Did You Get A New Computer For Christmas?

If you were fortunate enough to get a new computer for Christmas there are a few things you should do right away. By getting your new PC started off on the right foot, you’ll be saving yourself a ton of potential headaches down the road.

There are 5 essential things you should do before diving in and all of these things are applicable, whether it’s a Windows PC, iMac or MacBook Pro.

1: Invest in a GOOD antivirus program. Don’t rely on free options. Both Windows and MacOS come with some antimalware protection right out of the box, but it’s worth investing in a dedicated anti-virus program that’s regularly updated with new definitions as new threats are found by security researchers.

2: Install system updates. Even though you have a brand-new computer, it’s pretty common to find that the system is NOT as up to date as you might think. As soon as you get connected to the internet, I recommend running the built-in application to check for critical security updates, The same goes for firmware updates (those updates that are usually only available from the manufacturer)

3: Delete unwanted bloatware. Most new systems are going to come with software preinstalled that you don’t want or need. Software that you don’t use but takes up space and even key system resources, which is going to hurt your system’s performance, so there’s no reason to keep them around if you don’t have to.

4: Set up cloud storage for your files. Cloud storage is great for a number of reasons. First, it allows you to access files from anywhere you have an internet connection (or on any device onto which you’ve downloaded the files).  Also, it provides a level of security for important documents and files in case a system failure makes files inaccessible on a local device.

There are a lot of cloud storage providers and many offer a good amount of storage for free, which should be more than enough for basic documents, photos, and personal videos.

If you decide to subscribe to a service, however, you can get considerably more space, which can allow you to back up your entire system to the cloud. This is incredibly useful if a system becomes so corrupted by malware or some other major system failure that a complete factory reset is required.

5: Schedule regular backups and restore points. After setting up an antivirus program, updating your system, clearing out unwanted apps, and setting up cloud storage, the next step is setting up a plan for when things eventually go sideways with your system.

Sometimes something just becomes inoperable and you’re not sure why. Maybe you accidentally deleted a necessary system file. Maybe you installed an update that doesn’t play well with your system and you’d like to go back to a time when things worked.

The best way to protect yourself against these and other minor system issues is to create periodic backups or restore points that can roll a system back to how things were at an earlier date.

Windows PC’s have a System Restore option and Mac’s have a built-in app called Time Machine. Both are easy to use and can be a lifesaver when things go wrong. Once you have these 5 steps taken care of you can feel safe using your new computer to its fullest.