Setting up a new or freshly reinstalled Windows PC goes faster with a short, curated list. From Windows software on this site we picked one go-to app for each everyday need, including browsing, messaging, office work, archives, media, screenshots, input, file search, file transfer and password security, favoring stable, well-regarded, free or open-source tools and noting alternatives where relevant.
- 1
Google Chrome for Windows, the free Chromium-based web browser from Google.
- 2
The official WeChat desktop client for Windows, for chatting, sending files and making voice and video calls from your PC.
- 3
7-Zip.
- 4
Everything by voidtools is a free Windows utility that finds files and folders by name instantly.
- 5
PotPlayer is a free, feature-rich Windows media player from Kakao with built-in codecs, hardware acceleration and extensive subtitle support.
- 6
Snipaste for Windows, a snipping tool that also pins screenshots back onto the screen as floating windows, free for personal use.
- 7
Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of utilities that supercharge productivity and customization on Windows
- 8
Sogou Pinyin for Windows, a mainstream Chinese input method with a large lexicon, AI writing tools and cross-device copy and paste.
- 9
WPS Office for Windows, Kingsoft's all-in-one office suite for documents, spreadsheets, presentations and PDFs with Microsoft Office compatibility.
- 10
Notepad++ official repository.
- 11
An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop
- 12
Bitwarden for Windows: an open-source, end-to-end encrypted password manager available as an installer, portable app or Store app.
