Here's my list of free and useful Windows software (in no particular order) that I've found to be excellent from the turn of the century up to now.
Is there any way to get Microsoft for free?
Does anybody know if I can get Microsoft Word and Excel for free?
Free version of Microsoft Office released (with limited features)
Which other Microsoft websites offer downloads?
In this section, you will find links to other Microsoft websites that offer downloads. Note that almost all of the downloads available from these websites can also be found in the Microsoft Download Center; however, the other Microsoft sites may offer services and information that you may not find in the Download Center.
If you are looking for downloads for the Windows operating system or for Microsoft Office, try using Windows Update, which helps you keep your computer up to date without requiring you to visit the Download Center.
- DirectX downloads
Get the latest version of Microsoft DirectX, and find other important DirectX updates for your version of Windows.
- Service Packs for Microsoft Products
Download service packs containing updates for system reliability, program compatibility, and security. See which service packs are currently available from Microsoft Help and Support.
- Windows Media Download Center
Amplify your play with Microsoft Windows Media Player, encoders, codecs, and other related downloads.
- Azure downloads
Get SDKs and tools for managing and interacting with Azure services
- Windows developer resources
Get downloads and tools for Windows development
- Code samples
Get started with Microsoft developer tools and technologies. Explore our samples and discover the things you can build.
How do I install downloaded software?
Before you can use any software that you download, you must install it. For example, if you download a security update but do not install it, the update will not provide any protection for your computer. Follow these steps to save and install a download:
- On the download details page, click the Download button.
- A dialogue box will open. Click the Save button.
- You will be prompted to select a location for the download on your computer. Select an appropriate location, and click the Save button.
- When the file has finished downloading, you will see a second dialog box. If you want to install the file immediately, click the Open button. This launches an installation wizard.
- If you do not want to immediately install the file, click the Close button. When you are ready to install the file, double-click the file to launch the installation wizard.
Note: When you save a download file, make sure to save it to a location that you will remember when you are ready to install the download. We suggest creating a special folder on your desktop to which you always save downloads. Follow these steps to create such a downloads folder:
- Right-click an unused area of your desktop.
- Point to New, and then click Folder.
- Give the folder a name, such as My Downloads.
Why are software updates necessary?
Microsoft is committed to providing its customers with software that has been tested for safety and security. Although no system is completely secure, we use processes, technology, and several specially focused teams to investigate, fix, and learn from security issues to help us meet this goal and to provide guidance to customers on how to help protect their PCs.
As part of the Microsoft software release process, all software released to the Download Center is scanned for malware before it is made available for public download. Additionally, after release, the software available from the Download Center is routinely scanned for malware. Microsoft recognizes that the threat environment is constantly changing and will continue to evolve over time, and we are committed to process improvements that will help protect our customers from malware threats
Videos
Paint.NET for image editing and creating.
Krita is a free open source painting program with professional features like content-aware object removal for photos.
Everything for instant file/folder searching. Try out the alpha build - dark mode and possibly even faster.
IrfanView for image viewing. Get the plugin pack for Swiss Army knife-like functionality.
XnView MP - another image viewer with extensive functionality.
VLC for playing multimedia. Converts audio & video, and does network streaming as well.
Media Player Classic - Home Cinema is another multimedia player that can be configured to do some very useful things.
Handbrake is excellent for for video conversion. Add a VLC DLL to the Program Files folder for DVD compatibility.
Instagiffer turns short .mp4 clips into gifs. Depricated for a while now, but still works fine on 11.
MusicBee is a music player with tons of features. Handles large local music libraries very well.
Audacity edits, converts, combines and adds effects to audio files.
RocketDock is an app launcher that can autohide at the top of the screen.
LibreOffice suite is a solid alternative to Microsoft Office.
Notepad++ is indispensable for working with text files.
VereCrypt creates encrypted containers for personal files that are mounted/unmounted in Windows Explorer as drives. Just don't forget the password.
Calibre for e-book management / multi-format conversion.
Signal - encrypted communication software for Windows, Mac, Android, and iPhone.
Bitwarden is a cross-platform password manager. Made by a redditor - you saw it here first!
7-Zip for encrypting files and folders.
BleachBit for removing junk files and cruft. Very powerful - use with caution!
foobar2000 - plays and converts any audio format and can be set up simply or with many different skins. Get the free encoder pack.
Mp3tag uses online sources to tag your music files correctly.
ShareX for screen capture - still, video with audio, OCR text capture.
Sumatra PDF is a very lightweight PDF / e-book reader.
File Converter is a powerful multi-format converter that operates out of the context menu.
qBittorrent for downloading / sharing large files.
LocalSend. Cross-platform, lightning fast file transfer over local network WiFi, no internet connection needed.
TinyWall - a frontend for Windows Firewall that lets you whitelist applications allowed to connect to the internet.
EarTrumpet - multi-application volume control.
Veeam Agent is a drive imaging application for your entire system - OS, programs & files - for backup in case of hard drive failure. You can also use the File Level Recovery feature to view and restore individual files.
SyncBackFree - Incremental backup software for your personal files to other internal or external drives.
PowerToys is Microsoft's suite of productivity boosting utilities. An essential set of tools for your computer, IMO.
Microsoft's Sysinternals Utilities is a collection of troubleshooting and diagnostic applications for Windows.
Syncthing is a secure way to synchronize a folder or multiple folders between all of your devices using encrypted P2P transmission - no cloud services involved. Here is a great tutorial video.
Upscayl enlarges images with AI and does it really well.
ADB AppControl. A fantastic tool for removing unwanted apps and services from an Android phone with your PC.
UniGetUI is a GUI that can incorporate multiple package manager sources - WinGet, Chocolatey, Scoop, etc.
RustDesk is a secure way to access another PC remotely.
ProtonVPN is the only free VPN you should use, period.
Firefox. Because it's not Chromium, respects user privacy, and uses the full version of...
uBlock Origin - A must-have for browsers on Windows. Block ads, malicious scripts and unwanted 3rd-party connections. Almost as good as having a second antivirus app.
Add "Copy To folder" and "Move To folder" to the Context Menu
Add "Hash value" to Context Menu of Files in Windows 11
Disable "Show more options" context menu in Windows 11 to show full context menu with one right-click.
Probably not the best place to ask, but... I really need word and PowerPoint and I'm extremely shocked by the price of £119. Is there any way to get it for free?
Hello, I’m thinking about taking a remote work from home job and I believe I will need Microsoft Word and Excel on my laptop. I’m in the United States. Everywhere I’ve always worked always set it up for me and I don’t think that this specific employer will do that. It’s a very small part-time job working minimal hours where I will be doing invoices some of the time. Any help is appreciated. TIA.
https://www.pcguide.com/news/you-can-now-get-a-free-version-of-microsoft-office-but-expect-to-see-some-ads/
You can get Office, Excel, and PowerPoint in a free version, seems like Microsoft is testing the waters. Excel misses a lot of features though like themes, formatting, and analyze data.