TOP 5 BEST/ POPULAR PROGRAMS BY CATEGORY...


TheMystic

Well-known member
Power User
VIP
Local time
12:58 AM
Posts
752
OS
Windows 11
TOP 5 BEST/ POPULAR PROGRAMS BY CATEGORY

I have compiled a summary of popular programs/ software for Windows, including links to download them.

If you have suggestions (new categories, change of options listed, etc.), please bring them up and I'll modify the post accordingly.

In most cases, I prefer the PORTABLE option for non-essential programs, if available.

*Apps available in Microsoft Store are marked with an asterisk (*) and Store Link is also provided. You can download from Microsoft Store instead of the Desktop version. The Store version of the app may be limited in functionality compared to the Desktop version, due to restrictions imposed by the Store T&C. So choose what works best for you.

Shareware (i.e. time-limited Trial) and paid software are in Italics.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

WARNING

I haven't used/ tested all of the software in the links below. They are a mix of what I use personally and those recommended by members in this forum here.

Some of the programs may be flagged by VirusTotal. It could be false positive, but there is no assurance of that. Be careful, scan all programs on VirusTotal first and make an informed decision.

I have seen that products from Auslogics, IOBit and some others almost always bundle Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) with their software, some of which are even classified as Trojans in VirusTotal. This is also true for some of the products from CCleaner, Glary Utilities, Wise Cleaner, etc. So pay attention to the permissions granted if you must install such products. The flags on VirusTotal need not be false positives, i.e. the programs can indeed be malicious even if just one or two security engine flags them.


Sl.CategoryOption 1Option 2Option 3Option 4Option 5
01Archiver7zipPeaZipPower Archiver
02BrowserChromeEdgeFirefoxBraveVivaldi
03Bulk File RenameBulk Rename Utility
04Certificate ManagerKleopatra
05ClipboardCliptoClipdiaryCopyQ
06CloudOneDriveGoogle DrivepCloudMegaBox
07Customization/ Personalization8GadgetPackSetupFolder MarkerIconPackagerqttabbarRainMeter
08Data RecoveryAOMEI Partition AssistantDiskGenius
09Disk speed monitorCrystalDiskMark* - Store Link
10Disk/ Partition ManagementAOMEI Partition AssistantDiskGeniusGpartedEaseUSMiniTool
11Duplicate cleanerCCleaner PortableWise Duplicate Cleaner
12E-bookCalibre
13Email clientThunderBird
14File ExplorerExplorer++Free CommanderTotal CommanderDirectory Opus
15File BackupPersonal BackupAOMEI Backupper
16File SyncPersonal BackupResilio SyncFree File SyncSynchronize ItGoodSync
17File System ReaderLinux Reader (Disk Internals) - can read Apple File Systems!
18FirewallTinyWallSimpleWall
19Hardware MonitorSpeccyCoreTempSpeedFanHWInfoHWMonitor
20Internet Security (Antivirus)BitDefenderNortonKasperskyMalwareBytesVirusTotal
21Music ManagementMusicBee* - Store LinkMediaMonkeyAudacity
22Music PlayerMusicBee* - Store LinkMediaMonkeyiTunesfoobar2000* - Store Link
23Music Tag EditorMusicBee* - Store LinkMediaMonkeyiTunesmp3Tag
24Network File SharingWinSCPFileZillaCyberDuck
25Network MonitorNet Uptime Monitor
26OfficeMS Office 365*Libre OfficeWPS OfficeGoogle Docs
27Password ManagerLastPassKeepassRoboform
28PC MaintenanceCCleaner PortableWise 365Glary UtilitiesKerish Doctor
29PDFSumatraPDFXodo*- Store linkWPS OfficeFoxitAdobe
30Picture EditorAdobe PhotoshopGIMPAffinityPhotoscape X
31Picture ManagerAdobe Lightroom
32Picture ViewerIrfanView* - Store LinkXnViewFastStoneqView
33Privacy ToolsVeraCryptO&O Shutup
34Program ManagerRevo UninstallerNiniteIOBit
35Remote DesktopChrome Remote DesktopTeam Viewer
36Screenshot/ Screen RecordingShareX* - Store LinkScreenPressoGreenShotLightShotOBS
37Search EngineGoogleDuckDuckGoEcosiaStartpageWikipedia
38Software Testing/ IsolationSandboxie PlusSandboxie
39Storage AnalyzerWinDirStat
40System BackupAOMEI BackupperMacrium ReflectAOEMI One Key Recovery (2nd link)
41Torrent DownloaderqBitTorrent
42UtilitiesMicrosoft SysInternalsMicrosoft PowerToysNirSoft Utilities
43Video EditingHandbrakeAdobe Premiere
44Video PlayerVLCPotPlayerMedia Player Classic - BESM PlayerReal Player
45VPNExpressVPNSurfSharkPrivateInternetAccess (PIA)NordVPN
46Windows InstallationWinToUSBRufusVentoy

.
 
Windows Build/Version
Windows 11 21H2 Build 22000.282
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Lots of empty boxes above. Please help in filling them if you have a great app not listed in any category. New category suggestions too are welcome.

Other useful software:

01. BleachBit
02. Everything (search)
03. ExplorerPatcher
04. iCaros
05. Link Shell Extension
06. Notepad++ (notepad)
07. Resource Hacker
08. SIV
09. SnagIt
10. sTabLauncher
11. SyncBack Free
12. ThrottleStop
13. TransculentTB
14. Media Player Classic (clsid2)
15. K-Lite Codec Pack Full
16. PDF-XCHANGE
17. Winaero Tweaker
18. CopyTrans HEIC viewer


Hiren's BootCD
EasyBCD
GPU-Z
CPU-Z
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Nice job and great list.. thanks for sharing.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home(Beta) - 23H2 - 22635.3350
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Banana Junior 5600- G Series
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Strix B550-F
    Memory
    G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viotek 32", 28" ASUS VP28U
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    Primary SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus
    PSU
    EVGA BQ 700w 80+ Bronze
    Case
    Zalman i3 NEO
    Cooling
    ARCTIC Freezer 7 X
    Keyboard
    Corsair
    Mouse
    Amazon Generic with Cord
    Internet Speed
    Download: 295.11 mbps Upload: 65.35 mbps T-Mobile Internet
    Browser
    Firefox and Edge
    Antivirus
    MS - Defender
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
Oh.. think about adding Affinity Photo to that list.. it's amazing and you get get it for around 50 bucks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home(Beta) - 23H2 - 22635.3350
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Banana Junior 5600- G Series
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Strix B550-F
    Memory
    G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viotek 32", 28" ASUS VP28U
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    Primary SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus
    PSU
    EVGA BQ 700w 80+ Bronze
    Case
    Zalman i3 NEO
    Cooling
    ARCTIC Freezer 7 X
    Keyboard
    Corsair
    Mouse
    Amazon Generic with Cord
    Internet Speed
    Download: 295.11 mbps Upload: 65.35 mbps T-Mobile Internet
    Browser
    Firefox and Edge
    Antivirus
    MS - Defender
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
If you have suggestions (new categories, change of options listed, etc.), please bring them up and I'll modify the post accordingly.
For your CCleaner Portable link you have pointed to the .zip of a specific build, you'd have to update that link for every new build. Consider changing it to the 'builds' page instead: https://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner/builds
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
Does Thunderbird work with the Action Centre. I tried it once and liked it except for the lack of that feature.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Rog Strix B550-F
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce 1650
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 23MP75
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro
    Case
    Coolmaster
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    50
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft
Does Thunderbird work with the Action Centre. I tried it once and liked it except for the lack of that feature.
I haven't used it personally, but I see that it is the most popular email client. So included it.

I personally use Chrome browser.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
I haven't used it personally, but I see that it is the most popular email client. So included it.

I personally use Chrome browser.
I've used it the past and I can attest that it's great.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home(Beta) - 23H2 - 22635.3350
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Banana Junior 5600- G Series
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Strix B550-F
    Memory
    G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viotek 32", 28" ASUS VP28U
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    Primary SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus
    PSU
    EVGA BQ 700w 80+ Bronze
    Case
    Zalman i3 NEO
    Cooling
    ARCTIC Freezer 7 X
    Keyboard
    Corsair
    Mouse
    Amazon Generic with Cord
    Internet Speed
    Download: 295.11 mbps Upload: 65.35 mbps T-Mobile Internet
    Browser
    Firefox and Edge
    Antivirus
    MS - Defender
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
Yes, I agree. First used it in Ubuntu. At the time I tried it a couple years ago it had no intergration with Windows Action Centre.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Rog Strix B550-F
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce 1650
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 23MP75
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro
    Case
    Coolmaster
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    50
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft
@TheMystic

Macrium Reflect is my favorite backup software.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦22631.3374 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 4702)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 13 years?
CrystalDiskMark and now CrystalDiskInfo available from the Microsoft store. I'm using these apps now as they should auto update.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro & 🐥.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700U with Radeon Vega Mobile Gfx
    Motherboard
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. X509DA (FP5)
    Memory
    12GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    RX Vega 10 Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1080@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080@60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 2TB NVMe 1.3
    Internet Speed
    25 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ACER NITRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    CZ Scala_CAS (FP6)
    Memory
    32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio. NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" LED backlight 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 144 Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB NVMe M.2
    PSU
    180 Watt, 19.5 V
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    25 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • MPC-BE can on-the-fly transcode audio to Dolby Digital (DD) to allow bitstreaming on older AV Receivers that don't support bitstreaming in another format other than DD─due to having only optical inputs. But MPC-HC, even though it has been abandoned by the original devs, is still being actively developed by clsid2. I prefer the latter choice because I don't need DD, and, MPC-HC (bundled with madVR as part of K-Lite Codec Pack Full) is easier to set up and runs completely stable in addition to having slightly better optimizations IME. As for VLC, it never was the go-to IMO, as it never supported madVR─nothing comes close to madVR.
  • Sandboxie-Plus/Sandboxie, even though it can certainly be used for that purpose, it should not be labelled "Software testing" IMO. Rather, it is called "isolation software".
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • MPC-BE can on-the-fly transcode audio to Dolby Digital (DD) to allow bitstreaming on older AV Receivers that don't support bitstreaming in another format other than DD─due to having only optical inputs. But MPC-HC, even though it has been abandoned by the original devs, is still being actively developed by clsid2. I prefer the latter choice because I don't need DD, and, MPC-HC (bundled with madVR as part of K-Lite Codec Pack Full) is easier to set up and runs completely stable in addition to having slightly better optimizations IME. As for VLC, it never was the go-to IMO, as it never supported madVR─nothing comes close to madVR.
  • Sandboxie-Plus/Sandboxie, even though it can certainly be used for that purpose, it should not be labelled "Software testing" IMO. Rather, it is called "isolation software".
I agree that Software Testing isn't the most appropriate term, but since we use it only for testing a software that we don't trust, I think it is acceptable in that context. I have updated it though as per your suggestion.

Sandoxie-Plus and Sandboxie: One is a website in that name and the other is a GitHub link. Are they the same or different software?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
This list is very subjective - define term best.

Best can mean cheapest, easiest to use, most reliable etc.

I could produce such a list and it would be totally different.

Title should say "My personal favourite applications by category.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
This list is very subjective - define term best.

Best can mean cheapest, easiest to use, most reliable etc.

I could produce such a list and it would be totally different.

Title should say "My personal favourite applications by category.
Best is ALWAYS subjective. It is always a preference, an opinion. And always based on personal requirements.

I can't say it is 'my' favourites because I haven't used/ tested all of them. The same has been mentioned in the OP.

I will edit the title though to include a more appropriate term: Popular. But you can argue on that too if that is the intent.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Best is ALWAYS subjective. It is always a preference, an opinion. And always based on personal requirements.

I can't say it is 'my' favourites because I haven't used/ tested all of them. The same has been mentioned in the OP.

I will edit the title though to include a more appropriate term: Popular. But you can argue on that too if that is the intent.
I am not arguing. It is just the term best is not the "best" term 😁
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
, but since we use it only for testing a software that we don't trust,
What do you mean, "we"? Personally, I, use it mainly for protecting my browser (Firefox Portable) and to run multiple instances of Firefox Portable, concurrently and in parallel. (This is done by putting AllowMultipleInstances=true in a file FirefoxPortable.ini in the same folder as the file FirefoxPortable.exe and by making sure to delete all occurrences of the Mozilla subfolder in %APPDATA%, %LOCALAPPDATA% and %PROGRAMDATA%.)
Sandoxie-Plus and Sandboxie: One is a website in that name and the other is a GitHub link. Are they the same or different software?
Sandboxie has been discontinued and the source code was released to the open source community, after which Sandboxie-Plus and Sandboxie Classic came to existence. They [Sandboxie-Plus and Sandboxie Classic] are both being actively maintained by David Xanatos so the Sandboxie-Plus website is the official website for both, and, they both are available on GitHub, the Sandboxie-Plus website has links that point to the project on GitHub.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
Great list, I shall study it later and see what I am missing out on :ROFLMAO::alien:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
What do you mean, "we"?
There is no direct reference to either you or me, it is just a way to refer to people to whom it is applicable. In the current context, it refers to people who use the software, no matter their reason. You may use it to run multiple instances of a program in isolation, but I (would) do so primarily to test a software. Others may have other reasons, but that is just not important.

Sandboxie has been discontinued and the source code was released to the open source community, after which Sandboxie-Plus and Sandboxie Classic came to existence. They [Sandboxie-Plus and Sandboxie Classic] are both being actively maintained by David Xanatos so the Sandboxie-Plus website is the official website for both, and, they both are available on GitHub, the Sandboxie-Plus website has links that point to the project on GitHub.
Thanks for the clarification. The latest builds are having different version numbers on the site and Github, so was not sure.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
In the current context, it refers to people who use the software, no matter their reason. You may use it to run multiple instances of a program in isolation, but I (would) do so primarily to test a software. Others may have other reasons, but that is just not important.
You said people only use it to test software. I don't want to nitpick or anything, but that just isn't true─in fact it never has been.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF

Latest Support Threads

Back
Top Bottom