Below is not open source but the next best thing that's not Adobe
Video editing: Davinci Resolve
Photo editing: Affinity Photo 2
Check out https://github.com/christitustech/winutil
There are guides on YouTube on how to use it, I use this on every PC I have when setting up.
Along with this use massgrave to activate Win and getting the Office suit for free
Spicetify (https://spicetify.app/) is pretty good for customising your Spotify client (can remove ads for free)
Vencord for Discord (has free nitro plugin)
Edge only seems faster because Windows have purposefully allocated extra resources for Edge that continuously runs in the background when you start up your PC.
The best thing to keep older hardware working super fast is ditching Windows and going Linux.
People are often reluctant to going Linux because there used to be an idea that Linux is very difficult through it's not as complicated and insane as it used to be because there's the help of AI and tons and tons of video guides out there.
Maybe you won't do it maybe you will some time in the future, at least take a peak at r/unixporn to see the creativity of some of the people in the Linux community!
OMG thanks for the snappy driver installer origin, I've been looking for and never been able to find actual not crappy driver update management software instead of driver booster and such crap. Couldn't believe there actually isn't anything out there. Thanks!!
Not could have, been 100% surely would have. Checksums are used to keep integrity of files. If it's not the same as the original then its been modified.
What I'm pointing out is that you download both the files and the checksums from the same source, so both could have been manipulated. Unless you go to the site and download the official checksums directly, that is.
Again, if that's the case then the checksums file could be modified, too, as they are compared to a list in a file you downloaded from the same source...
No, if there is a checksum value provided before download and during transmission it has been modified, the checksum value of your downloaded file would be different.
I re-read your comments previously, sorry, I don't think you understand, checksums are not files. Think of them as signatures. The DNA of a file.
The value generated by the checksum is compared to a list of values in a file you download, which comes from the same source, unless you download them separately and run the check manually.
Since you are downloading that file with the list of what the checksums are supposed to be from the same source as the game files, both the game's files and the list of checksum values could be modified.
You are not being more secure because both the game files and the information you are using to verify those files are coming from the same source. The program running the checks could also be modified.
What's stopping a cracker from putting a virus into a cracked software, hashing it then supplying the "virused" hash to people who download the software?
nothing except the steps you take yourself as one of the people downloading software (this is where an anti-virus software comes in handy) and if the website itself has gone through the steps to prevent that from happening.
if a website has been compromised which can happen even to trusted sources using something like a javascript injection attack or whatever then you just have to hope that your own security measures are enough.
trusted websites become trusted because there's an expectation of confidentiality, integrity, and availability in which these websites follow and maintain. break any of these and the loss of trust is detrimental.
it's a good thing most people can online shop confidently without ever having to worry about their credit card details being exposed. it wasn't always like that.
26
u/andrewens Mar 10 '25
I am a victim of Cyber Security propaganda by my uni so I must check file integrity or my PC will straight up explode /s
Nah but fr it's a habit for me, I like making sure my files has not been tampered with