Free Software We Recommend
A short list of tools we install for customers all the time. All of them legitimately free, none of them "free" in the bundleware-toolbar sense.
Geek Uninstaller
Replaces Windows' built-in Add/Remove Programs. Actually finds the registry leftovers and orphan files that the built-in uninstaller leaves behind. Portable — no install needed. geekuninstaller.com
Bitwarden
Open-source password manager. Free for unlimited devices and unlimited passwords. Optional $10/year premium adds TOTP support and encrypted file storage. See our password managers guide for the full case. bitwarden.com
VLC Media Player
Plays any video or audio file format you'll ever encounter. Set it as the default for video and you'll never need to install another codec. videolan.org
7-Zip
Extracts .zip, .7z, .rar, .tar.gz — basically every archive format. Also creates them. The Windows built-in zip handler is slow and limited; replace it. 7-zip.org
Notepad++
Better than Notepad. Tabs, syntax highlighting, find-and-replace across files. If you ever edit a config file, install this. notepad-plus-plus.org
BleachBit
Privacy-focused alternative to CCleaner. CCleaner has gotten increasingly bundleware-y over the years — BleachBit is open source, no nag screens, no upsell. bleachbit.org
Firefox or Brave
Alternatives to Chrome if you care about ads or tracking. Brave blocks ads by default; Firefox is more flexible if you want to tune your own privacy settings. Either is a solid daily-driver browser.
One thing to avoid
"Driver updater" utilities. Almost all of them are scareware that finds fake "outdated drivers" and pressures you into a paid version. Windows Update handles drivers fine for 99% of hardware.