Hello, dear friends! In today’s article I will tell you about all the necessary programs for a computer, without installing which working on it will be very difficult or simply impossible.
To fully use all the capabilities of your computer friend, you need to install the necessary programs on it.
All the necessary programs must be installed on your computer or laptop, regardless of what activity you engage in on it. They significantly expand or improve the functionality of your device.
After installing an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) on your computer, you have access to a certain number of programs built into it (the number and versions of programs depend on the version of the installed OS). As a rule, the functionality of these programs is limited.
To use all the capabilities of the software, we are advised to purchase it (for a lot of money) :) There are many ways to get around these restrictions, or use a free one software.
The list will contain both paid and free programs that have similar characteristics and perform the same task.
Each program will be analyzed separately. The pros and cons of the programs will be indicated, their short description, links to developer sites for downloading them.
All the programs below work only under Windows OS (versions for each program will be indicated separately) So, let's get started...
Regardless of whether you bought new computer assembled (with a pre-installed OS), purchased separate components and assembled the computer yourself or simply reinstalled it again operating system, To get started, you need to install drivers on the existing hardware on your computer.
To see if all the drivers are installed on a computer with a pre-installed OS, you need to click the “start” button, then the “control panel” tab, then for Windows 7 select “device manager” from the list that appears, and for Windows XP click “system” and select there "device Manager".
This (or not this) menu will appear:
It should not contain any red or yellow icons. If they are not present, then all devices are installed and working normally. If there is, then you need to determine by the name of the device what the problem is and try to fix it.
Drivers for desktop computers come on discs (CD or DVD)
For laptops, they can also come on disks (if you buy a laptop without an OS installed). If the operating system is installed, then most often the drivers are located in a special folder (software distributions, drivers, etc.).
Driver installation procedure
If you install drivers from a disk and there is an option automatic installation, then you can use it.
This is the best method for an inexperienced user. Minus this method is to install unnecessary programs(various temperature sensors, fan speed control, etc.), which come with the drivers.
If you know what you need to set, then in the disc menu you can uncheck the unnecessary programs and supply only what is necessary. Below I have given an example of a disk menu from my motherboard:
Driver installation can occur as in automatic mode, and manually, which gives us the opportunity to install everything separately or only the drivers we need.
It is advisable to install drivers for each device separately with a restart of the computer and in a certain order (preferably, but not required).
- Chipset
- Sound
- Video
- All other internal devices, and after them the peripherals (printer, scanner, etc.)
As soon as we have all the devices installed or connected to the computer working, we can proceed to installing the programs that are so necessary for our work or entertainment.
Archivers
To continue further installation of the necessary programs, we first need to install an archiver, since almost all software distributions are packaged in archives.
The most popular of the paid archivers is WinRar.
In my opinion, WinRar has the only drawback, it is paid, but it returns 100% of the money spent on it. This is a great and reliable tool for storing, transferring and protecting any of your files. Whether it's a photo Text Document or video. If you don't mind the money, then this is the best option.
WinZip is also a paid archiver, but twice as expensive as WinRar. In terms of functionality, it is in no way inferior to WinRar, but ease of use suffers. Because of these two shortcomings, its rather low popularity is reflected. Comparative characteristics You can look at these two archivers.
Now let's move on to the free and very popular archiver 7Zip.
7Zip has all the necessary functionality and is considered one of best programs fast compression, storage and transmission important information. The main advantages of this archiver are the presence of its own 7z compression format, which is ahead of WinRar in speed and compression ratio. There are both 32 and 64 bit versions of the program.
Each of the presented archivers will provide you with everything you need for fast and productive work.
Antiviruses
Now let's talk about the next type of necessary software - antiviruses.
Antivirus software is one of the most popular and popular among all computer users.
Antivirus is considered one of the most necessary programs, not only because of its extreme practical usefulness (with proper configuration and correct use), but also simply as a necessary attribute of a normal computer, although many users do not pay any attention to the operation of the antivirus. They believe that if an antivirus is installed, that is enough. It works, it updates, and that’s fine. Many simply have no time or are not interested in learning at least a little about the capabilities of the antivirus installed on them and the minimum necessary settings so that it works an order of magnitude more efficiently.
You can afford not to be very well versed in Word, Excel and other fairly important programs for everyday computer work, but you cannot afford to be irresponsible with your data on the computer.
If the antivirus cannot prevent the threat, then you (under certain circumstances) may lose important documents, photos, etc., and no one wants that. If you do not have copies of the data destroyed by the virus, then consider that you have lost it almost irrevocably.
Therefore, choosing a good antivirus that is right for you is quite a difficult task, even for an experienced user, and even more so for those who are less knowledgeable. Below I will give and briefly describe the most popular antivirus programs and I will give links to the developers' sites.
And remember, there is no ideal antivirus, regardless of whether you choose a paid or free program.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus is deservedly considered the most popular paid anti-virus program in Russia. It has two most popular packages representing basic and optimal protection. You can see more details about the capabilities of these products. There are also versions of the program for mobile phones, tablet computers and Apple products.
If you decide to purchase Kaspersky Internet Security or Kaspersky Total Security, then by clicking on this link, you will receive the ORFO spell checker as a gift.
It is followed, in descending order of popularity, by Dr. antivirus programs. Web and Eset NOD32. These programs are paid. Their functionality quite enough to provide the user with good protection against various computer viruses.
Also Dr. Web provides an excellent free utility for detecting and removing Dr. viruses. Web CureIt!
From free antiviruses I would like to especially highlight Avast! Free Antivirus. It provides excellent protection against most existing pests and is simple and easy to use. There is a more powerful paid version called avast! Internet Security. At the end of 2013, the most powerful version of the antivirus appeared - avast! Premier
Also, many users use less popular, but not much inferior to their advanced counterparts in finding and destroying malicious code, anti-virus programs. These include: AVG Anti-Virus Free, Comodo Antivirus, Avira. All of them are free, but at the same time they provide reliable protection for your computer. McAffe antivirus is very good. It is often installed by default on laptops. By clicking on the picture below, you can learn more about this antivirus. Website at English language. To enable any other on the right top corner select a special menu item.
A paid antivirus may differ from a free one, both for the better and for the worse. The algorithms for searching and detecting malicious code are different, and you don’t know which virus will get to you. It may be that a simple antivirus can easily catch an unexpected guest, but its sophisticated counterpart will let it through. Choose what suits you best, install, configure and surf the Internet in safety.
By the way, I myself have been using it for more than three years free version Avast, and am quite pleased with its work. Viruses, of course, slipped through, especially Trojans, but running a full scan of the computer and using the Dr. utility. Web CureIt! (once a month is enough) solves this problem. The article describes in detail about this and other programs for quickly and effectively checking your computer for viruses.
After you and I have protected our computer from the unwanted effects of various malware, you can calm down a little, think and decide. What should we install next? What programs do we need most?
To do this, ask yourself. What do you do most on your computer? Work or entertainment. After answering it, you will know exactly what to put first, and I will move on to programs for viewing images.
Image Viewers
Programs for viewing images or simply “viewers” are an integral part of any computer, since without their capabilities, you will never be able to view your photographs or drawings. The absence of a program on your computer that is so necessary for everyday activities greatly limits your ability to use the unlimited potential of your computer.
All modern operating systems have a built-in program for viewing graphic images of almost any format, and it does an excellent job with simple viewing and this is enough for many, but for some users more functionality is needed. For this category, many different (both paid and free) programs have been specially developed to view a huge variety of graphic formats.
Once the most popular paid program to view images ACDSee, very quickly lost its position to its free counterparts.
Thanks to the emergence of fully functional free programs for viewing all kinds of graphic formats, users have the opportunity to choose, and there is no need to necessarily use paid image viewers.
These programs will allow us to view documents and read e-books in popular formats such as PDF and DjVu.
Adobe Acrobat Reader the most powerful program for reading and editing files in PDF format. Its capabilities significantly exceed the requirements of the average user and it is too “heavy”, so I advise everyone to install the simple and fast-loading Foxit PDF Reader. This free program is quite enough to view any documents or books.
WinDjView is a fast-to-use and extremely easy-to-use program for viewing DjVu files. The DjVu format allows you to save printed documents and images with excellent quality into files much smaller than the original ones.
I would especially like to highlight a program such as STDU Viewer.
I started using it in 2015 and am very pleased with it. It easily replaces all three previous programs.
Its advantages:
- Reads all major image, book and document formats (see supported formats);
- Light weight;
- Free for non-commercial use;
- Can replace several utilities.
Flaws:
In fact, it has one drawback: it is a less convenient and practical interface when working with files and less functionality when working (unlike specialized software), so to speak, the price for versatility. But many people don’t need the bells and whistles (like me, for example), I looked at the document and forgot. So I strongly advise everyone to add this software to their list of must-haves, more than anything else.
Video players
To view video materials in a variety of formats, we will need to install a video player on your computer.
Here I will give only free programs for watching videos, since there is no need to use paid video players, due to their high price and absolute uselessness for regular user, for which simplicity and ease of use are more important than sophisticated functionality.
– probably the most popular video player for the vast majority of users. The popularity of Media Player Classic is justified by the fact that this player is present in such a popular codec package as K-Lite Codec Pack, which will be discussed below. Its capabilities are quite sufficient for regular viewing of films and videos, it is unpretentious and easy to use.
Media Player Classic once again confirms that most users value speed and ease of use, and additional features fade into the background. This player can also be downloaded separately. It's called MPC-HC, which essentially doesn't change anything. There are both 32 and 64 bit versions.
Next comes a more beautiful and modern video player. This video/audio player has built-in codecs, which allows you to watch video movies (including DVDs) and listen to music without installing any third-party codecs. KMPlayer has advanced video settings, which can significantly improve the quality of the played video, as well as replaceable skins to change the appearance.
And finally, I will present a powerful and very easy-to-use media player.
VLC is free, open source source code cross-platform player of any audio and video information. Just like KMPlayer, it has built-in codecs for playing audio and video files. Supports a huge number of formats and various streaming protocols.
To play video on your computer, you can use any of the programs presented here, making a choice based on your aesthetic needs. The capabilities of each of them are sufficient for use in most everyday tasks.
P.S. I myself constantly use all three multimedia players, depending on the format, quality of the video file being launched and my mood :). For regular DVD Rip movies, Media Player Classic is enough, and for watching videos and movies in Full HDTV I use VLC media player. KMPlayer can play back both DVD and HDTV with high quality, although I rarely use it, I like it for its excellent design and capabilities.
Audio players
For high-quality playback and listening to music, we need to install a program for playing audio files.
Above in the article we discussed multimedia players that are more suitable for playing video, although all have the ability to play audio files. Using them to listen to music is not very convenient, so I will tell you about audio players that are specially designed to perform this function with the highest possible convenience and quality.
The first representative of this class of programs is the very popular, beautiful and convenient audio player Aimp. The fourth version was released in December 2015 of this player. The player is absolutely free, and this is very pleasing :).
The Aimp player has conquered and firmly occupied the niche of the former very popular and high-quality music player WinAmp.
Thanks to the free, wonderful appearance(it is possible to change skins), user-friendly interface, high-quality reproduction sound, functionality and constant updates, it has won the hearts of many users around the world. If you choose Aimp, you will never regret it. Ideal solution for home use.
It has a modest interface, but at the same time it has enormous possibilities for expansion, customization and high-quality sound reproduction.
The theoretical capabilities of Foobar2000 for high-quality processing of audio files exceed the capabilities of professional audio equipment.
Has a huge number of plugins.
An excellent player for those who like to play around with sound settings. It is also very suitable for use in office computers, as it consumes very little random access memory and has the ability to adjust transparency.
It is a fast, very small size (490kb in the archive), but at the same time powerful and flexible tool for listening to music.
Supports major audio formats WAV, OGG, MP1, MP2, MP3, AIFF.
Due to the extremely spartan interface, Evil Player is not very convenient to use, but it does an excellent job of performing its main function.
For a home where several people usually use one computer, it will be inconvenient, but for listening to background music in the office it will be very suitable.
Codecs
The most popular, stable, universal and necessary set of codecs for viewing and processing audio and video files is undoubtedly .
Thanks to the existence of five package options, any user can choose the one that suits them in terms of functionality.
Basic(Basic) - contains the necessary components to play all popular audio and video formats.
Standard(Standard) the same as in the basic version, plus a very good and necessary Media Player Classic Home Cinema player, which was discussed above, and a built-in MPEG-2 decoder for playing DVDs.
Full(Full) same as the standard set, plus MadVR, GraphStudioNext and a few additional DirectShow filters.
Mega(and so it is clear) the same as the full package, plus ACM and VFW codecs for video encoding and editing, several additional DirectShow filters and tools.
Previously, there was a special 64-bit version of the codec designed to work on 64-bit operating systems, but now it is built in by default and there is no need to download anything separately.
To view full composition descriptions and features different versions codec, follow the link above.
It is a set of the most necessary codecs for watching videos in the most popular formats and listening to audio files.
The package includes such popular codecs as ffdshow, DivX, XviD, x264, h.264, Windows Media 9, MP4, MPEG4, MPEG2, AC3, DTS, Flash Video Splitter, many filters, various plugins and other auxiliary tools for working with video and audio files.
It's universal free application developed by Adobe Corporation, which allows us to view pages with dynamic (interactive) content, beautiful special effects and video clips, and play flash games.
Flash technology is very common on the Internet, and using a computer without a Flash player installed, you will not be able to fully use all the capabilities of the modern Internet.
This software is simply necessary to install on any computer.
To view Adobe installation instructions Flash Player to browsers Internet Explorer, Opera and Mozilla Firefox click here.
To the browser Google Chrome record player Adobe Flash Player is already built in. Updates automatically.
Office programs
It is the most essential set of office applications created by Microsoft for operating systems. Microsoft systems Windows and Apple Mac OS X.
This package includes software that allows you to prepare documents of varying complexity. Allows you to work with various types documents: texts, spreadsheets, databases, etc.
Microsoft Office occupies a leading position in the word processor market, and its formats are the standard in the document flow of the vast majority of enterprises.
The most popular applications from the Microsoft Office suite are Microsoft Office Word, for working with text data and Microsoft Office Excel, for working with tabular data. But these applications are quite difficult to master on your own, and during self-study we use the capabilities of these programs by 10-15%. Therefore, if you want to surprise your friends, girlfriends, comrades and co-workers with an advanced level of Word proficiency, and do your work more efficiently and quickly, I advise you to take it.
Microsoft Office is an excellent product for processing text and tabular data, but its main disadvantage is the price.
The 2013 version costs about 15,000 rubles. This is a very large amount for us, which is why the vast majority of users have unlocked computers in their home computers. different ways version of this program, so necessary for many.
Now let's look at the free office program OpenOffice.
This is the most popular free office suite designed for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases, and more.
Supports many languages and works great on all personal computers.
OpenOffice can be used completely freely for commercial and non-commercial purposes.
The OpenOffice office suite has less functionality and ease of use, so it will not replace Microsoft Office in enterprises, but for home use it is more than enough.
A simple text editor can also be a very good option (especially for owners of laptops and tablets).
Browsers
(read as Internet Explorer) is a browser developed by Microsoft Corporation. Included with all operating systems Windows family, and thanks to this it remains today one of the most popular web browsers on the Internet.
For most users who require the Internet occasionally, it will be sufficient, but for those who spend a little more time in front of the monitor in search of information and entertainment, a more flexible and customizable tool may be needed.
Generally latest versions Internet Explorer is convenient and works quite well when properly configured.
On this moment Microsoft is very actively promoting its Microsoft Edge browser, which comes with the Windows 10 operating system. According to user reviews, it is quite good and superior to Internet Explorer.
Although the package includes many modules, the most common application from this package is Nero Burning Rom. It is responsible for recording, erasing, copying and cloning disks. Nero Burning Rom has established itself as the fastest, most convenient and high-quality program for burning discs. Supports recording of all existing discs and formats. The disadvantage of the program is that it is paid, but it is cheaper than Ashampoo Burning. Is best choice for burning discs among all programs of this class.
With this, I want to finish describing the set of necessary programs for any computer running operating systems of the Windows family, and move on to less necessary, but sometimes necessary software.
Such software includes programs for scanning text and images, translators, downloading files and torrents, communicating on the Internet, cleaning the operating system, convenient work with files and defragmenters. Now first things first...
Convenient work with files
The most popular program For comfortable work with files is . This is the best two-panel file manager. It has all possible options for conveniently working with many files. There are both 32 and 64 bit versions of the program.
A good option would be to use a free file manager. In terms of stability and functionality, it is inferior to Total Commander, but for many it will be enough.
Communication on the Internet
Programs designed for communication via the Internet are divided into those that allow you to conduct a conversation through a microphone with the ability to connect video via a webcam, and simple communication using text. Almost all modern programs support all these options for interaction between users.
The most prominent representative of this segment is Skype.
Skype allows all Internet users to communicate for free, regardless of their location. It is possible to call anyone mobile operator or a city number at very low rates.
Easy to install, clear and convenient to use Skype program It’s simply a must have for those users who want to make the most of the Internet’s capabilities.
A good replacement for Skype is the Mail.Ru Agent program, but it has a big disadvantage: it is a lower quality of communication than Skype. Otherwise, this is a fairly convenient and high-quality product. Has millions of fans thanks to the popular instant messaging service ICQ (better known as ICQ). When downloading the agent (and other programs), be careful. Be sure to uncheck the box before you start downloading, otherwise you will end up with a bunch of digital crap. With all due respect to the Mail.ru company, they do not hesitate to clog up our computers with very annoying and, most importantly, absolutely unnecessary software for the sake of a penny.
Uploading files and torrents
All modern browsers have a built-in module for downloading files from the Internet, but their functionality and ease of use do not satisfy many users. An alternative to standard methods of downloading information from the Internet can be programs specially developed for this. They easily integrate into all major and popular browsers and have significantly greater functionality, speed and reliability.
The best program in this class is.
Download Master is a convenient and highly efficient tool for downloading any files. It will provide you with high download speed, the ability to continue an interrupted download from the point where the connection was lost, and a convenient interface for managing the program and downloaded files.
There is a portable version of Download Master Portable, which, when recorded on a flash drive or portable disk, will allow you to download from any computer connected to world wide web. All versions of Download Master are free.
Another one good program to download files from the Internet.
In terms of functionality, Free Download Manager is in no way inferior to Download Master, but loses in ease of use, although many people like it precisely because of its simplicity and the presence of only the necessary controls.
The following program is a torrent downloader. If you don’t understand what we’re talking about, then read what torrent files are.
µTorrent is one of the most popular torrent clients in the world.
The advantages of this program are its small size, convenient and clear interface, and most importantly, it is absolutely free. I recommend it to anyone who downloads large amounts of data from torrent trackers.
Cleaning the operating system
To keep the operating system in good working order and remove it from unnecessary files and programs, we just need a program.
CCleaner is the best free program for optimizing your computer's registry and files. After finishing your work, you will see how much faster and more efficiently your computer will work.
CCleaner will free up valuable space on your computer in no time. hard drives, while you can be confident in the correctness and reliability of the program. The program will not delete any necessary files. Built-in support for the Russian language, the small size of the program and a clear and simple interface make CCleaner an indispensable assistant both at home and at work.
Recently, to optimize and clean the operating system from various garbage, I began to use Advanced SystemCare. An excellent replacement for many cleaners.
Defragmenters
Very fast, powerful and reliable defragmenter.
Auslogics Disk Defrag allows you to optimize the file system, the placement of both system and regular files to speed up your computer. Supports work in background. Free for commercial and home use.
There is also a portable version of Auslogics Disk Defrag, which can be written to a USB flash drive or removable drive, with the further ability to run the program on any other computer without installation.
Optical text and image recognition
If you frequently work with text and graphic data, you may need essential software such as text and image recognition programs.
It is a leader in the field of optical data recognition and has all the necessary functionality for quickly and conveniently converting paper documents into electronic editable formats. It defines and allows you to convert text and tabular data, as well as images, into documents of various formats. Does it all with maximum speed and quality. For her, the type of document being identified does not matter, be it a photograph of a book or a regular text document. ABBYY FineReader will identify the data in both documents with the same quality. There is a built-in spell checker. The disadvantage of the program is that it is paid.
For those who are not ready to pay for the ABBYY FineReader optical text recognition program, there is its free analogue CuneiForm.
The functionality and quality of work of CuneiForm is inferior to ABBYY FineReader, but it copes very well with scanning simple documents and images. Any printed fonts are recognized.
The results of the work can be translated and edited in any office programs and text editors, and then saved in popular formats.
To improve the quality of recognition, CuneiForm uses a dictionary check. The standard dictionary can be expanded by inserting new words from text files. Suitable for everyone optical recognition Data is needed case by case.
Text translators
Electronic dictionary is the most powerful package for translating text from one language to another.
It comes in home and professional versions, which differ in the set of dictionaries. Each version has the ability to connect additional dictionaries. It has a huge standard database of words and popular phrases. It has the highest quality automatic text translation, selecting the translation of words according to the meaning and content of the translated material. ABBYY Lingvo is a very high-quality paid product that is far behind its paid and free competitors. It is simply necessary for everyone who studies foreign languages and translates texts.
NeoDic is a free program for contextual text translation. It will help you cope with the translation of unfamiliar words by simply hovering your mouse over the desired word or phrase. This type translation is very convenient to use when viewing information on the Internet. The program supports the Russian language, is small in size and has many settings that allow you to change the program to suit your needs.
This concludes my review of the necessary programs for your computer. The set of software presented above is sufficient for full use of all the basic capabilities of a computer, which are used by the vast majority of users, at home or in the office.
You can download them from official websites (this is not always convenient), using the links provided in the article, or go to the useful resources page and select the one you like from the listed catalogs of free programs, search and download the desired program from him.
If you liked this article, then perhaps you will be interested in my other materials. To view all blog articles, please follow the link to. The author of this article and the Computer for Everyone blog is Alexander Osipov. See you again on the pages.
In the professional skills section or additional information many indicate computer knowledge. But not everyone can make a list computer programs for a resume. Of course, it’s best to only indicate software that you really know how to work with. After all, the recruiter may ask you to show your skills right at the interview.
Writing rules
HR officers advise writing about computer skills even to those people who are applying for a position not related to working on a PC. When describing your level of proficiency in this technique, you can indicate a list of programs that you know how to use. You also need to write down at what level you know the computer. You can indicate this as follows:
- confident PC user;
- average level;
- entry-level computer skills.
But it’s not worth describing in detail about your knowledge of certain programs. Each applicant can use this example of writing this column:
Advanced user. Ability to work with basic MS Office programs (Access, Excel, Power Point, Word, WordPad), graphic editors (Picture Manager, CorelDRAW), programs for sending and receiving electronic correspondence ( Outlook Express). I can quickly search for the necessary information on the Internet, I can work with various browsers (Opera, Firefox, Chrome, Amigo, Internet Explorer). Good knowledge of the features of the Windows operating system.
The universal version of this section may look slightly different:
Intermediate PC skills. Ability to work with MS Office programs (experience with Excel, Word), search and download necessary information via the Internet (worked with Opera, Firefox browsers), can send emails.
Specifics of professions
There are a number of specialties for which it is necessary to list knowledge of programs that help to work. Of course, it is better to start the description with general information about the level of computer skills and the ability to work with basic programs. For example, in an accountant’s resume this column might look like this:
Confident computer user. Knowledge of basic Microsoft programs Office, such as MS Access, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, ability to work with email (including Outlook Express, Mirramail, EmailOpenViewPro). Excellent Internet skills in various browsers (worked in Opera, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and others). Knowledge of specialized computer programs: 1C: Accounting 7.7 and 8, Parus, Client-Bank systems.
Too large a list listing all kinds of software can have the opposite effect: the employer will decide that your knowledge is very superficial.
It would be nice if an applicant for the position of sales manager, in addition to the list of basic PC programs, also indicates knowledge of specialized ones. In his resume, the specified section of the “professional skills” column may look like this:
Level of competent user. Skills in searching for specialized information on the Internet, experience working with various browsers (including Explorer, Opera, Chrome and others). Knowledge of the basics of working with operating rooms Linux systems and Windows, basic office programs, text and graphics editors (Word, WordPad, PowerPoint, Access, Paint, Excel, Photoshop). Skills in working with specialized systems "BEST", 1C:Enterprise (specification "Trade and Warehouse"), experience working with CRM system regulating relationships with clients.
If the position requires more in-depth knowledge certain programs, then they must be specified. So, for the position of PHP programmer, in addition to the ability to work with a PC, you may need the following: knowledge of PHP, social media API, WordPress API, CSS, HTML, JS, CSS.
In the latter case, you need to focus on your knowledge and the employer’s requirements.
If mastering new programs does not cause you any difficulties, this is worth noting at the end of the section.
In this chapter we will look at standard Windows programs 7, which always receive little attention, although the programs are quite useful. Standard programs are placed in the program group All programs => Standard. You've probably already worked with previous versions Windows and used some programs. So, in Windows 7, many standard programs have been improved, and you will be pleased to notice the changes that are in this Windows versions"on the face". Descriptions of standard programs are given in the table.
Notepad and WordPad. Text editors
Windows 7 has two text editors, but neither is suitable for editing complex documents. In other words, you can't do without an office suite. The Notepad text editor remains unchanged, but the WordPad word processor has been slightly modified. However, the changes mainly affected GUI. Now WordPad looks like MS Office 2007, but in terms of functionality it is very far from MS Word. Although WordPad can format text and insert pictures (that’s why it’s called a word processor and not text editor), but still can't work with tables.
Graphic editor Paint
And here graphics editor Paint not only gained new interface user (in the style of MS Office 2007), but has also become much more convenient to use. It has new tools (a rather useful Crop tool), and the behavior of the program itself has also changed: now graphic files are saved by default in the PNG (Portable Network Graphic) format. PNG format provides lossless image compression: combined high quality images and small file size. Previously, the graphics editor used the BMP format - the quality was high, but the file size was the same. In Vista, for reasons I don't understand, Paint saved images in JPEG format by default - the file size was small, but the image quality was low. Now everything has fallen into place - high image quality and low file size. If you wish, you can still save the file in another format: BMP, JPEG, TIFF or GIF.
Calculator in Windows 7
Even the Calculator program in Windows 7 has been redesigned! Of course, they didn’t “screw on” an interface in the style of MS Office 2007. The new calculator has a new mode. Before this mode there were two: Engineering and Normal, in new version Programmer and Statistics modes appeared. There will probably be users who will appreciate these modes.
Notes, scraps. Electronic sticky notes in Windows 7
Yellow sticky notes are still popular in offices. Users glue them everywhere, including on monitors, and then they have to clean the monitor from glue residue and dust.
Various developers offered their programs - electronic analogues of stickers. WITH the advent of Windows 7 electronic sticky notes appeared as part of the operating system - this is the Notes program.
Scissors in Windows 7
If you are going to write an article about Windows setup or other program, you will need a screenshot tool. The Scissors program can cut out an arbitrary section of the desktop and save it as a graphic file. But if you need to take a screenshot (window snapshot) of a program, then it’s easier to use the key combination
To take a screenshot of your entire desktop, press the (without) key and then paste the image into Paint or any other graphics editor.
Remote computer access
Remote access is a godsend for the administrator. Once you set up remote access, you can manage the remote computer in the same way as a local one. If you have colleagues who are not very good at setting up their computer, you can connect to their computer and help them - you won't even have to go near their computer, which is very convenient.
- To allow a remote computer to connect to your computer, you need to follow these steps:
- Select Start => Computer;
- Click on the System Properties button;
- Click on the button (on the left) Setting up remote access;
- Enable the Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with network level authentication option;
- Click on the Select users button;
- Select users who can connect to your system;
- You can turn off the Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer option—in most cases, you don't need Remote Assistance.
Windows 7 Utilities
The program group Standard => Utilities contains utility programs that can be used to maintain the system. Descriptions of utility programs are given in the table.
| Program | Description |
| System Restore | Allows you to restore the system after a failure, for example, after incorrect installation of a driver or program. The recovery service is described in detail in the chapter Windows 7 Recovery System |
| Disk Defragmenter | Why you need to defragment a disk and how to use a defragmentation program is described in the article Disk Defragmentation |
| Computer | Brings up an Explorer window. I don’t even know why this program was placed in the System group, the same window opens when you select Start => Computer |
| Resource Monitor | A useful information program providing information about system resources. It will be discussed in detail in the article System Monitor |
| Internet Explorer (no add-ons) | Internet Explorer will launch without add-ons, which is useful if some add-ons are buggy |
| Transfer Tool Windows data | Used to transfer data from one computer to another |
| Windows Easy Transfer reports | Allows you to view Migration Tool reports |
| Personal Sign Editor | With this editor you can create and save your own symbols, which you can later use in your documents |
| Disk Cleanup | General disk cleaning: temporary files, temporary IE files are deleted from the disk, the Recycle Bin is emptied, etc. You can run the same program by clicking on the Disk Cleanup button in the disk properties window |
| Control Panel | Windows Control Panel is the control center of Windows |
| Task Scheduler | Allows you to run programs, display messages or send emails on a schedule. This program will be discussed in the article Task Scheduler |
| System Information | Information program that allows you to obtain information about the hardware of your laptop |
| symbol table | With this program you can view the available symbols and copy them to the clipboard. This program is convenient to use to enter special characters, for example,® |
How to start Task Manager in Windows 7
Sometimes you need to crash a process that doesn't respond to user input. To do this, press the keys
Introduction
operating room Windows system has a whole arsenal of simple and not only built-in programs, which are not a sin to use in the absence of more professional analogues, and for novice PC users who have just begun their journey in the world of high computer technology, they will be a good platform for starting and learning. Using standard programs, you can draw, type text documents, communicate by email, watch movies and listen to music.
1. Task Manager
The task manager is used to display key performance indicators of your computer. It displays information about programs and processes running on your computer. For running programs, you can view their status and terminate programs that have stopped responding. Additionally, if your computer is connected to a network, you can view the network status and operating parameters.
To start the dispatcher Windows tasks, requires simultaneous pressing of three buttons - Ctrl+Alt+Del. A program window will appear.
2. Disk check
During PC operation, malfunctions may sometimes occur in both software (including the operating system) and hardware (for example, due to a simple power outage). As a result, errors may occur in file system- this is when information about a particular file or directory ceases to correspond to reality.
3. Disk Cleanup
Free space tends to shrink even on the most capacious hard drives. Therefore, you should ensure that there is always enough free space. This problem is partly solved by the Disk Cleanup program, which quite successfully deals with the obviously unnecessary contents of your hard drive.
A number of programs, in particular Microsoft Internet Explorer waste a lot of disk space storing various temporary files. Temporary files are created when installing new programs, as well as when running already installed ones. As a rule, such files are written to a folder specially designated for this purpose - TEMP, located in Windows directory. Theoretically, a program that places files there should delete them, but in practice this does not always happen.
You can call the disk cleanup program from the main Windows menu(All programs->Accessories->Utilities), or, like checking, from the disk context menu. In the first case, you will first be asked to select the disk that you plan to clean. Then the cleaning program window itself will open.
4. Disk defragmentation
Another way to improve computer performance is to defragment the disk. Since the file subsystem divides the disk into clusters into which files are stored, it is quite reasonable to assume that as the file size grows, it will occupy more and more clusters. It's good if there is one nearby free place, but often this is not the case. As a result, different parts of the file end up scattered across the entire surface of the disk. Such files are called fragmented. In principle, there is nothing wrong with this, since the system has information about the location of all parts of the file, but the time required to read a fragmented file requires significantly more.
The defragmentation program is designed to collect files into a single whole. If you launch it from the main menu, you will first have to select a disk from the list to defragment. If you use context menu disk and call the defragmentation program from the Tools tab, the disk will already be selected. Then you can immediately begin defragmentation, or analyze its need using analysis (it allows you to find out the degree of fragmentation of files).
5. Disk archiving
One of the ways to protect important information from loss is its regular archiving, or, as it is more often called, backup. For this purpose, Windows provides a special program - Data Archiving. Like the two previous utilities, it can be called up from the Tools tab of disk properties or found in the main menu among utility programs.
The Windows archiving program is designed as a wizard. After the welcome screen, the user will be asked to choose an action - archiving or restoring from an archive. Leaving archiving selected, click next to select archiving objects. Since copying the entire contents of a disk, as a rule, is not practical, you should select specific files and directories to carry out this important procedure. Most often the main candidates for Reserve copy are the My Documents folder and perhaps some others where the user saves his work. It is precisely this option - archiving a folder with documents, a desktop and files related to working on the Internet - that is offered by the Archiving Wizard.
6. System Restore
Another utility for recovering lost information is the System Restore service. Its fundamental difference from archiving is that it “protects” the settings of the OS itself, including installed drivers devices, hardware profiles, etc. To provide this functionality, Windows regularly creates restore checkpoints, starting from the first time the system is started after it is installed on the computer. In addition, you can create a checkpoint yourself using the same recovery wizard.
To restore your computer to an earlier state, by running the Restore Wizard, you should make sure that the desired item is selected. Then you need to click next. After this, select in the calendar the day on which the system was fully operational (days with restore points are marked in bold) and click next. Now the recovery point has been selected, but the recovery process itself has not yet begun: before starting the recovery, you must close all files and programs! After making sure that all programs and files are closed and the desired restore point is selected, click Next. After some time, the computer will restart with the settings that existed at the time the checkpoint was created. In this case, all documents created by the user, of course, will remain in their place.
7. Symbol table
Sometimes there is a need to enter into a text document a character that is not on the keyboard itself. In this case, a special program - Symbol Table - will come in handy. With its help, you can select any character from those available in the font. To do this, you should either specify the desired symbol and press Enter, or double-click on it with the mouse. If you click only once or move around the table using the arrows, the currently selected symbol will be displayed enlarged in its own window.
8. Calculator
The program emulates a real calculator. It has 2 operating modes - normal and engineering. The first provides the simplest set of operations on numbers. The second one has different mathematical functions. Calculations can be carried out in binary, octal, decimal and hexadecimal systems Reckoning. IN decimal system Calculus works with degrees, radians and gradients. The calculator can calculate trigonometric functions, natural and decimal logarithms, factorial, and any powers. There is statistics (Sta) of calculations, which can sometimes be very useful. Of course, there is also ordinary memory (M+, MR, etc.). Can display the exact value of Pi (Pi) on the screen. There are built-in tools for increasing accuracy. Thus, if you divide 1 by 3, and then multiply the resulting number by 3, you will get exactly one, and not 0.99999... In addition, you can enter 32-digit numbers into the calculator! This is not your ordinary calculator with 10 - 18 digits.
9. Notepad
Much has already been written about this program. They said that it does not have many necessary functions, such as syntax highlighting for programming languages, encoding translation, etc. However, so far many users have not made a replacement for Notepad. Unfortunately, the program has very limited functions, like word wrapping, inserting operating time (for this you need to have a .LOG entry in the first line of the file or press F5) and... that’s it. The program can work with files no larger than 64 KB (in Windows, starting with XP, you can work with files of any size). However, it loads almost instantly even on the weakest machines and does not require installation.
10. Paint
A small graphics package included in Windows for processing raster graphics. The program is created for beginners. It has the following tools: eraser, fill, pencil, brush, spray, inscription, line, curve, rectangle, polygon, ellipse, rounded rectangle. There are no filters. Can do minimal technical actions - stretching, scaling, flipping, inverting colors. At a scale greater than 400%, it can display a pixel-by-pixel grid. Can apply captions without any special effects. For professional work the program is unusable. Corel DRAW or Adobe Illustrator are usually used to create graphics, and Adobe Photoshop is used for processing.
11. WordPad
WordPad is a small editor that, unlike Notepad, is capable of minor text formatting, for example, you can make text italic and bold, create lists, and set alignment. It is possible to insert objects using other programs (drawings, sound recordings, etc.) Can process files larger than 64 KB. The main big disadvantage of this program is the lack of tables. In the presence of Microsoft Word users rarely use WordPad.
12. Clipboard
This utility is used to view the contents of the clipboard. If necessary, you can clean it. It is possible to save and open clipboard files (*.clp).
Literature
1. Aliev V.K. Computer science in tasks, examples, algorithms. - M.: Solon-R, 2001. - 143 p.
1. Baldin K.V., Utkin V.B. Computer science: A textbook for students. universities - M.: PROJECT, 2003. - 302 p.
2. Bezruchko V. T. Workshop on the course “Informatics”. Working in Windows, Word, Excel: Textbook. manual for universities, educational. in all areas of training. bachelors and masters and all specialists. prepared diploma specialist. - M.: Finance and Statistics, 2004. - 272 p.
3. McCormick D. Secrets of working in Windows, Word, Excel: Complete Guide for beginners / Igor Timonin (translated from English). - H.: Book Club "Family Leisure Club", 2007. - 240 p.
No matter how much Microsoft tries to refine its operating system, a clean OS cannot be used as desired, but only in very limited conditions, for example at work, where the installation of any programs is prohibited or there are no rights to it. If you are not a programmer or an advanced computer user, then you just need to install a list of standard programs on your computer - and you will be able to use the device normally. This applies to your own computer.
File manager and archiver
After installing the drivers, you need to install Total Commander. The program provides convenient access to your file system. It replaces the standard, much-loved Windows Explorer. Now it has become more convenient to change, move and copy files. By launching the file manager, work with the computer begins. With an archive format such as .rar, Microsoft Windows Can't work by default. Even despite its prevalence.
The WinRAR shell has been adopted in Russia. It supports all archive formats, including .zip. It is integrated into your operating system, as a result, you get the opportunity to work with all archives from the standard one in Explorer. This utility is included with honor in the list of standard programs. It's paid. There is a free alternative - 7-zip. It also has all the necessary functions, but it cannot pack into .rar.
Antivirus and alternative browser
Antivirus is necessary on every computer. On top of that, this is the only program your device needs. Buy it and live in peace. Paid versions eliminate the need to search for signature databases and updated keys. We use: Eset NOD32, Kaspersky Antivirus and DrWeb. Choose and use, but remember that 100% protection does not exist. Antivirus tops the list of standard programs.
Moreover, there are also good free ones: Comodo Antivirus, Avira, Avast and AVG. There is also an option with a corporate version - Symantec Endpoint Protection. This is a paid, good device protector, the corporate version of which does not require keys, updates itself, and works without a hitch. For convenience, you need to install alternative browser to replace Internet Explorer. Popular Mozilla FireFox, Google Chrome and Opera. If you leave Windows browser, then update it to the latest version.
A program that burns discs and reads PDF files
DVD drives are now used less frequently than before, but are still installed on almost every computer. Discs burn Nero program Burning ROM, paid. You can also use free ones - ImgBurn, JetBee FREE or Nero MediaHome. The list of standard programs also includes Adobe Acrobat Reader, which allows you to read PDF. This utility is a completely free program. PDF is the most common format for instructions, books and documentation. Without this special program a file of this standard cannot be opened.
Skype, ICQ messenger - programs for advanced users
The list of standard computer programs continues with programs for advanced users. The above is the minimum list without which your device will not be complete. Skype is free worldwide. Supports chat, voice communication and video. Is indispensable for communication. For her normal operation You need a microphone, headphones and a camera. Skype must also be installed on both computers. Allows you to call mobile phones, but not free. The list also includes the popular ICQ client.
It is a little outdated, but nevertheless, many users install it on their devices out of old memory. You can exchange free messages, support high-quality video chat, and cheap calls to phones. That is, you can maintain constant contact with friends. Instead of the cumbersome ICQ, we recommend installing the QIP client.
audio and video player, password manager
To check mail, a person goes to a website, for example Yandex.ru, and looks at the “Inbox”. There are many programs that are much more convenient to use, especially when you have several mailboxes. The utility connects to to the required server and downloads all mail to the computer. It can then be viewed without delay, switching quickly between boxes. We can recommend Mozilla Thunderbird or The Bat. Also good Microsoft Outlook. We recommend including separate video and audio players in the list of standard programs on your PC. Unfortunately, it is not possible to combine them in one utility so that everyone likes it, despite all the efforts of the developers.
Recommended video players: VLC Player, Light Alloy, GOM Player and Zoom Player. For audio: AIMP or WinAmp. Over time, you'll need to remember or write down a lot of passwords, so we recommend using one of two password managers: LastPass or RoboForm. Programs remember passwords and store them on the server. They can be used from different places, on completely different computers.
In conclusion - a list of standard Microsoft Office programs
Such programs solve a wide variety of problems and therefore are needed to varying degrees by everyone, regardless of their profession. Recently they have been called office ones. The standards for such software are set by Microsoft Corporation. Current Office package works fast for everyone Windows devices. It includes Lync, Publisher, Access, OneNote, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Word. This software allows you to conveniently work with spreadsheets, a business graphics editor, a presentation program, a desktop publishing system, a database management system, and prepare visual presentations.
Your personal manager is now Outlook, which includes an address book, weekly planner, diary, email for communication with the outside world, and also performs other required functions. There is a lot to write about Microsoft Office. But if you fork out the money to purchase it once, you will get a very good, irreplaceable assistant.