[adamx]

I'm about to reformat my PC yet again. Will be running Windows XP Professional SP2.
Please recommend and useful programs that should be installed. Need a good list of everything including, anti-virus, firewall, browser, visual themes, media player, codec etc. Basically everything needed to make it run.

[ScHAmPi]

Things I always install after formatting:
-Microsoft Office
-Firefox + AdBlockPlus + Flashgot
-VLC Player
-iTunes+QuickTime
-Flashget
-Newsleecher
-Live Messenger + Live Messenger Plus
-JRE (+JDK)
-Adobe CS3 Master Collection (will prolly install CS4 next time)
-FileZilla
-Float's Mobile Agent
-RealVNC
-Google Chrome

Edit:
-WinRAR
-DAEMON Tools

[flamesizzle]

Don't forget Winrar!!
Also things i'd personally install when i reformat:
Mobile phone software (uploading pics, syncing etc, also i dont have a charger for my phone anymore so i charge it through the usb )
Object dock - personal preference
Cooliris - for viewing google pics a bit nicer and easier
iTag - to view my pictures on my pc in Cooliris
Avast
Photoshop cs4 - Do it Schampi
Steam - If you install it as one of the first programs you can DL/install your steam games whilst finding and installing everything else
Windows Live Mail - again.. personal preference
Utorrent
Deamon tools lite

After that for me its a case of Xfire and games games games games and more games

[sam5035]

Things I always install after formatting:

Firefox + some addons
utorrent
autoExtractor
WinRar
Kaspersky internet security 2009
microsoft office 2007
Photoshop CS4
PerfectDisk 2008
VLC player
WinAmp
MSN Live
Deamon tools lite
other things aswell..................

[qiqi1021]

A lot of stuff's been covered so I'll just add what everybody's missed:

PowerDVD 7 (I can't stand 8 and 9)
DivX 7
XviD
Instead of VLC I go with MPC using the PowerDVD, DivX and XviD codecs along with Real Alternative and QuickTime Alternative. Personal preference, I don't like CCCP.
VobSub
Nero 7
AnyDVD
Adobe Reader
Ad-Aware
Spybot - Search & Destroy
PeerGuardian 2
UltraISO
Autoruns - the last and most important thing I use to get rid of all those unwanted programs that like to start up with Windows.

[RuffStuff]

7Zip
Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Flash Player
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Shockwave Player
Editplus
Filezilla
GAXReloaded
GetRight
JRE
Lynx Browser (!!!)
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Silverlight
Mozilla Firefox
Raxco PerfectDisk
PowerISO
puTTY
Rainlendar
Apple Safari
Super Flexible File Synchronizer
UEStudio
UltraCompare
UTorrent
VirtualCloneDrive
VLC
Winamp
WinMerge
Winrar

[adamx]

What about AntiVirus and Firewall etc? Currently using NOD32 & Comodo.

[TheHeartless]

adamx, on Mar 9 2009, 05:09 AM, said:

What about AntiVirus and Firewall etc? Currently using NOD32 & Comodo.

That's the combination I use. Works perfectly!

[RuffStuff]

adamx, on Mar 9 2009, 05:09 AM, said:

What about AntiVirus and Firewall etc? Currently using NOD32 & Comodo.

Yeah NOD32 is one of the best AV programs right now.

[adamx]

The combination would be one of the most annoying set ever. Trying to install a MICROSOFT product such as directx for example, still asks comodo if it is safe or not.

[TevashSzat]

I'd recommend JKDefrag as well. Awesome defragger in a small package.

As for Antivirus, Avast and AVG are also decent

[qiqi1021]

adamx, on Mar 10 2009, 06:26 AM, said:

The combination would be one of the most annoying set ever. Trying to install a MICROSOFT product such as directx for example, still asks comodo if it is safe or not.

That's why you turn Defense+ off. I use Comodo as a firewall and strip off everything else that comes in the package.

I go with Avira AntiVir for AV.

[adamx]

Right. Will be reformatting this weekend so please keep the suggestions rolling.

[Andy]

Even though this thread is about adamx reformatting I have sticked the topic, users can keep posting a list and discuss programs they think are essential to have after a format. So the thread could be useful to people.

[adamx]

Yeah, cheers IG3N. Could definitely be useful for others as well.

[Vantec]

It was just yesterday my mate asked me to give him some apps as he reformatted his computer. Here are the following things i gave him.

- ESET Smart Security
- 7ZIP
- Ashampoo Burning Studio 8
- Mozilla Firefox
- Internet Download Manager
- CClener

[flamesizzle]

It's a good thing you did sticky this as i've just had the most FAIL OS install of my life....

I downloaded a "labelled!" x64 vista ultimate which was actually x32... FAIL. It was the MARCH OEM BIE release aswell! now running relatively bare bones on this x32 vista whilst i look for a legit illegitimate version of x64 as I have 8gb of ram arriving in the next day or two and I want to have it installed BEFORE I get the ram to save some hassle.


GOD DAMN YOU --> xUPL <-- FROM BAYW.ORG! Check your damn files before you host & post!

[Saif]

Most of it is optional

µTorrent
Adobe Flash Player 10 ActiveX Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe Flash Player Plugin Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe Reader 9.1.1 Adobe Systems Incorporated
AIM 6
CCleaner (remove only) Piriform
DivX Codec DivX, Inc.
DivX Converter DivX, Inc.
DivX Plus DirectShow Filters DivX, Inc.
DivX Web Player DivX,Inc.
FileZilla Client 3.2.4.1
FoxyTunes for Firefox
Google Talk Plugin Google
Java™ 6 Update 13 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Messenger Plus! Live Patchou
Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Silverlight Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition [ENU] Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable Microsoft Corporation
Mozilla Firefox (3.0.10) Mozilla
Nero 7 Ultra Edition Nero AG
NVIDIA Drivers NVIDIA Corporation
ObjectDock Plus
PC VGA Camera PC Camera
PowerISO
Skype™ 4.0 Skype Technologies S.A.
Spelling Dictionaries Support For Adobe Reader 9 Adobe Systems Incorporated
Spybot - Search & Destroy Safer Networking Limited
TuneUp Utilities 2009 TuneUp Software
U3Launcher U3
Virtual Windows XP Microsoft Corporation
VLC media player 0.9.9 VideoLAN Team
Windows Live Essentials Microsoft Corporation
Windows Live Sign-in Assistant Microsoft Corporation
Windows Live Sync Microsoft Corporation
Windows Live Upload Tool Microsoft Corporation
WinRAR archiver

[budtske]

Misc Tools
- Deamon Tools
- Supercopier2
- Picasa
- Foxit PDF reader
- Winrar
- AutoUnpack
- WinSCP
- Putty
- AVG
- UltraVNC
- Filehippo update checker
- InfraBurner
- DosBox
- VirtualBox
- Synergy

Office
- Openoffice
- PDFCreator

Media
- CCCP (codec pack)
- The KMplayer
- VLC
- MediaMonkey

IM/General Internet
- GrabIt
- mIRC (no pre-packaged script)
- DynDNS Updater
- Filezilla
- Utorrent
- Thunderbird
- Pidgin
- Opera
- Maxthon
- Firefox
(addons: autopager, Fire.fm, Gmail notifier, google reader watcher, Greasefire, Greasemonkey, Mouse gestures Redox)


Note: every one of these is freely available on the net. Most as open source, some as freeware, or nagware (winrar) some even spyware infested (deamon tools)

Edit: stuff like spam filtering and whatnot is done on my router (also checks some http elements but serverly limited due to preformance issues, also caches microsoft, AVG updates) I only run WinXP on my desktop. my router is running IPcop. Mediacenter runs XMBC (ontop of ubuntu) Fileserver, laptop and everything else is running ubuntu.

[only olli]

The first thing i install is debian.org

And than
- mplayer
- apache2
- xterm
- openbox
- pidgin
- epiphany (dont use firefox anymore... its much faster)
- new self-baked kernel
- mpd + mpc + gmpc
- xfce4-panel

dont realy need an antivirus-software or firewall... works great without