Windows 10

Every NEW Program You Need (and they’re all FREE!)

Uninstall Microsoft’s software – what to use instead

Good old-fashioned PC programs don’t seem to be high on Microsoft’s list of priorities in Windows 10. The Start menu may be back, but it’s hardly the Start menu we knew and loved in Windows XP and 7. Instead of the All Programs list, there’s a long litany of apps you never asked for and rarely use.

Don’t be fooled. Apps have not replaced traditional programs, and we don’t think they ever can. Sure, apps have their upsides – they’re easy to install and tend to use little memory. However, they lack the power and control that programs give you, especially when it comes to system and security tasks. If you want to create a digital-photo collage, for example, go ahead and use an app. But if you want to put your PC through its paces with rigorous benchmark tests (see pages 52-53 of Issue 487’s Cover Feature for examples of these), you’re going to need a proper traditional program.

Programs don’t just work in Windows 10, they revel in it. The ever-evolving operating system is a great opportunity for software makers because it supports larger, more sophisticated tools than Windows 7 ever could. Developers have risen to the challenge by creating innovative new tools that only work in Windows 10, and by updating existing programs with powerful new features such as built-in VPNS and support for 64bit and virtual PCS.

Windows 10 is a challenge as well as an opportunity, of course. It’s harder to customise than its predecessors, and arguably less private, so it makes your PC feel less like your own. Apps won’t put you back in control, but we’ve found plenty of programs that will.

Over the next few pages we’ll show you the best new software for embracing the power of Windows 10 and curbing its more annoying habits. All have appeared or been updated since the Anniversary Update in July, and they’re all free.