Theres a list of all the freeware I use:

1. Mozilla Firefox 3: This is the Open Source browser that you all know about. The extensions I use are Glasser (for the vista effect), Adblock Plus (to block ads), remove it permanently ( to remove other unwanted elements in a website), FlashGot (download manager integration), Basics (to add a "new tab" button), all-in-one gestures (this provides mouse gestures but i use it just for the tab scroll feature), DownloadHelper (to download embedded videos from any site), Menu Editor (to cleanup the tools menu and the right-click menu), Greasemonkey ( adding scripts as needed), Userstyles ( to add custom CSS), Hide Menubar (to increase screen real estate).

2. Crap Cleaner: This cleans up all kinds of temporary files and broken shortcuts and what not. Cleans up a few 100MB worth of crap every week. It also fixes problems with the registry.

3. Foxit Reader: To open PDF Files. I also use WinDJView to open djvu files and Comical to open cbz files

4. Free Download Manager: Wondering what this software does?

5. IzArc: This is a great archiver that supports all formats like zip, rar, cab and 7z and many many more. Can open archives that open programs deem corrupted. For a program with a better interface try TugZip.

6. K-Lite Mega Codec Pack: This installs all the codecs you will need to run any kind of media file. You need to install QuickTime Alternative separately for quicktime movie support. You can use any media player but it provides Media Player Classic if you want to use it. Sometimes Media Player Classic can open files that open media players can't.

7. Adobe AIR: This is a runtime that I use for a number of apps
7a. Doomi: A simple to do list
7b. DestroyFlickr: Flickr browser
7c. DiggTop: Shows you the top digg stories including images and videos. And you can view the images and videos in the air app itself.
7d. ReadAir: Google Reader on you desktop
7e. Snippely: Saves snippets of codes
7f. Snackr: This is a brilliant RSS Reader. It is basically a ticker that scrolls across the bottom (or top/left/right) if your screen and you can read all the news you want. Very useful for people who are experiencing information overload. I use it to monitor sites like CNN, BBC, WSJ, etc. where i dont need to read every article.

8. uTorrent: To download movies, TV Shows, etc.

9. Pidgin: to login into multiple im accounts at once. You might use meebo.com instead.

10. Mozilla Prism: To create prisms from websites. That is use websites as desktop applications.

So whats you pick of freewares?

I actualy use nothing but freeware , especialy since I've switched to linux, but here is a short list
Imaging:
The GIMP (image editing)
Fastone MaxView (image viewing)
RawTherapee (raw conversion)

Music
Banshee (linux) or windows media player (windows, duh!)
Audacity (basic editing)
dbpoweramp (converting)
MP3Tag (tagging)

Office/text/...
openOffice
Notepad++

Security
Sygate Personal Firewall / commodo personal firewall pro 3
Spybot S&D

Internet
Opera 9.5
Mercury Messenger
Filezilla


... and there are a lot of other program

Goodness, what freeware don't I seem to use.

I keep updating Mozilla Firefox browsers, too. I use a lot of graphics programs, that, to me was freeware. I have a lot of updated programs that were educational versions. This is stuff that needs subscriptions or even buying software, but were free to me.

I don't know the next time I will have anymore freeware that is Adobe Photoshop CS, or even Macromedia Dreamweaver MX. These were all part of a package deal. I have the tutorial texts that went with my classes. I have a lot of freeware like firewalls, and antiviruses that were all free through educational packages.

I used a lot of different Adwares and Spybots, but I just don't add them to my system anymore. I don't really 'surf' the net like I used to, so I go to tons of TRUSTED sites. And I have had a few viruses, but they were caught and deleted before it took any kind of affect.

I do a lot of MP3 conversion programs, RIP from CD, and I am looking for audio recording software. I have animation software, and even used some form of financial programs. They were like hybrids of like Microsoft Money. So freeware is great, shareware gets a little complicated at times.

I used to use Limewire, Bearshare, and even Napster at one point... oh yeah, they are basically illegal usage now... so I don't anymore.

I will be googling everything I can to try to find and research anything good that can be used online, not cheap... but FREE!

Have fun hunting! I know I will!
- skedad -

Heres the main freeware stuff that i use:

Mozilla Firefox 3.0
Safari
iTunes
PokerStars
MSN Messenger
Yahoo Messenger
AOL Instant Messenger
mIRC
xfire
limewire
bittorrent

The list just goes on and on I do have alot of purchased stuff however such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash and many many many Games!

The freeware programs I sue include:

Mozilla Firefox 3
Safari
Windows Live Messenger
Rocketdock
WinSplit Revolution
Calgoo Calendar

I particular like Rocketdock, a dock similar to the one in Mac OS but for Windows.

I see the posts with the messengers. I have used many of the popular ones, but I don't really do it a whole lot right now. I basically use or have used Trillian, meaning Yahoo!, MSN, and I have a really old AOL account. I like that it is all combined, but I just don't seem to have the time to sit and type and blab these days. I think I would be on the phone a lot more these days.

I thnk if Trillian beefed up their basic to add a lot of cool features that each service has, then I would be using it tons more.

I guess I would have to get Pro, but that is money, and I don't want to use it that bad, and then it would be freeware anymore!

freeware you say?

Media:
Foobar2000
The GIMP
mPlayer
VLC

Internet/Chat
KoroIRC
XChat (OSS version)
Pidgin
Firefox
Thunderbird
Skype

Security
Avast! 4

Development (keep in mind this is the FREEWARE i use but i do have legit lic to MSVS and Expression)
MASM32
Notepad++
Dev-Cpp
Defixed Version of OllyDBG
Immunity Debugger
W32Dasm
MinGW/MSYS
Cygwin
Python
Windows Powershell

CCleaner..
OOo
AbiWord

and i THINK that is it..

I only use a few like:

1.GOM Player
2.Azureus Vuze
3.Mozilla Firefox
4.Microsoft Visual Basic
5.Windows live messenger

And thats about it.

Basically use GOM player the most(its like vlc player)
Apart from that, thats all i use, not much......
Plus not sure Mircosoft Basic is a freeware

pasanator

FireFox
Thunderbird
FileZilla
Skype
MSN Live
uTorrent
VLC Player
WinAmp

There's probably a few more that I haven't installed yet but that's the bulk, freeware is the best

Haven't seen anyone mentioned InkScape (http://www.inkscape.org/). It is great tool for doing some vector graphics. It is similar to Corel Draw (not as powerful though), but it can get job done quite easily.

The good side is that it is quite popular and you can find many great tutorials for it to do some magic