utilities

Winmail Opener could be useful for anyone who sends or receives e-mail in one of the older versions of Microsoft Outlook such as 97 or 2000 (winmail.dat). This utility allows users to view and extract the contents from messages from these sources. The rich-text message contents and attachments from these Outlook applications are not supported by several e-mail clients that are used today and Winmail Opener is a freeware solution to this problem.

Winmail has a traditional Windows look and feel to it with drop-down menus. It also has full Windows drag-and-drop capabilities so it is easy to move … Read more

All it takes it a single visit to a compromised Web site to snare a nasty piece of malware or to pick up cookies that track your every browsing move. And there's nothing worse than a computer that is bogged down so much that it impedes your ability to work or play games. Advanced Systemcare aims to remedy whatever ails your computer by not only cleaning up junk files, malware, and invalid registry entries, but by giving your computer a boost to optimize your PC experience.

Advanced Systemcare's interface is broken down into four maintenance categories so as … Read more

iObit's previous version of Advanced SystemCare was the second most downloaded program on Download.com in 2011, and there's little suprise why: the free Windows utility packs a bevy of optimization tools for cleaning out malware and junk files, along with an "Internet Boost" tool to configure your system based on how you are using it. Despite aggressive upselling of its Pro version, ASC and its comprehensive set of free features clearly impress Download.com users.

New version 6 promises improved performance, faster program launching, a lighter installation, and more efficient scanning, but the most obvious … Read more

Update: According to software developer WonderFox Soft, iWonderSky Software is not allowed to give away WonderFox DVD Ripper licenses. Therefore, at the former's request, we have removed the link for the promotion.

Why settle for one freebie when you can get three?

From now until October 19, iWonderSky Software (which I believe was formally known as WonderFox Software) is offering CNET readers this exclusive: three Windows video utilities absolutely free.

First up: WonderFox DVD Ripper. Normally $39.95, it can convert just about any DVD into just about any digital format. It comes with profiles for a wide variety … Read more

Hard drives are easily surpassing 3TB storage capacities, either individually or when used in RAID arrays, and have become attractive options for external storage on various Mac users, not only for various data libraries (i.e., iTunes and iPhoto), but also for Time Machine backups. However, some people have encountered an apparent bug in which using some drives in Mountain Lion results in partitioning errors and the inability to access data on the drives.

When the problems happen, the drive becomes inaccessible, and when checking with Disk Utility users will see an error that states, "Error: Partition map repair … Read more

Being a cheapskate can get expensive. If you're anything like me, you're intimately acquainted with the phrase, "too good a deal to pass up." And so you end up spending a lot in order to save a lot. Oh, the cruel irony.

Today, I'm going help you get a lot without spending a lot. I've rounded up three pretty sweet deals, and the most you'll pay for any of them is two bits. (That's 25 cents for those of you not familiar with old-timey vernacular.)

1. 25-cent Android apps.

To help celebrate … Read more

Even with robust security software installed on a Mac system and Apple's efforts to prevent unwanted tampering, someone with brief physical access to your Mac can bypass security measures by booting to alternative volumes or loading in Single User mode. If this concerns you, you might consider locking the system's firmware.

Locking the firmware prevents the system from accepting boot arguments and loading in modes that might allow access to sensitive data. These include Single User mode, in which the system drops you to a command line with root privileges, and Safe mode, in which nonessential and third-party … Read more

I'm a big fan of any program that saves me time. And because I spend most of my day in front of a PC, the best time-savers are those that cut down on keystrokes and mouse clicks.

ActiveWords Plus cuts them down considerably. This insanely handy Windows utility performs a variety of time-saving functions, including substituting text, opening files and programs, loading favorite Web sites, and more.

It normally sells for $49.95 (which should tell you something about how robust this tool is), but for a limited time, as part of a Cheapskate exclusive, you can get ActiveWords Plus for $29.95.… Read more

The iPhone 5's screen may not be huge, but it's definitely a little nicer for watching movies than the old screen.

Consequently, you may want to rerip some of your movies to take advantage of the extra screen estate. Just one problem: your old DVD ripper doesn't support the new screen resolution or aspect ratio.

Here's one that does -- and it's free. For a limited time, you can get uRexsoft's iPhone DVD Ripper (Win) free of charge.

True to its name, the utility copies DVDs to your PC and converts them to iPhone-friendly … Read more