Here is a list of essential software which you need to install on your PC. Some of these are critical such as the antivirus software. Make your own judgment as to whether you need them or not.
1. Microsoft Office/Open Office
An office application suite will give you a word processor, spreadsheet
and a presentation software. The most famous one is Microsoft Office.
An alternative is OpenOffice which you can download for free at
http://www.openoffice.org/
OpenOffice’s major advantage is that it is FREE and is compatible with
most of Microsoft’s Office. Unless you are sending and receiving
important documents to companies/clients, OpenOffice is good enough
for every day tasks.
2. Antivirus Software
As soon as your PC is setup with the basic applications, download the
bullguard antivirus software.Choose from one of three BullGuard antivirus packages to protect your PC against spam, viruses, and unwanted applications.
3. Download Manager
FlashGet at http://www.flashget.com is a download manager which
allows you to download programs and data quickly from the internet.
You can use it to download several files at once and it also helps you in
resuming downloads if your internet connection is broken half way.
Flash Get is free and will save you a lot of time in managing your
downloads.
4. Compression Software
The most widely used compression software is WinZip at
http://www.winzip.com It compresses any files you have to reduce the
size.
Normally this utility is used to make the file smaller to be sent over the
internet or to consolidate several files and folders into one zip file.
A good alternative to Winzip is WinRar which you can download for
free at http://www.win-rar.com/ It compresses file into .rar extensions
but it also supports Winzip files.
I also HIGHLY recommend this free one http://www.zipgenius.com/
5. Backup Software
Backing up your PC is one of the most important things you need to do
regularly, to prevent yourself from disasters. If your hard disk crashes
or is damaged, then you have a good chance of losing your data.
Also, if you try to install your computer from scratch, it will take you a
whole day to install all applications and applying the latest updates
from the internet.
You can save a lot of time by using backup software so that you can
retrieve important data.
FBackup at http://www.fbackup.com/ is a free backup software which
can safely secure your data if disaster happens. It is advised that you
set up a schedule to backup your data such as daily, after you finish
working.
This software has a user friendly interface and does the backup job
effectively. An added benefit is that the software will also backup your
‘open files’. These are files which are in use when you are working on
your PC. This means that you can make a backup of your PC while you
are working on it.
You can use the software to backup your data to an external hard disk
or onto DVDs.
6. Mirroring Software
A mirroring software is essential although you’ll rarely use it. It makes
a mirror image of your entire hard disk so that if you want to reinstall
your PC, you can do it quickly by restoring the mirror image.
So after you have installed all the basic software for your PC and are
updated with the latest Windows patches, you can create a mirror
image of your hard disk and store it onto DVDs.
Whenever you want to reinstall your PC you can do so within an hour
or so by using the software.
A good free mirroring software is Macrium Reflect at
http://www.macrium.com/ReflectFree.asp
