Windows 10 is the latest and greatest operating system to be released by Microsoft. In a previous article, we mentioned how all of the major flaws in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 have been ironed out in version 10. Microsoft have also listed to their user base and completely revamped the start menu to what is now considered by most to be very user-friendly.
Despite all of these improvements, there are still a few weak points in the Windows 10 operating system that make the 10 programs listed in this article a necessity for any computer running Windows 10. Yes, there have been some major Windows 10 updates since it’s release, but these programs are still important to keep you headache free.
Productivity
1. Open Office
Open office is the free equivalent of the Microsoft Office suite. Open office comes with everything that you need to stay productive including a word processing package and a spreadsheet program. The suite is completely open source and free of cost.
Download Link:
https://www.openoffice.org/download/index.html
Windows 10 Compatibility:
Although not officially supported, the latest version (4.1.2) has been certified as fully working by the OpenOffice community.
2. Dropbox
A modern Windows system is not complete without some cloud storage and Dropbox does the job perfectly. Dropbox is free for use as long as you stay under the 2GB default storage limits – you can get more storage easily by referring friends or by upgrading to the professional version which comes with 1TB.
Dropbox allows you to seamlessly store all of your important data in the cloud – this makes it accessible from anywhere (including from your phone when using the Dropbox mobile app) and also ensures that your data is safe even if your PC were to fail.
Download Link:
https://www.dropbox.com/en/
Windows 10 Compatibility:
Fully supported and compatible with Windows 10.
3. Gimp 2.8
The Gimp is a fantastic image editing program available for Windows. The program is comparable to the likes of Adobe Photoshop but without the expensive price tag – in fact without any price tag as it is totally free and built on open source technologies.
The Gimp is easy to install and can be used to edit photos or to create graphics and other artwork from scratch. The Gimp is a great addition to anyone’s Windows 10 computer regardless of whether you are a professional photo editor or just someone with the need to edit the occasional photograph.
Download Link:
http://www.gimp.org/downloads/
Windows 10 Compatibility:
Version 2.8 is fully certified as compatible by Microsoft.
Internet Apps
4. Google Chrome
Windows 10 comes pre-installed with Internet Explorer Edge – whilst this browser does have some really noticeable improvements in speed when compared to previous versions of Internet Explorer it still has some issues. There is also a very limited amount of support for Internet Explorer Edge at the time of writing.
Google offers a great alternative in the Chrome Internet browser – it is a totally free browser and offers a super-fast surfing experience as well as some other handy features such as synchronizing your preferences across multiple devices.
Download Link:
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95346?hl=en-GB
Windows 10 Compatibility:
Google Chrome is fully compatible with Windows 10, but lately Chrome has been acting up and causing problems for many people.
5. Skype
Skype from Microsoft allows you to communicate with friends and family through a variety of methods including text, voice and video chat.
Skype is easy to install, free to use and also allows you to make completely free phone calls to other Skype users. Even if you decide to call landlines or mobile phones with Skype, the rates are very competitive compared to other phone service providers.
Download Link:
http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-computer/
Windows 10 Compatibility:
Fully supported and compatible with Windows 10.
6. Mozilla Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird is a Windows email client that will replace the built-in Windows Mail program. Thunderbird is very easy to set up and use, has great support for most popular email services and is a completely free alternative to other popular clients such as Microsoft Outlook.
Download Link:
https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/thunderbird/
Windows 10 Compatibility:
Fully supported and compatible with Windows 10.
Security and maintenance
7. AVG Antivirus
Virus protection is absolutely vital for your Windows 10 PC or laptop, and AVG antivirus offers comprehensive protection whilst also being completely free of cost. The software is easy to install and will actively protect you against the latest threats as well as allowing you to perform scheduled and manual scans.
AVG also offer several paid editions of their product for those who want a more comprehensive level protection as well as priority support.
Download Link:
http://free.avg.com/gb-en/homepage
Windows 10 Compatibility:
Fully supported and compatible with Windows 10.
8. Malware Bytes
No antivirus program will pick up every threat and Malware Bytes works alongside AVG or any other virus protection program and allows you to run manual scans of your system. Malware Bytes often picks up issues that are missed by other antivirus providers.
Malware bytes can be downloaded for free, but they also have a paid version that includes real-time monitoring and other features.
Download Link:
https://www.malwarebytes.org/mwb-download/index.html
Windows 10 Compatibility:
Fully supported and compatible with Windows 10.
9. CCleaner
CCleaner from Piriform is a system maintenance program that will help to keep your Windows 10 computer running as fast as it should. CCleaner clears out temporary files from your system as well as removing entries from the Windows Registry when they are no longer required.
Running CCleaner regularly on your Windows 10 computer will keep it fast, responsive and also increase the amount of free storage space on the system.
Download Link:
https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download
Windows 10 Compatibility:
Fully supported and compatible with Windows 10.
10. Autoruns
For those who want a little more insight into the running of their Windows 10 computer Autoruns from Microsoft is a great tool that allows you to monitor all of the files and programs that start up with your PC.
This tool is really handy if you have startup errors or if you want to ensure that no malicious programs are running in the background.
Autoruns even integrates with Virus Total to check your start up programs against multiple online virus databases to ensure that they are malware free and safe to use.
Download Link:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx
Windows 10 Compatibility:
Fully supported and compatible with Windows 10.