APPS
Because Barebones OS removes so much of stock Windows, a fresh install will be missing things most people expect out of the box — a browser, a PDF viewer, common runtimes, and so on. This page is a curated list of what you'll likely want to install after setup, organized by category, with official download links for each.
None of the software listed below is bundled with Barebones OS. Every
link points to the official site or vendor page for that tool. Always
download software directly from the official source.
🌐 Browser (none included)
Barebones OS ships without any browser pre-installed. Pick one of the following:
- Google Chrome
- Microsoft Edge — the full version, not the stripped-down build normally bundled with Windows
- Mozilla Firefox
- Opera / Opera GX
- Brave
- Cóc Cóc
- Vivaldi
- (optional) Tor Browser
⚙️ System Runtimes & Frameworks
- Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x86 + x64, combined 2015–2022 builds) — required by a large number of apps and games
- .NET Desktop Runtime (6/7/8, or the latest LTS release)
- .NET Framework 4.8 — some older apps still require this classic runtime, separate from modern .NET
- DirectX End-User Runtime — needed by some older games that rely on DirectX 9
- Java Runtime Environment (JRE) — if you plan to run Java-based apps or games
🖥️ Hardware Drivers
- Chipset driver (from your motherboard manufacturer's support page)
- GPU driver — NVIDIA / AMD / Intel
- Network driver (LAN / Wi-Fi / Bluetooth) — from your adapter or laptop manufacturer
- Audio driver — e.g. Realtek
- Printer driver (if needed) — from your printer manufacturer
🛡️ Security (since Defender is removed)
See the About page for background on why Defender and Update are removed by default.
- Third-party antivirus, if you want active real-time protection — e.g. Bitdefender, Kaspersky, or on-demand scanning with Malwarebytes
- Third-party firewall, if you find Windows Firewall itself is also affected — worth checking on your specific build first
📄 Office & Basic File Viewers
- PDF reader (if Edge/the built-in PDF viewer is removed) — Adobe Acrobat Reader, Foxit PDF Reader, or Sumatra PDF
- Office suite — Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint, or a free alternative like LibreOffice or WPS Office
- Archive tool — Windows only handles .zip natively; for .rar/.7z you'll need WinRAR or 7-Zip
🎧 Media & Codecs
- VLC Media Player or a codec pack such as the K-Lite Codec Pack, if Windows Media Player/codecs have been removed
- A basic image viewer/editor, if the Photos app has been removed — e.g. IrfanView
💬 Communication & Social Apps
Usually not included on a stripped-down build — install what you actually use:
🎮 Gaming
- Steam or other game launchers as needed
- Microsoft Store — only relevant if it was removed and you need it for specific UWP-packaged games
🖊️ Text & Utility Tools
- Notepad++ — if the default Notepad has been removed or you want a more capable editor
- ShareX — a full-featured replacement if the Snipping Tool has been removed
This list isn't exhaustive — it covers the tools most people end up
needing after a fresh Barebones install. Install only what you'll
actually use to keep the system lean.