New Vista PC arrives tomorrow-The 1st thing you should do is?

[gaston55]

New Gateway DX430X is being delivered tomorrow. What are some of the things I should do before using it?
I know to inspect the inside of tower for components that may have come loose in shipping. And I would like to ?back up? the system before using it or installing additional software. I am not familiar with Vista. So what important steps do I take when the computer arrives?
Thank you for your input.

 

[MedicBob]

Ensure everything works. The mouse, KB, monitor, etc. Then back it up, remove all the excess software Gateway will have installed, such as AOL etc., install full versions of MS Office, AntiVirus, etc. Basically get the trial version sytuff gone. The back up again. After that enjoy.

 

[mechBgon]

Create a new user account for your "daily-driver" stuff. It'll be a Standard User. Save the Administrator account only for stuff that actually calls for it.

Speaking of stuff that actually calls for the Administrator account, a full-system backup is one of the few things you must do while logged on as an actual Admin. Full-system backup in Vista :camera:.

Expect to get some UAC prompts. Don't have a knee-jerk reaction of "oh I never had these before must disable!" because the system is far more secure and exploit-resistant with UAC enabled, and not just in the GUI. Once the system's settled in, you won't see them very much.

Also, when you first hook up to a network, you will probably be prompted for which network type it is. The "Public" type is the safest, since the computer assumes no other computer should be trusted. If you don't have any other computers at home, pick Public mode.

Despite the major upgrades in security, it would still be smart to use antivirus software. If you can afford a full-ride software, my vote goes to Kaspersky Antivirus 6. Make sure you fully configure it.

 

[mechBgon]

I forgot to mention that the full-system backup on Vista is not available in Home Premium or Home Basic.

Also, check the system for vulnerable stuff using Secunia's online checkup. Look at the things it reports on, and even if you get a green checkmark on it, ask yourself do I have a use for this? And if the answer is "no," or "not yet," uninstall it. Eliminating unnecessary software reduces your potential "attack surface."

 

[Roguestar]

mechBgon I recently got a copy of Vista Ultimate for Hella Cheap; I'm thinking of installing the X86 version (only 2GB RAM anyway, don't want hassle with drivers because I play games a lot) - should I, in your opinion, upgrade or format and clean install over XP SP2? Last time I installed XP I had formatted from Win2k so I don't know much about upgrading - will it keep my installed programs if it can? What settings does it migrate? What else?

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: Roguestar
mechBgon I recently got a copy of Vista Ultimate for Hella Cheap; I'm thinking of installing the X86 version (only 2GB RAM anyway, don't want hassle with drivers because I play games a lot) - should I, in your opinion, upgrade or format and clean install over XP SP2? Last time I installed XP I had formatted from Win2k so I don't know much about upgrading - will it keep my installed programs if it can? What settings does it migrate? What else?

You shouldn't have gaming-related driver problems with 64-bit, and it's more secure, so consider using x64. I would always do a full clean installation if it were me.

 

[corkyg]

(I can't speak for gaming, but I have just finished "processing" a new Thinkpad T60. It took about a week. The first thing I did was turn it on and checkout what it had. Next, I upgraded Vista Home to Vista Ultimate, which I had on hand. From then on it was adding software, tweaking, and cleaning up all the bundled crap I don't use or need.

In effect, it was a clean install, and it took just about a week to install 40 programs, customize them, and learn what features to turn off or leave on. All said and done, it works perfectly and I cloned a spare HDD with the final version.

In Mechbegon's camp here - with Vista I would recommend a clean install.

 

[Roguestar]

Well, I'm downloading vista-x64 drivers for everything now, making a slipstream of SP2 on my XP disc just incase and getting ready to format C. I think I'll give it a blast at the weekend and see if I can't work it all out .