Discussion New OS install, what programs to install immediately?

m1nty

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Mar 5, 2018
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You just installed a new clean slate of Windows 10. What programs do you immediately go and download, if anything?

Normal to me is the browser that I like to use - Chrome, some sort of anti-virus - Norton, and if I have an Office subscription/license, I'll add that.

Any specific PC monitoring programs - fans, temp, LEDs?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
After the antivirus (BitDefender), I use ninite.com, and select several.

Chrome, Firefox, irfanview, VLC, Notepad++, Malwarebytes, Steam, a few others.
ninite gives you a single small download exe, which installs all that you have selected.

After that, all my main applications.
 

m1nty

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Mar 5, 2018
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After the antivirus (BitDefender), I use ninite.com, and select several.

Chrome, Firefox, irfanview, VLC, Notepad++, Malwarebytes, Steam, a few others.
ninite gives you a single small download exe, which installs all that you have selected.

After that, all my main applications.
You like VLC over GOM?
 

m1nty

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Can you tell us why you like GOM and give a link?

https://www.gomlab.com/gomplayer-media-player/

GOM just worked well when I was playing MKV files. I've had VLC and GOM, and while VLC looked more sleek, GOM just worked for me a majority of the time in all formats of media that I had. The annoying notification and continuous updates do get a little annoying. GOM also allows me to open multiple instances; I am unsure whether VLC allows this, but I would assume so as well. Various guides seem to put each player in top 5 list, so I was just wondering what made you navigate to that player instead.
 
MSI Afterburner and IntelXTU for monitoring.
Does AMD have an app similar to Intel XTU?

@m1nty - install benchmarking tools such as 3d Mark and Passmark and what ever else you like so you can get a baseline of your new system now and compare later should you install upgraded hardware, overclock or if your system in 2 years seems to slow down. I like CoreTemp for CPU and Memory usage and temperature monitoring and its freeware and mostly not annoying to use on a daily basis as you can make it live in the notification icon area when minimized.
 

EyyMunchian

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Does AMD have an app similar to Intel XTU?

@m1nty - install benchmarking tools such as 3d Mark and Passmark and what ever else you like so you can get a baseline of your new system now and compare later should you install upgraded hardware, overclock or if your system in 2 years seems to slow down. I like CoreTemp for CPU and Memory usage and temperature monitoring and its freeware and mostly not annoying to use on a daily basis as you can make it live in the notification icon area when minimized.
For Ryzen there is Ryzen Master, but AMD Overdrive works with all.
 
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Colif

Win 11 Master
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if its a new system, benchmarks make sense to me as we all want to check out new gear, but on a pre existing system, I wouldn't bother with them overly as PC isn't going to be any faster than it was originally (unless you upgraded parts)

A new browser is usually first thing I install, then AV if I am using a 3rd party one and then Office. If its on my current PC, the next step would be download steam and point client at my games library so it doesn't download anything again.
 

m1nty

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Mar 5, 2018
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Does AMD have an app similar to Intel XTU?

@m1nty - install benchmarking tools such as 3d Mark and Passmark and what ever else you like so you can get a baseline of your new system now and compare later should you install upgraded hardware, overclock or if your system in 2 years seems to slow down. I like CoreTemp for CPU and Memory usage and temperature monitoring and its freeware and mostly not annoying to use on a daily basis as you can make it live in the notification icon area when minimized.

Thanks. I just picked up CoreTemp. PassMark isn't freeware?
 
OK....Installing a fresh copy of W10 for the wife, I followed a similar path as I did back in the 90's (updating for newer versions hitting the market):

One or both of the StarOffice Descendants: LibreOffice | OpenOffice
Notepad++
GnuCash
VLC
Chrome & Opera & FireFox
ThunderBird
Lightning (Formerly SunBird)
Filezilla Client
TrueCrypt
HandBrake
Audacity
Pixelitor
GIMP
Scribus
Dia
Inkscape
Blender_3D
IrfanView
SpyBot
ClamWin
HealthMonitor

From there, it branches-out, depending on whose machine is getting the new install.
 
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