An awesome & curated list of best applications and tools for Windows.
- Atlas - An open and lightweight modification to Windows, designed to optimize performance, privacy and usability.
- Rufus - Rufus is a utility that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives. Create your bootable Windows installation media with this to circumvent the need for a Microsoft account & hardware TPM.
- Microsoft Activation Scripts - Open-source Windows and Office activator featuring HWID, Ohook, TSforge, KMS38, and Online KMS activation methods, along with advanced troubleshooting.
- Microsoft PowerToys - Windows system utilities to maximize productivity like Always on Top, FancyZones, PowerToys Run, and more.
- EarTrumpet - EarTrumpet is a lightweight, yet powerful application for managing audio devices on Windows.
- Windhawk - The customization marketplace for Windows programs.
*Specifically
- Dot Hide - Dot Hide is a handy mod designed to bring the Linux-style hiding of dot files and directories to Windows. In Linux, files and directories starting with a dot ('.') are hidden by default, but this isn't the case in Windows. Dot Hide tackles this by automatically hiding these files and directories, creating a more streamlined and organized workspace.
- Modernize Folder Picker Dialog - This mod replaces the outdated, hard-to-use "Browse For Folder" dialog with a modern styled folder picker dialog, which is easier to navigate.
- Taskbar Thumbnail Reorder - Reorder taskbar thumbnails with the left mouse button.
- Taskbar tray system icon tweaks - Allows hiding system icons (volume, network, battery), the bell (always or when there are no new notifications), and the "Show desktop" button. This lets you hide the system volume icon, since we will use the EarTrumpet app to manage audio devices.
- Windows 11 Start Menu Styler - Customize the start menu with themes contributed by others or create your own.
- Windows Terminal - The new Windows Terminal and the original Windows console host, all in one.
- Cmder - Lovely console emulator package for Windows I have now swapped to Windows Terminal, but I use the git-bash profile from Cmder.
- MicaForEveryone - Mica For Everyone is a tool to enable backdrop effects on the title bars of Win32 apps on Windows 11.
- ModernFlyouts - A modern Fluent Design replacement for the old Metro themed flyouts present in Windows.
- Shell - Shell is a context menu extender that lets you handpick the items to integrate into the Windows File Explorer context menu, create custom commands to access all your favorite web pages, files, and folders, and launch any application directly from the context menu.
- winutil - Chris Titus Tech's Windows Utility - Install Programs, Tweaks, Fixes, and Updates
- Windows Developer Settings - End Task right click option, File Explorer customization, and more.
- Everything - Locate files and folders by name instantly. Unlike Windows search "Everything" initially displays every file and folder on your computer (hence the name "Everything").
- Everything Toolbar - Everything integration for the Windows taskbar.
- Quick Share for Windows - Send and receive photos, documents and more between nearby Android devices and Windows PCs.
- WinRAR - I genuinely believe that WinRAR is hands down the best file archiver for Windows. +1
- NanaZip - The 7-Zip derivative intended for the modern Windows experience. If you really don't want to use WinRAR, then NanaZip is the next best thing.
- LightShot - My preferred screenshot tool.
- LittleBigMouse - DPI Aware mouse move across screens. Particularly useful for setups involving a 4K monitor alongside a full HD monitor.
- WizTree - The fastest disk space analyzer. 46x faster than WinDirStat.
- RustDesk - An open-source remote desktop application designed for self-hosting, as an alternative to TeamViewer.