Category: Tech Support

12/25/08

First ten things to do with your new Christmas computer

christmas computer

**update: Visit CNET, here and here. I really like Glary Utilities and Microsoft Security Essentials better than CCleaner and some other anti-virus apps, too.**

OK, now that you've unwrapped that beautiful hunk of technology, let's go through the first ten things you should do with it (I won't mention the obvious like connecting to the internet or setting up email, and automatic updates is turned on by default.).

1. Check your screen. If you've prayed sufficiently to the pixel gods, your laptop or LCD monitor came sans pixel mort ("Without dead pixels" for you Francophobes). Over the last two years, I've returned an LCD TV and taken a loss on an Ebay laptop because of this vexing problem. Luckily, my new T61's LCD was perfect. I checked it using Dead Pixel Tester. If you find some missing dots on your screen, you're going to want to return it (You did purchase from someplace that accepts returns, right? Never buy sight-unseen LCDs without that option.). It's simply not worth staring at that progressively bothersome dot for the next two years. Also, note that Dell and most other manufacturers won't replace an LCD unless it has something like ten dead pixels.

One dead pixel diminishes them all.

2. Make sure you're using protection. The catechism doesn't say that you have to go online without anti-virus software so there's no excuse. Most new PCs will have some anti-virus/spyware trial software that you can use for about 90 days. Activate it as soon as you can. You can stay with that software or purchase something on your own. I don't personally like Norton products, but hey: If it floats your boat... I've also used System Mechanic and like it.

Image from Amazon
System Mechanic 08 Up To 3PC Full Service for Your Pc

And, don't worry if blew your whole wad on the computer and can't afford security software: Freeware security programs are just as good. Avast anti-virus and AVG anti-virus are excellent. Get Ad-aware and Spybot for spyware. CCleaner is another good utility.

3. Disable User Account Control (UAC) on Vista. Next to Microsoft Bob, UAC has to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen on a computer. With UAC enabled, Vista rudely interrupts any exercise of free will on your part by darkening your screen and asking you "if you're sure" (In the history of UAC, I wonder if anybody's ever been scared enough to click "cancel."). Anyways, if you're able to see Transformers unaccompanied by an adult, turn it off:

a. "Start" to "Control Panel."
b. Go to "User Accounts."
c. "Disable or activate User Account Control."
d. Uncheck.

4. Download Open Office. Open Office is a productivity suite that's free, safe, and better than Microsoft Office. After you install it, go to "Tools," then "Options," then "Load/Save" to save documents in the near-universal Microsoft Word XP format, ".doc."

5. Download Clipmate and Directory Opus. They cost money, but you can try them first. I think you'll agree that they make your computing much easier. Firefox and Thunderbird are good, but you can live with the Microsoft alternatives.

6. Decrapify your system. If you still use AOL, get off my blog and go chat with Miss Cleo for $5.00 a minute, and if you plan on using all of the junkware that came with your computer, then check into some gullible-consumer rehab. Seriously, either uninstall ("Control Panel" to "Programs" [Yes, Microsoft changed the name from "Add and Remove Programs." Why? Did anybody complain?]) or download Decrapifier to do it for you. It's an inspired program. If you don't want Norton, you need this tool.

miss cleo jokes

7. If you have a desktop, but a UPS backup. Not completely necessary, but a hard drive crashed on me during a brown-out and I use them.

8. Adjust your computer for better performance. In computing, unlike in your love life, a pretty interface will slow down your performance. Go to "Control Panel," then "System," then "Advanced System Settings." Under the "Performance" tab, choose "Settings under Performance." Vista will be ugly if you choose "best performance settings," but unless you're some primitive rube, you don't need to see a window's contents while you're dragging it.

9. Back up. It makes no sense to back up your computer as soon as you get it since restoring it using the manufacturer's disk image is the same thing. Assuming you've installed some other stuff and personalized your computer some more, it might be a good idea to do back it up now. You can create a restore point by going to "Control Panel," then "System," then "System Protection." This won't save you in case of a crash, however, so you may want to back-up to separate media. Software like Nero and Ghost create backups on DVD, but that's a long process. With external hard drives so cheap, it's better to save an image of your drive on a backup drive so that you can restore your computer to a new hard drive (Whew! You write it better, then.)

Image from Amazon
Western Digital My Book Essential Edition 1 TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive WDH1U10000N