5 apps you should install on Windows laptop right away
Last Updated: 2026-05-05 09:16:02
A brand-new Windows laptop often feels like it's missing something, and that's because Windows 11 is missing several features we usually expect, especially for productivity or entertainment. These could include improved file management apps with better multitasking capabilities and a good media player to play all kinds of audio and video formats.
So you need to install some essential apps first to improve the overall experience that aren't as common and that some people might overlook when doing a fresh Windows install.
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We now recommend installing these five applications on your Windows 11 laptop or PC, each serving a unique purpose to improve the Windows 11 experience. Most importantly, all of these apps are free to download and help you sort out the basics quickly.
Microsoft PowerToys
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PowerToys is an official power-user toolkit from the Windows maker that adds a ton of advanced functionalities to Windows 11, especially those features that previously required installing dedicated third-party apps. It can be easily installed from the Microsoft Store and unlocks a massive collection of tools. PowerToys’ biggest highlight is FancyZones, which lets you create customizable window layouts, allowing you to have a well-organised desktop experience. The other tools also help in small, real ways, too, making Windows easier to live with.
Brave Browser
Yes, not Chrome or Edge. Brave is one of the most popular web browsers because of its powerful privacy features that stop third-party trackers, phishing attempts, cross-page cookies, and malware from invading your privacy and the security of your PC.
The browser’s ad blocker allows users to visit popular news websites easily without any distractions that would normally be impossible to view because of the sheer amount of advertisements. The ad blocker even works on YouTube, which eliminates all unnecessary distractions. Moreover, Brave supports the most popular extensions from both Chrome and Edge.
MSI Afterburner
MSI Afterburner is another must-install app for a Windows 11 PC, especially if you have a dedicated graphics card. It works with almost all NVIDIA and AMD GPUs, and helps you adjust the clock speeds, voltage, and other key aspects of your GPU. With the right tuning, you can squeeze more performance out of your graphics card while reducing power consumption and temperatures.
With this app, we also get a highly customizable on-screen display, including an FPS tracker and all the key usage stats for your GPU and CPU. All of these abilities make it easier to check any GPU or CPU issues in real time, especially when we are performing heavy load tasks, like gaming.
VLC Media Player
VLC media player is a free, open-source, cross-platform multimedia player developed by VideoLAN, which is renowned globally for playing almost any video or audio format without extra codecs. Even those old video formats that no one has ever heard of, VLC is a match made in heaven for them. The app also offers editing tools and options to add whatever subtitles or even control the speed of the text.
The best part is that the app interface is quite easy to understand with functional menu options for advanced skins and customisations. All of these make it one of the most reliable and easiest-to-understand media players out there.
PDFgear
For any kind of office or productivity-related work, there will likely be times when you need to edit or fill out a PDF. That's where PDFgear comes in handy, as it lets you edit PDFs easily and convert them to Word documents and PNGs.
Moreover, if you want to compress your large document files, especially those that have been scanned through a phone, you can use PDFgear to compress the file, so that it can be shared easily, even through email. Overall, PDFgear is one of the most sought-after apps for managing and editing PDFs, and should be installed on your Windows PC.