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 v18.5.3931 / 18.6.3956 Beta
Use the AVG Anti-Virus System to reliably protect your computer.
1892249
2.
Avast Free Antivirus 18.5.3931 / 18.6.3973 BetaPick
Free antivirus for home use - scans for viruses, worms, malware, ransomware and Trojans.
1205380
3.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 3.5.1.2522Pick
An easy-to-use, effective application to detect and remove malware.
152540
5.
Sophos Virus Removal Tool 2.6.1
Free tool to remove viruses, spyware, rootkits, Conficker, and other threats from your PC.
12795
6.
Trend Micro Ransomware File Decryptor 1.0.0.1667
Free anti-ransomware tool that decrypts files encrypted by ransomware.
2147
Free Audio Software
DOWNLOADS
1.
K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 14.3.6 / 14.3.7 BetaPick
A large codec pack which includes audio and video codecs as well as related tools.
515984
2.
foobar2000 v1.4Pick
An advanced audio player for Windows that supports several audio formats.
149932
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.
823537
2.
OpenOffice.org 4.1.5Pick
Comprehensive Office Suite that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, drawing app, and more.
174652
4.
EssentialPIM Free 8.03Pick
Free powerful PIM that features calendaring, notes keeping and contacts storage.
76721
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.
275406
2.
TestDisk 7.0 / 7.1 BetaPick
Recover lost partitions and/or make non-booting disks bootable again.
121084
3.
YUMI 2.0.5.8Pick
Create a Multiboot USB Flash Drive containing multiple operating systems, antivirus utilities, more.
90125
4.
Ultimate Boot CD 5.3.8Pick
Bootable CD that allows you to run diagnostic tools from CD/DVD/Bluray ROM drives.
59172
5.
Tweaking.com Windows Repair 4.0.25
All-in-one repair tool to help fix a large majority of known Windows problems.
52854
8.
Windows Repair Toolbox 3.0.0.9
Free utility that helps you repair issues with Windows, remove malware, and optimize your computer.
20512
10.
FixWin for Windows 10 v10.0.1
Free portable tool designed to easily fix and repair any problems or issues with Windows 10.
20208
11.
WhoCrashed Free Home Edition 5.53
Reveals the drivers responsible for crashing your computer.
18650
12.
AVG Rescue CD for USB Stick 120.160420
Carry this must-have toolkit on your USB stick to repair infected machines.
17682
13.
Snail Driver 2.1.0 Lite
Free program designed to download and update device drivers automatically with one click.
16380
14.
F-Secure Rescue CD 3.16.73600
Securely boot up the computer and check the programs installed.
10005
15.
Microsoft Windows 10 Troubleshooting Tool 1.0
Free tool designed to automatically detect and repair many common issues with Windows 10.
8566
16.
SystemRescueCd 5.0.1Pick
A bootable system rescue disk to administrate and repair computer problems after a system crash.
3260
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.
105492
7.
Greenfish Icon Editor Pro 3.6
A professional freeware icon, cursor, animation and icon library editor.
88629
8.
The GIMP 2.10.4Pick
Free, professional-grade, graphics and image editor to retouch photos, compose and author images.
75220
10.
IrfanView Portable 4.51Pick
A portable, advanced, fast, free image viewer/converter for Windows.
26326
Free Security/Privacy Apps
DOWNLOADS
1.
CCleaner 5.45.6611Pick
Remove junk files, free up hard drive space, and optimize your computer.
440611
2.
KeePass Password Safe 2.39.1Pick
Free password manager and generator to securely store your passwords and private credentials.
58305
3.
Malwarebytes AdwCleaner 7.2.2.0
Free tool to remove unwanted toolbars, adware, PUPs, and hijackers.
40523
4.
Comodo Firewall 11.0.0.6606
Keeps viruses, malware, worms, Trojans, hackers and other Internet threats from accessing your PC.
22600
6.
NxFilter 4.3.2.0
Handy security software to monitor Internet activity, filter DNS, and block malware.
18933
10.
ShutUp10 v1.6.1398
Free tool that allows you to configure privacy and other security settings in Windows 10.
11838
Free Video Players/Editors
DOWNLOADS
1.
MPlayer for Windows 2018-03-28 (Build #138)
Award-winning OpenSource media player for Windows.
472609
2.
Video Edit Master 2.0Pick
A free video editor of any AVI (divx, xvid..etc) and MPEG video files with no quality loss.
401872
3.
VLC Media Player 3.0.3Pick
A free video player that can read DVDs, VCDs, MPEG, DivX, more without additional codecs.
383729
5.
Media Player Classic - Home Cinema 1.7.13Pick
A free audio and video player designed for Home Cinema usage.
118804
6.
Kodi 17.6 / 18.0 Alpha 3Pick
An excellent, award-winning, media player and entertainment center for your audio and video collection.
45968
7.
PotPlayer 1.7.13622 / 1.7.13684 BetaPick
Advanced free audio and video player that supports hardware acceleration, 3D, subtitles, more.
30719
8.
OpenShot Video Editor 2.4.2
Full-featured, easy to use, free video editor that supports 3D animation, compositing, transitions, and more.
25487
9.
Stremio 3.6.5 / 4.0.21 Beta
Organize and watch HD movies, HD television, or your favorite videos on your computer.
25237
10.
CherryPlayer 2.4.8Pick
Free versatile media player and manager that also supports streaming multimedia and live broadcasts.
9228
Quick and Dirty Must-Have Apps
DOWNLOADS
1.
Sysinternals Autoruns 13.91Pick
View and manage auto-start programs, services, BHOs, scheduled tasks, more.
145518
3.
VideoCacheView 2.98Pick
Extract video files from the cache of your web browsers and save them to local disk.
123512
5.
FreeCommander XE 2018.770 / 2018.780 BetaPick
Easy-to-use alternative to the standard windows file manager.
64568
6.
Everything 1.4.1.895 / 1.4.1.907 BetaPick
Desktop search tool to locate files and folders by name instantly.
56008
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.
51009
8.
SyMenu 6.05.6775Pick
Portable, customizable menu and application launcher with handy search feature and hotkey support.
44960
9.
Microsoft Process Explorer 16.21Pick
Shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.
43958
10.
Win Toolkit 1.6.0.11Pick
Tweak your Windows operating system and customize its installation.
29042
12.
USB Device Tree Viewer 3.1.7.0
View detailed information about USB ports and hubs on a computer in a tree view format.
14734
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.
10642
New / Updated: FILES
WIA-Loader Portable 1.9.4.2 / 1.9.4.8 Beta
Portable tool that transfers pictures from a camera or flash card to the PC.
Clonezilla Live 2.5.6-21
A partition or disk clone tool similar to Norton Ghost.
Asciidoc FX 1.6.6
Free program to edit and create books or documents in PDF, HTML, Epub, Mobi formats, and slides.
GOM Audio 2.2.16.0
A lightweight free audio player that supports CD/DVDs, MP3s, M4As, live broadcasts and internet radio stations.
Zotero 5.0.55
Easily collect, store, and share information with this free, open source research assistant and organizer.