Advice Request What are the essential programs that you will still install on your Windows system in 2026, and what are the programs that you will stop using?

[Marko :)]

Only con, not available in MS store.

Why is that a con? Easily a massive pro for me. Microsoft Store is garbage.

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

Try Phoxosee, one of the fastest image viewer that I have used that doesn't look like it was made in 1990s. Only con, not available in MS store.

Thank you very much.
It was very quick; I had a few issues setting the default files, but I resolved them manually.
I then uninstalled Microsoft Photo.
I also added the software to the MD Anti-Exploit list.

 

[brambedkar59]

Why is that a con? Easily a massive pro for me. Microsoft Store is garbage.

I meant for OP as they had it as a requirement.

Thank you very much.
It was very quick; I had a few issues setting the default files, but I resolved them manually.
I then uninstalled Microsoft Photo.
I also added the software to the MD Anti-Exploit list.

You are welcome.

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

On my PC, VLC runs lighter than PotPlayer (which I had on my old computer).
Even though ChatGPT claimed that PotPlayer was lighter.
Don’t trust advice like that from AI.

Instead, I asked ChatGPT for the best settings to make VLC run as smoothly as possible on my PC, so you need to specify your hardware in great detail.
In this case, the AI’s response is sufficiently reliable .

Our experience, however, is still unbeatable

 

[lokamoka820]

On my PC, VLC runs lighter than PotPlayer (which I had on my old computer).

Perhaps because VLC supports hardware acceleration by default, while it is disabled in PotPlayer.

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

Perhaps because VLC supports hardware acceleration by default, while it is disabled in PotPlayer.

No, it's VLC's lightest interface by default.
I've also disabled other options in VLC.

I probably would have had to go through a lot more trouble to achieve the same result in Potplayer.
I only tested it with hardware acceleration enabled.

 

[lokamoka820]

No, it's VLC's lightest interface by default.
I've also disabled other options in VLC.

I probably would have had to go through a lot more trouble to achieve the same result in Potplayer.
I only tested it with hardware acceleration enabled.

My current problem with PotPlayer is that it has started to show up in "System Informer" as "Low Process Image Coherency." I'm not sure what this means, but it's the only program with this color, and it wasn't like this before, so I'm not sure what changed.

New Update Post in thread 'PotPlayer - multimedia player Update thread'

May 14, 2026

Does anyone have any idea why "PotPlayer" appears in this color in "System Informer" (which stands for Low Process Image Coherency)?

• lokamoka820

• 

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

My current problem with PotPlayer is that it has started to show up in "System Informer" as "Low Process Image Coherency." I'm not sure what this means, but it's the only program with this color, and it wasn't like this before, so I'm not sure what changed.

New Update Post in thread 'PotPlayer - multimedia player Update thread'

May 14, 2026

Does anyone have any idea why "PotPlayer" appears in this color in "System Informer" (which stands for Low Process Image Coherency)?

• lokamoka820

• 

I'm sorry, I don't use Potplayer, so I can't guess what your problem is.
Have you tried asking ChatGPT for any suggestions?
Copy/paste the image to your computer,and then write your question.

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

Maybe I should start configuring BleachBit to suit my needs.
I'll wait for the stable 5.1.2 release.
I use CCleaner 6.39, which was released on August 20, 2025.
Version 7 is terrible,I’ll never use it.

And I’m not in the habit of using software that’s no longer being developed and is more than a year old.
None of you use a cleaner, but I’m used to it, and old habits die hard.

 

[lokamoka820]

I'll wait for the stable 5.1.2 release.

The latest stable release is version 6, and it is fantastic.

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

The latest stable release is version 6, and it is fantastic.

I've fallen too far behind... I'll have to muster up the courage and start customizing it.

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

I've fallen too far behind... I'll have to muster up the courage and start customizing it.

Come to think of it, there are always too many “issues.”
It's a bit of a hassle for me since I use a standard account.
You have to restart the computer to see the folder in the menu,strange path......
I don't remember if the installer isn't signed, but the uninstaller definitely isn't.
Too many issues for my liking.

 

[lokamoka820]

Come to think of it, there are always too many “issues.”
It's a bit of a hassle for me since I use a standard account.
You have to restart the computer to see the folder in the menu,strange path......
I don't remember if the installer isn't signed, but the uninstaller definitely isn't.
Too many issues for my liking.

What specifically are you looking for in a junk cleaner? Perhaps I or another member could be able to help you find something that fits.

 

[lokamoka820]

I'm sorry, I don't use Potplayer, so I can't guess what your problem is.
Have you tried asking ChatGPT for any suggestions?
Copy/paste the image to your computer,and then write your question.

This is what I get when I ask AI:

what is Low Process Image Coherency in system informer mean

**Low Process Image Coherency** in System Informer (formerly Process Hacker) indicates a mismatch between the executable image file on disk and the version of that code currently mapped into the process's memory. This feature compares the on-disk binary with the active process image to calculate a similarity value between 0 and 1, where a value lower than 1 signifies incoherence.

This discrepancy is primarily used to detect **process tampering techniques** such as:
* **Herpaderping**: Overwriting the file on disk with malicious payload while the process runs from a cached section object.
* **Hollowing**: Injecting code into a legitimate process by replacing its memory content.
* **Doppelgänging**: Creating a process from a deleted or modified file using transactional NTFS.

While useful for identifying exploited or tampered processes, the metric can also flag legitimate software that uses **binary packing**, **self-extracting archives**, or **polymorphic code**, as these also result in a difference between the on-disk file and the in-memory execution image. Users can disable highlighting for these cases if they result in false positives.

Should I replace PotPlayer since I didn't understand anything? Although I am aware that the English version we use was translated by someone else and was not created by the original developer, it was downloaded from the official PotPlayer website.

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

This is what I get when I ask AI:

Should I replace PotPlayer since I didn't understand anything? Although I am aware that the English version we use was translated by someone else and was not created by the original developer, it was downloaded from the official PotPlayer website.

View attachment 297697

As usual, the AI presents you with a list of potential issues, including the worst-case scenarios.
If I were you, I would follow these steps:

• Uninstall Potplayer.
• Restart your PC.
• I would use CCleaner to clean up any orphaned registry keys as well.
• Reinstall Potplayer

If it causes a problem that you find unacceptable, I would switch to a different software.

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

What specifically are you looking for in a junk cleaner? Perhaps I or another member could be able to help you find something that fits.

It's simple.
It's as similar as possible to CCleaner 6.39, including the layout, especially when it comes to cleaning browsers.
It can clean both the standard account and the administrator account if launched with administrative privileges from the standard account.
You can set exceptions for any false positives involving cookies and registry keys.
The installer must be signed,if possible, the uninstaller should also be signed (though this is not a requirement).

 

[Zero Knowledge]

I do like a bit of winapp2.ini to clean the obscure programs, but ever since CCleaner turned into bloatware I've missed it. Don't use Bleechbit.

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

I do like a bit of winapp2.ini to clean the obscure programs, but ever since CCleaner turned into bloatware I've missed it. Don't use Bleechbit.

You use Privazer,even though I find its GUI a bit confusing,how do you find using this software?

 

[Zero Knowledge]

You use Privazer,even though I find its GUI a bit confusing,how do you find using this software?

Stress free. Use advanced settings, basically enable everything and done. You can usually get the PRO version on giveaway, that enables shell bags deletion.

Only problem I've found is lately EDGE will not delete data/history even when killed from a cleaning app. I have to manually delete history. Maybe it's just me?

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

Stress free. Use advanced settings, basically enable everything and done. You can usually get the PRO version on giveaway, that enables shell bags deletion.

Only problem I've found is lately EDGE will not delete data/history even when killed from a cleaning app. I have to manually delete history. Maybe it's just me?

Thanks.
I can't help you with Edge because I've uninstalled it.