This is a range of free software I use quite frequently. In fact I've found that you can get pretty much any piece of software you might need off the Internet somewhere: anti-virus, office apps, browsers, etc.

Antivirus - AVG Free - More Info - Download

Antispyware - Spybot - More Info - Download

Firewall (XP/Vista)- ZoneAlarm - Download

Remote Access - UltraVNC - More Info - Download

Office Suite - Open Office - More Info - Download

Accounting - TurboCash - More Info - Download

DTP - Serif PagePlus SE - More Info - Download

Online TV - TVU Player - More Info - Download

AVG Free antivirus - This is the daddy of free anti-virus programs. Great if you've got an older PC or aren't on the Internet very often.

Spybot Search and Destroy - And this is the mummy. Viruses use your computer to reproduce themselves - hence the name. Spyware just sneaks onto your PC and quietly reports what you are doing on the Internet back to homebase so you can be targeted with selective advertising (amongst other things). Usually the only reason you know it's there is your PC will start slowing down, maybe crashing more often, try to get on the Internet and maybe you'll find your Internet searches re-routed. The best little free program for getting rid of spyware is Spybot, followed closely by Adaware (can take a little longer to run)

UltraVNC - This is a program that allows you to remotely access another PC and see the desktop as if you were sitting in front of it. The funky bit is they can watch the mouse being moved around and watch what you are doing. I find this very handy for remote support - saves the cost of a callout - and giving remote training along with free phone calls on Skype. Although that sounds a bit scary there are various layers of security built in to avoid someone taking control of your computer without you knowing about it.

Open Office - The guilt of using that bootleg copy of Office 2000 keeping you awake at nights? Or just want to move a little further away from Microsoft's global monopoly of the world? Open Office is the program for you. It is a office suite that includes all of your favourites from MS Office: word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, database, desk-top publishing. Best of all it can cope with MS Office documents and even work in MS Word mode, so noone ever no you are not using Office.

TurboCash - This is for one of those painful but necessary jobs: doing your accounts. I was quite impressed when I came across this piece of software, it provides all the functionality of something like Sage or Quicken for business users without having to fork out the several hundred quid. It's pretty easy to set up and you can be producing invoices and purchase orders, pulling in stock and clients details within half an hour.

Serif PagePlus SE - Want to cheaply knock out a flyer, leaflet or business card. Serif give away old versions of their DTP and other image editing and publishing software for FREE.

TVU Player - This is just tooo cool. I couldn't believe it could be true when I bought the link off eBay for £1.99. This is a program that lets you watch free, worldwide satelitte channels from around the world. It's got Fox, NBC, CBS, Movie channels and all sorts of other rubbish!