40 must-have Windows Vista programs

11. Diskeeper 2008
When it comes to keeping your PC in check, our readers recommended Diskeeper 2008 in their droves. The program offers advanced defragging to keep your hard drive
healthy, and tunes up every part of the Windows Vista experience.
Price £28
Web www.diskeepereurope.com

10. Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote brings the pen and paper experience to your PC by enabling you to make notes and lists quickly and easily, and share them with others, making it a great productivity tool.
Price £88.99 (Part of Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student)
Web office.microsoft.com

9. PC Tools ThreatFire
Two heads are better than one, so the saying goes, and ThreatFire proves the point. This free behavioural antivirus application is designed to complement your existing security package so you're guaranteed to be safe.
Price Free
Web www.threatfire.com

8. Windows Live Writer
Undoubtedly the number one blogging tool, this should definitely be in your writing arsenal. Windows Live Writer enables you to upload your creative musings to the major blogging services direct from your desktop.
Price Free
Web get.live.com

7. Windows Live Mail
Bring web mail to your desktop with Windows Live Mail. The free tool offers you the power over emails previously seen in Microsoft Office Outlook, and enables you to import Windows Live Hotmail accounts as well as RSS.
Price Free
Web get.live.com

6. Adobe Reader
When it comes to reading PDF documents, you don't get a more complete experience than with Adobe Reader. Not only can you open PDFs but you can interact with the information as well, making this a truly essential program.
Price Free
Web www.adobe.com

5. Windows Live OneCare
If you're looking for a complete security package for Windows Vista, you need look no further than Windows Live OneCare. It protects your PC and integrates seamlessly into Windows Vista, and is totally unobtrusive, leaving you to get on with the things you want.
Price £19.99
Web onecare.live.com

4. Totalidea TweakVI
If you really like to get hands-on with your computer, then you need TweakVI. It enables you to customise any part of the Windows Vista interface, functionality and overall look in a safe and secure environment.
Price Free
Web www.totalidea.com

3. Windows Live Photo Gallery
When it comes to viewing photos, there's no hotter program than Windows Live Photo Gallery. Not only are the tagging and viewing elements fantastic, but the panorama stitching is one of the best.
Price Free
Web get.live.com

2. Photoshop Elements
Another market leader, this time for image manipulation, Elements brings Photoshop to the mainstream. The package offers some of the high-end editing features from the full Photoshop package, as well as the usual quick fixes, which makes it great for beginners and experts alike.
Price £54.98
Web www.adobe.com

1. 2007 Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition
When it comes to office suites, the 2007 Microsoft Office system rules the roost, and you'll find it in most business environments across the world. Microsoft Office Word, Office PowerPoint and Office Excel have established themselves as the only choices for word processing, presentation building and spreadsheet compiling respectively.
Price £64.99
Web office.microsoft.com