Other Recommended Installations
by Wren McMains
(8/17/2013, updated 2/21/2015)
These are some of the free programs I recommend installing on all machines:
FastStone Image Viewer, see www.imagingtips.com/faststone.- Firefox Web Browser, www.mozilla.org
- WoT Extension (Add-on) to Firefox
- For added security I recommend the NoScript extension to Firefox, but you may find it very annoying at first ... but it's worth it. Here's a quick lesson in how to use NoScript.
- Adblock Plus Extension to Firefox (especially with a slow connection)
- Adobe Flash Player Plug-in (install from within Firefox)
- Chrome Web Browser, www.google.com/chrome. Plus you'll want to add some extensions once you start using it.
- Adobe Reader, www.adobe.com/downloads, it came installed on this machine
- QuickTime Plug-in, www.apple.com/quicktime (you don't need to give them your e-mail address, just click on the Download button)
- A Free Office Suite, two choices: www.OpenOffice.org and LibreOffice.org
It's hard to tell the difference. I've used OpenOffice for years, am currently using
LibreOffice only because they had a fix for a bug I was running into. LibreOffice seems
to release updates much more offen (which is both good and bad).
Recommended Changes (about the same in both): In Tools/Options on the Load/Save General tab
Default File Format Text Document, change to MS Word 97/2000/XP
Default File Format Spreedsheet, change to MS Excel 97/2000/XP
Default File Format Presentation, change to MS Powerpoint 97/2000/XP
In OpenOffice on the Formatting Toolbar choose "Customize Toolbar" (pull-down at the end)
In LibreOffice go to Tools / Options / Toolbar Tab
Scroll down and make visable 4 icons: insert/delete rows/columns
Then use the Add button Edit category, to add Fill Right and Fill Down
I don't like the interface of the shortcut OpenOffice puts on the desktop, I forget what LibreOffice
does. What I do is pin Calc and Writer to either the Classic Shell Start Menu or the Taskbar
- SyncToy (see www.imagingtips.com: SyncToy Backup)
- Microsoft Powerpoint Viewer, www.microsoft.com/downloads
- Belarc Advisor, www.belarc.com to record all your serial numbers and document your system.
- A FREE Anti-Virus programs, some recommendations:
Microsoft Security Essentials (Windows 7), try this link
Microsoft Defender (comes with Windows 8) ... that's what I used in this case, it was already installed.
AVG, Google "Free AVG" or try this link
Avast, try this link
- In addition to Firefox, I recommend installing at least one other non-Microsoft browser: Chrome and/or Opera
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