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What does a computer need to function properly? Review of programs that are needed for computer operation

Required programs for windows 10 - 7

Hello Readers of my blog! In this article I will tell you about the most necessary programs for Windows 10 - 7. As you probably remember, Windows is not yet ready for use after installation. In principle, not only Windows 7, but also any 8 8.1 xp is not yet ready for work immediately after installation. Even after installing drivers and security settings on board your computer, there are practically no useful and necessary programs. Windows comes with only a few programs that are useful to the user.

These are several toys, the simplest one text editor"Notepad", advanced text editor "WordPad", calculator, Internet browser ( Internet Explorer), media player, "Paint" - a program for processing simple graphics, programs for PC and OS maintenance. That’s actually all that our favorite OS is rich in. With Windows 10 things are a little better. Microsoft has moved much further. And it included Skype and a student office kit. By the way, the installed IE and media player are also not ready to work. IE is partially unprepared because it can only view text pages and pictures. But the media player is not ready at all, since it needs codecs to play music and videos. Therefore, it is time to install necessary programs for windows. The programs that we will consider in this article, I believe, should be installed on almost every computer running Windows 7 - 10. So let's begin.

The most necessary programs for windows 10 - 7

Archivers


1. The very first thing we must install is ARCHIVERS. On the Internet, all programs are compressed or packaged with some kind of archiver. This allows you to spend less disk space to store information on servers and transmit packets faster over the Internet. Each PC must have at least one archiver, and preferably two. First WinRar- it works very quickly and supports the ability to unzip large quantity a variety of popular archives. And the most important thing is its own, very specific, highly protected Rar format. No one has yet been able to decrypt the passwords set by this archiver.

Second archiver 7-zip. Perhaps this archiver is even more necessary than the first one. You will need it to unpack archives of the new, rapidly gaining popularity, 7z format. The archiver is very fast and provides a high compression ratio. Most of the archives on the Internet that you will have to download are just zip format, rar and 7z.

If you are working with a website and need to create archives in GZIP format, then the 7-zip archiver will provide compression 2-10% better than any other archiver.

These two archivers will help you solve almost any problem of archiving/unarchiving software packages received from the Internet.

Codecs

2. The second most important thing would probably be the installation of codecs for playing audio and video files of the most different formats, without which not a single audio/video player will work. Of all the great variety of different collections, perhaps the best, most stable and generally recognized is K-Lite Codec Pack. According to the developers, their brainchild supports about 400 audio/video formats. In addition, this package is absolutely free and contains a small but very high-quality player. Therefore, it would be a sin not to use it. Highly recommend. After installing this codec pack, all your audio/video players will play almost all media file formats.

Adobe Flash Player

3. Next important step there will be an installation Adobe Flash Player. This program is necessary for playing media files in browsers (Internet explorers) such as IE, Mozilla Firefox, Opera. It is already built-in in Google Chrome and Yandex browser.

Browsers

4. It will be important to install a whole set of browsers. I recommend installing all the popular ones, these are Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Yandex. Why so many? Can I get by with IE (Internet Explorer from Microsoft)? No, you can't do it! Any of the suggested browsers are much better than IE. Firstly, they are increasingly faster, more stable, and make it easy to manage add-ons. Why is it necessary to install everything? The point is that they are all different and have different useful features that IE does not have. Secondly, in the event of an unexpected failure of one browser, you always have another at hand.

Google Chrome integrated with Google translator. When loading foreign pages, it can automatically translate them into Russian. Translation is often sufficient to understand the content of the pages. Google Chrome can download many files at the same time.

Mozilla Firefox It’s simply not replaceable for those who create and debug websites. It has great amount various useful add-ons that other browsers do not have.

Opera one of the fastest browsers in the world. This is especially noticeable on slow Internet channels, when it uses multi-threaded downloading of pages and files, and additional compression of information on its server using special algorithms.

Yandex browser development from Yandex. Very similar to Google Chrome and compatible with its add-ons. Has some limitations. The latest versions of this browser are very fast. Overall a good browser.

There is a great add-on for all these browsers Neuron Search Tools- this extension provides the ability to simultaneously search for information on the Internet via Google and Yandex, and jointly conveniently display search results. Searching with this application becomes much more efficient. I highly recommend it for use.

File download managers

5. Fast, convenient and reliable downloading of files of any size from the Internet will be provided by the download manager Download Master . The program is free, Russian, and practically in no way inferior to paid foreign analogues. Provides multi-channel, fast download, can download files after a connection break or power outage.

SaveFrom.net application for all popular browsers. Allows you to download videos from more than 20 Internet resources. Very useful application.

Google Chrome has created many obstacles for this application to work. Now SaveFrom.net installs poorly on Google Chrome, but works great from the Internet. Enjoy it for your health. No problems were found on other browsers.

If you only need YouTube to upload videos, then there is a program for this UmmyVideoDownloader. UmmyVideoDownloader is specially designed for downloading videos from YouTube. Very comfortable and high quality item.

Programs for audio/video communication

6. To communicate on the Internet you need at least Skype. There are a lot of programs for text, audio, video communication, but most people use Skype and it has features that other programs do not have. So we definitely need to install Skype. Surely you will need it.

Text editors and processors

7. Replace the poorly functional text editor from the Windows package with a more functional one AkelPad or even more advanced Notepad++(HIGHLY RECOMMEND). Notepad++ allows you to work with a large number of documents at the same time. Remembers the situation when turned off and on next switch on restores it automatically. Allows you to follow links directly from the edited text. It is simply irreplaceable for programmers, as it recognizes code from more than 20 programming languages ​​and helps check it for errors. Detects errors in words and highlights them. Having such an editor on every PC is simply necessary.

8. To create documents of different formats and automated tables, you will need advanced text and table processor type Win Word And Win Excel from the Microsoft Office package. MS OFFICE contains many more useful programs. For example, an email client, a presentation manager, a slide show... On the Internet you can find advanced packages with many additions.

File managers

9. It will provide you with convenience in working with files file manager Total Commander. It has great functionality. The menu of the vehicle itself, the menu of necessary or frequently used programs, two independent windows. Each window can open an unlimited number of tabs, has its own FTP manager, archiver, file viewer, media player.... In general, EVERYTHING is at your fingertips! Extraordinarily comfortable and useful program. I highly recommend it to everyone!

Programs for viewing PDF files

10. Foxit Phantom required for reading documents in PDF format. The program is 10 times smaller than its analogue Adobe Acrobat, much faster and also allows you to edit PDF documents. I recommend. The program itself is paid, but it can be found for free on the Zver-DVD disk image. If you don’t need editing functions and don’t want to upload a huge image, then you can use the free analogue Foxit Reader or PDF Reader . There are a lot of programs in this class, but I think this will be enough.

Programs for removing locked files

11. Unlocker will help you unlock and delete locked files and folders that cannot be deleted in other ways. A couple more programs in this class that support the Russian language: LockHunter, IObit Unlocker . If, when trying to uninstall, you often encounter messages like “Uninstallation is impossible”, “Access denied”, “Used by another application”, “You do not have enough rights” and the like, then these programs will definitely help you.

Programs for downloading files from torrent servers

12. UTorrent- reliable, fast manager downloading files from torrent servers. Very comfortable and reliable program for downloading music, movies, disk images.... Second program MediaGet Quite new, but has approximately the same functionality. Both programs are free.

Image Viewers

13. FastStone Image Viewer - excellent, free, small, fast, easy program to view images, has the ability to edit the image file, add labels to the picture, optimizes the image code... Highly Recommend!

Quickly search files on your computer


14. Everything is designed to search for files on your computer. Incredibly fast. Displays search results when you press each letter, like hints when searching on the Internet. Highlights the found combination of letters in the names of files and folders. Displays file paths. Very fast and convenient program. Free.

The necessary programs for Windows described above, in my opinion, are the most important and necessary, and are capable of meeting the needs of a wide variety of users. I believe that these programs, or at least similar ones, should be present on every computer.

Less important programs

Programs for capturing images and videos from the screen

15. FastStone Capture- takes screenshots from the monitor screen and captures video. Can record system sound or from a microphone. The program is very small and fast. Has a lot useful little things. There are quite a lot of programs capable of efficiently performing the operation of capturing video from a monitor screen: Bandicam, HyperCam, ScreenCamera, Techsmith Snagit, UVScreen Camera, VirtualDub. They all have fairly similar functionality.

Programs in this class are all paid. Some of them have demo versions - shareware, severely stripped down with poor functionality, sometimes with inscriptions on the screen that make it difficult to watch the video.

The most important leader in this field is considered to be a highly professional Camtasia Studio . It allows you not only to capture images from the screen, but also to edit the captured videos using various effects.

Text recognition programs

16. If you have a scanner or already scanned documents or images with text, then to convert them into text format you will need a text recognition program. The best of its kind ABBYY FineReader.

Automatic Keyboard Switches

17. For those who write a lot of texts using Latin and Cyrillic alphabet a great assistant will Punto Switcher, which automatically switches the keyboard layout depending on the words you type and corrects constant errors. The program is absolutely free, developed by programmers from the Yandex laboratory.

Audio and video players

18. Music and video lovers will need a player Winamp, which has quite rare codecs in its package and is capable of playing recordings from video recorders and surveillance cameras, and also allows you to turn on several copies of the program at the same time, create playlists, adjust the sound timbre and much more.... Free.

There are a great variety of players: Daum PotPlayer, AIMP, BSPlayer, GOM Media Player, KMPlayer, iTunes, ComboPlayer, Ace Stream Media, VLC Media Player, 1by1, Media Player Classic Home Cinema, Light Alloy, TV Player Classic, QuickTime Alternative. They have a wide variety of functionality. Any user will be able to satisfy all their needs.

Windows Cleaners/Accelerators/Optimizers

19. CCleaner useful for quickly and easily cleaning the system from temporary files, from unnecessary entries in the registry, etc... The program does not have the greatest functionality, but it does the minimum required perfectly. Free. There are a great many similar and more powerful programs: Carambis Cleaner, AVG TuneUp, Wise Care 365, Advanced System Care, Glary Utilities, Auslogics BoostSpeed, Kerish Doctor, Advanced System Optimizer, System Mechanic, MAGIX PC Check & Tuning. They all have similar, but still different functionality.

If you are very concerned about the cleanliness and reliability of your Windows, then of course any one package will not be enough for you. So, as always, there are functions in other packages that you don’t have. Even just registry cleaners, everyone checks different parts of the registry and sometimes they find something like this... In general, there is a lot to choose from.

To clean the registry, along with other programs, I recommend using trashreg. This is a very small and specific program. Clears the registry of abandoned keys that many demo programs leave on the system. After such cleaning, you can install demo versions again and use their capabilities.

Recovering deleted files

Required programs for windows 10 - 7 - Power Data Recovery

20. Power Data Recovery is a simple but powerful tool for recovering deleted data. Allows you to restore:

  1. deleted files and folders;
  2. files from lost/deleted/damaged partition;
  3. data from a hard to read CD/DVD;
  4. digital media data.

I would say the program is very important, but since not everyone needs it, that’s why it’s in the second section. Here are a couple more high-quality, free representatives of similar programs: Recuva, Pandora Recovery. It must be said that there are products with higher functionality, but they are paid: Hetman Partition Recovery, R-Studio, Wondershare Data Recovery.

Graphic editor

21. Adobe PhotoShop - unsurpassed editor raster graphics. Simply a necessary tool for creating, changing pictures and adjusting photos. Required programs for windows 10 - 7 - CorelDraw

22. CorelDraw- the best vector graphics processor. Almost irreplaceable in this area. The program is not super necessary, but is necessary for creating scalable vector images.

Programs for creating animation

23. Easy Gif Animator will be needed when creating animated pictures or videos. It has the entire arsenal of functions necessary for this. Free.

Programs for working with disk images

24. Ultra ISO will be needed by those who create images of CD/DVD discs. Works with standard format ISO disk images. Allows you to create and edit simple and boot images disks. Uses third party programs for burning discs such as Burning Rum.

Programs for mounting disk images on a virtual drive


 Required programs for windows 10 - 7 - Daemon Tools

25. Daemon Tools Lite allows you to mount a CD/DVD disk image on virtual drive, which makes it possible to see how the image will work on a real drive. The program has a fairly wide functionality: Emulation of IDE drives, Emulation of DT and SCSI drives, Mounting disk images, Creating images of physical disks, Converting and editing images, Burning disks with images, data and music. Allows you to simulate a large number of different disk copy protections. Allows you to run disc games not from DVD, but from a hard drive, which makes them work much faster. Very useful utility for gamers and those who do not write images to disks, but keep them on the computer. Free.

Postal managers or clients


 Required programs for windows 10 - 7 - The Bet

26. Email clients are perhaps the most important applications in modern human computer life. Most users have several accounts in different email services. To ensure convenient management of all mail flows, mail clients have been created. I will list a dozen well-known, and perhaps the best, of the mass of email clients that are available:

The Bet- a great assistant for those who conduct active Emai correspondence. Allows you to download mail from a huge number of mailboxes and organize it into folders. Has a filter designer and much more.

Ms Outlook included in the package Microsoft programs Office. The program is very sophisticated. I would say even too much. But maybe this will all be useful to someone.

Mailbird The program is lightweight, undemanding of resources, easy to use and visually attractive.

eM Client- this email client has all the necessary basic functions.

Inky has a trial version that works for free for 14 days. It has quite extensive capabilities.

Claws Mail enough complex application intended for experienced users, who are not afraid to configure everything manually.

Zimbra Desktop- free email client with open source code. Zimbra is a cross-platform solution for Windows, Linux and Mac OS.

TouchMail- a convenient email client for owners of tablets or convertible laptops.

Thunderbird from Mozilla is a unique application. The built-in extension system allows you to increase the functionality of the client using numerous tools created by the Thunderbird community.

Programs for reading DjVu files

Required programs for windows 10 - 7 - DjVu

27. DjVu- This is one of the formats of scanned documents. It is usually used for storing and distributing books, manuscripts, and magazines in which there are many images, diagrams, drawings, and formulas. And also for storing scans of historical documents, when an accurate representation of the shade and texture of the paper is required, the most reliable display of all defects, page folds, manual marks and corrections, fingerprints, ink blots, etc.

You can view such files using the following programs: WinDjView, ICE Book Reader Professional, Evince Document Viewer, DjvuReader.

Programs for recording and processing sound

Required programs for windows 10 -7 - Audacity

28. There are also quite a lot of such programs, but perhaps the best one would be small but powerful Audacity. The program works with the mixer built into the system personal computer, and external sources sound. It is intended for recording sound files unlimited size.

Allows already recorded files:

  1. clean from interference: hissing, static noise, hum;
  2. change volume;
  3. cut into pieces and assemble as you please;
  4. and also compress.

The program is used for recording and processing digital files. As well as digitization of obsolete sound media: records and cassettes. In addition to its own AUP format, it supports a number of popular extensions. In addition to professional functionality it's also free.

All the necessary programs for Windows 7 - 10 that we reviewed in this article are mentioned in the article "". There is one note, however. Programs present on the ZverDVD disk - earlier versions can be installed on an OS of any bit depth. Many programs located on the "Zver 2016.3 Windows 8.1 Pro x64" disk have only a 64-bit version. And accordingly, they will not work on 32-bit operating systems.

If earlier computers were something inaccessible to the average person and were used by a few, now they are stationary computer systems, laptops or mobile devices, which can also be classified as computers, will not surprise anyone. There are tens of thousands of manufacturers, numbering in the hundreds, but each of them contains mandatory and necessary programs for a computer. Let's try to briefly describe what is needed for the normal functioning of any computer system.

Programs required for computer operation

If we talk about the most necessary software, first of all, you need an operating system. We will start from the fact that it is already installed.

What is the necessary set of programs for a computer? It can be roughly divided into several main categories: device drivers, software packages for system protection (antiviruses), utilities for operating the OS, applications for working with office documents, programs that provide full Internet access, archivers, packages for improving the quality of video playback or audio, as well as specialized software responsible for the advanced capabilities of computer systems.

Windows OS programs

So, let's look at the simplest computer programs. The list of Windows operating systems, unfortunately, does not meet all the requirements of modern systems. The fact is that after installing the “OS” itself, it contains minimum set, mostly focused on the use of system utilities.

In fact, it is of no interest to the average user. However, you can find something here. This applies to Windows. But, depending on the version itself operating system and hardware, not all devices may have appropriate drivers. As is already clear, the consequence is partial or complete inoperability of one or another component. That is why the correct installation the required driver is one of the priority tasks for any system.

Drivers

What programs are necessary for a computer from this point of view? First of all, a “native” utility called DirectX. IN earlier versions it was missing and had to be installed manually. Now DirectX is included in the standard set of Windows OS.

It is worth noting that this is a universal utility not only for diagnosing basic hardware or some software components. DirectX is also a program for setting up a computer and a tool for finding out the versions of device drivers. With its help, you can determine whether it is worth installing a new driver, and in general, whether it is available in the system itself.

Installing missing drivers

To do this, you can use standard Windows features. For example, "Device Manager" in Control Panel. All devices with missing or incorrectly installed drivers are marked yellow. Using the Properties menu on the tabs, you can find buttons for installing, updating and uninstalling the driver, as well as disabling the device itself.

For example, when it is disabled, the system will display a message indicating that a new device has been detected and will offer to install the appropriate software from own distribution. This doesn't always help. If the installation fails, you will have to install the driver from the original disk, any removable media, or from the Internet if the network connection is active.

Minimum list of required programs for a computer in Windows

As already mentioned, in the Windows OS itself the list of programs is very limited. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for the average user to work with what is available immediately after installing the operating system, because many tools that are so necessary for work are simply not available. Let's look at the most basic ones. Applications can be found using the sequence “Menu” / “All Programs” / “Accessories”.

Will be indicated here installed utilities, as well as the “System” folder, which contains the necessary programs for the computer that are responsible for diagnostics, maintenance, administration and system recovery.

Standard programs

As for the average user, from the entire proposed list (say, in Windows 7), at best, he may need only four applets: Paint program, Explorer, Notepad and WordPad.

However, it is worth considering that the viewer Word documents have extremely limited capabilities not only for editing the corresponding files. These applications are also not able to recognize some other formats. That is why it is worth installing additional software that can work with other types of files.

In addition, the Start menu itself contains utilities such as Internet Explorer for working in World Wide Web and Outlook Express for basic email operations.

Utilities

Among utilities included in the standard Windows set, three components are worth noting separately. The most necessary programs for a computer (not counting the others) are presented here as follows: “System Restore”, “Disk Cleanup” and “Disk Defragmenter”.

The first utility is responsible, as is already clear, for restoring the system to an earlier operational state ( control point). The second ensures removal from hard drive unnecessary or unused files and folders. The third allows you to defragment, moving frequently called programs, files and directories to the fastest areas of the hard drive, which significantly speeds up access to them.

Microsoft Office

When talking about what the necessary programs for a computer are, one cannot fail to mention such a well-known software package as Microsoft Office. You can't go anywhere without him today.

The applications included in this package allow you to work with almost all the main types known today standard documents, not counting some specific formats. Let's highlight the most basic programs:

Microsoft Word - text editor with advanced capabilities;

Microsoft Excel - table and tabular data editor;

Microsoft Power Point - presentation creation system;

Microsoft Access - a tool for working with databases;

Microsoft Outlook is an application for Email with a large functional set.

Of course, there is a lot more, but it is unlikely that an inexperienced user will use absolutely all the programs presented in the standard office suite.

Antiviruses

Now let's move on to the cornerstone. Antivirus protection has become an integral part of any system. It is no secret that there are now a huge number of viruses, as they say, for every taste. Here you have viruses, the action of which disables the system, and OS and password crackers to gain access to confidential information, and Trojan horses, and computer worms, and keyloggers, etc. It’s simply impossible to list everything. Therefore, to be completely confident in their security, every user should use antivirus packages with the latest databases. It is better if the virus signature databases are updated automatically. But this depends only on the developer and

It is clear that you can find a lot of packages in this list. There are certain choices to be made here. For example, not every free program has enough capabilities and means to prevent virus attacks or On the other hand, paid applications Not everyone can afford it. Here you can install trial versions, renewing keys (like NOD applications), or using “hacked” utilities, although this is illegal. You will have to decide for yourself which package to choose. It is worth paying attention to the fact that professional software products such as Kaspersky, although they provide maximum protection, nevertheless use the computer’s system resources to a very high extent.

However, in any case, such a program for the computer system in terms of protection is mandatory to install.

System Maintenance

In terms of services, optimization and speedup, Windows doesn't have a lot of tools. IN in this case It is better to install third-party utilities such as TuneUp Utilities, Ashampoo WinOptimizer, Advanced System Care and others. Such packages can optimize the system in 1-Click Maintenance and offer many additional modules.

In fact, any of these applications is a program for setting up a computer in terms of its system part. In some cases, it is worth installing special applications that are responsible for devices or correct removal of unused ones. However, in most cases they are paid. In general, you can install such packages only at your own peril and risk. Therefore, there is no need to do much experimentation.

Internet

Many people dislike Windows' native Internet tool (Internet Explorer). And there is a reason for it. We won't go into technical details. By at least, this browser seems too slow and inconvenient to use. That's why it is also jokingly called a tool to find and download Opera.

However, you can now find a lot of browser systems. These are, say, Opera, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Yandex Browser etc. The list can be continued almost indefinitely. Here you just need to test each application to choose the best option for yourself.

Don't forget about specialized downloaders that can speed up file downloads. This can be anything: from ordinary “Download Wizards” and programs from to practically illegal programs that work with torrent trackers.

Archivers

The archiver application is an integral part of the system, especially when the user actively uses the Internet, downloads applications, installs new ones removable media etc. It is no secret that any programs for installation on a computer are supplied in the form of a Setup installation file (sometimes with additional information files, less often in the form of dynamic libraries connected to work through hosts such as DX, VST, RTAS, AAX, etc.). But, as a rule, such files take up a lot of space. In order to save disk space, they are packaged in special archives, having a smaller size.

It is precisely archivers that allow you to extract all data from files of this type. The most famous ones here are WinRAR, WinZIP, 7-ZIP, etc. But here, as with browsers, it is better to immediately study all the capabilities of the application, and only then use it for everyday tasks.

Connecting tablets and smartphones

Regarding connection mobile gadgets, which have recently gained incredible popularity, here you can use “native” utilities that come with your smartphone or tablet. For example, for Apple devices this is iTunes, for Samsung gadgets these are programs like Samsung Kies etc.

If the software is not included in the package, you can find it on the Internet universal utilities, allowing you to work on a computer terminal or laptop with a specific device through communication via a USB connection or Bluetooth.

Multimedia

It is impossible not to say a few words about audio and video playback. The problem here is that the system does not always have special codecs and decoders responsible for correct operation with files of these types. Audio and video encoding and decoding technologies do not stand still. So it's better to install last package, containing all the means. The most simple option may become a K-Lite Codec Pack software product. That being said, universal remedy for all occasions.

However, when setting parameters in a task, you need to select all components. Perhaps some of them will not be needed, but it is not worth the risk. You never know what situations may arise.

Conclusion

It is important to understand that this article only provides short review programs and applications that are necessary for the operation of the computer or the use of its advanced capabilities. However, it is worth noting that this is a basic functional set that no one can do without. modern user. Naturally, there are still a huge number of tools that allow you not only to expand the functional base, but also to gain some convenience when working. However, as is already clear, it is simply impossible to describe them all.

The only thing that can be noted is the desired installation of funds hard partition disk on logical partitions. After all, if the system crashes, the information stored in the virtual partitions will remain unchanged. And after restoring the system, you will be able to use the saved data as if nothing had happened.

After installing the operating room Windows systems you will need programs that are designed to solve basic problems. These include the ability to watch videos, pack files into an archive, create a document, etc. About these programs we'll talk in the article.


Antivirus

Without an antivirus program it is impossible correct work in the Internet. It is able to recognize viruses, of which there are quite a lot on the Internet. As a result, the operating system will crash, which may require you to reinstall Windows.

DirectX

Game lovers especially need this program. If you are using Windows 7, it does not require separate installation. Otherwise, the utility can be easily downloaded from the official Microsoft website.

Archivers

Most applications can be found in the form of archives. To unpack them you will need archivers. They will extract the data so that the operating system will recognize it. The most common archivers include WinZip, WinRar, 7z.

Audio and video codecs

Fans of films and music will not do without using this program. Most multimedia files may simply not open. There may also be problems with sound or picture. K-Lite Codec Pack is the best set to date.

Video and music players

KMPlayer is a fast video file player. It supports the most known formats. With WinAmp it is possible to listen to various audio materials. The program supports the Russian language and guarantees fast performance. Aimp is a player similar in functionality to WinAmp.

Browsers

Immediately after installing the operating system, the Internet Explorer browser works. It is characterized on the good side, but some users still want to switch to other, more convenient options. Google Chrome is considered one of the most efficient. It is easy to use, does not overload with unnecessary information, and has many settings. Firefox, which has a large number of plugins, also functions quite quickly. Opera is a fairly well-known browser that has earned recognition from millions of users.

Skype

The program allows you to communicate at any distance. In addition, its capabilities include connecting a conference. Three or more users can join a conversation at the same time. Skype transmits not only sound, but also displays images on the screen in the form of video. The program is also suitable for sending text messages, pictures and more.

Burning applications

One of the best programs for burning discs. The most convenient and popular is Nero. It surprises not only with its high-quality work, but also with its size. CDBurnerXP makes it possible to burn discs in various formats. The program itself is quite compact. It does not take up much disk space and is available for free. Of course, you can use the program that comes with Windows 7, but it is not very convenient.

In this article we will talk about what programs you need to install on your computer first. This will be the most important set of software that must be installed on any user’s PC. This minimum will be useful for both comfortable and safe work.

For the most impatient, I will right now post a list of programs that will be discussed in this article below, and accordingly this is what what you need to install on your computer Firstly.

  • Antivirus
  • Player
  • Codecs
  • Browser
  • Torrent
  • Converter
  • Archiver
  • Record

1. Antivirus

An antivirus program is the first thing a user should install on their computer after purchasing a computer or after reinstalling the system. Nowadays, especially for a novice user, it is very easy to pick up one. All this can end in disaster, including theft of personal data.

So take care of this. The answer to the question is no. It’s different for everyone, but among the leaders we can highlight the following: Kaspersky, Avast, NOD32 and Doctor Web. And the choice is yours.

2. Player

To listen to songs and watch videos, we need a player. Of course, you can limit yourself to the standard “viewer” and “listener” of Windows Media Player, but many want something more. Therefore, choosing and installing a player is also included in this list.

One of the coolest players for watching videos is Aimp and Winamp for listening to music. Also quite popular is the JetAudio player, which can both play video and play music.

In addition to the previous point, we have codecs. To fully reproduce absolutely any audio and video formats, you need. One of the most popular codec sets is the K-Lite Codec Pack, which will help you play almost any movie and music.

4. Browser

I doubt that any of you are not connected to the Internet. Take this article for example, most likely you are reading it from your computer, which is connected to global network. Therefore, the browser is also one of the essential programs that you need to install immediately on your computer.

We won’t even talk about standard Internet Explore; it’s terrible in one word. We must install a more modern browser, for example, Mozilla or, as a last resort, Opera. This is up to your taste, I have listed for you the most popular browser programs and the really good ones.

You will need these programs to daily use. After all, most of the users, every time they spend time at the computer, listen to music and watch videos, so a normal player and codecs are simply necessary. And where would we be today without the Internet? After all, every modern person already uses it, so a fast browser is also important, and so that the time spent online does not turn out to be dangerous for the computer, you need to install a good antivirus.

5. Torrent

If you are going to download something from the Internet, then of course you need some kind of torrent client. One of the most popular programs whose purpose is to download files from torrent trackers is uTorrent. MediaGet and Zona have also spread recently. Install one of them on your computer so that you can access the necessary files in the future.

6. Converter

Often users have to convert various files. Change the format of the movie in order to download it later to your phone or convert audio to mp3 or wav. Sooner or later the program will be needed in any case. Therefore, I suggest that you get acquainted in advance with the free Format Factory program, which will convert your video or audio into absolutely any popular formats.

7. Archiver

To pack and unpack files from an archive, we need an archiver program. Quite often, when downloading files from the Internet, they end up packed into an archive, and in general, to transfer or transfer a large number of files to another computer, it’s easier to pack it all into an archive. In a word, you either need to install 7-zip so that, if necessary, you can extract files from the archive, or vice versa - pack them.

8. Recording files

Another common task for everyday users is writing files to disks. You've probably heard about a program like Nero - this is a huge package that is designed not only for, but also for working with video, audio, and so on. But for us this powerful program will not need. For our purposes - recording data on disks, a simple program will suffice, for example, Discs Studio, which I recommend to everyone who wants to record movies, music or something else onto a blank (empty disk).

On the one hand, it seems that the list is small, only 8 programs, but on the other hand, if you think about it, most of the time when working at a computer, the user needs these programs.

We surf the Internet using a browser, we have music playing in the player, the antivirus constantly protects us from malware, when downloading packed files from the network via torrent, the archiver will help us unpack them, and if something needs to be written to a disc, the installed program will come to the rescue. We also have a program for converting files that can easily change the format, size and, if necessary, turn off the computer.

So if you have a question, what programs to install on your computer, then feel free to return to this list and recommend it to everyone!

After purchasing a new computer or laptop, you will definitely need programs to solve various problems: creating text documents, watching movies, chatting with friends, etc. However, as after. After all, in that case local disk C will be formatted and all files will be deleted.

The first thing you need to do after setting up Windows and installing drivers is to protect your computer or laptop. That is, install an antivirus. It is not recommended to install other programs without it, as you may get a virus. And you may even have to reinstall Windows. Again.

There are more than enough antiviruses today. Free ones include:

  • Avast;
  • Avira;
  • Comodo Antivirus.

There is also NOD32, Dr.Web, Kaspersky Anti-Virus.

Which one is better to choose? This is a purely personal matter. Everyone chooses what he likes best. Personally, I use Kaspersky Internet Security. There are no viruses, the computer works fine. In general, I have no complaints.

Browser for comfortable gatherings on the Internet

For any Windows versions Internet Explorer (IE) is already installed by default. But the question is: who uses it? It’s not for nothing that they joke on the Internet that Internet Explorer is a browser for installing other browsers. Or maybe this is not a joke at all, because in most cases it is so: IE is launched only once in its life to install another browser - Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari.

Which is better? And again it's a matter of taste. Therefore, choose the one you like best. Unlike antiviruses, the differences between browsers are mostly purely visual. Therefore, it is not so important what exactly you choose, the main thing is that it is convenient to use.

Office suite Microsoft Office

There is also a free competitor to OpenOffice, but it is used much less often. Perhaps for the reason that many users have not even heard of its existence.

Which version is better to use? If a computer or laptop is too weak and is designed for work, then Microsoft Office 2003 will be enough. And in order to open files in .docx and .xlsx formats (they are created in the program of new versions from 2007 and higher), you only need to additionally install a compatibility package from Microsoft.

Archivers

Typically, to transfer folders with files over a network, they are packed into an archive and then transferred to the recipient. Firstly, it’s more convenient. Secondly, archivers compress files, reducing their size. But to open such an archive, you need to install this program.

Popular archivers today:

  • WinRAR;
  • WinZip;

Each of them does an excellent job, so choose any one.

Audio and video codecs

We usually watch movies and listen to music on our home computer or laptop. And in order for all video and audio formats to open without errors, you need to install a codec package.

For example, K-Lite Code Pack is popular today. There are several versions of this program, so it is best to install the full version (“Full”).

Audio and video players

The K-Lite Code Pack also has a built-in video player - Media Player. In principle, it is enough to watch movies of any format (avi, mp4, mkv).

Alternatively, you can install KMPlayer. This is also a popular video player: simple, convenient and, perhaps, the loudest (for some users this is extremely important).

There are 2 excellent programs for listening to music - Winamp and Aimp. They are quite similar, so you can install either one. If you listen to music online (VKontakte or somewhere else), then you don’t have to install the audio player.

Programs for reading PDF files

Most often, people come across PDF files during their studies (books, essays, manuals, etc.). Sometimes they slip through at work - in the form of reports, documents, etc. To open PDF files you can install Foxit Reader or Acrobat Reader. Both of them are free.

These 7 programs are enough for the average owner of a home computer or laptop.

Messengers for communication

You can communicate with friends not only through VKontakte. One of the popular programs today is Skype (by the way, it can also be installed on a smartphone). She supports text chat, as well as voice and video communication. That is, you can call your friends and see them through a web camera.

Another popular option is ICQ. It's also ICQ. Same great program for instant text messaging.

Instead of ICQ, you can also install QIP. It is simple and convenient and takes up less space than ICQ.

CD burning software

Discs are recorded quite rarely today, but still. Nero is considered a popular DVD burning program. If you don't use it often, you can install Nero Mini - it takes up less space.

Another option is CDBurnerXP. The program is free and also takes up little space.

Reading ISO Images

For those who like to play computer games, you will need a program that can open .iso or .mdf files. After all, sometimes games are recorded in these formats. In this case, Daemon Tools or Alcohol 120% are suitable.

Direct X

You will also need the latest version of Direct X to be able to play games. Where can I find it? As a rule, along with any game, a set of additional software is always included, including Direct X. Therefore, when installing the game, simply check the “Install Direct X” box.