There are many sites on the Internet that let you download Utilities, Games, Clip-Art, wallpaper and other things. We will try to list only the better - more useful - Utilities.

Although many of these have been tried and tested, every computer is different so no guarantees can be made. Usually you can uninstall using the Windows Uninstall "Utility" in the Control Panel. Your Anti-Virus program should stop any embedded virus although these are rare in Downloads. The other danger is Spy-Ware or Ad-Ware and you should download and Install Spy-Bot (for Spy-Ware and some Ad-Ware) and AdAware for some that Spy-Bot does not catch. These are both available via Links given below.

Restoration - Restores deleted files. And also allows permanent deletion of those deleted - but only do this when you are finished with a computer - it may corrupt important files and require a re-install of Windows! Very small and simple. Perhaps a better program for permanently deleting files is Eraser - also free.

Widgets and Gadgets
Widgets are little programs that use the Yahoo Widget Engine to run (previously called Konfabulator). They vary from clocks to memory gauges to games to newsfeeds. They run on JavaScript and RSS so are compatible with most computers unless you have Javascript disabled. Download the Konfabulator executable, run it to install it and it will bring with it some popular Widgets. Then go to the same site and download as many additional widgets as you like. They are free and no registration is needed. Control is via an icon in the system tray. Great gadgets and toys! BUT, a betteridea is to use the Gadgets that come with Google Desktop. Easier to install, less likely to have problems and lots to choose from. I recently uninstalkled all my Widgets but I do have some Gadgets. Google desktop includes a computer search engine.

Computer Performance Utilities
PCPitstop - this is not a program but is a site that will run diagnostic tests on your computer remotely. You can register as a member (this probably means you get ads) or run it anonymously (recommended). To do this, click "new member" and install the ActiveX controls (yes, this means you have to use IE and not Firefox) plus the program they suggest. Follow the suggestions and requests for information then view the report. Don't worry, your Anti-Virus program will protect you if they have suddenly decided to be malicious. You'll get reports and suggestions on a wide range of things - worth doing!. Note that they also have a "PC Optimize program" which is a program that downloads and installs on your computer. This will scan for problems for free but will cost you US$29.99 to buy it and fix the problems found!
Speed Test - Tests your download speed - but over simplified. Does not tell you much about your computer.
Process Explorer - To find out which processes are running in XP and Vista, press CTRL-ALT-DEL keys simultaneously. But the list of Processes under the Processes tab is often not very helpful. How do you know if a process is benign? It would help if you knew who it belonged to (e.g. Microsoft). The Process Explorer does exactly that. Very useful.

Miscellaneous
PrimoPDF - a totally free PDF Converter - anything that can be printed can be converted to a PDF document. Better than many alternatives and totally free. More on Adobe Reader. There is one anomaly, pdf documents created by Primo can't be read by the default pdf reader in many Macs. Either ask Mac users to download Adobe's free Reader or convert using Adobe's Adobe Acrobat program - perhaps using their service which has a free trial for 5 documents.

Power Toys - Microsoft's collection of add-ons for Windows XP. The "toy" especially recommended is "Tweak UI" which allows you to adjust mouse settings, Explorer settings, taskbar settings, and more. Needs Windows XP SP1 or SP2 to run.

CKRename - a free utility that batch renames files. Easy to use, powerful and flexible. Source site is unreliable and full of ads but states software is free. So download zipped file from here. Version 1.08.

Ever wished that the clock in the system tray would show the Day & Date as well as the time? In XP, if you make the toolbar wider (higher), you get this but with a normal (slim) toolbar you'll need TClockEx. This is a free utility that not only provides the date as well as the time - but also provides a graphical indication of physical memory in use. The program works on Windows versions Windows 98 to XP. It has been tested and works well for me.

Converting formats If you have a program (e.g. Word Perfect), you can open edit and save using its format. But if you receive a program in a format you can't open (e.g. WORD), you'll need a "reader" which opens this program's documents as "read-only". If you open the program using this, to edit it in your own program, select the content you want and copy and paste it to your own program. More - a selection of Readers.

AceFTP
If you want to access your own web site but don't want to spend money on the FTP access tool, here is the one for you. Recommended if you don't want to buy the standard (WSFTP). Download from PCWorld.