The programs installed in your computer, including the device drivers, plug-ins and others, will determine how ready and efficient the system is in executing any command given to it.
However, there are a plethora of programs to install, but you may not need all of them to make your computer usable. It will all depend on your needs and type of computing jobs you wish to do on the system.
Here is the list of all of the important programs to install in a computer, with four major ones painstakingly segregated based on utility, efficiency and need. This abridged list will surely make choosing the necessary programs much easier for you.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Right programs installed in a computer helps in creating required directories, easy by the operating system and more.
- Choice of the programs to install should be based typically on the computing needs and system requirements. Installing junks may overwhelm the system.
- Portable applications, live operating systems, and web applications do not need installing in a computer system.
In This Article
4 Best Must Have Programs On Your PC:
Here are the most important and useful software programs to install on your computer.
However, remember that these are not written on stone since choices may vary depending on the specific need of a specific user.
1. Driver Update Software
This is one of the most important must-have programs for computers. It will allow you to update the outdated drivers easily and regularly.
The features and characteristics of this software program are:
- It allows connecting and communicating between the operating system and several other hardware devices of the computer such as printer, speaker, graphic card, and others
- It helps the operating system to know the type of devices connected to the computer and the ways to operate and control the functions of those devices
- It will help to keep the Windows drivers up-to-date always to ensure smoother functioning and preventing issues such as no sound, system crashing, Blue Screen of Death or BSoD, Wi-Fi connectivity, printer not working and more and
- It is very user-friendly, useful and scans the whole computer automatically so that your system is upgraded with the latest drivers recommended by the manufacturer in just a blink of an eye.
There are several different types of such software programs available and the best part of it is that these are usually free to use.
2. Duplicate Photo Finder
You will need to keep the disk space in your computer free and for that this is one more must-have software program for any system.
It will clean all duplicate photos in just a matter of seconds. The useful features of such software programs are:
- They find the duplicate copies effortlessly
- They remove these unnecessary copies automatically and
- They also help in recovering a major amount of lost storage space that is used unproductively.
The software program will prevent the unnecessary photos from piling up in the disk which will not only consume a lot of GBs of disk space unnecessarily but will also make it very difficult to organize the collections in your digital albums.
3. Virtual Private Network
Commonly known as VPN, a Virtual Private Network is another must-have software program for computers in order to keep your online identity safe and secure, which is a prime importance these days.
The type of provider may depend on the country you live in but these will typically help you to put up geo-restricted content on websites that may be blocked or disallowed by your government.
The good features of these software programs will hide several things when you use the internet such as:
- Your location
- Your IP address
- Your online identity and
- Your browsing activity.
This way it will minimize the risk of the cybercriminals existing all over the world seeing everything that you do online and use your information for unfair practices.
The VPN will encrypt all sensitive data that may reveal the websites that you may have searched, the movies you have been watching, the pictures you have posted and lots more.
The best feature about the VPN is that in addition to providing a safe passage for the internet traffic it will also help you to get around the censorship of the blocked websites and access them from anywhere in the world.
Providing unlimited bandwidth, the streaming will be superfast as well.
4. System Cleaner and Protection Software
Keeping your computer clean and free from antivirus is another prime importance these days.
Therefore, having system cleaner and protection software is also a must-have for any computer to boost its performance to maximum.
There are lots of different types of system cleaner software to clean the junk software programs and apps and antivirus programs to protect your computer system to choose from such as:
- IObit Advanced SystemCare
- CleanMyPC
- CCleaner
- Norton
- McAfee
- Quick Heal and more.
Just make sure that the one you choose is powerful, easy to use, and comes with useful and interesting features to clean or protect your system making it fast and fully functional.
Other Useful Programs:
Now, take a look at some of the other useful software programs and apps that you may install on your computer.
However and once again, consider your needs first so that you do not fill your hard disk with junk.
File and Photo Recovery Software
Sometimes you may lose or delete some data or files accidentally or otherwise, even from the Recycle Bin. You need not fret or bang your head against the wall, repenting for your action because these are not wiped off actually from the face of the earth.
There are lots of software programs available for free or for a minimal fee that you can install in your system to recover the sector of the files that are still on the hard drive.
Some of the top recommendations for file and photo recovery software are:
- Stellar Data Recovery
- Recuva and more.
Utility Software
If you want to manage and improve the performance of your computer system you will need to install some utility software programs in it. These programs are often a one-stop solution for optimizing, analyzing, and managing the performance of a computer system.
These software programs may offer several different tools that may include and not limited to:
- Backup utilities
- Network utilities
- Disk cleaners
- A disk defragmenter
- Disk compression and even
- Virus scanner and several others.
Some of the top recommendations for utility software are:
- Revo Uninstaller Pro
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Dropbox and more.
Multimedia Software
Since the present day is the age of multimedia, it is necessary to have such software installed in your computer.
These programs will help in several different purposes such as:
- Downloading contents
- Playing games and even
- Converting videos from one format to another.
Some of the top recommendations for multimedia software programs are:
- ByClick Downloader
- 4K Video Downloader and others.
Internet Browser
When you surf the internet, it goes without saying that you will want to have a fast experience, and for that you will need a good browser.
A perfect browser should resonate with your tasks and needs, and, most importantly, it should be secure and easy to use.
Some of the most recommended must-haves internet browsers are:
- Google Chrome
- Brave Browser and others.
Entertainment Software
You will surely use your computer for some sort of entertainment purposes in your leisure and for that you will need reliable and functional entertainment software to satisfy your cravings.
Some of the most recommended entertainment software are:
- VLC Media Player
- Netflix and more.
Communication and Social Apps
Whether it is for pure business or for pleasure, you will need to communicate with others through your computer and that will not be possible if you do not have a proper communication and social app installed in your system.
Depending on whether it is for chatting or making a long-distance video call, some of the most recommended social and communication apps are:
- Skype
- Instagram and more.
Reading Application
If you are a book lover, you will need to install a few specific software programs on your computer.
This will help you to read those eBooks that have replaced traditional reading styles today.
Some of the most commonly used software programs for this purpose are:
- Adobe Reader
- EPUB Reader and more.
Educational Software
If you use your computer for learning or for teaching, you will need a few software programs that are specifically designed for this purpose.
Some of the best recommended educational software programs are:
- Duolingo
- WeDo 2.0 LEGO Education and others.
Office Suite
The Microsoft Office Suite is a common and must-have software in a computer.
It will help you to do your day to day tasks on your computer most easily, conveniently and efficiently.
The Office Suite will help you in several tasks such as:
- Working on documents
- Creating and saving files
- Making presentations
- Creating spreadsheets and lots of other things.
The features of these programs will help you to use any application whether it is Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, or any other most smoothly.
Video Conferencing Software
Since working from home or remotely is becoming a common trend in the workplace, it is essential to have dedicated video conferencing software in a computer to host virtual business meetings with clients as well as the employees spread all over the city or country.
There are lots of them available out there that come with a set of collaboration tools that will help you in several things such as:
- Having a face to face interaction
- Hosting live webinars and meetings
- Chatting with colleagues and lots more.
Email Client Software
If you rely on emails largely, it is essential that you manage multiple accounts most precisely and efficiently.
The email client software will help you significantly in this aspect making things much easier for you.
If you use a reliable program then it will also help you in accessing other major apps as well such as:
- WeChat and others.
The best part of the email client software is that you can access all of them from one single screen.
Cloud Storage
Storing lots of data and files is an issue if you do not have a lot of storage space.
You can use multiple storage devices for that matter but it will make managing them quite a difficult task.
The best option is to utilize the cloud from your computer.
Cloud storage will not only make it easier to save your files but will also enable you to access them from anywhere by using any device pretty quickly.
It will also help you to keep the disk space of your computer system free for other uses.
Cloud Storage is particularly helpful for those who work from home but need to share files frequently with their colleagues.
Bonus
There are also a few other useful software programs and apps that are good to install in a computer. In no particular order, these are:
- PDF Creation and Editing Software – If you work with PDF or Portable Document Format files, you will be better off using a PDF creation and editing software program. This dedicated software will help you to have a literally paperless office.
- Microsoft Security Essentials – This specific software is mainly antivirus software and the latest version of it is called the Windows Defender. In addition to its basic function of protecting your computer system from the viruses, this software also scans the different files you have downloaded, monitors all your activities on the computer, and even removes files from the system that may be harmful to it.
- Google Photos – This software allows the users to store and edit the pictures and videos along with doing different things with the images and wallpapers with the several different tools provided by it to hone your creativity and make the videos or photos look more attractive.
- Download Manager – It may not be enough to download Google Chrome on your computer to make things easy. Download Manager will help you to download files from a torrent without needing dedicated software for that.
- Team Viewer – This computer software will help you to control the systems used by others to offer technical assistance to them and even have a voice chat with them if necessary.
- Rain Meter – Having no connection with the rain, this specific software will help you to customize your computer since it will help in generating and showing customized skins, information and even ‘suites,’ which are collections of skins that are readymade and downloadable. You can even customize widgets for weather, the clocks on the desktop, readers, and players to play audio and/or video.
- SHAREit – This particular software program will help in transferring apps by using Wi-Fi from the phone to the computer system and vice versa most easily and quickly. The software program can transfer files, apps, and data between the computer system and the Android phones at a fast rate.
- Internet Download Manager – This is pretty much the same as Download Manager software and is good download manager software that will increase the speed of downloading any files.
- Nero – This is a good addition to the collection of software in a computer system that will help you to burn Compact Disks or CDs and Digital Versatile Discs or DVDs.
- Firefox – Almost the same as Google Chrome, this browser is very important to enhance your browsing experience to unmatched heights with its different useful and default features. These features will make your surfing and browsing easier and better and also block the ads automatically. Most importantly, it comes with a fundamental crypto miner to help you, if you are interested in crypto mining.
- Folder Lock – Just as the name suggests, this software will lock your files and folders, thereby saving from others accessing them freely while using your computer. You can hide different files in different folders as well with the use of this computer software. The software will provide you with an ID credential to access and open your files. It is very useful in the event of a cyber attack on your computer.
- Paint.NET – This alternative app to Photoshop is specially designed for those professionals who need a much more powerful app than Microsoft Paint, the default painting app in the Windows operating system. This software is good to use for editing photos, wallpapers and more and its features are very much the same as that of Photoshop. The unique aspect of this software is that it comes with different plug-ins that invariably enhances the functionality of this app.
- Preme for Windows – If you want or need to switch between different programs with ease and quickly, this specific app will be very useful in that case allowing you to use shortcuts. The software program will allow you to create a hot corner where you can give commands for each specific screen and move smoothly from one program to another.
So, with so many options it is quite natural that you will be overwhelmed, if not spoilt for choice.
However, as said earlier, make your selection based on your computing tasks and your needs.
Also, consider the type of support provided by your computer system in particular and in the first place.
This is important so that the system can meet the requirements of the software program that you want to download and install in it.
All of these computer programs will invariably enhance the performance of the computer system as well as your user experience and convenience in using, two most major requirements for any computer user.
So, spend some time in research to make the right choice.
Conclusion
Therefore, as it is evident from this article, choosing the right software program to install in a computer is certainly not an easy job but is very crucial.
Some prior and adequate knowledge is required for it to keep things simple and easy. This article must have surely been able to serve that particular purpose.