A lot of folks ask what tools and services I use on a regular basis. I have compiled a list of my favorites below for those who are interested.
Disclaimer: Some of these tools and services listed below are affiliate links. This means I get a commission of the sales when someone buys via the link. There is no extra cost to you for using my links. You get a great product or service and I get something for promoting it. I don’t promote stuff that I have never used or don’t like. If you have any questions about any of the products I am selling, please contact me.
Note: I will not be held responsible for any data loss or damage you incur due to using these tools!
Web Browsers
Google Chrome: 
Google Chrome is the most used web browser in the world. (Source: W3Counter) It’s pretty fast and is available for desktop and mobile devices.
Mozilla Firefox:
This is my favorite web browser that I have used for forever. While providing a great overall browsing experience, Firefox also has many security and privacy features to keep you safe online.
Graphics & Video Editing
Canva: 
If you’re looking to make some graphics whether it’s for your website or social media page, Canva is my recommendation. They have both a free and paid plan where you can utilize correctly-sized templates to design whatever you need. There’s no software to install which lets you access Canva from any web browser.
ScreenFlow:
ScreenFlow is a great tool to create recordings of your computer screen, webcam, iPhone and more. The program allows you to annotate your screen recordings as well as zooming in, highlighting the mouse cursor and tons of other features. It’s also a pretty nice video editor if you just need to put together a quick video. Note: This software only works on macOS.
Memory Testing
MemTest86+:
This is the easiest way to test the memory (RAM) on your machine. Download the software, burn it to a CD and then boot the computer from the CD. I recommend a minimum of two passes when you run it.
Hard Drive Utilities
Darik’s Boot and Nuke:
If you plan on selling a computer, this is a must utility. This program will wipe all the data off the hard drive and any other storage devices connected to your computer. Use wisely!
Auslogics Disk Defrag:
Over time your hard drive gets cluttered which slows down your system. Using a defrag utility like this one can help speed up your machine. Only use this on regular hard drives and not solid state drives (SSD).
CCleaner:
One of my favorite utilities for both Windows and Mac. This cleans up all the temporary files and cache that accumulates over time.
Clonezilla:
This is a great free utility to make an image (copy) of your hard drive. This is useful for restoring to a new hard drive should your existing one fail. There is a bit of a learning curve with this one, but worth it!
Macrium Reflect Free:
For Windows machines, this is my favorite free disk imaging utilities. You can make an image of your hard drive for safe keeping. It also lets you browse the image for specific files should you just need to restore those. While they do have a paid version, this free version does enough for most people.
Virus / Spyware / Malware scanners
Bitdefender: & 
This is a great low resource anti-virus program that works great on new and older machines. It doesn’t bug you, it just does its job in the background.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware: &
This is for finding and removing all the other junk like malware and rootkits on your computer that isn’t a virus. The paid version does real-time scanning whereas the free version is for cleaning already infected systems.
Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10:
If you think your computer is infected with a virus, try this utility. Burn it to a CD and it will scan your hard drive for viruses and other nasty infections.
Passwords
1Password:
This has to be one of my favorite and most important programs that I use on a daily basis. You can create long passwords for each website that will make it almost impossible for the bad guys to guess. You can also store bank information, credit cards, software licenses and more. It is available for Mac, Windows, iPhone/iPad and Android.
Blogging/Website
NameCheap:
Buy your own custom domain names (yourname.com). This is the first step in establishing a space for you or your business on the internet.
HostGator:
This is the web hosting company I use for starting out my sites. It is a great place to start your first blog.
Linode:
If you are getting more traffic to your site or wanting to sell things, I would recommended going to Linode. This requires a bit more technical experience but is worth it once you get it setup.
WordPress:
The most popular and very easy to use blogging software.
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Surfshark :
Protect yourself when using free Wi-Fi at hotels and coffee shops by using a VPN. You can also use a VPN to open up various streaming services that are only available in certain regions. If you use my affiliate link, you can save 81% on your subscription!
