New Computer Under The Tree?

By Chad A. Johnson · December 15, 2008

Tis the season for new technology and many of you will find a new computer under the tree on Christmas morning. What an exciting time.

Before you jump in and start playing with your new toy, there is a fair amount of set-up and maintenance to perform. I know, you can’t wait and why does a new computer need maintenance? Trust me, a bit of work upfront will pay off on the long run. Besides, what else are you going to do on Christmas afternoon?

Surge Protection

This should go without saying. If you got a computer, but no surge protector, don’t plug it in without one. You’ll say that you will pick one up, but you never will. Take it from someone who lost an expensive stereo receiver in a beautiful green flash of light, always use a quality surge protector (cheap ones won’t do).

Image the Drive

Your hard drive is so clean and pristine when you first pull it out of the box. Capture that by making an image of the drive or a recovery disc.

HP and many other computer manufacturers put a recovery partition on the hard drive for restoring the computer to its fresh-out-of-the-box state. Use the recovery disc creation system to burn a set of recovery DVD’s. Remember, that recovery partition is worthless if the hard drive fails.

If you don’t have a recovery disc option, pick up drive imaging software to accomplish the same task. I have had great success with Acronis True Image Home. It retails for $50, but I found it on sale for less than $30. Use this program for your initial drive image and have it perform incremental backups on a daily or weekly basis to keep you protected.

Remove Bloatware

Most manufacturers load up a computer with trial software and limited versions of software. They do this because the software companies pay them in hopes that you will buy the full versions once the trial has ended or find the need for more functionality.

Unfortunately, all of that bloatware can greatly slow your computer’s performance and start times. I read one study that showed as much as an 18% increase in performance once the bloatware was removed.

You could always remove this junk manually, but why when you can download PCDecrapifier for free? This ingenious little program finds and removes bloatware from your system. Be sure to create a restore point and your recovery discs or drive image prior to running PCDecrapifier. If something you wanted to keep is removed, this will help you to restore it.

Install a Security Suite

Most experts agree that an unprotected computer connected to the internet will be attacked within 4-10 minutes. That barely enough time to make a bag of microwave popcorn!

Buy a quality internet security suite that includes antivirus protection and a firewall. Standalone anti-virus programs aren’t enough to guard against all types of threats. Free anti-virus software can be tempting, but this isn’t an area to skimp.

Lastly, make sure that you keep the virus definitions up-to-date and that your subscription is current. New threats come out on a daily basis that you need to be protected against.

Check for Updates

Software isn’t perfect. Even after thorough testing, bugs and security holes are found months after programs are sold. Luckily, software manufacturers continuously work to improve their products and offer updates as problems are fixed.

That shiny, new computer under the tree may have left the manufacturer months before. Most likely, new updates have come out since that computer went into the box.

Here are the items that may need updating:

• Windows will most certainly need updating as Microsoft releases updates on a weekly basis. Many updates will download automatically, but you still should go to Windows Update to get recommended updates. While you’re there, install Microsoft Update to update Microsoft Office with your Windows updates.
• Programs will need updating. Some programs will prompt you when updates are ready to download, while others require you to go to the manufacturer’s website to check for updates. To make software updates easier, install a program called Secunia PSI. This handy program scans your computer and notifies you when a program has an update available. This will prove to be a huge timesaver.
• Hardware drivers and firmware may need updating. Go to the computer manufacturer’s website to find updates specific to your system. BIOS, video card and chipset updates can greatly improve system performance and stability, but can be a very tricky task for the computer novice. If you feel you may get in over your head, pay the small fee to have a professional do the updates. They will know what to do if something should go wrong (and it probably will).

Once you have completed these steps, you are ready to enjoy your new computer. Your system will be protected against possible threats, will be performing at its best and you’ll be prepared in the event of a system failure.