Completely FREE Software - CFS Weekly Newsletter #430 issued April 27, 2007

Home > CFS Weekly Newsletter #430: issued April 27, 2007

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This electronic newsletter is registered – ISSN 1441-6840
Welcome to the CFS Weekly Newsletter.
The programs listed here are completely free for non-commercial use, even though some may be shareware or commercial products. None are time-limited and all are fully functional. If you know any that aren't exactly as specified, please let us know and they will be removed immediately.
If the link below does not work (does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid. Please use the CFS Site Search facility (above) to locate the program.
COMPLETELY FREE SOFTWARE

Space Aggressor v1.1 – WinXP/Vista
Space Aggressor is a space-based strategy/shooter where you must destroy the hero before he destroys your base. It features two player & single player modes, 4 levels of difficulty, 5 classes of ship from which to choose, you can spend money, build ships, employ workers, deploy resources, it has excellent graphics, good sound effects, and more. This is an excellent variation on a familiar theme. In this game you are out to stop the white-hatted hero (well, he has a white ship) who is trying to stop you. Create a fleet of ships and use them to stop the hero from achieving his goal. In the two person game, one plays the hero and the other the evil aliens (aren't all space opponents "evil aliens"?). Space Aggressor is a fabulous game and one that will potentially give many hours of play. You have to keep a careful watch on your resources and ensure that you stop the hero before he travels the million miles to your base. Don't forget to ensure that your production resources include sufficient workers to build your fleet of ships or you will give the hero an unopposed path to your base. We loved Space Aggressor. It is sufficiently quirky to keep you playing, and sufficiently challenging to bring you back for more and more. A "must have" for all space shooter fans, and a "must have" for all lovers of strategy-based games. Get it now! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 17.7MB download from: WinXP General Games

Pandora Recovery v0.9.33 – WinXP/Vista
Pandora Recovery provides an effective way to attempt recovery of permanently deleted files (not just from the Recycle Bin), even though not all files can be fully recovered if they have been partially overwritten by other files. It works on NTFS, NTFS5 & NTFS+EFS drives (not FAT or FAT32). This is an awesome tool for recovering files, or parts of files, that would normally be considered lost. It can search a drive for lost files (or file fragments), or you can browse a drive in an attempt to locate a deleted file. Pandora Recovery has an update function, and even has a Wizard to help you recover deleted files. Its one major limitation is that it only works on NTFS drives, and not on the older FAT or FAT32 drives. Even though it may appear that Pandora Recovery has successfully restored a lost file, sometimes you will find that what is recovered is only a portion of that file and it may not be able to be used. Text files are good because you can usually get some information from them, even though they may be partially overwritten by other files. If you are running an NTFS file system on your hard drive (check the Properties box of a drive to see what format it is) you will quickly realize that Pandora Recovery is a "must have" tool. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 1.49MB download from: WinXP Desktop Utilities

PC Tools Firewall Plus v2.0.0.24 – WinXP/Vista
PC Tools Firewall Plus is a software firewall that protects the computer from intruders, and controls the network traffic. It features intelligent automatic protection (asks fewer questions), has advanced rules to protect against common attacks, is designed for both novice & expert users, offers regular Smart Updates, real-time protection, comprehensive network shielding, has an animated desktray icon, and more. This is a superb firewall that would suit nearly every XP user. It offers an excellent level of protection yet remains relatively easy to use. Advanced users can control individual network communications and novice users will find the defaults more than adequate for their protection. The hardest part of any firewall is knowing which programs to allow, and which to block, and while PC Tools Firewall Plus still asks about many stand-alone programs, most common Windows applets that regularly access the Internet for updates, etc are automatically allowed access. There is always some user input into setting up firewalls (the ineffective Windows Firewall that ships with XP is an exception) but PC Tools Firewall Plus keeps it to an absolute minimum. Easy to use, effective in blocking unauthorized traffic, and relatively non-intrusive, this is one of the best software firewalls we have seen – at any price! Unfortunately there is a requirement to register on-line (it is free) but that is the only downside to this exceptional firewall. PC Tools Firewall Plus is one to get! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 2.10MB download from: WinXP Internet Related

HTML Code Export v1.0.0 – Win98/ME/XP/Vista
HTML Code Export is a tool that quickly and easily formats, exports and prints HTML documents. It re-indents text, exports to 10 formats (HTML, PDF, RTF, BMP, PNG, JPG, Lotus, SVG, QUATTRO Pro, & Excel), has a state-of-the-art printing engine, processes multiple files, single or twin-pane views, and more. This is an interesting program for anyone who wishes to present raw HTML code in a variety of formats. You can create a PDF file of your HTML code, turn it into an image, or present it in numerous common file formats. Best of all it prints your code using an excellent print engine that offers lots of formatting choices. As part of the presentation you can indent your code to make it easier to read. If you have a need to display your HTML code, or distribute it in, say, PDF format, then HTML Code Export is what you need. Worth a look for HTML coders. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 1.82MB download from: Win98 Text Programs

Pearl Puzzle v2.1 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
Pearl Puzzle is a fun puzzle where you match up 3 or more of the same colored pearl for them to disappear and the stack above to collapse. It features progressively harder levels, 2 modes of play (Stalagmite & Stalactite), optional Arcade play, bonuses, exploding fish, good graphics, bright background music, addictive gameplay, and more. This is great little game where a line of 12 new pearls (balls) are added to the game window every 10 or 12 seconds, but this gets faster and faster for each level. You must prevent the pearls from reaching the top of the window by clicking on groups of three or more of the same color. Some levels gets new colors (the more colors the harder it is to find three adjoining pearls that match), and each level starts with more lines of balls required to complete the level. After a few levels the face gets quite frenetic. Pearls either start at the bottom and "grow" upwards (Stalagmite) or start at the top and "grow" downwards (Stalactite). For that this is a fun little game that will wear out your mouse button faster than anything, it has two negative aspects. The first is that you are supposed to add the MeMe advertising cube to your desktop (though it is separate download and you can refuse to download it) and the second is that every time you close Pearl Puzzle it opens the author's Website in your browser (assuming you have an active Internet connection). The MeMe advertising is a once-only minor annoyance (assuming you refuse to download the advertising cube program) but having the program always open up the author's site when the program closes becomes a real pain. Aside from those two aspects, Pearl Puzzle is a terrific little game that, while it may not be mind stretching (in fact, it's a no brainer), starts to get challenging once you get above level 5 or 6. Just be prepared to suffer from RSI (repetitive strain injury) of the wrist! We liked! Access this 1.87MB download from: Win95 General Games

Free System Tweaker v4.2.0.0 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
Free System Tweaker is a system tweaker, optimizer & error corrector that can make Windows faster, more secure, and more comfortable. It features over 30 tweaks, 6 "System Health" checks (with auto repair), offers system monitoring & memory optimization, and more. This is a potentially handy tweaking tool for Windows. Free System Tweaker changes the screen resolution, changes the desktop Wallpaper, enables/disables smooth edges of screen fonts, enables/disables slide open combo boxes, alters the Start menu delay, adds an Expanding Control Panel to Start menu, denies access to display settings page, removes the Shut Down command, removes the Run command, disables Taskbar context menus, hides all desktop items, removes Internet Explorer icon from desktop, and disables the ability to right click on the desktop & Explorer. Unfortunately it is bundled with the necessity to download and install the intrusive Pando tool. Pando is a separate 3.1MB download but, even though it must be downloaded, you can remove it immediately through the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel. You can also prevent it from accessing the Internet (prior to you removing it) by blocking its access through your firewall. Free System Tweaker is crippled (in our opinion) because it insists that Pando be downloaded and installed (some of its functions are disabled if Pando is not installed, even though Pando may be immediately uninstalled). If you want Pando, or don't mind installing and removing it, Free System Tweaker is a reasonably good tweaking tool. Access this 3.97MB download (and don't forget the additional 3.1MB for Pando) from: Win95 Windows Enhancements

Itookia Free Set v1.0 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
Itookia Free Set is a set of 40 vibrant navigation and action icons in various sizes and formats. It features 4 sizes for each icon (48x48, 32x32, 24x24 & 16x16 pixels) with all icons in ICO, PNG, BMP, GIF & PSD formats for each size (a total of 680 icons – 17 x 40). This is a nice selection of popular icons that should appeal to many users. The icons are generally of a standard type – up arrows, left arrows, right arrows, etc – most in two different colors, red and blue. Icons are of a high quality, and the different sizes means they can normally be used at their full size. Itookia Free Set is a practical set of icons which are suitable for Website buttons. We liked. Access this 2.10MB download from: Win95 Graphic Programs

Chrysalis A v0.97 – WinME/XP/Vista
Chrysalis A is a slow-paced evolution game in a test tube where you must guide six species through their evolution until they become Elders. It features separate controls for heat & cooling (temperature regulation is important), excellent graphics & sound effects, and more. This is a fun game where you must nurture your new species until they can leave the test tube they have evolved in (the six Elders are part of more games from the same author). There are controls to regulate the temperature and the author advises that you make note of temperatures so that you remember for next time. Open the red cock to burn gas and heat your "land" and there is a sound of roaring flames which lasts for about 15 sends (fortunately it does not last too long because it can take a long time to change the temperature in your little glass world). The blue cock floods the land with chilled water and, again this slowly changes the temperature. As with the gas, there is the sound of rain for about 15 seconds just to give you an idea of what is happening and then it goes quiet. Cool! Unfortunately this game has one huge flaw – there is no way of saving it and Chrysalis A can go on for many, many hours (it can take 5 hours before the first egg appears!). As we are constantly having to reboot our test computer we could not get the game beyond the egg stage and we were most disappointed that there was no "save game" function included so we could continue it long term. Chrysalis A is a leader into other games from the same author where the six Elders created in your test tube go on to do other things. Whatever you think about the Theory of Evolution, Chrysalis A is a fun game that is worth grabbing. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95 or 98. Access this 5.85MB download from: WinME General Games
UPDATE
Scynse-Man – a Pac-man clone – has been updated to version 1.31 with a new download size of 703kB. The author advises that changes in this version include: configuration & high score file locations fixed; the game is now paused by pressing the space bar; and a new Abort feature to immediately go to the high score screen. He also points out that Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.x are no longer supported. Grab this fun little game at: Win98 General Games
COMMENTS
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