Fresh Install of Windows 7 - What Programs Do You Install?

CaseyJ70

Weaksauce
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Messages
88
Hey all,

I'm just curious to find out about everyone's routines when doing a fresh install. What software do you immediately install? What later? I feel like I still don't have a set routine, and I've done MANY fresh installs over the past few years.
 
Fresh Install

Update all device drivers

Download Latest MS Patches

AV

Applications + Patches
 
I have created am image of my computer with:

Win7 HP64 (not activated)
Office 2007 (need to update to 2010)
Patches to Feb2010
Halo 2 Vista
SW Empire at War
Live Movie Maker
Photoshop CS4
Tablet Drivers
MS Video drivers (autodetects, but the image has a ATi HD4350 in there)

So I just reimage (only happened once, when I switched from a GTX260 to a HD5770)
 
I would never recommend someone download apps from a third party site, unless that third party site was linked to by the first party site, but I'd still tell them to go to the first party site first.
 
Don't know why people recommend this. Its automatic and installs stuff you don't want.

Never once has it installed something I didn't tell it to, not one extra app or piece of malware.

Since you didn't provide a source, I take it you're just spreading FUD. :rolleyes:
There's only 1 thing I don't use Ninite for, and that is apps that they don't have....for those, I use Filehippo.
 
Office, Antivirus, CCleaner, Firefox, Adobe Flash, Oracle Java and WLM
 
OS : Windows 7 64bit - Best OS out
AV : Clamwin - Free and simple, don't need heavy antivirus on my box.
Zipping : Winrar and 7zip - I use both
Burning : Nero, imgbrn, and Alcohol
Mounting: slysoft virtual disk
Browsing : Chrome
Gaming : Steam
editing : Adobe everything

poor 80 gig SSD only gets like 8 free gigs.
 
Antivirus (MSSE right now) + malwarebytes
Windows updates
Remaining drivers
Office 2010
Chrome + Firefox + all necessary plugins and organizational schemes
7zip
MPC-HC
Coretemp or Realtemp
utorrent + peerblock
Digsby
Foobar2k + plugins
Foxit PDF
CCleaner and/or JV16 or similar tool (I have a few)
Steam, Impulse
Virtual Clone Drive
TeraCopy or similar file-transfer manager
Image Viewer of choice

There's more... but I don't have a list either
 
Firefox
PuTTy + agent
7-zip
foobar2000
MPC-HC
gVim
FreeNX Client
IrfanView
Foxit PDF (though I'm looking for something better - suggestions?)
gTalk
Oo_Org

In about that order. I'm sure there's more.
 
Windows Updates
AV: Avast or Avira
CCleaner
Malwarebytes
MS Office
IRfanview/maxview (Image viewer)
Nero or some dvd burning software
Digsby (IM)
Winamp (disable agent and visualization)
Java
Plugins: Adobe Flash, Air, shockwave, MS Silverlight

Defrag, Defrag, Defrag after all above is done.
 
Windows 7
My primary drivers for motherboard, video card, sound card, network card.
Any windows updates I have on disk like DirectX, Silverlight, Microsoft Security Essentials.
Install office and hit windows update to patch whats installed.
Then move on to installing Adobe Reader, Flash and Shockwave players, Java, etc.
Next is printer drivers, burning software and lightscribe software.
After that I just install programs as I need them.

I keep everything on USB thumb drives, 1 for OS, 1 for office, 1 for drivers, and 1 for programs. Updating drivers or programs is easy and install is fast and painless.
 
Question:

Is there a picture viewer I can use to replace Windows Photo Viewer, that will play gif's?

It has to be something very lightweight, like photo viewer, that opens in a simple viewing window with zero or very few tools.
 
Question:

Is there a picture viewer I can use to replace Windows Photo Viewer, that will play gif's?

It has to be something very lightweight, like photo viewer, that opens in a simple viewing window with zero or very few tools.

IrfanView?
 
A fresh install for me?

Windows 7 64-bit
Google Chrome
Digsby
Zune software
Skype
Commodo Anti-Virus & Firewall
Spybot S&D
Perfect Disk 11

And then whatever games I might be currently playing. (Minecraft ^^)
 
First I update or install any drivers as needed, having downloaded them in advance.
Then, any Microsoft software such as Office.
Next, any software on CD or DVD.
Then an antivirus (I do not do this first so it does not slow down or interfere with the other installations).
Then anything that needs to be downloaded or installed online.
 
In chron. order:
Drivers.
Activate most of the security features mentioned on my blog: http://bulletproof-windows.blogspot.com
Patches.
Steam and install my games (BF:BC2, fallout 3, cs:s, tf2, crysis, oblivion [nehrim TC as of now] basically.)
3ds max
anydvdhd
shark007 32-bit and 64-bit codec package.
flash
itunes
silverlight
lastpass

Most of my other programs are 'installed' on a network share on my 'server' in the portable fashion, such as:
eac3to
mkvmergegui
suprip
7-zip
emule
various sysintern utils (proc mon, proc explorer, psexec, etc.)
various hardware monitors (gpu-z, cpu-z, coretemp, realtemp, etc.)
spacesniffer
xnview
utorrent
etc.

disable mouse accel.
max keyboard rate.
disable power saving features.
disable hibernate
disable page file. (hope not to suffer people's wrath with this one, but it works for me and I know what I'm doing)
 
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I install apps as I need them after a fresh install. I don't install a load of them out of the gate these days. You'd be surprised how many you don't wind up reinstalling when you go by a "as needed basis".

The essentials for me are:

Up to date drivers
All MS updates
AV
Firefox
A mail client
 
Windows 7 Home Premium x64 with full updates
Google Chrome Beta + Extensions (Adthwart, ChromeAccess)
Gmail Peeper - Windows Notification Tray Utility for Gmail
Slysoft Virtual Clone Drive - DVD emulator
Agent Ransack x64 - File Search Utility
CCleaner - Registry Cleaner and History Eraser
Defraggler - Defrag utility
Unlocker x64 - Removes file locks
HashMyFiles - Integrates File Hashing into Explorer Context Menu
Media Player Classic Home Cinema - plays almost every filetype
AIM 7 - Only needed chat protocol
Cobian Backup 10 - For incremental backups to external hard drives
EASEUS Todo Backup - For full system imaging
Foxit PDF Reader - lightweight PDF reader
Notepad++ - better text editor
PhotoScape - Photo Editor
foobar2000 + 7zip extension - music player
7zip x64 - compression utility
Microsoft Intellipoint and Intellitype (for my input hardware)
Microsoft Security Essentials - Antivirus and anti-malware
Microsoft DirectX Latest Redist
TeraCopy - Better file copying
KDiff and WinMerge - ASCII File comparison software
Picasa 3 - Photo Management and Viewer software
Windows Live Mail 2011 for News and RSS reading
WinSCP - Secure Shell and FTP software
PuTTy - SSH Terminal Application
Skype - Internet Telephony
 
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