One Company, Three Free Tools You Need
Piriform offers three free programs that give users a lot more control over their computers. I’ve used CCleaner almost daily for years (it can be set to run automatically after Windows starts, but I don’t bother — I just run it manually). The other tools I tend to download and install as I need them, but they can definitely be helpful. Here’s an overview of each tool:
CCleaner is a must-have tool for cleaning up unnecessary files on your Windows PC. This tool not only recovers disk space, but it also make your computer faster and more secure. It’s a small, lightweight program and easy to use. In addition to file cleaning, CCleaner also has tools for registry cleaning, startup management, and uninstalling software.
Defraggler can be used to defragment an entire hard drive, or individual files. Defraggler is fast and simple to use, and supports NTFS and FAT32 file systems. Defragmenting isn’t as important as it used to be, but there are still performance advantages. The fuller your hard drive gets, the more you’ll benefit from this tool.
Recuva can help with recovering deleted files. Recuva tries to recover deleted files from Windows computers, flash cards, external drives, and even most MP3 players (including iPods). It works best on recently deleted files. Also valuable in certain cases after a serious computer crash.
