The 7 apps I always install first on a Windows 11 PC — and they're all FREE

When you work for a site called Windows Central, there's a strong chance you're going to be setting up Windows from scratch a lot more often than the average person.

Whether it's fighting demons on my main gaming PC or setting up review hardware, I do my fair share of fresh Windows 11 set-ups.

I've been doing this a long time now, and over the years, the essential apps I need right away have been whittled down to these seven. Whether it's for work or play, these are the apps I install first on any Windows 11 PC.

PowerToys

I am firmly of the opinion that all the features in PowerToys should just be standard in Windows 11. But if they were, progress would be slower, and the community wouldn't be able to contribute.

PowerToys is open source, and it's a suite of tools I simply couldn't use Windows 11 without anymore. Be it FancyZones for better on-screen window management, the new Light Switch feature, Image Resizer, and several other modules. All are part of my daily workflow.

I especially use Command Palette, preceded by PowerToys Run. I love using a keyboard to launch apps, search, and even do quick calculations. The less time I'm using a mouse, the more productive I am.

Google Chrome

No, I don't use Microsoft Edge. The simple truth is that I've used Google Chrome for so long, I'm just comfortable with it. All my stuff is here, and given I also use it on Android, I'm always synced up whichever device I'm on.

There's not much else to say about it. I went through a spell of trying to use Edge, and I've tried most other browsers, too. I always end up back in Chrome, because it's familiar. It's where I've mostly done my daily work now for over a decade.

I also use a Chromebook semi-regularly, and I'm of an age now where convenience is important to me. Chrome is convenient for me, and so it's what I use.

Steam

I'm a gamer, so I need Steam. That's about all there is to say about it, right?

Admittedly, the games I play on desktop in recent times have skewed more towards those on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but I still have a healthy Steam library, and so it's an auto-install for me.

Steam's added special sauce is that I can leave my PC on and retire to the front room and stream my games from my gaming PC to my Steam Deck if I want a change of scenery. Or a sofa.

Heroic Games Launcher

The other side of my PC gaming comes from Heroic Games Launcher. It's a third-party, open source app that started out as an alternative to the Epic Games Launcher.

I first came across it on Linux, where there is no official Epic Games Launcher. But it's just better than the official one, anyway, so why not use it on Windows, too?!

You can customize it to match your preferred color schemes, and these days, you can also use it to download your GOG and Amazon Games libraries.

GIMP

Honestly, most of the time I just use the Microsoft Photos app to make tweaks to images, especially with the new and excellent AI features.

But there are still plenty of times I want something a bit more full-featured, be that for work or for personal image editing. For that, as I have for years, I reach for GIMP.

Mostly, I'm too tight-fisted to pay for Adobe. I don't use it often enough to warrant the expense, and when I have used it, I've used about 5% of the features I was paying a vast sum of money for. GIMP is free, open source, and for what I need, plenty powerful enough.

WSL

Obviously, I use Windows 11, but I also enjoy using Linux. WSL is a happy matrimony of both. WSL is easier to install than ever, and it's always one of the first things I put on a new installation of Windows.

The interoperability between Windows 11 and the Linux distro is fantastic. I'm no developer, but I am constantly trying to learn new things, and using WSL with other apps such as Docker Desktop and VS Code is a dream pairing.

Spotify

Working remotely by myself is a pretty quiet affair. Or it is when the kids aren't on school holidays, anyway. I can't work in silence; I actually find it more distracting than a noisy environment. Maybe I'm weird.

So there's always some noise, and that's usually coming from Spotify. Be it music or podcasts, Spotify is where I settled, and of course, there's a Windows desktop app.

I'm not a massive fan of the desktop app, but it does its job, and it allows me to send audio to the Google Nest speaker elsewhere in my office without having to constantly speak to it. Win-win.

How I quickly install these apps (and more)

In the year 2025, going out and installing these apps one by one from websites on the internet is old hat.

There are many easier ways, including Ninite, and even the Microsoft Store is getting multi-app installs at long, long last.

My preferred method is using winget, also known as the Windows Package Manager. It's a standard feature now on Windows 11, and as a frequent Linux user, I feel at home in the terminal.

I don't need to remember any scripts, but if you're new to using winget, I recommend using the website winstall.app. It's a GUI for the apps you can install through winget, and allows you to select what you want and generate a simple copy and paste script.

So, that's the first seven apps I always install on Windows 11. Truly, I couldn't use Windows without each of them, especially PowerToys.

I'd love to know what some of your must-have apps are, too. I appreciate that mine may be a little boring, so I'm opening it up in the comments. Drop in there and share your own must-haves!

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