Free Backup and Disk Cleaning Software
In this category, FreebieList.com takes a look at the Internet's best disk and dial-up freeware, including backup software, disk cleanup utilities and more. If you happen to stumble across an outdated link, we'd very much appreciate it if you could report it.
Uranium Backup Free
A free and simple backup program designed to create regular backups of your files. Its commercial counterpart packs more punch, but for general home use, this freeware tool is not bad at all. Features include: unlimited backup destinations, zip compression of files, in-build FTP client, e-mail notifications, backup log files and more.
EASEUS Todo Backup
It can be a nightmare if you lose important files on your PC. Thankfully, thanks to Todo Backup, an effective solution is available. Not only does this freeware tool backup your files, it can also restore them should disaster strike. Since the software uses a "wizard" interface for common tasks, it is also very easy to use.
Uninstall Tool
When you uninstall programs using The Add/Remove tool in Windows, files and folders can get left behind, hindering your computer's performance. Uninstall Tool on the other hand, is just as easy to use, but ensures a more thorough uninstall. Give it a go!
PowerTools Lite
Download this freeware registry cleaner and you will be able to identify and fix registry error, clean up unnecessary junk and leftover temporary files. PowerTools Life also has a multilingual user face and is straight-forward to use. The software will function on all modern versions of Microsoft Windows.
Ocster Backup Free
If there is one thing in plentiful supply, it's backup utilities. However, they are not all designed from the start to be fully automatic, unlike Ocster backup, which was designed with simplicity in mind. The program effortlessly creates copies of your files and stores them on external drives, USB disks, etc. To save time and be as efficient as possible, incremental backups are used (so only modified or new data is backed-up).
DiskDigger
A free and user-friendly file recovery program that's suitable for rescuing files which have accidentally been deleted (or even files deleted on purpose). DiskDigger functions on your local computer, but can also recover lost files on removable media such as USB flash drives, or even SD cards!
Prevent Restore
This handy freeware file shredder ensures deleted files and folders are truly gone forever. Nowadays, sophisticated recovery software can restore files even after a user has deleted them. However, use Prevent Restore and your files will be unrecoverable - even by advanced recovery software. You can use this to delete files from removable media (USB disk, CD-RW, etc.), and also on your local hard disk drive. If you're selling a computer, or simply wish to dispose of sensitive data in a safe manner, give this tool a try.
GFI Backup Home Edition
An easy-to-use, free and wizard-based backup utility that makes backing up your important files, photos and other documents a simple and straight-forward process. GFI exports backup files in .zip format (unlike some other programs, which export in their own proprietary format). Using this, you may backup to a removable hard disk, USB disk, or even remotely via FTP.
Paragon Rescue Kit Express
With this highly-rated freeware program you can easily create a computer recovery disk to deal with a variety of issues, especially boot problems (i.e. if your PC fails to boot correctly). Fortunately, if disaster strikes, Rescue Kit Express will help fix any problems encountered and also retrieves data and lost drive partitions.
AceBackup
A powerful freeware utility that's perfect for creating secure backups of your data. AceBackup allows users to store files on any local storage device, or even on CDs, DVDs or remotely via FTP. This program features 256 bit encryption and also boasts a user-friendly interface that makes creating backup tasks quick and efficient.
Registry Fix Pro
This freeware registry utility is an effective tool used to locate and fix invalid registry entries. Registry Fix Pro performs a thorough scan and then optimises your system to help it run faster and with more stability. The software also creates an automatic backup of any repaired entries in case these should for any reason need to be restored. Functions on Windows 9x/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista.
EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition
This excellent free partition management program makes partitioning your disk drives an absolute breeze. If you've never created "virtual" drives on your computer, fear not! Partition Master is easy-to-use and allows users to resize, move, copy, create, delete, format, convert, explore, hide and unhide partitions. Note: this download is free for non-commercial use.
Auslogics Disk Defrag
A popular, easy-to-use and fast disk defrag utility that's the perfect replacement for "Disk Defragmenter" as supplied with Microsoft Windows. Auslogics Disk Defrag aims to improve the performance of your computer by combating fragmentation, which can cause sluggishness, slow start-ups, etc. The program offers some nice visualisation of the clean-up process in action and functions on all modern versions of Windows, including XP and Vista.
Freeraser
If you are working with sensitive data files that need to be kept private, you should ensure that when deleted, they stay beyond the reach of "recovery" programs. Freeraser is a fast, free, fun and easy-to-use file shredder for Windows. The program is particularly useful for securely deleting accounting records, bank details, financial statements, etc.
Fresh UI
If your Windows PC is not performing as well as it should be, maybe it's time for a service? This free system tweaking and optimisation program from Freshdevices allows you to optimise computer performance from software configurations right down to the hardware. It is easy to use and provides handy explanations if you require any assistance.