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Inspired by this question, what 3rd party essential software do you have on a Windows machine?

One per answer please, and if you can, please provide the download/site link.

Notice: Check the other pages before you propose a new answer, as your program might have been mentioned already. If so, vote for this answer instead of writing a new one.

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37  
Not an answer but Scott Hanselman's tools list (soon to be updated) is an essential read. hanselman.com/tools – esabine Jul 15 '09 at 13:05
27  
IE so I can download Firefox. – Daniel Moura Jul 15 '09 at 14:28
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IE doesn't qualify as 3rd party, though. – T Pops Jul 15 '09 at 19:36
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@smok1. Umm, did I miss something, or did you just point out this question is a duplicate of itself? – Jonik Sep 7 '09 at 12:10
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Note that this question shows exactly why SOFU sites are not appropriate for this kind of "must have" questions. Sure, it works good for the first two pages, and you have a list of useful software. But with now soon 10 pages, you realize that it's not working anymore. It is really hard to know what was already said or not, and either way, new additions will remain lost at the end, because only a few people will both to look at all pages and vote. This question has become a perfect illustration of the reason why such questions are not working on SOFU sites. – Gnoupi♦ Jan 13 at 13:42
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locked by Ivo Flipse♦ Jul 15 at 15:11

257 Answers

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up vote 292 down vote

7-Zip is very useful.

It is a file archiver with a high compression ratio. It has explorer integration with zero dialog uncompress options. And it is free!

The 7-Zip File Manager works with a lot of different formats, including zip and rar.

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+1 is free, open source, fast and high compression – marco.ragogna Jul 16 '09 at 9:13
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-1 for ugly as a boot, and no shell integration. – Ian Boyd Sep 1 '09 at 17:53
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The best thing about 7zip is that it uses the 7z format which in turn is open source, thus it can be ported everywhere unlike RAR or other proprietary formats that are copyrighted and can't be ported by other than whoever made it... – Lawand Sep 2 '09 at 18:28
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You may change its appearance using the 7-Zip Theme Manager (killercookie-server.media-xshell.com/7zTM) and it DOES have shell integration. – Xandy Nov 28 '09 at 21:09
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@Ian: I have been using it in 64-bit Windows 7 for like half a year. Have never noticed anything weird about the shell integration :) – Svish Feb 18 at 12:33
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up vote 288 down vote

Firefox, first thing that gets installed.

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Or Chrome if you can live without some add-ons. – JcMaco Jul 16 '09 at 0:27
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also check out superuser.com/questions/587 -- "Must-Have" FireFox Addons – OtherMichael Jul 21 '09 at 14:17
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@romandas Well, I don't consider Windows Update to be "Windows Software", I consider that to be "Windows". – Stefan Thyberg Jul 23 '09 at 6:21
28  
Firefox is soooo overrated. – Nippysaurus Aug 11 '09 at 7:02
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Chrome now has add-ons... it's considerably faster (and has a cleaner UI) than the old fox. – dbkk101 Dec 13 '09 at 11:57
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up vote 264 down vote

Notepad++, your replacement for notepad!

Notepad++ can syntax highlight XML

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32  
Or Notepad2 (flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html), I got tired of Notepad++ incessant updates which seems to occur on a semi-hourly basis. – Lasse V. Karlsen Jul 15 '09 at 12:48
13  
I've never had NP++ update on me. Strange. – person-b Jul 15 '09 at 14:57
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Disabling NP++ auto updates takes just 1 click at the installation. – Maiku Mori Jul 16 '09 at 2:49
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I prefer SciTE <http://www.scintilla.org/SciTEDownload.html> - it's faster – Bogdan Jul 17 '09 at 11:19
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I prefer butterflies. xkcd.com/378 – musicfreak Jul 21 '09 at 5:45
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up vote 255 down vote

VLC, a video player capable of playing even the most stubborn/broken video.

With VLC you can watch almost any video.

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14  
I used to love VLC, but I now prefer mplayer. – Manu Jul 29 '09 at 18:48
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+1 for big buck bunny – Troggy♦ Aug 16 '09 at 6:46
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Works fine for me on Windows 7. No additional Codecs necessary, plays pretty much everything I throw at it. – davr Sep 22 '09 at 22:57
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up vote 243 down vote

All the sysinternal utilities.

Especially process explorer and autoruns.

A single zip file containing all the utilities can be found here.

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If only there was an installer for the Sysinternals Suite. – arathorn Jul 22 '09 at 17:03
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No installer needed... everything can be found 'portable' at live.sysinternals.com – fretje Jul 22 '09 at 23:33
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Why does an installer matter? Grab the full suite zip file, unzip to a folder and go. If you want easy access to those tools, add the folder to your path. – romandas Jul 22 '09 at 23:38
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@romandas Where is the zip? Thanks – Artur Carvalho Jul 23 '09 at 15:44
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up vote 241 down vote

Google Chrome

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better than firefox – Click Upvote Jul 26 '09 at 19:08
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@Click Upvote, In some aspects yes, but as a whole, nope, at least not yet. At any rate that's what the SU community thinks: Firefox 116 vs Chrome 71. :) – Jonik Jul 27 '09 at 12:21
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Chrome--faster than firefox, and without all the fanbois. – Will Jul 29 '09 at 13:22
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@Will. People using and advocating Firefox are "fanbois", while people using and advocating Chrome are not? Umm, right ;) – Jonik Jul 29 '09 at 19:27
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I'm too attached to my add-ons :-] – SealedSun Aug 11 '09 at 21:06
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up vote 211 down vote

Putty, a ssh client.

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I couldn't live without Putty! Best SSH client ever! – BrianH Jul 22 '09 at 0:47
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up vote 207 down vote

Paint.NET - image editing software.

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+1 for supporting layers. And you can find almost any kind of plugin for effects like gradients. – Bratch Jul 21 '09 at 3:14
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This is a great app. Its free, easy to use and totally adequate for most peoples needs. It is also low on machine utilisation – Kip Aug 24 '09 at 11:53
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I've been using this at work as a Photoshop alternative for some things and I love it. Some things even seem better implemented in here than in Photoshop. – Brian Surowiec Sep 10 '09 at 5:41
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Awesome alternative to Photoshop and free. I H8 GIMP! (PDN has shape tools for starters. Gimp requires you to use the "outline" tools for shapes. Ugh!) There are tons of awesome features in PDN. Can't go wrong with it. – Moshe Mar 24 at 1:40
up vote 184 down vote

Windows updates. The very first thing I install on Windows!

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32  
This made me LOL. So true. – Joseph Jul 15 '09 at 14:24
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Not 3rd-party, though. – arathorn Jul 22 '09 at 17:04
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OS updates are the first thing I install on linux too! What a small world. – TM Jul 30 '09 at 1:58
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And wouldn't it be great if there was a sensible third-party API for Microsoft Update so everything could update through it. You know, like apt-get. – Richard Gadsden Aug 18 '09 at 16:24
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up vote 152 down vote

μTorrent - free tiny fully capable torrent client

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the best torrent client! +1 – Sander Versluys Aug 11 '09 at 9:24
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I don't;t like uTorrent. It appears to eat more of my internet connection then it actully uses for downloading/uploading. I prefer Vuze – Pim Jager Aug 18 '09 at 23:23
1  
Latest versions install crap-ware, but still best client available. – Ian Boyd Sep 1 '09 at 17:46
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Sander Versluys: Might be the best client on windows, but Transmission(Linux/Mac) tops it in so many ways. – LiraNuna Sep 10 '09 at 3:26
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@Pim Jager: On my DSL, I find the best performance by disabling DHT and limiting the number of connections to 50. – mtone Jan 14 at 0:42
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up vote 132 down vote

Visual Studio

I'm not going to have a box that I can't develop on.

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Good thing netbooks aren't box shaped! – Ricket Feb 23 at 21:01
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up vote 128 down vote

Foxit Reader

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I'm not real excited that they've started auto-installing browser toolbars and other crapware. It's free, though, and still faster than Acrobat Reader... – Jeff Donnici Jul 17 '09 at 21:12
20  
Try Sumatra PDF for an open source version. Lighter and no "crapware". – DisgruntledGoat Jul 28 '09 at 11:36
4  
PDF X-change Viewer (docu-track.com/home/prod_user/PDF-XChange_Tools/…) is a nice, free option too. – techtechmo Sep 13 '09 at 2:29
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up vote 127 down vote

Launchy: Quicksilver for Windows

Launchy has auto complete too!

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48  
I haven't found the need for Launchy since moving to Vista. The searchable start menu handles most of what I need. – Ben Straub Jul 15 '09 at 13:18
4  
I have been using Humanised Enso instead of Launchy – Xetius Jul 15 '09 at 21:10
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@Ben Straub: with Launchy you can launch program with parameters. Especially nice with putty :-) – Peter Štibraný Jul 16 '09 at 7:01
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Also, KDE4 port to windows can be considered a must-have for some of us. – Tadeusz A. Kadłubowski Jul 30 '09 at 7:41
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@Ben Straub: launchy learns so whatever you pick will be first in the list next time, plus you can use any acronym you want, so firefox could be f, photoshop you could use ps, etc. – JC Jul 31 '09 at 16:13
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up vote 123 down vote

FileZilla - free FTP

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1  
it won't ignore .svn directories – Click Upvote Jul 26 '09 at 19:15
1  
FileZilla 3+ has filters: superuser.com/questions/13733/… – OtherMichael Jul 27 '09 at 15:57
3  
Personally I use WinSCP for a client, but FileZilla for a server. – 280Z28 Aug 11 '09 at 5:48
1  
I like FireFTP or when I'm on a machine without it, Windows Explorer :D – David Feb 16 at 4:31
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up vote 110 down vote

CCleaner. A must on new OEM computers from the likes of HP, Compaq, Toshiba, Dell etc.

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4  
Also, PC Decrapifier does specifically what you're describing. It cleans out all that OEM bull. – T Pops Jul 17 '09 at 1:04
14  
Or, wipe and reinstall... that's what I do – Isaac Waller Aug 19 '09 at 17:09
3  
So to get rid of crap you install more crap ? I prefer to wipe the installation and reinstall from scratch. I also never use custom install disks from manufacturers. – Steffen Dec 21 '09 at 10:24
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up vote 108 down vote

Microsoft Office

Can't live without it.

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36  
OpenOffice can replace Office also ;) – Marc-Andre R. Jul 17 '09 at 3:26
90  
@Fox: Not even close. ;) – arathorn Jul 21 '09 at 1:48
2  
I've seen 3 packs of licenses for Microsoft Office Home 2007 for about $90 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). If your work supports it you can get Enterprise 2007 for $20 through the home use program (single PC). – Bratch Jul 21 '09 at 3:07
2  
Fox: not if you rely on Access ;) – Martin Jul 21 '09 at 7:36
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@thenonhacker - I don't think anyone wants to emulate the look and feel of 6 year old software. – joshhunt Sep 28 '09 at 7:45
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up vote 104 down vote

Irfanview - the best little picture viewer that ever existed! Fast, small, batch rename and batch resize. Opens in milliseconds, scrolls through folders of images with spacebar. Excellent!

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2  
Most definitely. – Steve Melnikoff Jul 17 '09 at 13:04
2  
Isn't it that non-unicode-capable viewer? – linux_is_for_desktop Aug 11 '09 at 11:39
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And the ugly as hell application icon. – Ian Boyd Sep 1 '09 at 17:44
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Great app with a very ugly UI. I could look past the rough UI in most apps, but in an image viewer it's very distracting. I still haven't found a good replacement for AcdSee 2.41 (classic). – dbkk101 Sep 23 '09 at 18:36
1  
Who cares about the UI when it's lightning-fast, portable, and does just about everything. (including playing audio & movies, web gallery & slideshow generation, etc.) – Sean O Nov 4 '09 at 16:38
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up vote 101 down vote

Adobe Flash Player

Flash Player is a cross-platform browser plug-in that delivers breakthrough Web experiences to over 99% of Internet users.

This is always the second thing I install after Firefox.

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49  
Unfortunately, still a must have. – arathorn Jul 21 '09 at 1:50
8  
If I could avoid having any Adobe products on my computer, I'd be a happy camper. However this one is pretty unavoidable. – JohnFx Jul 29 '09 at 18:28
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I don't install it till i have the misfortune of coming across a site that needs it. – Kip Aug 24 '09 at 11:55
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up vote 99 down vote

Picasa for viewing, editing, and publishing pictures.

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up vote 97 down vote

Just so you don't need to click the referral link to see what this is :

Dropbox is a technology startup and software product that's revolutionizing the way that people think about and access their files. In particular, we make it easy to securely share files with other people, sync them across multiple computers, access them from anywhere, and keep them safe.

Taken from http://www.facebook.com/Dropbox#/Dropbox?v=info as https://www.dropbox.com seems light on the elevator spiel.

Dropbox

Disclaimer : Referral link above.

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22  
I'd like to point out that this particular referral scheme is good not just for the OP but also for you - you both get extra space (1/4 GB I think). – person-b Jul 15 '09 at 14:58
2  
Tempted to edit to have my referral code instead of yours :p Also, I rekon it's under-rated, so many great uses. – Dean Nov 2 '09 at 3:06
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@Dean - Go ahead - I am done with my quota ;) – Abhinav Nov 6 '09 at 11:02
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up vote 89 down vote

Pidgin, must have instant messenger for having all your contacts in one place.

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2  
...and it finally works stable on win7 x64. – Kamil Zadora Jul 22 '09 at 17:34
15  
Pidgin sucks, just not as bad as every other IM client ever made. – Macha Jul 29 '09 at 18:42
2  
I hate using Gnome apps in windows. I prefer Digsby. – Brian Ortiz Oct 4 '09 at 4:23
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up vote 83 down vote

KeePass for secrets management.

If you want to maintain a single password database across multiple machines, store the KeePass database in a shared folder using DropBox or Live Mesh.

Warning: This is only advisable if your KeePass database requires a file key along with a strong password. Store a copy of the key file on each machine (outside of the shared folders). This way, if your KeePass database file is stolen, the key file will be in a separate location and your database will still be protected.

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2  
If you want to accidentally lose all your passwords at once, use KeePass. – Ian Boyd Sep 1 '09 at 17:47
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up vote 83 down vote

Vim

It's much better than Notepad, and great for quick edits of files.






:q!
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10  
Everybody always touts Notepad++, but for me, it doesn't come close to my Vim. – Eric Jul 15 '09 at 21:40
2  
It depends on one thing: to Windows vim is as daunting as a software can be. Of course, vim mers Notepad++ looks like flat-text Word . – voyager Jul 17 '09 at 0:30
19  
you forgot the ~ on empty lines ;) – hasen j Jul 24 '09 at 7:49
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I must have Emacs... I must have Emacs... – Subtwo Aug 18 '09 at 22:19
2  
A (Windows) friendly alternative of Vim is Cream (it IS Vim, but a more general feel for new users) cream.sourceforge.net – Ben Aug 19 '09 at 17:57
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up vote 76 down vote

An anti-virus program, I assume free ones like AVG will suffice.

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4  
alternatively, just kick yourself out of the admin group – Oliver Giesen Jul 17 '09 at 13:24
5  
Better yet, both. – Chris Charabaruk Jul 19 '09 at 15:44
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Recent versions of AVG install an annoying Firefox plugin which verifies the "safety" of sites in Google listing. This is both annoying because it makes the page take longer to load and also unnecessary as Google already subscribes to StopBadware.org's list of evil websites. It also attempts to trick you into buying the "full" version every major update. Because of these annoyances, I've switched to Avast Antivirus. It's not as user friendly, but it has a lot of options and gets out of the way and does it's job well. – James Aug 2 '09 at 7:47
22  
-1 Rather than "must have" it is "must get rid of" – Ian Boyd Sep 1 '09 at 17:46
11  
I prefer Microsoft Security Essentials – Xavierjazz Oct 11 '09 at 15:35
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up vote 70 down vote

The OpenOffice.org suite.

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29  
I'm a big open-source user, but I still think MS Office is much better than OpenOffice. – RJFalconer Aug 8 '09 at 15:46
3  
I hope OpenOffice will finally improve soon to be a real alternative to MS-Office. God, please! – linux_is_for_desktop Aug 11 '09 at 11:42
5  
MS Office is the best, but OpenOffice.org is a great alternative for those who don't have money to buy it. – Casey Aug 18 '09 at 21:45
1  
I'm looking forward to the supposed ribbon interface in the upcoming version. – techtechmo Sep 13 '09 at 2:27
1  
Do you want OpenOffice.org to get to the point where MS Office is no longer relevant? Then "vote with your wallet" :) – Leonardo Dec 6 '09 at 22:33
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up vote 67 down vote

Total Commander is the ultimate file management system. Old school NortonCommander style.

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1  
The first thing that gets installed. Still wish there was a better tool though. It is old and with flaws. – Tomas Sedovic Jul 18 '09 at 15:38
7  
It's incredible to me that Total Commander got so few votes, Obviously, people don't know what are they missing, and don't realize how useful and productive it is. This is a first thing I install when installing new Windows on machine. – Andrija Aug 19 '09 at 23:04
1  
I moved from TotalCommander to FreeCommander. – Liam Sep 22 '09 at 9:56
1  
I wonder, though, if it's possible for someone to "get" Total Commander without ever having tried NC. – hyperslug Oct 2 '09 at 12:38
3  
Wonder where the "it is old" comment came from. The program gets updated regularly, current version is 7.50a released on Sept 24 2009. When you pay for it, that includes a lifetime of updates, and ability to convert it to a U3 version or a USB that runs on its own from a Flash Drive (similar to PortableApps but without the extra menu layer for launching.) Absolutely great at what it does, and very customizable. Simply great value, includes built in text editor, viewers, tons of add-ins etc. Check it out! – Petr V Nov 26 '09 at 16:58
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up vote 66 down vote

ImgBurn - Free CD/DVD burning software.

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1  
agreed, but thankfully not needed w/ Windows 7 – Scott Weinstein Aug 19 '09 at 21:52
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up vote 66 down vote

Skype

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up vote 64 down vote

Opera.

I really don't like using Internet Explorer, so this is the first thing that I install, so that I can use it to download other software.

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1  
Not as well liked as Firefox or Chrome, but has many features by default without the need for add-ons, like the ability to change the tab placement top, left, right, or bottom. – monkut Aug 19 '09 at 22:57
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Yeah I think it's the best out of the box and I certainly like it the most for everyday browsing, but Firefox is better for web development because there are Add-ons available, such as Firebug etc – Perspx Aug 20 '09 at 7:37
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If in extreme zealous mode, I have ftp'ed to opera.com from the Windows command line, just to not have IE be the first sign of life on the web from my then so clean, mean computer ;-).... To be fair, I've done it once, details elude me, but super-grumpiness must have played a part... – Morten Bergfall Dec 4 '09 at 1:34
up vote 62 down vote

Cygwin is a good tool.

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4  
More like set of tools. – Chris Charabaruk Jul 19 '09 at 15:43
7  
As much as I like cygwin, it always felt unnatural on windows boxes. Unix way of working on windows - like raping the system. – ldigas Aug 18 '09 at 19:50
5  
MinGW is more than enough for your linux-software needs (less invasive too) – SealedSun Sep 17 '09 at 18:34
1  
Also apt-cyg: code.google.com/p/apt-cyg – Anonymous Jan 22 at 12:18
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