If you got a new Windows 10 PC, you've probably been busy setting it up. A big part of that is downloading free apps to help you get started, from a Web browser to media player. The options for those are fairly obvious and well-known at this point: programmes like Google Chrome[1] and Firefox[2] in the former, and VLC[3] with the latter. Then there's software you download that's need-based, such as iTunes[4] or Netflix[5], where the only way to access the service is getting that particular app only.
In the past, we'd compiled a list of programs you should install[6], looking at archivers, anti-virus, search utilities, music players, and Windows Office alternatives. Looking back at it now, we felt the list could use some expansion, to include other essential apps that not just help get stuff done and protect your PC, but also provide solutions to problems you'll inevitably have. That means getting things like an all-in-one messaging service, a firewall, a hard-drive manager, and a password manager among others. You should also look at the picks from our last list for more ideas.
10 Windows Apps to Install on a New Computer[7]
To compile the list below, we looked at apps and programs we've reviewed on our site, plus what the Gadgets 360 team uses extensively, and then cut out the ones that cost anything more than zero bucks. All the apps below are free to download, and the ones that provide optional features at a cost aren't (usually) worth paying for. This isn't an exhaustive list, and you'll definitely need a lot more than these picks when setting up your Windows PC, but these...