Spotify also has a dedicated Windows app, unlike some of its competitors. If you're already invested in another ecosystem, though, Apple Music or YouTube Music might be a better choice for you. Download: Spotify Free, subscription available.
Visit: Apple Music Subscription required, free trial available. Visit: YouTube Music Free, subscription available. Chances are you'll need a tool that lets you work with documents, spreadsheets, and presentations at some point.
You might think that paying for Microsoft Office is the only way to do this, but that's far from the truth. No Windows user should go without LibreOffice. It's a completely free and powerful office suite that includes alternatives to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and more.
Once you get used to a few small aesthetic differences from MS Office, you'll be flying through your work with LibreOffice. Note that OpenOffice, a once-popular alternative, is basically dead now. If you don't want to use LibreOffice, try FreeOffice. You can use web apps like Word Online or Google Docs too, but we're focused on full desktop downloads here.
Download: LibreOffice Free. Download: FreeOffice Free. Whether you want to try your hand at basic image manipulation, need a way to blur sensitive info in screenshots, or want to retouch old photos, everyone should have an image editing program installed. Photoshop is the gold standard for this, but there are plenty of free tools that are more accessible. NET is a must-have Windows app for your image editing needs. It's far more powerful than Microsoft Paint, but doesn't overwhelm you with loads of confusing tools.
You can easily blur out parts of an image, auto-level photos to make them look better, and add text and shapes to your pictures in just a few clicks. Plenty of plugins allow you to expand its functionality, too.
If you find Paint. Download: Paint. NET Free. Windows 10 includes Windows Defender, which is a good enough antivirus for most users.
However, it's wise to keep a secondary security program installed. For this, you can't beat Malwarebytes. The free version lets you scan your system for malware that your antivirus might not catch. And for a powerful blended security solution, upgrading to Malwarebytes Premium is worth the cost. Download: Malwarebytes Free, subscription available.
Thanks to YouTube's ubiquity, you probably don't watch local videos too often. However, everyone should still keep a solid video player around on your desktop for when you need to play media files locally. Even if it's not one of the things you think to download on a new computer right away, it will come in handy someday.
For this task, nothing beats VLC Media Player, which packs a ton of features and is capable of playing nearly every video and audio format imaginable. You'll save yourself the hassle of messing with video codecs or using QuickTime, which isn't supported for Windows any longer. Download: VLC Free. Taking a screenshot on Windows is useful for everything from capturing funny moments to having a record of important information.
You won't find a more powerful free screenshot tool than ShareX. With tons of capture methods, a solid built-in editor, the ability to run automated steps after you take a screenshot, and extra tools like a color grabber and ruler, ShareX has an impressive feature set for no cost.
If ShareX overwhelms you, give PicPick a try instead. It's a bit simpler, but doesn't compromise on features. Download: ShareX Free. Download: PicPick Free. Windows includes native support for simple zipped files, but anything beyond the basics requires a more powerful tool. Go to the download page for your motherboard and get the latest version of the drivers.
Install them. Open up the files by double-clicking them pay attention to where you downloaded them then follow the instructions from the program. All in all, it should take about five minutes. What Nvidia driver do I need? Second, click system information, then driver information. Does Windows 10 find drivers automatically? Windows will automatically search for drivers that need updating and new drivers that Windows requires. However, it is up to you to install them so that your computer actually gets them.
Are drivers necessary for Windows 10? Yes, drivers are necessary for Windows 10 and some are automatically installed with a new windows update so that the operating system can function better. Conclusion Now you know what drivers your new PC build needs and which ones are the most important. Recent Posts November Free Giveway!
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Then save that heck, make two copies for safety. If you need to reinstall just restore to this backup image to get the machine back to the state it was in when you got it.
Things have changed since that article was written. You can, now, download Windows directly from Microsoft and create Windows installation media yourself. Where Can I Download Windows? I also tell everyone that gets a new PC and fortunenate to get systems disks to keep them inside, at the bottom of the tower to keep them safe and you will know where they are.
Laptops, put them in a safe or a fire box or where ever you keep important documents. I also make a complete backup onto a dedicated external HDD…thats came in handy. When creating installation disks, I would also advise using the best available disks, or making multiple copies on different brands although you may be limited to a single copy. I also add removing any trialware, games and general bloatware that is installed to subsidized the cost of new computers.
I have had success with PC Decrapifier, which does exactly as the name implies. Make sure to create a restore point in case you are overly aggressive in the removal. A free program that is in my kit whenever I install a new computer. Frank — there should be an application on the computer that can burn rescue CDs or DVDs from a hidden partition on the hard drive.
These rescue discs, that you make yourself, can return the computer to the factory fresh state. They may be called recovery discs. Returning to factory fresh state will become useless after a few months. Image backups are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually the image will be somewhat smaller, since imaging software typically compresses as well. The Windows Product Key that one can find with Belarc Advisor is unusable if you want to install Windows from scratch.
In that case you need the Product Key from the sticker on the case of the laptop or other computer —and that sticker could very well be unreadable after some time. Write the Key down somewhere, e. What a difference — it now works like a one expects a mobile I7 to work.
Just be smart and do it on day one not after two months of slow but steady decline in useability. There is a disconnect here. As you suggested, both my friend and I have also invested in external hard drives as Leo recommends, and we make system images that can be used to restore to recent operating condition if the need arises.
Nope sorry , Do not agree with the windows update advice. I have had major issues with software not working after a Microsoft update. I keep my updates turned off and I stop the update service as well.
Now my apps keep working and With F-Secure running in the background I never have any problems any-more , Except the ones I create.
Also Microsoft tends to install stuff that you dont need and then they run in the background and hogs the system. My Win7 OS runs for years and not just months and Im on it up to 8hrs a day. I decide if I want or need a Microsoft update not them. But I never do and my Machine is as clean and fast as if I installed Win7 yesterday.
Leo, you suggest storing the system and installation disks in a safe place. I also make a disk copy of those disks and keep them at another location. Most people, when purchasing a new or second hand computer get the machine with the OS and some application software readily installed. Also none of them will get any of the original software discs. After all, one might expect to get a full product for ones money. But no. Whenever you need some serious recovery i. You have to buy the full operating system seperately — or get some pirated version which I am certainly not advizing anyone to do!
For other applications there are loads of downloadable freebies. But I dare anyone to ask a computerdealer to sell you a machine that runs some build of Linux OS without losing your 3 or 5 year warranty hardware inclusive! Armies if lawyers insist that MS has no monopoly whatsoever nor uses any monopolistic policies while every wellinformed consumer simply knows that this legalistic view is lightyears away from everyday reality. So, what is really going on?
IMO… and not mine only something along the lines of the following…. Some big computervendor buys a large batch of machines from some manufacturer, software installed, planning to sell smaller batches of those to a smaller retailers. At the same time he purchases a number of licenses from the softwaredeveloper s to go with it, and reselling the mentionned licences along with them.
Each time a machine changes hands, going down the chain of selling and buying until it reaches you, the enduser, the price goes up a bit. Your local retailer thus ends up with a machine and a licence for, say, 10 reinstallments or one installment for a network of ten stations or anything in between. He needs those for repairs, i. The product registration code tells MS what the exact count is.
Once you have exceeded that limit, you have about three options. Contact MS, explain about repeated crashes that necessitated installing the OS over and over again, and they just might reset that counter to 1.
Or, finally, you might call on a good friend who might be willing to grant you the use of one or more? For those who are financially in better doings and sometimes better off softwarewise as well? I am obsessive about keeping things updated, Microsoft and otherwise. I have been online since years before we had high speed Internet available and I have to chuckle when I remember the power and performance of my early PCs.
I have never had any update related problems other than one minor issue with a bug in a MS update some years ago. Anything to do with software or extra features is under the optional software section on the MS Update page and you have to specifically select them to download them.
Those I will pick and choose. Your comment about the nVidia drivers would have me bet you just downloaded and installed new drivers without manually uninstalling the old ones first. This is the voice of experience here and it was a lesson I learned and took to heart. I upgrade video cards routinely and can assure you the same holds true for ATI.
Video drivers are the one thing I will uninstall before upgrading to a new version. Most importantly, the reason for upgrades and patches to begin with is problems with software and applications is that not every situation and computing environment can be duplicated and remedied before it is released. With security patches. Every MS security patch prevents an exploitable aspect of the operating system or other software from being exploited by bad guys. On the most basic level patches and upgrades are often necessary for newer software to function.
I also do a lot of music and video editing so there again, the latest drivers are a necessity for my software to be the most current.
I hope not. Great advice. I did the image first thing. Never had a laptop before, seemed like a good idea. Only then did I discover I could have made a password rescue disk. The good news is the image installed, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
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