Software : In Depth: 58 best free PC apps from Microsoft |
| In Depth: 58 best free PC apps from Microsoft Posted:  Free productivity softwareChances are, you know that alongside Windows and Office, Microsoft makes a number of apps that are free for all. But the actual number might just surprise you. When we started counting up all the best free Microsoft apps, we thought we'd find 20 or 30. In the end, we found a lot more. And because this is Microsoft, these apps aren't just OK, they're good. Great, even. There's a free program or service for just about every aspect of PC use, from headline-grabbers such as Windows Live Essentials and Microsoft Office Web Apps to smaller but no less useful tools such as Microsoft Autoruns, Security Essentials and Desktops. It's not just about work, either; Microsoft is responsible for lots of apps that are enjoyable and fun to use. See through the eyes of the world's telescopes, play a game or two or – better still – create your own with Kodu Game Lab. The list just keeps on growing. Some of the programs here are unfinished, and clearly marked as such. That means there's a chance you may run into problems using them – nothing major, but take a System Restore point before you proceed, just in case. We also recommend you don't attempt to install every program in this list in one go; you'll quickly bring your computer to its knees. Instead, pick out tools that excite you and give them a go. With the Windows Live apps, you can choose the ones you want when you download the Windows Live Installer program. So, what are you waiting for? You're about to make your PC more efficient, secure and fun without spending a thing. 1. Microsoft Office Web AppsThis must be one of the company's biggest giveaways; you can now have access to the core features of Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote for free through your web browser. Just log on with your Windows Live ID to create new documents or upload existing ones from your computer to your Windows Live SkyDrive account, then edit them in your browser window. Even if you already own a copy of Microsoft Office, this useful freebie enables you to access your documents from any webconnected computer. 2. Windows Live MailIt's simply the best free email tool there is – essential for Windows 7 users, and a step up from both Microsoft Outlook Express and Windows Mail, too. Reasons to upgrade? It works brilliantly with multiple email accounts, gives you offline access to web-based providers such as Hotmail and Gmail and organises your mail intelligently into conversations.
It also integrates cleverly with a built-in calendar, enabling you to organise your life, too. Windows 7 and Windows Vista users can also enjoy the new photo email option, which enables you to share dozens of pictures without clogging up other people's inboxes. 3. Microsoft Device Center BetaWindows 8 is just around the corner, and while its touch interface is being heralded from the rooftops, many of us will have to make do with using the traditional keyboard and mouse to find our way around. If your keyboard or mouse is a Microsoft model, you'll want this free download, which combines the functionality of Intellipoint and Intellimouse into a single app, letting you customise how your mouse and keyboard will behave in Windows 8. 4. Outlook Connector PackIf you want to get access to Hotmail in Microsoft Outlook 2003 or later, install this add-on, which comes with Windows Live Essentials 2011. Once it's set up, just create a new account in Outlook, choosing the option to manually configure when prompted to access the Microsoft Outlook Hotmail Connector option. 5. Free Microsoft Office TemplatesNeed some inspiration for, or a helping hand with, your next Office document? Just visit the Templates section of the Office website (see the link above), where you'll find a mind-boggling number of useful options. They're divided up into dozens of categories, which cover all of the major Office applications, and can be accessed through each of the individual Office programs when you create a new document. 6. Microsoft Producer For PowerPointThis free-to-use add-on for PowerPoint makes it incredibly simple to create web-based presentations from existing PowerPoint slides. You can also use it in association with other media sources, such as video, audio and images. You'll need to use the Microsoft Office Animation Runtime plug-in unless you're running Office 2007 – a handy download link is provided on the Microsoft Producer download page. 7. pptPlexpptPlex enables you to zoom into and out of your PowerPoint slides, as well as jump between non-sequential ones. Once it's installed, launch PowerPoint and view the video tutorial to find out how to use it. 8. Free images and clip-art
Need to jazz up an Office document with some relevant imagery? Thousands upon thousands of free photos, clip art and other illustrations are available at the Office website – download individual pictures through the site or use the Microsoft Clip Organizer tool (part of Office). 9. Noreplyall Outlook Add-inThis tiny extension adds two buttons to the Ribbon in Outlook 2007 and 2010, enabling you to prevent people in the same organisation from forwarding or clicking Reply to all when they get the email you're about to send out. 10. Microsoft Office Compatibility PackThis tool enables users of Office 2000, XP and 2003 to open, edit and save documents in the new 2007 formats in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Install the Compatibility Pack and the functionality is immediately available in Office's File Open and Save As dialogue boxes. 11. Ribbon Hero 2The Ribbon interface was a great step forward for Office 2007 and 2010, but if you want to get the most of it, install Ribbon Hero 2. It monitors what you do in Office and makes suggestions as to which features you should learn about that could help you do your work more efficiently. It also helps you learn about the Ribbon interface using games and tasks that can be played with your friends and colleagues. 12. Microsoft Office ViewersDon't have access to a copy of Office on another computer? You can now install special viewers for Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Visio or PowerPoint documents, enabling you to open, look at and print your work without having to download Office. 13. Docs for FacebookDocs for Facebook is free web service basically lets you create Word, Excel and PowerPoint presentations from within your web browser, then share those documents with your Facebook contacts. Log in with your Facebook account, create your document using the basic controls provided, and then you can let others view or even edit it, plus post it to your wall. It uses the basic Office Web apps, and allows you to download or upload documents from your hard drive to use too. 14. Microsoft WebMatrix
This developer-friendly tool may have uses for less experienced web coders too, seeing as it's designed to simplify the process of building, testing and deploying websites. WebMatrix integrates server, database and programming frameworks – all Microsoft technologies of course – into a single tool, but goes one step further in making it possible to build sites based on open-source tools like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla! and many more with just a few clicks, making it a great tool for trying these services out without having to sign up for a hosting package first. 15. Microsoft OffVisThis tool allows you to examine legacy Office formats (doc, xls, and ppt) at the binary level. In most cases it's primarily a tool for technical users, but there are some real-life applications that might make it useful for the rest of us too: open the file, select the appropriate parser (Word, Excel or PowerPoint) from the Parser list and choose Parse. OffVis will then alert you if it finds malicious code, and can – with care – even rescue some corrupt files via the Tools > Repair and Defragment menu. Make sure you save a copy of the file though, in case its repairs actually make things worse. Free PC performance software16. IEToysAdd extra features to Internet Explorer 8 with this free collection of add-ins, most of which are accessible simply by right-clicking the page or selected text: hide distracting images from a web page, look up selected words in an online dictionary, encyclopaedia or search engine, and fix malformed web links. Note IEToys isn't compatible with IE9.Desktops 17. Desktops
Too many open windows? Desktops enables you to organise programs and windows in up to four virtual desktops – switch via the Notification tray icon or by assigning hotkeys; perfect for comparing several open windows without having to resort to the taskbar. 18. PageDefragThis tool enables Windows XP users to examine and – if necessary – defragment key system files when the PC is next restarted, giving their computer a performance boost. 19. Internet ExplorerAre you running the latest version of Internet Explorer on your PC? Windows 7 and Vista users should update to Internet Explorer 9 if this isn't the case: it's more secure, stable and – above all – much quicker than previous versions. XP users should download Internet Explorer 8, which is a far safer option than the outdated and insecure version 6 that shipped with it.Microsoft Fix It Center 20. Malicious Software Removal ToolThis is designed to detect and remove a wide range of known infections from your computer. It can't protect you against viruses in the first place – that's a job for your security software – but if something gets on to your system, it may be able to help with removing it. The Malicious Software Removal Tool is updated once a month through Windows Update, when it scans your computer for possible infections; to run it manually, download it from the link above. 21. Microsoft Baseline Security AnalyzerGive your computer, as well as any other networked PCs you use, a once-over for security problems with this free tool. The Baseline Security Analyzer works by verifying that your system is fully patched with the latest Windows updates, and examines it for specific areas of weakness. For example, it can flag up whether or not adequate protective software has been installed. 22. RichCopyRichCopy is designed to speed up large file transfers over the network, mainly by copying multiple files at once to make maximum use of your network's bandwidth. It's aimed largely at power users – click Settings to see a bewildering array of options – but it can also be used simply by choosing your source and destination directories (click Connect to select your network destination), then clicking the Copy button to let it perform its magic. 23. Windows Search 4.0Windows XP users jealous of how quickly searches are performed in Windows 7 and Windows Vista can benefit from the same super-fast technology with Windows Search 4.0. Once installed, allow time for your drive's contents to be indexed and then use the Search box on the taskbar to gain quick and easy access to all your precious files, wherever they're hiding. 24. AutoRunsStart-up programs hit Windows performance twice over – firstly by extending the time it takes to start Windows, and then by hogging valuable system resources, giving your computer less to work with. Autoruns enables you to see what's starting with Windows, identify unknown items and disable or delete anything nonessential to make your computer faster. Windows 7 and Windows Vista users should run the program as an Administrator in order to make changes. 25. ClearType Tuner Power ToyThis enables you to calibrate your display to make your text sharper, clearer and more legible, which can only help those tired eyes. It's built into Windows 7, while Windows XP users can download a Control Panel applet from the Microsoft Typography website; Windows Vista users should use the online tool to calibrate their displays. 26. Microsoft Security EssentialsCan't afford to pay for security software? Frustrated with your existing free anti-virus tool? Then this could be the answer. Security Essentials is a lightweight, unobtrusive and most importantly free anti-malware tool that's rapidly become one of the most popular security tools for Vista and Windows 7 users. There are other freebies offering better protection out there, but if you're not the kind of person to put your PC at risk from infection on a daily basis, it should prove perfectly adequate. 27. Microsoft Safety ScannerYou think a computer's infected, but you're not 100 per cent sure. You need a free, regularly updated and above all portable tool you can run from CD or USB stick to quickly give that PC the once over to confirm or allay your suspicions. This is that tool. Microsoft Safety Scanner runs both quick and full scans of the target PC's hard drive, and is capable of removing any infection it finds. It's no substitute for the real-time protection offered by your existing anti-virus tool, but it's worth using as a second opinion. Note the tool expires after 10 days, ensuring you replace it with a version containing the very latest virus definitions. Fun applications28. Windows Live MessengerMicrosoft's instant messaging tool has come of age – the 2011 version is designed to be the social hub of your online life, giving you access to social networking sites and your Windows Live account. Behind all of this is the same great chat tool, perfect for staying in touch via text, voice and video. 29. Windows Live WriterOne of the drawbacks of blogging is that it usually has to be done through your browser while you're online. Windows Live Writer changes that – you can access your page through a more civilised interface, composing posts offline and publishing them when you're good and ready. 30. Windows Live Movie MakerYou'll be surprised at how easy transforming a collection of video clips and photos into a movie can be. Windows Live Movie Maker ensures it's a breeze without compromising on quality – with just a few clicks, your movie can be burned to DVD or distributed over the internet via YouTube. And with HD support, you can really make the most of your camera's capabilities. 31. Yule Log VisualisationWarm your cockles – virtually speaking – with this visualisation of a roaring fire, designed for Windows Media Player. Access it by switching to the Now Playing mode, then right-click to the left of the playback controls and select Visualizations ➜ Yule Log ➜ Yule Log. Perfect for Christmas time. 32. Kodu Game Lab
Why get frustrated playing other people's games when you can design your own from scratch? Kodu Game Lab employs a simple point-and-click interface – it's aimed at children, but adults will appreciate the efforts made to make programming more enjoyable. We recommend checking out the video tutorial before you begin. 33. Windows Media Player 11If you're still running Windows XP, upgrading to Media Player 11 is a must. The interface is slicker and friendlier, burning CDs is less troublesome and a new Sync tab ensures that sharing music with your portable device is easy. 34. Windows Live Photo GalleryImport, organise and edit your photo collection without hassle using this powerful cataloguing tool. Windows Live Photo Gallery also boasts some nifty ways of sharing your photos, with tools for creating panoramas, slideshows and even movies. Once complete, you can upload your pictures to various online services, or send them in a photo email. 35. Microsoft Image Composite Editor
Stitch together several overlapping photos to create a widescreen panorama. It can be saved as a single file or shared through the PhotoSynth website. 36. Microsoft SilverlightMany interactive websites and several applications require the free Microsoft Silverlight plug-in to be installed before you can enjoy their content. Get it from the web address above or install it as part of Windows Live Essentials. 37. Microsoft Zune PlayerThis online music and video store has expanded to include unlimited music streaming as well as sales of songs and movies. All of this is accessible through the sleek Zune Player, which is worth looking at as an alternative to Media Player, even if you don't plan on using the service. 38. Games For Windows - LiveThis program puts you in touch with millions of other gamers, offering in-game chat and messaging to boost the atmosphere and add an extra edge to your experience. After you've signed in you'll be able to download a game, Tinker, for free. 39. Bing Maps 3DUse Bing Maps 3D to make it easier to find and locate the information you're after. You can navigate with your mouse and keyboard to pan, tilt and move around the landscape, and even create your own 3D objects. 40. Worldwide TelescopeEnjoy the best imagery from the world's ground- and space-based telescopes, including Hubble, with Worldwide Telescope. Look out for the Guided Tours tab – a great place to get started. 41. Microsoft PhotosynthPhotosynth goes one step further than Microsoft ICE, enabling you to create a 360° panorama from photos quickly and easily. You'll need to sign up for free access with your Windows Live ID, and your finished results are uploaded to the same site, either for public consumption or private sharing. 42. Server Quest IIIndulge in some retro gaming with these re-imaginings of classic games, such as King's Quest. The graphics are old-school, but Server Quest II is a great way to spend a quiet afternoon. 43. Microsoft Photo Story 3It may only create a photo slideshow, but Photo Story 3 does it exceptionally well. Import your photos, then follow the wizard to create your sequence, adding captions, transition effects, minor corrections and a soundtrack. The finished collection can be shared online or burned to DVD using Windows DVD Maker. 44. Team CrosswordThis game is designed to enable you and a group of friends to tackle puzzles on a daily basis, with the aim of posting the fastest time for completion. Team Crossword works through your Facebook account, making it easy to share with other people. 45. Bing Twitter MapsAnother Silverlight plug-in, this enables you to view tweets geographically, letting you see who's posting nearby. 46. Microsoft Expression Encoder 4
Although this tool is targeted at web developers, Expression Encoder 4 has a powerful feature set for video enthusiasts, too. Import clips, edit, de-interlace, crop and add overlay effects, then output the finished result to a WMV file, perfect for sharing over the internet. There's even a handy screen-capture tool built-in, too. You need to install .NET Framework 4.0 to run this program. 47. Microsoft FlightMicrosoft's Flight Simulator was long considered the de facto program for those wishing to experience the joys of virtual flight. Now you can download the basic version of the game for free, which provides you with one 'mission', based around the Big Island of Hawaii. While additional missions and planes will cost you, you'll find a number of free preview versions are available to give you a taster of what's to come. Other useful utilities48. Virtual PC 2007While Windows 7 Professional users get Windows XP Mode built-in to resolve compatibility issues, those with Windows XP and Windows Vista can get similar functionality with the Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 program. You need to provide your own legitimate copy of Windows to use it, but once it's set up you'll have access to all your old software again. Note that the add-on throws up a warning about not supporting Home editions of Windows, but it should still work. 49. InsomniaThis tiny free tool does one thing, and one thing only: when you open the program, Insomnia prevents Windows from going to sleep. If you're about to download a large file or burn a DVD and you don't trust your computer to stay awake during the process, this is really handy. Just launch Insomnia and the problem is automatically solved. 50. Windows Live Family SafetyWorried about what your children might be getting up to when they spend time online? Windows Live Family Safety enables you to monitor what they're looking at. If necessary, you can restrict access to the web, programs (including games) and even the computer itself, ensuring that they don't push their boundaries too far. Settings are stored in your Windows Live ID, enabling you to configure the program on multiple PCs in the home. Plus, the latest 2011 version links in with Windows user accounts, making it even easier to run. 51. Joulemeter
Get a decent estimate of your Windows 7 PC's power consumption by installing and running this tool – you can immediately gauge how much electricity your desktop or laptop is using by accessing the taskbar application. Alternatively, run the calibration tool to enable Joulemeter to test your set-up and produce a more accurate assessment. 52. SyncToy 2.1This handy tool enables you to keep the contents of two folders – one of which can be a shared file over your network – synchronised. SyncTool means that multiple folder pairs can be created, and you can preview any changes to be made before agreeing to them. 53. Windows Easy TransferYou've just bought a new computer with an upgraded version of Windows and are wondering how you'll be able to transfer your key files and settings to it from your current PC - you need Windows Easy Transfer. As long as you're running Windows Vista or Windows XP, just download Easy Transfer and let it do all the hard work for you. 54. Windows NT Backup Restore Utility For Windows 7This storage tool, supplied with Windows XP, isn't compatible with later versions of Windows. If you backed up using the program and need access to your data in Windows 7, download this. After installation you'll find it under Start ➜ All Programs ➜ Accessories ➜ System Tools. 55. ScreenRecorder
56. Windows Memory DiagnosticStrange behaviour – such as random crashes – could point to problems with, or even failure of, hardware. Find out if your PC's memory is the culprit with the help of this free testing tool. It's included on the Windows 7 and Windows Vista installation discs, but can also be downloaded from the link above and burned to a floppy disk or CD. You'll need ISO Recorder if you're running Windows Vista or Windows XP. Memory Diagnostic will then test your RAM and let you know if it needs checking or replacing. 57. SkyDrive for Windows/MacMicrosoft's cloud-based storage system SkyDrive has finally come of age with this app, which works in the same way as Dropbox to keep files backed up and synced across all your PCs and Macs. Like Dropbox you can have to keep everything stored in a single folder (SkyDrive), but you can place this where you like and use shortcuts and libraries to link in files from all over your hard drive. It's robust, doesn't produce file conflicts and comes with 7GB free storage, more than any other backup provider on the market. Upgrades are cheap too, from just £6 a year for an additional 20GB. 58. MontageThis clever free web service lets you create a visual album based on any topic you choose. Sign in through Facebook, Twitter or your Windows Live ID, and you can pull in RSS feeds, Twitter posts, YouTube videos, web links and more. Choose from a variety of different layouts, give your montage a name and the service will even get you started by pulling in a list of suggested content. Once done, you can keep coming back for the latest updates and even share your work of art with others. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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