Have you bought a new notebook, ultrabook, 2-in-1 or desktop – online or at the store? Then immediately make a flying start with your new machine. With this article, you'll make sure your new PC runs smoothly from day one and will continue to do so for years to come.
Tip 01: Inspect purchase
Whether you buy a new computer at a physical store or one online, you should receive a packing slip with exactly what you ordered. If you have assembled a computer from separate components yourself, this packing slip is probably very detailed.
The first check that you should perform is whether you have actually received what you ordered. You do this by comparing the different type designations of the delivered item with your original order and the packing slip. This is also a good time to check that your new computer is mounted properly, has no scratches or dents, and that the display has no dead pixels.
Of course it is a bit difficult to see whether everything has been delivered 'under the hood' in accordance with your order. Do the type of processor, amount of storage memory, size of SSD, type of graphics card and other matters correspond to what you ordered? With the free Speccy, your PC will be completely screened and you will receive a detailed report on which all parts and their specifications can be found.
Tip 02: Update Windows
Of course you want to get started with your new purchase as soon as possible, but you will have to be patient. Chances are, within minutes of connecting to your home network, you'll be notified that Windows updates are available. Depending on how long your PC has been traveling from the factory to your home, hundreds of MBs of updates will need to be downloaded first and your computer will reboot one or more times. Our motto: The less you do with your computer during this process, the faster the update is completed.
If you have a dedicated video card, it is wise to check whether there are new drivers Tip 03: Drivers
When updating Windows, the standard Microsoft drivers for components in your PC are often also updated. In many cases, however, you can also find new drivers on the website of the manufacturer of your new PC that – often – solve all kinds of large and small problems. It's good to visit those sites and see if it might be a good idea to install the drivers. Many manufacturers nowadays provide computers with a tool with which this can be checked.
There are plenty of programs that can automatically check for new drivers. However, many of them contain adware. The exception to this is Snappy Driver Installer (SDI Lite), which you can find here. Check the manual first and create a restore point before installing new drivers.
Certainly if you have bought a computer with a so-called 'dedicated' video card, it is wise to see whether new drivers are now available for this part. Check which chipset your graphics card has (via the packing slip or Speccy) and then pick it up from AMD or Nvidia.
In some cases, there is also an update available for the BIOS of the motherboard or SSD. We recommend that you read the explanation first and see if this update fixes any issues you may be experiencing. Only install a bios update if it offers added value - for example because your computer is vulnerable to Meltdown and Specter - and only after you have made an image backup (next step).
Tip 04: Make a disk copy
After the previous step, Windows is completely up-to-date, but you have not installed any other software yet. So now is a good time to create a disk or image backup of your computer, even if your new computer already has a recovery partition. This can be lost if your SSD dies.
Suppose that in the future you have to return the PC to its original settings due to a crash, then you will not have to spend so much time updating the operating system afterwards - because of the work you have done under steps 02 and 03.
In Windows 10 you can use the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) to use. It is important that the copy you make ends up on a different drive than the one on which your operating system is installed.
It is also possible to use a free program such as Clonezilla or EaseUS Todo Backup Free. Don't forget to create a boot CD or boot USB stick that will still allow you to boot your computer if things go wrong and restore the disk image.
Bloatware you definitely won't be using, get rid of it before making a disk image Tip 05: Bloatware gone
Many new computers come with what's called crapware or bloatware for free. Think of all kinds of utilities you don't want, unwanted shortcuts on the desktop or 30-day versions of programs you don't want to use at all. A lot of bloatware also starts up automatically when Windows loads and makes your computer unnecessarily slow.
A first step is to make sure that this software no longer starts up. You do this by pressing Shift+Ctrl+Esc to select the item task management and then the tab Startup to choose. By right-clicking on the various programs you can choose whether or not to disable them. A more permanent solution is the part Installing and Uninstalling Programs and remove these pests permanently.
Is your new computer really chock-full of this kind of unsolicited software or don't you know what you can or can't remove? Then use the handy Bulk Crap Uninstaller that scans your PC and provides a clear overview of all the desired and unwanted software.
Finally, if you are sure that you will never use certain bloatware, you can choose to perform this step before creating a disk image of your system.
Tip 06: Secure system
Your new PC is now completely cleaned up and almost ready to use. Before you install your favorite programs and games, it is important to have your security in order. The first step is to create accounts for other users when multiple people will be using this PC.
If you do not wish to use the standard Windows Defender to protect your computer against viruses, now is the time to install your favorite - whether or not free - security solution or security suite.
To protect the PC we also count programs for managing your passwords, such as KeePass or LastPass or extensions for your browser that, for example, prevent you from being tracked. A program for recovering accidentally deleted files, such as Recuva, should also be available on every PC by default. In addition, this is also the time to decide whether you want to keep personal files encrypted, for example using BitLocker (Windows Pro) or a solution such as VeraCrypt.
Ninite lets you install a lot of useful free software with just a few ticks Tip 07: Software
Although we do more and more in the browser, a PC without programs is not very usable. During this step it is therefore important that you install your favorite office suite, browser, mail program, graphics software and other daily apps and provide updates if necessary.
Big steps, home soon? One of our favorite tools for setting up a new computer is the smart Ninite. This program allows you to install many useful free software programs in one go with just ticking the boxes and save a lot of time.
Then, after installation, launch the component Standard programs to indicate which programs you wish to use for, for example, sending mail and surfing, or choose the option at the bottom Default apps by file type.
Finally, it is now time to transfer documents, photos, files and settings, for example by restoring them from a backup or by downloading or synchronizing them from a cloud storage.
Tip 08: Set up backups
During step 04 you already made a disk image of your system; chances are you'll want to do this periodically. In addition, it is good to make a backup copy of your documents, photos and other (work) files - preferably daily.
In Windows 10 you have access to the component Back up with file history, although we should note that this only works if you have additional stations at your disposal.
Free alternatives abound, although we are seeing more and more titles feature advertising or offer limited functionality unless a paid version is purchased. Although Cobian Backup 11 is no longer maintained, it is still usable. Also nice but a bit more complicated is Areca Backup. If you prefer to make periodic backups to online storage, you can go to the handy Duplicati. With this you can save backups on Google Drive and OneDrive and restore them to your system.
If your complaint falls within the statutory cooling-off period, the supplier will be happy to help you Tip 09: Do a stress test
Your new computer is now essentially ready to serve you for years to come. However, it is interesting to check how the performance is. Professionals use the very extensive Pcmark for this, but for home use SiSoftware Sandra Lite or Performance Test 9. Such a test enables you to compare the clocked values with other systems.
But running a benchmark is important for another reason than just seeing how your new PC performs. During this process, the various components in your PC are loaded to the maximum. Components that do not function properly or are not installed correctly are more likely to fail under stress. When this comes to light, it is a reason to replace any drivers or contact the supplier. Especially if you have a complaint within the cooling-off period in which you can return products without stating a reason, they will be very happy to help you.
Tip 10: Personalize
If this is not your first Windows 10 computer and you use a Microsoft account, chances are that a large part of the settings, colors, backgrounds and other personal things will be automatically transferred to your new computer. Windows 10 ensures that you have more or less the same experience on all your devices.
If not, now is the time to fully customize and personalize Windows 10. As for the appearance, right click on the desktop. Choose in the menu for Customize to personal preference to adjust things like background, colors and taskbar more to your liking. It is also possible – just like with previous versions of Windows – to download ready-made themes.
If you want to go one step further, you can customize the start menu with Classic Shell and use tools such as Winaero Tweaker or Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4 to change the behavior of Windows 10. A big advantage of the latter tool is that it also allows you to change a number of things in the field of privacy.
Check guarantees and insurances
Is your new computer working properly? Beautiful! Hopefully it stays that way. If something does go wrong, it is nice if things like warranty and insurance are properly arranged. In addition to the supplier's warranty, you also have a factory warranty. It is wise to check the purchase receipt and other information and keep it in a safe place. Some manufacturers extend the manufacturer's warranty for you free of charge when you register your purchase within a certain period. You can also choose to extend the warranty with the supplier against payment, although it is good to check that you are not paying for something that you are legally entitled to anyway.
Especially with devices that you take with you, such as an ultrabook or 2-in-1, the chance that these will be damaged by an accident or disappear due to theft is a lot higher than with a desktop. You can largely cover this risk by properly insuring your purchase. Many (web) stores will make you a proposal for this during the purchase process. However, experience has shown that in many cases it is cheaper to take out (additional) insurance elsewhere.
