Every year I try newer software, but some programs just refuse to be replaced.

I've been using these for well over 10 years:

• Notepad++
• 7-Zip
• IrfanView
• Audacity
• Winamp
• VLC
• VirtualDub

I've tried alternatives to most of them, but I always end up coming back.

Which software have you been using for 10+ years and still haven't found a better replacement for?

Edit: A few more that I completely forgot about:

• WinSCP (I use it daily)
• Folder Size by MindGems
• Araxis Merge
• uTorrent 3.4.1 (before the bloat)
• qBittorrent (on Mac)

It's interesting how many of the tools mentioned in this thread are lightweight utilities that have been around for 10, 15, or even 20+ years and are still actively maintained.

What are examples of software that teens may have used on computers in the early 2000s? It seems more software was made and worked offline back then and im just intrigued .

Wow guys thanks for the support. Ill probably turn this into an article for my tech site (thetechboy.org). I think is so neat that yall used some if the same software.

Anybody else ready to just quit giving into the AI hype and quit using it altogether? I have a Claude max $200/mo plan that hits limits almost every time I use it where the limit doesn't reset for 3-5 days.

Since it keeps happening I've been going back to traditional coding and have to say I love it way more and I'm realizing AI isn't helping me speed up anything it's just having me solve different problems AI problems.

I'm just so over watching paint dry and trying to craft AI to work right were being sold it's smarter than us but so often it is the dumbest thing in the world. I'm over supporting the shadiest tech companies that have ever existed and them basically pushing fake it to make it culture which is fueling tons of fraudulent companies making everything worse. There is literally nothing good coming from AI.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been trying to cut down on my software costs and realized some free tools out there are genuinely as good (or better) than their paid counterparts. For example, I’ve been using Obsidian for note-taking instead of paying for Notion, and honestly, I love it.

Curious what others are using, what’s one free piece of software that you think more people should know about?

So what freeware software or even freeware games you use that you wish more people knew about?

There has to be some obscure freeware thats worth it's weight in gold but for whatever reason very people know about it.

All I need is to fill out this divorce paperwork and sign the page. It’s my 4th time filling this paperwork out and I’ve used adobe previously so I don’t have the free trial.

I live in university housing, and the campus network has extremely strict restrictions. It blocks numerous websites, online games, and Discord entirely.
I’ve tried several workarounds (including different VPNs and DNS changes), but they all severely throttle my speed and cause massive ping spikes and packet loss, making gaming or voice calls practically impossible.
Has anyone successfully bypassed strict campus firewalls without ruining their connection latency? Are there specific protocols, lightweight VPNs, or network configurations that work well in this situation?

For me, MalwareBytes seems worth it at the moment and no issues with it and Bitwarden, overall best program that I use on a daily.

What product did you buy that was worth it?

Filee is open source (MIT) and free, with no ads or paid tier. Source code: https://github.com/KnifeLemon/Filee

I'm the developer.

Hi! I got tired of uploading files to converter websites, so I built a desktop converter that works entirely offline.

How it works: hold a key (Ctrl by default, configurable) and drag files. A donut-shaped menu opens at the cursor; drop the files on a format and the converted files appear next to the originals. You can also use the right-click menu in File Explorer (top level on Windows 11), Send To or a keyboard shortcut.

- 180 formats: images (incl. HEIC, PSD, camera RAW), PDF, Word/Excel/PowerPoint, e-books (EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, CBZ), video and audio, archives, CAD (DWG/DXF), fonts, Korean HWP

- No upload, no ads, no watermark, no account, no file-size limit

- Converts DOCX/XLSX/PPTX without Microsoft Office

- Batch conversion in parallel; presets for quality, size, PDF merge/split, ZIP, output folder and names

- Heavy engines (FFmpeg, LibreOffice, calibre, Ghostscript, Pandoc) are optional downloads you pick in the installer or later

- MIT licensed, C# / .NET 10 + Avalonia

Source (MIT): https://github.com/KnifeLemon/Filee

Download: https://filee.sh

The installer isn't code-signed yet, so SmartScreen may say "Windows protected your PC" (More info → Run anyway). Feedback and format requests are very welcome!

I’m curious to discover tools that genuinely make a difference in daily life.

What’s a piece of software that had a real impact on you? It could be anything — productivity tools, utilities, dev tools, or even something niche.

What makes it so useful for you?

I’m especially interested in: hidden gems, free or underrated tools or things you use every day !

I've tried five different cd writing software, and I am going insane because all of them show me 10x as the lowest speed I can write at. It could be an issue with the discs or burner I'm using so I'll include images of those just in case.

Cd says 52x, but my dad says thats the maximum speed not the only speed. Generally trust his opinion since he grew up burning cds.

I don't think the burner should be having any issues. The specifications are on the back.

Guys most of them times I’m on the move a lot so i need a remote software suggestions. im not really looking for an active subscription . Advice needed. Thanks yall

I want a browser that works. Too many browsers collect user data, steal information, and eat RAM. I want one that just browses, with a built-in good ad blocker like uBlock or something. I play Minecraft with shaders; I need RAM; it's not "I don't have any RAM"; it's I need more RAM. Minecraft with shaders isn't "hard" to run; it's just that I don't have enough money to upgrade my stuff. I have to have my browser open at all times to make sure I don't miss a Snapchat message or something. Also, I love my music playing in the background, so I have YouTube Music open in the background.

SPECS:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600G

RAM: 15.3gb/16gb DDR4

GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6400

Heard it was basically a virus, sucks or is useless now, I used to use it on an old pc but now I want to get rid of stuff like old cache files made by programs (so not Windows itself, so it's not covered by the windows file cleanup) So can I use CCleaner for that or are there better software available. Btw I'd use the free version of CCleaner and I'm looking for free alternatives specifically.

Tired of trial versions and watermarks on every free PDF editor I try. I just need to highlight, merge, and sign documents without paying monthly. Anyone found a solid free option that doesn’t feel sketchy?

I setup new Windows 11 PCs for many people. They are average users, not power users. What is the full stack of software that I should install, by default, on every new setup?

What software do you recommend for editing pdf files - mainly changing the text but also changing the layout without messing up the whole document?

I wouldn't want to subscribe to Adobe Acrobat Pro. I see Acrobat Pro 2024 or 2022 recommended but on the official site it's written that they are only 3 year licenses. Does it mean that they will stop working after 3 years expire? I've read that the last true perpetual license is Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020. Can it still be activated and will it continue to work for many years? What is the best site to get such activation key?

What are the best 3rd party alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Pro?

I already use quite a few open-source apps, but I want to discover many more across all categories and workflows. What are your essential recommendations?

What’s your alternatives to notepad++, whether it’s for programming or just taking notes for yourself? (nothing vibe coded, please)

Why do you like your suggestion, what features does it have or not have? Is AI integrated into it, an option, or not at all available?

Bonus if it’s available cross platform…I’m considering switching to Linux.

I hate MS Word for almost everything, microsoft’s Notepad is annoying me with all its changes, and I’m concerned about notepad++ security going forward, though I’m not sure if I should be.

Hello

I have 2 files I need to check and compare to spot differences between the two and edit one if necessary. Both are text files (it's a memoir) from the same source, but one's text has been edited, hence why I need to check which chapter/text has been edited.

I tried to put both texts on my screen and compare them by just reading, but its very slow and not comfortable at all

Do you know a better method or a software to help me directly spot those differences ?

Thank you

I use Windows (I know, I know...) and I need a free, fast and complete PDF editor. I have tried many, each seeming more polished than the previous. Which one is best at quickly viewing PDFs and editing then with complete functionality, like adding signatures and stuff ?

Currently tried :

PDFgear

pdfX

OnlyOffice

Stirling PDF

Foxit PDF

Not yet :

Obsidian (though I use it for markdown and it doesn't look like it has been thought for PDF files)

Sumatra PDF

Could you help me find the best one please ?

Thank you !

I need free and light video compressor (wish it's stable on 8GB RAM and no quality loss). Also, I wonder if compressing from 1GB to around 300MB is normal? (I'm asking if there's a chance if quality loss).

Hey everyone,

I've used VLC for years and I'm looking for a modern replacement.

I need:

• Fast and lightweight
• Modern UI
• Can pause with a single click
• Is preferably open source

What do you recommend? Thanks!

I see people always say VLC but i always have trouble with it and honestly its not very pleasing to look at. Are there any modern looking media players that have alot of features and feel premium and smooth? You know, the ones with the best quality of life features and stuff.

now, I know this question is asked like 20,000 times a day but people give way too many different answers, I have a list of all the ones i see most:

• IrfanView
• JPEGView
• FastStone
• qView
• XnView MP
• Digikam
• ImageGlass

now I do not care if it's free or not, i can pay for subscriptions, I would also like the software to be for windows 10, I do not care if it doesn't have compatability for other operating systems, I also do want it for multiple file types because I open different types of files, thanks in advance.