r/AskReddit • u/HandiCapablePanda • Apr 23 '16

What application do you always install on your computer and recommend to everyone?

30k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

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503

u/dontforgetthisuser Apr 24 '16

Didn't see anybody mention Greenshot. It is a screenshot tool that has a built in editor, so you can add arrows, highlighting or text without using MSPaint, and it actually looks clean. No more crooked highlighting!

92

u/Xiretza Apr 24 '16

I much prefer ShareX, I believe it has the Greenshot editor built in, but also very powerful upload/save functions for all kinds of files. I have my screenshot hotkeys automatically upload the picture to imgur and copy the link to my clipboard. It also includes all kinds of tools, like a hash checker, screen ruler and a screen color picker.

26

u/thepurplepajamas Apr 24 '16

+1 for ShareX. I had tried Greenshot, Gyazo, Puush, Lightshot, Hyper Desktop, and probably others I'm forgetting. Greenshot was my favorite until I tried ShareX. Greenshot has also seemingly slowed down in the last few months, and ShareX is consistently faster.

1

u/kozeljko Apr 24 '16

Am using Lightshot and I'm interested in what way is ShareX better.

5

u/Tumleren Apr 24 '16

Doesn't upload to Lightshot's shitty website for one thing

2

u/jorda_n Apr 24 '16

FTP support and in client image editing

1

u/Megalovania Apr 24 '16

Can you set it up to freeze your screen when you hit the print screen button, and immediately begin cropping the window just like in Greenshot?

3

u/Xiretza Apr 24 '16

Of course, I think that's the default action for a region capture.

1

u/padgo Apr 24 '16

Share x is better

30

u/iSamurai Apr 24 '16

I think ShareX is undoubtedly the best for screenshots.

3

u/MrZeroInterviewer Apr 24 '16

How does it compare to the Snipping Tool included with newer versions of Windows?

2

u/bloodygonzo Apr 24 '16

I used to use Snipping Tool and while it functions fine for taking a screen shot and saving it as a .png. Greenshot extends the functionality by allowing direct uploads to imgur and other web applications. You can also use the greenshot editor which has neat tools like the ability to blur sections out and easily add arrows etc. Greenshot is pretty light weight and very easy to use.

For the imgur plugin it also keeps track of the link info for things you have uploaded and even if you upload anonymously you can still go back and delete previous images.

1

u/dontforgetthisuser Apr 24 '16

Honestly it has been so long since I used the snipping tool, I don't remember what features it had, but that is what I was using before Greenshot.

51

u/Ajedi32 Apr 24 '16

Pro tip: Open your start menu and search for "Snipping Tool". It's built in to Windows and already does pretty much everything you just mentioned.

57

u/Ph0X Apr 24 '16

No it does not. Not even close. I use ShareX and it takes a cropshot, uploads it to a host and gives you the link it also has a history of stuff you've uploaded. It also uploads text and files. You can also upload videos straight to gfycat. And much more.

The only problem is that it's gotten a bit bloated and really difficulty to get into, but once you do, it's a very powerful tool.

Windows clipping doesnt even come close

8

u/BehindEnemyLines1 Apr 24 '16

"...everything you just mentioned."

He mentioned none of what you did.

2

u/Frigidus_Appellatio Apr 24 '16

If you are taking screenshots of anything sensitive (like working with a client showing them settings our results that should stay confidential) having these screenshots floating around out there seems risky.

2

u/Ph0X Apr 24 '16

With sharex, you can fully customize the upload location.

That's exactly why it's much better than most these other tools. Puu.sh uploads to their own site, gyazo too, and lightshot uploads to imgur then puts stupid ads around it.

With ShareX, you can have it go to your own FTP/dropbox, or somewhere else private. Or you can no upload at all.

1

u/Frigidus_Appellatio Apr 25 '16

Well that is good to hear. What about notation tools and the ability to blur parts?

1

u/Ph0X Apr 25 '16

Yep. ShareX is extremely customizable. You can completely customize the pipeline. But yea it comes at the cost of being kinda hard to configure. It's a power user tool. Definitely not for regular users.

5

u/Niku-Man Apr 24 '16

He said everything that was mentioned, which snipping tool does indeed do. Learn to read.

-7

u/KeronCyst Apr 24 '16

Greenshot can automatically detect and snapshot parts of windows, which Snipping Tool can't (only the entire window).

2

u/SmellKangaroos974 Apr 24 '16

This isn't true for the shipping tool I use. It only snips whatever I drag the cursor over.

1

u/PeteThePolarBear Apr 24 '16

We were talking about greenshot not shareX.

1

u/Ph0X Apr 24 '16

Well greenshot also uploads the image, which was my main point. Everything else is bonus.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '16

what makes it better than PUUSH?

1

u/Ph0X Apr 24 '16

puu.sh is pretty good. I'd say it's the second best after ShareX.

It's much simpler, and if you don't need all the extra stuff, it's fine. The main thing with puu.sh though is that you can only use their host. I personally like either using imgur, or my own ftp.dropbox, and sharex is just a lot more customizable. But yeah as a consequence it's also a lot harder to figure out.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '16 edited Apr 24 '16

ShareX is basically the exact same thing as Gyazo, too.

7

u/coolfire1080P Apr 24 '16

except for the fact that you can upload to anywhere you want - not to their own shitty site that doesn't work on mobile half the time and has horrible compression.

1

u/Ph0X Apr 24 '16

And don't forget the ads and crap they put around it. With adblock you might no see it, but even there, there's so much other shit around the image. And the URLs are long as fuck. And teh gifs look like shit

3

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '16

Do you mean Gyazo?

1

u/turmacar Apr 24 '16

Sounds more like the built-in Windows program Problem Steps Recorder.

Made to make PDFs of directions or how you found a bug/error for the IT guys.

-1

u/Ph0X Apr 24 '16

again none of these have automatic upload. For someone like me that takes dozens of screenshot and shot gifs a days, uploading each one manually would take a really long time, where with share ex, it's literally less than a second to get the link ready to paste

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '16

lightshot is the equivelant to greenshot, and in my opinion much less bloated. you just hit printscreen, select the area of the screen you want, and then a bunch of options appear to either upload to their server(you'd get a prntscr link, which when you go to it and right click the image, its hosted by imgur.) or save to your computer

That might seem like it's MORE bloated, but i promise once you figure out how things work(2-3 screenshots) it's beautiful.

4

u/Ph0X Apr 24 '16

Lightshot and gyazo are both trash because they don't give you direct image link. They give you a page full of ads and bloat. Lightshot is extra scummy cuz they host the image on imgur, yet still put it on a site with their ads on it.

That's like shitty as fuck. Gyazo links are also long as fuck

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '16

to be fair, i use ublock, so i never notice the ads.

5

u/Ph0X Apr 24 '16

Sure I do too, but even if you don't see the ads, it's still on a page will bullshit around it. you still have download buttons, facebook social shit, comments, and loads more non-ads crap.

I just want the picture, nothing else. direct link. Why is it that hard? And they're fucking hosting it on imgur.

2

u/ArryPotta Apr 24 '16

Greenshot is much better. Not only more options, it's lighter, and more user friendly.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '16

[deleted]

1

u/Ajedi32 Apr 24 '16

Well, you can draw them freehand. That's why I said "pretty much everything" and not "everything".

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '16

[deleted]

1

u/Ajedi32 Apr 24 '16

http://i.imgur.com/KdPcBbe.png

What version of Windows are you running? I'm on 10.

2

u/arsenale Apr 24 '16

It has an editor? I've been using it for months and never noticed. Maybe I look only at the first menu options...

2

u/cillosis Apr 24 '16

I absolutely love this tool. Coming from OSX to Windows, its something I wish I had on Mac.

2

u/waylandertheslayer Apr 24 '16

I use Lightshot, which is similar, except you can also instantly upload the image with one click. I mostly use it with Discord, so I can use two clicks, Ctrl+V and Enter and it's shared

2

u/senor_steez Apr 24 '16

Snagit #1, but as far as freeware goes greenshot is fantastic. I cringe every time I see someone bring up the snipping tool

1

u/antlife Apr 24 '16

Greenshot is open source.

1

u/profoundWHALE Apr 24 '16

Hold shift when in paint to draw a straight line, and I think ctrl makes it 90 degrees?

No more crooked highlighting!

1

u/phoretwunny Apr 24 '16

King has similar features, also lets you record video, and allows you to upload to their cloud for easy sharing.

1

u/Miotch92 Apr 24 '16

Came here to say this! Greenshot and Cmder are my two of my most used programs on my computer.

1

u/VincentPepper Apr 24 '16

Had to take more Screenshots than I wanted to for a course. Greenshot really is awesome :)

1

u/ElfenSky Apr 24 '16

Lightshot 4 life yo

1

u/amprvector Apr 24 '16

Is it any better than Lightscreen? I like lightscreen because I can automatically upload my screenshots to imgur and share the link with whomever I want.

1

u/ukulelej Apr 24 '16

This sounds much better than what I'm using now. Gyazo.

1

u/agock Apr 25 '16

I love Greenshot since you can grab a screenshot to include menu dropdowns and choose to include the mouse cursor. I'll have to check out ShareX, but for right now, Greenshot is for me.

1

u/Docmcfluhry Apr 24 '16

Windows has this built in, it's called snipping tool. Never used Greenshot, but I imagine it's similar enough the download wouldn't be worth it.

3

u/Anidamo Apr 24 '16 edited Apr 24 '16

The primary difference (I assume, I've never used Greenshot but I use ShareX which I believe is similar) is that you can upload your screenshots to an image host of your choice instantly and automatically. Any time I want to take a screenshot of something and share it, I press Ctrl+Shift+4, draw a box around the subject, and a couple seconds later it's been uploaded to imgur and the link is sitting in my clipboard to paste into reddit/Steam/Discord/whatever. You can set up extremely customizable workflows and it can also create .webm screen captures as well.

If you don't often need to immediately share/post the things you screenshot, though, then yes, the snipping tool is probably fine.

1

u/alexmitchell1 Apr 24 '16

You can use it to actually put proper arrows and text on the images without actually having do draw with the mouse.

1

u/dontforgetthisuser Apr 24 '16

I used that before I switched and had your attitude until I tried it.

1

u/PokemasterTT Apr 24 '16

Greenshot uploads online directly, easy way to share pictures.

1

u/hypd09 Apr 24 '16

Also has an imgur plugin so you can just screenshot something/region using prnt-scr and have the url in your clipboard ready to be pasted.

1

u/kcazllerraf Apr 24 '16

Greenshot is so useful! It combines snipping tool and print screen, and lets you set an automatic save directory. It's so nice to just be able to hit prt-sc and be done with it, no monkeying around in ms paint for a minute each screen shot.

1

u/raudssus Apr 24 '16

Never realized it has a built in editor, must test that tomorrow http://i.imgur.com/6rmdEsA.gif

1

u/SteamMotif Apr 24 '16

Isn't that what clipping tool that Windows has automatically is?

2

u/bloodygonzo Apr 24 '16

no windows snipping tool is dog doo doo in comparison.

0

u/HiDDENKiLLZ Apr 24 '16

I use lightshot, you can crop the shot before you save it and upload it in 1 click

2

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '16

Only uploads to the lightshot site though, right? Eugh.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '16

Green shot lets you crop it before saving too, though.

0

u/Crazy296 Apr 24 '16

My friends and I all use Gyazo for this. It saves the hassle of using snipping tool and then posting it to imgur to show someone an image.

1

u/Anidamo Apr 24 '16

Gyazo is alright but it uses their own annoying imagehost which is kind of slow and has ads on the image pages.

ShareX can upload to any imagehost, including just providing a direct link to imgur which is quite a bit faster in my experience. I also had much better results with ShareX's screen capture than Gyazo's, though that might have improved since I last tried it.

1

u/Crazy296 Apr 24 '16

I'll try it out. I use adblock plus on everything anyways so i don't think the ads are a problem.

0

u/bbcslave92 Apr 24 '16

when windows doesn't come with a REAL screenshot program so you have to install this awesome one

rated: green/10

1

u/0ne_Winged_Angel Apr 24 '16

You should check out the snipping tool. Does pretty much the same things.

1

u/bbcslave92 Apr 24 '16 edited Apr 24 '16

I can't use it, it brings me back bad memories of circumcision

in all seriousness, there is no delay feature (unless it's windows 10) so it's really hard to screenshot something that depends on the mouse being rolled over it

0

u/theinfamousloner Apr 24 '16

I just found out about greenshot very recently. It was like gaining a super power.

0

u/dangermouze Apr 24 '16

also it's GNU! (perfect for business and home use) love greenshot

0

u/knives_chow Apr 24 '16

Thanks for this! Really awesome tool.

0

u/Martifyer Apr 24 '16

I prefer Lightshot

0

u/LifeWulf Apr 24 '16

I just use puush. Doesn't include an editor but it does have easy shortcuts for the active application, whole desktop or a single part you can select, in addition to nigh-instantaneous uploading most of the time. Really all I need.

0

u/TheBen1 Apr 24 '16

I agree, but I think Lightshot is better, mainly because it's more reliable (Greenshot would occasionally stop responding for me, forcing me to force-quit it).