In our previous article, we have presented the best free antivirus softwares for Windows 7 which was appreciated by our readers.Few days before, I got a mail from one of my regular reader who told me to write a article on best free softwares for windows 7 which are essential when you purchase your new Windows 7 copy. So, in this article, I am gathering best free programs for Windows 7 that I have tested personally and would not hesitate in recommending them to the users.
These softwares are result of developers – they work hard to create such amazing free softwares that works well and do the job pretty efficiently. These all free Windows 7 softwares stands out in terms of quality and will fulfill pretty much of all your computing needs.
I believe these options are must have softwares for Windows 7 to complete all your day-to-day computing needs and you should download right away after installing your Windows 7. Alternatively, you can check our super-cool collection of Top 10 free softwares offered by Microsoft company itself.
And for now, have a look on SaveDelete’s compilation of 15 must have free software programs for your Windows 7.
1) GIMP : You already have spend bucks to purchase WIndows 7 and why again want to spend large amount of money on Photoshop. GIMP comes in rescue, it a versatile graphics manipulation package. It is a gem for professionals who can’t afford Photoshop Suite.
2) Microsoft Security Essentials : Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure — when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple. For more details and how to download MSE, you can check our article totally dedicated on MSE. Alternatively, you check our latest collection of best free antivirus softwares for Windows 7.
3) RocketDock : RocketDock is a smoothly animated, alpha blended application launcher. It provides a nice clean interface to drop shortcuts on for easy access and organization. With each item completely customizable there is no end to what you can add and launch from the dock. Now with added Taskbar support your minimized windows can appear as icons on the dock. This allows for better productivity and accessibility.
4) 7 – Zip : 7 – Zip archive utility is available as open source and is free to use. 7Z is fast, efficient and free.
5) VLC Media Player : The media player that fills all your needs. It can handle DVDs, (S)VCDs, Audio CDs, web streams, TV cards and much more. You don’t need to keep track of a dozen codec packs you need to have installed. VLC has all codecs built-in. It comes with support for nearly all codec there is.
6) Mozilla Firefox : Mozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. Latest Firefox features include tabbed browsing, spell checking, incremental find, live bookmarking, a download manager,private browsing, etc. And Firefox add-ons will add mostly any functionality you’ll need.
7) CCleaner : CCleaner is the number-one tool for cleaning your Windows PC. It protects your privacy online and makes your computer faster and more secure. Easy to use and a small, fast download.
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8 ) CDBurnerXP : CDBurnerXP is a free application to burn CDs and DVDs, including Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. Though it includes XP in name but works like a charm in Windows 7. It also includes the feature to burn and create ISOs, as well as a multilanguage interface. Everyone, even companies, can use it for free. It does not include adware or similar malicious components.
9) Fences : Fences is originally “Desktop Icon Organizer”. It ss a program that helps you organize your desktop and can hide your icons when they are not in use.Clean and organize your desktop by creating shaded areas which become movable and sizable containers for your icons. Double click blank spaces on your desktop and all your fences will fade out, and back. 
10) Digsby : Digsby is a multiprotocol IM client. e-mail notification tool, social networking tool that lets you chat with all your friends on AIM, Facebook, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, Google Talk, and Jabber with one simple to manage buddy list. If you want a multi-client IM which is light on resources, you can try another great option which is absolutely free – Pidgin.
11) Mozilla Thunderbird : Thunderbird is e-mail client that is flexible to suit your personality, to give you the features you need, and to fit your work style. Change how Thunderbird looks or add as many features as you want.
12) NotePad ++ : Windows 7 makes no improvement to the default Notepad application. Notepad++ is a free (as in “free speech” and also as in “free beer”) source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages.
13) OpenOffice : OpenOffice, a popular open-source suite, is a great alternative to expensive Microsoft Office suite.
14) Windows Live Essentials : Windows Live Essentials includes free programs from Microsoft for photos, movies, instant messaging, e‑mail, blogging, family safety, and more. Get them all in one download and get more done with Windows.
15) Winamp : The free customizable Winamp media player that plays mp3 + other audio files, syncs your iPod, subscribes to Podcasts and more.
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Hay this is very nice dude. After formate if we c this page it is more than enough to maintain PC. Many people know all these but nice to see all those at a single place
From this article i just came to know about a new software i.e ” Fences ” thank’s for nice post.
I agree with everything except Firefox. Google Chrome is the fastest growing browser for a reason. It gains about 1% of the market per month and that is because it is smoking fast, streamlined and very appealing to the eye. Way faster than FF. An awesome browser.
I’m starting to HATE Firefox myself. If it weren’t for a couple of extensions I would stop using it completely
Google has bought a lot of free software products from their developers.
If the did not buy them they paid to get “install google Chrome” checkbox bundled into free software installers. By default when you install such free software (e.g. Avast antivirus) Google Sh%t Chrome installs itself. this is where the 1% growth comes from. Personaly If I did not have to test the websites with Chrome I would not install/use it. This is really the worst web browser out there. I am web dev and I know what I am talking about… I spend 15 hours a day on computer. For browsing I use Opera. for web development I use Firefox. Then when website is ready I test IE7,8,9 , Safari and Chrome. The problem is even if you don’t want to have Chrome You will have to install it… if not bundled with other “free” software then because it is required to for example open google specific websites/tools. If you did not notice – Google has taken over internet and I am not talking about Google Search Engine – which is great, but they literaly bought everything that was worth buying (software and websites/web services), they control over 90% of advertisement income in internet. That it why I hate them. Chrome and Android OS started as Opensource development projects with Google support, not they are owned and with Google trademark. The best antispam system – reCaptcha was bought by Google. In 2 years you will not be able to do anything without having gmail account and google spying on your browsing queries.
Yes, I agree with you. Nothing beats Google Chrome in speed, not even IE9.
I regularly use Notepad++ to edit my CSS, HTM templates. This Notepad++ is the best one i can prefer and for C and C++ i use Dev.
I’d drop Winamp and get Foobar instead!
Awesome collection
great shot of openoffice running in ubuntu
I agree with everything except Digsby. Pidgin is so much better!
i love window 7 so mush and this list is useful to me,thank you guy.
Another one I can’t live with out on a Windows box.. Launchy !! http://www.launchy.net/
excellent you really wanted software
Personally, I like imgburn much more than CDBurnerXP. You get a lot more advanced features.
good collection of apps
great works man keep it up
Digbsy does dirty things and shouldn’t be recommended.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digsby#Privacy_and_Other_Concerns
No doubt !!!!
Good call man!! Screw the Digsby people! That shit pisses me off. People who do that should be slapped and their software taken away and put in the hands of a less shady people. Scumbags.
Again… good call.
I’d recommend Pidgin instead of Digsby due to the whole distributed computing fiasco — http://lifehacker.com/5336382/digsby-joins-the-dark-side-uses-your-pc-to-make-money
For some Gimp might be too complicated. If that’s the case use Paint.net:
http://getpaint.net/
forget winamp, go for media monkey.
i don’t need digsby or pidgin or anything else for IM, but I do regularly use irfanview for photo viewing as it is so fast and covers pretty well all image types.
rocketdock and fences look like just a waste of time and processor cycles to me.
Kantaris seems to have picked up where VLC left off to play music and video files.
pdf-xchange is a great free app to annotate normal pdfs.
Even Microsoft doesn’t recommend using CCleaner, easiest way to bust up your registry.
DO NOT USE CCLEANER
I’ve used CCleaner for years without issues. It’ll only mess things up if you don’t know what you’re doing.
I use ASC4. It is much better that CClearner.
Great article, very informative!
Thanks
Picasa for photo management. Even my wife can figure it out.
Great collection, very useful for me.Thanks.
There were a few applications on the list I hadn’t heard of before. Another application that can probably be added is Smart Defrag: a disk defragmenter application. It can be downloaded from download.com
I am already using 5 programs from the list. Thanks for sharing.
Personally, Fences is the best Windows tool to come up for a long time. Saved me A LOT of hassles
Thanks for sharing, but :
Dekibulle (http://dekibulle.free.fr/index.php?lang=en) > Winamp !
i agree with everything exept firefox and thuderbird they can go die in a hole. let google chorme live.
I would add a few:
Revo Uninstaller
Picasa
Auslogics Defrag
Malwarebytes
Filezilla
Handbrake
I think there should also a data windows data recovery software for windows 7 . The software which I trust is Stellar Phoenix windows data recovery software
We entered to a program as Bayilik Franchise Program. This infos made help us for improve our program. We will send our software for your review.
7-zip is such a good program. Thanks for the list, their are a couple of the programs that i hav not heard of before but ill try them out now.
nice lady
Like the others, I’m having difficulties too with Firefox, anyway, thanks for the compilation. Keep posting!
I am a huge launchy fan. I use that more than any app through the day. It is so much quicker than opening apps through the Start Menu Lol because I end up using it for everything. Though executor may be a better app because you can quickly search history and other options. Launchy uses much less resources than Executor though.
From your list of free software I currently use: GIMP, VLC Media Player, Winamp and Open Office. I am taking a look at RocketDock and Fences. They both seem great and I will surely give them a try. Thanks!
Not sure if anyone’s pointed this out, but CCleaner is now a pay-for-download program. Shame; I need something like that. Do you know of any other freeware PC cleaners?
Sarah, you only pay if you want priority support. Otherwise, it is free.
Picasa 3 is AMAZING!!! I had 900 pictures and now they are all orginized by face and a tag.
Thanks so much ….this was the biggest help and saved me just a ton of time doing research.
Great collection, very useful for me.Thanks.
Good collection!!
Great post !!
CDBurnerXP is my top pick. It’s fantastic that we have these quality free burning applications now.
You could have mentioned that Rocket Dock does not work with Windows 7 64 bit, which most all new PCs come with.
I have been using CCleaner for years on my customers computers. It’s a great free program to clean the junk out of your computer.
I haven’t tried Fences yet but just by looking at it, it reminds me of Windows 3.11
I would say foobar is a much better alternative then winamp. Its light, provides good searching ability, is light and most importantly free and open source
Great blog right here! Additionally your website rather a lot up very fast! What host are you using? Can I get your associate hyperlink in your host? I want my website loaded up as quickly as yours lol
I prefer chrome to mozilla firefox,,so firefox for me and Notepad++ is a must have editor for me
Thanks for this great article. I knew about some of them, but it’s great to learn about some more which I’m sure will improve my overall experience!
It is truly a nice and useful piece of info. I’m glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
This is a great list. I would also add Chrome as a browser, rather than Firefox. FF was the best back when this article was published, but Chrome has taken over in speed and functionality.
Thanks for the great post!
I agree with that all the softwares are important except Microsoft security essentials,,the software is not at par with any security softwares one can find online,,i would honestly advice others to use free antivirus like avira..
Other than that i prefer chrome to firefox