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--- setting_up_a_new_computer [2025/06/23 18:53]
47.128.35.254 old revision restored (2023/07/23 23:06)
+++ setting_up_a_new_computer [2025/06/30 15:00] (current)
47.128.23.36 old revision restored (2025/06/04 23:05)
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 \\
-===== What Windows are you running? =====
+===== What Window are you running? =====
 Some companies install 32 bit operating systems on 64bit computers. This allows them to lower the price by $50-100. It works fine, Except, when you are installing programs. Then you want to know if you need the 32 bit or 64 bit version first. The best way to tell is to go to computer on the start menu and right click on Computer and go to Properties. In Windows 8, you need the System Information App. Look for the Windows version.\\
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 ===== Getting Started =====
-[[#What to Get Rid Of ]]\\
+What to keep\\
-[[#What to Install]]\\
+What to get rid of\\
-[[#Copying Your Old Stuff]]\\
+What to install\\
+Copying your old stuff\\
-==== What to Keep/What to toss ====
+===== What to Keep/What to toss =====
-Thankfully, new computer don't come with nearly as much crap as they used to. Still, take a look at what came out of the box.
+Thankfully, new computer don't come with nearly as much crap as they used to.
-=== What to Get Rid Of ===
+===== What to Get Rid Of =====
-The first thing is to remove the software you do not need or want. Start by downloading [[http://www.revouninstaller.com/|Revo Uninstaller]] installing it and starting it. The Revo Uninstaller does a much better job than the built-in Windows uninstaller (the Windows 7 uninstaller works better than XP. But Microsoft decided it should be in "Programs and Features" because "Add/Remove Programs was too difficult.\\
+The first thing is to remove the software you do not need or want. Start by downloading [[http://www.revouninstaller.com/|Revo Uninstaller]] installing it and starting it. The Revo Uninstaller does a much better job than the built-in Windows uninstaller. When you start Revo Uninstaller, it will catalog all of the programs you have installed on your computer. Revo Uninstaller runs the programs built-in uninstaller, then scans the registry for left over entries and then scans the hard drive for undeleted program files. All things the supplied uninstaller by the publisher or Microsoft can do. \\
-\\
-When you start Revo Uninstaller, it will catalog all of the programs you have installed on your computer. Revo Uninstaller runs the programs built-in uninstaller, then scans the registry for left over entries and then scans the hard drive for undeleted program files. All things the supplied uninstaller by the publisher or Microsoft can do. \\
+Start by deleting Microsoft Works. It is amazing that Works is still around but it is. The fact that MS Office does not do a good job of opening Works files should tell you something. Replacing Works with either OpenOffice or MS Office.\\
+Newer computers ship with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Office_2010|Microsoft Office 2010]] Starter Edition and possibly a trial copy of Office Standard Edition. Starter Edition replaces MS Works. It gives you Word and Excel. If this is all you need, great, keep it. Do you want PowerPoint or Publisher? Sorry, you need to buy those. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Office_2010|Microsoft Office 2010 versions]] The versions are listed on this chart. Home and Student is about $150, Professional about $300.
-Things to look out for:\\
-Trial anything. This includes MS Office and anti-virus software. Check out the prices and what you get for moving to the free version. At the same time think about the free alternatives.\\
-\\
-Go through the list of programs, Some manufacturers add their own remote help or other software. This would include HP support, Acer backup, and so on. Chances are, you do not need these at all, or there are better working programs available. You can always Google the name of the program and see if it is something you will need. There are some programs that you may not know you have that you will need to run the computer. One of these is Bonjour. Bonjour is a connection program that Apple installs with iTunes. **If you are not sure if you need the program, keep it.** You can always delete it later.\\
-\\
 Next delete any anti-virus programs. Chances are you have either Norton Anti-Virus or Symantec. The saddest thing is these are two of the more expensive anti-virus solutions and neither have finished better than middle of the pack in performance in years. Also, both will slow your computer down about 15% or so. Or, about as bad as the spyware they should be blocking. Look out, Norton Anti-virus is actually two programs, the AV and LiveUpdate. You will need to remove them both.\\
-\\
-In the next steps you can install Microsoft Defender. A pretty good, free anti-virus program.
+Go through the list of programs, Some manufacturers add their own remote help or other software. This would include HP support, Acer backup, and so on. Chances are, you do not need these at all, or there are better working programs available. You can always Google the name of the program and see if it is something you will need. There are some programs that you may not know you have that you will need to run the computer. One of these is Bonjour. Bonjour is a connection program that Apple installs with iTunes. **If you are not sure if you need the program, keep it.** You can always delete it later.\\
+After you have removed any programs you do not want or need, double click on the 'My Computer' icon and select the C: drive. Next open the 'Program Files" folder. Now, find the folder called Online Services and delete it. The 'Online Services' folder has the installers for AOL, ATT and some other dial up Internet service providers. If you need one of these, certainly keep the folder, otherwise, it is just wasting space. Also look for the Works installer and delete it. You may have the installer for a trial copy of Office 2007. If you want to install Office '07, keep it. Otherwise you can delete this folder too.\\
-==== What to Install ====
+===== What to Install =====
 Now that you have removed a bunch of stuff that you do not need, what are you going to need?\\
-If you are going to run MS Office, install it now. If you are going to run the Office trial version, you are good.\\
+The first thing is, run Windows Update. Yes this is a brand new computer. It is possible that it has sat on the shelf for a while. Run Windows Update with the custom option and keep running it until you have all of the critical updates, all of the hardware updates, and the optional updates you want. Reboot your computer as many times as it says to. After each reboot, return to Windows Update and check for more updates. Do this until Windows Update shows no more updates.\\
-\\
-Run Windows Update. Yes this is a brand new computer. It is possible that it has sat on the shelf for a while. Run Windows Update with the custom option and keep running it until you have all of the critical updates, all of the hardware updates, and the optional updates you want. Reboot your computer as many times as it says to. After each reboot, return to Windows Update and check for more updates. Do this until Windows Update shows no more updates.\\
+==== Internet Explorer 8 ====
+IE8 is a critical update. Why? Because Microsoft says so. Your computer will keep bugging you and bugging you until you install it. IE8 will keep bugging you and bugging you until you save a set of settings. Install it and then decide if you want to use it.\\
-Install the Browser of your choice. I like Firefox. I use Chrome as well. I am still not a fan of Internet Explorer although it does work with more web sites than it used to.
+"Are you going to use a browser other than Internet Explorer?" If you are, download and install it now. Your computer will be just fine with more than one browser loaded. I have been a Firefox user for years. Chrome works very well, but some websites don't work quite right in Chrome.
 ^Browser^Website^
@@ Line 72: / Line 73: @@
 |Safari|http://www.apple.com/safari/|
 \\
-Next go to [[http://www.adobe.com/|Adobe.com]] and download Reader and Flash player, You do not need Adobe Air, but it will not hurt.\\
+Next go to [[http://www.adobe.com/|Adobe.com]] and download Reader, Flash player, and Shockwave player. You do not need Adobe Air, but it will not hurt.\\
+I have been using [[http://www.openoffice.org/|OpenOffice]] about 80% exclusively for more than a year. There are a couple of problems with OpenOffice: One of my reqular spreadsheets has a formula that does not transfer between Excel and Calc well; I am not taking the time to make label templates by hand. Word just makes it to easy; When I need to work with comma delimited text, Excel does a better job; and whoever thought page setup belonged under view, is nuts. Install OpenOffice and give it a try. If you want many of the templates MS Office has, try [[http://sourceforge.net/projects/ooop/|Oxegen Office]]. It has more templates than you are likely to need. \\
+No, you want Microsoft Office. OK, to install MS Office or any other program that you have a CD installer for and no CD drive on your netbook, try this. Buy a 1 to 4 Gb USB drive. Copy the entire CD onto the USB drive. Create a text file with the serial number for the program on the USB drive. Then install from the USB drive.\\
 Next install iTunes and or QuickTime. Go to [[http://www.apple.com/downloads/|Apple.com]] and download iTunes+QuickTime or just QuickTime.\\
-Finally, Install Java [[https://java.com/en/download/index.jsp|Download Java]]. It seems like Java updates every week. So be it. That is also why you do it last.
+Chances are, on a netbook you will want to use webmail instead of a mail client. If your do want a mail client you have some options: If you installed MS Office, you have Outlook; There is [[http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/|Mozilla Thunderbird]] from the makers of Firefox; [[http://www.dipconsultants.com/evolution/|Evolution]] is a Linux client that has been converted to Windows. I have used the Linux version and it works well. It is designed as an Outlook alternative and may be a bit much for home users.\\
-\\
-==== Copying Your Old Stuff ====
-When you first started your new computer, you created a user account. Now create user accounts for everyone who will use the new computer. Log in as that user. This will create the Users directory with the right folders for each user. Now attach the USB device with the files from the old computer. As the Administrator or the first user created, copy the files carefully from the USB device to the appropriate folders in C:\Users\ on the new computer. You can copy them by the folder and set more than one copy job at a time. Do not be surprised if it runs much quicker than it did copying to the USB drive.\\
+===== Other things =====
 \\
-**Are you more advanced?**\\
+<box left #FFCE00 50% round>Check out [[Editing Images]] as well</box>\\
-\\
-For about $20.00 you can buy a hard drive external case. This will allow you to take the hard drive out of your old computer and attach it to your new computer via USB. You can then copy everything over. As a bonus, once you have everything copied over, you can delete the Windows and Program Files directories and have a nice fat USB drive to backup to.\\
-\\
-=== The Bad News ===
-\\
-You cannot use this method to install your old programs on the new computer. You need to run the installer for each program to install them. Sorry.\\
 \\
-==== I Don't Have a CD Drive, How do I Load Software? ====
+Now that the basics are covered, what do you want to do with your computer? If you are checking email and web sites and general word processing and number crunching, you are set. But what if you want to do more?\\
+Given that netbooks have limited hard drives and processor power, you probably don't need anything else. But if you do, try these web applications:\\
+  * [[http://aviary.com/|Aviary]] A online image editing suite. Nothing to download or install, just upload your images and edit away. How good can a free online image editor be? How about this:\\
+{{:1546338_cbaf_625x625.jpg?256|}}\\
+  * What if you don't want to install an office suite at all? Try [[http://documents.google.com/?hl=en|GoogleDocs]]. Everything is stored online, but yes, you can download or email a copy to someone else.\\
+----
+===== So if I Don't Have a CD Drive, How do I Load Software? =====
 With a USB drive. Get a USB drive with at least 1Gb of free space. It is pretty hard to find anything else these days. Using a computer with a CD drive, insert the USB drive and open it in 'My Computer.' Now insert the installer CD in your CD drive. **Do not start the installer!** Open 'My Computer' again and right click on the CD drive and choose explore. You should see all of the files on the CD. Copy all of the files from the CD to the USB drive. While the files are coping, create a text file on the USB drive and write the serial number in the text file. You can now install the program to the netbook without a CD drive.

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