Suggestions for useful programs for Windows

I'm getting to the point now where I document my desktop like I do a server I would setup at work. Basically it usually ends up being a word document in a folder with all the apps I installed. This is how I get up and running again as quick as possible. Typically it involves a huge list of open source programs, funny little utilities that I forget about until I need them, cli utilities that I add to my path so I can execute them from a command prompt or batch scripts (which are also backed up), and libraries and run time environments needed to run the various apps installed (.NET, DirectX, Java, etc). Then if I'm really on top of things I image the machine.

Before I did this everytime I would reload my machine I would forget something until I had a task to perform. Something like dumping a game, editing a picture, or video encoding and would be missing applications and utilities that were needed for me to do it, and spend the next hour setting it back up.

 

ZoneAlarm is still notoriously known for locking up the pc, when you uninstall the program/firewall.

But for facebook, if you do not want to see ads and shit, there are F.B. Purity is also a good option.

For viewing images Irfanview is simple, but straight forward and its plugin pack is great too. Just unclick the shit that the Irfanview installer begs you to install. XnView is smashing great too, if you need to watermark your images and so forth.

 

Zonealarm, that is.............retro, haven't even heard of it in years. For 90% of the users out there the windows firewall is enough, but if you need more get comodo, its pretty good and has configs for everything.

Anyways, good news everybody! I found a program that does compile a list of all your programs, and can even reinstall them as well!

.................but its for Linux, WTF m$ft? even a FREE OS is easier to use than your shit? unbelievable, and now there are rumors that win9 will be subscription-based, I shit you not.

Dude gaben just get your shit together with steamOS so I can uninstall windows forever.

 

I've used Belarc advisor in the past to generate a list of installed programs.

 

That's a good program, too (I've used it at times). IIRC, Comodo Programs Manager and IObit Uninstaller has the ability to do so as well.

 

I really enjoy WizMouse for the simple fact that it gives me proper window background scrolling for "out of focus" windows.