* Voidtools Everything (<https://www.voidtools.com/faq/#what_is_everything>): Find files instantly by filename or file path. If you have an SSD, it's basically an instant search... blows my mind that this free software has existed for at least a decade & Microsoft hasn't been able to natively build anything nearly as good.
* Mythicsoft FileLocator (<https://www.mythicsoft.com/filelocatorpro/information/#featu...>): Search the contents of files. I use this constantly for searching notes I've taken over time, but can't remember the file name or subfolder where I saved it to. I used it free for nearly a decade before I spent the money to purchase a personal license.
* BinaryFortress DisplayFusion (<https://www.displayfusion.com/Features/>): The best multi-monitor software I've used on Windows. One of its least well-known but IMO most valuable features is allowing you to add icons and hotkeys to any windows, which enables you to do things like minimize that window to the system tray or move it to the next/previous monitor. Totally worth the money for a personal license.
* Stardock Start11 (<https://www.stardock.com/products/start11/>): Start menu customization utility. So long as Microsoft continues to prove itself proves incompetent at designing a Start menu that people actually want to use, I'll keep spending a few bucks per major Windows version to buy this software.
* FreeTube (<https://freetubeapp.io>): Free YouTube desktop client. I'm so sick of youtube.com and the awful job it does with letting me consume content the way I want to.
* Sumatra PDF (<https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/free-pdf-reader>): Free lightweight, barebones PDF reader.