While there are hundreds of fantastic Windows apps, understanding which ones are essential for Windows 10 makes the process of setting up a fresh installation go more smoothly.
Let’s go through 10 critical Windows programs that everyone should download and install immediately, along with some alternatives, in no particular sequence.
1. Google Drive
The first thing you’ll probably do if you’ve just purchased a new computer or reinstalled Windows is install programmes. If you can only install one cloud software service, Google Drive is the one to go with. It includes 15GB of free storage that you can share across your Google accounts, including Google Photos and Gmail.
Google Drive has apps for every major platform, allowing you to take your work with you wherever you go. The desktop application makes it simple to backup folders on your computer and external devices, as well as synchronise data you place in the appropriate Google Drive folder.
It’s also quite easy to share files with others, and the service works well with Google’s office suite. Google Drive is a must-have Windows software, whether you use it as part of your backup plan, as a cloud flash drive, or to set up shared folders with others.
2. Image Editor: Paint.NET
Everyone essentially should have an image editing tool installed, if they want to experiment with simple image editing, need a way to hide critical information in screenshots, or need to repair old images. Although Photoshop is the industry standard, other free applications are easier to use.
Paint.NET is a must-have Windows tool for image editing. It is far more capable than Microsoft Paint, although it lacks many more complicated capabilities. You may blur out portions of an image, auto-level shots to improve their appearance, and add text and shapes to your photos with just a few clicks. You may also extend its functionality with several plugins.
3. Google Chrome
Unsurprisingly, Google Chrome remains our favorite browser. It’s lightning-quick, has useful features like the ability to instantly search Google for a photo, and has a big library of Chrome extensions. When you add in cross-platform synchronization, which allows you to open tabs from your desktop on your phone and vice versa, you’ve got a superb browser for all purposes.
Many users dislike Google’s widespread monitoring in Chrome, which eats up a lot of RAM. The good news is that you may make a choice from various amazing browsers, including Firefox and Opera.
4. Spotify-Music Streaming Service
Previously, listening to music on your computer required importing and organizing your MP3 collection manually. That is no longer the case since music streaming services have rendered purchasing individual albums, whether physical or digital, obsolete.
Several music streaming services are available, but Spotify is the best choice for Windows. Spotify’s ad-supported free plan lets you listen to as much music as you want, and several Spotify Premium options are well worth it for frequent listeners. Spotify hosts hundreds of podcasts, allowing you to listen to them all in one place.
5. Media Player: VLC
Because of the popularity of YouTube, you probably don’t watch local videos very often. Everyone, however, should have a good video player on their desktop for playing local media files.
The best for the job is VLC Media Player, which has a plethora of features and can virtually play any video and audio file imaginable. VLC is a free video player that you should install when you first boot up your computer.
6. ShareX screenshots
Taking a screenshot on Windows is useful for a variety of things, including recording hilarious moments and keeping track of critical data. The basic Snipping Tool and Snip & Sketch applications only give a rudimentary feature set, so you’ll need something more in your critical Windows software collection.
ShareX features an outstanding feature set for free cost, with various capture techniques, a decent built-in editor, the option to conduct automatic steps after taking a screenshot, and supplementary tools like a color grabber and ruler.
7. File Compression and Extraction: 7-Zip
Windows supports simple zipped files natively, but anything beyond that requires the use of a more capable application. While file extractors aren’t the most exciting software category, they are a must-have PC utility for working with any type of archived data you might come across.
When it comes to file compression and extraction software, 7-Zip is the industry standard. It’s small, takes seconds to set up, is easy to use, and folds out of the way when not in use.
8. ClipClip -clipboard manager:
A clipboard manager is an essential Windows application since it saves you time. Clipboard managers help you keep track of the last few hundred entries you’ve copied instead of only being able to store one thing on your PC’s clipboard at a time.
ClipClip is a fantastic clipboard manager for Windows. In addition to documenting what you copy, the program allows you to bookmark frequently used snippets for quick access and create folders for quickly inserting premade information such as addresses, email answers, and other similar items.
9. Password Manager: Bitwarden
It is impossible to remember all of your passwords and create secure passwords for each account. This is why a password manager is required. It’s a secure service that creates strong passwords and encrypts them with a single master password that you only need to remember.
Bitwarden is the greatest free password manager and one of the most crucial programs you can get. In addition to the desktop software, you’ll need to install the Bitwarden extension on your browser of choice to simply auto-fill passwords.
10. Backup: Backblaze
Backing up your PC is critical since a natural disaster, break-in, or virus attack might wipe away all of your information. You do not want to lose all of your documents, images, and other information and have to start over.
Backblaze is an excellent backup service for Windows. The program backs up everything on your PC, as well as any external discs you connect to the Backblaze cloud for a few bucks each month. You don’t need to worry about the selection of what is backed up, and there are no restrictions to the number of your backups.