08/16

Optimizing Your New Computer

So! You’ve just purchased a new computer, and you’re all ready to fire her up and start blazing through multi-tasking sessions of web-browsing, music playing, and movie downloading madness. But before you get consumed by all the amazing things your new computer can do, there are a couple of things you should take care of first.

1) Make a set of system restore discs

In times past manufacturers used to include system restore discs with PCs so that programs could be recovered should anything go wrong with your computer. But now most of that sort of data is stored in the computer itself in what is known as a recovery partition. This is simultaneously more and less convenient. More so because fewer things need be packaged with the machine, but less so because should your hard drive die or become infected with a virus you will likely be unable to access the partition with your recovery info. For this reason it is highly important that you keep a set of restore discs on hand to re-install your operating system. Otherwise you may end up needing to purchase a new retail copy of the operating system to get up and running again.

2) Remove Bloatware

Bloatware is all of the unnecessary pre-installed items you find on a new computer that serve no purpose other than to get you to try or purchase programs you likely have no interest in. It is wise to remove as much of this type of clutter as possible in order to keep your computer running smoothly and efficiently. Bloatware oftentimes runs in the background without you knowing, which can slow down your operating speed and even leave you open to risk of infection depending what the extraneous program’s function is. Sift through your desktop and start menu and trash anything you recognize as completely unnecessary like games and trials. Be cautious when approaching programs you’re uncertain of though in case they are necessary. Look them up online or call a professional to seek advice about these instances.

3) Update the system, software, and drivers

Technology is in constant motion but luckily for us manufacturers have made keeping up a much simpler process. Instead of having to by a whole new program after a long period of time, you can install small updates to your current one – usually through online services. Usually your computer will notify you of available updates if you are connected to the internet. If you click these small notification windows you will be lead to the programs update menu and be provided with a few options for whether and how to proceed. This sort of action is important to ensure your programs are running their most optimal form. Many times the difference in efficiency is drastic, in which case you only stand to gain from installing updates whenever you get a chance.

4) Create a system image

Once you’ve actually gone through and set up your computer exactly the way you want it, it’s a good idea to save the progress you’ve made using back-up discs. If your computer becomes corrupted for any reason and you’re forced to reload its hard drive, a “system image” can ensure that you don’t have to go through and rebuild your whole setup. See our previous blog about backing up data for info on how to do this, or ask a professional when you’re purchasing the hardware to do so.

5) Migrating your data

Most likely you don’t want to leave everything from your old computer behind, just all of the outdated drivers, programs, and battery issues. Migrating your important data from the old system to the new one is another important step in setting up your new computer. This can be done using the back-up method mentioned above and in the other blog, which includes discs, external drives, and online “clouds”. It can be a bit time consuming, but completely worth the effort not to lose all of your important info and beloved music and pictures.

Completing these steps should find you up and ready to go on your new system. All together this can seem like a lot of work and in truth it is, and it is possible you may not feel comfortable performing some of these steps yourself. That is why Techstop provides a “New Computer Package” to help you enjoy premium efficiency without investing hours of diligence and/or frustration into the process yourself.

We’ll remove all speed-slowing bloatware, update the system in its entirety, install the latest anti-virus, and create a complete system image of your computer in its most pristine form so that should anything happen to it, it can be restored to that state instead of starting all over again from factory default. And if you have data from your old computer that you want transferred to your new one, we can take care of that as well.

Even if your computer isn’t brand new it could still benefit from some cleaning and updating. Contact us today about getting your machine in top-condition and running better than ever. Because, who doesn’t like more speed, capability, and security, right? TechStop can give you that.

Posted by Ev on 08/16 at 02:15 PM

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