FAQ

• Legal? All the tools here are merely links to free resources, and thus perfectly legal.
• Link to x is broken! Please let me know if any links are broken by submitting a ticket.
• Why don't you include x? Feel free to shoot me suggestions by submitting a ticket.
• Why are you helping competition? What the mainstream calls 'nerd' culture today is really an offshoot of the original 'hacker' culture. The term 'hacker' didn't always have a negative connotation -it was about open sharing of knowledge. I wouldn't have been able to do what I have done without these open-minded communities. I want to give back.
• What's the goal of this page? I want to build a list of the best resources out there. A list that would make younger me say,

"Wow, nice! Bookmarking that!"

Amazing Communities, Learning, and Top Links

• Bleeping Computer - One of the best computer forums, malware databases, process databases, etc. A go-to resource for malware research.
• StackExchange - StackExchange maintains quality answers to things in nearly every category (unlike Yahoo Answers... *cough*) by gamifying and setting in place policies to ban low-quality answers and duplicate questions. Definitely search for questions like your own before posting!
• /r/techsupport - Reddit's tech support forum.
• /r/thinkpad - Reddit's ThinkPad forum, my go-to community for arguably the best line of laptops ever created. See here for the Used ThinkPad Buyer's Guide (Probably why you're here to begin with!).
• GEGeek - An organization featuring an even bigger reference of info and tools than I have here. It's a bit overwhelming.
• DTNS - The Daily Tech News Show is a one-stop-shop for tech news, and has a great Reddit community.
• Breaking Your Addiction & I Hate P-rn - Excellent articles on breaking addictions to online content and the side-effects of p-rnography.
• Free classes through GCF, TechTalk, and Lynda - and tutorial articles on nearly anything with HowToGeek. Free lessons on LibreOffice from Sapentia Open Learning.
• The 'Awesome Sysadmin' resource and education list.
• The 'Awesome DevOps' resource and education list.
• The 'Python Cheatsheet' - Really a great, extensive list.
• The 'Python Beginner's Guide' - Official source.
• 'Automate the Boring Stuff' - Free and practical book on using Python.
• Ops School Curriculum - Get started with Ops/System Administration, fast.
• More secure router list
• Windows 10 Update Blocker
• TechSoup - Reduced price software for Non-Profits
• Everyone On - Affordable technology and internet service if you can't afford much.
• IT Educational Goldmine - Looking to get into IT? This is a jumpstart.
• LappyList - Find the right laptop for you. (PS: I think ThinkPads are hands-down the best for everyone - so you may want to look into them.)
• Are you a parent too, and want technology advice? Check out this article I wrote.
• Where and where not to get free/cheap Windows licenses.
• ExplainShell - Explains what complex linux/bash commands do.
• PrivacyTools.io - privacytools.io provides knowledge and tools to protect your privacy against global mass surveillance.

Remote Access

Teamviewer Cross platform!

Chrome Remote Desktop Free, nag-less and crossplatform-ish!

Microsoft QuickAssist - Built in to all x86 Windows 10 devices.

AntiVirus | Security

Third-party antivirus utilities are effectively obsolete.

Instead, install uBlock Origin, stay updated, don't torrent, and use Windows Defender. Backups are important, so use a cloud backup service. Need more protection? Follow this guide.

Alternatively, use CloudReady or other Linux variants rather than Windows if you're willing to put in the time to learn. Linux Mint Cinnamon is a great place to start for any Windows' user, Pop!_OS is more familiar to Mac users.

Want EVEN MORE security and privacy? Learn about CoreBoot and Qubes.

1. Norton Removal Tool (SYMNRT)
2. Mcafee Removal Tool (MCPR)
3. Avast! Removal Tool
4. AVG Removal Tool 32-bit / 64-bit
5. Removal Tools for Other Common AV Programs

Online Scanners

1. TrendMicro Housecall
2. ESET Online Scanner

AntiSpyware / Antimalware

1. SuperAntiSpyware
2. SuperAntiSpyware Portable - Just run it!
3. MalwareBytes - Alternate Link

Email | Office | Productivity

1. YunoHost - Want to have your own server, as simple as possible? YunoHost is a server operating system aiming to make self-hosting accessible to everyone. Runs on the cloud, raspberry Pi dev kits, other ARM kits, normal x86/amd64 hardware, and has prebuilt VirtualBox images.
2. Mailspring is a fork of the discontinued Nylas/N1 email client. Cross-platform and free for all standard features.
3. eM Client - Outlook alternative.
4. Wox - Open Source Windows Search replacement.
5. Microsoft To-Do - Microsoft acquired Wunderlist - this is the result.
6. Sumatra PDF - Read near every type of image-based file.
7. Franz - Pidgin for the modern world. Franz is your messaging app for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Slack, HipChat, Telegram and many many more. Just need Facebook Messenger? Try Caprine.
8. Beeftext - Open Source text expansion, kinda like LH Texter or Phrase Express.
9. digiKam - Open source photo manager, somewhat like Picasa.
10. RawTherapee - A photographer's tool - an open source photo manager with some oomph.
11. ImageGlass - A simple photo viewer. Want something even simpler, like Picasa's photo viewer? Try nexusimage.
12. Ditto Clipboard Manager - Windows clipboard manager. Must have.
13. CopyQ - CopyQ is advanced clipboard manager with editing and scripting features, and is cross-platform.
14. WizTree - Find what's taking up space on your computer, faster than WinDirStat.
15. MarkText - A next-gen Markdown editor for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It is a concise text editor, dedicated to improving your editing efficiency. A beautiful and distraction-free way to write.
16. FreeCommander - Total Commander/Windows Explorer alternative for Windows.
17. Listary - This tool makes file-browsing in Windows a breeze for keyboard-players. Allows you to open a prompt anywhere.
18. DeskDrive - Finally, a tool that shows plugged in storage media like Mac OS and Linux DE's.
19. dupeGuru - Get rid of duplicate files. Cross-platform!
20. Windows Live Essentials 2012 - Includes Windows Live Mail, Movie Maker, and so on. Functions in Windows 10(as of January 2018), but you might need to reinstall after every major update. Other things in this list work better than the stuff in Essentials (due to age and compatibility) but I am including for those who need it.
21. Greenshot - FOSS screenshot tool for Windows.