Over time, you may find that computer is not working as well anymore. It takes a while to open your files, programs sometimes freeze or close without warning, etc. Most of the time, these problems can be solved by using some tools, such as the ones described below. It is vital, however, to download these tools directly from the developers and official websites and not from third parties, so that you do not get more problems than you already have.
- Free task manager and system monitor for Windows
Microsoft's free Process Explorer helps you find out if a program has a specific file or directory open. The program gives you information about processes and DLLs that are open or loaded.
- Identify Wi-Fi problems with this free app
Microsoft's Wi-Fi Analyzer is a free app that finds the best Wi-Fi channel or spot for your router/access point using your desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device. The basic version comes without ads. Features for the Pro version include Live-Tile support, a signal strength buzzer, lock screen rotation, and the ability to change signal thresholds.
- Find which devices are connected to your network
The free Angry IP Scanner app works on Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux. This software provides quick IP address and port scanning. Use it to find out which devices are using your home or business Wi-Fi.
- View disk usage statistics and clean up your hard drive
The free WinDirStat can be run on any version of Windows, dating back to Windows 95. This application displays disk usage statistics and can also be used as a cleanup tool.
- Monitor, manage, and troubleshoot Windows operating system
If you choose only one free tool from the entire list, make sure it's Sysinternals Suite. This free utility package is available from Microsoft.
Includes: Autologon, Autoruns, BlueScreen, CacheSet, ClockRes, DebugView, DiskMon, DiskView, Disk Usage (DU), ListDLLs, LogonSessions, PageDefrag, PortMon, ProcDump, Process Explorer. Sysmon, TCPView, VMMap, VolumeID, WhoIs, WinObj and more.
- Clean your hard drive thoroughly
Malwarebytes not only allows you to scan your memory but also deep clean your hard drive, including cookies and registry. Malwarebytes is designed to detect malware, stop attacks in real-time, protect vulnerable systems, block ransomware attacks, and block access to malicious websites.
- Detect errors in Microsoft-related technologies
The Debug Diagnostics Tool is another free utility from Microsoft that helps you troubleshoot issues such as slow performance, memory leaks, or memory fragmentation on a system. The tool incorporates analysis rules that focus on Internet Information Services (IIS) applications, web access components, COM+, SharePoint, and other related Microsoft technologies.
