There’s something oddly satisfying about starting with a clean Windows install. The lack of clutter, no old registry junk slowing down your system, and no random apps you forgot you even had. But the blank slate doesn’t last long. You still need the essentials: a way to unzip files, edit text, record audio, take screenshots, and maybe capture your screen. After years of reinstalling Windows more times than I’d like to admit, I’ve settled on a lean, open-source toolkit that covers all the basics without getting in the way.

7-Zip

Lightweight file compression

While Windows does have some built-in support for file compression, it's pretty limited, and definitely not enough even for a slightly more advanced user. You don't have to be doing rocket surgery or brain science to need a decent file archiving program, and for most people, 7-Zip will do more than enough out of the box.

7-Zip features support for all the major file extensions, such as .zip, .rar, .tar, .7z, .iso, and more. It's integrated tightly into the right-click context menu, and best of all, it's completely free and open-source, with active contributors still maintaining it today. It's lightweight, and is just enough for my needs, and should be for yours as well.

OBS Studio

A must for gamers and content creators

Like any gamer, I like being able to save cool moments during gameplay for viewing later, and while, yes, there are options for this that come tightly integrated with GPU drivers today, I find that they don't come close to what OBS Studio has to offer in terms of customizability. Beyond the straightforward functions of livestreaming and game recording, OBS Studio can also function as a replay buffer, complete with the same customization options that control the aforementioned main functions of OBS.

Being able to control more advanced parameters of the recording like encoder, rate control, what type of output, and more, is just non-negotiable to me. OBS Studio is a must-have piece of open-source software already for its display recording functionality, but its replay buffer is pretty underrated.

Audacity

Everything you need, nothing you don't

There's a reason why Audacity has been the go-to for open-source audio editing for decades. It strikes a really good balance between being lightweight and feature-rich. It's not quite a full-blown professional DAW with loads of stuff basic users don't need, which makes it the perfect add for any fresh Windows install.

It isn't often I need to clip and clean up audio, but there's really nothing that can beat Audacity. The built-in effects are largely good enough to get a basic microphone sounding great for voice-overs, and it also works well for converting troublesome audio file extensions to a more usable format. If you need more functionality, it does support plugins as well.

Notepad++

Text editing made better

The "++" is really an accurate representation of what Notepad++ offers over the stock Notepad that comes with a fresh Windows install. Sure, they've added tabs and some very rudimentary formatting, but it really doesn't cut it for anything besides saving a few strings of text. Notepad++ supports dozens of programming languages, highlighting their syntax as needed, which makes it brilliant for editing config files for various applications and games. It's super lightweight and supports plugins for more functionality, making it a no-brainer for a fresh install of Windows. It's the kind of app that you take for granted once you move to a new machine without it, and it's one of the first things I make sure is installed.

ShareX

Screenshots made seamless

I'll admit, the stock Snipping Tool has received a lot of much-needed TLC in recent years, and while Print Screen is handy where you don't need precision, both options still, unfortunately, leave something to be desired.

ShareX is my open-source screenshot tool of choice that does exactly what I need and a little more. It's editing suite is similar to what you might find in Snipping Tool, but it's everything else that ShareX does that makes it a must-have. Configurable workflows for different key combinations means I'm never fighting it to do what I need it to do. You can also configure post-screenshot behaviors so that you're not fumbling around for a specific folder location, or trying to upload to an image hosting site manually. It's incredibly seamless once you take a couple of minutes to configure it, and I can't imagine going back to the stock Snipping Tool.

I'm glad that my essentials are open-source

When it comes down to it, I'm very thankful that the tools I use on a daily basis are free and open-source. I know what I'm downloading, it functions as it should, and there's nothing lurking beneath the surface. When it comes to the extra things that are not found on this list, like a video editor or photo workspace, I sometimes have to turn to a proprietary solution like those found in the Adobe suite, but often times the open-source options do exactly what I need for free.