11 Essential Windows Apps Missing from Windows 11 — Boost Your Productivity

Although Windows has evolved into a sophisticated, feature-rich operating system, even its most recent versions can leave users searching for essential tools that remain inexplicably absent from the default installation. Windows 11, for all of its polish and productivity advances, still requires most people to go hunting for third-party applications to close frustrating functionality gaps. There’s no denying that Windows 11 includes a better set of stock apps than previous generations; with improvements to File Explorer, a more robust Snipping Tool, and a refreshed Microsoft Store, Microsoft has made strides. But if you spend any time managing large numbers of files, collaborating across devices, or customizing your digital workspace, you’ll quickly realize that several must-have apps are still missing.
Below, we examine 11 of the most valuable Windows apps that—despite their popularity and utility—aren’t built into Windows. We break down why users crave them, what problems they actually solve, and weigh the potential risks if these features were to be natively integrated. Throughout, we’ll analyze not just what’s missing from Windows, but how Microsoft could rise to the challenge of delivering a more complete out-of-box experience.

A Smarter File Search: Everything​

For anyone who’s ever waited in frustration as Windows Search slowly churns away or fails to surface needed files, the difference with an app like Everything is nothing short of revelatory. Everything is a lightning-fast file search utility developed by Voidtools. Unlike Windows Search, which attempts to index both content and file names—and often bogs down on large drives—Everything limits itself strictly to indexing file and folder names. The result is staggering speed: after an initial, rapid scan of your disk, Everything is able to return instant results as you type, with no delay.
Advanced users love features like search operators, filters, and the ability to sort or group results on the fly. Even better, Everything is free, highly lightweight (the installer is under 2 MB), and requires no special configuration. It’s also portable: you can run it without installing, a boon for those managing multiple PCs. This singular focus on performance and simplicity has attracted a large user base—according to recent download stats, Everything has been downloaded millions of times, with overwhelmingly positive reviews on tech forums and aggregator sites such as MajorGeeks and AlternativeTo.
Why hasn’t Microsoft simply acquired or emulated Everything’s engine for Windows search? Performance claims can be tricky to verify across every hardware configuration, but repeated independent reviews (Tom’s Hardware, Ghacks, and TechRadar among others) confirm that Everything consistently outpaces both Windows Search and third-party competitors on NTFS drives.
Strengths:

• Virtually instant search results, even on massive drives.
• No cloud integration—privacy-conscious users retain control.
• Advanced operators and history for power users.

Risks/Considerations:

• Only supports NTFS-based local drives (not FAT/external, without tweaks).
• If integrated natively, Microsoft would need to ensure no background resource drain.

The Bottom Line: Given the near-universal desktop search complaints, a tool like Everything—or at a minimum, its core tech—simply deserves to be built in.

Seamless File Preview: QuickLook​

One of the most glaring differences between Windows and macOS is the latter’s spacebar “Quick Look” file preview. QuickLook brings this missing feature to Windows, allowing users to select any file in File Explorer and simply press the spacebar for an instant preview. There’s no need to launch a dedicated app; images, PDFs, Word documents, audio, and even videos pop up in a sleek overlay, vastly streamlining file management and workflow.
After millions of downloads and enthusiastic feedback on GitHub and the Microsoft Store, it’s clear that QuickLook fills a major usability gap. PCWorld calls its implementation “remarkably smooth,” and even longtime Windows power users admit that after trying QuickLook, it becomes indispensable.
Strengths:

• Works instantly with a huge variety of files.
• Frees users from launching heavy apps for simple tasks.
• Small memory and performance footprint.

Risks/Considerations:

• Needs to keep up with new file formats and updates.
• Introducing this natively could challenge legacy app compatibility or security controls.

The Bottom Line: Integrated file preview via the spacebar wouldn’t just bring Windows up to parity with macOS, it could even leap ahead if Microsoft added richer preview plug-ins.

Audio Control, Perfected: EarTrumpet​

Audio might seem simple, but anyone who juggles Teams, Spotify, browsers, and games simultaneously knows just how limiting the stock Windows mixer feels. EarTrumpet, an open-source darling of the power user community, provides a vastly better alternative. It sits in the system tray, granting you per-app volume control with a click—or even via keyboard shortcuts.
As of the latest version, EarTrumpet supports everything from device switching to custom flyouts. Its development team includes former Microsoft engineers, which perhaps explains the seamless fit with the OS UI. Heavy multitaskers, streamers, and anyone working with audio-visual content have championed EarTrumpet; its presence on several “best apps” lists and hundreds of thousands of downloads attest to real user need.
Strengths:

• Fine-grained, fast app-by-app volume control in one click.
• Shortcut support for on-the-fly muting or level adjustment.
• Open source and actively maintained.

Risks/Considerations:

• Native adoption could add unnecessary bloat for less advanced users.
• Integrating third-party UI paradigms can lead to confusion.

The Bottom Line: It’s baffling that EarTrumpet’s feature set isn’t standard; giving users easier, direct audio controls should be an OS baseline.

Screenshot and Capture Superpowers: ShareX​

Windows has come a long way from the era when “Print Screen” was the only available screenshot method. The reworked Snipping Tool is genuinely useful. Still, power users and content creators know that ShareX remains a class above. This open-source tool offers screen recording (including GIFs), annotation, watermarks, effects, automatic cloud uploads, and customizable workflows.
You can define keyboard shortcuts for nearly any function—capturing a specific window, region, or even timed sequences—making ShareX lightning fast for those who must document or share snippets frequently. Its automated upload feature to cloud providers like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Imgur, and more saves real time for those managing digital workflows.
ShareX is—and has been for over a decade—a darling of the developer and tech influencer world: it regularly tops GitHub trending pages and boasts widespread positive coverage across major tech news outlets.
Strengths:

• Puts advanced screenshotting, recording, and automation into one interface.
• Custom hotkeys and easy annotation tools.
• Completely free, open source, and privacy-respecting.

Risks/Considerations:

• Feature complexity could overwhelm casual users if built in.
• Automation and direct uploads can have security/privacy implications.

The Bottom Line: Power users deserve more than basic capture tools. If Microsoft incorporated this level of polish and feature set, it would attract digital creators and save countless support headaches.

Start Menu and Taskbar Customization: Start11​

For all the refinement of Windows 11’s Start menu and taskbar, customization remains a sore spot. Start11 (from Stardock) empowers users to reshape the menu with styles reminiscent of Windows 7, 10, or hybrid layouts—including advanced customization of icons, colors, transparency, and placement. You can move the taskbar, resize it, tweak every visual detail, and even pin files or folders directly.
For just under $10 (with a generous free trial), Start11 solves persistent user requests—so much so that entire online communities (e.g. Reddit’s r/Windows11) routinely recommend it. The stakes of fiddling with the taskbar may sound minor, but power users, businesses, and accessibility advocates argue that efficiency gains and improved comfort are anything but trivial.
Strengths:

• Full control over menu and taskbar style, contents, and position.
• Enhances accessibility and workflow for non-typical users.
• Responsive to community feedback, frequently updated.

Risks/Considerations:

• Unlimited customization introduces risk of user confusion.
• Potential for conflicts or bugs with Windows updates, as these areas are rarely API-stable.

The Bottom Line: More flexible taskbar and Start menu options are perennially among top user requests. A degree of customization should not be an aftermarket luxury, but a standard part of Windows.

Clipboard on Steroids: Ditto Clipboard​

Windows’ built-in clipboard manager was a welcome addition, but remains modest: a limit of 25 entries, no search, and a fairly restrictive, fixed window. Ditto Clipboard effortlessly addresses these drawbacks. It allows users to keep as many saved clippings as they like (text, images, files), organize them into folders, and assign global hotkeys for lightning-fast access.
Professional coders, writers, and anyone who juggles repetitive copy-paste routines swear by Ditto. Its longevity and consistent ranking on aggregator sites (as well as millions of downloads) demonstrate real-world needs that go unmet.
Strengths:

• Unlimited clipboard history, searchable and organized.
• Intuitive hotkey assignment for pasting history entries.
• Free, regularly updated, with minimal resource demands.

Risks/Considerations:

• Some users may have privacy or security concerns with persistent clipboards.
• Too much history could mean a cluttered, overwhelming interface.

The Bottom Line: With little to lose and much to gain, Microsoft should fully reimagine the clipboard as a first-class, extensible OS component.

Editing PDFs, Finally: PDFgear​

Working with PDFs—editing, annotating, or even just signing—remains a pain point. Unlike macOS (whose Preview app covers many basics) or Android, Windows lacks any native PDF editing suite. Enter PDFgear: a modern, well-reviewed tool that brings PDF creation, annotation, page arrangement, and even OCR scanning to standard PCs—without forcing users to sign up for subscriptions or surrender documents to the cloud.
PDFgear boasts built-in AI features (like ChatGPT-powered summarization), and cross-platform support. Its clean UI and lack of aggressive monetization (the core app is free) have made it a rising star among students, office workers, and legal professionals—groups for whom reliable PDFs are a must.
Strengths:

• Full-featured PDF editing, annotating, and conversion, for free.
• Works entirely offline, bolstering privacy.
• Integrated OCR and AI tools for advanced workflows.

Risks/Considerations:

• PDF is a fiendishly complicated format; native integration would be a technical challenge.
• Microsoft has a history of licensing rather than building out PDF tools, possibly due to complexity.

The Bottom Line: A real, robust PDF tool in Windows would save countless hours. Integrating PDFgear-level functionality (or licensing its engine) makes more sense than relying solely on browser-based viewers.

Unleash Desktop Creativity: Rainmeter​

Personalization is at the core of computer ownership, yet Windows’ default customization options remain limited. Rainmeter, an open-source desktop customization toolkit, unlocks a new realm: users can build or download “skins” and widgets ranging from weather dashboards to system monitors, to news tickers.
Rainmeter’s extensibility—thousands of skins, many free on sites like DeviantArt—creates an entire ecosystem. Gamers, productivity nerds, and digital artists have flocked to it, especially as it’s lightweight (most skins use negligible resources) and open source.
Strengths:

• Immense customization, from simple clocks to complex system dashboards.
• Skins are customizable, scriptable, and freely shared.
• Open source, with an active user and developer base.

Risks/Considerations:

• Skins can break with OS updates or unvetted dependencies.
• May threaten consistency, simplicity, or accessibility if integrated natively.

The Bottom Line: Even a limited subset of Rainmeter’s power—e.g., resizable widgets and advanced theming—would empower users, particularly for accessibility.

Reliable Cross-Platform File Sharing: LocalSend​

Windows has “Nearby Sharing” for local file transfers—if you’re lucky. The feature is limited to Windows-to-Windows, and even then, setup is clunky and fails to deliver Apple’s AirDrop promise. LocalSend tackles this by allowing seamless, secure sharing between any device on your Wi-Fi: Windows, Android, iOS, or Mac.
With a clean interface and no cloud relay (everything is local), LocalSend avoids the traps of login requirements or complex pairing. It fills a gaping hole for users who need to move photos, videos, or documents between devices quickly—an everyday reality in multi-device households and offices.
Strengths:

• Works instantly across platforms, with no login or pairing.
• Files never leave your network—boosting privacy.
• Open-source core, with community scrutiny.

Risks/Considerations:

• Security: poorly implemented sharing can open vulnerabilities.
• Potential for user confusion between Bluetooth, Nearby Sharing, and Wi-Fi methods.

The Bottom Line: Apple’s AirDrop is a killer feature for many users; there’s no reason Windows shouldn’t offer the same or better—natively.

Productivity Powerhouse: PowerToys​

It’s a curious irony: some of the best utilities for Windows are made by Microsoft itself, but distributed outside the core OS. PowerToys, a suite of open-source utilities, brings essential features like window snapping (FancyZones), keyboard remapping, advanced renaming (PowerRename), and even quick launchers. Microsoft once shipped features like these as part of XP and Windows 95 PowerToys, but they’ve never become integrated essentials.
The latest PowerToys include over a dozen modules. Always on Top, for instance, lets any app float above the rest with a shortcut, and PowerToys Run is a lightning-fast launcher rivaling Spotlight Search on macOS. The active development pace, regular updates, and open roadmap means PowerToys often outpace core OS features for innovation.
Strengths:

• Fills crucial gaps—window management, keyboard remapping, batch renaming, and more.
• Open source and community-driven evolution.
• Consistent with Microsoft’s “power user” tradition.

Risks/Considerations:

• Integrating every PowerToys module could make Windows more complex for everyday users.
• Risk of duplication with existing features (e.g., Snap Layouts vs. FancyZones).

The Bottom Line: Making PowerToys features broadly available, or letting users toggle them on/off natively, would cater to both mainstream and advanced audiences.

Analyzing the Integration Dilemma: Why Aren’t These Built In?​

That so many of these community-loved apps aren’t integrated into Windows speaks volumes. There are several plausible explanations:

• Diversity of User Needs: Not every user is a power user. Microsoft must balance simplicity for the average consumer with extensibility for enthusiasts and professionals.
• Legacy and Compatibility: Integrating new features can break legacy workflows or conflict with enterprise expectations (which often emphasize consistency).
• Ecosystem Health: Third-party tools drive innovation. Microsoft’s encouragement of alternatives may bolster the ecosystem—but leaves users exposed to malware if they download from non-trusted sources.
• Licensing and Legal: Some functionality (e.g., PDF) is fraught with patent or licensing issues.

Critical Trade-offs: The Promise and Pitfalls of Native Integration​

While the benefits of incorporating these tools natively are obvious—less friction, improved productivity, and greater OS appeal—there are notable risks. Feature bloat can overwhelm users, introduce performance drag, and increase the attack surface for security threats. At the same time, over-customization can fracture the user experience Microsoft has carefully cultivated.
For every benefit, there’s a possible drawback:

• Speed and Simplicity: Tools like Everything demonstrate that a single-purpose utility can outperform a generalist one—but bundling them might introduce new bugs or slow-downs.
• Security and Privacy: Cloud-connected tools, clipboard history apps, or network sharing tools could expose sensitive data if not carefully sandboxed.
• Consistent Updates: Third-party apps evolve rapidly; Microsoft’s update cadence is often slower due to the need for extensive testing and enterprise stability.

What Should Microsoft Do Next?​

Users have spoken—millions of downloads and glowing reviews confirm that tools like Everything, QuickLook, ShareX, and PowerToys are not “nice to have,” but essential components of a modern workflow. At a minimum, Microsoft could:

• Adopt a modular install model, letting users selectively opt in to power tools.
• Curate and promote the safest, most essential utilities via the Microsoft Store.
• Work with open-source communities, perhaps subsidizing or certifying the most vital projects.
• Streamline their own offerings (e.g., enhance the Snipping Tool or integrate more PowerToys modules directly).

Final Thoughts: The Case for a More Complete OS​

Windows remains the world’s most widely used desktop operating system. That puts the onus on Microsoft to continually improve not just the OS core, but the entire user journey—from first boot through years of daily use. As brilliant as Windows 11 is in many areas, its persistent reliance on third-party solutions for basic, universal needs is an ongoing frustration.
Incorporating proven, beloved utilities not only closes productivity gaps but reduces fragmentation and support risk. Better yet, it reflects the evolving reality that power users and casual users alike deserve an OS that flexes to their needs—rather than forcing everyone into the same box.
Until Microsoft steps up, wise Windows users will continue to rely on this unofficial toolkit: a testament to developer ingenuity, community feedback, and the unending pursuit of a better, faster, and more personalized computing experience.

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Source: MakeUseOf https://www.makeuseof.com/apps-not-pre-installed-on-windows/