Free Essential Applications for Windows

There are many freeware applications out there but very few are actually useful on almost every single computer. This a list that I have compiled for personal use to share for everyone else; all applications here are free and will remain free as all the developers have stressed the importance of having high-quality free applications.

7-Zip
Usefulness: Very High.
I used to use WinZip but was tired of all the popups from it being a demo. It was annoying and the compression wasn't amazing either. Then I found 7-zip. This program uses very little memory and adds the ability for all menus to have 7-zip options (if you desire to have such options) such as compression into many different formats. This is extremely handy for any developer or user who needs to deal with high volumes of compressed files; of course, it's always nice to have the ability to compress and uncompress files whenever you want.

Audacity
Usefulness: Medium.
This program is more for anyone who has any need to edit audio files. Although it is specific, it is excellent for what it does. You can drag and drop parts of audio to create new files and offers excellent format change. Although it can be a little faster in converting files, the ease of use is all that matters. If you have a desire to edit audio, I would recommend this, especially if you want to simply lower the bit-rate of a file.

ClamWin Anti-virus
Usefulness: High.
If you don't want to pay for an expensive anti-virus program, this will work as an alternative. However, if you do things that need to be constantly watched (like visiting sites that you shouldn't be visiting), then this program won't help much. ClamWin does not offer real-time scanning; however, it can detect when something is written on the computer and scan the areas around it. Or if simply need to check your computer once a week to ensure it's clean, this will work perfectly.

Firefox
Usefulness: Very High.
If you don't have this, get it. If you already have this, good man.

OpenOffice
Usefulness: Very High.
Microsoft Office Suite costs too much. Everyone knows this but very few know any alternatives. Well here's the best of the best: Open Office, an absolutely free Office Suite that gives all the things the base Microsoft Office Suite gives. If you use Microsoft Office, then you can get rid of that memory hogging application and use this, offering nearly the same options, more formats and (I think) a better feel. If you own a computer, install this instead of the other stuff and you'll be happy about that decision.

Paint.NET
Usefulness: High.
Anyone who uses MSPaint will benefit from this. Although it uses more memory than MSPaint, it offers literally hundreds more features. Comparable to The Gimp and Photoshop, Paint.NET offers a much better alternative because of how easy it is to use. You can quickly change colors, brush and formats without having to worry about not being able to see your work. Overall, highly recommended for just about every computer!

VLC
Usefulness: High.
What's really useful about this program is you can play DVDs without a DVD Decoder! Other than that, it's pretty much like any other media player, except it still uses far less memory and and has a very basic, but well organized, graphical user interface. If your computer is used for media at all, this will program will be excellent for you. And of course, if you need a DVD Player but don't want to buy a DVD Decoder, just use this program!