Top free tools for Windows: Recuva
Download: Recuva
Purpose: File undelete
Platforms: Windows 7, Vista, XP; Windows Server 2008, 2003
Cost: Free
File undelete has been a mainstay of the PC utility market since the days of DOS. As far as I'm concerned, there's never been a tool that performs file undelete better than Recuva (pronounced "recover"). It's fast, thorough, and free.
When you throw out the Windows Recycle Bin trash, the files aren't destroyed; rather, the space they occupy is earmarked for new data. Undelete routines scan the flotsam and jetsam, then put the pieces back together. As long as you haven't added new data to a drive, undelete (almost) always works; even if you've added data, there's a good chance you can get most of the deleted stuff back.
Recuva's repertoire goes beyond Windows. Use it to undelete data on a USB drive (see screenshot below), a camera's memory card, or even an MP3 player. It's certainly the most important PC utility a camera owner can have.
Warning: The installer offers to install the Yahoo toolbar. Oy.
Top free tools for Windows: 7Zip
Download: 7Zip
Purpose: Multitalented (un)zipper
Platforms: Windows 7, Vista, XP; Windows Server 2008, 2003; available in 64-bit
Cost: Free
Another venerable Windows utility, 7Zip still rates as a must-have, even though Windows supports the ZIP format natively.
Why? Because some people of the Apple persuasion will send you RAR files from time to time, and 7Zip is the fast, easy, completely free way to handle them.
7Zip also creates self-extracting EXE files, which can come in handy (although heaven help you if you ever try to email one -- most email scanners won't let an EXE file through), and it supports AES-256 bit encryption. The interface rates as clunky by modern standards (see screenshot below), but it gets the job done with ZIP, RAR, CAB, ARJ, TAR, 7z, and many lesser-known formats. It even lets you extract files from ISO CD images.
A poster boy for the open source community, 7Zip goes in easily, never nags, and wouldn't dream of dropping an unwanted toolbar on your system. Call it enlightened.
