It's really unbelievable to find free software applications as amazing as Photoscape. But as they say, truth is stranger than fiction. Here you have a really excellent photo editing tool that includes just about everything you need to view, optimize, edit, print and have fun with your photos, all for free.

Photoscape strikes us from the very beginning with an uncommon interface design from which you can choose what you want to do: view pictures, optimize those that didn't come out so well, print several photos on a single page collage-style or perhaps add any of the dozens of filters and special effects included in the program. Other extra tools featured in Photoscape are a file renamer, a color picker, a screen capture tool and even a RAW converter.

We really have nothing negative to say about Photoscape. Just download it, test it, love it and keep it forever. It's free!

{t}Download{/t} Photoscape 3.3 in Softonic

If you want to keep your PC in good condition and running as smoothly as the very first day you switched it on, you've got two options: either you download a dozen different system optimization apps or you just use TuneUp Utilities 2009, a nice piece of software that has turned into an essential maintenance toolkit for your PC.

The new version of TuneUp Utilities brings many exciting new features that make the program even better. It has not only improved many of the tools included in previous editions, but has also added new ones such as a Start page that provides you with quick and easy access to the program's main functions and the TuneUp Speed Optimizer, with which you can optimize and tweak different elements on your system for a better overall performance.

The first thing you see when launching TuneUp Utilities 2009 is a nagging window, a short message reminding you that this is not free software and that you have a 30-day trial period. It's a bit of a nuisance because it appears every time you it, but no big deal.

TuneUp Utilities 2009 features a nicely-designed interface that makes it easier to use, with tools classified into several categories and direct links to the most frequently used actions. Featured tools in TuneUp Utilities range from customizing the appearance of Windows to editing the Registry and covering many important aspects of your system. You'll be able to optimize general performance, gain disk space by erasing junk files and even recover those documents you've deleted by accident. TuneUp Utilities 2009 can also generate a highly detailed report on the state of your PC. The good thing is that, no matter how many changes you make, you can always go back to your PC's previous state thanks to TuneUp Rescue Center.

TuneUp Utilities 2009 adds a new shortcut to the Desktop named "1-Click Maintenance", which enables you to perform a quick maintenance check-up and which has also been optimized in TuneUp Utilities 2009. This is certainly a very handy tool that should probably be run every week as a periodic maintenance task.

TuneUp Utilities gathers pretty much all the maintenance and optimization tools you need into one efficient, easy-to-use application. You couldn't ask for more.

{t}Download{/t} TuneUp Utilities 2009 8.0.2000 in Softonic

Copying DVDs (for your own use, of course) is becoming increasingly difficult as manufacturers improve the security encoding on DVDs. AnyDVD however claims to be able to crack any DVD encryption code and judging by the number of downloads, Softonic users are certainly endorsing it too.

The beauty of AnyDVD is that it simply works in the background to automatically remove the copy protection of a DVD movie as soon as it's inserted into the drive. In this way, it can decrypt data without actually saving it to your hard-disk. You can watch the DVD at the same time or just insert a disk and let AnyDVD do its stuff. When you insert a disk, you are automatically prompted whether you want to decrypt it. When it has finished inspecting the disk, the program prompts you to backup the DVD using your preferred backup tool such as CloneDVD or Power DVD Copy.

The programme goes much further than this though. A handy bonus is that you can also remove the RPC region code, thereby making the movie region free and viewable on any DVD player. This is especially useful for those who buy many of their disks abroad or travel a lot. If you want to create a stripped-down version of a DVD, it can also remove unwanted movie features, including subtitles and extras for example. The programme also moves beyond decryption and allows you to control the speed of your DVD drive. This is useful if you’re having trouble playing a DVD properly or if the noise of your drive is causing annoyance. Finally, there’s also an option to display the frequency of your monitor for both NTSC and PAL displays although you probably won’t use this unless you’re having serious display issues.

The only drawback of AnyDVD is the number of daily updates that are released. Whilst this is obviously a good thing in terms of keeping it up-to-date with the latest encryption methods, the update alerts can be rather annoying and are prone to slowing your computer down.

However, this is a small price to pay for a programme that seems able to crack all but the toughest disks and for anyone who likes to create backups of their favourite DVDs, it’s an essential addition to your software collection.

{t}Download{/t} AnyDVD HD 6.5.0.7 in Softonic

Drive emulation has many advantages. You can use it to check the integrity of your disk image (e.g. ISO) files; you can avoid burning images to CDs loading them directly from your storage device; and by and large, loading times are slashed from what you could expect to get from your CD drive. DAEMON Tools has enjoyed a lot of support, being the number one choice for several years thanks to its light system footprint and distinct lack of strings attached. Unfortunately for the loyal DAEMON Tools users, things have changed a little in recent releases and more and more people are turning to Alcohol 120% as an alternative.

The problem lies in a small program called SaveNow, bundled with the DAEMON Tools Searchbar as an optional add-on for Internet Explorer. This spyware program has only become part of the most recent versions and can be avoided during the install process by de-selecting the option to include the Searchbar.

Controls for DAEMON Tools are dictated from the task bar, with a handy context menu that pops up when you click. Being a specific CD/DVD drive emulator, the options consist of choosing the number of virtual drives you want, where the image files for each virtual disk are located so that they can be mounted, and of course you can dismount images when you’ve finished with them.

With support for a wide range of formats, DAEMON Tools makes a good choice for users who travel frequently and would prefer to do so without lugging their CD and DVD library everywhere they go. It also makes a lot of sense for those who tend to scratch their CDs, because an initial backup will see them through unlimited uses without the danger of rendering the image unusable. Alternatively though, if you’re after a complete package with burning and ripping capabilities on top of the emulation, Alcohol 120% will be right up your street.

{t}Download{/t} DAEMON Tools 4.30.3 in Softonic

PDF (Portable Document Format) is now one of the most ubiquitous document formats on the net. The problem is that Adobe Reader is the only tool to read it and it's both bulky and slow.

Foxit PDF Reader on the other hand is light and quick. The proof is in the pudding for starters - compare Foxit's installation file is only of just 2.2 MB against Acrobat's 20.8 MB and you can see why it opens documents in a snap. The key is that it doesn't have all those annoying splash-up screens, endless credits lists and plugins.

The program's interface been designed with ease of use in mind. You have several toolbars available, which you can show or hide at your will and which give you access to all the available utilities: zoom, text selection, image snapshot, search tool, rotation or full screen view, among others. There is a small ad in the upper right corner, but you can deactivate it by going to the View menu and deselecting the Advertisement option. One added bonus is that you can annotate PDF documents in several ways by highlighting text fragments, underlining them, strike them out or even add personal comments.

If you want a small, fast, stable and functional alternative to Adobe Reader, then look no further

{t}Download{/t} Foxit Reader 3.0.1301 in Softonic

Many people believe Firefox is the best web browser out there, and this MushroomKingdom Firefox theme is one of the best ways to make it even more enjoyable - assuming you're a Super Mario fan!

After a simple installation, Firefox will be transformed into a Mario fan's paradise. Back and forward buttons are handled by Mario and Luigi icons, who open their eyes when they are available for use and shut them when they are not needed. Similar animations are used throughout this lovingly-created theme. For example, the red shell for stopping a loading page grows spikes when active.

While the animations are cute they are not self explanatory, so you have to get used to the new icons. This is not a huge problem because everything is in the same place as it is on the traditional Firefox theme. The only other criticism is that because all the graphics have been originally created, it doesn't have the retro charm of the NES and SNES classics.

MushroomKingdom is a great way to bring Mario to Firefox while maintaining usability.

{t}Download{/t} MushroomKingdom Firefox Theme 1.1 in Softonic

Finding videos, images and audio files is relatively easy on the web, but you can make it even easier with LittleShoot, a very special browser plug-in.

LittleShoot is compatible with the major web browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer 7 or higher, and Opera) and lets you search for different types of files, namely videos, photos, documents, audio files and apps.

The program works with the P2P network Limewire, with its own network, plus websites such as Youtube and Flickr. LittleShoot also features a handy "Safe search" filter, which prevents unwanted items from appearing among your search results.

The good thing about LittleShoot is that it also allows to upload and share your own content, though, to be honest, the file sharing system seems to be still under development. You can easily upload data, but once it's published on the LittleShoot network the only way for your friends to retrieve it is using the same tags you used to identify those files. Another thing I didn't like is the fact that you can't make your stuff private and only accessible to certain users.

All in all, LittleShoot is a handy way to find multimedia files in a faster, easier way.

{t}Download{/t} LittleShoot 0.62 in Softonic

ProtoType is a side-scrolling shoot'em up in its purest form. Hence, you get loads of enemy waves, many power-ups to use against them and of course, a final boss at the end of each stage.

The game includes three different difficulty levels (rookie, novice and expert) though, in truth, all three are quite hard. The controls are pretty easy (cursor keys and Z-X for firing) but I have to say I had some problems with the down key the first time I launched the game: it simply wouldn't make the spaceship go down, but rather backwards instead. Luckily this was solved with a quick key remapping.

ProtoType may be a bit difficult, but it's also loads of fun, especially if you played this kind of games during the 80s. You'll feel like you've traveled back in time – only with better graphics and improved sound effects. You can play ProtoType at different screen resolutions and also choose between a few different tracks as background music.

The main drawback to ProtoType is its shortness: the game only features three stages, but the developers promises to create more if the game is successful enough.

With ProtoType you'll go back to old-school space invaders in a fun, action packed battle against many different enemies.

{t}Download{/t} ProtoType 2 in Softonic

Are you looking for a fun way to kill minutes on your PC? How about ridding the world of vampire bats and pigs while you're at it? Indie game SkullPogo combines all this with pogos.

This is a simple-at-heart, arcade-style game where the aim is high scores - there's an in-game scoreboard and an online one too. You control a guy on a pogo, and have to jump on the pigs and bats to score, against the clock. High scores can be racked up by executing combos. This simply means jumping on enemies repeatedly without touching the ground, and before the combo-meter runs down.

Power-ups, some good, some bad, will appear and introduce an element of strategy to SkullPogo - do you bounce on a bad power-up to keep up your combo, or sacrifice a big score for an easier game?

The mechanics of SkullPogo are simple, and work well. While it's a really simple concept, it's surprisingly addictive, and the online scoreboard gives you the urge to push for even greater high scores. The graphics are colorful and fun, though not at all flashy, and the sound effects are good. Unfortunately the music gets a bit irritating, and there's only the choice of turning all the sound off including the amusing SFX.

Despite the sound gripes, SkullPogo is enjoyable enough to want to return to after a few goes and get your name up on the scoreboard

{t}Download{/t} Skullpogo 1.0 in Softonic

This is an alpha release of the most popular peer to peer filesharing application. Current LimeWire users will notice the radical redesign, bringing it aesthetically up to date.

Like Vuze before it, LimeWire appears to be encouraging legal downloads with the LimeWire Store. The library is so far a little limited compared to competitor download stores, but we expect this will expand.

Otherwise it's business as usual on LimeWire, but with a much simplified and cleaner interface. Because it's an alpha release, there are still some bugs, but the basic file sharing functions as well as ever. The new design makes scanning your search results much easier, and downloading files is totally intuitive.

The inbuilt player is still unintrusive and useful for checking audio and video files, but no more. LimeWire goes out of it's way to check you are aware of the legal implications of illegal filesharing, on installation you have to agree no to infringe copyright, and if you download a file for which LimeWire can't find a license you will be warned and can stop or continue at your discretion.

The friends function has been much improved. You can sign in with your Gmail, Jabber or LiveJournal accounts, and share files between any of your friends there who are also on LimeWire. This is much easier than tapping out IP addresses, and if enough of your friends use LimeWire, it could become great community sharing tool.

LimeWire searches remain within the P2P network, but you can open torrent files with it, and it functions very well as a torrent download client. This is not the most advertised feature of LimeWire, which may a way of keeping legal challenges at bay, but it's a shame that you can't search for torrents within the program.

Due to the occasional bug, you might prefer to wait for the official release of LimeWire 5.0, but it's looking like a much improved P2P experience.

{t}Download{/t} LimeWire 5.0.3 Alpha in Softonic

These days we've seen plenty of tools to save Youtube videos to your hard drive, but what if you're only interested in saving the soundtrack of those videos? Then the best choice is probably this little application.

Free Youtube to MP3 Converter clearly states its aim in its own name: it grabs a Youtube video of your choice and saves its soundtrack to your hard drive in MP3 format. Although you can only save files one by one, the process is quite fast.

The program enables you to choose between four possible quality presets but doesn't allow you to create new ones.

{t}Download{/t} Free YouTube to MP3 Converter 3.1.4.50 in Softonic

{t}Download{/t} Notepad++ 5.1.3 in Softonic

While the developers claim that "Free 100% Real-Time Protection" is something that most similar programs charge for may be stretching the truth somewhat, Spyware Terminator & Web Security Guard is very powerful spyware solution.

The program includes all the options you expect to find in such a product including options to manually carry out or schedule scans as well as options to deny or allow access to certain programs to your PC. The program is not just a spyware scanner however as it also includes an antivirus scanner. The developers have also seen fit to include a "Web Security Guard" which carries out the the job that most anti-phishing and pop up blockers in Internet Explorer and Firefox already carry out. This feature also features user generated website reviews along with warnings as to whether the site could be potentially harmful or not. Note that the developers warn that if you are using an unsupported operating system (such as Windows 98 or ME), you it may be better to use version 1.9 which offers the same protection but is much lighter on resources as the one drawback of this program is that it is rather slow to start and close and can hog your memory at peak scanning periods.

This is a comprehensive security solution that has all avenues of attack covered although if you're already using a virus scanner, you may be better to stick with it as it seems the weakest part of what is generally an excellent package.

{t}Download{/t} Spyware Terminator 2.5.1.028 in Softonic

{t}Download{/t} K-Lite Codec Pack Standard 4.4.5 in Softonic

{t}Download{/t} K-Lite Codec Pack Basic 4.4.5 in Softonic

If you're looking for a highly professional, no nonsense FTP server then you can't do much better than FTP Serv-U.

In this latest release, the developers have completely re-engineered Serv-U FTP Server from the ground up to be faster, more secure, and more flexible. Particularly for those seeking a highly secure FTP server, this is a rock solid product that will give you peace of mind. Serv-U supports high-grade 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encrypted communications using FTPS and HTTPS. When using FTPS or HTTPS, file transfers and remote administration sessions are secured meaning that no one can see, interrupt or access in anyway the transfers you may be making. However, this is a pretty standard feature for FTP clients but what's great about FTP Serv-U is that you can completely restrict access to the entire File Server, specific domains, or even individual user accounts with powerful IP access rules. You can even specify a domain name that allows dynamic DNS to grant access for mobile users - great for if you need to administer your files on the move from your mobile device.

Highly secure and rich with features, this is one FTP server that no professional administrator should ignore.

{t}Download{/t} FTP Serv-U 7.4.0.1 in Softonic

According to its developer, DivFix++ is a complete rewrite of DivFix and just like its mother app, it lets you fix broken AVI files and preview partially-downloaded movies.

These two actions are particularly useful if you download videos from P2P networks or websites frequently, as some of them may not download properly – and so they need repairing. Or, you may simply want to make sure that the file name corresponds to the actual content – which you can check with the preview tool.

DivFix++ is very easy to use: open the file you want to work with (or just drag and drop it onto the program's interface) and you're ready to go. You can check one file at a time or create a list to process them one after the other and save time.

On the downside, DivFix++ doesn't feature a proper configuration menu: it only includes the option to use a default media player and a drop-down menu where you can choose the program's language. By the way, the latter displays an error message if you don't choose any language before closing it. The program doesn't include any documentation either.

With DivFix++ you can easily preview partially downloaded AVI files and try to fix them if they're broken.

{t}Download{/t} DivFix++ 0.31 in Softonic

If Windows Task Manager doesn't offer you enough of a break-down of your system processes for you, this Free Extended Task Manager might be what you're looking for.

Basically, 'extended' is exactly what it says it is. It's a slightly larger, very similar-looking task manager, with slightly extended features. If you open the Performance tab, and hover the cursor over the graphs, you can see CPU usage at any point in time and view the programs that are sucking up the most processing power.

The Network Port tab shows you who is connecting to you, and who you are connecting to, including IP addresses. The Applications tab gives you big icons instead of the usual list, which is a much friendlier look than in Windows Task Manager. There are more features including a file lock finder which finds out why a particular file cannot be deleted, and 'unlocks' the process, which is a useful tool.

There is nothing that makes Free Extended Task Manager particularly special - it is no easier to use than the built-in task manager - but its extended features are useful and the utility is free.

Overall, Free Extended Task Manager is a stable and fairly comprehensive utility great for anyone interested in the more mysterious workings of their PC.

{t}Download{/t} Free Extended Task Manager 1.0.4.10 in Softonic

If you're tired of bloated burning suites, maybe BurnAware is what you're looking for. This simple burning application includes all the tools you need to record your own CD, DVD and even Blu-Ray discs.

The program starts up with a wizard-style interface that lets you select the appropriate recording task. You can choose between data and music discs, as well as DVD videos and ISO files. In all cases you may choose files and folders from the program itself or simply drag and drop files onto its interface. Also, notice the drop-down menu on the bottom bar, from which you can select the target size: CD, DVD, double-layered DVD and Blu-Ray.

BurnAware includes all the classical settings in a burning tool: support for multisession, a rewritable disc erasing tool and writing simulation among others, but lacks a more advanced configuration menu that enabled, for example, tweaking recorder settings to take full advantage of each disc's space. Another good idea would be to have some sort of very basic embedded tool to create a simple cover for your newly recorded discs. I guess this is just a matter of time - and future versions.

BurnAware is a basic, yet effective burning tool for data, video and music discs that supports Blu-Ray.

{t}Download{/t} BurnAware 2.2.1 in Softonic

Having a larger monitor – or even more than one –is a proven productivity booster. But what if you can't afford a 24'' screen? Well, you can just download WindowsPager.

This free tool lets you use up to four virtual desktops and manage your windows and apps within them with ease. WindowsPager doesn't require installation nor administrator privileges to run: simply launch it and your available screen space will be instantly multiplied by four.

WindowsPager's interface for switching between desktops is a bit awkward but it still does the trick. You can change from one desktop to another by clicking on the small thumbnails in the Windows toolbar, or by dragging and dropping windows from one desktop to another – you'll need to press and hold the Ctrl key for this one to work though. WindowsPager also supports keyboard shortcuts.

On the downside, WindowsPager lacks a settings menu for changing the program's main functions and tools. Also, I have to say it was a bit unstable during our tests, and I couldn't figure out what the manager.exe file is used for.

If you want to have more screen space but can't afford buying a new monitor, a multiple virtual desktop tool like WindowsPager may be your best choice.

{t}Download{/t} WindowsPager 0.37 in Softonic