A Challenge!!

[Vince Massi]

Can you find a good, free app, downloaded for free, from the web, that works well on Windows 10 and is NOT found in the Windows Store?

 

[BigFeet]

No. Apps are for android and apple products. There isn't an acceptable Windows app.

 

[Vince Massi]

Okay, then, a free Windows program that works well on Win 10 and isn´t available in the Windows Store.

 

[davehc]

I am mean. Brought on by a Low budget. My own efforts to get hold of something labelled, in the Store, as "Free", have, so far in most cases, led me to demos or time limited Apps. You don't normally find this until you have downloaded it and started to run it for a while.
But, a limited answer to your question.
There are two that I install regularly on my installations. Both, for me, work like a charm
Ccleaner.
https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

and, a search engine which works more efficiently than the MS built in program,
Everything.
It is often updated, and the latest installs and runs superbly in Windows 10.

https://www.voidtools.com/
I

 

[bari]

Agree with Ccleaner, never had a problem with it on all versions of Windows.
LibreOffice never had any problems with it either.
Microsoft MoneyPlus Sunset , Once I had applied the patch it works without a hitch.

 

[Tim Locke]

Calibre. for Ebook management.
Wireshark for network stuff.
Putty Telnet client
4k Youtube to MP3 extracts audio from videos on Youtube

plus all the ones mentioned above. There are also many utility programs like Rufus, VLC, EAC that are free.

 

[Vince Massi]

I've used CCleaner with no problems on XP, 7, 8, and 10. It is not a "deep" cleaner, which is why it causes no problems.

I have used Microsoft Money Sunset Edition on 7,8, and 10 with no problems. It is a free discontinued MS product. Although it includes online banking, that has been disconnected. It is good for bank accounts, credit card accounts, stock portfolios, etc.. And, BUYER BEWARE! It is free online, but some unethical sites charge for it.

 

[Gideon]

Can you find a good, free app, downloaded for free, from the web, that works well on Windows 10 and is NOT found in the Windows Store?

Yes try here
http://www.majorgeeks.com/

 

[Vince Massi]

Dave, I looked at "Everything," which appears to be an excellent search engine for your own files. Gideon, you're right about Major Geeks, but we need a specific free program that works well on Windows 10 and is not available in the Windows Store.

 

[Vince Massi]

Let's not forget Malwarebytes. I have used it in conjunction with my anti-virus since before XP, and it still works great!

 

[Vince Massi]

What? Nobody mentioned WinPatrol? Getting a little old, but it constantly stops new software from automatically starting on Start-up, even when I told it not to.

And I tried "Everything," suggested by Davehc. It gives you a extremely detailed search engine that gives so many answers that I am trying to tone it down. But it is an effective search engine.

 

[Jake B]

All modern apps have to come through the store. Desktop apps can be downloaded from lots of places on the internet . Some wher eu have to worry about malware and some not. Some examples are Download.com (Cnet), Tucows, FileHippo.com and Soft32.com to name a few. Plus if you go the the software's company you can download desktop apps there.

 

[Vince Massi]

i have successfully used Coretemp on Windows 7, 8, and 10. Designed for laptops, it tells you what your temperature is. It´s free at http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/

 

[bun yippee]

I went to the store one time but they had sold out of lemons & melons so I searched online .... here are a few free apps that I use without any problems .... ImgBurn for data burning to disc and VLC for DVD functions and Speccy for handy info on your computer and Classic Start Menu which overlays W10 to have it look and perform like W7 ...
.
http://www.imgburn.com/
.
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html
.
https://www.piriform.com/speccy
.
http://www.classicshell.net/

 

[Vince Massi]

I have to thank Trouble for this one:

ADWcleaner from here http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/dl/125/

I advise you to set a Restore point first. It found three items. I recognized two as being sub-routines for bloatware that I had deleted long ago. I was surprised when I restarted to learn that one of them was a Start-up program that Win Patrol had missed.

 

[Alan Sh]

EmClient - an excellent Outlook client. www.emclient.com (not I am not associated with them - I just like the product).

Alan

 

[Jake B]

As of now only Modern Windows 10 app can be downloaded from the store but they plan to add Windows WIN32 desktop apps in the future. I use Photoshop Windows 10 app as the default Photo app. The proble with some Windows win32 app or desktop app they have nagware and try to install crapware before they install what you actually want. You just have to move slow and read before answering yes to all questions. I downloaded Thunderbird email from the Web before I got Outlook.

 

[bun yippee]

@Jake B ... Cnet was a good d/l site but now they attempt to load so much crap it takes ages to SLOWLY read thru' the pages displayed during an install .. i still visit Cnet Downloads to read the reviews & comments re a certain piece of software but afterwards head off to the publishers webpage to d/load it ...

 

[Vince Massi]

Good to hear from you, Bun. I have learned painfully that CNET has a lot of downloads that include malware designed to install toolbars, change your start page, etc.

 

[Norton]

Glary Utilities, Malware hunter, Speed Fan, WiseReg Cleaner, and Avira Antivirus. And the nice thing is you can uninstall them if you wish Unlike apps from MS Store.
I use Glary Utilities regularly to clean temp files (missed by other cleaners) and Tracks Eraser.
A manual restore always performed before any cleaning of the HD