{"id":1545,"date":"2015-01-07T02:14:39","date_gmt":"2015-01-07T08:14:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/?p=1545"},"modified":"2015-07-18T14:25:49","modified_gmt":"2015-07-18T19:25:49","slug":"how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Up A New Windows PC or Laptop"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You just bought a nice new Windows PC or Laptop!<\/p>\n<p>&#8230;NOW what do you do?<\/p>\n<p>I get this question all the time &#8211; what are the best practices I should follow, when I purchase a new PC or laptop?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#things-to-consider-before-you-buy\" >Things to Consider Before You Buy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#initial-setup\" >Initial Setup<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#next-steps\" >Next Steps<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#perform-updates\" >Perform Updates<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#make-a-decision-about-antivirus\" >Make a Decision about Antivirus<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#uninstall-bloatware-crapware\" >Uninstall Bloatware \/ Crapware<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#set-up-users\" >Set Up Users<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#check-and-configure-system-settings\" >Check and Configure System Settings<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#create-recovery-disks-memory-stick\" >Create Recovery Disks \/ Memory Stick<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#recommended-software\" >Recommended Software<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#necessities\" >Necessities<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#software-to-avoid-installing-if-possible\" >Software to AVOID Installing, if Possible<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#other-useful-software\" >Other Useful Software<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-pc-or-laptop\/#%e2%80%9cpro%e2%80%9d-tools\" >&#8220;Pro&#8221; Tools<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>[For brevity, I&#8217;ll refer to both PC (separate monitor, computer, keyboard) and Laptop (combined, mobile, clam-shell flat panel, keyboard, and integrated components) as &#8216;machine&#8217;, with the understanding that my recommendations apply to both PCs and Laptops]<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"things-to-consider-before-you-buy\"><\/span>Things to Consider Before You Buy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Try to get a machine that comes with Windows 7<\/strong><\/span> as opposed to Windows 8.\u00a0 Shop refurb sites.\u00a0 Avoid Windows 8 at all costs.\u00a0 If you are the end consumer, you will eventually get used to Windows 8.\u00a0 If you are buying this laptop for &#8220;Gramma&#8221;, you&#8217;ll get an unending series of calls about the near-Masonic level of cryptic images, gestures, and hand signals required to &#8220;use&#8221; the operating system.\u00a0 Windows 8.1 is no better than Windows 8.\u00a0 The next Windows will be called &#8220;Windows 10&#8221;, and promises some improvements, but as of this writing, Windows 7 is the only serious option.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Get more RAM and a better CPU up front<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 I can&#8217;t make a static set of recommendations, because the CPU &#8211; Memory &#8211; Cost trade-off always changes.\u00a0 The hard drive is the easiest thing to upgrade, and the cost of storage continues to drop, so don&#8217;t worry about investing in a huge hard drive.\u00a0 The problem with upgrading the CPU or RAM later, is that each CPU requires a specific socket type, which requires a specific motherboard, and the CPU \/ motherboard combination can only use certain types of RAM.\u00a0 Initially, RAM prices drop as each type of RAM becomes mainstream, and then, as manufacturers stop making it (when newer, faster memory is in demand), prices go WAY up.\u00a0 Buying plenty of RAM and CPU up front means that your investment will last a lot longer.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>A laptop is pretty much a fixed investment.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0 DO NOT BUY a laptop if you plan on upgrading it, because you pretty much can&#8217;t upgrade a laptop!\u00a0 If you need a portable system that you can upgrade, buy a compact form factor Micro-ATX case instead.\u00a0 If you later want a RAM or CPU upgrade, it&#8217;s a simple matter of swapping out the motherboard.\u00a0 Laptops only support 2.5&#8243; drives, but Micro-ATX supports full-size 3.5&#8243; drives, which are significantly cheaper.\u00a0 Laptops only support micro-DIMMs, which are smaller than standard DIMMs, and are usually more expensive.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Really evaluate whether you need Windows<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 That sounds odd, but you might be able to save some money by purchasing a Chromebook, or perhaps a Macbook might be easier for you to use.\u00a0 Gaming is the main driver to require Windows, despite the fact that there are &#8220;games&#8221; (meaning: &#8220;some games&#8221;) available for Mac or other operating systems, the reality is that EVERY game is available on PC.\u00a0 If you are a Microsoft Office power user, you need Windows.\u00a0 If you surf, edit photos, watch internet videos, play mini games, or lightly require document viewing \/ editing capability, then a Chromebook might serve the purpose, at a much lower cost.\u00a0 Likewise, if you create music or videos, a Mac might be a better choice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Assuming you&#8217;ve purchased a Windows machine, read on&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"initial-setup\"><\/span>Initial Setup<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I&#8217;m not going to walk you through the setup process screen by screen &#8211; there are other online references for that.<\/p>\n<p>When you get your machine plugged in, and turn it on for the first time, there is a setup wizard, which will guide you through completing the rest of the setup.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some things to watch out for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Double check the time zone.\u00a0 You can change it later if needed, but it should prompt you to set the correct date and time &#8211; make sure you pick the correct time zone at that point (or remember to change it later)<\/li>\n<li>If prompted to use a &#8220;Microsoft&#8221; account or use local accounts SKIP the &#8220;Microsoft&#8221; account (Windows 8 and 8.1).<\/li>\n<li>If prompted, skip the use of One Drive.\u00a0 You can add it later if needed.<\/li>\n<li>Create an administrative user.\u00a0 You&#8217;ll be prompted to create a user &#8211; make sure you start with yourself, or the user who you want to have administrative access to the machine.\u00a0 I usually call the first administrative account &#8220;Recovery&#8221;, and give it a password.\u00a0 I can then log in as Recovery and create the other users (I&#8217;ll explain in more detail later)<\/li>\n<li>If prompted to purchase any premium services, especially buy-up versions of antivirus, backup software, or Office, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">skip them<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li>If prompted, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">go ahead<\/span> and register Windows, and register your machine (E.g. HP and Dell have an online registration wizard).\u00a0 Registration activates your warranty, and helps you get service if needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After the setup process, your machine may or may not reboot.\u00a0 You can then log in, by clicking on the user you created.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"next-steps\"><\/span>Next Steps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em>All of these steps assume some basic knowledge of Windows.\u00a0 This article is not meant to be a user guide, so if you can&#8217;t figure out how to perform a particular function, Google for it.\u00a0 Often, just type the name of the function in to the Windows Search bar on the start menu to find it &#8211; for example, searching for &#8220;users&#8221; will list the &#8220;User Accounts&#8221; control panel applet.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>After the OS is set up, and you log in for the first time, here are some additional things you need to do.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"perform-updates\"><\/span>Perform Updates<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>If you have Windows 8, go to the Store and download Windows 8.1.\u00a0 This is a VERY long, drawn-out process.\u00a0 Let it run overnight.<\/li>\n<li>Perform all critical Windows updates.\u00a0 This is an iterative process that might take a couple of download-install-reboot cycles.<\/li>\n<li>Perform vendor driver updates.\u00a0 HP machines come with an update utility that will bring all of the hardware drivers up to date.\u00a0 If your machine doesn&#8217;t have a driver update tool, you might get updates through Windows update, or you may need to go to the vendor&#8217;s website, and download updated drivers.<\/li>\n<li>Install video chipset drivers and control panel.\u00a0 NVidia, ATI, and Intel each have a separate set of drivers, and a control panel applet that should be kept up to date.\u00a0 This is especially important for gaming, as the control panel often provides game-specific tuning and settings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"make-a-decision-about-antivirus\"><\/span>Make a Decision about Antivirus<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You are at a crossroads.\u00a0 Your new machine came with, probably, a 3 month trial for a commercial antivirus product, that you can continue to use if you pay for it, or you can install a free \/ open source solution.<\/p>\n<p>If you stick with the commercial software, you will have to pay for software updates, usually once per year.<\/p>\n<p>The free \/ open source options are not quite as good, but they are free.<\/p>\n<p>Here is what I recommend:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If your PC came with Norton \/ Symantec, uninstall it<\/li>\n<li>If your PC came with McAfee, leave it alone<\/li>\n<li>If your PC came with anything else, uninstall it.<\/li>\n<li>If you can afford it, install or upgrade to the full version of McAfee:<br \/>\n<a title=\"McAfee Website\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/us\/\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/us\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li>If you can&#8217;t afford McAfee, use AVG Free.\u00a0 AVG has two distinct products &#8211; AVG (full version), and AVG Free.\u00a0 AVG Free works just fine, but it will nag and beg you to install the full version.<br \/>\n<a title=\"AVG Free\" href=\"http:\/\/free.avg.com\/us-en\/homepage\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/free.avg.com\/us-en\/homepage<\/a><br \/>\nDon&#8217;t pick a random link from Google &#8211; make sure you download from the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">actual AVG site<\/span>, which should redirect you to C\/NET for the actual download.\u00a0 Downloading from another site could result in &#8220;look-alike&#8221; malware that LOOKS just like AVG, but is, itself a virus.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"uninstall-bloatware-crapware\"><\/span>Uninstall Bloatware \/ Crapware<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of the biggest mistakes people make is to leave all of the default software that comes with your machine, thinking &#8220;I might use it, eventually&#8221;.\u00a0 YOU WON&#8217;T.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Uninstall anything that says &#8220;trial&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Uninstall anything that says &#8220;speed optimizer&#8221; or &#8220;speed booster&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Uninstall anything that says &#8220;link helper&#8221;, &#8220;link tracker&#8221;, or &#8220;accelerator&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Uninstall the trial version of MS Office that probably came with your PC.\u00a0 You don&#8217;t need the trial version.<\/li>\n<li>Uninstall any games that ask you to purchase them.\u00a0 HP installs a slew of games that you can&#8217;t use unless you pay for them &#8211; just uninstall all of it!\u00a0 Most of those games can be played online for free.<\/li>\n<li>If you have Windows 8 or 8.1, uninstall any useless &#8220;tiles&#8221; that came preinstalled by default.\u00a0 Applets such as news or whatever are constantly updating in the background, and if you&#8217;re not going to use them, get rid of them!<\/li>\n<li>Be careful <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">NOT<\/span> to uninstall anything titled &#8220;Roxio&#8221;, as this is part of your DVD burning software.<\/li>\n<li>Be careful <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">NOT<\/span> to uninstall anything titled &#8220;Cyberlink&#8221;, as this is your web cam software.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"set-up-users\"><\/span>Set Up Users<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>If you didn&#8217;t already, create an administrative user called &#8220;Recovery&#8221;.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 If your user profile becomes corrupt, the &#8220;Recovery&#8221; ID can be used to salvage data, repair, or re-create a corrupted user profile.\u00a0 Simply having a second administrative user already sitting there, has saved me more times than I can tell you!\u00a0 If you&#8217;re configuring this for Gramma, and her profile becomes corrupt, rather than walking her through it over the phone, you can have her log in as Recovery until you can fix it for her later.<\/li>\n<li>Create additional user accounts.\u00a0 Evaluate whether each user really needs to be an administrator.\u00a0 A regular user in Windows 7 or Windows 8 pretty much CAN&#8217;T infect the machine with a virus, but may have some serious issues installing games, plugins, and other software.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve tried the &#8220;normal user&#8221; route, and EVERY TIME, I get a phone call a few weeks later saying &#8220;I can&#8217;t install such and such&#8221;.\u00a0 Any main user of the system should probably be an administrator.<\/li>\n<li>Consider enabling the Guest account.\u00a0 If you have the machine in a common area, if you have a room mate, or foresee a situation where someone might need to use or borrow your machine, letting them log in as Guest will limit them to internet browsing, and using applications that are already installed.\u00a0 It will prevent them from intentionally or inadvertently accessing or removing your personal data, or infecting the PC with a virus.<\/li>\n<li>Assign a password to every user account.<\/li>\n<li>Log in as each user account once, to make sure the profile gets created, and that it functions as expected.\u00a0 This also allows you to set a background, add shortcuts, and other personalization steps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"check-and-configure-system-settings\"><\/span>Check and Configure System Settings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Check the time zone.\u00a0 This is one of the most overlooked items, but can cause serious confusion if incorrect.<\/li>\n<li>Set the network location (home or public).\u00a0 If this is your &#8220;home&#8221; network, set the network location to home.\u00a0 This disables the integrated Windows firewall for certain functions, such as file sharing.<\/li>\n<li>Set the system name.\u00a0 You may have been prompted for this during setup.\u00a0 If not, go to System Control panel, and set a meaningful name for the PC, such as JPW7\u00a0 (Justin Parr, Windows 7) or JPW701 if you have multiple PCs.\u00a0 I have four people and six machines in the house, one of which is Linux, plus an assortment of virtual machines that could be running at any given time.\u00a0 Without a good naming convention, it can get confusing!<\/li>\n<li>Decide whether to join a &#8220;Home Group&#8221;.\u00a0 A Home Group allows sharing of files, video, pictures, and audio among machines in the same &#8220;home group&#8221;, and to certain DLNA-enabled devices that can connect to Windows Media player, to stream video (some TVs and Bluray players are DLNA-enabled)<\/li>\n<li>If you elect NOT to join a home group, disable TCP\/IP v6 protocol, leaving TCP\/IP v4 protocol enabled.\u00a0 Despite what everyone says, you don&#8217;t need IPv6, and you probably won&#8217;t need it for at least a couple more years.\u00a0 Your router (home network firewall) determines whether you need IP 6 or not &#8211; none of the major providers use IPv6 yet, and although the routers may support it, they also support IPv4 by default.\u00a0 IPv4 is much faster and more efficient than IPv6, so unless you have &#8220;home groups&#8221; configured, you probably don&#8217;t need it!<\/li>\n<li>Make sure Windows Firewall is enabled on public networks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"create-recovery-disks-memory-stick\"><\/span>Create Recovery Disks \/ Memory Stick<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This is one of the most fundamental things you can do.\u00a0 If your machine gets corrupted, and you HAVEN&#8217;T created a recovery disk set or memory stick, you can BUY a set online for $100!!<\/p>\n<p>You can do it now, for free, and you SHOULD<\/p>\n<p>There are two sets of &#8220;recovery&#8221; disks:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Microsoft System Recovery Boot Disk \/ Memory Stick.\u00a0 This allows you to fix minor issues with Windows, or repair a Windows installation that becomes corrupt.\u00a0 You can also use this boot disk to remove viruses and fix other problems that might require the primary OS to be offline.\n<ul>\n<li>Windows 7 Procedure:<br \/>\n<a title=\"Windows 7 System Recovery Disk\" href=\"http:\/\/windows.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows7\/create-a-system-repair-disc\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/windows.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows7\/create-a-system-repair-disc<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Windows 8 \/ 8.1 Procedure:<br \/>\n<a title=\"Windows 8 System Recovery USB Drive\" href=\"http:\/\/windows.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows-8\/create-usb-recovery-drive\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/windows.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows-8\/create-usb-recovery-drive<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Vendor Image &#8220;Recovery&#8221; Boot Disk Set.\u00a0 This allows the machine to be completely restored to its factory condition.\u00a0 For example, if your hard drive dies, you will need this, to reinstall Windows.\u00a0\u00a0 Vendors such as HP will pop up a reminder, asking if you want to create a recovery disk set.\u00a0 Put in each disk, following the program instructions.\u00a0 This usually requires 3 to 5 DVDs.<\/li>\n<li>In some cases, the Vendor Image Recovery disk set must be downloaded from the vendor&#8217;s website.\u00a0 This is something the Vendor must provide (HP, Dell, etc&#8230;) NOT Microsoft.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"recommended-software\"><\/span>Recommended Software<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once the machine is all set up and running, and you have your recovery disk sets created, it&#8217;s time to install a few more extras.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"necessities\"><\/span>Necessities<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The default set of utilities included with Windows are in desperate need of some enhancements:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Google Chrome browser.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 Chrome includes a captive PDF document viewer, as well as a captive flash player.\u00a0 This prevents you from having to install Adobe bloatware.\n<ul>\n<li>The default install of Google Chrome installs in the user space.\u00a0 It&#8217;s much better to install for all users (administrative install), so that Chrome is the default browser for all users and Guest (if enabled).\u00a0 Otherwise, Chrome must be installed by logging in as each user, which is quite a hassle.<\/li>\n<li>Download the &#8220;alternate installer&#8221;:<br \/>\n<a title=\"Install Google Chrome for All Users\" href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/chrome\/answer\/118663?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/support.google.com\/chrome\/answer\/118663?hl=en<\/a><\/li>\n<li>If the link above doesn&#8217;t work, just Google for &#8220;install chrome for all users&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Once installed, associate .PDF file type with Chrome, so that clicking on a PDF opens it in Chrome<\/li>\n<li>I recommend deleting all Internet Explorer icons<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Firefox.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 Firefox is an excellent alternate browser.<br \/>\n<a title=\"How to download and install Firefox\" href=\"https:\/\/support.mozilla.org\/en-US\/kb\/how-download-and-install-firefox-windows\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/support.mozilla.org\/en-US\/kb\/how-download-and-install-firefox-windows<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>7-Zip.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 Although Windows can handle &#8220;compressed folders&#8221; (note: not NTFS compression) which are really zip files, it does so poorly and inefficiently.\u00a0 7-Zip is like the Swiss Army knife of compression tools &#8211; it supports a variety of compressed file formats, including ZIP and RAR.\u00a0 The software is very easy to use, and supports drag-and-drop.\u00a0 Once installed, be sure to go in to preferences, and set 7-Zip as the default for all compressed file formats.<br \/>\n<a title=\"Download 7-Zip\" href=\"http:\/\/www.7-zip.org\/download.html\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.7-zip.org\/download.html<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>VLC Media Player.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 Windows Media player sucks.\u00a0 It builds libraries, and integrates with stores, and doesn&#8217;t include many popular codecs, and does just about everything EXCEPT play music and videos.\u00a0 VLC JUST PLAIN WORKS, with many different file formats supported.<br \/>\n<a title=\"Download VLC Player\" href=\"http:\/\/www.videolan.org\/vlc\/download-windows.html\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.videolan.org\/vlc\/download-windows.html<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"software-to-avoid-installing-if-possible\"><\/span>Software to AVOID Installing, if Possible<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Although there are many useful utilities and software packages, some software costs more than it&#8217;s worth, or actually puts your PC at risk.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Adobe Reader.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 You can view PDF (Portable Document Format) files using Chrome, which has a captive version of Acrobat reader.\u00a0 Don&#8217;t bother installing Adobe, unless you want a ceaseless mess of updates, tool bars, and bloat ware along with it.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Flash Player.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 Chrome has a captive flash player.\u00a0 If you like online &#8220;desktop&#8221; games, use Chrome.\u00a0 Flash Player, like Acrobat reader, gives you an unending string of updates, and other headaches.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Java.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 Unless you specifically require Java, don&#8217;t install it.\u00a0 If you do install Java, you&#8217;ll be greeted almost daily with a nice orange icon, with a balloon stating that there is a &#8220;NEW Java Update available!&#8221;, and when you go to install it, you&#8217;re prompted to install toolbars and bloat-ware.\u00a0 Java is a headache, unless you specifically require it.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>HP Print Drivers.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 I can&#8217;t emphasize this more specifically &#8211; DO NOT BUY a HP printer.\u00a0 They make great computers, and decent printers, but their software\u00a0 is so bad, that it tries to reinstall itself every time you log in to Windows.\u00a0 HP Print Drivers are nothing but bloatware.\u00a0 If you buy a HP printer, you&#8217;ll have nothing but disappointment, and you&#8217;ll spend a fortune on ink.\u00a0 If you want a decent printer at a decent price, buy a Canon.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"other-useful-software\"><\/span>Other Useful Software<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>UltraVNC<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 For whatever reason, Microsoft elected to exclude Remote Desktop from home versions of Windows 7 and 8 &#8211; one of the greatest features of Windows XP, it allowed you to instantly &#8220;jump&#8221; in to someone&#8217;s desktop session, to provide support.<br \/>\nUltraVNC, an open-source flavor of VNC, allows you to use the VNC viewer to control the mouse, keyboard, and monitor of another PC running the VNC server.\u00a0 I run VNC on most of my systems, as it gives me the ability to quickly provide support.\u00a0 If you have a single system, you may not need VNC.\u00a0 If you do a lot of support for Gramma, there is a single-click version of VNC, that you can configure to have Gramma click on it, and connect to you (running VNC viewer in listen mode).\u00a0 UVNC has a lot of nice features and functions, and is extremely stable.<br \/>\n<a title=\"Download UltraVNC\" href=\"http:\/\/www.uvnc.com\/downloads\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.uvnc.com\/downloads<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Libre Office<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 Unless you are a Microsoft Office power user, there is no need to fork out massive dollars for &#8220;office productivity&#8221; software.\u00a0 Libre Office comes with a word processor, spreadsheet, drawing (think Visio), presentation, and more.\u00a0 Libre Office is open source, which means you pay nothing for it.\u00a0 Further, Libre Office can read and write most MS Office file formats.\u00a0 For occasional use, document viewing, or if you don&#8217;t need compatibility with MS Office, Libre Office is the way to go.<br \/>\n<a title=\"Download Libre Office\" href=\"http:\/\/www.libreoffice.org\/download\/libreoffice-fresh\/\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.libreoffice.org\/download\/libreoffice-fresh\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>GIMP<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 Not the guy from Pulp Fiction, GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program.\u00a0 GIMP is an open source drawing and image editing package that rivals Adobe Photoshop, except GIMP is free.\u00a0\u00a0 GIMP has been around for a very long time, and is extremely stable.\u00a0 You can find lots of tutorials on Youtube, etc&#8230;<br \/>\n<a title=\"Download GIMP\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gimp.org\/downloads\/\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.gimp.org\/downloads\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Audacity.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 Audio effects and track editing.\u00a0 Open source.\u00a0 Make your own ring tones, or convert audio to other formats.<br \/>\n<a title=\"Download Audacity\" href=\"http:\/\/audacity.sourceforge.net\/download\/\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/audacity.sourceforge.net\/download\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%e2%80%9cpro%e2%80%9d-tools\"><\/span>&#8220;Pro&#8221; Tools<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Most people won&#8217;t need these, nor even know how to use them.\u00a0\u00a0 However, these are excellent tools that work very well for power users who know how to use them.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Wireshark \/ NMap<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 Turn your new laptop in to a mobile network security toolbox.\u00a0 Wireshark is an open source packet capture utility, while NMap is an open source network scanning utility.\u00a0 Other tools, such as metasploit framework can be used to conduct vulnerability assessments.<br \/>\nNMap:\u00a0 <a title=\"Download NMap\" href=\"http:\/\/nmap.org\/download.html\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/nmap.org\/download.html<\/a><br \/>\nWireshark:\u00a0 <a title=\"Download WIreshark\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wireshark.org\/download.html\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.wireshark.org\/download.html<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>FreeBASIC, and FreeBASIC IDE<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 Write your own 32-bit native Windows GUI or console-based applications.\u00a0 Back when the PC was introduced, in 1981, there was no &#8220;app store&#8221;.\u00a0 You could go to your local Babbages for a copy of WordStar or Visicalc, or you could download shareware on the information county back roads, dialing in to a BBS to download software at the smoking rate of 1200 baud.\u00a0 What made the PC great was GWBasic.\u00a0 Anyone who bought a PC could write their own software for it.\u00a0 Later, QBasic replaced GWBasic.\u00a0 Windows, in its dirty 20 year history, has never had an effective, native scripting language.\u00a0 For those of us who learned BASIC on an Apple in high school, FreeBASIC means quick and easy access to create your own native 32-bit code.<br \/>\n<a title=\"Download FreeBASIC\" href=\"http:\/\/freebasic.net\/get\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/freebasic.net\/get<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Cygwin<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 Run a GNU, pseudo-Linux environment in Windows.\u00a0 There are Cygwin ports of most Linux packages, and you can download Cygwin gcc, either to write your own native code, or compile sources for other Linux packages not provided through the installer.<br \/>\n<a title=\"Install Cygwin\" href=\"https:\/\/cygwin.com\/install.html\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/cygwin.com\/install.html<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>DosBox<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 DOS emulator, for playing classic DOS games.<br \/>\n<a title=\"Download DOSBox\" href=\"http:\/\/www.dosbox.com\/download.php?main=1\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.dosbox.com\/download.php?main=1<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Oracle VirtualBox<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 What started as an open source project is now owned by Oracle, but is still freely-available.\u00a0 VirtualBox, like VMWare Workstation, allows you to create and run virtual machines in Windows.\u00a0 This is useful for running older OSes, like XP, or testing newer OSes like Windows 10.\u00a0 If you have Windows 7 Home Premium, it comes with Virtual PC, but I don&#8217;t know that Windows 8 does.\u00a0 VirtualBox is a less Microsoft-centric alternative, and runs on every OS.<br \/>\n<a title=\"Download VirtualBox\" href=\"https:\/\/www.virtualbox.org\/wiki\/Downloads\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.virtualbox.org\/wiki\/Downloads<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are my favorites, but there is a plethora of tools and utilities that you can download and run for free, or inexpensively, to run on Windows.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You just bought a nice new Windows PC or Laptop! &#8230;NOW what do you do? I get this question all the time &#8211; what are the best practices I should follow, when I purchase a new PC or laptop? &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tech-support"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1545"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2530,"href":"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1545\/revisions\/2530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justinparrtech.com\/JustinParr-Tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}