[zerothedog]

1. After a clean reinstall I install Clipmate for my memory programs since Windows lacks n this area.
2. Norton and Spyware Doctor for security
3. Registry First Aid for keeping the registry clean
4. Password Plus for remembering all those program logins
5. Ghostsurf for my anonymizer
6. Auslogix Disk Defrag (free)
7. CCleaner (also free)

[CTPhil]

Firefox and Opera
Foxit Reader
Advanced System Care
FastStone Photo App
Comodo Firewall
Freeware Anti-virus of choice

Most other things I'll add back as needed.

[guy2]

I must do this in order

eset NOD32
Firefox
Sandboxie
Malwarebytes
Ccleaner
Utorrent
7zip
winamp
Sharepod
FL 8
and some type of freeware like Microsoft word

[vSnoopy]

may i know why most people like to have photo editor software ???
what is so fun with it ???

[JohnWill]

If you want to retouch your digital photos, say to remove the red-eye, you need it.

[Blackmirror]

3. Registry First Aid for keeping the registry clean

is it dirty ?

[guy2]

Whats the deal with these registry cleaners ,i keep reading that they render computers useless and they cant find squat.

[JohnWill]

A good read: Ed Bott: "Why I don’t use registry cleaners"

Another opinion from a Microsoft MVP: Thoughts about Registry Cleaners and System Tweaking Tools

[xMP44x]

Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome
RocketDock
AdBlock Plus
AIM
MSN
AVG Free 8.5
iTunes

I've never had to reinstall Windows, so I can't really say. I just picked a few of my favorite programs. Some of them aren't really necessary, but they're programs I enjoy using.

[Gizzy]

1. Sandboxie
2. Opera
3. Online Armor
4. Emerge Desktop
5. Executor
6. RocketDock
7. Samurize
8. UberIcon
9. Notepad++
10. 7-zip
11. IrfanView

It's somewhat in order.