- Apr 2, 2018
- 1,789
Any good free alternative backup & recovery software similar to AOMEI free backupper and macrium reflect free?
Best Free Softwares for Windows
- Thread starter jackuars
- Start date
Please provide comments and solutions that are helpful to the author of this topic.
- Apr 16, 2017
- 2,208
Here is a reddit thread. Many who prefer VLC never gave Potplayer a chance.
But I prefer Potplayer because of two reasons: Audio sounds better compared to VLC and I like it's UI. Give it a try & you might like.
Edit: Also Potplayer has video thumbnail preview on timebar.
- Aug 17, 2013
- 1,905
I'll stick with trusty VLC. It's never given me 1 single problem.
I use Hasleo backup Suite free.
Free Windows Backup Software for Windows in 2025 - Hasleo Backup Suite
Hasleo Backup Suite Free is a completely free Windows backup software for Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista and Windows Server that can help you back up and restore the Windows OSs, disks, partitions and files(folders) to protect the security of your Windows and personal data. It is the best free Windows...
- Apr 1, 2017
- 1,794
Because it uses u4seen Bass audio library.
- Apr 16, 2017
- 2,208
Didn't knew that, just always felt it sounded better.
- Jun 20, 2011
- 1,009
I also use the free Hasleo Backup Suite and I had no idea that it is a very good program.
- Mar 16, 2019
- 3,933
Here is a reddit thread. Many who prefer VLC never gave Potplayer a chance.
But I prefer Potplayer because of two reasons: Audio sounds better compared to VLC and I like it's UI. Give it a try & you might like.
Edit: Also Potplayer has video thumbnail preview on timebar.
On PotPlayer by default videos look slightly whitish for me. Same happened on my previous laptop, same with my PC. Never had this issue with VLC.
Only 3-4 months ago while trying out different things on PotPlayer I realized if I set PotPlayer's Video Renderer settings from "Auto (recommended)" to "Built-in Direct3D 11 Video Renderer" then videos look accurate in color similar to VLC. So have been using it like this since.
Keyang556
Level 1
- Nov 7, 2021
- 34
Here is a reddit thread. Many who prefer VLC never gave Potplayer a chance.
But I prefer Potplayer because of two reasons: Audio sounds better compared to VLC and I like it's UI. Give it a try & you might like.
Edit: Also Potplayer has video thumbnail preview on timebar.
pot player had ads
- Apr 16, 2017
- 2,208
I don't see any difference between "Auto (recommended)" and "Built-in Direct3D 11 Video Renderer". Maybe it has something to do with video drivers installed, I am not sure.
Never seen one, using it for years. Remember few years ago it started showing a blank window pop-up while starting player, with no ads (at least for me). Download from official website and you should be fine.
- Mar 16, 2019
- 3,933
It's an odd thing. My previous laptop was Intel+Nvidia combo and current PC is AMD based. Same on both for whatever. Anyway, at least I could make it work and prefer it over VLC for the same reasons (+ a couple more) you mentioned above.
As @brambedkar59 said above, for me it's also only a blank window when it starts, no ads. The domains that cause those blank windows are blocked by DNS so I don't even see those. If you're using your default DNS provider, then you can add these to your host file and should not see ads/blank windows anymore:
Keyang556
Level 1
- Nov 7, 2021
- 34
Some users said it had ads, some said no. I install ew years ago and it pup install avast.
Keyang556
Level 1
- Nov 7, 2021
- 34
- Jul 2, 2014
- 1,727
PotPlayer has been around for 15 years now, and it originated from the same developer as KMPlayer. Over the years, it has consistently improved through weekly updates, and kept adding a plethora of advanced features, so comprehensive that it would take weeks to explore them all.
I did a Best Free Video Player comparison almost a decade ago on Gizmo's Freeware, and PotPlayer stood out as an exceptionally polished player. It offers hundreds of configurable options, broader codec support, and impressively fast seek-time with thumbnails on the seekbar. This feature alone convinced me to switch from VLC when dealing with large file playback/4K videos. Additionally, even a decade back, PotPlayer provided the ability to incorporate one of the finest video renderer and filters available, namely madVR and LAVFilters. It became so advanced that VLC couldn't compete for a significant period (remaining a distant second), because of how aggressively PotPlayer improved in a short span of time.
I no longer utilize PotPlayer much (or even video players for that matter) as I don't watch videos on my laptop anymore. I still use VLC on my mobile phone at times.
That being said, if your primary use for a video player is simply playback, most video players should suffice, including VLC
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- Jul 2, 2014
- 1,727
For a brief period of time in 2019 as an opt-out option. It no longer has ads since this decade started.
- Jun 20, 2011
- 1,009
Also, I haven't used Potplayer for some time or even watched movies on my laptop because newer laptops don't have a slot for playing discs.
I watch movies from platforms such as Netflix and HBO.
And for playback, I use VLC or the system player from time to time and that's enough.
I watch movies from platforms such as Netflix and HBO.
And for playback, I use VLC or the system player from time to time and that's enough.
EdwardMatthew
New Member
- Nov 7, 2023
- 2
As I am using the VLC, it was worse as I used it before. my playlist of music and movies automatically vanished and even I cant find that in VLC, although it remains saved in my downloads.
If anyone of you are facing this problem please tell me the solution.
If anyone of you are facing this problem please tell me the solution.
- Mar 17, 2016
- 474
For USB Protection I would suggest SMADAVAfter an insanely positive response to my earlier thread in 2014, I have decided to create a new thread as per @Jack 's recommendation.
This is still a partial list, and more categories will be added soon. Sadly I had to limit to 1 software per category. Also included only desktop software's no browser extensions etc. Do give your recommendations and alternatives and hopefully you like the list.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
List Updates:
*Project Management- Added Taskade (Sep 15 2021
*Sandboxing Software- Added Sandboxie Plus (Mar 14 2021)
*Font Management- Added FontBase (Mar 14 2021)
*Graphic Card Manager - Added MSI Afterburner (Mar 07 2021)
*Duplicate File finder - Added Auslogics Duplicate File Finder (Jan 06 2021)
*IM Client - Replaced Pidgin with All-in-One Messenger (Sep 24 2020)
*Antimalware - Replaced Zemana Antimalware with Emsisoft Emergency Kit (Jun 11 2020)
*Archiver- Replaced Bandizip with 7-zip (Apr 26 2020)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Ad-blocker - StopAd
- Antivirus - Kaspersky Security Cloud Free
- Antispyware - Emsisoft Emergency Kit
- Calender - Vueminder Lite
- CD-DVD Burner - cdrtfe
- Copy utility - FastCopy
- Desktop Search - UltraSearch
- Device File Transfer - Zapya
- Dictionary - TheSage
- Disk/File Cleaner - Wise Disk Cleaner
- Disk Defrag - Auslogics Disk Defrag (portable)
- Disk Imaging - AOMEI Backupper Standard
- Disk Partitioning - AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard
- Download Manager - Xtreme Download Manager
- Driver Backup/Update - IOBit Driver Booster
- Duplicate File Finder - Auslogics Duplicate File Finder
- E-Mail Client - eM Client
- Eye Protection - Iris mini
- File Archiver - 7-zip
- File Manager - FreeCommander
- File Recovery - Recuva Free
- Firewall - Comodo Firewall
- Folder Lock - Wise Folder Hider
- Font Management - FontBase
- FTP Client - Cyberduck
- Graphic Card Manager - MSI Afterburner
- IM Client - All-in-One Messenger
- Image Editor - GIMP
- Image Viewer - FastStone Viewer
- Lyrics Viewer - Minilyrics Free
- Media Player - PotPlayer
- Music Manager - MusicBee
- Network Monitor -
- Office Suite - WPS Office Free
- Parental Control - Qustodio
- Password Manager - Bitwarden
- PDF Reader - Foxit Reader
- Program Launcher - Executor
- Project Management - Taskade
- Radio Player - Audials
- Registry Cleaner - Wise Registry Cleaner Free
- Remote PC Viewer - Anydesk
- Rescue Disk - Ultimate Boot CD
- Sandboxing Software - Sandboxie Plus
- Screen Capture - ShareX
- Screen Recording - Active Presenter Free
- Software Repository - DDownloads
- Software Updater - SuMo Portable
- System Information Tool - HWiNFO
- System Monitor - Process Explorer
- System Recovery - Toolwiz Time Freeze
- Task Manager - Process Hacker
- Torrent Client - Tixati
- Tune-up Suite - Glary Utilities Free
- Uninstaller - HiBit Uninstaller
- USB Protection - MCShield
- Vector Image Creation - Inkscape
- Video Chat - Need suggestions for clean Group video chat softwares
- Video Converter - XMediaRecode
- Video Editor - DaVinci Resolve
- Virtual Drive - Winarchiver Virtual Drive
- Video Recording/Streaming - Open Broadcaster Software
- Virtualization(hw/sw) - Oracle VirtualBox
- Web Browser - Vivaldi
- Website Ripper - Darcy Ripper
- Windows Anti-Spy - O&O ShutUp 10
Last edited:
- Apr 16, 2017
- 2,932
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