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Weekend open forum: What are your software 'essentials' or the first things you install after a clean format?
You may call them your software essentials because you rely on them on a daily basis for work or for pleasure. Another way of going about it is that after a clean format you simply cannot move forward without first installing those applications you use.
Tell us about those software gems you love, share them with the rest of the community, so we can all learn about new apps. As the discussion moves forward, me and other members of the staff will share our favorite applications as well.
Discuss.
User Comments: 44
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AVG-soon to be EST or BitdefenderTrillian instant messengerDvd Decrypter to load dvdsOffice 03-and 07Wake on LAN programAmd Orb - to access anything I need at anytime, anywhere. (check it out its awsome-can stream live tv if you have a tuner, real time video if you have a camera,access files, etc....)To be honest thats about it right away, the rest do as i need.
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All these programs I install whenever I re-image my system, they're all free and work really well with vista and xp. So, here's my list of programs I can't move forward without:Winpatrol, [url]http://www.winpatrol.com[/url]Keypass, [url]http://keepass.info/[/url]Revo Uninstaller, [url]http://www.revouninstaller.com/[/url]Cybershredder, [url]http://www.cylog.org/utils_9.asp[/url] Imgburn, [url]http://www.imgburn.com/[/url]CDburnerXP, [url]http://cdburnerxp.se/[/url]Comodo Firewall, [url]http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/[/url]Paint.net, [url]http://www.getpaint.net/[/url]McAfee site advisor, [url]http://www.siteadvisor.com/[/url]and the usual like Firefox, MS Office, a virus scanner etc...
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You install a lotta crap glitch. =P As in, a lotta stuff that could probably be handled by one program. i.e. BitDefender has a lot of tools.Firefox, Thunderbird, WLM, BitDefender, CCCP + VLC, WoW (=P) are my core programs.Secondary would be daemon tools, convertxtodvd, getright, office, etc.
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First all driversFirefox + useful pluginsEset Nod WinampWindows live messengerXfireBsplayer & (FFDshow codec)
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After formatting and reinstalling an OS (usually XP) it's vital for me to install...AVG Free Antivirus: [url]http://free.avg.com/ww.download?prd=afe[/url]K-lite Codec Pack: [url]http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_lite_codec_pack.h
m[/url]DFX audio enhancer (not free, but I use the shareware limited version, it still rocks, literally)iTunes (Just to sincronize ipod music)Mozilla Firefox 3Office XPMcAfee site advisorPowerISOWinRarCPU-Z / GPU-Z / ATi Tray ToolsThat's basically it... maybe some games and Eclipse, but I can't live without the ones mentioned above. -
Firefox 3 + pluginsThunderbirdK3B - an amazing burning/mastering suitetsclient - best remote desktop/vnc/all around terminal client aroundx11vnc - for remote controlPidgin - all messengers in oneAmsn - MSN messenger cloneGoogle Earth - so awesomeOpenOffice - of coursescreen - awesome app for remote management of consolesAudacious and Amarok - of courseWine - mostly for ancient windows games i can't get rid ofDosbox -dittoKtorrent - of courseVirtualBox xineEverything I need for a complete desktop !
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MS Office 2007Norton 360Adobe CS3 Master Collection (everything)Autodesk 3DSMAX 2009Vray and Shader LibrariesFileZillaImgBurnRD Tabs (to control my render farm)Vegas ProMdm ZincSidebar Gadgets (Monitors, color selector, weather, etc..)Windows Media Encoder x64MyLib (DVD backup database) trying out Camel Disc nowWinRARDIVX SuiteMagic ISONotepad++TweakVIPerfect Disk 2008LogMeInApplian FLV player
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1- Sygate Firewall2- WinPatrol3- Unlocker4- CCleaner5- RegScrub6- Hijack This7- WinToolsNetNow it's safe(r) to proceed.....
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First all the drivers and available updates from Microsoft. Then:MS Office 2007Mozilla Firefox 3.0Malware BytesCCleanerSpybot Windows Live MessengerAvast! Antivirus
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After MS updates:Eset Smart SecurityThreatfireFirefox 3 + addons + RoboForm ToolbarThunderbirdRevo UninstallerCCleanerOpen OfficeEverNoteIn about that order. My data files and backup password manager are not on drive C.
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My work/personal essentials go like this:Roboform - Awesome password manager, I barely remember some of my passwords so this comes as a real essentialFirefox 3 - my preferred browser although work demands me to also install and test using all other browsers out thereMS Office Suite - Word and Excel are the basics but I also rely more heavily on Outlook and OneNotePopfile – Bayes-based spam filteringTrillian 3.1 - Same IM client for the past 3+ years, not even the latest version can touch itAdobe Fireworks - Vector-based image editingWinSCP – Better than vanilla FTP, more secureUltraEdit – Notepad on steroidsSecureCRT – Even more secure environment (ssh) for checking on the TS serverAlso Web-based: Gmail, Google Calendar.
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1. MS updates2. Display Driver (read: latest GeForce)3. Mouse Driver (read: latest Setpoint)4. NOD32 3.0 (currently still using 2.70)5. Latest WinRAR6. Latest DirectX re-dist7. Firefox 3.0 + FEBE so i can restore my previous backup8. Office 20079. Usual HD-ready codecs:Latest CCCP + FFDShow 1980 + various Core codecs (FLAC, Vorbis) + AC3 Filter + Matroska Splitter + QT Lite (used to be called QT Alternative)10. PowerDVD 8.011. Diskeeper 200812. Latest Rivatuner13. Latest Hamachi14. Latest Ventrilo + srv15. Latest FRAPS16. Encoding software:VirtualDub + DivX 6.6 Pro + AC3 ACM Codec + latest mkvMerge 17. Adope Premiere Pro CS3 + After Effects CS3 + Photoshop CS318. Yahoo! Messenger19. Picture Motion Browser...and I think that covers most of the stuff
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After Format, Personal Workstation:All Newest DriversWindows UpdateLiveMessenger (Plus Addon)SkypeWinRARMaya 2008Photoshop CS2GoLive CS2FlashFXPTortoiseSVNNotepad++Daemon ToolsVLC PlayerGames......When reinstalling OS on someone's PC:Latest DriversWindows UpdateSpyBot S&DSymantec AVVLC Player(Other per-user apps)
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My essentials list goes something like this:Firefox 3 + Plug-insRoboForm - Great password manager, works seamlessly with FirefoxLaunchy - I like to keep my desktop clean and this awesome tool lets me launch any application (or folder, document, and much more) with just a few keystrokes. Try it!MS Office - Basically Word, Excel and OutlookAdobe Fireworks - For some basic image editingPidgin - though sometimes go back to Windows Live Messenger or TrillianFilezilla - A free FTP client.Notepad++ - Basically notepad with a tabbed UI, code highlighting and a bunch of other features.FeedReader - A powerful yet simple RSS reader.Avira AntiVir Personal - relatively lightweight anti-virus protectionRainlendar - Works with Google Calendar (paid version)uTorrent - Hands down the best torrent client out thereVLC Media Player - Plays just about anything you throw at itAnd perhaps not 'essential' per se but still useful to have around:CCleanerAutoHotKeyProcess ExplorerMyUninstallerFastStone Capture
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drivers, Windows updateCA AntiVirus (free from RR) or AV dujourFirefox, 7zip, gVim, puttycpu-z and HWMonitor (CPUID)remove compress disk from disk cleanup and Windows XP Hacks #54 Speed up network browsingXP PowerToys: open command window here, Power calculator, Image resizerDiskPie2 (old PCmag utility)
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Hmmm, forgot to mention VLC media player as one of my essentials. Highly recommended if you don't mind a super compatible, zero bloat media player.
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Firefox 3 plus pluginsTrillianspybot with teatimerReg scrub XPUltimate defragand then i worry about ItunesVLC playercFosSpeed Traffic Shapingwinrar
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-VirtualGirlHD
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[b]Originally posted by The Muffin Man:[/b][quote]-VirtualGirlHD[/quote]Last time I let my friends near my PC -Open with Notepad vista regedit -xfire -Windows Live messenger -CoD 4 -Kaspersky AVThe rest gets added when I need it
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Newest drivers then,Eset Smart SecurityDiskeeperCCleanerVLCiTunesFirefoxWindows live messengerSteamThen whatever games I want to play.
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Drivers and updatesComodo FirewallAVG Anti VirusOperaK-lite codecsLive MessengerZune ThemeFolding@Home (for CPU & GPU)Last FMXfireThats pretty much it I think, apart from whatever game(s) I'm into at the time.
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1. Firefox (Essentials: AdBlock, Flash, FireGestures, Quicktime)2. UltraEdit3. MS Office 20034. Internet Explorer Pro5. WinAmp6. Foxit PDF Reader 7. Cyberlink Power DVD / HD Suite8. Avast Free9. Steam10. Nero
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In no particular order:AVGIrfanviewmIRCOperaVLCMS Office[Edited by Poertner_1274 on 2008-09-26 22:14:21]
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Wow, there's a lot.RegSupremeSybot S&DFirefox 3.0VSO ConvertXtoDVDMicrosoft Office 2007 Enterprise Blue EditionWindows Live (Wave 3 Beta)VLC PlayeriTunesQuicktimeLimewire ProuTorrentAudacityAdobe CS2Magic ISO
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Ahh yeah, I forgot FireFox 3 in my comment, I have a question, why does everyone install password managers when FireFox remembers them for you...?
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