How to set up your new Windows laptop like a pro: out-of-the-box tips (2024)

Table of Contents
Run all Windows updates Uninstall bloatware Copy or sync your files Install antivirussoftware Set up Windows Hello Fingerprint or face logins Install your browser of choice (or stick with Edge) Configure Cortana (or turn her off) Disable the time-wasting lock screen Adjust your display scaling Set up keyboard shortcuts forevery app Change your desktop theme Windows 10 basics

Picture it: you pull out that brand-new laptopyou bought after reading our latest buying guideand plug it in for the very first time. Now it's just a matter of breezing your way through the Windows setup process, and you're ready to rock, right? Not really. Your notebook isn't really ready — or truly yours — until you do some tweaking. Here are a few things to consider when setting up yournew laptop.

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Run all Windows updates

Your computer is probably going to download a series of Windows 10 updates all on its own, so why not get it over with by forcing them to install manually?

1.Type "updates"in the search box.

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2.Click "Check for updates."

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Windows will start searching for and downloading updates, but you don't have to wait for this process to complete before moving on to your next task.

3.If Windows doesn't automatically search for updates, selectthe "Check for updates" box.

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Uninstall bloatware

Like it or not, most PC vendors preload annoying third-party software on your computer. From 30-day antivirus trials to casually addictive desktop games you may not want to play (ex: Candy Crush), this bloatware is poised to suck up valuable system resources. To uninstall it:

1.Navigate to Settings.You can get there from the Start Menu.

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2.Select System.

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3.Select Apps and featuresfrom the left menu. If you don't see this option, press inside the search box and type Apps, then select "Apps and features." (Alternatively, you can skip steps 1 and 2 and type"Uninstall" from the Search Box on the Taskbar and choose "Add or remove programs.")

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4.Select an appyou wish to uninstall.

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5.Click Uninstall.

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6.Click the second Uninstall buttonthat appears.

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Copy or sync your files

What good is your new computer if it doesn't have your most important data on it? There are several viable ways to move your documents, photos, videos and other key files over from an old computer.

  • OneDrive Sync:If your important files are stored in OneDrive, they will automatically download to the new computer once you log into the new PC with your Microsoft account.
  • Dropbox or Google Drive:These services work just like OneDrive but don't come preloaded with Windows (unless your laptop manufacturer put them there). If you were using them to store fileson yourold computer, install them on the new one.
  • Copy files manually.Select all the files under your Documents, Music, Videos and Photos libraries, copy them to an external drive (ex: Flash drives, hard drives) and then copy them over to the new machine. This is a bit tedious, though, so we recommend using cloud storage if possible.

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Install antivirussoftware

Antivirus software is important no matter how careful you think you are on the internet. If you hit even one wrong link, accidentally or otherwise, your entire computer could become victim to a malware infection — an awful scenario that can generally be avoided with some good antivirus software. The point of antivirus software is to prevent these sorts of situations before they happen and, if that fails, fix them immediately afterward. It's crucial that you have some sort of antivirus software to shield your PC from threats.

If you're looking for a recommendation, our techie colleagues ratedBitdefenderas one of thebest free antivirussoftwaresolutions available, thanks to its excellent malware protection and low impact on your PC's performance, not to mention 24/7 customer support. With Bitdefender, you can prevent virus attacks before they happen; you can also scan and eliminate threats after the fact, if anything harmful manages to make it onto your computer. Here's a quick guide on how to install Bitdefender free antivirus software.

1.Click the big green "free download"button on Bitdefender'ssite.

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2.Go to your downloads folder and find the bitdefender_online.exe file you just downloaded. Click on it.It will then install Bitdefender.

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3. To avoid annoying pop-up reminders or any potential long-term issues with Bitdefender's functionality,make a Bitdefender account(the window for doing this will appear automatically after installation). It's as simple as providing your name, email and creating a password. From there, Bitdefender will operate autonomously and let you go about your internet activities in peace, protecting you all the while.

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Set up Windows Hello Fingerprint or face logins

Many current-generation laptops come with a fingerprint reader or infrared camera for facial recognition. If you have either one, you should set up Windows Hello, a feature that lets you log in with a finger or a glance, so you can avoid the hassle of using a normal password. This is another great security feature to keep your files protected.

1.Navigate to Settings.

2.Click Accounts.

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3.Select Sign-in options.

4.Click theSet upbuttonunder either Fingerprint or Face Recognition.

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5.Click Get Started.

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6.Swipe your finger(for fingerprint readers) orstare at the camera(for facial recognition) as directed. If you don't have a fingerprint reader or an IR camera, Windows 10 won't let you proceed.

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7.Click Set upPIN.Windows 10 requires that you have a PIN as aback up, in case your finger or face doesn't register. You won't be asked to do this if you already have a PIN.

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8.Enter a PINandclick OK.

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Install your browser of choice (or stick with Edge)

Microsoft's Edge Browser is fast, lightweight and definitely worth considering. However, if you're used to Chrome and Firefox extensions, you'll want your favorite browser right away. To set your new browser as the default, follow these steps.

1.Download and run the browser installerof your choice. Chrome is athttps://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/

2.Navigate to settings.You can get there from the Start Menu.

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3.Click System.

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4.Select Default appsin the left pane.

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5.Click the icon under Web browser.Itmay say"Choose a default" or it may have the icon for the current default browser.

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6.Select your browserin the pop-up menu that appears.

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Configure Cortana (or turn her off)

Microsoft's built-in digital assistant offers a number of neat features, such as the ability to set reminders, find files by semantic search, answer questions using Bing's knowledge base, perform some voice commands and give you alerts for things like weather and sports scores. If the idea of having a digital assistant appeals to you, you need to activate Cortana and give her some information about you. If you don't want a digital assistant and choose not to activate Cortana, you can still use her search box to find files and apps.

To activate Cortana:

1.Click the search box.

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2.Click"Cortana can do much more."

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3.ClickSign in.

If you aren't logged in to a Microsoft account, you'll be prompted to sign in, but you should already be logged into Windows 10 with that account (unless you went out of your way to create a local account).

4.Select the notebook iconin the left menu bar that appears when you click the search box.

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A list of icons appears.

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5.Click About Meto enter your name and favorite places (such as work and home).

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6.Click Sportsto tell Cortana what teams you follow.

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7.Click Connected Accountsto let Cortana access data from other accounts.

See Also
You have a new PC or laptop. Here's how to set it up the best way

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8. To turn Cortana off, click in the search box and press the settings menu on the left side. Under the Talk to Cortana tab, slide the Let Cortana respond to "Hey Cortana" to the left. You can also search "Speed, inking, & typing" in the main search box.

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Disable the time-wasting lock screen

Unless you enjoy staring at an attractive photo when you first boot or wake your PC, the Windows lock screen serves absolutely no purpose. Every time you start up, you have to swipe or click on the lock screen photos before you can enter your username and password, but why not just go straight to the login prompt? Here's how to disable the Windows 10 lock screen.

1.Open the registry editorby hitting Windows + R or typing "regedit" into the run box.

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2.Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control.

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3.Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windowsby opening the folder tree in the left window pane.

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4.Right-clickin the right pane and select New > Key. Thenrename the key Personalization.Skip this step if a Personalization key already exists under Windows. Note, you won't be able to complete this step without admin privileges.

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5.Open the Personalization key.

6.Right-clickin the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) value. Rename it to NoLockScreen.

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7.Set NoLockScreen to 1bydouble-clickingon it and entering 1 in the dialog box.

8.Close the Registry Editor and reboot your PC.

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Adjust your display scaling

Today many laptops come withhigh-resolutiondisplays that are sharp andcolorful,but have so many pixels that your icons and fontsmayappear a little too small out of the box. Conversely, your laptop may have icons and fonts that are larger than you need them to be, potentially wasting screen real estate. You can control the size of desktop objects using a Windows feature known as display scaling. Ifon-screencontent is too small for you, you can turn the scaling up to 125 or even 150 percent. However, if you'd like to fit more on the display at once, you can turn that number down to 100 percent. Here's how.

1.Right-click on your desktop and select Display Settings.

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2.Change the menu setting under "Change the size of text, apps . . . "You cannot get any smaller than 100 percent. You will notice an immediate change to the size of some menus.

3.Reboot your computeror log out and log back in.

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Set up keyboard shortcuts forevery app

You can save a lot of time — at least several minutes a day — by using keyboard shortcuts rather than your mouse pointer to open menus ordouble-clickon an icon. In addition to memorizing the most important built-in Windows keyboard shortcuts along with specific shortcuts for your favorite apps (ex: CTRL+ T opens a new tab in your browser), you can set uphot keysthat open your favorite programs. Here's how.

1.Open the run dialog boxby hitting Windows + R.

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2.Type "explorer shell:AppsFolder" into the boxand hit OK.

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3.Right click on the appyou want andselect Create shortcut.

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4.Click Yeswhen prompted. A new icon appears on your desktop.

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5.Right-clickon the new shortcut and select Properties.

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6.Enter a key combination using CTRL + ALT + a Characterin the Shortcut key box. You can use letters, numbers or symbols. We suggest using letters that represent theprogram you'relaunching (ex, CTRL + ALT + W for Microsoft Word).

7.Click OK.

You can also set upcustom keyboard shortcuts for frequent actions(ex, launching your favorite site, pulling down the "crop" option in Photoshop Elements) using a freeware app called AutoHotkey.

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By default, Windows 10 treats you like an untrustworthy teenager, hiding extensions (ex: .docx, .xls, .jpg) and making system files and folders completely invisible. But seeing the three or four-letter file extensions is particularly important because they let you know exactly what type of file you're looking at. It's not enough to know, for example, that "my-family-vacation" is a picture file; you should know whether it's a JPG, a GIF or a PNG file before you decide to print or share it. By the same token, a myreport.doc can be read by Microsoft Word from 2003 and before but myreport.docx requires newer software.

1.Open FileExplorer.You can get there by clicking on the yellow folder icon on the taskbar.

2.Click the View tabat the top of the window.

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3.Toggle on "File name extensions" and "Hidden items."You will need to hit "View" again after you check the first one.

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Change your desktop theme

If you're happy with the wallpaper and color scheme that your computer came with, by allmeanskeep it. However, most may want to personalize Windows 10's look and feel by changing themes. Here's how to customize your Windows 10 theme.

To get started, right-clickon the desktop and select Personalize.

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Thepersonalization menu appears.

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Desktop Wallpaper

Here's how to change your desktop wallpaper:

1.Select Picture, Solid Color or Slideshowfrom the Background menu.

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2a. If you picked "picture,"select a photofrom the list or browse for one on your hard drive.

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2b. If you picked "solid color,"select one of the available shades.

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2c. If you chose "Slideshow,"decide which folder you wantthe show to draw from. It defaults to your pictures library.

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Dark/Light Mode

Here is how to enable Dark Modeand Light Mode:

1. Open the Settings menu.

2. Click Personalization.

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3. Select the Colors tab from the left sidebar.

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4. At the bottom of the page, choose "Dark."If you want to enable Light Mode, keep the default option selected or press "Light."

Accent Colors

To change the color of your taskbar, window title bars and Start menu:

1.Click Colorsin the left nav.

2.Pick a color or toggle "Automatically pick"to on.

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3.Toggle "Show color on Start, taskbar..." to On.

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Themes

Rather than tweaking the colors and wallpaper separately, you can choose from a pre-existing Windows 10 theme.

1.Click Themesin the left pane.

2.Choose a theme.

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Click "Get more themes online" if you want to download additional options.

Now that you've got your PC readyto go, you might want to password protect a folder in Windows 10to keep your sensitive files safe or learnhow to create a shortcut to a website with Chrome. You can also pin your favorite websites to the Windows 10 start menu for quick access.

Windows 10 basics

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  • All Windows 10 tips
  • Set alarms
How to set up your new Windows laptop like a pro: out-of-the-box tips (2024)
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