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What software do I need for my computer?

This list contains a selection of the most essential programs for Windows that will make your work easier and your system safer.

• Browser
• Antivirus
• Codecs
• archiver
• PDF-Reader
• Office suite
• Communication Tools
• Picture Viewer
• Useful Utilities
• Ad blockers
• Remote Administration
• CD-recorder

Browser

Web browser is necessary for viewing web pages on the Internet. Built-in Internet Explorer is not always user-friendly and is slow. Google Chrome. Fast and comfortable chromium-based browser from Google. Mozilla Firefox. With a large number of add-ons. Opera. A good browser for browsing websites.

Antivirus

Protects against unwanted software, spam, and hacker attacks. Do not install more than one antivirus, as it will cause them to conflict and severely slow down your computer. For Windows 10, you can use the built-in antivirus. For other versions I recommend: AVG. Free Antivirus. Good protection against viruses, easy to use; Nod. Good protection and performance. Paid versions only; Kaspersky Anti-Virus. Excellent protection, but poor performance. Paid versions only. 360 Total Security. Antivirus, which can be used for free in commercial organizations (with ads). However, is oversaturated with additional utilities that can begin to cause inconvenience.

Codecs

Necessary for watching video and listening to audio files. I recommend K-Lite Codec Pack - free codec pack + fast player. VLC media player - free codec pack and functional player.

The archiver

A great way to decompress and create archives. Recommended: 7-Zip. Free archiver. Works with all archives + 7z archive; If the official site does not open, you can download from the portal Softportal. WinRar. Paid archiver. Works with all archives.

PDF-Reader

Allows you to open pdf documents. I recommend it: Adobe Reader. The free PDF reader; Foxit Reader. Free PDF-reader; Adobe Acrobat. Paid program. In addition to viewing, allows you to edit PDF files.

Office suite

Designed for working with documents and working data. Recommended: Microsoft Office. Easy to use and world-renowned office. Includes programs for editing texts, tables, presentations, databases, and more. Paid; OpenOffice. Free office suite. Convenient enough for home use. Includes programs for editing texts, tables, presentations, databases and much more.

Communication tools

I recommend the following programs for unlimited communication: Telegram. Free and convenient messenger for computer and mobile devices. WhatsApp. Free popular messenger for computer and mobile devices. Skype. Free calls from Skype to Skype. Inexpensive international calls.

Picture Viewer

The program built into Windows is not always convenient and functionally limited. For viewing images, you can opt for: IrfanView. A free and very fast program. FastStone. Free and functional program.

Useful utilities

Helps with setup, diagnostics, and keeping your computer running. Recommended: CCleaner. Clean your computer from "junk; Defraggler. Defragment your disk; CrystalDiskInfo. Allows you to check the state of the medium. It is useful, from time to time, to launch it in order to react in time to disk corruption and not to lose important data.

Ad blockers

Hide unwanted content in browsers when surfing the web. Help not only to get rid of annoying ads, but also to prevent the chance of accidentally clicking on an ad link that could lead to a virus. Adblock Plus. Completely free and reliable program. Suitable for most browsers. AdBlock. A good program with a floating price (the developers allow you to pay for it as much as you want). Remote Administration These programs allow you to connect to your computer over the Internet to provide remote computer help, saving you time in solving small problems. AnyDesk. A good, functional and inexpensive program. Free for non-commercial use. Teamviewer. A good, functional and partly free program, but expensive (when you need a license).

CD-recorder

For working with CDs (burning, creating and burning images). I recommend it: Infra Recorder. A free program to burn CDs. Easy to use. Does not work with BlueRay disks; Nero. Powerful program with many tools for working with disks. Not free of charge.   There are many more programs you may need to work with, but these are some of the most needed.  

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