Microsoft’s support for Windows Essentials has ended on 10th January, 2017. Although you may continue using Windows Essentials but if you want to keep yourself updated, you can use some free alternatives to Windows Essentials apps which are updated regularly. The only issue with the alternatives is that they are not integrated into a single package like Windows Essentials. We have to download them one by one and install them separately.
The apps included in Windows Essentials are:
- Movie Maker
- Photo Gallery
- Writer
- OneDrive
- Family Safety
Let’s discuss the best alternatives to these applications:
Table of contents
Alternative to Mail
MailBird
MailBird is the amazing desktop client for Windows and can easily use for the alternative of Microsoft Essentials’ Mail. This makes your email easy and beautiful. You can manage multiple accounts with the MailBird App.
- Download the setup file from the given link.
- Then run its installer to install the MailBird on your System.
3. After it, its setup will start downloading to your Machine.
4. After downloading, the setup will ask you to enter the Account details you want to set up for the MailBird.
5. When you enter your specific account details, the MailBird will ask if you want to get integrate your more accounts with it.
6. And it’s complete. You can set the notifications and pop up in Settings of MailBird according to your need.
MailBird is the cool desktop client for your easy access to emails, it even provides you access to multiple accounts. It can be supported in 17 different languages.
Alternative of Photo Gallery
IrfanView
IrfanView is very simple and easy to use. It seems very simple but has advanced and useful functionality all in one as provided by the Microsft Essentials’ Photo Gallery. The IrfanView is very old Photo Gallery Editor. New updates and changes are made time to time, to make it more advanced and handy.
Many file formats are supported by IrfanView. It can have easy access to play videos and audios too in it.
Alternative of Movie Maker
VideoLAN Movie Creator
The VideoLAN Movie Creator is the tool used for video editing purposes. And record your movie with it. Like Microsft Essentials’ Movie Creator, you can make the movie of different images with the VideoLAN Movie Creator tool. Put different effects and transitions to your pictures in a movie. You can set the background audio for your any video as you could do with Microsft Essentials’ Movie Creator previously.
Download VideoLAN Movie Creator from here
VideoLAN can read any file and export it to many file formats. It is available for multiple platforms like Windows, Linux, and Mac
Alternate to Parental Control Software
K9 Web Protection
K9 Web Protection is the tool that can be used as the alternate of Parental Control software provided by Microsoft Essentials. The tool provides you the same access as given in Microsft Essentials, to restrict the use of the System for your kids.
- Download the K9 Web Protection from the given link.
- And it will ask you to enter the license key for your k9 Web Protection.
- If you don’t have any. “Request for the new license key” from the installer. And license key will be sent to your email id.
- Now add it to your installer and the tool will be installed on your system.
You can restrict the access times, and block non-appropriate websites so that your kid won’t be able to open these websites. You can also view the browsing history, which sites your kid is trolling over the Internet.
If your kid tries to open any website which you have blocked for him, the sound will be played that gives you the alert or notification. This is the amazing feature provided by the K9 Web Protection tool.
Download K9 Web protection from here
Alternative to OneDrive
Since Microsoft has not discontinued OneDrive, you can download it separately and install it without having to find its alternatives.
Alternative to Windows Live Writer
Windows Live Writer was the best known writing tool for blogging. Now that the support for Windows Essentials has ended, we have to look for its alternatives. Open Live Writer is a wonderful fork of Windows Live Writer. The feature set of Open Live Writer is almost the same as WLW. You can also use Microsoft Word for blogging.
Let us know of your ideas and thoughts in the comments below.
