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 20.6Pick
Free antivirus for home use - scans for viruses, worms, malware, ransomware and Trojans.
1236732
3.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 4.1.2.73Pick
An easy-to-use, effective application to detect and remove malware.
169729
5.
Sophos Virus Removal Tool 2.7.0
Free tool to remove viruses, spyware, rootkits, Conficker, and other threats from your PC.
15641
6.
Trend Micro Ransomware File Decryptor 1.0.0.1667
Free anti-ransomware tool that decrypts files encrypted by ransomware.
7437
Free Audio Software
DOWNLOADS
1.
K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 15.6.5Pick
A large codec pack which includes audio and video codecs as well as related tools.
544287
2.
foobar2000 v1.5.5 / 1.6 Beta 11Pick
An advanced audio player for Windows that supports several audio formats.
160543
4.
Audacity 2.4.2Pick
Free audio editor to modify digital audio waveforms including WAV, AIFF, and MP3.
104378
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.
851568
2.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.7Pick
Comprehensive Office Suite that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, drawing app, and more.
182096
3.
doPDF 10.8.127Pick
Free PDF software that allows you to easily convert any printable document to PDF.
107920
4.
EssentialPIM Free 9.2Pick
Free powerful PIM that features calendaring, notes keeping and contacts storage.
84667
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.
280534
3.
YUMI 2.0.7.4Pick
Create a Multiboot USB Flash Drive containing multiple operating systems, antivirus utilities, more.
100937
4.
Tweaking.com Windows Repair 4.9.0
All-in-one repair tool to help fix a large majority of known Windows problems.
64142
5.
Ultimate Boot CD 5.3.8Pick
Bootable CD that allows you to run diagnostic tools from CD/DVD/Bluray ROM drives.
62824
7.
Windows Repair Toolbox 3.0.2.5
Free utility that helps you repair issues with Windows, remove malware, and optimize your computer.
34022
8.
FixWin for Windows 10 v10.2.2
Free portable tool designed to easily fix and repair any problems or issues with Windows 10.
30000
9.
Driver Booster 6.1.0
Update outdated drivers safely and rapidly with 1-click using this simple free utility.
28320
10.
Snail Driver 2.1.0 Lite
Free program designed to download and update device drivers automatically with one click.
25959
12.
WhoCrashed Free Home Edition 5.53
Reveals the drivers responsible for crashing your computer.
20324
13.
AVG Rescue CD for USB Stick 120.160420
Carry this must-have toolkit on your USB stick to repair infected machines.
19572
14.
Microsoft Windows 10 Start Menu Troubleshooting Tool 1.0
Free tool designed to automatically detect and repair many common issues with Windows 10.
11761
15.
F-Secure Rescue CD 3.16.73600
Securely boot up the computer and check the programs installed.
11740
16.
SystemRescueCd 5.0.1Pick
A bootable system rescue disk to administrate and repair computer problems after a system crash.
6110
Free Graphics/Design Software
DOWNLOADS
3.
XnView 2.49.3Pick
A free, easy to use, image browser, viewer, and converter that includes handy functions.
140340
4.
Paint.NET 4.2.11Pick
Free advanced image editor and photo manipulation software for Windows.
126556
5.
Synfig Animation Studio 1.3.16
A powerful, industrial-strength vector-based open-source free 2D animation software package.
111310
6.
FastStone Photo Resizer 4.3Pick
An image converter / resizer with a host of useful features.
100210
7.
Greenfish Icon Editor Pro 3.6
A professional freeware icon, cursor, animation and icon library editor.
92137
8.
GIMP 2.10.20.1Pick
Free, professional-grade, graphics and image editor to retouch photos, compose and author images.
85323
10.
IrfanView Portable 4.54Pick
A portable, advanced, fast, free image viewer/converter for Windows.
30689
Free Security/Privacy Apps
DOWNLOADS
1.
CCleaner 5.70.7909Pick
Remove junk files, free up hard drive space, and optimize your computer.
465127
2.
KeePass Password Safe 2.45Pick
Free password manager and generator to securely store your passwords and private credentials.
62064
3.
Malwarebytes AdwCleaner 8.0.7
Free tool to remove unwanted toolbars, adware, PUPs, and hijackers.
49954
4.
Comodo Firewall 12.2.2.7036
Keeps viruses, malware, worms, Trojans, hackers and other Internet threats from accessing your PC.
26924
5.
NxFilter 4.3.8.1
Handy security software to monitor Internet activity, filter DNS, and block malware.
26167
8.
ShutUp10 v1.8.1413
Free tool that allows you to configure privacy and other security settings in Windows 10.
18067
Free Video Players/Editors
DOWNLOADS
1.
MPlayer for Windows 2019-10-15 (Build 140)
Award-winning OpenSource media player for Windows.
484194
2.
Video Edit Master 2.0Pick
A free video editor of any AVI (divx, xvid..etc) and MPEG video files with no quality loss.
415064
3.
VLC Media Player 3.0.11Pick
A free video player that can read DVDs, VCDs, MPEG, DivX, more without additional codecs.
399659
5.
Media Player Classic - Home Cinema 1.9.7Pick
A free, versatile audio and video player with advanced features designed for Home Cinema usage.
128901
6.
Kodi 18.8Pick
An excellent, award-winning, media player and entertainment center for your audio and video collection.
53700
7.
PotPlayer 1.7.21276Pick
Advanced free audio and video player that supports hardware acceleration, 3D, subtitles, more.
47492
8.
OpenShot Video Editor 2.5.1
Full-featured, easy to use, free video editor that supports 3D animation, compositing, transitions, and more.
38256
9.
Stremio 3.6.5 / 4.4.106 Beta
Organize and watch HD movies, HD television, or your favorite videos on your computer.
30150
10.
CherryPlayer 3.1.1Pick
Free versatile media player and manager that also supports streaming multimedia and live broadcasts.
19800
Quick and Dirty Must-Have Apps
DOWNLOADS
1.
Sysinternals Autoruns 13.98Pick
View and manage auto-start programs, services, BHOs, scheduled tasks, more.
153495
2.
7-Zip v19.00 / 20.01 AlphaPick
7-Zip is a free zip / unzip file archiver with a high compression ratio.
145530
3.
VideoCacheView 3.05Pick
Extract video files from the cache of your web browsers and save them to local disk.
130612
4.
HWiNFO v6.28.4200Pick
A professional, powerful system information tool that displays extensive software and hardware information.
117316
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.
55190
8.
SyMenu Portable 6.12.7517Pick
Portable, customizable menu and application launcher with handy search feature and hotkey support.
48366
9.
Microsoft Process Explorer 16.32Pick
Shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.
46812
10.
Win Toolkit 1.7.0.15Pick
Tweak your Windows operating system, customize its installation, update drivers, and more.
36557
12.
USB Device Tree Viewer 3.4.0
View detailed information about USB ports and hubs on a computer in a tree view format.
20151
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.
14911
New / Updated: FILES
MSDSoft Quotes 1.00New
Free customizable software that displays a Quote of the Day when you turn on your computer.
Synfig Animation Studio 1.3.16
A powerful, industrial-strength vector-based open-source free 2D animation software package.
Directory Monitor Portable 2.13.5.3
Notifies you of file changes, deletions, modifications, and new files in specified directories.
ProgDVB 7.35.3
Free software to watch SAT-Television and listen to Radio channels directly from satellite.
Tree Style Tab 3.5.20
Provides tree-style tab bar, like a folder tree of Windows Explorer in Firefox.