Articles about Free Software

It’s possibly one of the longest gestation periods in computing history, but after more than two decades of development, FreeCAD 1.0 finally gets its first official, stable release.

The open-source tool for product designers and mechanical engineers has long been used in production despite its lack of official release status, but the resolution of two outstanding issues cleared the way for it to officially reach the 1.0 milestone, complete with brand new logo.

Continue reading →

If you've ever tried to save a file in Windows and ended up playing a game of "hide and seek" with your own folders, you're not alone. It seems Microsoft has a grand vision for where our files should live, even if it has little to do with what we actually need.

Open the "Save As" dialog, and you'll find that Windows is practically begging you to save in its favorite spots -- like OneDrive, the Documents folder, or any other “default” that Microsoft has deemed worthy of your files.

Continue reading →

Rick Brewster and dotPDN LLC has released Paint.NET 5.1, the first major point release in the Paint.NET 5.x series. It comes just under two years after Paint.NET 5.0 first saw the light of day.

The major highlight is support for color management -- ensuring images with embedded color profiles can now be displayed correctly in Paint.NET. The feature is effectively automatic -- when an image containing an embedded color profile is loaded into Paint.NET 5.1, it’ll display according to the embedded profile. Users can then switch to different ICC color profiles via the new Image > Color Profile… dialog.

Continue reading →

Microsoft developers have pushed out PowerToys v0.86.0. To answer the first question that follows the release of a new version of this utility collection -- no, there are no new modules this time around.

There are, however, numerous new features to justify getting excited, including various new capabilities for the Advanced Paste utility. But there’s more, much more, to this release.

Continue reading →

UnattendedWinstall is a simple tool for automating and customizing Windows 10 and 11 installations. It uses Microsoft’s answer files, to allow users to modify Windows settings and packages directly during setup. It's ideal for deploying Windows efficiently across multiple devices, saving time that would otherwise be spent on repetitive installations.

The tool defaults to installing Windows Pro, bypasses Windows 11 system requirements, and can disable Windows Defender and User Account Control (with options to re-enable them after installation). It also skips Microsoft account setup, removes unnecessary apps (keeping essential tools like Edge, Notepad, and Calculator), and includes privacy-focused registry tweaks to reduce telemetry. For smooth operation, UnattendedWinstall limits updates to security patches for the first year.

Continue reading →

A new free discovery and lightweight attack surface assessment tool for Microsoft Power Platform aims to address the growing challenge of low-code/no-code (LCNC) shadow engineering.

The tool from Nokod Security offers visibility into LCNC assets created by citizen developers to help security teams know and understand the scale and presence of security risks.

Continue reading →

Most cyberattacks are carried out using compromised credentials, but it can be hard for businesses to know if their information has been leaked.

In order to make it easier to discover leaked data, Quadrant Information Security is launching a free Dark Web Reports service offering insights into compromised credentials and leaked information and actionable advice on how to address them.

Continue reading →

Static Windows wallpapers can often feel a bit uninspiring, especially if you don’t change them regularly. Sucrose offers a solution by bringing a dynamic, customizable approach to desktop backgrounds.

The versatile wallpaper engine allows you to animate and personalize your desktops with interactive wallpapers and it supports both light and dark themes. Sucrose works across multiple screens and in a range of resolutions, making it compatible with different display configurations.

Continue reading →

IObit has unveiled a major update to its driver updating tool for Windows with the release of IObit Driver Booster 12.0.

Highlights of the new release include an expanded database now spanning over 15 million drivers, support for newer hardware, faster and more stable performance, and the obligatory UI refresh.

Continue reading →

TeamViewer and AnyViewer are both popular remote desktop software solutions, but they cater to slightly different needs and user bases. TeamViewer is a well-established player in the remote desktop space, offering a wide range of features such as cross-platform compatibility, remote printing, file sharing, and even support for IoT devices. It’s widely used by businesses for IT support and remote collaboration, as well as by individual users who need to access their devices from anywhere.

TeamViewer provides strong security with end-to-end encryption and supports remote sessions with minimal latency. Although there’s a version that’s free for private use, the software's pricing can be a drawback for business users, as it operates on a subscription model which can prove to be rather expensive over time.

Continue reading →

Download a free licensed copy of Winxvideo AI to enhance your images and videos, as well as process any 4K/8K/HDR video as you want.

Powered by CineAI technology, Winxvideo AI can enhance and restore old, blurry, noisy, low-quality or low-resolution videos/images/photos, and upscale to HD/4K/8K visual quality for sharing on social network or playing on widescreen. More than an AI image/video enhancer, it is also a complete video toolkit to stabilize shaky video, boost frame rate to 120/240fps, convert, compress, record, and edit 4K/8K/HDR video with best balance between quality, speed and size.

Continue reading →

Mozilla has unveiled Thunderbird 128.0, around a year to the day after the last major release of its email client. Thunderbird 128.0, codenamed Nebula, isn’t just a major new release in its own right, it also heralds a new era for Thunderbird.

Going forward, Thunderbird will adopt the same monthly-release cycle as Firefox, its browser sibling. As a result, Thunderbird 128.0 comes in two major flavors: regular release, and ESR for those who prefer less frequent major updates.

Continue reading →

PowerToys updates are always keenly received, and while users are hoping for new utilities every time, even those releases that are focused on "stability and improvements" can be exciting.

The release of PowerToys v.082.0 does not, sadly see the addition of new modules, but it is a big release. The number of bug fixes and tweaks is impressive, but there are also many new options scattered liberally across the suite of utilities.

Continue reading →

The Tor Project has announced the release of Tor Browser 13.5 for Windows (both 32-bit and 64-bit), Mac, Linux, and Android. The browser gives users the ability to browse the internet through the open Tor network to increase personal privacy.

Tor Browser 13.5 focusses on some changes to the Android browser’s connection experience ahead of a planned implementation of 'Connection Assist'. It also aims to make its letterboxing feature -- a means of resizing the browser window without being fingerprinted -- more user-friendly.

Continue reading →

Anvsoft Inc has announced the release of Any Video Converter Free 9.0 its freeware video conversion and editing tool for Windows PCs and Macs.

The new release is marked by a brand-new user interface, which provides one-click access to all available tools, as well as several related improvements and tweaks.

Continue reading →