There are a core set of key programs from third parties that you can download to extend the capabilities of your browser.
Several companion programs for Internet Explorer can be set on the window accessed under “Tools / Internet Options / Programs”, and others under the “Manage Add-ons” on that window. Internet Explorer generally downloads additional plugins automatically the first time it needs them, and will prompt you for permission if it runs an installer program.
You can get information on Mozilla Firefox plugins from the menu “Tools / Options / Downloads / Plug-Ins”.
You should try not to download too many plugins if they aren’t needed, especially if they provide duplicate capabilities — try to stick to one preferred plug-in for each type of media. You can delete any extra and/or old plugins if find they aren’t being used.
Resources. The average plugin is between 500 KB and 1 MB in size. If you have the disk space, you should get the latest copy of the following key plugins which are widely used across the Internet:
Plugin indexes and a few web sites are listed below: