Here we are again with a new year approaching and coming out of an economical nightmare. But freeware just keeps getting better. Here are my top picks for 2009

http://www.recuva.com/
Recuva (pronounced "recover") is a freeware
Windows utility to restore files that have
been accidentally deleted from your computer.
This includes files emptied from the Recycle
bin as well as images and other files that
have been deleted by user error from digital
camera memory cards or MP3 players. It will
even bring back files that have been deleted
by bugs, crashes and viruses!

http://www.ccleaner.com/
CCleaner is a freeware system optimization,
privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused
files from your system - allowing Windows to
run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk
space. It also cleans traces of your online
activities such as your Internet history.
Additionally it contains a fully featured
registry cleaner. But the best part is that
it's fast (normally taking less than a
second to run) and contains NO Spyware or
Adware!


http://www.defraggler.com/
It differs from other defrag tools on the
market, by enabling you to quickly and simply
defrag the files you want to, without having
to process the whole drive. Simply run it,
select the file and defragment in seconds.
No more struggling with the Windows
defragmentation tool!

http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html
avast! celebrates 60 million registered users
For 20 years, ALWIL Software has produced antivirus products that have been developed into the multi-award winning avast! antivirus product line, making avast! one of the most matured and tested products on the antivirus market

http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/download_firewall.html
The experts agree, when it comes to Online Security, Comodo's Free Firewall software is the choice the pro's turn to. It has rated as one of the most recommended firewalls on the market



http://registry-cleaner.comodo.com/overview.html
Comodo Registry Cleaner optimizes and repairs your registry by performing an in-depth scan to identify, remove or repair any unnecessary or corrupted entries. After running a scan, Windows will be able to access the information it needs from the registry much more quickly - meaning your computer will get an immediate performance and stability boost.