Installing alternative software with advanced features can help streamline your workflow.

Firefox

Microsoft recommends using Microsoft Edge as the primary internet tool on Windows.

Being an open-source net online gate, Firefox provides greater transparency compared to Microsoft Edge.

A laptop with Windows 11 and some apps coming out of the screen.

Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek

While Edge also offers tracking protection, it is not as comprehensive.

Although Windows allows us to change modes, the issue was having to manually toggle between them.

This app lets you set specific times to switch between dark and light modes automatically.

Tweaking settings in the auto dark mode app.

Additionally, the app allows you to switch wallpapers and customize them.

If youve never tried this app before, its definitely worth checking out.

The Everything app on your PC is a great alternative.

Searching for a document in the Everything app.

It lets you search for and find files and folders quickly.

Also, you could add bookmarks to your searches for quick reference later.

Lightshot makes this task much easier for me.

Keyboard Manager in PowerToys.

It includes a built-in editor that allows me to edit screenshots right after capturing them.

When needed, I can also save these images locally on my PC.

The URLs you generate to share Lightshot screenshots are not private.

Compressing a file in the 7-zip app.

Image Resizer enables bulk resizing of images, while PowerRename facilitates batch file renaming.

The Awake feature prevents your setup from sleeping without having to adjust power parameters.

PowerToys offers a wide array of toolsthat can help you optimize tasks and enrich the user experience.

While it supports capturing screenshots, I primarily use it for screen recording.

Uploading recordings to cloud storage services and generating shareable links is straightforward with ShareX.

One of its strengths is its lightweight nature and it doesn’t strain system resources.

ShareX also supports customizable hotkeys, which improve workflow efficiency.

This software allows you to compress files and folders, reducing their size and conserving valuable disk space.

Smaller file sizes simplify file transfers over the internet.

7-Zip supports various compression and extraction formats, letting you manage different types of archives.

It also supports AES-256 encryption to secure archived files with passwords, ensuring the secure sharing of sensitive information.

Also, it’s free to use and open-source, which adds to its appeal.

Download:7-Zip

These are some useful apps worth installing on your Windows PC, all of which are free.

Additionally, continue experimenting with other third-party apps to enhance your efficiency further when using your Windows PC.