Your computer is full of personal data. From letters to your insurer and emails from your doctor to your tax return and list of your passwords, the documents and files stored on your hard drive are a treasure trove for an identity thief. Even if your data isn’t stolen, it could prove embarrassing if accessed … Read more
What you need: Vivaldi browser Time required: 30 minutes The free Vivaldi browser is based on the same code as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome, so it can use many of the extensions you’re already familiar with. It also has some extra tricks up its sleeve, like built-in ad and tracker blocking and, in the … Read more
Who needs Sky anyway? Wayne Williams explains how you can expand your viewing horizons using the amazing free software that everyone’s talking about Kodi ( kodi.tv) has been around in one form or another since 2002, but in the past year its popularity has exploded, and it will undoubtedly continue to rocket in 2017. From … Read more
Kodi is one of the most powerful media players that’s ever been released for Windows – and it’s also one of the most controversial. David Ludlow explains how to use it legally WHAT YOU CAN DO Use the latest ‘Krypton’ version of Kodi Stream your videos, music and photos Expand Kodi’s features using add-ons Transform … Read more
Not all technology memories are happy ones Windows 8.1 has a lot of users in a flap over its tiles, style and the way it works. It’s different, but it does work and it’s pretty quick as well. [wpsm_toplist] Windows Vista, the last ‘bad’ operating system from Microsoft, was met with pretty much the same … Read more
Min requirements: Windows 7/8.1/10 File size: 37.6MB Advanced SystemCare 12 Free cleans your PC, boosts its performance, protects your privacy and fixes all kinds of annoying problems. As with previous versions of this powerful free software, you simply click the big Scan button on the home screen to set it running through a sequence of … Read more
Ben Everard reclaims his privacy with a web-based office suite he controls Whether you pay for Office 2021 or for a Microsoft 365 subscription, using Word, Excel and PowerPoint is going to cost you – and is an unnecessary expense when so much office software is available for nothing. Our favourite free Office alternative, LibreOffice, … Read more
Quickly find, execute, or edit scripts using this handy menu bar utility From redsweater.com Needs macOS 10.15 or later FastScripts 3 can create an app-specific Scripts folder for the active application on your Mac. If you’ve ever done more than dabble with AppleScripts, or any other scripting on the Mac, you’ll know that macOS’ Script … Read more
What you need: Windows 10 or 11 As we revealed in our ‘Your favourite programs of 2021’ round-up in Issue 622 (page 63), O&O AppBuster was Computeractive readers’ most downloaded program last year. So we’re delighted that this excellent free tool has been updated for 2022, in its first major release for nearly three years, to … Read more
The core task for every antivirus utility is to exterminate any malware infestations that took root before its installation and then maintain vigilance to prevent any further attacks. Some products stick to those essential activities, while others, like ESET NOD32 Antivirus, go quite a bit beyond them. Among other bonus features, NOD32 includes a Host … Read more
It’s the most important program on your PC, but is your antivirus software doing its job? Will Stapley examines five of the best new security suites that aim to keep you safe. Working silently in the background, your security software promises to protect you from malware. But how can you be sure it’s blocking every threat? … Read more
Is your SSD getting dangerously full without reason? Darien Graham-Smith explores where all your space has gone – and how to free up space [wpsm_toplist] It’s been observed that data seems to expand to fill the available storage, and that’s certainly true when it comes to PCs. It’s horribly easy to accumulate files without thinking … Read more