5 Steps to Setting Up Your New Laptop , Create an Important Foundation

batteryfast.co.uk
November 1, 2011
5 Steps to Setting Up Your New Laptop ,
Create an Important Foundation
5 Steps to Setting Up Your New Lap-
programs. Otherwise, you can wipe your laptop's
top , Create an Important Foundation
hard drive and install your operating system from
scratch (provided you have the OS installation disks
or you make your own for this purpose). About's
Guide to PC Support has some instructions for how
to do a clean install. Now you'll really be starting
with a clean slate.

See Also:

A new laptop or computer is like a blank slate:
2. Set Up Laptop Security
ready to be customized with your preferences and
programs. Whether this is your first computer or
Password-protect your user accounts. When you
your fiftieth, these 5 steps for setting up your new
set up your user account(s) on the laptop, make sure
computer will create an important foundation going
you add a strong password (that you'll remember):
forward.
one that's 10 or more characters long; includes a
combination of numbers, special characters, and
1. Get Rid of Bloatware
both uppercase and lowercase letters. Because lap-
tops are more easily stolen or lost, you want to make
Bloatware, or software installed by the manufac-
sure anyone who finds your laptop won't be able
turer that you don't want (such as trial versions of
to access its contents. Change the Administrator
picture greeting software), is less common in new
password. The default Administrator account is
computers these days-and definitely less likely to
disabled by default in Windows 7 and Vista, but if
be in business computers as opposed to consumer
you're using an older version of Windows, you'll
computers. Bloatware is still around, though, and
want to change the default Administrator password
if you want a lean, mean computing machine, you
(find the account under the Control Panel > User
may prefer to wipe your drive of these unwanted
Accounts. Install security programs. The first pro-
programs. It's easiest to do this at the start, as soon
grams you should install on your laptop are secu-
as you get your laptop. One way to get rid of the
rity ones to help protect against viruses and other
bloatware is to just use the regular program unins-
threats. Here are a few recommendations:
print
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still leave your system with stray entries in the sys-
* Antivirus/Anti-Malware: Unless you
tem's registry. A cleanup utility like Ccleaner can
have a disk with the A/V program already,
more thoroughly get rid of all traces of unwanted
you'll need to hop online and download
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batteryfast.co.uk
November 1, 2011
5 Steps to Setting Up Your New Laptop , Create an Important Foundation
then install the software. For a free option,
4. Install Your Essential Programs and
take a look at Microsoft Security Essenti-
Documents
als or avast! Free; both provide protection
against viruses and spyware. You'll need
antivirus protection if you're on a Mac as
well; ClamXavis a free, open-source antivi-
rus program for Macs.
* Firewall: You should also turn on Windows'
Firewall and Windows Defender, if they're
not turned on already. For more robust
protection, consider a dedicated firewall
that may include email scanning, adware
removal, and more configurable firewall
options. Comodo Firewall is a free option,
but About's Wireless/Networking site offers
more top firewall picks for both Windows
Install all the programs that you need for everyday
and Mac.
use, including office applications and your email
* Laptop Recovery: Anti-theft sofware for
program (unless you use cloud-based apps for these
laptops can help you retrieve a lost or
purposes). I've posted a few programs on my list
stolen laptop-but you need to install it
of essential applications, which include backup
before you lose your laptop or it gets swi-
software, a password manager, and syncing pro-
ped. Prey(previously reviewed), is free lap-
grams. If you use a syncing program like Dropbox
top recovery software that has a light foot-
or SugarSync, setting up future computers is much
print, so there's no reason not to install it.
easier, since your documents will automatically be
* Encryption software: For true mobile
synced over. Otherwise, you'll probably need to
security, it's critical you encrypt all sensi-
transfer your files from your old computer to your
tive information stored on your laptop. The
new one. There are a couple of ways to do this:
open source utility TrueCrypt can create an
encrypted volume on your laptop to store
* Use Windows Easy Transfer, a wizard built
that important information, and it can en-
into Windows 7 to move your files and pro-
crypt your entire system as well.
gram settings from the old computer to the
new one. You'll find it on a new Windows 7
3. Get System Updates
laptop under the Start menu > Getting Star-
ted > Transfer your files.
With your antivirus program installed, now check
* You could also connect both PCs to a router
for system updates. On Windows, go to the Control
(for speed, a wired connection is preferred)
Panel > System and Security to find the options to
and then copy the folders over.
check for and install updates. On Mac, go to the
* Or you could connect both PCs together with
Apple menu and click Software Update.
a crossover cable, a special type of Ethernet
print
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cable. There's a nice tutorial for how to do
this on Dr. Bill Bailey.net
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batteryfast.co.uk
November 1, 2011
5 Steps to Setting Up Your New Laptop , Create an Important Foundation
5. Backup Your System and Create a
Custom Install Disc
Once you've got everything set up the way you like,
it's a good idea to backup the entire system. Create
your DVD backups or put the backup on an external
hard drive and label it with the name of your laptop,
the date, and something like "initial install." This
way, if you ever want to go back to a clean setup, you
can restore this backup. While you're at it, set up
your automatic backups (daily, weekly, and monthly
both onsite and offsite, e.g., to an external hard drive
and to a cloud service). You can also create your own
"slipstreamed" Windows installation disc (DVD-R or
USB stick) so in the future you can install Windows
with your preferences, updated drivers, and other
customizations. The RT7Lite utillity can help you
do this (Lifehacker has a tutorial on to how to set
this up). Enjoy your new laptop!
CloudTag: Setting , New Laptop , Foundation , Ga-
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lion dv5 battery
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