One of the questions I am most often asked by friends and associates - especially those buying and setting up a new computer - is: "What do you think is the most essential software I should install?" This is almost always followed by a statement that they would like free software if possible. With that in mind, I have put together a short list of what I think not only answers that question and requirement, but which I also use (or have used) on my computers and those I have set up for others.
For most users, the first software I would install is an antivirus program. Do Not spend any significant time connected to the Internet without an active antivirus running on your computer.
While Windows comes with an antivirus program, it has proven to be less than effective. I would recommend
Avast Antivirus . It has one of the best detection and removal rates of any of the free antivirus programs, it is feature rich with an included sandbox feature, it scans email, offers excellent support, and it is light on resource use. It does come bundled with Chrome Browser by default so you will need to select a custom installation to avoid installing the Chrome Browser (which I do not recommend).
Avira AntiVir is a second choice if you want something a bit less feature-laden requiring less user involvement. It also has a very high detection and removal rate.
For additional security, I would install
Malwarebytes . Malwarebytes has earned a much deserved reputation among experts and computer professionals as the "go to" program for malware detection and removal. This is a standalone program that updates almost daily, and that can be used as an on-demand scanner only. If you want a second on demand scanner the silly sounding
SUPERAntiSpyware is an excellent choice and will sometimes find something the others might not. You do not need to have these running in the background. One other small program that I always add to the security arsenal is
SpywareBlaster . SpywareBlaster has been around for years and prevents spyware, adware, browser hijackers, and dialers from being downloaded by adding known dirty Web sites to your browser's "not trusted" list. It uses no resources, updates regularly, and also offers cookie management as well as a few other features. Last, but certainly not least, is
WinPatrol
. WinPatrol is a tiny yet powerful program that runs in background, will play well with your other security programs, uses very few resources and guards against unwanted toolbars; changes to your homepage, host files, services, and active tasks; and, guards against programs trying to insert themselves into your startup group. This is an invaluable tool and one that I install on every computer I own or work on for others.
That's all you need for security software. Too many people try to run several security programs at one time and then are confronted with constant conflicts, slowdowns, crashes, and the like. Most security programs do not play well together. You need only one security program running in background and any other such programs used as on-demand scanners only. Now, you may be asking "What about a firewall? If you are using a router or router/modem you do not need a firewall because a router already serves that purpose in most instances. If, however, you still feel that you want a software firewall, the firewall that comes built-in with Windows will be more than adequate for most people.
Most users need only one Windows cleaning-type utility and that is the well known and respected
CCleaner . CCleaner not only cleans all parts of your Windows PC safely but also includes a very safe Registry cleaner, a startup manager, and an uninstallation feature as well. CCleaner uses very few resources and updates almost monthly as it is under constant improvement and development. In the category of essential utilities, I would also include
Revo Uninstaller
. While Windows does have an add/remove uninstaller application built in, Revo will not only remove and all programs on your computer but also scans your computer for leftover remnants of programs such as empty files, folders, or Registry entries. It offers a few additional tools as well, and comes in a Pro version; however, the free version is all most will ever need.
While Windows does include Windows Media Player in all of its installations, it is a huge resource hog andf often lacks all of the codecs needed to play all media. There are several excellent free media players available. but the one I almost always recommend is
Media Player Classic Home . It has been around a long time formerly known as simply Media Player Classic, is under constant development, is extremely lightweight, works equally as well on older machines as well as new high powered machines, and will play just about any video you throw at it. It is not fancy and does not offer a lot of features, but if all you want is a simple program to play videos without problems, then I think this is the best bet. If your needs are for something more sophisticated and feature-laden,
VLC Media Player is an excellent choice and is is highly recommended. My only problem with it is that it is huge download and somewhat of a resource hog. Again, most people will be more than satisfied with Media Player Classic Home.
One other program I consider essential involves not just installing but also replacing an existing program and that refers to a PDF reader. Almost all Window installations come with Adobe Reader preinstalled. Adobe Reader is the most resource hungry, huge, and slowest PDF reader you could find to put on a computer. I recommend that you remove (uninstall) Adobe Reader and install the lightweight, fast, and excellent
Foxit Reader .
Finally, you may want a program for your document writing. Unless you really want to spend more than $100.00 for Microsoft Word, there are several free programs that are near clones to Word. One of the best is Libre Office. Libre Office is essentially an open source clone of Microsoft Office suite. The only part that Libre Office does not include is Outlook, Microsoft's business email program. (Which is now morphed into Office Live) Libre Office as a word processor, a spreadsheet application called Calc, a slideshow Creator and presenter similar to Power Point, called Present, as well as a database program like Microsoft Access.
All of Libre's modules are capable of opening as well as saving as Microsoft Office formats. If you don't need Outlook, Libre is an excellent and free substitute.
But what about a browser? Today's browsers are now all highly developed and nearly alike in speed, ease of use, and stability. As such, it really becomes more a matter of personal choice/taste than any objective differences.
Firefox was my primary browser and the browser that nearly killed Internet Explorer some years ago. Its popularity has waned, in part, due to problems associated with its nearly monthly updates and memory leaks that caused it to consume all the memory if left running with many tabs open. This memory issue has since been fixed.
Google Chrome has become my default browser of late. I have actually produced many "screencasts" for training about Google services such as Gmail, Calendar, and others. Of course, there are other browsers as well. There is Safari, Maxthon, PaleMoon, SeaMonkey, Avant, Comodo, RocketMelt, Lunascape, Enigma, CometBird, and on and on and on. All are free and all have their loyal fans.
If you are not "adventuresome" and don't want to try an alternate browser, my recommendation - a recommendation I would have never believed I would make - is to simply use Internet Explorer 9, 10, or 11.
Since Internet Explorer 9, it is as safe, solid, and fast as most of the other browsers. While it does not yet have all of the add-ons and gadgets that many of the others offer (and tend to cause most of the problems people experience with those browsers), Microsoft has, over the past two years, dragged Internet Explorer into the world of modern browsers and it has become on par with the other major browsers.
Now you are thinking, "What? Only eight programs needed on my computer?" . Surprisingly, yes. Eight programs, along with those included in Windows, are really all you need to keep your computer safe and make it usable. Do I have more than eight programs on my computer"? Of course, and so will you.
You may need a graphics editor, an office suite, or any other number of specialized software programs. And with today's huge hard drives you might think why not load up a lot of software that I might want? The answer to that is simple: the more software you install, the slower your computer will eventually become. Software does not simply install as a single entity, but installs folders and files - often scattered throughout your computer -as well as sometimes hundreds of entries in your Registry.
My advice is to install only what you know you need.
You can always add new programs as you find that you need them.
So, when you get that nice new computer (or decide to cleanup or refresh your old one), go through and remove all of that trial crapware on your new computer; and on your old computer go through and remove any program you have not used for, say, six months. Then, install the few programs I have listed above. Your computer will love you for it. :))
ADVISORY/WARNING - ALWAYS download any program from the developers direct website, or a site that you know is safe such as CNET. Failing to do so will often result in many "PUPS", Potentially Unwanted Programs. These programs that come bundled in with the download will frequently install unwanted toolbars, change your default search engine and homepage to theirs and can potentially contain malware.
Any time you're installing a program ALWAYS choose "Custom Install" if that is an option. Even "legitimate" free programs contain additional bundled software that you most likely don't want and will later have to remove. (See Revo Un-installer above)
Pay attention to any pre-checked checkboxes during the installation and uncheck them if you don't want that particular feature or annoyance.
