Screenshot
As a tester you often need to take screenshot of a screen, a window or a part of a window. The default printcsreen command is too limited for that so you need an efficient tool to perform that task. There are many screenshot tools on the Internet. Among the free ones for Windows, I'd recommend Greenshot. It's light, it starts when your computer boots up, and it saves as different file formats including PNG, which is my preferred format. On Linux I use Shutter.
Text editor
Everything except Notepad. Seriously. There are plenty of programs handling better text files than this one. Install Notepad++ or SublimeText (this one runs also on Linux) and discover a world where you can load big log files, look for occurrences of an exception etc.
Terminal
Whoever has used bash on Linux knows the power of the command-line interface. Even if you're not a script guru, you'll need one to use it. So get one better than the cmd.exe. I tried Console, ConEmu and several others but I ended up installing cygwin to get a Limux-like bash terminal. OK it's a bit of an overhead to install all the tools for the console, but you can later improve your skills with that terminal and actually re-use later that console if you would ever switch to Linux.
Mind-map tool
I sometimes use it to organize my thoughts on large issues. I use Xmind but Freemind is OK.
Development environment
Even as a tester, you will one day need it. Since I work mostly on Java applications, I like Eclipse a lot but every programmer you meet will tell you there is a better one (Netbeans, IntelliJ etc.)
File Explorer
If you have never tasted what a tabbed explorer is, you should have a look and install Clover. Easier navigation into the filesystem guaranteed!
Internet Browser
Use Firefox or Chrome. For their dev tools, the conformance to HTML5 and their plugins.
Use IE if you're willing to help a poor company who lost the Web Or if your product manager had the strange idea to support it in your web apps.
Test management tool
Yes you need one. Your company has none? Then you have the responsability to find a reliable way to store the test scripts, their execution and the link to the requirements. I used Word and Excel in the past, but now I have the luxury to be able the well-known HP Quality Center. Not free, of course. In fact I don't know any good free polished test management tool. Many commercial alternatives to HP QC exist, but I never had the chance to play with them (yes you, TestRail...).
Remote connection tool
Some people say it's not needed but I've always thought that a tool keeping a list of test machines names and remote access passwords was handy. They are several free ones, none of them convinced me. I ended up using RemoteDesktopManager.
Of course I use several other tools to test applications but they are domain-specific (healthcare in my case) and it would deserve another post. And you, what tool do you use to make your software tester's life easier?
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