I think this thread is a GREAT idea... Here are a few of my favorites:
WinShade: Click on the title bar of any window to "Rollup" the window and make only the thin horizontal blue bar visible. Another click "Unrolls" the window and makes it completely visible again. Give your Alt-Tab fingers a break and check this one out... Absolutely terrific! And absolutely FREE!
DeeEnEs: Create a domain name such as "poweruser.dyndns.org" that points to any *dynamic* IP address. This little software sits in your tray and updates the dyndns.org profile to match your currently assigned IP address. A great utility for those of us running a server on an ISP with dynamic IP addresses.
Chimp!: A little notepad that sits in your tray and is perfect for a "to-do-list". Instantly accessible from anywhere on your computer with a single click.
Sound Control Plus: Program any key to launch Winamp, change tracks, change volume etc. (I've got this setup for all my F-keys) Change your Winamp tracks and volume from *within* most games like Quake3Arena! Absolutely indispendible.... and completely FREE! (Scroll to the bottom of this link to see screenshots)
VaporCD: Mount an ISO CD-Image as a drive! Perfect for CD-ROMS that you use from day-to-day. Not only is running from a disc image faster, but its much more convenient than hunting for a CD that you use often. You can set the disc image to mount every time you boot - so this is truly a "Set it and forget it" utility. Perfect for laptops. Absolutely free!
Total Recorder: Capture audio to a file from *any* source - even RealAudio, WMA protected streams, secure formats, etc. Works by intercepting the audio signal traveling through your Sound Card, and thus defeating virtually any copy protection method!
WinAMP: I wouldn't even bother mentioning this, but the fact is that many of you are still using Windows Media Player for your MP3's. Please oh please - download this software and check out the best audio player out there.
Callwave.com: Not a software, but it deserves mention. Get a free fax number from this website, and receive faxes in your e-mail. Fast, unlimited fax reception, for FREE. There is also a Cable/DSL version of this service that allows you to send faxes through the internet for a fee.
VersionTracker.com: Another awesome website that has been around for ages. They're recently added Windows software tracking to their SUPERB Mac software coverage. How does it work? Type the name of any software package into this search engine to find the latest version of it... Indispensible! I hope this becomes as popular with Windows users as it is with the Mac crowd...
DHS.org: One more website worthy of mention. Get a free domain name here to redirect to any source. Great for those of you giving out these long-ass website addresses like "groups.geocities.com/palace/hollywood/frank.html". Sign up for a free account and point your real website to something convenient like "http://frank.n3.net".
Gamespy 3D: "The best online gaming tool you can get". Searches your harddrive for games that you have installed, and then connects you to servers on the Internet where you can play against other people for FREE. Excellent for Quake3Arena, TeamArena, and like a million other games. This is the free Shareware version.
BearShare: An excellent software, with a stupid name. Downloading music & music from the Gnutella network is better than Napster ever was... If you don't agree - then you might be using the using the wrong Gnutella client. Check out BearShare and you'll never look back...