Top Freeware for Windows XP
Overview of Free Software Downloads for Windows XP
When you’re looking for freeware programs for Windows XP, it’s important to choose the best ones. The top freeware programs for Windows XP are not only popular and highly rated, they also have useful features that other freeware programs lack. The best freeware programs for Windows XP are also light on system resources, making them ideal for both newer and older computers alike. It’s possible that you haven’t heard of some of the best Windows XP freeware. All of the free software covered in this article is available on CNET’s Download.com, and some of the freeware is available from the manufacturer’s websites.
Top Free Internet Software for Windows XP
One of the best download managing freeware programs for Windows XP is the Free Download Manager. This light-weight program is capable of dividing your downloads into segments for faster downloading. It can also resume an interrupted download. If you have a slow dial-up or DSL Internet connection on your Windows XP computer, Free Download Manager can help you avoid unnecessary frustration and delays. If you’re planning to download a lot of free Windows software, you’ll save a lot of time if you get Free Download Manager first.
BitTorrent is a free software client you can use to download very large video, audio or software files from the Internet. BitTorrent can connect to torrents on peer to peer networks to download movies, television, music, games and more. You can use BitTorrent to search the Internet for sites to download the files you want. When you click on the torrent file, the download will begin automatically.
FileZilla is an open-source client that you can use to download and upload files by FTP, FTPS and SFTP. FileZilla has the ability to upload and download multiple files at once, transfer large files and resume interrupted file transfers. There’s also a QuickConnect feature you can use to connect the sites you access frequently. If you need to transfer large files or resume interrupted file transfers, FileZilla is an excellent free program to use.
Using Google Desktop in Windows XP, you can search your computer as easily as you would search the Internet. There are also many gadgets you can install and organize in Google Desktop’s sidebar, such as document, weather, clock, calendar and calculator gadgets. Google Desktop gives Windows XP much of the same functionality of Windows Vista’s Instant Search and Sidebar features.
Top Free Utility Software for Windows XP
7-Zip is a free file compression program that’s similar to WinZip. This free, open-source software program supports many popular compression formats, including ZIP, GIP, TAR and RAR. It also has its own compression format, called 7z, which has a higher compression ratio than other common formats. You can also use 7-Zip to split large files into smaller files, making them easier to send across the Internet.
If you have a lot of duplicate files taking up space on your Windows XP computer, CloneSpy can help you to remove them. CloneSpy can find duplicate files that have the same file name, are the same size or that are zero bytes long. You can delete the files, move them to a specified folder, create a list of equal files, create a batch file or change duplicate files to shortcuts pointed to the file you choose to keep.
If you want to run DOS programs that won’t run under Windows XP, DOSBox can solve the problem. This free, open-source DOS emulator can run a wide number of DOS programs, including games and utility programs. It includes support for sound, devices such as a mouse, joystick and modem.
Top Free Multimedia Software for Windows XP
YouTube Downloader is a free program that can download YouTube videos to your computer, then convert them into other formats. The formats supported by YouTube Downloader include WMV, MOV, AVI, MP3, iPhone, PSP video and cell phone formats. This multimedia software program is especially useful if your Internet connection is somewhat slow, or if you have favorite YouTube videos that you like to watch often.
JetAudio Basic is a free media player that plays video and audio files. You can use it to convert files, rip CDs, burn CDs and record audio. JetAudio Basic supports a wide range of popular audio and video formats, including WAV, WMA, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, RealMedia, WMV, AVI and MPEG, and can also play MIDI files.
WinAmp is another free media player with many advanced features and which plays a wide variety of audio and video file types, such as AVI, MP3, MPEG, WAV, WMA and WMV. One of WinAmp’s best features is its built-in equalizer with adjustable controls and presets for different types of music such as rock, classical and pop. You can also browse the web directly with WinAmp.
CDBurnerXP is a free program that can burn CDs, DVDs, HD-DVD and Blu-ray. You can also create and burn ISO files and bootable disks using CDBurnerXP. CDBurnerXP verifies disks after burning and supports double layer disk burning.
For more free Windows software, read Top Windows Freebies.
