New PC? Do These 12 Things Now...

Optimize and Secure Your New PC

If you've recently purchased a new PC, or you're planning to get a new computer because Microsoft says yours is "obsolete", then you'll want to follow the steps below to get the most from your new computer.

Job One is security. Antivirus software is a must on any PC, but the trial versions of Norton or McAfee that come preinstalled on new PCs are overpriced resource hogs. Some popular free antivirus options are AVG and Avast, but my preference is PC Matic, because it uses a whitelist approach that allows only known, trusted programs to run on your computer. Uninstall the trial antivirus that came with your PC, then install your new security software.

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Step Two: Getting rid of bloatware. Bloatware (sometimes called crapware) is not malicious software. Rather, it's the term for all those unnecessary utilities and trial software packages that computer vendors are paid to load onto each new PC they ship. Many of these nuisances load automatically at startup, slowing your PC and annoying you with reminders to try them out. Essentially, they’re just advertisements that you pay to be annoyed by.

If you want to rid a brand-new system of all the unnecessary junk programs that came installed on it, try the free Bulk Crap Uninstaller utility. This program lets you see all the software installed on your system, so you can quickly select the ones you want to remove, and zap them in one swell foop, with minimal effort. It's a lot faster than the Windows "Add/Remove Software" option, which requires you to select each one and answer a lot of "do you really want to do this" questions.

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Step 3: Tune Up Your Startup - When your Windows computer is starting up, a variety of programs and scheduled tasks automatically get loaded before the desktop becomes visible. While many of these are crucial, some are optional, and a few could be potentially harmful. See Are Stealth Programs Slowing Your PC? to discover how to customize your "autoruns" for enhanced performance and security.

Step 4: Keeping your operating system and application software up to date is also essential. Security patches are issued regularly by Microsoft, and these improvements are not really “optional.” Make sure Windows is set to download important updates automatically (it usually is on new PCs) and enable automatic updates on all application software that has such a feature.

You might be surprised to learn that some of the application software pre-loaded on your computer is outdated or needs critical security patches. See my article, Here's Why You Must Keep Your Software Updated (and how to do it for free) for links to some free utilities that will help you keep your software updated and secure.

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Step 5: Taking inventory of your PC’s hardware and software can help you diagnose problems, get better tech support, and possibly even save you untold grief and piles of money. Belarc Advisor and Speccy are two free utilities that scan your system and report everything you may need to know. My article What's Going On Inside Your Computer? gives you the scoop on where to find these programs, and details on how they can help.

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Step 6: Making regular backups of user data and system settings is a good habit that starts from day one. As soon as your PC is tweaked the way you want it, make a full "system image" of your hard drive and store it in a safe place. Thereafter, automatic backups of critical data that changes over time can be set up on whatever schedule makes sense for you. Hard drive failure, viruses, fire, flood and human error can wipe out critical data, and if it happens to you a backup copy of your files will be a lifesaver.

And don't forget that not all your data is stored on your computer's hard drive. Do you have a plan to back up and recover your online data, including webmail, cloud storage, Facebook, Twitter, online photos and other social media? What about the contacts and other data stored on your mobile phone or tablet? My ebook BACK IT UP! will show you how to protect yourself from any kind of data disaster.

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Step 7: Perform a benchmark test to confirm that your new computer runs as fast as advertised, and save the results so you can see if it's still running well in six months, a year, or two. You can use a free benchmarking tool to test the CPU performance, the speed of your hard drive, RAM memory, video hardware, and other subsystems. You'll also have the option to compare your results to others with similar hardware. See my article How Fast Is Your CPU? Benchmark it! for links to some free benchmarking software.

Some Optional Setup and Tuning Steps

Step 8: Install a Different Web Browser

A new Windows computer will have the Microsoft Edge pre-installed and set as your default web browser. While Edge has improved greatly, you may prefer an alternative like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Opera. Each has unique features, extensions, and privacy tools. Don’t forget to import your bookmarks and sync accounts so your browsing is seamless across devices.

Step 9: Update Drivers - If you find that any of your peripheral devices are not working correctly after connecting them to your new computer, you may need to install or update the drivers for the hardware, such as a mouse, printer, external drive, graphics card, or network adapter. Look for these drivers on the manufacturer's website, along with instructions to download and install.

You may encounter popups or emails warnings that 'Your drivers are out of date.' Ignore those scammy ads. Don't run off and update your drivers unless you're sure there is a problem. See my article Is it Time to Update Your Drivers? for the scoop on device drivers, what they are, what they do, when (and when not) to update them...

Step 10: Adjust Your Privacy Settings

Modern operating systems and apps often collect more information than you may realize. During setup, Windows and other operating systems push you toward enabling location sharing, targeted advertising, and diagnostic data collection. Take the time during initial setup to click “Customize settings” instead of “Express setup.” Review your privacy options and disable any you’re not comfortable with. This protects your personal data and keeps advertisers from profiling your behavior.

If you've already completed the setup of your new PC, open the Start menu, select Settings, and choose Privacy & Security to access all the relevant controls. Within this menu, you should review each category and disable features that could share personal data or track your activities, including toggling off unnecessary permissions for the camera, microphone, location services, activity history, and tailored advertising options. This ensures you limit the amount of data Microsoft collects about your device, actions, and preferences, making your system more private and secure.

Step 11: Personalize System Settings

I like to customize my desktop background, arrange the icons, configure the screen saver with a timeout to lock the screen, and fiddle with the system fonts and type sizes. If you have a laptop that's mobile, you may also want to adjust power settings to conserve battery power.

Step 12: Make a Windows Recovery Drive

I highly recommend creating a system recovery drive BEFORE disaster strikes. This recovery drive can be used to boot your PC into the Windows Recovery Environment to troubleshoot and restore the system if it becomes unbootable. To create a Windows recovery drive, follow these steps:

Connect a USB flash drive with at least 16GB of space to your Windows PC. (Note that this process will erase all data on the USB drive, so be sure to back up any important files first.) Click the Start button and type "recovery drive" in the search bar, then select "Create a recovery drive" from the search results. If prompted by User Account Control, click "Yes" to allow the process. In the Recovery Drive tool, ensure the option "Back up system files to the recovery drive" is checked, then click "Next." Select the USB drive you connected from the list and click "Next." Click "Create" to start creating the recovery drive. This may take some time depending on your system. Once complete, click "Finish" and safely eject the USB drive.

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That's my list of things you should take care of when you get a new computer. But it's been said that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. So a healthy dose of awareness and vigilance will go a long way toward keeping you and your computer free of trouble while interacting with the Internet. With that in mind, I encourage you to read these articles next:

• Your Password Is Not Enough
• The Most Common Computing Mistakes (how many have you made?)
• Replace Your Paid Software with Free Alternatives

A few hours spent up front tweaking a new PC and preparing for the future, can save days of suffering when something goes wrong, as it inevitably will. Think of all this preventative maintenance as similar to a car’s breaking-in period. Do it with every new PC and you'll save yourself time and money.

Do you have other ideas about how to optimize a new PC? Post your comment or question below...