Whether you are a beginner or an expert with computers, you should take care of certain important things when you purchase any new device such as a laptop, desktop or a smartphone. You should spend some time to configure your laptop also install the necessary software before using it. Installing robust security software like that offered by Bitdefender can protect your new laptop from all possible cyber threats and ensure your safety while browsing online.
- Warranty Registration
When you purchase a new product from an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), you might be required to register your product online with the vendor’s website for warranty claims and also to get the latest updates on the firmware and other promotional offers. You should enter the model number and theserial number of your laptop along with the purchase date to get it registered with their website. This will help you ask for warranty related claims or replacement of any parts in case you face any issues within the warranty period. You should also keep your warranty card, invoice and other documents related to the purchase in a safe place. If the manufacturer requires you to setup a user account at their website, get it done which can be used for communication later.
- Configuration and Setup
Before you can use your brand new laptop, you should configure the essential settings for connecting to the Internet, printers and other external devices. You should configure your Wi-Fi settings, DNS and other stuff before you can connect to the internet. You should also configure your laptop to connect to your printer if you wish to make any printouts. If you have any smart-home devices like wireless speakers, smart TV etc., you should alsoconfigure your laptop for accessing those devices. You should configure the power settings, sleep mode, user accounts, Windows firewall and other security settings. Another important thing you should do for your new laptop is setting up automaticbackups to cloud storage which is a great feature to protect your critical data in case of any hard disk corruption.
- Remove Any Bloatware
Most of the laptops sold currently on the market come with software which is preloaded during the shipment. In some cases, the software installed might be essential but mostly they contain promotional software and demo products which might not be really useful for you. For instance, the vendor might have tie-ups with a gaming software company and they will have demo games pre-installed in your laptop. This is for the sole purpose of marketing those products and trying to sell you the full thing at a later time. You should get rid of such unnecessary software which is of no use for you as it will also consume the memory and the CPU resources of your device.
- Install Antivirus Software
In this era of cyber-attacks and Identity theft, installing robust antivirus software is very important to protect your laptop from malware such as viruses, Trojans, Worms, Adware, Spyware and Ransomware. This is the first thing you should do before you connect your laptop with the Internet. You should install the antivirus software and get all the latest updates to ensure you have the latest signatures. Once you have installed the antivirus software, you should reboot the laptop to ensure that the antivirus program is running properly in the start-up, and then you can go ahead with connecting to the Internet.
You should choose a reliable and trusted antivirus software after going through all the user reviews and ratings. There are plenty of antivirus products available on the market, but in terms of overall ratings and in terms of performance and protection from malware, Bitdefender ranks at the top. If you compare Bitdefender with Kaspersky, you will notice that Bitdefender has so many advantages over the latter and was awarded Product of the Year for Best Performance and Best Protection. It is also considered the #1 security product for laptops and smartphones in North America.
- Install other Essential Software Tools
Before you start using your laptop, you should install all the essential software you need to continue your work. If it’s a Windows laptop, you should get all the latest Windows updates from Microsoft’s website,to ensure your system has all the security patches it needs for newly identified vulnerabilities. If you don’t install the latest Windows updates, there can be security holes in your laptop, which can be used by hackers to gain unauthorised access to your confidential data. Installing the necessary audio and video drivers is important if you plan to use any external audio or video devices with your laptop. Every user will have their own requirements and some of the common productivity tools which you can think of installing are:
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Adobe Reader
- Web Browsers like Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome
- Adobe Photoshop
- Skype or other Chat Applications
- Notepad++
- Adobe Flash
- VLC or other media players
You should not install any unwanted software as it will put too much load on your laptop and slow it down. You should read all the reviews before you install any software and always download it from reputable and trusted sources.
It is always fun and exciting to get a new laptop you should take some effort to set it up properly to ensure it’s ready to use. You can also call up the manufacturer’s technical support personnel and seek help in case you face any issues during setup or installation of new software.