What are some underrated but highly recommended software for Windows?
1. Ninite
This is a tool that many people don’t know about, but it’s definitely worth recommending.
Every time you reinstall the system or buy a new computer, don’t you have to reinstall a bunch of software?
Plus, many software these days can be sneaky and install ads without you even realizing it.
This batch installation tool allows you to silently install over 60 common applications like Chrome, GIMP, and 7-Zip all at once. It automatically skips ads and bundled plugins. The enterprise version supports group policy management, while the personal version is completely free, saving you a lot of setup time.
2. PowerToys (Microsoft Official Tool)
This is definitely an underrated piece of software that most people don’t know the full power of; it’s Microsoft's very own toolkit.
Many people scoff at Microsoft tools, but this one is really powerful and comes packed with several efficiency-boosting features:
- PowerToys Run: A super launcher (trigger it with Alt+Space)
- Text Extractor: OCR for converting screenshots to text
- Keyboard Manager: Customize shortcuts / remap keys
- Quick Accent: Long press to automatically type special characters (like those in French or German)
- Always on Top: Keep a window on top of others
There are plenty of useful features, so definitely give it a try; it’s going to feel great.
It’s odd that Microsoft hasn’t integrated these features directly into the operating system; it’s likely because the current codebase is a bit of a mess that no one wants to touch.
3. Jump Desktop (Remote Control)
If you have multiple computers and find switching between them inconvenient, I always use remote control software.
I’ve tried some like ToDesk and Sunflower before—while they work, ToDesk has time limits for free users, and the resolution for free accounts can be quite low, making it hard to see anything clearly.
I later discovered Jump Desktop, which is free to use, has no resolution limits, and meets all my needs perfectly.
4. SpaceSniffer (Lightweight Disk Analyzer)
Anyone who uses Windows knows that regardless of how large your hard drive is, it eventually fills up, and you often don’t even know what’s taking up space.
SpaceSniffer is a great tool for analyzing disk space; it’s fast, effective, and lightweight.
Once you analyze the space, you can start deleting unnecessary files and reclaiming disk space.
Before I knew about SpaceSniffer, I would have to open folders one by one to find files to delete, which was quite a hassle.
5. uTools (User-Friendly Launcher Tool)
This is a super-efficient tool that includes file search, translation, OCR, screenshots, clipboard management, and a bunch of other plugins that keep you hooked. It’s like Alfred for Windows.
The key is its convenience; just press Win + Space to bring it up and quickly access the functions you want.
If you have some programming skills, you can even develop your own plugins, and it’s just as easy to launch them.
Although there’s a membership system, the free version is already quite sufficient.
6. Cap (User-Friendly Screen Recording Software)
This is a screen recording tool that is open-source and free.
Most of my friends probably don’t need it, but if you have to do presentations and need zoom functionality at the mouse pointer, you should definitely try Cap; it’s very useful.
In the past, for similar screen recording needs, I would switch to my Mac to use Screen Studio. Now I can just use Cap directly.
7. LocalSend (LAN File Transfer Tool)
LocalSend is a lightweight and fast file transfer tool for LAN, and it’s really handy. It supports multiple platforms, so you won’t have to open WeChat just to share files anymore.
8. NoTab (My Own Developed Browser Extension)
This is a bit of self-promotion (whoops), but it’s a browser extension I developed and find really useful—I use it every day.
I genuinely believe this can double your productivity; okay, maybe I’m a bit biased.
NoTab lets you preview the content of links on the current page without juggling multiple tabs, which is especially handy for quick previews on platforms like Zhihu, GitHub, Reddit, or Google.
It also supports quick translation and searching, allowing you to complete everything on one page.
It’s quite satisfying to use; I welcome my fellow Zhihu users to give it a try at https://notab.pro/.
9. PotPlayer (Video Player)
This is a simple and highly compatible video player that supports multiple video formats, boasting powerful decoding capabilities and extensive playback settings.
To highlight one feature: most players cap playback speed at 3x, right?
PotPlayer can go up to 12x speed, which makes searching for information or quickly skimming through videos a breeze.
I previously did some video editing and relied heavily on the 12x speed to find material and get the general sense of things.
10. Shadow Blade
Many people might not know about this, but if you often have repetitive tasks, Shadow Blade can automate those tasks for you, which is super convenient.
And you don’t have to worry about detection; Shadow Blade simulates real user operations rather than using various hook techniques.
It will definitely boost your productivity.
11. TrafficMonitor (Desktop Floating Window)
This is a small floating window on your desktop that displays real-time CPU, memory usage, and network speed. It’s lightweight and supports skin changes and custom features, making it quite handy.
12. EarTrumpet (Volume Management Tool)
The built-in volume management in Windows is quite lacking; this tool allows you to independently adjust the volume for each application, which is incredibly useful.
13. Wallpaper Engine
This is a paid software, but I think it’s really worth it!
Getting it for 19 yuan was an absolute steal!
Before, if I wanted to find a wallpaper, I’d have to search online, and the images I found were often not very clear.
Now with this software, you can find wallpapers of all kinds.
Animated, video, music, images, anime, cars, real people, beautiful scenes, and so on, it has it all!