Do you ever download free applications from the web? If yes, do you ever save the installation files in a safe location for later? What happens if your favorite freeware applications no longer are available next time you want to install them? If you are unlucky, your freeware may have turned into payware, and you may be forced to buy your software. You can save $$$ by saving your installation files, just in case you need them later.

First, let me give you an example. My favorite freeware application is Startup Cop. It does a really good job identifying and eliminating those annoying startup items in Windows 2000/XP/Vista. When I downloaded the application from the web four years ago, it was free of charge. Not too long ago, I recommended Startup Cop to a friend of mine. Apparently now, what used to be a free application, now cost $8.00 per license. I did not want my buddy to pay the extra few bucks, so I tried to find a free, and fairly recent version of Startup Cop by doing searches on several search engines. It was not to be found! To make a long story short; since I always save downloaded installation files for programs I find useful, it was easy to help my friend. I had an older version (still working) lying around, which I sent over as an email attachment. Problem solved! The rule is simple! Always save downloaded installation files. You can delete them later if you want.

Storage, where do I keep my software?
Saving a lot of files does present us with another problem. Where will you store them? If you are lucky, you have a file server with plenty of extra storage capacity. If you do not, then I recommend getting an external storage solution, e.g. an external USB hard drive. They are cheap these days, so there is no reason why you should not have one. If you want a lot of storage I can recommend Drobo, which I wrote about in an earlier post. Drobo can be used as a file server as well, as long it is connected to one of your networked computers via the provided USB interface.

Remote Access to your files
For me personally, having files stored on the file server is not enough. I need to have remote access to them whenever I am away from home. For that I use a free VPN solution called Hamachi. It allows you to setup an encrypted network in a few simple steps. If you install it on your laptop and one of your networked computers in your home, you can reach your files remotely. Note that you need to activate Windows File Sharing on the folder(s) containing files you want to access remotely.

You can download Hamachi for both Windows and MAC OSX from here: https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/vpn.asp. You need to enter some user information, before you get to the download page. Just enter some fake information here. There is no reason someone should have your private information.

Check out these URLs for Hamachi setup guides for Mac and Windows:

• Mac OSX Hamachi Guide
• Windows Hamachi Guide

The free version of Hamachi version does not allow you to run it as a service, i.e. you need to first login to your Windows account, and then launch Hamachi. The Premium pay version of Hamachi does. However, with a little tweaking you can configure the free version of Hamachi to run as a service by reading this article: It’s a Tech World: Hamachi VPN Solution. I am using this option myself. Just in case you wonder why I recommend the Run as a Service option, it i s because Hamachi would start automatically when the computer starts, even before you login. This is convenient, because in case your computer restarts automatically (e.g. due to a Windows Update, power surge etc.) then Hamachi would start automatically and you would be able to remotely connect to your machine anyways.

Going back to my Startup Cop application example. The cost of the application is only $8.00 for the latest version, but if you use a lot of freeware, the combined cost for all your software will be much higher. Often, the cost for freeware-turned-payware can be as much as $50.00. I have over 300 applications saved on my file server (not counting my licensed software), so I and my friends rarely have to pay for software when reconfiguring new/old computers (at least beyond major software such as XP/Vista/Office, Photoshop etc.).

So, what are you waiting for? Start building your own application library now! It will save you TIME and MONEY!

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