My Personal Apps – Windows 7

Some months ago, I posted my personal apps that I use on my Samsung Galaxy SIII; this article will be the programs and software that I have installed on my Windows 7 PC.

Below is software that I recommend and personally use on my Dell Inspiron 17R running Windows 7. Following this article in the future will be the personal apps that I have on my Asus VivoTab Smart Tablet that runs Windows 8. It should be noted that most of the following software and programs are free to download.

Windows 7

With installed software ranging from CCleaner to Photoshop, I am very careful about what I install on my PC. I tend to use software that comes with very little add-ons, and software that doesn’t bother me for any updates. I also enjoy keeping a clean PC, meaning I uninstall bloated software or programs that I tend never to use.

Adobe Products

Adobe is known for its premiere video and photo editing software. It also makes some very useful free programs. Adobe Flash is what allows YouTube videos to come to life and Adobe Reader allows you to read PDFs. Shockwave Player is another useful program that takes those entertaining games online and lets you play them for hours. As this is free software, I do have a version of Photoshop installed on my PC allowing me to make dramatic changes to any type of picture, however, this is a paid licensed software.

Battle.Net

More of a console gamer myself, I do play some PC games. Being a HUGE Blizzard fan, I have been playing Blizzard games for years. I have played all Blizzard games ever released with the exception of StarCraft 1. Just recently, I was accepted into the Hearthstone beta, Blizzard’s new Free to Play card game. With having Warcraft 3 TFT, StarCraft 2, and Diablo 3 installed I was quite happy to be accepted and therefore run my favorite games using the Battle.net launcher.

CCleaner

One of the most useful tools I have installed on my PC is CCleaner. Like I said above, I like to keep a clean computer. Deleting those pointless temporary files that Windows keeps around or files that are created for no apparent reason always feels great. Just be careful with CCleaner; make sure to never clean the registry and not to accidently delete any files you DO want to keep around.

Google Earth

Moving quickly down the list, we reach the program that allows you to scan the entire globe at will. With the functions of Google Maps, Google Earth allows you to get a bird’s eye view of any surface on Earth you could ever want; let’s not forget that you can also view different planets. Have you also ever tried out the “secret” Flight Simulator?

Malwarebytes

Just like keeping a clean PC, I also wish to keep a safe PC. In addition to my antivirus program, Malwarebytes is an antimalware program that I find to be excellent. Mostly used by professionals, like here at TSF, the paid edition of Malwarebytes gives users the ability to block outbound and inbound connections, increasing your PC’s security.

Microsoft Office 2010

As Microsoft rules the world with their OS, they have also created the world’s most popular and really only option for document creation. Even Apple computers run Office. Running Office 2010 Professional, I have Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel, and OneNote all installed on my PC. All of which I use on a daily basis. Access and Publisher do come with Office Professional, however, I have told Office to not install them as they are programs I would not use and I would rather have the hard drive space.

Microsoft Security Essentials

In additon to Malwarebytes, I use Microsoft Security Essentials. As MSSE is a free antivirus program, I question why anybody would pay for a full blown antivirus unless you plan on utilizing the extra add-ons. MSSE provides coverage against every usage and does not annoy you for any reason. It basically takes care of itself.

Microsoft SkyDrive

Since I use a lot a files for many different things, constantly carrying around a USB flash drive just wouldn’t be helpful. With the ease of SkyDrive I can access my files anywhere I am, whether that be onmy PC, phone, tablet or a different PC and it is all well protected and private.

MP3Tag

Windows Media Player is where I listen to all of my music, but sometimes my songs may come with missing information. What bothers me most is if a song is missing its album work. MP3Tag is a great and easy-to-learn tool that can help you edit mp3 files. You can add album work, song name, track number, and more.

MVPS HOST File

Not really software, a HOST file is how your PC connects to the internet. Each and every web browser uses the same Windows HOST file to communicate with any website. However, the stock Windows HOST file offers zero protection against ads and malicious websites. Upgrading your HOST file to the MVPS HOST File will provide over 15,000 known malicious or harmful websites as well as block any internet ads/popups, even YouTube Video ads!

Notepad++

As a website editor and a person who deals with code, Notepad++ is arguably one of the best code editors available. Given the ability to make changes not only to websites but to other programs as well is just fantastic! Plus, it’s free and easy to learn.

SpywareBlaster

Finally, we have SpywareBlaster. Similar to MVPS HOST File, SpywareBlaster is an antispyware tool that adds registry files to your PC to stop spyware attacks on your PC. The software does not require to be active to function and only needs to be updated once a month.

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