1. Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 - Even people who hate Office love OneNote. In fact, the word love kept reappearing in the recommendations for this hard-to-describe program.
2. IrfanView - This full-featured free program has been in more or less continuous development for as long as I can remember. If you're a fanatic about graphics, you won't regret using it.
3. TextPad - If you're a programmer or the kind of old-school webmaster who believes the best HTML is made by hand, this Notepad replacement is for you.
4. WinRAR - There are free alternatives for dealing with compressed files, but this one is on a lot of favorite lists, and deservedly so.
5. ActiveWords - Do you find yourself doing the same things over and over at work? Would you like to take the tedium out of those repetitive tasks? If so, this versatile utility might be right for you.
6. Xplorer2 - There are dozens of two- and three-pane alternatives to Windows Explorer, most of which make you feel like it's 1993. This slick file manager is a welcome exception to that rule.
7. Quick Macros - If you've got a little programming knowledge, you'll probably figure out all sorts of fun things to do with this Windows automation tool. But it's easy enough that a self-proclaimed non-techie recommended it.
8. Belarc Advisor- What's in your PC? What software is installed? What are the serial numbers of your motherboard and RAM chips? This free utility can answer those questions and many, many more.
9. Skype - Free PC-to-PC calls worldwide, and cheap calls to mobile phones and land lines. There's gotta be a catch, right? I don't think so. This excellent personal communication tool is a favorite of podcasters.
10. Windows Live Writer - The amount of love for Microsoft in the blogosphere can probably be measured in thimblefuls. So it says a lot that every blogger I know (including me) raves about this excellent tool.

Links to all of these are available on Ed's blog at: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=402&tag=nl.e539