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setting_up_a_new_computer [2014/09/11 20:00] – alansetting_up_a_new_computer [2014/10/07 19:49] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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 ===== Getting Started ===== ===== Getting Started =====
  
-What to keep\\ +[[#What to Get Rid Of ]]\\ 
-What to get rid of\\ +[[#What to Install]]\\ 
-What to install\\ +[[#Copying Your Old Stuff]]\\
-Copying your old stuff\\+
  
 ==== What to Keep/What to toss ==== ==== What to Keep/What to toss ====
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 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. Still, take a look at what came out of the box.
  
-===== 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 (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.\\
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-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?\\ Now that you have removed a bunch of stuff that you do not need, what are you going to need?\\
  
-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.\\+If you are going to run MS Office, install it now. If you are going to run the Office trial version, you are good.\\ 
 +\\ 
 +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 ==== +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.
- +
-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.\\ +
- +
-"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^ ^Browser^Website^
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 |Safari|http://www.apple.com/safari/| |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.\\ Next install iTunes and or QuickTime. Go to [[http://www.apple.com/downloads/|Apple.com]] and download iTunes+QuickTime or just QuickTime.\\
  
-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.\\+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. 
 +\\ 
 +==== Copying Your Old Stuff ====
  
-===== Other things =====+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.\\
 \\ \\
-<box left #FFCE00 50% round>Check out [[Editing Images]] as well</box>\\+**Are you more advanced?**\\ 
 +\\ 
 +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.\\
 \\ \\
  
-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?\\ +==== I Don't Have a CD Drive, How do I Load Software? ====
- +
-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. 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.