Hello folks! Here's a list of my favorite programs and services for Windows 10. :) First published 1/23/2017. Last updated 1/4/2023.
ESSENTIALS
7zip file archiver: Extract .zip, .rar and all sorts of compressed files.
Adobe Reader: Free PDF reader. Sign PDFs. :)
BitDefender Antivirus (free): Best antivirus I've come across for Windows. Premium version unlocks more features.
BleachBit: Securely erase files and empty space.
Chrome: Easy to use, fast web browser. Warning! If you do not have a Windows password, it does not encrypt your login data. Your passwords can be seen in plain text by going to Settings > Autofill > Passwords and click on the eye / "show password" button. If you'd like to encrypt your login data, consider setting a Windows password or using Firefox with a master password instead.
Firefox: Open-source web browser. You can use a master password to encrypt all your logins and passwords (unlike Chrome).
FreeFileSync: Backup files. Synchronize files between two folders. Make desktop shortcuts.
FreeTube: Watch YouTube without ads. Easily download YouTube videos.
Gimp: Image editor like Adobe Photoshop. Free draw, resize images, color effects.
InfraRecorder: Open-source CD/DVD burner.
Irfanview: Simple image viewer. Easily crop images. Great image batch processor.
iTunes: Music player. Get the "Desktop" version not the "app."
LibreOffice: Advance open-source alternative to Microsoft Office.
ProtonVPN (free): Make your internet connection private so that your internet service provider doesn't keep a log of all the pages you visit. Also available for smartphones. Premium version unlocks more features.
Signal: Great encrypted group messaging app for your phone and computer.
Ungoogled-chromium: Strip the Google surveillance out of Chrome!
VeraCrypt: Encrypt your entire Windows computer and external USB drives so no one can recover any of your information anything if you lose your PC or USB drive.
VideoLan VLC Media Player: Play all types of video and music files on your computer. View subtitles.
Windows Scan: Simple utility to get scans from your all-in-one printer scanner.
BROWSER PLUGINS
Adblock Plus: Surf the web without annoying ads! Also disables Hulu ads.
eBay Popularity Sort plugin (Firefox, Chrome): Sort eBay search results by number of times sold. Handy. :)
HTTPS Everywhere: Encrypts your communications with many major websites, making your browsing more secure.
Keepa: Amazon price tracker plugin for Firefox and Chrome. Set email alerts for when an item dips below a price you set!
uBlock Origin: Open-source ad blocker.
FUN
BlueStacks (free): Play all your favorite Android games on your PC. ^_^
Steam (free and premium): "App store" for lots of popular PC games. A lot of games are free to play and there are many trials available.
Eneba (premium): Get game unlock codes for Steam real cheap.
Epic Games (free and premium): Lots of games and they give away games every week! I got Civilization 6 for free one time.
Origin (premium): PC game subscription service for as low as $5/month! Lots of great, new HD games.
Kinguin (premium): Get Steam, Origin, GoG and all sorts of other game codes/keys for cheap. Also cheap keys for genuine Microsoft Office. Bugdom (free): Now available on Windows 10! Bugdom is a 1999 platform video game originally created by Pangea Software for Mac OS 9. MightyMike (free): Now available on Windows 10! It's an Action Adventure game originally released for Mac OS 8 in 1995.
Nanosaur (free): Now avaiable on Windows 10! Nanosaur is a science fiction third person shooter video game developed by Pangea Software and published by Ideas From the Deep for Mac OS 9 and Microsoft Windows in 1998 and 2002 respectively.
ADVANCED UTILITIES
AutoHotkey (2): Automate repetitive keyboard or mouse movements.
CrystalDiskInfo: Displays a lot of information about your hard drives, including "power on hours." :)
EaseUS Partition Master Free: Great partition manager for Windows.
IObit Driver Booster: Update all your drivers and boost your performance. Tip: uninstall it after your done.
Métamorphose: A program to rename large sets of files and folders quickly and easily.
WeTransfer: Email files as large as 2gb across the net for free. Also see tmp.ninja.
Windows10Debloater: Remove Windows 10 bloatware and limit data collection.
PREMIUM
Cyberlink PowerDirector ($70): Easy, fast video editor. Make home movies, slideshows, DVDs with menus and / or upload directly to YouTube.
RemotePC: Remote connect to your computer or see a friend's computer with their permission. Make sure you get the promo! $29/year two saved computers, $59/year 10 saved computers.
Kinguin: Get cheap keys for genuine Microsoft Office with legitimate download and installation instructions.