Health, wealth, and happiness top everybody's wish list-and likewise we want health for our PCs, wealth and happiness from them. Here's software to help keep your hard drive healthy, improve your finances, and have fun.

SMARTen up Your PC's Hard Drive

Most people don't know their hard drive feels bad until it crashes. But LSoft Technologies' free Active@ Hard Disk Monitor might provide some warning. It uses SMART (for Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology), which is built into most hard drives to keep tabs on such key attributes as disk errors and suspect patterns.

More isn't always better-especially when software, desktop clutter, or your list of kitchen duties is involved. This month's programs rein in RAM gluttons, declutter your desktop, and stimulate your culinary spirit. One offers a free trial period, and the other two are free forever.

Minimize Greedy RAM Gobblers

Do certain programs slow your PC to a crawl? Minimem helps you put memory hogs in their place. Unlike most memory-freeing utilities, this freebie lets you decide which programs to optimize and which to leave alone.

You want to live in harmony with your PC, but Windows is very rigid. So step out on the road to Utopia with any of these three approaches: a clever launching dock, a folder organizer, and a far-reaching macro program.

Pull Your Programs Into This Dock

Busy, analytical people need special tools to help them sort things out efficiently. And when they take a break from their detail-oriented work, they may enjoy a detail-oriented diversion. With these programs, you can get the scoop on who's visiting your Web site, pinpoint word meanings, and solve a slick puzzle.

Woo-Hoo for Web Analytics

There's more to Web page data than hit counters. But some really useful tidbits--where your readers are, what OS and browser they're running, and so forth--are hard for the average site owner to find. Woopra serves up all kinds of data in a clean, easy-to-understand interface.

PCs can bring out everybody's inner control freak. This month, grab a powerful desktop utility, a Firefox tab tamer, and an astronomy app that puts the universe at your fingertips.

Oh, Robot Servant...!

We may not have Jetsons-style technology, but you can play George or Jane with this time-saving robot, which streamlines some routine PC tasks. Find and Run Robot (aka FARR) comes stocked with handy tricks, and you can create your own or plug in add-ons as you go.

Sometimes a simple fix can do the job, and sometimes you need the works. This month we look at an easy-as-pie mouse utility, a feature-rich tweaking program, and an arcade-style game that builds in complexity.

Teach Your Mouse New Tricks

Your mouse's scroll wheel can be handy, but it's a one-trick animal. KatMouse adds new functionality to the wheel, making navigating multiple windows easier and faster. The freebie lets you scroll through windows without selecting them first.

Everyone loves a good mystery--but neither your PC's inner workings nor your daily schedule should keep you guessing. This month, I checked out a Task Manager supplement, a click-saving Firefox extension, and a versatile calendar. All of them can be had for free.

Safer System Spelunking

Windows' Task Manager is like a boring professor: very little information and too much jargon. In contrast, the free SystemExplorer is like Indiana Jones taking you on a field trip, guiding you through your PC's activities in dizzying breadth and exquisite detail.

It's a wonderful world, one worth saving and exploring. This month, I have an earth-friendly printer utility, a podcasting program, and a game of international gastronomy.

Print Words, Not Waste

The recycling bin by your printer probably holds discarded sheets with just a few lines of text. GreenPrint World reduces paper and ink waste by previewing your print job with images or even whole pages removed. This freebie saves ink, paper, and money--good for you and for the planet.

Even good things can become unmanageable at times. Let's look at software to cherry-pick the news, organize your projects, and unearth forgotten gems from your music collection.

The News You Need

We're all awash in news. Reduce that flood to a trickle limited to just the topics that interest you with FeedDemon, a longtime, popular RSS reader that's now available for free.

When it comes to computer security--and job security--why take risks? This month, I have a thorough but easy-to-use virus scanner, a Firefox productivity booster, and an engaging simulation game. The two freebies and the free trial also pose little peril to your pocketbook.

A Second (or Up to 32nd) Opinion

We gave a 2007 World Class award to the free online virus detection service VirusTotal.com, which scans files via dozens of third-party security programs (32 at last count, including big names such as McAfee and Panda). Now, you can skip surfing to VirusTotal.com's Web site; instead, run the service's equally free VirusTotal Uploader program, which is even easier to use than VirusTotal.com. Right-click the questionable file, select Send To, and choose VirusTotal from the send-to options. If no browser window is open, VirusTotal will open your default browser to show you the scan results.

Some people need big-name, big-bucks programs. But if your software needs are modest, your software budget should be, too. Here are free alternatives for word processing, screen captures, and all-important fun.

Write Freely for Free

Talk is cheap, but Word is expensive. Fortunately, Jarte is free. This clever little word processing program from Carolina Road Software lets you open, modify, and save files in common formats. And I do mean "little": Jarte fits onto a small, 64MB USB drive with room to spare for a couple of documents, making it perfect for travelers who want to work on projects and might not have Internet access for using Web-based alternatives.

Fresh perspectives revitalize drab and ineffectual routines. These three programs--an incredibly easy command-line utility, a full-featured Clipboard replacement, and a graphic storyteller--offer new takes on familiar tasks.

Run Apps From One Starting Point

You want your PC to be easy to use--but taking the helm at the command prompt is satisfying too. SlickRun helps in both respects. This free utility from Bayden Systems, which initially appears as a tiny floating window showing the date and time, provides convenient time-savers as well as powerful command-line access via a simple left click. But it gets better: Right-click the window to view the app's collection of MagicWords--keywords for taking various actions, such as launching programs, opening URLs or folders, or switching to standby mode. Click a MagicWord, and SlickRun performs the task for you.