When you get a new computer, you are likely so enthralled with learning all about it that you may forget to perform some important tasks to ensure it is fully set up, protected, and ready for use. If you forget some of these things, you may quickly find yourself calling a computer repair service. So, to avoid this, use the checklist of steps below. As soon as you get your new machine and before you start exploring all of its bells and whistles, perform these actions and you will have a much better experience.
Delete the Junk
New computers are filled with programs called bloatware. Essentially, the maker of the computer itself or the operating system was paid money to include these programs on it. You will likely never use most of them, so you probably think you can just ignore them and everything will be fine. However, they actually slow your computer down and you may find yourself calling computer support when it takes a long time to boot up. You can choose to remove these bloatware programs one at a time or you can download programs like PC Decrapifier to do the work for you. You can find that one at www.pcdecrapifier.com. However, there are more programs like this if you do a quick search online.
Create a Recovery Disc
Unfortunately, you can’t assume that since you have a new machine, you will never run into serious problems. When you bought a new computer in the past, it came with a recovery disc so that you could reinstall Windows, but that isn’t the case anymore. So, you will need to create one on your own or risk contacting computer help in a panic if something goes wrong and you don’t have the disc available.
Install Antivirus Software
Don’t forget to do this. You need to ensure your computer is protected from the very beginning so that you don’t have to call a computer repair service because malware has found its way on your machine. There are numerous free options for antivirus software available. If you bought a computer with Windows 8.1, then Microsoft Security Essentials will already be installed and you can set that up. If you don’t have this program or you just want to use other antivirus protection, then there are several free options you could choose like:
- AVG Antivirus
- Avira Antivir
- MalwareBytes
- Avast!
- Ad-Aware
Any of these will provide quality protection without the high price tag you have probably come to expect from paid software like Norton and McAfee.
When you get your new computer, you may forget to do these things, but they are important to ensuring your machine runs well now and in the future. They may also keep you from having to contact computer repair right away. Just make sure you remove any bloatware from your computer, install antivirus software, and prepare a recovery disc. If you do these things, you will be able to start using your machine without a hitch.
Of course, if you run into problems with a new or old computer, contact computer-help.com and we can provide remote support for many issues.
