need to recover files that you deleted, or permanently remove some from your computer (simply deleting it isn't permanent), then try these free tools.
Eraser is a free utility that lets you remove sensitive data like your SSN, bank account numbers, etc. from your hard drive permanently.
Pandora File Recovery lets you recover permanently deleted files. It's free for personal use, and a paid version is available for multiple computers. A mobile version is also available.
Recuva is a free utility for recovering files from your computer recycle bin, MP3 player, and digital camera memory card that were deleted by accident or from bugs, crashes, or viruses.
Undelete Plus is free software for recovering files that were emptied from the recycle bin.
Eraser is a free utility that lets you remove sensitive data like your SSN, bank account numbers, etc. from your hard drive permanently.
Pandora File Recovery lets you recover permanently deleted files. It's free for personal use, and a paid version is available for multiple computers. A mobile version is also available.
Recuva is a free utility for recovering files from your computer recycle bin, MP3 player, and digital camera memory card that were deleted by accident or from bugs, crashes, or viruses.
Undelete Plus is free software for recovering files that were emptied from the recycle bin.
Please, please, please back up the files on your hard drive(s)! The one time I didn't... man was I sorry. Now I do it in several ways: on disc, on an external hard drive, and online. At the same time I get to put documents that I don't use on a regular basis somewhere other than my primary laptop's hard drive. This way I can free up disc space for new files. And for those that I share, the online storage services let me do this easily.
I've used many online backup/storage/file sharing services over the past few years and most of them have gone from free to free-trial-then-pay to paid only. The ones below are free for good to great amounts of disc space, and have optional paid plans if you need more than the free allotment.
Of all the online storage services I've looked at and used, ADrive gives you the most disc space for free - 50GB for individual use, which is more than ample for many people. Additional features and space are available with paid plans that start at $6.95/month.
DivShare lets you put your documents, photos, videos and other files online. The free plan gives you 5GB of space. If you need 10GB+, paid plans start at $5.95/month or $12/year (personal account).
Wuala lets you store your files online with no storage space limits. Files are encrypted with no size limits. Share and publish your files, too, with no traffic limits. You get 1GB of storage space for free and can either trade or buy 10GB+ of additional space for $25+/year (or roughly $2+/month), which is a good deal.
For websites where you can get great deals on storage discs and external hard drives, visit the Business Supplies page.
I've used many online backup/storage/file sharing services over the past few years and most of them have gone from free to free-trial-then-pay to paid only. The ones below are free for good to great amounts of disc space, and have optional paid plans if you need more than the free allotment.
Of all the online storage services I've looked at and used, ADrive gives you the most disc space for free - 50GB for individual use, which is more than ample for many people. Additional features and space are available with paid plans that start at $6.95/month.
DivShare lets you put your documents, photos, videos and other files online. The free plan gives you 5GB of space. If you need 10GB+, paid plans start at $5.95/month or $12/year (personal account).
Wuala lets you store your files online with no storage space limits. Files are encrypted with no size limits. Share and publish your files, too, with no traffic limits. You get 1GB of storage space for free and can either trade or buy 10GB+ of additional space for $25+/year (or roughly $2+/month), which is a good deal.
For websites where you can get great deals on storage discs and external hard drives, visit the Business Supplies page.
Here are resources that will help you optimize your computer's functionality and your productivity.
CCleaner is free software that optimizes Windows systems for faster operating and more usable hard disc space.
Download Accelerator Plus improves download speeds and management for computers running Windows. The free ad-supported version is adequate for most users. The paid Premium version has no ads and more features.
Glary Utilities is a free utilities package that boosts the speed of your Windows PC, protects your privacy, blocks malware, and does even more.
PC Decrapifier is a free program that uninstalls / removes unwanted software, particularly the ones you never use but came preloaded on your PC.
Yousendit lets you send, receive, and track files securely and on demand. The free account allows files up to 100MB, which is more than most ISPs will handle. Paid plans let you send and receive single/multiple files up to 2GB in size for $9.99+/month.
CCleaner is free software that optimizes Windows systems for faster operating and more usable hard disc space.
Download Accelerator Plus improves download speeds and management for computers running Windows. The free ad-supported version is adequate for most users. The paid Premium version has no ads and more features.
Glary Utilities is a free utilities package that boosts the speed of your Windows PC, protects your privacy, blocks malware, and does even more.
PC Decrapifier is a free program that uninstalls / removes unwanted software, particularly the ones you never use but came preloaded on your PC.
Yousendit lets you send, receive, and track files securely and on demand. The free account allows files up to 100MB, which is more than most ISPs will handle. Paid plans let you send and receive single/multiple files up to 2GB in size for $9.99+/month.
It is imperative that you have software installed on your computer to keep it safe from viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, and other types of malware.
NOTE: There is new malware dubbed "scareware." One product is called "Antivirus XP," which is marketed as a free anti-virus program. DO NOT DOWNLOAD IT. The software is designed to take over your computer so that you have to buy another program to remove the malware, which likewise is not trustworthy.
Make sure the software you use is software you can trust. The ones below are SAFE as well as free. Features vary by product so it's up to your personal needs and preferences as to which one(s) are appropriate for you. (Paid versions with additional features are also available.) The free ones that I use are asterisked.
Anti-Virus
a-squared* - anti-virus + anti-spyware
Avira AntiVir*
Avast! - anti-virus + anti-spyware
AVG - anti-virus + anti-spyware
Norton Security Scan
Anti-Malware
Spybot Search & Destroy
Spyware Doctor (in Google Pack)
Spyware Terminator*
Firewall
Comodo - firewall + anti-virus
PC Tools*
Webroot
NOTE: There is new malware dubbed "scareware." One product is called "Antivirus XP," which is marketed as a free anti-virus program. DO NOT DOWNLOAD IT. The software is designed to take over your computer so that you have to buy another program to remove the malware, which likewise is not trustworthy.
Make sure the software you use is software you can trust. The ones below are SAFE as well as free. Features vary by product so it's up to your personal needs and preferences as to which one(s) are appropriate for you. (Paid versions with additional features are also available.) The free ones that I use are asterisked.
Anti-Virus
a-squared* - anti-virus + anti-spyware
Avira AntiVir*
Avast! - anti-virus + anti-spyware
AVG - anti-virus + anti-spyware
Norton Security Scan
Anti-Malware
Spybot Search & Destroy
Spyware Doctor (in Google Pack)
Spyware Terminator*
Firewall
Comodo - firewall + anti-virus
PC Tools*
Webroot