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Post your comments for How Should I Prepare a New Computer? here

[crevans]

Whenever I get a new computer, or receive a new one at work to set up, I basically replace this article's step one with re-installing the OS. (These are Dells) Although this takes a bit more time, I feel since I start from a completely blank slate, I get rid of all unwanted software and only install what I need.

[bharavi]

this software is very good

[rgreen4]

I would have added - Remove Internet Security Suites and replace with good quality Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware such as AVG Free, Avast! and SuperAntiSpyware. The machine will run faster and give less trouble.
Doing a clean install is the best option, but one not available to everyone since the disc that comes with the machine is a recovery disc, not an install disc, unfortunately. I wish all the manufacturers would go back to providing an install disc and driver disc as they used to. They could still provide the recovery partition.

[taustin1382]

I agree get the trial AV off of there and install avg free or other good AV+spyware app.
install a good backup utility to keep copies of your data.

[btway]

That is all well and good, but what if you do not want to reinstall Windows? You can simply go through the Add/Remove programs list and remove the crap ware programs that you do not want. I know that is a bit more time consuming, but it will save a lot of data if still on machine and make an image of machine saved to a disk for the future without the crap ware.

[Evildave]

Step 1: Create a SEPARATE DATA partition, and move all 'My Documents' type crap, work, MP3s, videos, whatever there. Leave about 16~32GB for windoze. EVERYTHING ELSE OFF in another partition.

Step 2: Definitely reinstall Windoze & the drivers fresh (or in my case, install Linux and use the Windoze CD as a coaster). If you didn't receive WIndoze install media, call the computer manufacturer and politely RAISE HELL. They'll ship you media. Sometimes with a whole other license code to squirrel away. THE FIRST THING YOU DO WITH THAT MEDIA: On the label size, use a 'sharpie' felt marker to write the activation code on it. Keep you disks SAFE IN A KNOW PLACE. I don't know how many times I've come over to someone's house to 'fix' their computer, and they don't have a single one of the CDs that came with it.

Step 3: Configure it the way you want it. OpenOffice.org, Firefox, dev tools, etc. Get everything working just the way you like it.

Step 4: BACK IT UP. Use a 'real' partition backup on your boot partition. PowerQuest used to make 'Drive Image', which rocked. Symantec bought it and put its brain inside the lurching, horrible beast they call 'Ghost'. As long as the partition backup comes with a bootable CD, it works. You can get a 'Live CD' with CloneZilla and GParted, and it works just as well.

The reason data goes on a separate partition from BOOT is simple. WHEN (not IF) Windoze melts down, you can just overwrite the boot partition with your drive image backup. It's so easy, you'll even do it for technically 'minor' issues that you might have sorted out yourself. Why bother? Just restore the drive image and the computer's as good as the day you set it up. Bang. Slam-dunk. Never a problem.

Then remember to do routine backups, and if you do a major change to the OS (install some big package that needs activation or whatever), just make a fresh backup (but keep at least one or two versions of 'prior' backup, in case you mess something up). Terabyte external drives cost next to nothing compared to the time you waste 'tinkering', especially if you earn your living with your PC.

99+% of the 'Windoze Issues' that people cry for help on this site would be cured by this simple expedient.

Message was edited by: rgreen4 - for language

[Evildave]

Oh, and 'never' use drive image backups to clone activations of software. That's evil. You shouldn't do that. You shouldn't use virtual machines for that purpose, either.
Though that's a whole other article. Installing certain kinds software in a VM is super-handy, especially for software development. Make a virtual machine of your development environment, make sure it all builds, and archive the WHOLE THING along with the source code. You'll be a LOT more likely to be able to build it again, later on.

[lnweiss]

Good suggestions:
Partitioning the HD is one of the first things I do. Keeps my data (documents, pictures, music) separate on the D drive which gets backed up daily.
The C drive contains Windows and programs. As soon as I get all the programs installed, I make an image of the entire drive. See Macrium Reflect free version find.pcworld.com/63521

This post has been edited by lnweiss: 04 October 2009 - 01:13 PM

[mjd420nova]

Besides reloading the OS to eliminate all the crapware, I usually go to the M$ site to get the most recent updates for that platform. Depending upon the network being used and the ISp, I will go with their recommended protection suites to increase the support they provide. Again, partitioning the drive to allow an area for data storage, it is sometimes easier to just install a second drive for that purpose and this also makes backups simpler.