Essential Apps to Install on your Windows PC or Mac

[J95qRP7]

Microsoft PowerToys - https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys .

It's a get little utility.

 

[3volv3d]

Old as it may be, dissing Winamp is just absurd - Windows doesn't include anything remotely adequate for audiophiles (if it did you wouldn't need be mentioning garbage like VLC). Winamp still does many things better than anything that came after it, and I include programs that can actually support Winamp plugins.

The fact vlc has the nastiest icon was enough for me to hate it.

K-Lite Codec Pack is missing, in A/V or OS Add-Ons... for me it's recommended for all kind of videos playback codecs and for MP Classic install. Not sure if it's legal or not, but for me it's mandatory when formatting or installing Windows

People got this wrong codec packs install codecs you don't need and the klite was from nasty kazaa sharing days. The only real issue was .mkv as far as I was concerned, for the anime love. And that was solved with cccp (yes another pack) but it solved the .mkv issue and had mpc with it. Another way to avoid crappy VLC.

Glad to see mentioned here that AV is a pointless scam. A software firewall may be a good option, but then I guess if you have a decent router, but Trump liked more walls, one made of fire must excite the pants off him.

 

[Bullwinkle M]

Glasswire v1.2 blocks apps without buying it (unlike later versions)

 

[InsanityMoose]

For screenshots I prefer Greenshot, it's free and open source.
Should also mention darktable for photo editing.

 

[IronSteeleX]

Foobar2000 for mp3/flac.
FireFox...
Irfanview for images.

Adding my shout-out for these:
1. Foobar2000 for all audio file types, it has customizable UI & extensions for your preferences;
2. Irfanview is still the best free app for Image crop and quality conversions plus light editing (quality sharpening, etc.);
3. Firefox still remains my favorite browser (with tons of my own UI & addon customizations).

 

[stoqema]

Thank you

 

[AmigaInside]

Nice one, thanks, but I wish you wouldn't call them "Apps".

 

[Cuchulain]

WizTree is exactly same as WinDirStat in terms of functionality and visual view of data but it is like 50x faster

 

[TopHat]

For privacy seekers on the web, Brave browser should have been top of the list. It has built in ad and tracker blocking with the ability to white list, a built in TOR feature, and even a built in crypto wallet if you want to activate it.
It truly is one of the best browser to ever be released.

 

[MaestroIT]

It is ok to republish this old post for new users, but at least update it, and don't suggest LastPass...

 

[Julio Franco]

It is ok to republish this old post for new users, but at least update it, and don't suggest LastPass...

True. We have replaced that now.

Thankfully the LastPass hacks have not yet resulted in massive breaches but that's no guarantee and there's a negative pattern to be able to keep recommending it when there are alternatives.

 

[Wylde069]

K-Lite Codec Pack is missing, in A/V or OS Add-Ons... for me it's recommended for all kind of videos playback codecs and for MP Classic install. Not sure if it's legal or not, but for me it's mandatory when formatting or installing Windows

I understand this comment is dated, but I thought I'd post anyway to help others who came across this. I stopped messing around with codec installs when I found VLC in 2003 - I remember because it was after I moved to Korea... I notice some people here prefer other media players, but I've basically tried them all, and there's no reason to go past VLC. It natively plays every common codec [H.265, AV1, etc.] and every common container [mkv, avi, etc], and if VLC can't play a video or audio file, VLC can convert it to a format it will play. It has over 400 plug-ins, that include sub and lyric finders, filters that'll mute explicit language, etc. etc. etc. etc.