How to set up your New PC

Posted on 3 Jan 2006 at 12:52

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You've just unpacked your new PC and want to install your favourite software so you can set it up the way you like it. But where do you start? MARK WILSON explains how to get the most out of your new computer.

Buying a new computer, whether it's your first venture into the world of computing or a replacement for an ageing machine, should be an exciting time, but there's no getting away from the fact that it can also be fraught with difficulties. One of the great things about computers is the fact that they are so customisable and can be easily tailored to suit your needs. If you've been using your old computer for any length of time you will have no doubt have spent time customising it to work exactly the way you want it to.

Getting your new machine up and running in the same way may seem like a daunting prospect, but in this feature you'll learn how to make the transition as painless and easy as possible. But it's not just your new computer you have to think about. If you have decided that you are going to sell your old machine, you'll need to think about the raft of personal data that can be found on its hard drive. We show you how best to deal with this information to protect your privacy.

Your Old PC

If you're making the transition from an old computer to an all-singing, all-dancing new PC, then you're going to have to do quite a bit of work to get things up and running like they used to. Aside from making sure that you have all of the software you need installed, you'll probably also want to transfer all of the files you've accumulated over the years. In addition to all of this, you'll understandably want to have the new computer configured so that it works in exactly the same way as the one you have become used to.

Some of the tasks you need to complete will have to be done manually, but there are also a number of tools and techniques that can be used to ease the transition to a new computer by automating some parts of the process. Over the next few pages we'll show you how you can make the move to your new machine as fast and as painless as possible.

Make a note of key information

One of the trickier aspects of upgrading to a new computer is ensuring that everything is configured in the same way that you have become used to. Windows XP includes a tool to help you achieve this (details of which can be found in the box opposite), but the Files And Settings Transfer Wizard doesn't cater for all eventualities - and you may prefer to work through the transfer process manually. As such, there's a number of initial steps you will need to go through.

A large number of Web sites require you to use a username and password these days, and these will all need to be used on your new PC. It's worth paying a visit to the sites you have bookmarked in your browser to see which have a password associated with them. In most cases you will probably find that you can remember the password, but if you've forgotten one for a site you don't use very often, check through the site to see if there is a 'forgotten password' section. From here, you should be able to provide some personal information and have your password e-mailed to you. It's worth making a note of all of these passwords, along with those required by any software you use so that you can quickly enter them when needed on your new computer.

Installing and Backing Up

Although your new computer is likely to have come with a range of software installed, it is unlikely to come bundled with all of the programs you've been using. If you want to reinstall all your old software, you will need to track down all of the relevant registration codes that came with it, since few programs will install without this information.