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
2.
Avast Free Antivirus 19.5.2378Pick
Free antivirus for home use - scans for viruses, worms, malware, ransomware and Trojans.
1219701
3.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 3.7.1.2839Pick
An easy-to-use, effective application to detect and remove malware.
159540
5.
Sophos Virus Removal Tool 2.7.0
Free tool to remove viruses, spyware, rootkits, Conficker, and other threats from your PC.
14393
6.
Trend Micro Ransomware File Decryptor 1.0.0.1667
Free anti-ransomware tool that decrypts files encrypted by ransomware.
3550
Free Audio Software
DOWNLOADS
1.
K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 14.9.9 / 15.0.0 Beta 6Pick
A large codec pack which includes audio and video codecs as well as related tools.
533083
2.
foobar2000 v1.4.5Pick
An advanced audio player for Windows that supports several audio formats.
154018
3.
Avidemux 2.7.3 (64-Bit)Pick
Video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks.
132584
5.
Mp3tag 2.95a / 2.95b BetaPick
Edit metadata (ID3, Vorbis Comments and APE) of common audio formats.
98441
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.
838713
2.
OpenOffice.org 4.1.6Pick
Comprehensive Office Suite that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, drawing app, and more.
178047
3.
doPDF 10.1.112Pick
Free PDF software that allows you to easily convert any printable document to PDF.
102822
4.
EssentialPIM Free 8.53.1Pick
Free powerful PIM that features calendaring, notes keeping and contacts storage.
79823
5.
Rainlendar Lite 2.14.2 / 2.14.3 Beta b159Pick
A customizable calendar that features events, todo list, more.
70010
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.
277860
2.
TestDisk 7.0 / 7.1 BetaPick
Recover lost partitions and/or make non-booting disks bootable again.
125636
3.
YUMI 2.0.6.6Pick
Create a Multiboot USB Flash Drive containing multiple operating systems, antivirus utilities, more.
95356
4.
Ultimate Boot CD 5.3.8Pick
Bootable CD that allows you to run diagnostic tools from CD/DVD/Bluray ROM drives.
60872
5.
Tweaking.com Windows Repair 4.5.2
All-in-one repair tool to help fix a large majority of known Windows problems.
58087
7.
Driver Booster 6.1.0
Update outdated drivers safely and rapidly with 1-click using this simple free utility.
26067
8.
Windows Repair Toolbox 3.0.1.8
Free utility that helps you repair issues with Windows, remove malware, and optimize your computer.
25466
9.
FixWin for Windows 10 v10.0.1
Free portable tool designed to easily fix and repair any problems or issues with Windows 10.
23998
11.
Snail Driver 2.1.0 Lite
Free program designed to download and update device drivers automatically with one click.
19530
12.
WhoCrashed Free Home Edition 5.53
Reveals the drivers responsible for crashing your computer.
19423
13.
AVG Rescue CD for USB Stick 120.160420
Carry this must-have toolkit on your USB stick to repair infected machines.
18605
14.
F-Secure Rescue CD 3.16.73600
Securely boot up the computer and check the programs installed.
10853
15.
Microsoft Windows 10 Troubleshooting Tool 1.0
Free tool designed to automatically detect and repair many common issues with Windows 10.
10431
16.
SystemRescueCd 5.0.1Pick
A bootable system rescue disk to administrate and repair computer problems after a system crash.
4407
Free Graphics/Design Software
DOWNLOADS
3.
XnView 2.48Pick
A free, easy to use, image browser, viewer, and converter that includes handy functions.
137724
4.
Paint.NET 4.1.6 / 4.1.7 AlphaPick
Free advanced image editor and photo manipulation software for Windows.
119916
5.
Synfig Animation Studio 1.2.1 / 1.3.10 Dev
A powerful, industrial-strength vector-based open-source free 2D animation software package.
108103
7.
Greenfish Icon Editor Pro 3.6
A professional freeware icon, cursor, animation and icon library editor.
90348
8.
GIMP 2.10.12Pick
Free, professional-grade, graphics and image editor to retouch photos, compose and author images.
79142
10.
IrfanView Portable 4.53Pick
A portable, advanced, fast, free image viewer/converter for Windows.
28309
Free Security/Privacy Apps
DOWNLOADS
1.
CCleaner 5.58.7209Pick
Remove junk files, free up hard drive space, and optimize your computer.
451770
2.
KeePass Password Safe 2.42.1Pick
Free password manager and generator to securely store your passwords and private credentials.
59872
3.
Malwarebytes AdwCleaner 7.3
Free tool to remove unwanted toolbars, adware, PUPs, and hijackers.
44174
4.
Comodo Firewall 12.0.0.6818
Keeps viruses, malware, worms, Trojans, hackers and other Internet threats from accessing your PC.
24721
5.
NxFilter 4.3.4.3
Handy security software to monitor Internet activity, filter DNS, and block malware.
22133
9.
ShutUp10 v1.6.1402
Free tool that allows you to configure privacy and other security settings in Windows 10.
13770
Free Video Players/Editors
DOWNLOADS
1.
MPlayer for Windows 2018-12-12 (Build #139)
Award-winning OpenSource media player for Windows.
478748
2.
Video Edit Master 2.0Pick
A free video editor of any AVI (divx, xvid..etc) and MPEG video files with no quality loss.
408428
3.
VLC Media Player 3.0.7.1Pick
A free video player that can read DVDs, VCDs, MPEG, DivX, more without additional codecs.
391379
4.
Avidemux 2.7.3 (64-Bit)Pick
Video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks.
132584
5.
Media Player Classic - Home Cinema 1.8.6Pick
A free, versatile audio and video player with advanced features designed for Home Cinema usage.
123172
6.
Kodi 18.2Pick
An excellent, award-winning, media player and entertainment center for your audio and video collection.
49843
7.
PotPlayer 1.7.18958Pick
Advanced free audio and video player that supports hardware acceleration, 3D, subtitles, more.
39471
8.
OpenShot Video Editor 2.4.4
Full-featured, easy to use, free video editor that supports 3D animation, compositing, transitions, and more.
30130
9.
Stremio 3.6.5 / 4.4.25 Beta
Organize and watch HD movies, HD television, or your favorite videos on your computer.
28005
10.
CherryPlayer 2.5.7Pick
Free versatile media player and manager that also supports streaming multimedia and live broadcasts.
13719
Quick and Dirty Must-Have Apps
DOWNLOADS
1.
Sysinternals Autoruns 13.95Pick
View and manage auto-start programs, services, BHOs, scheduled tasks, more.
149667
3.
VideoCacheView 3.05Pick
Extract video files from the cache of your web browsers and save them to local disk.
127517
4.
HWiNFO v6.08.3830Pick
A professional, powerful system information tool that displays extensive software and hardware information.
113418
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.
52944
8.
SyMenu Portable 6.08.7095Pick
Portable, customizable menu and application launcher with handy search feature and hotkey support.
46525
9.
Microsoft Process Explorer 16.25Pick
Shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.
44839
10.
Win Toolkit 1.6.0.11Pick
Tweak your Windows operating system and customize its installation.
32054
12.
USB Device Tree Viewer 3.3.5
View detailed information about USB ports and hubs on a computer in a tree view format.
17574
13.
WinUSB 3.7.0.1
Easily create a Windows bootable USB drive using any DVD or ISO with Windows 10, 8 or 7 distributions.
12680
New / Updated: FILES
Free Ringtone Maker Portable 2.5.0.1755
Free portable audio tool to make your own ringtones from MP3s.
Universal Media Server 8.2.0
A free, feature-packed media server that works with Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) devices.
MyPaint 1.2.1 / 2.0.0 Alpha 12
A fast and easy open-source graphics application for digital painters.
SunlitGreen Photo Editor Portable 1.5.0
A free, lightweight yet powerful photo enhancer and editor.
Free Batch Photo Resizer Portable 2.4.0
An extremely simple and handy Windows software for resizing digital photos in batch mode.