TecHub!

Keeping a PC running in an optimal condition in today’s age of bloated software installs, sneaky trojans, adware, and fragmented HDDs is a full-time job. Most software that help you do it cost an arm and a leg, which only adds to the problem. However, quite a few freeware products get the job done pretty well, even if they don't offer quite the same level of functionality as paid products. Here's a list of five such products, divided into various categories.

The AV category is perhaps the one that's seen the most development, in terms of free software. After all, what can be a bigger nuisance to PC users than a pesky virus wreaking havoc? After checking out quite a few great options, we found that Avast! was easily the best of the lot.

Not only is the software free, it offers an IM scanner, an email scanner, a P2P shield, and of course a standard file scanner. It’s also updated daily and offers very good scanning speeds. When you combine all these, what you get is a fantastic product that offers functionality similar to paid products!

You can download Avast from here.

If a virus can be pesky and annoying, spyware can cause most people to tear their hair out. Fortunately there are some really good options available to clean out this crap. Among these the best is easily Spyware Search and Destroy.

That may seem a mouthful, but the truth is S&D has been around for a while. Not only does it offer comprehensive cleaning abilities, it can also be proactive – its ActiveShield can stop you from getting infected in the first place. We recommend it highly to keep those naked women adware from taking over your desktop