WINDOWS
Harden-Windows-Security - This is the meat and potatoes of this post, follow this like a bible! The rest is just a desert!!
Ken Harris - A video guide on hardening Windows; Ken Harris another video guide on hardening tools (a bit old).
Privacy.sexy - The name looks sus but it's more like a objective lists on what to do and is also a good read. (This will be used throughout other OS's as well)
- Privacy Guides
- Antivirus
- Sandbox Environments (Useful if you don't know if a file is malicious or not and wants a safe place to run it)
- File Scanners
- Site Legitimacy Check
- File Encryption
- Drive Formatting/File Deletion
- Privacy
- Network Security
- VPN
- VPN Tools
- Essential Components To Have (gaming and non-gaming)
- Download Managers
- Browser
- Search Engine - Browser and search engine are 2 different things, browser is the app you use to search. Search engine is the place where you enter your query. If you use the most hardened Web browser but still uses google, then it's not making much change.
- Browser Extensions
- Optimization Tools
- System Tools
- USB / Bootloaders (Tools used to flash windows for repairing it or installing linux)
- Redirect Bypass
Privacy Guides
Antivirus
For most usecases, windows defender is enough.
r/Antivirus Wiki - Wiki of the antivirus subreddit
Malwarebytes
AdwCleaner - Anti-Adware
Antivirus Multireddit Reddit Communities
Sandbox Environments (Useful if you don't know if a file is malicious or not and wants a safe place to run it)
Triage - Online Sandboxes
Cuckoo - Online Sandboxes
SquareX - Online Sandboxes
File Scanners
The Second Opinion - Portable Malware Scanners / Removal Tools
VirusTotal - Online File Scanner
Hybrid Analysis - Online File Scanner
Site Legitimacy Check
File Encryption
Cryptomator (paid)
Tahoe-LAFS - Cloud File Encryption
VeraCrypt - Disk Encrypter
age - File Encrypter
gocryptfs - File Encrypter
Kryptor - File Encrypter
Drive Formatting/File Deletion
SDelete - File Deletion CLI
Eraser, File Shredder, Alternate File Shredder, Permadelete, Delapp - File Shredding
SSuite File Shredder and Burner - File Shredder with Disk Burning
Low Level Format, nwipe, ShredOS - Complete Hard Drive Erasers
RED - Remove Empty Directories
Privacy
Tails- Privacy Based Operating Systems
Whonix - Privacy Based Operating Systems
Qubes - Privacy Based Operating Systems
Telemetry.md - Disable Windows 10/11 Telemetry (requires windows enterprise edition)
Bitwarden - password manager
Network Security
Safing Portmaster - Network Monitor, DNS Resolver, Firewall
DNSveil - DNS Client
I2P - Encrypted Private Network Layer
XrayUIGroup - DIY Privacy Network
Simplewall - Firewall
Fort - Firewall
WFC - Firewall
WireShark - Network Protocol Analyzer Profiles
Trippy - Network Diagnostic Tool
MxToolbox - Network Tools
NETworkManager, WLan10 - Network Manager
mRemoteNG - Remote Connections Manager
Netbalancer - Internet Traffic Control
VPN
Mullvad VPN - Paid
IVPN - Paid
NYM - Paid
VPN Tools
WireGuard - VPN Tunnel Guide, Web UI
Tailscale, NetBird, ZeroTier - Used to connect to home network from anywhere. (Useful for self hosting, game streaming etc)
Essential Components To Have (gaming and non-gaming)
Download Managers
qBittorrent - Torrent Downloader (Do not use BitTorrent or uTorrent)
Deluge - Torrent Downloader (Do not use BitTorrent or uTorrent)
Transmission - Torrent Downloader (Do not use BitTorrent or uTorrent)
Browser
Search Engine - Browser and search engine are 2 different things, browser is the app you use to search. Search engine is the place where you enter your query. If you use the most hardened Web browser but still uses google, then it's not making much change.
Brave Search (the most closest result to google, at-least for me)
SearXNG (the link provides various instances which you can configure, but if you wish to get one that just works then you can find it here SearXNG )
Browser Extensions
uBlock Origin - Ad content blocker (For chromium based browsers = uBlock Origin Lite)
Bypass All Shortlinks Debloated (Requires either ViolentMonkey, Tampermonkey, or FireMonkey) (Greasy Fork, OpenUserJS or Userscripts Find new scripts from these sites)
Firefox Multi-Account Containers - Color-coded tabs in this tool keep your online life separated, preserving your privacy. Cookies are containerized, allowing simultaneous use of multiple identities or accounts.
Optimization Tools
Talon - Debloat Windows (currently the best one iv'e used so far) It's basically combining a lot of already well established debloaters with their own spin of flavor (removed Microsoft components stays removed); CON:- It's a preset, you can't choose what not to have and what to have (other than browser choice).
ChrisTitusTech winutil - Debloating Windows, can choose what to do and what not to. CON:- Removing Microsoft edge doesn't completely remove edge and comes back in next update (same for other Microsoft slops too) unlike Talon Debloat.
Nvidia Overclocking - Nvidia Overclocking Resources
SpecialK - Game Optimization Tool
MSI Afterburner, GPU Tweak III , EVGA Precision X1 - GPU Overclocking / Guide
MSI Kombustor - GPU Benchmark Test
ProSettings, Share Gaming Tweaks, r/OptimizedGaming, SweetFX, ENBSeries - Settings Optimization Guides
DisplayMagician, AutoActions - Per-Game Display Profiles
Lossless Scaling, Magpie, OptiScaler - Game Upscaling
Ryzen Master Utility - Overclocking Control for Ryzen Desktop CPU
AMD-APU-Tuning-Utility - AMD APU Tuning
DLSS Swapper - Download, Manage \& Swap DLSS
DLSSG to FSR3 - AMD FSR3 Frame Generation for NVIDIA
WindowedBorderlessGaming, Borderless Gaming, FullScreenizer - Borderless Windows for All Games
DxWnd - Play Fullscreen Only Games in Window
WSGF - Widescreen Gaming Community / Solutions
Widescreen Fixes Pack / , Widescreen Fixer v3.4, Flawless Widescreen - Widescreen Fixes
4GB Patch - Patch x86 executables to use 4GB
System Tools
PowerToys - System Tools Search Plugins
Sysinternals - Advanced System Tools
CPU-Z, winfetch, CPU Fetch, Glow , GPU-Z - System Info Tools
SuperF4, FKill - Process Killers
Bulk Crap Uninstaller, Revo Uninstaller, GeekUninstaller - Bulk Uninstallation Tools
CoreTemp, System Informer - Process Monitors
OpenRecall, Windrecorder - Memory Search App / System Recorders
G-Helper - Amoury Crate Replacement for ASUS Laptops
LenovoLegionToolkit - Lenovo Vantage Replacement
Traffic Monitor - Network \& Hardware Monitor
USB / Bootloaders (Tools used to flash windows for repairing it or installing linux)
Ventoy - Create Bootable USB Drive for multiple OS(s), you can have windows, arch linux, fedora, debian all in one usb rather than flashing each time.
Rufus - Create Bootable USB Drives
balenaEtcher - Create Bootable USB Drives
Redirect Bypass
Bypass All Shortlinks - Bypass Link Shorteners
Bypass.vip - Ad Links Bypasser Userscript
WhereGoes, Redirect Detective - Check Paths of Redirects / Short Links