Software
AVG Internet Security - Tough on threats. AVG Internet Security

We love AVG. It has a small footprint (doesn't slow down your computer unnecessarily), doesn't have NEARLY as many slowdown issues as some other antivirus solutions, and it just works. It's a great preventative measure to stop those nasty viruses and spyware from slowing down your day. This AVG product is a thorough antivirus/antispyware/firewall solution.  If you want the free version that doesn't include a firewall, identity theft protection, or anti-spam, it is readily available on AVG's website.
 
Combofix SugarSync

So far we have tested Carbonite, Dropbox, JungleDisk, iBackup, Mozy, and SugarSync. After hours and hours of testing, we decided to choose SugarSync, for several reasons. SugarSync allows trouble-free, constant, reliable, secure online backup, at a great price. No matter if you have 1 computer or 5 computers spread across home and office, SugarSync is a online based solution that will backup your documents, pictures, and everything else on your computer. Because we've become so fond of SugarSync. For $5 a month you can rest assured that your data will be safe and secure. Please check out SugarSync and sign up for a free trial to check them out.
 
Foxit PDF ReaderFoxit PDF Reader

Foxit PDF Reader is a lightweight alternative to Adobe reader. If you just want to be able to open PDFs and print them as necessary, Foxit PDF Reader is an easy-to-install, easy-to-use program.
 
HijackThis HJT

Oooo. HJT is one of our favorites. Although there are many alternatives, this startup-analyzer is great at finding things that shouldn’t be running in the background. Scan with this program, and it’ll show you nearly all of the things involved in starting up your computer or internet explorer. We do not recommend using this software unless a trained professional is directing you, as it can eliminate necessary software from running (sound, printers…you know, things we actually want to work).
 
malware bytes anti-malware MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware

This guy is relatively new, but it works pretty well. Generally this is an additive to your antivirus cocktail, that does a pretty good job at keeping bad spyware from crippling your system. It’s not really made well for preventative measures, but works pretty good at cleaning up a mess once the mess has already occurred. It rarely ever does any damage to a system, so we recommend anyone wanting to try the do-it-yourself approach to spyware removal, try this first.
 
Combofix Combofix

Combofix is a great little tool we often use to help eradicate viruses/spyware. It’s somewhat automated, and doesn’t really give any options to tinker with—it either works well, or doesn’t work at all. Use this tool AT YOUR OWN RISK—it can actually damage Windows if used improperly (or if you get struck with bad luck).
 
Mozilla Firefox Mozilla's Firefox

This alternative browser has a very large following. Mozilla’s claim is that its more secure, faster, and has many well developed plug-ins that add specific functionality. This browser’s definitely not for everyone, but it definitely has its place on this list. We use this often to determine if there are problems specifically related to Microsoft’s internet explorer, rather than the system as a whole.
 
Hamachi Hamachi

Hamachi is not an electronic pet (see Tamagotchi). It’s a program that’s free for personal use, and it allows network-to-network connectivity. In other words, if you have have a network at home, and a network at work, you can connect the two so that they talk to one another (share files, etc…). Setting up this tool isn’t easy for everyone…but we’ve used it with our customers before, and its worked great.
 
McAfee removal McAfee Removal Tool

All antivirus software can screw up. When McAfee software screws up, this kicks all traces of McAfee into the Netherlands, and if it works properly, gives us a clean slate to work on so that any antivirus software can be installed afterwards.
 
Norton removal Norton Removal Tool

Some people have complaints about Norton software. We think, generally, the new versions work well. Having that said, sometimes when trying to remove Norton software, it doesn’t exactly remove properly. This tool gets in all the cracks and crevices and will remove completely the software.
 
OpenOffice OpenOffice

Microsoft Office software is a little pricey when compared to Open Office’s suite. Basically Open Office is a free software suite that includes a word processor and spreadsheet program (among other things). It’s a great alternative to MS Office, and it will read Word documents and Excel spreadsheets.