5 Essential Free Apps for your New Windows 7 PC

By Jonathan Riggall on 3 January, 2011

Got a new Windows 7 PC? Here are our top five free applications that no self respecting PC user should be without!

VLC: If you want to play a video file, this killer application can take almost any format you care to throw at it. As well as being flexible, it's surprisingly powerful, allowing you to use subtitles, re-sync audio tracks and more. If that wasn't enough, VLC is also incredibly lightweight when compared to Windows Media Player or iTunes. Check out our full review here.

Photoscape: Digital photo editing and polishing needn't be as complex as Adobe Photoshop. As Elena says in her review, Photoscape is a really excellent photo editing tool that includes just about everything you need to view, optimize, edit, print and have fun with your photos, all for free. It's a great way to get started with digital image editing.

Chrome: Are you reading this from Internet Explorer? Stop right there and download Google's Chrome. Cleaner, faster, more lightweight and modern, Chrome has become the best all-round browser out there. As it's open source, there are also some great Chrome-based browsers out there, like my personal favorite Rockmelt.

OpenOffice: If you're looking for a free alternative to Microsoft Office, this is it. You'll be able to edit and save files in Microsoft-compatible formats, so there is no need to worry about not being able to open or use documents. With everything you'll need from spreadsheets to word processing, it's one of the most impressive free downloads you'll find.

CCleaner: There's no escaping chores, even on PCs in 2011! Luckily, tiny toolbox CCleaner can make the experience pretty painless. With little set up, you'll be able to clean your browser history, space wasting temporary files and lots of recent file lists.

Comments

  • ASARE BANASCO ASARE BANASCO

    I just download softwares, therefore I will give my comment next time

    • Sent on 07 Jan 2011
  • Goldi Sen Goldi Sen

    MOZILLA FIREFOX has to be enlisted in this list. It is even more necessary than the Google Chrome.

    • Sent on 08 Jan 2011
  • yusuf yusuf

    this the game i ever played

    • Sent on 08 Jan 2011
  • tamer tamer

    hi

    • Sent on 09 Jan 2011
  • kaesha kaesha

    i download gta couz,. he is my cosin's favorite games..........., me also me

    • Sent on 09 Jan 2011
  • Mike Mike

    This is a great list, though I do have to agree with Goldi, Mozilla Firefox should be on this list. Photo Pos Pro, My Paint, and Audacity are some of the others that should be here as well. By the way, I love Softonic's web site, I have gotten quite a few really great programs from here!

    • Sent on 10 Jan 2011
  • Abdel Moneim Emad Abdel Moneim <br />Emad

    I think Picasa is one of the program which must be listed

    • Sent on 11 Jan 2011
  • Aliwah Aliwah

    I'm with Abdel Picasa is one of the program which must be listed

    • Sent on 12 Jan 2011
  • asare banasco asare banasco

    infact, Ienjoyed using the player media

    • Sent on 15 Jan 2011
  • Reinier Manglicmot Reinier Mangl<br />icmot

    let me see what happen next ;)

    • Sent on 19 Jan 2011
  • cats69 cats69

    Let's. Talk. It over

    • Sent on 20 Jan 2011
  • henry henry

    how do i download songs

    • Sent on 22 Jan 2011
  • tba tba

    hello

    • Sent on 23 Jan 2011
  • yisak yisak

    i proud of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Sent on 23 Jan 2011
  • tux tux

    I like how out of these five programs, two (VLC and OpenOffice) are standard on most Linux distros. The Chrome browser, open source itself, is based off the open source browser Chromium. And the last two, CCleaner and Photoscape, have highly developed, free and open source Linux-based alternatives, Bleachbit and GIMP. If you like these programs, it would be worth your while to take a look at installing a new operating system. Linux Mint is a great starting place for those new to Linux.

    • Sent on 23 Jan 2011
  • Bunoo Bunoo

    All read got it

    • Sent on 25 Jan 2011
  • Dinar Agi Dinar Agi

    no coment

    • Sent on 02 Feb 2011
  • ankit gautam ankit gautam

    awesome apps best is that they are freewares

    • Sent on 03 Feb 2011
  • santhosh santhosh

    tankyou

    • Sent on 04 Feb 2011
  • santhosh santhosh

    tankyou

    • Sent on 04 Feb 2011
  • talif talif

    thankyou

    • Sent on 06 Feb 2011
  • aungkokomyat aungkokomyat

    hi how i went to games give me games

    • Sent on 07 Feb 2011
  • lalindu lalindu

    i need TALKIT softwares,

    • Sent on 10 Feb 2011
  • lalindu lalindu

    i need TALKIT softwares,

    • Sent on 10 Feb 2011
  • hoangphihong hoangphihong

    videos

    • Sent on 13 Feb 2011
  • lisly lisly

    hi ilove ipod tochs

    • Sent on 13 Feb 2011
  • savuturu savuturu

    hi...thanks.. good software..

    • Sent on 14 Feb 2011
  • i'm the bomb!! i'm the bomb!<br />!

    google chrome the best!!

    • Sent on 14 Feb 2011
  • rene rene

    hi hope this program works for me thank you much. rene

    • Sent on 17 Feb 2011
  • Andrew Andrew

    Just regarding OpenOffice.org: LibreOffice has been released, and is far preferable than OpenOffice.org. Sun actually planned to one day release some sort of OpenOffice.org foundation, so LibreOffice plays this role.

    • Sent on 19 Feb 2011
  • wpete574 wpete574

    I had a hard disk crash. How can I re_download my games?

    • Sent on 20 Feb 2011
  • ram ram

    fantastic anjali iloveyou

    • Sent on 21 Feb 2011
  • fhffh fhffh

    hi...thanks.. good software

    • Sent on 22 Feb 2011
  • bishal century bishal centur<br />y

    i like to all softwaer ok thanks for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Sent on 23 Feb 2011
  • santosh9010 santosh9010

    it is good

    • Sent on 23 Feb 2011
  • terri terri

    hey

    • Sent on 26 Feb 2011
  • alyn haswee alyn haswee

    hallo guyz.. fifa is the best

    • Sent on 26 Feb 2011
  • alyn haswee alyn haswee

    mmmmmmmmmm

    • Sent on 26 Feb 2011
  • sunlover7 sunlover7

    wpete574 hopefully you wrote down info if it was necessary like product code ect other wise I would go to web sites and download again, unless you saved your games online then you will have your scores, etc other wise you'll have to start over.

    • Sent on 28 Feb 2011
  • Digger Digger

    So far I use Google Chrome and prefer it to IE however, some Govt Sites I need to visit have downloadable forms which Chrome does not recognize. CCleaner I use after every Net Session--gets rid of all those cookies that clog the system and a good Registry Repairer as well. I recommend Open Office to all who need an Office program and cannot afford to keep Microsoft profits up. VLC and Photoscape I have not tried yet. Of Course Audacity is a must to transfer old casette and "plastic" (analogue) to your PC for converting to digital (WAV or MP3 you will need LAME for the latter.) Then play your casette then campare it to MP3, the digital conversion really enhances all of the sounds and improves the music by 200%. Cheers All.

    • Sent on 04 Mar 2011
  • sam sam

    what is the benefit of the CCleaner when you Windows 7 has a built in system for this anyway, and also Firefox and IExplorer?

    • Sent on 08 Mar 2011
  • niko niko

    I like of the sofwe

    • Sent on 08 Mar 2011
  • Nisar khan Nisar khan

    i m satisfy from Mozila fire fox bcz its performance is very good...

    • Sent on 02 Sep 2011
  • Nisar khan Nisar khan

    i m satisfy from Mozila fire fox bcz its performance is very good...

    • Sent on 02 Sep 2011
  • Saqlain Haider Saqlain Haide<br />r

    i am satisfy from vlc plater. it is very good

    • Sent on 11 Sep 2011
  • resli dexter resli dexter

    thaks software

    • Sent on 26 Jan 2012
  • Rosa Rosa

    Photoscape - the best part about it the the printouts. I need to be able to select how many rows and columns for the photos to print. The program is easy to use.

    • Sent on 07 Mar 2012
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