Updated Aug 2013
This list was created for my own reference to keep all the links in one handy location. It might be useful for ideas for you too when you’re installing a new Windows PC or laptop. Not all of these are free, but the vast majority are.
- Mozilla Firefox
- Adblock Plus
- Web Developer Toolbar
- Password exporter
- Screengrab (fix version from Alexander Popov)
- Firebug
- Greasemonkey
- SEObook Rank Checker
- SEObook SEO for FF (requires free account on SEObook.com)
- Flash plugin
- Free anti-virus: Microsoft Security Essentials OR
- Free anti-virus: Avira Free
- Old version of Tweetdeck (before Twitter ruined it)
- Old version of Skype (before Skype ruined it)
- Dropbox
- LibreOfficeOR Office 2007 (from DVD) OR
- Notepad2 (Modified version from Kai Liu)
- Search tools – both highly recommended:
- Voidtools Everything – super fast (instant) search of all filenames across all harddrives
- Agent Ransack – fast search of file contents across all harddrives
- Remove duplicate files: Free Duplicate File Finder
- Filezilla
- Putty
- Lightscreen screenshot tool.
- Nitro
- 7Zip
- Klite mega codec pack and/or
- VLC player
- CCleaner
- Virtual Clonedrive
- VMware Workstation
- AbbyFine OCR – highly recommended for scanning large docs.
Not a bad list. I personally prefer Notepad++ over Notepad2, but then that’s more for the syntax highlighting and programming features than just being a superior replacement to notepad. I’d be very interested to know how the two stack up when opening *HUGE* 1G text file, e.g. database dumps.
That was Notepad Plus Plus (and it removed the plus symbols)
Notepad2 has syntax highlighting for quite a few languages – all the ones I need for web work at least (html, css, php, javascript, java). The most vital thing for me is instant loadtime. I use a text editor really often, and there are plenty of richly featured ones but few that open instantly with zero delay.
I haven’t opened 1GB file with it, might test it out at some point.
Edit note: I fixed the ++ for you.
Updated list for Dec 2009.