These Little Known Apps Everyone Should Install on a New Windows PC

Reinstalling a Windows PC is quite a long and tedious process, especially when it comes to reinstalling apps. Here is a list of little-known but important applications.

Buying a new Windows PC allows you to wipe everything from scratch, get rid of all those years of installing a whole bunch of applications that were hardly used. Of course, you probably have a list of apps that you will be reinstalling by default. But if you stick with what you know, you’re probably missing out on some real gems. Here are some required downloads.

First, the basics

Some apps are absolutely essential. Here they are:

• Firefox: If Chrome and its derivatives have colonized the web, Firefox strikes the perfect balance between new features, respect for private video, and performance. Install those extensions too and you’re done.
• VLC Media Player: If you watch videos on your PC, you need VLC that can play everything.
• 7-Zip: The perfect application for compressing and decompressing files. Free and supports the most common formats (zip, rar and 7z).
• SumatraPDF: A lightweight and fast PDF reader.
• IrfanView: for batch preview of all your images.

PatchMyPC

PatchMyPC is a must. The app shows you a list of useful apps and lets you choose which ones you want to have. Once the selection is made, one click and PatchMyPC will install them all in the background. PatchMyPC even automatically manages updates to the applications it has installed.

Microsoft PowerToys

PowerToys is a set of tools that add advanced functionality to your PC – window management, very fast cursor positioning, Spotlight search, etc. -. Take the time to apprehend the beast.

port master

Portmaster is a firewall application that allows you to fine-tune your computer’s ports. It shows you a list of apps that interact with the outside world and lets you block them. While some communications are vital, others are completely useless. The application also makes it easy to select DNS services.

All

Everything is a free application that speeds up Windows searches by indexing the names of all your files to offer results very quickly.

ShareX

While Microsoft has gone to great lengths to create screenshots, existing native tools are nowhere near ShareX. Aside from the rather dated interface, the app works very well and is highly customizable. It is also possible to record videos, capture GIT, or even scroll through screenshots.

MusicBee

If you have a music library, try MusicBee. It’s the perfect tool to manage your own collection. The application integrates large libraries very quickly.

Caliber

Caliber is the best app for bibliophiles, especially those with an e-book. It allows you to manage your library of e-books and convert them to the right formats for readers in the market. Works great with Kindles.

Obsidian

If you’re looking for a note-taking app for Windows, give Obsidian a try. The application is very complete, supports Markdown and can be used for journaling.

Bitvorden

Everyone should use a password manager. Bitwarden is the best free option for most users. Its free plan has it all and is available on all popular platforms.

FXSound

FXSound is a very good equalizer and sound control app. With a large number of ready-made configurations.

Ventoy

Everyone should have a bootable USB drive ready, you never know when you’ll need it. Ventoy is the perfect app for this as it only asks you to format your USB drive once. From there, you can copy as many disk images (ISOs) as you want, and you can boot from one or the other at your leisure.