How to Setup a Windows PC: A Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up and Configuring a New Computer: Location Independent Series, #4

By Jeff Blum

UPDATED - SECOND EDITION (JUNE 2021)

 

We spend so much of our digital lives using a computer but often don't give enough attention to its setup and configuration. That's a missed opportunity since doing it well can supercharge your productivity and safeguard your important data. The topics discussed in this book not only apply to a new computer, but can be used to verify that your current computer is optimized for productivity and security as well.

The steps I discuss include everything you need to know and do to get the best Windows user experience. Scattered throughout the book you will find hundreds of links to useful resources. I have further added appendices about caring for your computer, putting your computer to use when idle, and basic troubleshooting ideas.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeff Blum
• Release date: Jul 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201014650

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Introduction

We spend so much of our digital lives using a computer that getting it setup and configured well can supercharge your productivity and safeguard your important data. You would most logically consider the topics discussed here when purchasing a new computer, but it is just as important to verify that your current computer is optimized for productivity and security, especially if you are a digital nomad like me.

Recently, I bought a new laptop. Since setting up a new personal computer is always a bit of a hassle, I decided to document every step so that I could share what I did and learned with you.

The steps I will cover here include everything you need to know and do regardless of what type of computer is involved. Note that while I wrote it from a Windows 10 user experience I do add advice for Mac owners as well.

List of External Links

external links

liseries.com/computer-setup-guide

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Step 0: Pre-Setup

If you aren’t already using backup/sync software, install and start using an appropriate program on all of your existing PCs. I have written an entire guide dedicated to this topic and I will summarize some of the key considerations later, but for now I recommend Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive for syncing and FreeFileSync and AOMEI Data Backupper for backup. Depending on how much data you need to backup, this step might take a bit of time, so it is best to do it before setting up your computer.

Note that thoughtful organization of your files and use of the online backup and syncing tools I recommend can make migrating your data from an old computer to a new computer much easier. It’s really well worth your time to do this on your old computer before beginning to use your new one.

Step 1: Setup Computer and Create Administrator and Guest Accounts

Create Your Administrator Account

This is mostly a straightforward step, requiring you to simply follow the initial Windows setup instructions. If you already have a Microsoft account that you use for an existing computer, use it for your new one as well. If not, create one online before beginning the setup process or you can create one during setup. This is what will be used to create your primary administrator account.

Create a Guest Account

You may also wish to create a guest account if you plan to share your computer with others. This will be a locked-down account to let other people use on your PC to access the internet, run apps, and not much more — all while keeping your files, settings, and everything else safe.

Previous versions of Windows used to offer this type of Guest account but when Microsoft rolled out Windows 10, the Guest account disappeared. Still, you can create a restricted account to emulate that kind of functionality. Use the following guide to do so.

Open Start.

Search for Command Prompt.

Right-click the result and select Run as administrator.

Type the following command to create a new account and press Enter:

net user Visitor /add /active:yes

Note that we're using Visitor as the name of the account because Guest is a reserved name on Windows 10 and you can't use it. However, you're free to name the account anything you like. Just keep it short, you don't want to go crazy on the name.

Type the following command to create a password for the newly created account and press Enter:

net user Visitor *

You don't need a password for this account so simply press Enter twice to create an empty password.

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Type the following command to remove the new user account from the default Users group and press Enter:

net localgroup users Visitor /delete

Type the following command to add the new user account to the Guests user group and press Enter:

net localgroup guests Visitor /add

Close Command Prompt to complete the task.

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Using the steps mentioned above, you're creating a traditional standard account, but removing it from the Users and adding it to the Guests user group is what gives the account all the same permissions you would find in the old Guest account.

Once you completed the steps, you only need to sign out