ESSENTIAL FREE SOFTWARE
Following is a list of what we consider to be the best free essential software downloads in a variety of categories. Whether you're building a new computer, replacing your hard drive, or recovering from a crash and need to fix your PC, this list may prove handy to quickly get you up and running with the software you use most.
No need to waste valuable time searching for your must-have apps. Simply Bookmark This Page for future reference and share it with others if you find this list useful.
Feel free to offer your suggestions of other software we should add to this list by contacting us.
Note: Click a category to immediately jump to that section.
Free Antivirus Software
DOWNLOADS
1.
AVG AntiVirus Free v18.7.4041
Use the AVG Anti-Virus System to reliably protect your computer.
1894691
2.
Avast Free Antivirus 18.7.4041.0Pick
Free antivirus for home use - scans for viruses, worms, malware, ransomware and Trojans.
1208346
3.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 3.5.1.2522Pick
An easy-to-use, effective application to detect and remove malware.
153926
5.
Sophos Virus Removal Tool 2.6.1
Free tool to remove viruses, spyware, rootkits, Conficker, and other threats from your PC.
13064
6.
Trend Micro Ransomware File Decryptor 1.0.0.1667
Free anti-ransomware tool that decrypts files encrypted by ransomware.
2381
Free Audio Software
DOWNLOADS
1.
K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 14.5.2Pick
A large codec pack which includes audio and video codecs as well as related tools.
518214
2.
foobar2000 v1.4 / 1.4.1 Beta 2Pick
An advanced audio player for Windows that supports several audio formats.
150535
Free Business/Organize Software
DOWNLOADS
1.
Free PDF to Word Converter 5.1
Easy to use utility that does swift conversions from PDF to Word.
827196
2.
OpenOffice.org 4.1.5Pick
Comprehensive Office Suite that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, drawing app, and more.
175189
3.
doPDF 9.5.243Pick
Free PDF software that allows you to easily convert any printable document to PDF.
99560
4.
EssentialPIM Free 8.05Pick
Free powerful PIM that features calendaring, notes keeping and contacts storage.
77458
Free Software to Fix PC Problems
DOWNLOADS
1.
NTFS4DOS 1.8 (read/write NTFS from DOS)Pick
Allows full read/write access to NTFS volumes from DOS for AV or backup.
275875
2.
TestDisk 7.0 / 7.1 BetaPick
Recover lost partitions and/or make non-booting disks bootable again.
122622
3.
YUMI 2.0.5.8Pick
Create a Multiboot USB Flash Drive containing multiple operating systems, antivirus utilities, more.
90787
4.
Ultimate Boot CD 5.3.8Pick
Bootable CD that allows you to run diagnostic tools from CD/DVD/Bluray ROM drives.
59526
5.
Tweaking.com Windows Repair 4.3.0
All-in-one repair tool to help fix a large majority of known Windows problems.
53811
8.
Windows Repair Toolbox 3.0.1.0
Free utility that helps you repair issues with Windows, remove malware, and optimize your computer.
21312
9.
FixWin for Windows 10 v10.0.1
Free portable tool designed to easily fix and repair any problems or issues with Windows 10.
20955
11.
WhoCrashed Free Home Edition 5.53
Reveals the drivers responsible for crashing your computer.
18808
12.
AVG Rescue CD for USB Stick 120.160420
Carry this must-have toolkit on your USB stick to repair infected machines.
17816
13.
Snail Driver 2.1.0 Lite
Free program designed to download and update device drivers automatically with one click.
17119
14.
F-Secure Rescue CD 3.16.73600
Securely boot up the computer and check the programs installed.
10134
15.
Microsoft Windows 10 Troubleshooting Tool 1.0
Free tool designed to automatically detect and repair many common issues with Windows 10.
8862
16.
SystemRescueCd 5.0.1Pick
A bootable system rescue disk to administrate and repair computer problems after a system crash.
3462
Free Graphics/Design Software
DOWNLOADS
5.
Synfig Animation Studio 1.2.1 / 1.3.10 Dev
A powerful, industrial-strength vector-based open-source free 2D animation software package.
106048
7.
Greenfish Icon Editor Pro 3.6
A professional freeware icon, cursor, animation and icon library editor.
88942
8.
The GIMP 2.10.6Pick
Free, professional-grade, graphics and image editor to retouch photos, compose and author images.
75889
10.
IrfanView Portable 4.51Pick
A portable, advanced, fast, free image viewer/converter for Windows.
26589
Free Security/Privacy Apps
DOWNLOADS
1.
CCleaner 5.47.6716Pick
Remove junk files, free up hard drive space, and optimize your computer.
442910
2.
KeePass Password Safe 2.40Pick
Free password manager and generator to securely store your passwords and private credentials.
58630
3.
Malwarebytes AdwCleaner 7.2.4.0
Free tool to remove unwanted toolbars, adware, PUPs, and hijackers.
41685
4.
Comodo Firewall 11.0.0.6710
Keeps viruses, malware, worms, Trojans, hackers and other Internet threats from accessing your PC.
22988
5.
NxFilter 4.3.2.6
Handy security software to monitor Internet activity, filter DNS, and block malware.
19698
10.
ShutUp10 v1.6.1399
Free tool that allows you to configure privacy and other security settings in Windows 10.
12240
Free Video Players/Editors
DOWNLOADS
1.
MPlayer for Windows 2018-03-28 (Build #138)
Award-winning OpenSource media player for Windows.
474158
2.
Video Edit Master 2.0Pick
A free video editor of any AVI (divx, xvid..etc) and MPEG video files with no quality loss.
403650
3.
VLC Media Player 3.0.4Pick
A free video player that can read DVDs, VCDs, MPEG, DivX, more without additional codecs.
385253
5.
Media Player Classic - Home Cinema 1.8.3Pick
A free, versatile audio and video player with advanced features designed for Home Cinema usage.
120184
6.
Kodi 17.6 / 18.0 Beta 3Pick
An excellent, award-winning, media player and entertainment center for your audio and video collection.
46729
7.
PotPlayer 1.7.14804Pick
Advanced free audio and video player that supports hardware acceleration, 3D, subtitles, more.
32677
8.
OpenShot Video Editor 2.4.3
Full-featured, easy to use, free video editor that supports 3D animation, compositing, transitions, and more.
26922
9.
Stremio 3.6.5 / 4.4.11 Beta
Organize and watch HD movies, HD television, or your favorite videos on your computer.
25995
10.
CherryPlayer 2.4.8Pick
Free versatile media player and manager that also supports streaming multimedia and live broadcasts.
10094
Quick and Dirty Must-Have Apps
DOWNLOADS
1.
Sysinternals Autoruns 13.91Pick
View and manage auto-start programs, services, BHOs, scheduled tasks, more.
146583
3.
VideoCacheView 3.00Pick
Extract video files from the cache of your web browsers and save them to local disk.
124530
5.
FreeCommander XE 2018.770 / 2018.780 BetaPick
Easy-to-use alternative to the standard windows file manager.
64872
6.
Everything 1.4.1.895 / 1.4.1.917 BetaPick
Desktop search tool to locate files and folders by name instantly.
57143
7.
Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder 2.0.10.13Pick
Small utility used to retrieve the CD Key used to install Windows as well as keys for other programs.
51433
8.
SyMenu 6.05.6775Pick
Portable, customizable menu and application launcher with handy search feature and hotkey support.
45128
9.
Microsoft Process Explorer 16.21Pick
Shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.
44068
10.
Win Toolkit 1.6.0.11Pick
Tweak your Windows operating system and customize its installation.
29644
12.
USB Device Tree Viewer 3.2.1
View detailed information about USB ports and hubs on a computer in a tree view format.
15300
13.
WinUSB 3.6.2.1
Easily create a Windows bootable USB drive using any DVD or ISO with Windows 10, 8 or 7 distributions.
11099
New / Updated: FILES
NetSpot for Windows 2.10.1.680
Free program designed to analyze and boost your Wi-Fi signal.
SysInternals VMMap 3.22
Portable utility that analyzes virtual and physical memory of running processes on your computer.
AutoClose 2.0New
A handy Windows utility to schedule individual programs to auto-close or shut down your system at a specified time.
UserBenchmark 2.9.5.0
Free portable benchmark tool to test various components on your computer and compare results with popular similar components.
TweakPower 1.026
Powerful suite of tools designed to clean, optimize, and tweak your computer.