There's a lot of stuff that goes on underneath the hood of your operating system.  For the majority of you that are running a Windows OS, trying to figure out how all the bits and pieces work together is like popping the hood and wondering how you can make your car run faster.  But you don't have to be a guru just to make the most out of your everyday computing experience.  A number of developers have created programs to ease, and even automate, the innermost workings of Windows. 

Click the jump to check out the four (free) programs we've found that will let you take ultimate control over your operating system!

Today's batch of awesome open-source (or freeware) applications centers on a single word: wow.  No, they don't help you level up in that MMO.  We're going to show you a batch of free programs whose features are cool enough to make your jaw hit the floor, a small puddle of drool to escape from your lips and into your keyboard, and your twitter to light up with all messages you'll be sending your friends about these must-have applications.

We're serious.  Prepare to be amazed.  But if you haven't checked out the twenty other themed applications we've hit up in our last four open-source updates, now's the time to fill in the backstory!  Once you're ready for greatness, hit the link below.  And get your bib on standby.

We've already shown you our picks for top-notch open-source (or freeware) graphics applications and system optimizers. To celebrate the start of the weekend, we're going for the gusto this time around: games.  But the difficulty in this list stems from the fact that there are a ton of excellent games in the independent scene right now.  We frequently profile these as much as possible on the Maximum PC monthly CD, but even then, it's tough to pick five examples of top-quality games--we could fill an article with five hundred. Your favorite open-source game might not have made our list this time around, but feel free to leave comments about other awesome alternatives you've sampled!

Now that the disclaimer's out of the way, cancel your appointments and throw up your away message.  It's time to game, and it's time to game for free.  Check out our list of awesome free games after the jump!

Economy got you down? No longer able to make those day-long trips to your local computer store of choice for all the latest and greatest software tools? Tired of paying top-dollar for programs that don't quite have the functionality you want? Well get ready. It's freeware and open-source week at Maximum PC. We're going to spend the next week showing you the best (and cheapest) software we've been able to find across different themes: graphics design, system optimization, games, and office/productivity.

Just because it doesn't come in a box doesn't mean that these titles are any less powerful than their retail counterparts. The graphics category exemplifies that fact, offering programs that are every bit as good as their hundred-dollar Adobe counterparts.  But just for good measure, we threw in our favorite free Adobe graphics program too.  Check out that, and the rest of our exclusive list, after the jump!