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The best free text-to-speech software makes it simple and easy to improve accessibility and productivity in your workflows.

Best free text-to-speech software of 2024: Quick Menu

In the digital era, the need for effective communication tools has led to a surge in the popularity of text-to-speech (TTS) software, and finding the best free text-to-speech software is essential for a variety of users, regardless of budget constraints.

Text-to-speech software skillfully converts written text into spoken words using advanced technology, though often without grasping the context of the content. The best text-to-speech software not only accomplishes this task but also offers a selection of natural-sounding voices, catering to different preferences and project needs.

This technology is invaluable for creating accessible content, enhancing workplace productivity, adding voice-overs to videos, or simply assisting in proofreading by vocalizing written work. While many of todays best free word processors, such as Google Docs, include basic TTS features that are accurate and continually improving, they may not meet all needs.

Stand-alone, app-based TTS tools, which should not be confused with the best speech-to-text apps, often have limitations compared to more comprehensive, free text-to-speech software. For instance, some might not allow the downloading of audio files, a feature crucial for creating content for platforms like YouTube and social media.

In our quest to identify the best free text-to-speech software, we have meticulously tested various options, assessing them based on user experience, performance, and output quality. Our guide aims to help you find the right text-to-speech tool, whatever your specific needs might be.

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure youre buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Best free text-to-speech software overall

Built-in OCR

Choice of interfaces

Browser extension

Dyslexic-friendly font

Cloud-based

Limited free voices compared to paid plans

Natural Reader offers one of the best free text-to-speech software experiences, thanks to an easy-going interface and stellar results. It even features online and desktop versions.

You'll find plenty of user options and customizations. The first is to load documents into its library and have them read aloud from there. This is a neat way to manage multiple files, and the number of supported file types is impressive, including eBook formats. There's also OCR, which enables you to load up a photo or scan of text, and have it spoken to you.

The second option takes the form of a floating toolbar. In this mode, you can highlight text in any application and use the toolbar controls to start and customize text-to-speech. This means you can very easily use the feature in your web browser, word processor and a range of other programs. There's also a browser extension to convert web content to speech more easily.

The TTS tool is available free, with three additional upgrades with more advanced features for power-users and professionals.

Read our full Natural Reader review.

Best free text-to-speech software for custom voices

Excellent file format support

Lots of voices to choose from

Can create audio files

Bookmarking tools

There are a couple of ways to use Balabolka's top free text-to-speech software. You can either copy and paste text into the program, or you can open a number of supported file formats (including DOC, PDF, and HTML) in the program directly.

In terms of output, you can use SAPI 4 complete with eight different voices to choose from, SAPI 5 with two, or the Microsoft Speech Platform. Whichever route you choose, you can adjust the speech, pitch and volume of playback to create a custom voice.

In addition to reading words aloud, this free text-to-speech software can also save narrations as audio files in a range of formats including MP3 and WAV. For lengthy documents, you can create bookmarks to make it easy to jump back to a specific location and there are excellent tools on hand to help you to customize the pronunciation of words to your liking.

With all these features to make life easier when reading text on a screen isn't an option, Balabolka is the best free text-to-speech software around.

For more help using Balabolka, see out guide on how to convert text to speech using this free software.

Best for beginners to text-to-speech conversion

Quick and simple to use

Exports in WAV and MP3 formats

Good range of input formats

Panopreter Basic is the best free text-to-speech software if youre looking for something simple, streamlined, no-frills, and hassle-free.

It accepts plain and rich text files, web pages and Microsoft Word documents as input, and exports the resulting sound in both WAV and MP3 format (the two files are saved in the same location, with the same name).

The default settings work well for quick tasks, but spend a little time exploring Panopreter Basic's Settings menu and you'll find options to change the language, destination of saved audio files, and set custom interface colors. The software can even play a piece of music once it's finished reading a nice touch you won't find in other free text-to-speech software.

If you need something more advanced, a premium version of Panopreter is available. This edition offers several additional features including toolbars for Microsoft Word and Internet Explorer, the ability to highlight the section of text currently being read, and extra voices.

Best free text-to-speech word processor extension

Integrates with Microsoft Word

Customizable voices

Speaking dictionary

A little unattractive

Microsoft Word only

Developed by the University of Edinburgh, WordTalk is a toolbar add-on for Word that brings customizable text-to-speech to Microsoft Word. It works with all editions of Word and is accessible via the toolbar or ribbon, depending on which version you're using.

The toolbar itself is certainly not the most attractive you'll ever see, appearing to have been designed by a child. Nor are all of the buttons' functions very clear, but thankfully there's a help file on hand to help.

There's no getting away from the fact that WordTalk is fairly basic, but it does support SAPI 4 and SAPI 5 voices, and these can be tweaked to your liking. The ability to just read aloud individual words, sentences or paragraphs is a particularly nice touch. You also have the option of saving narrations, and there are a number of keyboard shortcuts that allow for quick and easy access to frequently used options.

A great choice for converting text from websites to speech

Converts text from the clipboard

Good file format support

Voices are quite expensive

Windows only

Despite its basic looks, Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader has more to offer than you might first think. You can open numerous file formats directly in the program, or just copy and paste text.

Alternatively, as long as you have the program running and the relevant option enables, Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader can read aloud any text you copy to the clipboard great if you want to convert words from websites to speech as well as dialog boxes that pop up. One of the best free text-to-speech software right now, this can also convert text files to WAV format.

Unfortunately the selection of voices is limited, and the only settings you can customize are volume and speed unless you burrow deep into settings to fiddle with pronunciations. Additional voices are available for an additional fee which seems rather steep, holding it back from a higher place in our list.

As you might expect, some free versions of TTS software do come with certain limitations. These include the amount of choices you get for the different amount of voices in some case. For instance, Zabaware gives you two for free, but you have to pay if you want more.

However, the best free software on this list come with all the bells and whistles that will be more than enough for the average user.

SAPI stands for Speech Application Programming Interface. It was developed by Microsoft to generate synthetic speech to allow computer programs to read aloud text. First used in its own applications such as Office, it is also employed by third party TTS software such as those featured in this list.

In the context of TTS software, there are more SAPI 4 voices to choose from, whereas SAPI 5 voices are generally of a higher quality.

Many free TTS programs give you the option to download an audio file of the speech to save and transfer to different devices.

MP3 is the most common audio format, and compatible with pretty much any modern device capable of playing back audio. The WAV format is also highly compatible too.

The main difference between the two is quality. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning fidelity is preserved as best as possible, at the cost of being considerably larger in size than MP3 files, which do compress.

Ultimately, however, MP3 files with a bit rate of 256 kbps and above should more than suffice, and you'll struggle to tell the difference when it comes to speech audio between them and WAV files.

When selecting the best free text-to-speech software is best for you depends on a range of factors (not to mention personal preference).

Despite how simple the concept of text-to-speech is, there are many different features and aspects to such apps to take into consideration. These include how many voice options and customizations are present, how and where they operate in your setup, what formats they are able to read aloud from and what formats the audio can be saved as.

With free versions, naturally you'll want to take into account how many advanced features you get without paying, and whether any sacrifices are made to performance or usability.

Always try to keep in mind what is fair and reasonable for free services - and as we've shown with our number one choice, you can get plenty of features for free, so if other options seem bare in comparison, then you'll know you can do better.

Our testing process for the best free text-to-speech software is thorough, examining all of their respective features and trying to throw every conceivable syllable at them to see how they perform.

We also want to test the accessibility features of these tools to see how they work for every kind of user out there. We have highlighted, for instance, whether certain software offer dyslexic-friendly fonts, such as the number two on our list, Natural Reader.

We also bear in mind that these are free versions, so where possible we compare and contrast their feature sets with paid-for rivals.

Finally, we look at how well TTS tools meet the needs of their intended users - whether it's designed for personal use or professional deployment.

See original here:
Best free text-to-speech software of 2024 - TechRadar

The best free word processor makes it simple and easy way to type up and edit documents on your PC, without needing to subscribe to a paid-for service.

Best free word processor of 2024: Quick menu

However, while there are some good, free word processing programs out there, they tend to not have so many features as paid-for software.Even when they do, there can be compatibility issues with moving document formats between software platforms, especially when importing to Microsoft Word.

Here were looking at the very best word processors that can be used offline (particularly useful for distraction-free writing), but there are also several excellent browser-based tools to consider if you'd rather do your writing online.

These then are the best free word processors and alternatives to Microsoft Word, that will provide a reliable platform for you to work from, at home or in the office.

We've also featured the best Microsoft Office alternatives.

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure youre buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

All-singing, all-dancing word processors for any text-based work

Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux

Excellent format compatibility

Document template galleries

Support for plugins

No ads or paywalls

LibreOffice is a fork of Apache OpenOffice, and the two offer very similar word processing apps, but LibreOffice receives more frequent updates and has a more lively userbase, so we're inclined to lean in its favor.

The word processor, Writer, is a feature-packed analog of Microsoft Word, packed with all the tools you could need for any text-based work.

The two versions of Writer include wizards and templates for common document types, such as invoices and letters, and its easy to create your own templates for future use as well. The word processors also work together with the other office software in their respective suites so you can use Base to create a bibliography, for example.

Both word processors support all the most popular file formats, and can export documents to PDF without the need for additional software. If youre looking for a word processor that can stand in for Microsoft Word, either of these two will be a perfect candidate.

Read our full LibreOffice review.

A word processor with cloud storage and support for all text files

Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux

Interface almost identical to Word

Excellent file format support

Free cloud storage

If youve used a modern version of Microsoft Word, therell be no learning curve when you switch to Writer the word processing component of WPS Office Free.

This free word processor looks and behaves almost exactly like its premium counterpart, and even has its own equivalent of OneDrive, offering 1GB free cloud storage.

Its selection of pre-installed templates gives you everything you need for common document types, and you can easily create your own for bespoke tasks. Its compatible with every text file format you can think of, including current and legacy versions of Microsoft Word dating back to Office 97.

WPS Office Writer is supported by discrete ads, which can be removed by upgrading to the premium version, but theyre barely noticeable and no features are locked behind a paywall. Overall, WPS Writer is very impressive, and in our opinion its the best free word processor available to download today.

WPS recently launched a free PDF to Word converter as well, which is a great companion to its word processor.

Read our full WPS Office Free review.

Free online word processing with sharing and collaboration features

Convenient sharing and editing through Google Drive

Excellent support options

15 GB of free storage

Mobile app lacks a few features

Formatting issues

Not as good as Microsoft Word

When it comes to free word processing, Google Docs may seem like one of the most obvious choices, and has the advantage of saving your work automatically so you dont have to worry if your connection fails.

Its also a good choice for collaborative working, and means you dont have to upload work to a separate cloud storage service.

However, it has a limited selection of templates, theres no way to import content from other Google applications, it suffers from the formatting issues when importing mentioned above, and any online tool is going to be surrounded by distractions like social media.

Read our full Google Docs review.

The ideal word processor for first drafts, with no fussy formatting

Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux

Blocks out distractions

Timers and alarms

Auto-save function

If you simply want to hammer out some words without worrying about formatting, you could just use Windows built-in Notepad app, but FocusWriter is full of clever tools that will help you maximize productivity without ever getting in the way.

As the name implies, FocusWriter blocks out all distractions so you can give that all-important first draft your full attention. In normal use, all you see is a blank page toolbars are only visible if you move your mouse pointer to the edge of the screen but theres a killer feature in Focused Text, which fades everything into the background except the current paragraph or sentence.

FocusWriter also features alerts that are triggered at certain times, or when youve reached a predefined word count, so you dont need to worry about watching a counter (as you would in Microsoft Word). This also makes FocusWriter a good tool to use in tandem with the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working hard for a period of time thats long enough for you to work productively, but not so long that you become fatigued.

Its not great for editing, but for productivity, FocusWriter is hard to beat.

Read our full FocusWriter review.

Another great looking word processor, but watch your file formats

Operating system: Windows, Mac, Linux

Can export to EPUB format

Prints multiple pages per sheet

Opens password-protected files

Doesn't support DOCX files

TextMaker the word processing element of SoftMaker FreeOffice is good looking, and comes with several handy templates for creating letters and other everyday documents. The selection isnt as extensive as some of its rivals, but you can also make new designs for future use and save them in TMV format.

All the features youd expect from a modern word processor are present and correct, including advanced formatting options, the ability to create databases for managing bibliographies and footnotes, and a function for tracking changes to collaborative projects.

The only real drawback of TextMaker is its inability to save your work in DOCX format (though you can open and edit these files with no difficulty). This feature is limited to the premium version of SoftMaker Office.

Read our full FreeOffice review.

Productivity-focused word processing with quick shortcuts

Operating system: Windows

Distraction-free interface

Supports markup

Handy keyboard shortcuts

Only works with TXT files

WriteMonkey is another no-frills word processor designed to help you maximize your output without fussing with editing and formatting. Its not intended for documents like letters or CVs, but is great for committing early ideas to paper (or screen) so you have the raw material to develop later.

Unlike FocusWriter, which is compatible with all the most common text formats (including Microsofts DOC and DOCX), WriteMonkey only works with TXT files, so youll have to convert any works in progress before opening them. WriteMonkeys hidden controls are trickier to navigate, too everything is accessed via a large right-click menu, or a vast collection of keyboard shortcuts.

That said, if youre happy to commit those shortcuts to memory, youll find WriteMonkey faster to use than toolbar-based alternatives.

We also like the ability to look words up in Wikipedia, Google Images, Poetry.com, Answers.com, and many others without opening a browser winder manually and leaving yourself open to the temptations of Twitter and Facebook.

WriteMonkey is a portable app, so theres no need to install it just extract all the downloaded files to a removable drive or cloud storage service and fire it up by running the file WriteMonkey.exe.

Read our full Writemonkey review.

We've also featured the best free cloud apps for business.

When deciding which free word processor to download and use, first consider what your actual needs are, as sometimes free platforms may only provide basic options. That means if you need to use advanced tools you may find a paid platform is much more worthwhile. Additionally, free and budget software options can sometimes prove limited when it comes to the variety of tools available, while higher-end software can really cater for every need, so do ensure you have a good idea of which features you think you may require.

To test for the best free word processor we first set up an account with the relevant software platform, whether as a download or as an online service. We then tested the service to see how the software could be used for different purposes and in different situations, especially looking at how it worked with different file formats. The aim was to push each software platform to see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced tools.

Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.

Read the rest here:
Best free word processor of 2024 - TechRadar

The best free antivirus should help keep your device free of nasty malware without putting a hole in your pocket with all the premium features. But does this mean it's any less effective?

Best free antivirus - quick links

Some of the best antivirus solutions offer a free-tier basic level of protection to keep you secure from the most common threats, and may even offer a free trial of their best features to tempt you into upgrading.

In order to put these services through their paces, we looked at the features on offer with each free version and put them to the test detecting and quarantining malware and other suspicious files, while also searching for potential downsides such as annoying pop-ups and in-app advertisements.

So, first we will take a look at a few of the best antivirus solutions, before diving into some of the problems with free subscriptions, and then going through our top picks for the best free antivirus.

Free is greatbut sometimes a paid option is a better bet.

Paid antivirus subscriptions give you a lot more in your security tool bag. Often higher-tiered solutions have features like spam filters, parental controls, system scans, and advanced firewalls. This makes them more suitable for those who want a bit of extra security.

We also recommend paid antivirus software for families with younger, click-happy kiddos who don't recognize potential malicious links and websites. Here are our top three antivirus software picks.

With budgets getting tighter, we understand the appeal of free antivirus software. While there have been great changes in free subscriptions, the most notable being they now offer real-time malware protection, they are still minimal compared to a full antivirus security suite.

There are some exceptions, but most free antivirus programs don't offer web protections. This means they won't stop malware from downloading if you accidentally click on a malicious link. They will snatch it before it has a chance to infract your computer, but we feel better than a threatening file doesn't get that far into the process.

Web protections are also important for reducing the risk of phishing schemes, one of the most prevalent and dangerous threats to consumers right now. This is because phishing scams are the gateway to identity theft. Paid antivirus software has web protections to stop you from visiting web pages that have phishing schemes on them, and most have additional phishing nets to keep these scams from getting into your email inbox.

Other missing tools from free antivirus software are firewalls, which protect you when connected to public wifi, password managers, which help protect your online and physical identity, and access to a VPN. A virtual private network (VPN) shields you from being tracked online and gives you added privacy from cyber snoops.

Free antivirus is a good place to start, but we really do recommend eventually upgrading to one of the best antivirus software for your best chance of fighting malware.

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure youre buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Let's dig in to my top picks, where I discuss everything I liked and didn't like about each provider, as well as my most recent test results.

Impressive protection and lots of extras

Operating system: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS

Features: Gaming mode, password manager, VPN

Great virus protection

Works on all devices

VPN access

Lots of popup ads and messages

Sneaks in unwanted extras

Causes system slowdown

Use if:

You are a gamer: the gaming mode of Avast One is amazing. Once set, it recognizes when you're playing and suspends non-essential tasks to give you all the power and protection without lag.

You want added privacy: Avast is the only free antivirus software that includes a VPN. It's limited, but it is there.

Don't use if:

You want to avoid popup ads: you get a lot of messages and alerts with Avast. To avoid these, stick with Microsoft Defender.

You don't want your computer to drag: Avast causes apps to open and web pages to load slower. Bitdefender is a better solution to avoid this.

Bottom line

Avast One has high protection scores from top antivirus test labs and in our own in-house evaluations. It comes with so many extra tools that others reserve for paid subscriptions, which is why it's our top pick for free antivirus.

Want to know more?

Check out our Avast One review to learn details of what we found during testing and the benefits of the paid Avast One offerings.

Avast is one of the most known and used antivirus solutions worldwide. Along with Avira and AVG, Avast falls under the same company umbrella as Norton, so it has a lot of resources at its disposal. It recently released its newest antivirus offering, Avast One, including a free version.

Recent protection tests by AV-Test and AV-Comparatives rank Avast high on their list and among the few with the best malware detection rates. Our in-house tests consistently mirror these findings, flagging, blocking, and placing test malware fils into quarantines. This shows us Avast handles threats correctly. We even used a ransomware simulator to make sure Avast stops this type of dangerous malware, and it did.

Try Avast One, our top free antivirus pick

Avast One works with Windows and Mac computers and on Android phones and tablets. You can't use a single program to protect all three, but you can download the specific version on each device. Since this is a free service, there isn't a way to manage them all under one account.

Even though it is a free program, Avast One gives you some great advanced security tools that most antivirus software reserves for paid subscriptions. For example, Avast includes an automatic gaming mode to mute popups and reduces system load when you're firing up a processor-hungry game. This keeps you safe while freeing up all available resources for gameplay and pausing functions that could create lag or buffering.

There's a password manager, too, which is an undeniably good addition to your security portfolio, plus Avast gives you access to its VPN. This virtual private network (VPN) shields your online identity and movements so they can't be watched, intercepted, or traced back to you. There is a monthly usage cap with the free version, but it's enough for casual searching, social media browsing, or sending email.

Less impressive is the slight negative effect Avast has on software launch times, and its slightly popup-heavy attitude. Most free antivirus overwhelms you with messages encouraging you to upgrade to its paid subscription, but Avast has more than we'd like to see. Another sneaky motion to be aware of, Avast will download its browser and automatically set it as your default browser unless you disable this feature. This is done on the installer, but the permissions are in small text that's easy to miss.

Quick malware detection and full threat scrubbing

Operating system: Windows, Mac, Android

Features: System scanner

Real-time protection

Securely deletes threats

Low use of resources

Works on Android

Use if:

You want fast protection: Bitdefender is so efficient it blocks and scrubs threats before you realize what's happened.

You need an antivirus that doesn't use too many resources: this software is light on your system and doesn't create noticeable lag.

Don't use if:

You want quicker scans: this antivirus takes a long time to finish both virus and system scans, though it doesn't cause lag while doing so.

You need extra protections: Bitdefender free doesn't come with anything more than real-time malware protection. For other tools like a VPN, check out Avast.

Bottom line

Bitdefender is our top, paid antivirus software pick because of how well and fast it blocks threats. Its free version is basic but still impresses with its level of overall security.

Bitdefender Total Security is our top pick as the best antivirus software, so it makes sense to put Bitdefender Antivirus Free in this guide. You get the same level of malware protection with the free antivirus as you do with the paid subscription, including real-time detection and web protection.

With the Bitdefender browser extension enabled, this antivirus stops malicious files before they have a chance to start the download process. The threat is not only blocked but scooped up and scrubbed clean so there isn't a way for it to accidentally attack your system in the future.

Try Bitdefender Antivirus free, the fastest malware-blocking software

Web protection also blocks you from accessing webpages that are known to hide threats on them. These could be malicious downloads or phishing schemes designed to trick you into providing personal and financial information.

If a threat does sneak in, Bitdefender can usually scoop it up quickly and neutralize it. However, if you already have a malware attack on your computer, Bitdefender isn't the best for dealing with it. For current malware on your computer, we recommend using Malwarebytes.

Malware removal tools are specifically designed to fight against threats and remove them from your system. This allows an antivirus program, like Bitdefender, to then protect your computer from future attacks.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free doesn't come with any other security tools. It doesn't have a firewall, no system scanners, or a VPN. These are available with paid subscriptions, though, and we recommend using one of Bitdefender's higher-tiered options for the best system security. Regardless, you won't experience the same slowdown that other antivirus software creates because Bitdefender doesn't use much of your device's resources.

Malware blocking for iOS and Android devices

Operating system: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS

Features: Phishing protection, built-in VPN, system scanner

Decent malware detection

Unexpected list of features

iOS protection

Quite a few popups when running

Some impact on system performance

Use if:

You need antivirus for your iPhone or iPad: Avira works with iOS and has a high malware detection rate with this operating system.

You want more than just basic protection: this free antivirus comes with phishing detection, a system scanner, and a VPN to protect you from more than just malicious downloads.

Don't use if:

You need everything ready from the get-go: the tools you need have to be turned on for Avira to work correctly. Bitdefender is set up for you.

You don't want annoying ads: other than Microsoft Defender, all free antivirus has popups. Bitdefender has the second least.

Bottom line

Avira antivirus and AVG are essentially the same programs, but Avira is a bit more advanced and includes a few more tools.

Want to know more?

Our Avira antivirus review breaks down the differences and similarities between this software and AVG and why Avira is the better pick.

Avira Free Security does a good job at stopping malware attacks and comes with a few extra protection tools, which is why it earns a spot on our best free antivirus list. Like Avast and AVG, Avira falls under the same corporate umbrella as Norton but it tends to look, feel, and run more like AVG than the other antivirus solutions. One advantage that Avira has over both Avast and AVG is that it has an iOS app to protect iPhones and iPads.

The dark mode interface and tool icons look similar to AVG. It's clean and easy to find the settings and tools you need. This is important because Avira needs a lot of tools turned on or set up before you can use them.

Try Avira Free Security on your Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS device

Some of the tools Avira includes are also similar to AVG. For example, you do get a system scanner that will find old files, outdated software, and other vulnerabilities on your computer, but require you to manually take care of them unless you upgrade to a paid subscription. One tool Avira includes that AVG doesn't is a built-in VPN. You're limited to only 500 MB per month, which isn't a lot at all when you compare it to the best VPNs, but it is there.

Avira also has phishing protections that check out emails and attachments to see if there is anything fishy or threatening in them. If you enable the Avira browser extension, its web protection will alert you if you attempt to visit a site that has a phishing scam associated with it.

If there's one thing we'd change, then it's the tad overeager badgering - although popups and advertisements are very common to free products, and that doesn't prevent us from recommending Avira Free Antivirus.

Another downfall is that Avira is rather heavy on your system. Even third-party testing labs showed that running Avira caused apps to open slower and webpages to take longer to load.

Tandem protection for double security

Operating system: Windows, Mac, Android

Features: Tandem protection, firewall, system scanner

Works alongside other antivirus software

Includes a system scanner

Easy to use

Real-time protection needs to be enabled

More:
Best free antivirus in 2024 - TechRadar

May 19, 2024 21:30:00

Since the release of

Welcome to Open-Shell | Classic Shell Reborn. https://open-shell.github.io/Open-Shell-Menu/

GitHub - Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu: Classic Shell Reborn. https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu

The Windows 11 start menu looks like this. Depending on the settings, it may display recently used files and recommended apps, or when you enter a search term, it will display the results of a real-time Bing search along with the files on your PC. With Open-Shell Menu, you can change the design of this start menu.

When you scroll down

You will be redirected to the latest version page on GitHub, where you can click on 'OpenShellSetup_4_4_191.exe' to download the installer.

Once the download is complete, double-click the installer in File Explorer to launch it.

Click Next.

Check the checkbox and click 'Next'.

Click Next.

Click 'Install' to begin the installation.

When you see the following screen, click 'Finish' to complete the installation and close the installer.

After installing Open-Shell Menu, when you open the start menu, it will look different, like the image below. Also, the button to open the start menu in the lower left corner has been changed from the Windows icon to the Open-Shell Menu icon.

Type 'open shell' in the start menu to open 'Open-Shell Menu Settings'. The design of the start menu search screen at this time has also changed from that of Windows 11.

The Open-Shell Menu settings screen looks like this:

You can choose the appearance of the start menu from 'Classic style', 'Classic with two columns', or 'Windows 7 Style'. If you select 'Classic style', the start menu will be vertically thin as shown in the image below.

'Classic with two columns' has an appearance similar to 'Classic style' but with more convenient menus such as documents, settings, and search.

If you select 'Windows 7 Style', you can use a start menu with a design similar to that of Windows 7.

You can also change the appearance of the Start button. Select 'Aero' to display the Open-Shell Menu icon.

In 'Classic', the Open-Shell Menu icons are arranged in a style similar to the old start menu. However, in this case, some of the app badges displayed on the taskbar are hidden.

In addition, you can assign any image to the start button from 'Custom'. Select 'Custom' and click 'Pick image'.

Let's try adding an image of a manga character. After selecting the image, click 'Open'.

The image size was too large and filled up the taskbar. It seems that the image width needs to be adjusted in advance.

I tried reducing the image size and re-inserting it, and although the selected image has an image ratio close to a square, only the top part of the image was displayed on the start button.

When you hover your mouse over the image, the middle part will be displayed.

When you open the start menu, the bottom part of the image is displayed.

From 'Basic Settings', you can set the behavior when opening the start menu. By default, the original Windows 11 start menu was displayed when you clicked the start button while holding down the Shift key, so you can change the basic appearance to the old style, but if you can't find the operation you usually use, open the menu in Windows 11 style.

Open-Shell Menu is an open source software, and details are available on GitHub.

GitHub - Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu: Classic Shell Reborn. https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu

More here:
'Open-Shell Menu' is an open source software that returns the Windows start menu to its previous appearance for free - GIGAZINE

Many people today question the need for a dedicated antivirus program, considering that Windows Defender comes installed with the OS. However, Avast Free Antivirus is not only free but also provides a more comprehensive security package than Microsoft's offering.

There's some stigma surrounding free security software. Some companies reserve crucial features for the paid versions of their products, but Avast Free includes many tools that are not always available in competitors' offerings. Hundreds of millions of users rely on Avast, which certainly boosts confidence in its capabilities.

We downloaded and installed the latest version of Avast Free Antivirus, which was a quick and easy process. Once everything was ready, we were prompted to run an initial scan and I was pleased to find that my PC was free of viruses and malware.

The app's main hub offers a slew of options across a clean and simple dashboard. It is very user-friendly, featuring large icons and clear explanations of each function. Although a few features are restricted unless you upgrade to a paid tier, there are still a surprisingly large number of options available for a free program.

Avast highlights six layers of protection used by its antivirus, powered by cloud-based analytics and machine learning.

In addition to its primary smart scan, Avast Free Antivirus offers a more thorough full scan that inspects an entire PC, a targeted scan for specific folders or external drives, a boot-time scan that looks for threats before Windows starts, and user-defined custom scans.

A quick scan here takes about 30 seconds. Full scans do take longer as they're more in-depth; this one took around five minutes times will obviously vary depending on how many files you're scanning. Finally, there's the Boot-Time scan. This took the longest, adding about ten minutes to the boot process.

There's also the option to create a rescue disk to run Avast when Windows isn't running, helping remove deeply embedded threats that won't be able to defend themselves.

Any threats identified by Avast Free Antivirus get sent to the quarantine section, where you can delete them, create exceptions, or even send them to the company for analysis.

Avast's parent, Gen Digital, also owns Norton, Avira, and AVG, so it's got some big industry names in its corner. That's reflected in independent antivirus tests: Avast blocked 100% of AV-Test threats, earning it a Top Product award; 99.6% of threats from AV-Comparatives, which designated it an Advanced+ product; and 99% of SE Labs' threats to earn an AAA rating.

Next to the scans section is the Core Shields menu: File, Behavior, Web, and Mail. They're all proactive; the web shield, for example, blocks web attacks and unsafe downloads. They help keep you safe from dangerous emails, new files, and apps behaving suspiciously.

The email shield is certainly useful. Not only does it help ensure you don't open any nasty attachments, but it also scans incoming and outgoing mails and can add a customizable warning to the header of emails containing a virus.

The Web Shield is also a welcome addition, helping fight against everything from dangerous downloads to bots. It also prevents browsers and other apps from running potentially malicious scripts. Tests show that Avast Free Antivirus managed to detect and block 99% of fake phishing sites, more than many free rivals.

Another feature I was impressed to find in a piece of free AV software is the Network Inspector, allowing you to scan networks for any security issues and vulnerabilities. The program shows device names and types (where it can), as well as plenty of details on each, including the IP or MAC address.

Users can also be notified whenever a new device joins their home network, which is very handy if it's an unauthorized connection, and it constantly monitors all devices already connected to said network. There are extensive logs to trawl through if needed, too.

Something you don't tend to find in many other free antivirus tools is the Ransomware Shield. It helps protect personal photos, documents, and other files from being modified by ransomware attacks, stopping untrusted applications from accessing your files. It does this by scanning for and automatically securing folders that may contain personal data. You can also specify which apps are allowed to modify files and which folders to protect from untrusted apps.

There are two main modes within the ransomware protection: Smart and Strict. The Smart mode is a hands-off approach which allows trusted apps manipulate files, while Strict only allows approved apps to do so, and requires approval of any others that attempt to make changes or before it can edit files.

As with the other features, the settings section offers plenty of customization options, including which specific file types you want to protect (or all of them). I tested the Strict mode by simply saving something in Notepad, which, as I hadn't approved the app, was blocked (as shown above).

Windows has its own built-in firewall, and while Avast's version offers a similar level of protection, there are more options and details. Windows automatically switches to the Avast firewall when it's turned on, so you don't have to worry about jumping through any hoops first.

The firewall feature, which monitors for unauthorized communications, goes beyond just offering an on-and-off switch. There is a list of apps and how much data they're using (screenshot above). Blocking individual apps is as simple as clicking on a button, and, assuming you know what you're doing, lots of options for applying and editing the firewall rules.

Avast also comes with a Privacy section. Only of one these features, Hack Alerts, is available without a subscription. It monitors for any time your email gets leaked as the result of a website breach.

Then there's the Performance menu. There's a "Do Not Disturb" mode that silences notifications from selected apps and an automatic software updater that scans for out-of-date applications. The DND Mode has some helpful settings, including pausing Windows updates and even pausing Avast notifications while running apps in full screen I've yet to see an annoying notification from the program.

Download now: Avast Free is available for Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone

Other Avast features, such as Bank Mode (free if you use Avast secure browser), Email Guardian, Remote Access Shield, and Sandbox Mode are available with a subscription. Moreover, you can download Avast's separate free VPN and privacy browser via the antivirus app.

We've been genuinely impressed with the range of options available and the thoroughness of Avast Free Antivirus. Unlike some other virus checkers that don't cost anything, I've barely noticed it's there, thanks mostly to the lack of intrusive (and unnecessary) notifications, while its high security rating and web protection offer some extra piece of mind.

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Avast Free Antivirus: Testing its features and learning about the six layers of protection - TechSpot