Which free software to pick for your Windows PC

Mozilla Firefox covers browsing and access to web services. It suits you if you are after an open-source browser with profile management and extensions. Check the version of Windows requested and the synchronization settings you intend to use. A service consulted in the browser may keep its own fees or access conditions.

7-Zip lets you create and extract archives in several formats. Its value shows when you exchange sets of files or recover a compressed folder. Choose a format accepted by your recipients and check the space required for extraction. Reading RAR files does not mean the program creates this format.

To play audio and video files, VLC media player offers a player separate from the production tools. Put the tracks, subtitles and formats you usually use to the test. Compatibility also rests on the content and its state. A free player does not by itself provide access rights to a protected stream.

LibreOffice brings together tools for texts, tables and presentations. It can cover office needs without a software subscription. Documents exchanged with other suites, however, call for a check of functions, macros and layout. Put a full edit-and-save cycle to the test before moving collective work.

GIMP answers image retouching and composition with layers and selection tools. It takes on its meaning when you want to modify a visual precisely. Check your working formats and your export habits. Opening a file from another editor does not guarantee the retention of all its own functions.

Krita is aimed in particular at digital painting and illustration. Its brushes and its workspace answer a need other than simply viewing images. Put the tablet, the dimensions of the canvas and the number of layers planned to the test. A small test drawing does not weigh like a large detailed illustration.

OBS Studio serves to record or broadcast compositions of audio and video sources. Prepare a simple scene and check the image as well as the sound in a test recording. Performance rests on the hardware and the encoding settings. Installing the program does not by itself create an account or access on a broadcasting platform.

Notepad++ suits plain-text files, scripts and various configurations. It adds editing functions without replacing a layout suite. Check the encoding when you exchange files and choose extensions as your needs require. Keep a copy before modifying a configuration on which another program depends.

calibre helps organize a library of digital books and work on their metadata. It can also convert supported formats when the content allows it. Check the result on your reading device. The presence of a conversion function does not guarantee the processing of books protected by digital restrictions.

BleachBit offers to delete selected categories of temporary data. Its preview helps examine the elements concerned before the action. It is used when you have a precise cleaning objective, not as a general guarantee of speed. Some removed data will have to be recreated or downloaded again the next time you use the apps.

CCleaner Free corresponds to the free edition of a range that also includes paid offers. Check the functions actually present in this edition and examine the categories before a cleanup. Do not assume that a benefit put forward for a commercial plan belongs to the free download. The effects rest on the files and settings chosen on your own computer.

Everything lets you search for files mainly from their names. It becomes useful when your tree is vast or scattered. Its index is not to be confused with a complete analysis of the text of documents. Check the indexed volumes and the service's operating conditions before concluding that a file is missing.

SumatraPDF concentrates on consulting documents, PDFs among them. It suits you when you are after a reader rather than a full editor. Choose the package suited to your Windows architecture and put the usual documents to the test. The functions required to modify content or carry out complex document preparation call for another tool.

Paint.NET can serve to modify images with common layers and adjustments. The classic download is free, while the Microsoft Store version is paid. Check the hardware requirements of the current version before making it a tool for any old PC. Its license does not rank it among open-source software.

MediaMonkey organizes an audio library and its metadata. It suits you if your need goes beyond the occasional playback of a music file. The free Standard Edition and the Gold offer do not include exactly the same functions; certain encoding uses also call for a check. Try the organization on a limited copy of your library before modifying many files.

AdwCleaner targets adware and certain potentially unwanted programs in particular. It belongs to a different diagnosis than the usual deletion of temporary files. Examine the detections and the proposed actions before confirming. This tool should not pass for a universal replacement of system protection or for an automatic accelerator.

ScreenToGif lets you prepare a short animated explanation for free from an area of the screen. You can edit the images and their duration before sharing the result. It is useful when a few seconds show a maneuver better than a long text. Keep a resolution suited to the recipient: a large animation can become hard to transmit, even when the capture software is free.

PDF Arranger suits assembling supporting documents for free, removing a page or putting a document back in the right order. You work on the pages visible as thumbnails, without buying a full PDF editor for this operation alone. It does not, however, replace the text rewriting or character recognition functions. Save a copy and check the final document before sending it.

Notepad3 lets you modify text and technical files for free without opening an office suite. It suits small configuration fixes, searches within a document and reading code with syntax highlighting. The result stays plain text: the laid-out tables and styles of a word processor answer another need. Check the encoding and the extension before saving.