There are a handful of apps I can’t imagine using a Windows PC without. As soon as I finish setting up Windows on a new PC, these are the first apps I install.
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1
Firefox
The running joke is that the sole purpose of Microsoft Edge is to download Chrome or Firefox, but I don’t even use it for that. I’ve got an ancient, banged-up USB flash drive with important app installation files on it, and Firefox is one of those apps.
The open source browser is the first app I install on every new Windows PC because Firefox is my go-to browser both for work and fun, as well as for downloading and installing the rest of the apps on this list.
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2
Total Commander
While I do use Windows File Explorer occasionally, Total Commander is my everyday file manager, on Windows and Android. I’ve been using it ever since I got my first PC. Two decades later, I still can’t imagine Windows without it.
It’s packed with features Windows File Explorer can only dream of, like dual-pane file management, customizable keyboard shortcuts, batch file renaming, and many more. The interface may look old-school, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
While you can buy a license, you can use the trial version of Total Commander indefinitely. The only small annoyance is that you have to click a button every time you open it, and that’s pretty much it.
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3
Fan Control
Over the years, Fan Control has become one of my favorite Windows apps. I stumbled upon it back when I had built my current desktop PC. I was looking for a fan control software that would allow me to lock my case fan RPM to my GPU temperature (something that, for some reason, still isn’t available in the BIOS nor in most fan management apps) and, boy, did Fan Control deliver and then some.
Nowadays, it’s the only fan control software I use. I created a custom case fan curve that ramps them up as soon as the graphics card gets under load, as well as a custom CPU fan curve that keeps it at a constant RPM, so I don’t have to deal with it constantly ramping up and down. If you’re looking for a robust fan control app that’s easy to set up and configure, you have to try Fan Control.
4
VLC player
While I mostly stream videos nowadays, I still keep VLC around because it’s the best darn media player I’ve ever used. It’s free, open source, regularly updated, and I know it will play any video or audio file I throw at it.
5
FastStone Photo Resizer
As a writer and reviewer, I often have to resize photos and images, and FastStone Photo Resizer is my favorite app for the job. Its batch photo-resize feature is a godsend when I have to resize a bunch of photos for a review.
I like the old-school UI, and I appreciate the breadth of options that let me fine-tune the output files. It isn’t the prettiest photo resizing app around, but that doesn’t mean it’s not one of the best.
6
Paint 3D
I really don’t have a clue why Microsoft deprecated Paint 3D because it excels at simple photo-editing tasks. Stuff like annotating screenshots, resizing and cropping individual images, changing the aspect ratio, overlaying two images, and more.
The UI is great, the app’s fast and light on resources, it is easy to use, free, and I use it all the time. Now, while you can’t download Paint 3D from the Microsoft Store anymore, you can get the app from the TheDoggyBrad Paint 3D GitHub repository. The archive is safe to use, and I’ve used it multiple times to download different versions of Paint 3D without any issues.
7
WinRAR
The built-in Windows file compression tool is fine in a pinch, but I highly prefer WinRAR because of the extra features it offers (it supports PINs and offers a multitude of compression methods, for instance), and because it’s free to use indefinitely; all you’ve got to deal with are slightly naggy pop-ups that ask you to purchase a license.
8
One Photo Viewer
I’ve been using One Photo Viewer for about a decade now, if I remember correctly. I love it because it’s a simple photo-viewing app that doesn’t drown users in extra features, an unfriendly UI, or constant updates. It’s made for one purpose, and it does it with aplomb, so it’s got a permanent spot on my must-have Windows app list.
9
Rivatuner Statistics Server (RTSS)
RTSS is my favorite in-game performance overlay and framerate limiter, and has been for well over a decade. Sure, it introduces some extra latency when used to cap the framerate (one frame, to be exact), but I don’t mind since I don’t play esports titles.
I have it installed on my desktop PC and on my Windows handhelds since it’s much better than their built-in framerate limiters. While it isn’t very robust as an in-game performance overlay, you can add a ton of performance stats via third-party programs, such as MSI Afterburner or HWiNFO.
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10
HWiNFO
HWiNFO is by far the best real-time system-monitoring app I’ve ever used. It works great on desktops but also battery-powered Windows machines, such as laptops or handheld PCs.
It offers every hardware stat you might need, from simple stuff like CPU or GPU temperature to in-depth stats like RAM timings. It’s relatively easy to navigate, has a decent UI, receives frequent updates, supports virtually every PC component out there, and is completely free.
I also use it as a data source for the RTSS in-game performance overlay, since it provides extra stats not available in MSI Afterburner.
If you’ve just built a new PC, there are plenty of things you should do aside from installing your must-have apps. It’s also wise to disable certain apps and features and to change specific settings.
