So you got a new laptop for your personal use, for school, or maybe your office issued a new one for the year. Perhaps you haven’t configured a Windows Machine in a while, or maybe it’s your first time! Do you carry on after setting up windows, or are there other things that you should be doing before using it as your daily driver? Here are a few things that we recommend you to do first to help you get the most of your device.
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Register your Warranty
Most laptop manufacturers require their users to register their devices online within a certain number of days upon purchase; that’s why you should do this as soon as you configure your new laptop. While the store might tell you that the product is under two years warranty, failure to register your device will render that clause null and void. This step typically involves you either sending a photo of the serial number sticker or manually inputting it into their website. Hence, you should keep your phone close with you during this step.
Set up Windows Hello (Compatibility Required)
While going through the Windows set-up process, you’ll be asked to secure your account with a pin or password like any device. While this is a great way to keep naughty hands off your laptop, it’s such a hassle to type in your password every time you open your machine. If your laptop comes with a fingerprint scanner or has Windows Hello facial recognition, then you can make the login process much easier. To set it up, press the Windows Key (or click on the search button) and search for “Sign-in options.” From there, you can see if you have a Windows Hello compatible device. Setting up Facial Recognition and your Fingerprint is similar to setting it up on your smartphone, follow the instructions on the screen, and you should be good to go.
Install your day-to-day apps
Perhaps the second thing you do with Microsoft Edge (second to registering your laptop online to get the warranty) is to install your preferred browser. Using your preferred browser, you should then install the programs that you need. Programs such as VLC player for videos and audio, 7zip for compressed files, Discord, etc. all have their websites that you have to go to and download individually. To help ease the installation process, there’s a website called Ninite that has a lot of these free to use apps that you may want to download all in one place, so you don’t have to go to each software’s website and navigate your way to the download button. With Ninite, you could check all the apps you’d like to install, download the custom installer, and run the said installer. It’ll install everything that you checked on without needing human interaction, which is perfect for the next step.
Remove unwanted programs/bloatware
Most laptops come with a lot of unwanted apps and bloatware that either come with Windows or from the manufacturer. Since you wouldn’t use these anyway, it’s best you remove them now (while the list of programs is still short) to save you some storage and system resources should these apps run in the background. To do that, hit the Windows Key and search for “Add or remove programs.” A window should pop up, including all the installed Apps on the laptop. Go through this list and remove any program that you will never use.
Configure Windows Settings
Author’s note: Leave settings that you think are useful for you.
Windows 10 has a lot of cool features; however, most of it are features that we don’t use or need. By disabling them in the Settings and Services, you could save precious system resources and give you a little performance bump. Start decluttering your desktop by unpinning apps that you don’t need on the taskbar, hide the search bar (you can hit Windows Key then type to search), remove Cortana, People, and Task View (unless you use these).
While you’re on the Windows desktop, go ahead and open up the task manager by hitting CTRL+Shift+Escape, click on more details, and head over to the Startup tab. From here, you can disable any pesky apps that the laptop manufacturer may have automatically set to launch every time you turn your laptop on.
If you didn’t turn off all the privacy settings on the Windows 10 start-up, you could do so now by going to the laptop’s privacy settings. From here, I unchecked everything under the Windows permissions tab and set my Diagnostics & feedback to send basic data only. Under the App permissions, uncheck everything that you may not need. Personally, I have everything off except for:
- Sticky notes and Windows Security under Background Apps
- Microphone
Moving now to the Settings menu, you can play around and turn settings off, but some recommended settings to check are the Offline Maps and Apps for websites under the Apps settings, and pretty much everything under the Gaming tab.
Buy Additional Accessories
To finish the list, you should consider getting additional accessories to get the most out of your new laptop. Here are a few of our recommendations:
Wireless Mouse
If you’re a power user who needs pixel accuracy for photo editing, or any other particular use case, then it may be worthwhile to get yourself a decent wireless mouse. A relatively cheap option would be Logitech’s G304/G305, which costs around PHP 2,000-2,500. Despite being marketed as a gaming mouse, it’s excellent for productivity use. It has an excellent sensor, two extra thumb buttons, with a small form factor for portability and long battery life.
Laptop Power Bank
If you find your laptop lacking in the battery department, then you should consider getting yourself a laptop power bank for times when you can’t find a plug. Companies like Lenovo offer powerbanks that are designed specifically to output the charging requirements of laptops.
Covers and Sleeves
If you’re always on the go, chucking your laptop in your bag along with your keys, chargers, and other hard objects, then getting a cover or sleeve is an excellent way to minimize scratches and potential damages to your shiny new laptop.
What other advice would you give to people who just got their first laptop? Let us know in the comments below!
