Extensions Catalog: The Best Free Tools for Faster PCs
Before rushing to upgrade your machine, try these free services that can help you get the most from your current PC.
Technology can age and break down more quickly than a reality-TV story line, but it’s much easier to patch and fix your PC than a reality star’s marriage. If your browser is sluggish or your PC is slowing down, try some of these free tools to bring it back to speed before you invest in more RAM, a new browser or a new computer.
Free Tools For Your PC
PC Decrapifier: When you purchase a PC, it usually comes loaded with free and trial software that uses system resources and slows down your computer —even though you aren’t using or planning to use the software. After you answer a few questions, PC Decrapifier automatically removes programs, start-up items and icons that you don’t need. It then creates a list of other things you might want to remove and prompts you for action.
AppBooster: There are background processes that operate even when you aren’t using their applications, and this makes your PC sluggish. AppBooster automatically disables unnecessary services and processes without restarting your computer, so only the games and applications you are running have optimum access to your system.
Free Extensions For Google Chrome and Firefox
AdBlock Plus: Are you tired of having your Web browsing interrupted and slowed down by unwanted ads? Not just pop-up ads, but any ads that distract you from the content you want to see? This extension will make your Web experience faster by blocking ads from loading and safer by blocking malware domains. You can customize it to only block ads on particular pages you visit.
FasterFox and FastestChome: This extension allows you to tweak a variety of network settings so that Web pages load faster and links connect more quickly.
Free Tools for Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Safari
Speedtest.net: Your browser is only as fast as your broadband connection. This site shows you how fast your broadband connection really is, what the optimum time of day is for doing uploads and downloads on your connection and other connection-quality tests.
Remove Facebook Ads: This is a small piece of code that does one thing well: it speeds up your browsing by removing Facebook ads while keeping all other text on the page.
Free Tools For Firefox:
Download Statusbar: Firefox typically opens downloads in a separate window that can obscure your view of other windows. This extension eliminates this window and puts a progress bar at the bottom of your screen with enhanced features for monitoring downloads. For instance, right-clicking offers detailed information for each download, such as how much data is being transferred and its rate, percent completed and the time left for the download to end.
Grease Monkey: This program allows you to run or write custom scripts that enhance your browsing experience. For example, a script might remove the ads and extra space in your Webmail inbox. Ready-made, free scripts for many popular sites are available for Grease Monkey to run at userscripts.org.
Before you give up on your PC, try some of these tools to fix things and bring your PC back up to speed.