What do you do with your new laptop?

Hey everyone,
My laptop is coming in this week, and I've made a list of what to do once it gets here (like dumping my pics and documents on it, installing programs, removing bloatware, etc.). Just curious what you guys do once you get your laptop, and try to be specific about it, like what programs you install (firefox, Microsoft word, etc.).
I'll start things off with my (very) unfinished list:

Set up Vista, remove bloatware, set up antivirus
Install drivers
Back up pictures to external drive, dump on laptop
Back up needed documents, dump
Make a list of programs:
- Firefox 3
- Microsoft Office
- Riva Tuner
- VLC media player
- Winrar
- PC wizard
- Auslogics Disk Defrag
- CCleaner
- (possibly) demo of FL studio 8
- Install Adobe stuff (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.)
Install COD4 and Assassin's Creed

I will try to update the list as often as I can, until finished

 

Well here's my install list
Call of Duty(R) 4 - Modern Warfare(TM)
CCleaner (remove only)
Debugging Tools for Windows (x86)
Defraggler (remove only)
Dell AIO Printer 948
DEVIL MAY CRY 4
DH Driver Cleaner Professional Edition
Driver Genius Professional Edition
Foxit Reader
Fraps (remove only)
Gears of War
GRID Demo
Halo 2 for Windows Vista
Intel(R) PRO Network Connections 12.0.36.0
Intel® Matrix Storage Manager and Intel® Turbo Memory
Intel® Turbo Memory
iTunes
Java(TM) 6 Update 7
JMB36X Raid Configurer
Microsoft Games for Windows - LIVE Redistributable
Microsoft IntelliPoint 6.1
Microsoft IntelliType Pro 6.1
Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable
Motorola SM56 Speakerphone Modem
Mozilla Firefox (2.0.0.16)
NVIDIA Drivers
OpenAL
QuickTime
RapidShare Manager
Realtek High Definition Audio Driver
RivaTuner v2.09
Shadowrun
VideoLAN VLC media player 0.8.6f
Viewpoint Media Player
Windows Live installer
Windows Live Mail
Windows Live Messenger
Windows Live Sign-in Assistant
WinRAR archiver

 

And as you can see, no Anti-Virus. I despise those programs that try to protect my laptop for me. I mean, I rarely pick up a virus. And, if I do, I usually find it the same hr and remove it manually. Less system hogging, but I recommend using AV's, however, I just don't.

 

Nice and thorough, great list

 

• Remove sidebar
• Disable User Account Control
• Remove min/max window animation (feels more snappy now)
• Install Comodo Firewall
• Install AVG Anti-Virus
• Install Microsoft Office
• Install Opera Web Browser
• Install CCleaner
• Install O&O Defrag
• Install WinRAR
• Install jv16
• Install GDI++ (Renders text better than Cleartype, imo... like Safari Web Browser)
• Install RunFast (no fuss, no muss Ctrl+R command launcher)
• Install Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver
• Install K-Lite Codec Pack (installation allows .FLV, .MKV preview thumbnails)
• Install KMPlayer (better than VLC, imo)
• Install Pidgeon IM (AIO Instant Messenging program)
• Install a bunch of other stuff: Graphics drivers, updates, etc.
  
  
  

 

If you're getting a Dell (which I'm guessing you are based on your signature image), then it should come with the Windows disc... so I'd reinstall Windows from scratch. Then there's no bloatware to remove.

I like most of Vista's defaults, so I don't do much tweaking. Although I did install Windows Search 4, and I changed Windows Defender to scan weekly instead of daily. Oh yeah and I changed the shortcut arrows with Frameworkx Vista Shortcut Manager.

But if you're new to Vista, I suggest running with the defaults in place for a while, at least until you get sick of them, because if you immediately turn off features and doing tweaks because people on the internet said to, then you won't really know which way you like better.

Important programs for me include FF3, FoxIt PDF Reader, OpenOffice.org, the GIMP and/or Paint.NET, a dock (either RocketDock or ObjectDock).

Other programs I have installed include Cygwin, PowerShell, MediaMonkey, Opera, 7-Zip, CPU-z, HDTune, Adobe Reader (for the occasional PDF that doesn't like FoxIt), a bunch of the Visual Studio Express Editions, Debugging Tools for Windows (x86), Java 6 Update 7.

Then I go into Defender and block some stupid stuff from running at startup.

 

Oh good God here we go....

Recieve laptop
run as fast as I can up the stairs to my office without worry of breaking limbs
open the boxand sort manuals and such and store in box

Boot laptop up
select 1 time boot menu
insert OS CD
Reformat and reinstall OS
partition space for linux (sometimes)
Reinstall drivers
Update video drivers
Update the OS
install Malware applications and update
Install games that I play at the time
test and adjust/reinstall video drivers to get max performance
Install chat/email software
Install rocket dock
install itunes
install MS office
install work applications (e.g. jcreator, pdanet, ect)
Install/configure phone sync software
Adjust services that start or run automatically
Adjust Msconfig
If Vista remove sidebar
if XP tune visual for best performance then re-enable Win XP theme
Adjust page file/virtual memeory
Adjust remote settings
take to work and join to the domain
create HDD image

Theres the short list, as I know Im forgetting some things. A lot of times Ill go through this process several times til I have things JUST right, then Ill creat my OS .iso for easy reinstall. But lately I havent been doing .iso for the simple fact that I change settings and configs all the time.

 

@ liquidxit2
sounds robotic.
are those a custom set of commands? lol. jk

 

theres a Tweak Vista guide (use the search on top)...

one thing to do would be to disable search indexing... that is a major dent in performance if u use it

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=166532

 

Lol Ive done it so many times that it feels that way

 

Thanks for the advice, sounds good. To paper_wastage, I'll make sure to check that guide out.