If you need to reinstall just restore to this backup image to get the machine back to the state it was in when you got it. Things have changed since that article was written. You can, now, download Windows directly from Microsoft and create Windows installation media yourself. Where Can I Download Windows? I also tell everyone that gets a new PC and fortunenate to get systems disks to keep them inside, at the bottom of the tower to keep them safe and you will know where they are.
Laptops, put them in a safe or a fire box or where ever you keep important documents. I also make a complete backup onto a dedicated external HDD…thats came in handy.
When creating installation disks, I would also advise using the best available disks, or making multiple copies on different brands although you may be limited to a single copy. I also add removing any trialware, games and general bloatware that is installed to subsidized the cost of new computers. I have had success with PC Decrapifier, which does exactly as the name implies. Make sure to create a restore point in case you are overly aggressive in the removal.
A free program that is in my kit whenever I install a new computer. Frank — there should be an application on the computer that can burn rescue CDs or DVDs from a hidden partition on the hard drive. These rescue discs, that you make yourself, can return the computer to the factory fresh state. They may be called recovery discs. Returning to factory fresh state will become useless after a few months. Image backups are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually the image will be somewhat smaller, since imaging software typically compresses as well.
The Windows Product Key that one can find with Belarc Advisor is unusable if you want to install Windows from scratch. In that case you need the Product Key from the sticker on the case of the laptop or other computer —and that sticker could very well be unreadable after some time.
Write the Key down somewhere, e. What a difference — it now works like a one expects a mobile I7 to work. Just be smart and do it on day one not after two months of slow but steady decline in useability. There is a disconnect here. As you suggested, both my friend and I have also invested in external hard drives as Leo recommends, and we make system images that can be used to restore to recent operating condition if the need arises.
Nope sorry , Do not agree with the windows update advice. I have had major issues with software not working after a Microsoft update. I keep my updates turned off and I stop the update service as well. Now my apps keep working and With F-Secure running in the background I never have any problems any-more , Except the ones I create.
Also Microsoft tends to install stuff that you dont need and then they run in the background and hogs the system. My Win7 OS runs for years and not just months and Im on it up to 8hrs a day.
I decide if I want or need a Microsoft update not them. But I never do and my Machine is as clean and fast as if I installed Win7 yesterday.
Leo, you suggest storing the system and installation disks in a safe place. I also make a disk copy of those disks and keep them at another location. Most people, when purchasing a new or second hand computer get the machine with the OS and some application software readily installed.
Also none of them will get any of the original software discs. After all, one might expect to get a full product for ones money. But no. Whenever you need some serious recovery i. You have to buy the full operating system seperately — or get some pirated version which I am certainly not advizing anyone to do! For other applications there are loads of downloadable freebies. But I dare anyone to ask a computerdealer to sell you a machine that runs some build of Linux OS without losing your 3 or 5 year warranty hardware inclusive!
Armies if lawyers insist that MS has no monopoly whatsoever nor uses any monopolistic policies while every wellinformed consumer simply knows that this legalistic view is lightyears away from everyday reality. So, what is really going on? IMO… and not mine only something along the lines of the following….
While Rambox's free plan has some limitations, it offers more for free than competitors like Franz. Download: Rambox Free, subscription available. A clipboard manager is an important Windows app because it saves you a lot of time. Instead of only being able to keep one item on your PC's clipboard at once, clipboard managers let you keep track of the last several dozen entries you've copied.
ClipClip is a great Windows 10 clipboard manager to use. In addition to logging what you copy, the app also lets you pin frequent snippets for easy access, and create folders for easily pasting canned text like addresses, email responses, and similar.
The app doesn't overwhelm you with options, but does let you tweak its hotkeys, disable clipboard monitoring when needed, and choose what the app ignores. Add it to your list of basic Windows software and you'll never have to worry about managing your PC's clipboard again.
Download: ClipClip Free. It's not humanly possible to create strong passwords for every account and remember them all. That's why you need a password manager. It's a secure service that creates good passwords for you and locks them behind one master password, which is the only one you have to remember.
Bitwarden is the best free password manager and one of the most important pieces of software you can download. In addition to the desktop app, you'll need to install the Bitwarden extension in your browser of choice to easily auto-fill passwords.
Follow our complete guide to getting started with a password manager to learn how to get started. Download: Bitwarden Free, subscription available.
Backing up your PC is essential, as there's only a natural disaster, break-in, or malware attack could wipe out all the files on your machine. You don't want to lose all your documents, photos, and other files and have to start from scratch. We like Backblaze as an essential backup service for Windows For just a few dollars a month, the service backs up everything on your PC, as well as any external drives you connect, to the Backblaze cloud.
You don't have to worry about choosing what gets backed up, and there are no limits to your backup size either. While it's the only app on this list that doesn't have a free option, backing up is worth paying for. If you ever lost all your files, the app will pay for itself in an instant. It's an easy-to-use tool for making local backups of your files. Everyone knows the hassle of running low on storage space.
That's why one of the other apps you should install on every Windows system is a disk analyzer. Last time we checked, it saved battery when playing movies on a laptop, so we certainly wouldn't discard it. If you are using your PC to act as a hub for streaming content around the house, check out Plex. Microsoft Office remains the king of office productivity and some are not having as hard a time justifying a subscription to Office if you need it for work and if you take advantage of most of the apps and included perks like 1TB of OneDrive storage.
Now, as you are likely aware, free alternatives abound here. Mac users get iWork out of the box, which is a great way to get started on documents, spreadsheets or presentations. On the Windows side, some of our writers swear by LibreOffice , while others simply hate it. The open source office suite offers all the basics and then some but at zero cost. Google Docs is the default choice for browser-based office apps, sharing and collaboration. Meanwhile, Airmail is Mac only.
For simple note-taking there's OneNote , which Microsoft now offers as a free cross-platform, cloud connected app. For screenshot grabbing, annotation and sharing, we like Monosnap though OS tools are improving every year and macOS's upcoming revision will do most of what we like about Monosnap out of the box.
Adobe applications are top notch and professional, but there are other high quality alternatives like Corel PaintShop Pro and Pixelmator. And SourceTree for managing your Github repositories. Teamviewer is the default choice for cross-platform remote control and desktop sharing. It's also a pretty good tool to have handy should you need to transfer very large files that are impractical to add to your cloud storage. If you don't like Windows handling your zipping, download 7-zip.
On Macs, the best solution for compression is The Unarchiver. If you like to work at night, F. For more information, check out our feature about enabling "night mode" on all your devices.
Wox is a fully featured launcher for Windows, that honestly needs it much more than macOS. Search your PC and the web effortlessly. Windows Explorer replacement? This post will talk about top 10 free software that one must install on his new Windows computer. If you have other opinions and suggestions for tools, which I am sure a lot of you would, I urge you to share them in the comments so that all our readers can take a look at them.
Most of the branded laptops and desktops come bloated with proprietary and useless software which you should get rid of if you want your computer to function properly in the long run. Hence the old and trusted PC Decrapifier becomes a must-install software for new Windows computer owners to weed out junk software and make space for better stuff. We have previously talked about the importance of creating a system image and how to create it using the built-in Windows backup and restore center you should also create a system repair disc.
Use it to create an initial system image, and for other such tasks as you start using the computer. This all-in-one installer lets you pick software and install them at one go. And the choices of course are very diverse. The online-only Google Docs also rocks. AutoHotKey lets you create customized keyboard shortcuts for any program or action on your PC. Even if you could pay for a pro version, why would you?
But if you like keyboard shortcuts, Vimium is another great free option for adding keyboard controls to your browser. Browsing websites and sending private data over open Wi-Fi hotspots is just begging for hackers to capture the details. Virtual private networks secure your connection.
If you need to log in to your work website or email at Starbucks, use TunnelBear to keep your data safe. There are numerous VPNs to choose from. Check out our roundup of the Best VPNs to find the one that suits you. Our current top pick is Mullvad Edit non-product link Remove non-product link. All work and no play makes Homer something something!
If you want a steady stream of freebies, the rival Epic Games Store gives way a free game or two every single week. But backing up your data is so vital—especially in this rising age of ransomware—that it needs to be highlighted here. You also need to have an online backup, and there are many services to choose from such as Backblaze Edit non-product link Remove non-product link , and Carbonite Edit non-product link Remove non-product link.
Check out our guide to the best online backup services for more details.
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