I chose a new computer for a long time, and finally here it is - standing on the table, on the Windows splash screen, and what to do next, what programs need to be installed? Somewhere I saw something, somewhere I heard, in general, porridge in my head! Let this article be a small guide to the TOP of the most necessary programs for a computer, according to the site.
No matter how hard Microsoft tries to ennoble its operating system, a clean OS can only be used in limited conditions - for example, at work, where the installation of additional programs is prohibited or there are no rights.
What to choose, paid or free programs
It just so happens that some free programs are not enough, it turns out somewhere 50 to 50. In no case do I call for the use of hacked versions, but such is our reality that “cracked” programs are used everywhere. In my experience, for almost any task, there is at least one free program that is more than enough. But paid software is usually more convenient and with more features. But they are needed for bulk work or for professional activities.
Antivirus - necessary protection
I have already touched on the topic of antivirus more than once, this is an absolutely necessary program that I download on any computer immediately after installing Windows. Perhaps the antivirus is the program that is better to buy and live in peace. Paid versions save you the headache of looking for updated keys and signature databases. Our most common:
Which one to choose is a personal matter for everyone. 100% protection will not give any, so just choose which one you like best.
Of the free ones are good:
Alternative browser
For the convenience of using the Internet, you will need to install one of them to replace the standard Internet Explorer / Edge. Popular in our area:
All of them are free and very necessary programs. Today, the browser from Yandex is rapidly gaining popularity. This is undoubtedly one of the best browsers, but everyone has their own preferences.
In terms of speed and system resource consumption, I prefer Opera. And who likes flexibility in customization can choose Mozilla FireFox. If you stay on the standard Internet Explorer, then at least update it to the latest version.
Archiver
By default, Microsoft Windows does not know how to work with such a common archive format as “.rar”. Probably in the west everyone only uses zip. I install a wrapper that supports all the necessary archive formats, including ".zip". WinRAR is built into the operating system, allowing you to work with archives from the context menu in Explorer.
As an alternative, I can recommend the 7-Zip program. It also has all the necessary functions, but it does not know how to pack in the “.rar” format. But it can unpack the “.7z” format.
Office software package
Mandatory thing for working with texts and tables: Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Although I included this in the mandatory list, it is still not for everyone. But I have yet to see a laptop without Microsoft Office or its free OpenOffice counterpart. Of the lighter office suites, I would recommend WPS Office.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read PDF books. PDF is the most common format for documentation, books, and manuals. It will work without a special program, but the functionality will be limited to the simplest actions. Acrobat Reader is completely free software.
Messenger, internet phone
Programs for free communication around the world via the Internet:
- Skype - the most famous, but outdated, there is a detailed
- Viber - actively gaining popularity
- WhatsApp is one of the most popular in the world
All programs support voice, video and chat. An indispensable thing for communication, in addition to social networks. For this, headphones and a webcam (for video communication), as well as an installed program on both devices of the interlocutors. Messengers also allow you to call landlines and mobile phones, but this is no longer free.
In order for you to be able to communicate with relatives and friends, you need to find out what programs they themselves use. But usually they install everything at once. I note that in order for Viber and WhatsApp to work on a PC, they must be installed on a smartphone too.
I showed the main programs for the laptop in a minimal variety. For the more advanced, I will recommend another pack of software.
After installing the drivers, first of all I install the file manager. This program provides convenient access to the file system, replacing the standard Windows Explorer. It is much more convenient to copy, move, change files. I advise everyone! With the launch of Total Commander, my work with the computer begins.
Mail client
To check their email, a person usually goes to a website like gmail.com and looks at their inbox. But it is much more convenient to use special programs - mail clients, especially if you have several email boxes.
The program connects to the server and downloads all mail to the computer. You can view it without browser delays, quickly switching between boxes. I recommend either Mozilla Thunderbird. Not bad is the standard Microsoft Outlook (built into Windows XP/7 and Microsoft Office) and the Mail app in Windows 10, but The Bat! I like it better because mail is very easy to transfer to another computer or to a new operating system without the risk of losing important information.
Convenient video and audio player
I recommend installing separate video and audio players to replace the standard Windows Media Player. No matter how the developers try, they cannot combine both the video and audio player in one program so that everyone likes it. For these purposes, it is better to use separate programs. For playing videos, they have proven themselves well:
Torrent download
Today, something worthwhile can be downloaded for free on the Internet either from file hosting services or using torrents. You will need uTorrent for this.
Password manager
In order not to remember all the logins and passwords that you will certainly begin to acquire, I recommend using one of the password managers. The program remembers all your passwords and stores them on the server. Subsequently, they can be used from anywhere, on any computer and browser. I recommend using or LastPass .
RoboForm is the first thing I install because it stores all my access to internet services and applications on my computer. I also have an add-on to the Mozilla Firefox browser on my smartphone, with the help of which I always have up-to-date logins and passwords on my phone.
CCleaner System Cleaner
I'm sure a useful thing for any system running Windows 7/8/10 is the CCleaner program. Designed for periodic, about once a month, cleaning the operating system and programs from accumulated debris. Basically, these are various temporary folders, files, caches, which not only clog free disk space, but also often worsen computer performance. Especially useful for improving the performance of browsers that start to slow down over time.
Optional settings
Useful only if you have special system requirements.
A set of codecs for video and audio
By default, Windows can only play the most basic video and audio file formats. To support other formats, you will need one of the codec packs, such as the K-Lite Codec Pack or Win7Codecs . This installation is optional because any modern multimedia player already has all common codecs built in, or it immediately offers to download them.
Disc burning software
DVD drives are less commonly used than they used to be, but are still found in almost every computer. I use the program to burn discs. From the free one, I can recommend JetBee FREE or ImgBurn.
Outdated, somewhere else popular ICQ
A popular client for communication using the ICQ protocol (“ICQ” in the folk language). It used to be on every computer, the former de facto standard for instant messaging over the Internet, such as free SMS, only in a larger volume. You can often see it in contacts on various service sites and online stores.
I use social networks, Telegram and ICQ at the same time. Thus, you can keep a constant connection with people. Instead of the cumbersome ICQ program, I recommend installing a convenient QIP client. The program is in Russian, has a simple and intuitive interface. ( 98 votes, average: 4.4 out of 5 )
The demand for a variety of PC software exists constantly, and it is incredibly high. For this reason, software download sites multiply very, very quickly, but finding the really best resources turns out to be surprisingly difficult. Do you need to download various programs to your computer? Especially for you, we have made a list of the best software sites on the web.
Softok- https://softok.info/
The SoftOk resource is one of the youngest, but already gaining popularity resources. It features a modern design and a rich selection of programs for almost any need. Programs are grouped into convenient collections that allow you to choose a program according to a whole set of parameters. Versions for iOS and Android operating systems are also present.
Softobase - http://softobase.com/en/
The most convenient and largest site where you can download programs for free on your laptop or PC. The database is constantly updated, so even the latest versions will always be available to you. All programs are divided into categories so that you can easily and quickly find and download the one you need. The site is also interesting because it has reviews, videos, articles and answers to user questions.
Free Programs - http://www.besplatnyeprogrammy.ru/
Free Programs Ru - a site for downloading programs for free with a primitive division into categories. It is easy to navigate on it, traditionally there is a search by name, as well as a list of recommendations. Overall, this is a great resource for finding and downloading a basic set of applications.
Softportal - http://www.softportal.com/
Another of the major sites where a huge amount of software for various devices is presented is SoftPortal. The assortment includes options for a computer and a phone, sections for various operating systems (Android, Macintosh, IOS, Windows family), more than 20 categories of software by purpose. Audio, graphics, design, education, various desktop utilities - this is an incomplete list of what you can download, and what is important - for free and without entering codes and SMS. This resource is constantly updated and promptly uploads all the latest industry news.
In the next place is the site for downloading programs for the Freesoft computer. The main focus here is on software for Windows, but there are also programs for Android, MAC, Linux, and Apple gadgets. It is important that this is a safe site on which the posted content is carefully filtered and checked for malicious components.
Next, the site for downloading programs is Soft-File. A rich software component, a lot of articles, reviews, reviews - all this makes it very popular among users. You can find almost everything here - from mobile programs to office software. Hundreds of offers are categorized for easy searching, and the intuitive interface will save you time.
TopDownloads - http://topdownloads.ru/
TopDownloads is a simple and solid resource with daily updates that can be viewed as a separate list. Hundreds of new products and already familiar offers are divided into categories in a convenient catalog. Like many other freeware sites, TopDownloads also offers reviews, news, and popularity rankings. In addition to software, there is also music, videos, documents and much more.
As you can see, popular sites for downloading various software are a fairly extensive topic, because electronic devices have long become an integral part of our lives. Do you want to download a new game, drivers, or just need to update old software versions? We have collected for you the best sites for downloading programs, choose one of them - and find everything you need! Share this article with your friends on social networks, rate it high below and leave a comment if your favorite software site is not listed here! We also suggest that you definitely and right now look at our article about, which has become one of the most read in recent months! Maybe there you will find useful resources for yourself 🙂
You do not always have to pay for high-quality, useful and functional software - many programs for a variety of everyday purposes are distributed completely free of charge. Free programs can help you perform a wide variety of tasks, keeping up noticeably behind their paid counterparts. The review has been updated as of 2017-2018, new system utilities have been added, and also, at the end of the article, some entertainment things.
In this article - about the best in my opinion and completely free useful programs that can be useful to every user. Below, I deliberately do not indicate all possible good programs for each of the goals, but only those I have chosen for myself (or ideally suited for a beginner).
Previously (before 2018) I indicated Media Player Classic as the best media player, but today my recommendation is the free VLC Media Player, available not only for Windows, but also for other platforms, supporting almost all common types of media content (has embedded codecs).
With it, you can easily and conveniently play video, audio, including via DLNA and from the Internet
WinSetupFromUSB and Rufus to create a bootable USB (or multiboot)
CCleaner to clean your computer from garbage
Perhaps the most popular free program to clean the registry, temporary files, cache and more on your Windows. There is a built-in uninstaller and other useful tools. The main advantage, in addition to efficiency, is ease of use even for a novice user. Almost everything can be done automatically and it is unlikely that anything will be spoiled.
XnView MP for viewing, sorting and editing photos easily
Earlier in this section, Google Picasa was listed as the best photo viewer, but the company has stopped developing this software. Now, for the same purposes, I can recommend XnView MP, which supports more than 500 photo and other image formats, simple photo cataloging and editing.
Every second Russian-speaking user, of course, is a Photoshop master. By hook or by crook, he installs it on his computer in order to crop the photo one day. Is it necessary if the graphic editor only needs to rotate the photo, place the text, combine a couple of photos (not for work, but just like that)? Do you do any of the above in Photoshop, or is it just installed?
According to my estimates (and I have been using Photoshop in my work since 1999), most users do not need it, many do not use it at all, but want it to be, and have been planning for several years to one day learn how to work in this program. In addition, by installing unlicensed versions, you not only suffer, but also take risks.
Need an easy-to-learn and high-quality photo editor? Paint.net would be a great choice (of course, some would say that Gimp would be better, but hardly easier). Until you decide to do some really professional photo editing, you won't need more features than the free Paint.net has. You may also be interested in the ability to edit photos and pictures online, without installing programs on your computer:.
Windows Movie Maker and Windows Movie Maker
What novice user does not want to make a great family home on a computer, containing videos from a phone and a camera, photos, superimposed music or captions? And then burn your movie to disk? There are many such tools: . But, probably, the best simple and free program (if we talk about a completely novice user) for this would be Windows Movie Maker or Windows Movie Maker.
There are many other video editing programs out there, but this is one that can be used right away without any preparation. .
Data recovery software Puran File Recovery
On this site, I wrote about a variety of data recovery programs, including paid ones. I tested each of them in different work scenarios - with a simple deletion of files, formatting or changing the partition structure. The popular Recuva is very simple and easy to use, but it only succeeds in simple cases: when recovering deleted data. If the scenario is more complex, for example, formatting from one file system to another, Recuva does not work.
Of the simple free data recovery programs in Russian that have shown the best efficiency, I can single out Puran File Recovery, the recovery result in which is perhaps better than in some paid counterparts.
AdwCleaner and Malwarebytes Antimalware programs to remove malware, Adware and Malware
The problem of malicious programs that are not viruses (and therefore antiviruses do not see them), but cause unwanted behavior, for example, pop-up ads in the browser, the appearance of windows with unknown sites when opening the browser, has been very relevant lately.
In order to get rid of such malware, the AdwCleaner utilities (and it works without installation) and Malwarebytes Antimalware are ideal. As an additional measure, you can try .
Aomei Partition Assistant to Partition Disk or Enlarge C Drive
When it comes to programs for working with disk partitions, most advise paid products from Acronis and the like. However, those who have ever tried a free analogue in the form of Aomei Partition Assistant are satisfied. The program can do everything related to working with hard drives (and at the same time it is in Russian):- Restore boot record
- Convert disk from GPT to MBR and vice versa
- Change the structure of partitions in the way you need
- Clone HDD and SSD
- Work from a bootable flash drive
- Convert NTFS to FAT32 and vice versa.
In general, a really convenient and perfectly working utility, although I myself usually treat such software in a free version with skepticism. You can read more about this program in the manual. Evernote and OneNote for taking notes
In fact, those who store notes and a variety of information in various notebook programs may not prefer Evernote, but other versions of such software.
However, if you have not done this before, I recommend starting with Evernote or Microsoft OneNote (recently completely free for all platforms). Both options are convenient, ensure that notes are synchronized across devices, and are easy to understand, regardless of the level of experience. But even if you need some more serious features to work with your information, most likely you will find them in these two programs.
7-Zip - archiver
If you need a convenient and free archiver that can work with all common types of archives - 7-Zip is your choice.
The 7-Zip archiver works quickly, is conveniently integrated into the system, easily unpacks zip and rar archives, and, if necessary, packs something with one of the highest compression ratios among programs in this category. Cm. .
Ninite to set it all up quickly and cleanly
Many are faced with the fact that when installing even the right program, and even from the official site, it installs something else that is no longer so necessary. And from what then it can be problematic to get rid of.
This can be easily avoided, for example, by using the Ninite service, which helps you download pure official programs in their latest versions and avoid something else appearing on your computer and browser.
Ashampoo Burning Studio Free for burning CDs and DVDs, creating ISO images
Despite the fact that it is now less and less common to write something to discs, disc burning programs may still be relevant for someone. I personally like it. And it is not necessary to have any Nero package for these purposes, a program such as Ashampoo Burning Studio Free is quite suitable - it has everything you need.
Details about this and other disc burning software:
Browsers and Antiviruses
But I won’t write about the best free browsers and antiviruses in this article, because every time I touch on a topic, those who are dissatisfied immediately appear in the comments. It doesn't matter which of the programs I called the best, there are almost always two reasons - it slows down the system and special services (ours and not ours) are watching us through them. I will note only one material that may be useful:.
So on this point it will be brief: almost all browsers and free antiviruses that you hear are quite good. Separately, we can note the browser that appeared in Windows 10. It has its drawbacks, but perhaps this is the Microsoft browser that will be popular with many users.
Additional programs for Windows 10 and 8.1
With the release of new Microsoft systems, programs that change the Start menu to the standard one from 7, various utilities for decoration and more have gained particular popularity. Here are some of them you might find useful:
- Classic Shell for Windows 10 and 8.1 - allows you to return the Start menu from Windows 7 to new operating systems, as well as flexibly customize it. Cm. .
- - work in 8-ke, and are standard gadgets from Windows 7 that can be placed on the desktop 10-ki.
- - a program for automatically fixing Windows errors (and not only the 10th version). It is noteworthy that it contains the most common problems that users experience and you can fix them either by pressing a single button, or see instructions on how to do it manually right in the program. Unfortunately, only in English.
And finally, one more thing: standard games for Windows 10 and 8.1. For more than 10 years, our users have become so accustomed to Klondike and Spider solitaire, Minesweeper and other standard games that their absence or even just a change in the interface in the latest versions is perceived by many as painful.
But it's okay. This can be easily fixed - (works in 8.1 too)
Something else
I did not write about some other programs, which will not be of particular use to most of my readers, since their use is required only for a relatively narrow range of tasks. Therefore, there is no Notepad ++ or Sublime Text, FileZilla or TeamViewer and other things that I really need. Also did not write about obvious things, such as Skype. I will also add that when downloading free programs somewhere, it is worth checking them on VirusTotal.com, they may contain something not quite desirable on your computer.
