This is a list of free and open source utility software (Archivers, File managers, PC Cleaners, Backups, file recovery...).

 

- 7- ZIP

7-Zip is free software with open source. The most of the code is under the GNU LGPL license. Some parts of the code are under the BSD 3-clause License. Also there is unRAR license restriction for some parts of the code. Read 7-Zip License information.

You can use 7-Zip on any computer, including a computer in a commercial organization. You don't need to register or pay for 7-Zip.

The main features of 7-Zip:

  • High compression ratio in 7z format with LZMA and LZMA2 compression

  • Supported formats:

  • Packing / unpacking: 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM

  • Unpacking only: AR, ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DMG, EXT, FAT, GPT, HFS, IHEX, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, QCOW2, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, UEFI, VDI, VHD, VMDK, WIM, XAR and Z.

  • For ZIP and GZIP formats, 7-Zip provides a compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than the ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip

  • Strong AES-256 encryption in 7z and ZIP formats

  • Self-extracting capability for 7z format

  • Integration with Windows Shell

  • Powerful File Manager

  • Powerful command line version

  • Plugin for FAR Manager

  • Localizations for 87 languages

  • 7-Zip works in Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP / 2016 / 2012 / 2008 / 2003 / 2000 / NT.

 

- PeaZIP

PeaZip is free file archiver utility, based on Open Source technologies of 7-Zip, p7zip, FreeArc, PAQ, and PEA projects. Cross-platform, full-featured but user-friendly alternative to WinRar, WinZip and similar general purpose archive manager applications, open and extract 180+ archive formats: 001, 7Z, ACE(*), ARC, ARJ, BZ2, CAB, DMG, GZ, ISO, LHA, PAQ, PEA, RAR, TAR, UDF, WIM, XZ, ZIP ZIPX...

PeaZip provides fast, high compression ratio multi-format archiving to 7Z, ARC, BZ2, GZ, PEA, TAR, WIM, and ZIP archives (write supported), and works as opener / extractor tool for 180+ archive types including ACE, ISO, RAR, ZIPX formats.

This software deploys a powerful and complete file manager for editing, viewing, browsing and searching archive files, featuring a wide set of data security functions: strong encryption (AES, Twofish, Serpent), encrypted password manager, optional two-factor authentication (encryption with password and keyfile), secure delete, and file hashing tools.

 

- Total Commander

Total Commander (formerly Windows Commander) is an orthodox file manager for Windows, Windows Phone and Android, developed by the Swiss Christian Ghisler. Originally coded using Delphi, latest Windows 64-bit versions were done with Lazarus. It features a built-in FTP client, tabbed interface, file compare, archive file navigation, and a multi-rename tool with regular expression support. It is for the most part compatible with Linux using Wine.

The utility supports extensibility via plugins, and it can bind external programs for viewing or editing files. Many plugins are freely available for e.g. different packer formats or file viewer for special file formats. Many functions not available by default are supported and can be assigned to icons.

From 1993 until 2002, Total Commander was called Windows Commander. The name was changed in 2002 after Microsoft pointed out that the word "Windows" was their trademark.

 

- Double Commander

Double Commander is an open-source multi-platform two-panel orthodox file manager that is inspired by the Total Commander.

Features:

  • Compare and synchronize directories symmetrically or asymmetrically - This feature is one that can be very useful. It shows files by directory and sub-directory. It compares them by date/time stamp and by file size. One can focus on files that are different, or ones that are identical.

  • Two similar panes - Panes can be duplicated from one side to the other. Panes can represent original directories compared to copied or backed-up ones. These can then be matched in more detail in the synchronize directory feature.

  • Tabbed navigation - Tabs are for directories. Sets of tabs can be saved to files that can be reloaded to produce the same two panels and their tabs that one set up and saved. Tabs can be configured to allow no changes to them, or to open sub-directories in new tabs, so that the original tab remains intact and available.

  • Bookmarks

  • Brief, full and thumbnail view

  • Several sort options

  • Archive support

  • Customizable keyboard shortcuts

  • Multi-rename

  • Checksum generation and verification

  • Visual file comparison/diff

  • Built-in file viewer and text editor

  • A mechanism for creating, maintaining and displaying file comments 

  • Wipe file securely

  • All operations can be queued in the background

  • Unicode support

  • Supports Total Commander WCX, WDX and WLX Windows plug-ins

  • Officially released portable versions for Windows and Linux

 

- FreeCommander

FreeCommander is an easy-to-use alternative to the standard windows file manager. The program helps you with daily work in Windows. Here you can find all the necessary functions to manage your data stock. You can take FreeCommander anywhere – just copy the installation directory on a CD or USB-Stick – and you can evenwork with this program on a foreign computer.

Main features in FreeCommander:

  • Dual-panel technology – horizontal and vertical (one panel possible too)

  • Tabbed interface

  • Full access to desktop

  • Optional tree view for each panel

  • Built-in file viewer to view files in hex, binary, text or image format

  • File viewer and thumbnail view inside archives too

  • Built-in archive handling: ZIP (read, write)

  • Nested archive handling

  • Plugins for other archive (RAR, 7z, …)

  • Plain view – structureless view for files and folders

  • Linked browsing

  • Easy access to system folders, control panel, desktop and start menu

  • Copy, move, delete, rename files and folders (alternatively as Windows or FreeCommander operation)

  • Drag&drop

  • File searching (inside archive too)

  • Searching duplicates

  • Create and verify MD5 and SHA checksums

  • Wipe files

  • Multi rename tool

  • Paths longer than 255 characters can be opened, copied, moved and renamed

  • File properties and context menu

  • Calculation of folder size

  • Folder comparison

  • Folder synchronization

  • Modification of file date and attributes

  • Folder / program favorites

  • File filters (regexp possible too) for display and file operations

  • User defined columns for detailed views

  • Automatic views

  • Simple FTP/SFTP client (SFTP only 64 bit)

  • Access to mobile devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets)

  • DOS command line

  • Quick viewer

  • Quick search

  • Quick filter

  • Quick starter

  • Screenshots

  • All shortcuts are definable

  • A lot of settings – you can configure almost all

  • Color schemes

  • Multiple language support

 

- Clonezilla

Clonezilla is a free disk cloning, disk imaging, data recovery, and deployment computer program. It helps you to do system deployment, bare metal backup and recovery. Three types of Clonezilla are available, Clonezilla live, Clonezilla lite server, and Clonezilla SE (server edition). Clonezilla live is suitable for single machine backup and restore. While Clonezilla lite server or SE is for massive deployment, it can clone many (40 plus!) computers simultaneously. Clonezilla saves and restores only used blocks in the hard disk. This increases the clone efficiency. With some high-end hardware in a 42-node cluster, a multicast restoring at rate 8 GB/min was reported.

 

- Notepad++

Notepad++ is a free (as in “free speech” and also as in “free beer”) source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages. Running in the MS Windows environment, its use is governed by GPL License.

Based on the powerful editing component Scintilla, Notepad++ is written in C++ and uses pure Win32 API and STL which ensures a higher execution speed and smaller program size. By optimizing as many routines as possible without losing user friendliness, Notepad++ is trying to reduce the world carbon dioxide emissions. When using less CPU power, the PC can throttle down and reduce power consumption, resulting in a greener environment.

 

- Sysinternals Suite

The Sysinternals Troubleshooting Utilities have been rolled up into a single Suite of tools. This file contains the individual troubleshooting tools and help files. It does not contain non-troubleshooting tools like the BSOD Screen Saver.

The Suite is a bundling of the following selected Sysinternals Utilities: AccessChk, AccessEnum, AdExplorer, AdInsight, AdRestore, Autologon, Autoruns, BgInfo, BlueScreen, CacheSet, ClockRes, Contig, Coreinfo, Ctrl2Cap, DebugView, Desktops, Disk2vhd, DiskExt, DiskMon, DiskView, Disk Usage (DU), EFSDump, FindLinks, Handle, Hex2dec, Junction, LDMDump, ListDLLs, LiveKd, LoadOrder, LogonSessions, MoveFile, NotMyFault, NTFSInfo, PageDefrag, PendMoves, PipeList, PortMon, ProcDump, Process Explorer, Process Monitor, PsExec, PsFile, PsGetSid, PsInfo, PsKill, PsList, PsLoggedOn, PsLogList, PsPasswd, PsPing, PsService, PsShutdown, PsSuspend, PsTools, RAMMap, RegDelNull, RegHide, RegJump, Registry Usage (RU), SDelete, ShareEnum, ShellRunas, Sigcheck, Streams, Strings, Sync, Sysmon, TCPView, VMMap, VolumeID, WhoIs, WinObj, ZoomIt

 

- Everything

"Everything" is search engine that locates files and folders by filename instantly for Windows. Unlike Windows search "Everything" initially displays every file and folder on your computer (hence the name "Everything"). 

You type in a search filter to limit what files and folders are displayed. "Everything" only indexes file and folder names and generally takes a few seconds to build its database. A fresh install of Windows 10 (about 120,000 files) will take about 1 second to index. 1,000,000 files will take about 1 minute.

"Everything" can search file content with the content: search function. File content is not indexed, searching content is slow. "Everything" does monitor file system changes.

"Everything" is Freeware.

 

- Eraser

Eraser is an advanced security tool for Windows which allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. Eraser is currently supported under Windows XP (with Service Pack 3), Windows Server 2003 (with Service Pack 2), Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, 8, 10 and Windows Server 2012, 2016.

Eraser is Free software and its source code is released under GNU General Public License.

Most people have some data that they would rather not share with others – passwords, personal information, classified documents from work, financial records, self-written poems, the list continues.

Perhaps you have saved some of this information on your computer where it is conveniently at your reach, but when the time comes to remove the data from your hard disk, things get a bit more complicated and maintaining your privacy is not as simple as it may have seemed at first.

Your first thought may be that when you ‘delete’ the file, the data is gone. Not quite, when you delete a file, the operating system does not really remove the file from the disk; it only removes the reference of the file from the file system table. The file remains on the disk until another file is created over it, and even after that, it might be possible to recover data by studying the magnetic fields on the disk platter surface.

Before the file is overwritten, anyone can easily retrieve it with a disk maintenance or an undelete utility.

 

- VirtualBox

VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2. See "About VirtualBox" for an introduction.

Presently, VirtualBox runs on Windows, Linux, Macintosh, and Solaris hosts and supports a large number of guest operating systems including but not limited to Windows (NT 4.0, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10), DOS/Windows 3.x, Linux (2.4, 2.6, 3.x and 4.x), Solaris and OpenSolaris, OS/2, and OpenBSD.

VirtualBox is being actively developed with frequent releases and has an ever growing list of features, supported guest operating systems and platforms it runs on. VirtualBox is a community effort backed by a dedicated company: everyone is encouraged to contribute while Oracle ensures the product always meets professional quality criteria.

 

- Recuva Free Version

Accidentally deleted an important file? Lost files after a computer crash? No problem - Recuva recovers files from your Windows computer, recycle bin, digital camera card, or MP3 player!

Recuva can recover pictures, music, documents, videos, emails or any other file type you’ve lost. And it can recover from any rewriteable media you have: memory cards, external hard drives, USB sticks and more!

Unlike most file recovery tools, Recuva can recover files from damaged or newly formatted drives. Greater flexibility means greater chance of recovery. For those hard to find files, Recuva has an advanced deep scan mode that scours your drives to find any traces of files you have deleted.

Sometimes you want a file gone for good. Recuva’s secure overwrite feature uses industry- and military-standard deletion techniques to make sure your files stay erased.

 

- CCleaner Free Version

CCleaner is the number-one tool for cleaning your PC. It protects your privacy and makes your computer faster and more secure!

Outdated apps are a security risk. Old software can have vulnerabilities, which are quickly discovered and shared amongst cyber criminals. CCleaner updates your software automatically to close security holes before they can be found.

Trusted by millions and critically acclaimed, there’s a reason why CCleaner is the world’s favorite PC optimization tool! Easy to use, one click cleaning so beginners can optimize their computers in seconds. Plus, it's packed with advanced features for power users.

Is your computer running slow? As it gets older it collects unused files and settings which take up hard drive space making it slower and slower. CCleaner cleans up these files and makes it faster instantly.

Advertisers and websites track your behavior online with cookies that stay on your computer. CCleaner erases your browser search history and cookies so any internet browsing you do stays confidential and your identity remains anonymous.

Over time your registry can become cluttered with errors and broken settings which lead to crashes. CCleaner’s patented registry cleaner clears out this clutter to make your PC more stable.

Many programs run silently in the background when you start up your computer. CCleaner helps you get to work, or play faster by letting you disable unneeded programs.

 

- SIW System Information for Windows

Everything you ever wanted to know about your computer but were afraid to ask.

SIW is an advanced System Information for Windows tool that analyzes your computer and gathers detailed information about system properties and settings (Software Information, Hardware Information, Network Information and Tools) and displays it in an extremely comprehensible manner.

SIW can create a report file (HTML, JSON, CSV, TEXT or XML), and you can run it in batch mode (for Computer Inventory, Hardware, Software and Network Information, Software License Management, Security Audit, Server Configuration Management).

The System Information is divided into few major categories:

  • Software Information - Operating System, Software Licenses (Product Keys / Serial Numbers), Passwords Recovery, Installed Programs, Applications, Security, Accessibility, Environment, Regional Settings, File Associations, Running Processes, Loaded DLLs, Drivers, NT Services, Autorun, Scheduled Tasks, Databases, Audio and Video Codecs, Shared DLLs, ActiveX, MMC Snap-Ins, Shell Extensions, Event Viewer, Certificates, etc.

  • Hardware Information - System Summary, Motherboard, BIOS, CPU, Memory, Sensors, Devices, Chipset, PCI/AGP, USB and ISA/PnP Devices, System Slots, Network Adapters, Video Card, Monitor, Sound Devices, Storage Devices, Logical Disks, Disk Drives, CD/DVD Devices, SCSI Devices, S.M.A.R.T., Ports, Battery and Power Policy, Printers, etc.

  • Network Information - Basic/Extended Information about Configuration, Statistics, Connections, Active Directory (Computers, Groups and Users), Shares, Open Ports, etc.

 

- Advanced SystemCare

Sweep junk files and privacy traces, also remove potential threats in one click.

Thoroughly Clean PC - Junk files accumulation will cause a slow PC, Advanced SystemCare 13 can deeply clean junk files on Windows to release more space. Just one click, more than 26 kinds of junk files, such as system logs, temporary files, image caches and updates caches can be easily detected and removed to release more disk space. The latest version also supports cleaning junk files for all your accounts on the PC.

Secured Personal Data - It's essential to protect your personal data from hackers. Advanced SystemCare 13 enhanced the privacy sweep function to clean the privacy traces for more than 200 programs. The redesigned privacy shield allows users to add any kind of private files or folder, and block any suspicious processes trying to access in real time.

Fast PC Response - Have you wasted too much time on waiting for a PC to start? It’s time to use Advanced SystemCare 13 to end unnecessary startup processes and shorten your PC boot time. Moreover, the optimized Turbo Boost can help to stop any unnecessary programs to release your computer RAM and boost PC for better working and gaming experience.