Ask HN: What Windows apps/programs do you use daily and recommend?
2 comments
- Joplin - Note-taking, markdown, engineering homework (katex)
- Next-Web - OpenAI/LLM API based Chat UI with image input (fast, reliable) https://github.com/ChatGPTNextWeb/ChatGPT-Next-Web
- WSL - Very handy when you need to quicky run Unix commands and also test some linux stuff
- Slack - MS Teams alternative
- Next-Web - OpenAI/LLM API based Chat UI with image input (fast, reliable) https://github.com/ChatGPTNextWeb/ChatGPT-Next-Web
- WSL - Very handy when you need to quicky run Unix commands and also test some linux stuff
- Slack - MS Teams alternative
DISCLAIMER: this list is x64-centric, and your results may vary under arm64 environments.
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PACKAGE AUTOMATION
- Windows Package Manager "winget" command-line tool (winget.exe): https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli
On both Windows 10 and 11, every application and system package on my devices gets batch-installed, as winget import --import-file {{JSON-file}}, when possible. One can also export a list of installed packages for automation purposes.
Winget is shipped as a component of the App Installer package, which is supplied by default under Windows 11 but is an optional installation for Windows 10.
---
DRIVER AUTOMATION
- Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufactu...
I use this a lot, as dism /online /export-driver /destination:{{output-directory}}, mainly to manage exported driver packages post-Windows Update that are subsequently cherry-picked (latest active, installed version only), stored on a USB-C thumb drive, and pre-installed into a neutral OS (in Windows Audit Mode, using Ctrl-Shift-F3), via PnPUtil, for clean-machine testing.
- PnPUtil (PnPUtil.exe): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/d...
As an example, I leverage the exported driver packages from above to one-click install them via a one-line batch command (in Windows Audit Mode, using Ctrl-Shift-F3 on first launch) for neutral-installation, clean-machine testing.
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Automation is key to getting things done, and reproducible environments are a necessity, especially when performing regression testing across various Windows OS build versions.
The combination of DISM and PnPUtil is now fast enough that I actually no longer bother using WinPE to capture and flash system images, or setting up DISM to inject the drivers into an existing image. Time is money and personal sanity.
---
SCREEN CALIBRATION
- DisplayCAL: https://github.com/eoyilmaz/displaycal-py3
Every display panel I own (whether portable, laptop, all-in-one desktop, 4K monitor or other) gets a clean-room measurement under daylight (5000K) lamps with an X-Rite i1D3HL OEM colorimeter (e.g., CALIBRITE ColorChecker Display, et al), generating an ICC profile that can then be loaded into Windows Color Management at any later date.
Color calibration makes a huge optical quality-of-life improvement, with the occasional use of an adaptive grey-scale filter (to minimize color distraction, as well as to verify grey-scale compatibility and contrast) a close second.
This repo accommodates the changes required to run with Python 3 support.
---
DIAGNOSTICS
- REALIX HWiNFO: https://www.hwinfo.com/
HWiNFO provides "more info about your computer than you'll ever need", which is nonetheless incredibly useful. I've been using this for years.
---
PACKAGE AUTOMATION
- Windows Package Manager "winget" command-line tool (winget.exe): https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli
On both Windows 10 and 11, every application and system package on my devices gets batch-installed, as winget import --import-file {{JSON-file}}, when possible. One can also export a list of installed packages for automation purposes.
Winget is shipped as a component of the App Installer package, which is supplied by default under Windows 11 but is an optional installation for Windows 10.
---
DRIVER AUTOMATION
- Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufactu...
I use this a lot, as dism /online /export-driver /destination:{{output-directory}}, mainly to manage exported driver packages post-Windows Update that are subsequently cherry-picked (latest active, installed version only), stored on a USB-C thumb drive, and pre-installed into a neutral OS (in Windows Audit Mode, using Ctrl-Shift-F3), via PnPUtil, for clean-machine testing.
- PnPUtil (PnPUtil.exe): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/d...
As an example, I leverage the exported driver packages from above to one-click install them via a one-line batch command (in Windows Audit Mode, using Ctrl-Shift-F3 on first launch) for neutral-installation, clean-machine testing.
---
Automation is key to getting things done, and reproducible environments are a necessity, especially when performing regression testing across various Windows OS build versions.
The combination of DISM and PnPUtil is now fast enough that I actually no longer bother using WinPE to capture and flash system images, or setting up DISM to inject the drivers into an existing image. Time is money and personal sanity.
---
SCREEN CALIBRATION
- DisplayCAL: https://github.com/eoyilmaz/displaycal-py3
Every display panel I own (whether portable, laptop, all-in-one desktop, 4K monitor or other) gets a clean-room measurement under daylight (5000K) lamps with an X-Rite i1D3HL OEM colorimeter (e.g., CALIBRITE ColorChecker Display, et al), generating an ICC profile that can then be loaded into Windows Color Management at any later date.
Color calibration makes a huge optical quality-of-life improvement, with the occasional use of an adaptive grey-scale filter (to minimize color distraction, as well as to verify grey-scale compatibility and contrast) a close second.
This repo accommodates the changes required to run with Python 3 support.
---
DIAGNOSTICS
- REALIX HWiNFO: https://www.hwinfo.com/
HWiNFO provides "more info about your computer than you'll ever need", which is nonetheless incredibly useful. I've been using this for years.
So, what applications do you use daily on Windows and why do you love it?
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40627395