6 Must Have Software for 2025

Windows users are often faced with a myriad of tools to manage their daily tasks, boost productivity, and optimize system performance. While the operating system comes with a set of built-in utilities, there are countless third-party applications that offer more specialized functionality. Today, we’ll explore some of the best free and indispensable tools for Windows users: ShareX, Everything, VLC, WinDirStat, Revo Uninstaller, and TeraCopy. These tools can significantly enhance your experience, whether you’re a casual user, a power user, or an IT professional.

1. ShareX: Powerful Screenshot and Screen Recording Tool

ShareX is a free and open-source screenshot and screen recording tool that packs a punch with its feature set. Unlike the default Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch, ShareX offers a more robust experience, allowing users to capture screens in various ways (e.g., full screen, window, region, scrolling window).

Key Features:

• Screen capture in multiple formats (PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, etc.).
• Screen recording with support for multiple codecs.
• GIF creation: Capture part of your screen and instantly convert it into a GIF.
• Annotation tools: Draw on or annotate captured images.
• Customizable workflows: Automate tasks like uploading screenshots to cloud services or applying watermarks.

Whether you're a content creator, developer, or just someone who regularly needs to capture your screen, ShareX is a game-changer for productivity and workflow optimization.

2. Everything: The Fastest File Search Tool

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by Windows’ built-in search tool, Everything is the solution you’ve been looking for. This lightweight, free tool can instantly search for files and folders on your PC. It is significantly faster than Windows’ default search because it indexes your entire file system in real-time, providing instant search results.

Key Features:

• Instant file search: Start typing, and Everything will show results as you type.
• Supports file and folder search: Filter by name, size, or date.
• Real-time indexing: As you add or remove files, Everything updates its index immediately.
• Portable: No installation required, so you can run it directly from a USB stick.

Whether you’re a developer looking for specific code files or just trying to find a forgotten document, Everything is an indispensable tool for quickly locating what you need on your computer.

3. VLC Media Player: The Ultimate Multimedia Player

VLC Media Player needs no introduction. It’s one of the most popular and widely used media players available, thanks to its ability to play almost any type of media file without requiring additional codecs or plugins. VLC is free, open-source, and supports both Windows and a variety of other platforms.

Key Features:

• Wide format support: Plays virtually all audio, video, and streaming formats (MP4, AVI, MKV, FLAC, etc.).
• Customizable playback: Adjust speed, add subtitles, and use advanced features like equalizers.
• Streaming support: Watch content from the web or stream to a media device.
• Open-source and free: No ads, no spyware, and it’s completely free.

Whether you’re watching a movie, listening to music, or watching a live stream, VLC offers exceptional performance and reliability. It’s an essential tool for anyone who enjoys media consumption.

4. WinDirStat: Visualize Your Disk Space Usage

Over time, your computer’s hard drive can get cluttered with old files, backups, and system junk. WinDirStat helps you visualize what’s taking up space on your hard drive so you can make informed decisions about what to delete.

Key Features:

• Disk usage visualizer: Displays your disk space usage in a graphical format with color-coded "treemaps."
• Detailed breakdown: Shows file types, folder sizes, and how much space each file consumes.
• Customizable view: You can exclude certain file types from the scan and filter out unnecessary directories.
• Multiple drive support: Scan multiple hard drives or partitions at once.

WinDirStat makes it easy to identify large or unnecessary files taking up valuable space on your system, helping you manage disk space efficiently.

5. Revo Uninstaller: Remove Unwanted Programs Completely

When you uninstall a program using the built-in Windows uninstaller, it often leaves behind residual files, registry entries, and other junk. Revo Uninstaller is a powerful tool that not only uninstalls programs but also ensures that no leftover files or settings remain on your system.

Key Features:

• Deep scanning: After uninstalling a program, Revo searches for and removes leftover files, folders, and registry entries.
• Real-time monitoring: Tracks changes made by installers and allows you to remove them completely.
• Forced uninstallation: Removes stubborn programs that can’t be uninstalled by traditional means.
• Clean up junk: Also helps clean up browser history, Windows logs, and other unwanted files.

If you want to keep your system clean and free of unwanted programs, Revo Uninstaller is an excellent choice for thoroughly uninstalling applications.

6. TeraCopy: Speed Up Your File Transfers

Windows’ built-in file copy system can be slow and inefficient, especially when dealing with large files or a large number of files. TeraCopy is a file transfer tool designed to speed up the process while also offering greater control over file copy operations.

Key Features:

• Faster file transfers: TeraCopy optimizes the copying process to improve speed, especially with large files.
• Error recovery: If an error occurs during the transfer, TeraCopy can retry the operation or skip the problematic file.
• File verification: After copying files, TeraCopy can verify that they’ve been transferred correctly.
• Queue management: It allows you to manage and prioritize file transfer tasks.

Whether you’re copying a single large file or a batch of smaller ones, TeraCopy makes the process faster and more reliable than the default Windows file transfer system.

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Essential Tools for a Better Windows Experience

Each of these tools addresses a specific need or pain point that many Windows users experience. Whether you need to capture screenshots with ShareX, quickly locate files with Everything, or remove unwanted programs with Revo Uninstaller, these applications can improve both your productivity and your system’s performance.

By integrating these tools into your daily workflow, you’ll be able to get more done, maintain a cleaner and faster PC, and have a more enjoyable experience while using Windows. Best of all, they’re all free, so there’s no reason not to give them a try!