Useful Links and Tools

Windows Update webpage
Access this web page with Internet Explorer to download the latest updates to get your Windows Operating System up to date with the latest security and maintenance patches.

Microsoft’s Service Pack Center
Go to this web page from Microsoft to get information and links to ALL available Service Packs for ALL supported versions of Windows. It will tell you the latest version available for your version of Windows and any important prerequisites.

Desktop backgrounds
Tired of looking at the same old desktop wallpaper? Go to this Microsoft webpage and choose from among 379 different beautiful images to brighten up your PC desktop screen!

Windows Themes
A theme is a combination of desktop background pictures, window colors, and sounds. Preview each theme’s image collection by clicking “Details”. To get a theme, click “Download”, and then click “Open”. This puts it on your desktop.

Open Office free office productivity suite.
Don’t want to pay for Microsoft Office but need to open MS-Office-created documents? Use Open Office open-source software to open and edit Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations.

Libre Office productivity Suite.
Another free alternative to Microsoft Office. It includes a document writing program, a spreadsheet program, a presentations program, a database program, a mathematical equations program, and a drawing program. All for free!

Free Remote Access software from LogMeIn.com
Use LogMeIn.com and load the free remote access software. It installs a 30-day trial of the paid version. After 30 days, ignore or deny the option to buy the full, paid version, and continue running the free version. Load on as many PCs as desired.

Microsoft Security Essentials free anti-virus for commercial or personal use.
Microsoft Security Essentials is a free anti-virus software for businesses (load on up to 10 PCs), or for personal use. It is offered free and has been updated to run on 32-bit windows (x86), or 64-bit windows (x64).

Free AVG anti-virus software for personal and non-commercial use.
AVG offers free anti-virus software for personal use. It is a great product!
Avira Free Antivirus 2013 for personal and non-commercial use.
Avira Free Antivirus was rated highly by Consumer Reports magazine. It has one daily pop-up reminder advertising the paid version when it updates the database each day. Close the window and continue working.

avast! Free Antivirus for personal and non-commercial use.
avast! Free Antivirus requires users to create an account and register their use to get a code to allow avast! to run for a year. Re-registering each year gives you a new emailed code to coninue use the product for another year.