I’ve been asked “what should I do to make my new computer run better?”
Here are the steps I take with every new computer running Windows 10.
Part 1
Turn the computer on.
Follow all the prompts to get the OS started.
- Do not agree to send any diagnostic information
- Do agree to any security settings including location data
- Use your Microsoft account login if you have one
Once the computer is loaded you will notice a lot of software links on the desktop and additional games in the menu. These are clogging up your system and may be spying on you and you only just bought the computer.
If you are happy with the selection then you can skip to Part 3.
Part 2
This is the part where we clean out all the junk. This step will remove anything that is not part of Windows 10 as provided by Microsoft.
The reason we do this is that a lot of the software supplied by the computer manufacturer is bloatware, advertising or just not necessary.
The following instructions use Windows features only.
Open the Settings app
Click on “Update & Security”
Click “Recovery” in the left hand menu
Scroll down to “More Recovery Options” and click the link “Learn how to start fresh”
Click “Yes” on the pop-up
You are now in Windows Defender. Click the “Get Started” button
From here it is just follow the prompts to reset your system. Make sure your laptop is plugged in and at least 50% charged. Do not close the lid.
Your computer will restart a couple of times and it may take a couple of hours. You can let it run.
You will have a clean Windows installation with no additional bloatware or spyware. There will be more space on your hard drive and the computer will boot much faster.
Part 3
This step is completely optional but it is the fastest way I know to get a selection of useful software onto your computer quickly and easily.
I use a web site called Ninite. This site has gathered a selection of Opensource and freeware software that adds functionality to your computer. It will install the programs automatically and disallow any add-ons or ad-ware in the installations. The downloaded installer can be used periodically to check for updates.
There are a couple of recommendations I make:
- Libreoffice – this is a free alternative to Microsoft Office and will provide most functions used by average users and students.
- VLC – this is a media player that will play anything video or audio format. I’ve seen some schools using odd or obsolete video formats for homework and this program will play without a problem.
- K-Lite codecs – this has better playback than the default codecs in Windows. Especially for x264 and x265 formats. Highly recommended.
- 7-zip – a better program for managing compressed files. It also compresses better than the built-in compression of Windows.
- CutePDF – this is a printer driver that allows you to print to PDF. There are a ton of options but the default settings work for most users.
Power users will see a lot of useful programs in the list.
