How to Set Up a New Laptop: First-Day Checklist
A first-day checklist for setting up a new Windows or Mac laptop in the UK: accounts, updates, security, backups, privacy settings and tidying up.
A new laptop is at its most secure and its most customisable on day one. Spending an hour or so on a sensible setup pays back for years. Follow this order and you will avoid the typical regrets: missing updates, a messy start-up and no backup.
Before you switch it on
- Charge it if the box instructions say so, and keep the charger and packaging for the return period.
- Connect it to your home Wi-Fi once you start, ideally close to the router.
- Have your account details ready, including your email and any password manager.
Step 1: Start-up and account
- Follow the setup prompts: language, region and Wi-Fi.
- Sign in with an account you control, or create one. Use a strong, unique password and note it in your password manager.
- Consider creating a separate everyday user instead of using an administrator account for daily work.
- Skim the privacy options. Turn off any data sharing or personalised adverts you do not want.
Step 2: Update everything
New laptops often ship with months-old software. Check for system updates and install them, restarting as needed. Do this before adding your files or logging into important accounts. If an update gets stuck, our guide to Windows update stuck will help.
Step 3: Remove what you do not want
Retail laptops often include trial software and utilities you will never use. Uninstall unwanted trials and manufacturer extras, keeping the driver and support tools. This reduces clutter and slows start-up less.
Step 4: Security basics
- Make sure the built-in firewall and security tools are on.
- Turn on disk encryption if it is offered, particularly for a laptop that leaves the house.
- Set a screen lock with a short timeout, and use a PIN or biometric option.
- Enable "find my device" so you can locate or wipe a lost laptop.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for the account you used. See two-factor authentication explained.
Step 5: Bring your things across
Move documents, photos, bookmarks and settings from your old computer. The options, including cloud and external drives, are covered in transferring data to a new computer.
Install only the programs you need, from official sources. Resist installing everything at once; add programs as you need them.
Step 6: Set up backup
Do it now rather than "later". Choose an external drive, cloud service or both, and turn on automatic backup. The steps in how to back up your computer take about ten minutes.
Step 7: Comfort and personal settings
- Adjust text size, display scaling and brightness.
- Set up the trackpad and keyboard shortcuts to your taste.
- Choose a default browser and tidy the taskbar or dock.
- Connect printers, headphones and other devices. If printing is troublesome, see printer troubleshooting.
Step 8: Keep the old one safe
Do not wipe the old laptop until you have checked that everything has transferred. When you are ready, follow the advice in disposing of old computers and phones safely.
If you would rather not do it yourself
Setup is a common small job for a technician, and it is a sensible choice for people who are anxious about moving files or security settings. On Compito you can search by postcode, compare ID-verified local providers and send a request describing the laptop and what you want moved. You receive an offer to accept and pay online, and can message the provider to agree details. See tech support services.
A worked example: a first evening
A new laptop arrives. A sensible evening might look like this: twenty minutes for sign-in and updates while you make a cup of tea, ten minutes removing trial software, ten more on security settings, then an hour or so for copying documents and photos across, and last of all fifteen minutes to start the backup. If the old computer is still working, you can dip back into it until you are sure everything has arrived. Anything that drags on, such as a large photo library, can run overnight.
Settings people forget
- Automatic updates. Check they are on, and set active hours so restarts happen at a sensible time.
- Battery and power options. Pick a balance that suits how you use it.
- Default apps. Choose your browser, mail and PDF viewer so links open where you expect.
- Notifications. Turn off the ones you do not need, so they do not distract.
- Accessibility. Larger text, a bigger cursor and screen reader options can be set once and forgotten.
- Recovery options. Note where recovery keys and account details are stored.
Common mistakes
- Installing every program you ever used, including ones you have not opened in years.
- Skipping updates because the laptop seems to work.
- Keeping the same weak password as on the old computer.
- Forgetting to deauthorise software licences on the old machine.
- Not noting the model and serial number, which helps with repairs and support later.
Setting up for someone else
If you are setting up a laptop for a parent or a child, keep things simple and create an everyday user with limited rights. Write down a short list of the few tasks they will do most, and make the browser, email and video calls easy to reach. Consider a printed page of the important passwords kept somewhere safe at home, rather than on a sticky note on the laptop.
Children and shared family laptops
Create separate user accounts, so settings and files stay separate. Parental controls, screen-time limits and filtering options are built into current systems and are worth reviewing once the basics are finished.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use an online account to sign in?
An account makes it easier to recover access, sync settings and use find-my-device. Use a strong password and two-factor authentication, and keep recovery details current.
How long does setting up a laptop take?
Roughly one to two hours for the basics, plus time for large file transfers and updates.
Do I need extra antivirus software?
Modern systems include solid built-in protection. Extra software is optional, and the more important habits are updates, cautious clicking and backups.