Top 5 Windows Apps You Should Install In 2024
Windows has a huge user base, and since it is open source, programmers make all kinds of software to fix specific issues or restore old features. The constant presence of threat actors makes it difficult to identify applications that might improve your daily life. The good news is that we have collected five Windows programs that are both helpful and free of malware. Feel free to install them right now.
PDF of Sumatra
Everyone knows that Adobe has a stranglehold on the PDF format, which makes viewing or altering PDFs without their tools a real challenge. Reading downloaded eBooks or research papers is also made more difficult by the slow and clumsy Adobe Acrobat Reader. Here we have Sumatra PDF, a free, lightning-fast PDF and eBook reader.
Picture of the Sumatra PDF program
Every student’s best friend, this tool supports a plethora of file formats—PDF, EPUB, XPS, CHM, MOBI, CBZ, CBR, and DjVu—and lets users transport their whole eBook library on a single USB stick.
When it comes to the app’s user interface, the design prioritizes easy reading and scrolling. But if you’re looking for more, Sumatra has a small toolbar with all the essentials for you.
Sumatra PDF available for download 2. Flow launcher
Because Windows’ search implementation is so slow, Spotlight is one feature that macOS users who have just made the transition to Windows will undoubtedly miss. Fortunately, a simple solution exists to address this issue. With Flow Launcher installed, you can adjust the shortcut for the search bar and bring back the spotlight search capability.
App icon for Flow Launcher
In addition to managing Windows settings, files, and tasks, this software also makes it easy to search the web.
- Two, a screenshot of the Flow Launcher program for Windows; three, DS4Windows
- Because certain games accept PlayStation controllers while others only work with Xbox controllers, it might be a challenging process to use a PlayStation controller with a PC. To get around this, DS4Windows remaps the PlayStation controller’s keys to match their Xbox equivalent, so users may play their favorite games without breaking the bank. This is the way it can be done:
Launch the DS4Windows application.
- Get the files out.
- Launch DS4Windows. A popup to install the “.NET Desktop Runtime” program will appear inside the app.
- The DS4Windows app-1 screen capture
- When prompted, click “Yes” to begin downloading.
- Image taken from the DS4Windows app-2
- To install Desktop Runtime, open the file from your downloads folder.
- Launch DS4Windows once again, and this time, choose Program Folder from the menu that appears.
- Press “close” once you’ve chosen your controller type.
- Image captured from the DS4Windows app-3
- The last step is to plug in your PlayStation controller.
- Save the file DS4Windows. Launch11 – $6.99
- A lot of people were unhappy that Microsoft moved the start menu to the center of the screen in Windows 11, which they unveiled at the beginning of the year. Many people still dislike its design, even though Microsoft has resolved the problem by letting users choose the position. Here is where Start 11 comes in; it gives users three different styles to choose from: Windows Pro, Windows App, and Windows Launcher—to personalize the appearance of the Windows 11 start menu.
Screenshot of Start11 – 2
These themes update the Windows 11 interface with a contemporary feel and provide users more options for desktop customization. The software also has a lot of customization possibilities, such letting users change the background color or upload their own picture to the Start menu, changing the transparency level, making shortcuts, and arranging tabs and groups.