Essential Apps

[DaddyTorgo]

So I go home tonight and I get to bust out the factory-restore disks and basically start over with my laptop. Wondering what people think are the essential apps.

1. AVG
2. Comodo Firewall
3. FF w/ extensions

etc

Wondering if anybody has any favorites as far as launchers/shell replacements/whatever else that they want to nominate?

Freeware vastly preferred.

[PackerFanatic]

VLC

[Fidatelo]

Foxit Reader for PDFs.

[DaddyTorgo]

I've always pretty much pieced stuff together after-the-fact, and I'd love to use this opportunity to set it all up straight from the get-go.

[Flasch186]

WWSM

[DaddyTorgo]

WWSM :lol:

I might install that before I install AVG + Comodo, that's how important it is. Although, if my savegame files are gone and not recoverable (I'm not sure ATM), I may just wait for the beta demo of 2009. I've been pondering doing that, because really -- how many years of gametime could I get through. And I'd cry if I was unable to follow the exploits of Fikret Yuksel, Andre Scherz, and whatever-the-fuck-his-name-is who I signed from OM, some stud young african striker. Not to mention Soloman Ejiofer my Nigerian/British GK.

[sterlingice]

I go with the following:

Firefox - Of course
AVG Antivirus - Again, obvious
Zonealarm Firewall - Again, obvious
Adaware/Spybot/HiJack This- Usually all 3
ZipGenius- Freeware zip client
Some sort of email client- Outlook/other
Some sort of office client- MS Office/Open Office/Other
Some sort of IM client- Trillian is my preference
Some sort of media player
Some sort of photo/image software

Then there's the "optional" stuff like:
-Printer software/drivers
-Digital camera software/drivers

(and that's just a start)

Actually, the order usually goes as follows:
Windows updates, avg, and zonealarm so things are locked down (reboot after each item)
Then Firefox so I don't have to use IE
Then the "necessary" stuff like drivers, camera software, etc.
Then applications that are more "optional" like Office, email, etc

SI

[Fidatelo]

You might also be interested in checking out the Google Pack, which covers most of the basics in one nice download.

[MJ4H]

Avira Anit-vir
ePrompter
Codestuff Starter
Process Explorer
Blackbox for Windows
Open Office
iTunes
Ultra Explorer
UltraMon
Firefox
Miranda IM

[Pumpy Tudors]

I don't run any antivirus software. HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!

[RendeR]

*Unloads on PumPy*

[fantom1979]

*Unloads on PumPy*

ummm yeah, i didnt realize it was like that

[DaddyTorgo]

yay - 2am and windows+hp stuff is finally all installed - guess it'll be tomorrow before i can play with DLing stuff...

[DaddyTorgo]

Haha by the time I got time with XP Service Pack 3 and all the hotfixes and the new video card drivers and flashing a new BIOS it was 3am.

[DaddyTorgo]

freeware password managers anyone?

[Fidatelo]

KeePass

[Oilers9911]

AVG has been doing some funny things for a few people I know after their latest updates like the update server being down or it interfering with other apps. Anyone else experience this? I use Avast! AV myself.

[Alan T]

AVG has been doing some funny things for a few people I know after their latest updates like the update server being down or it interfering with other apps. Anyone else experience this? I use Avast! AV myself.


My wife's system has AV installed on it (I don't use it on mine since I kind of work for a competitor company), and the auto-updates have failed constantly recently. If you go in manually and tell it to update though it works about 70% of the time at least. She hasn't mentioned anything else funny though. (other than one webpage on Bank of america's site that crashes when AV is loaded.)

[Fidatelo]

I'm like Pumpy, I go bareback. I can't stand the way anti-virus programs slow down my PC.

[Neon_Chaos]

VLC

+1

VLC Media Player is an application I can't live without.

[3ric]

AVG has been doing some funny things for a few people I know after their latest updates like the update server being down or it interfering with other apps. Anyone else experience this? I use Avast! AV myself.

Switched from AVG awhile ago to Avast! and haven't had cause to regret it since.

SlowView for picture viewing
XnView for basic picture editing
Metapad for text editing
Google Desktop for searching the harddrive as well as the 'Net
Picasa for picture cataloging

[FrogMan]

IrfanView for picture viewing

FM

[Schmidty]

Stumble Upon!

I couldn't stay awake at work without it.

[weegeebored]

Sandboxie is an essential app for me and not one that many people have heard of.

hxxp://www.sandboxie.com/

[PackerFanatic]

+1

VLC Media Player is an application I can't live without.

You see they got an upgrade out now? I haven't had a chance to DL it, but it sounds like the bee's knees.

[DaddyTorgo]

feel free to keep em coming

last night i threw firewall + antivirus +firefox on and discovered that WWSM was installed on my secondary disk so I still have my 20+ year career - yeah that was the end of productivity system-wise last night

[sterlingice]

+1

VLC Media Player is an application I can't live without.

+2 Also a fan

SI

[gstelmack]

I'm like Pumpy, I go bareback. I can't stand the way anti-virus programs slow down my PC.

Honestly, with the way malware has been going (and better at doding the virus scanners) and all the things these scanners keep doing to my system to keep up, I'm in the same boat. Keep my computer behind a router and watch where I go and what I do (like not clicking on E-Cards).

Heck, everyone raves about Kaspersky's low footprint, and it lasted all of a week on my machine because of slowdowns.

[Fidatelo]

Kaspersky is the worst offender of them all in my opinion! It is supposed to auto-install over the network onto all of our work machines by default, but for whatever reason it has never noticed my machine, and you better believe I've never pointed that out...

[Fidatelo]

Dola...

I should add it hasn't noticed it since I re-imaged the thing to get Kaspersky off the first time :)