A selection of 20 of our favourite essential PC software

We have brought together what we think are the top programs to have on your PC. The majority of them are free so help yourselves to a copy today. We know that there are a lot of other packages to choose from but these are ones we use on a day-to-day basis.

Category/Type	Software	Description
Anti-Virus Protection	AVG Anti-Virus	Excellent, free award winning anti-virus software. If you are on a tight budget, this is a cracking little virus killer!
Anti-Spyware Protection	Spyware Terminator	Spyware Terminator that eliminates any threat to your privacy.
Firewall	Zone Alarm	Zone Alarm Personal Firewall software for that added security.
All-In-One Security	AVG Internet Security	This package combines firewall, anti-virus, anti-spam and spyware in an excellent value package.
Backup & Restore Utility	Norton Ghost	Backup and restore any of your files with ease.
Disk Defragmenter	Auslogics Disk Defrag	Keeping your hard drive defragged greatly assists in disk performance.
Download Manager	Free Download Manager	Free Download Manager allows you to take control of all your PC downloads.
Email Client	Thunderbird	A great email client with a comprehensive feature list.
File Compression	WinRAR	WinRAR is an outstanding compression tool that's definately worth investing in!
FTP Program	CuteFTPPro	If you need to post anything to the web then look no further that this ultimate FTP tool.
Font Manager	AMP Font Viewer	Control the many system fonts and see the styles with ease.
Image Handling	IrfanView	IrfanView is an awesome free image editor that has a wealth of options.
Instant Messenger /VOIP	Skype	Talking and chatting over the internet is a doddle with Skype plus it has numerous cool features.
Password Protection	RoboForm	RoboForm completes online forms easily by storing your personal details in a secure profile. Invaluable!
PC Diagnostics	Sandra lite	SiSoftware Sandra is an excellent benchmarking, information and diagnostic utility.
Productivity	Open Office	If you're looking for a straight forward alternative to MS Office then this comes very close.
RSS Feed Reader	Google Reader	Subscribing to a news feed just couldn't be easier.
Update Checker	File Hippo	Run this program and it will check all the software on your PC and see if you require updates.
WebMail	GMX WebMail	A really fast and advert free webmail service
Windows Cleaning	CCleaner	CCleaner is delightfully easy to use and navigate, keeping your PC in 'Tip-Top' condition.

Please contact us today if you think you've found some software that should be on our top 20 list....