What are the first things to do with a new laptop ?

I am buying a Scratch and Dent from Lenovo.

Any advice on what are the first things to do ?

I would think the first thing would be to make a copy of Windows 7. What is that called exactly ? Making a Backup or Recovery ? If I do a fresh install of Windows 7 after that would all bloatware and all the non-Windows software be gone ?

Is the backup or recovery disc I make like having a actual genuine copy of Windows 7 where just Windows 7 is installed. Or does it install whatever Lenovo had on there to begin with ?


Another thing is to make sure all the specs are correct. Like the right processor, ram, hd space.

Make sure the DVD drive, keyboard, USB, HDMI, headphone jack all work.


Anything else ?


I read alot of complaints about Lenovo and the Outlet, mostly about delayed shipping and orders being canceled, but I just want to make sure the laptop is properly working right when I get it and it is the exact laptop I ordered.

Thanks

 

It's always wise to create Recovery Discs just in case things go wrong, for ThinkPad's you need to use Lenovo's Rescue & Recovery software to do this procedure which will restore the OS back to original factory state. In most cases you'll just need 1x blank CD and 3x blank DVD's to complete the process. I'm not 100% sure on Ideapads and Essential series, I think they use Recovery Partitions instead for this with a press of a button.

Otherwise it's generally just a case of getting a feel of the laptop and making sure nothing mechanically is broken when you receive it really.

 

As Hearst suggested, recovery media is highly preferred, even if you are planning a clean install, in case something gets borked, you have a way to restore your machine to factory settings. Personally I would double check everything is working, no BSOD. Run memtest, and furmark and check out the temperatures. And check out EVERYTHING, even if you don't normally use it, like Bluetooth, card reader, etc.

 

After doing the hardware checks and making the recovery discs, I'd suggest getting a decent antivirus program. I have used Microsoft Security Essentials for a few years and it has kept me safe. It's free with Windows and doesn't seem to be as much as a resource hog as other AV programs. A spyware/adware program might be advisable too and there are some threads about which to choose somewhere around here.

Internet explorer is really good at one thing, and that is to download another web browser. I prefer Chrome but Firefox is good as well.

If you want to encrypt your system I use TrueCrypt. It's strong, has plenty of support/help/tutorials, and is free. Other good encryption software is available but I haven't used them.

For utility type programs (like registry cleaners, disk cleaners, etc.) I've used Piriform's software with good results. These aren't necessary but can help further down the line as you get more familiar with your computer. As far as I know they're still free.

I know some of these programs might seem too advanced but I started off as a newb and thought the same thing. Eventually I became more comfortable and proficient.

 

Good link of what to do sure helped me alot

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/596883-what-do-after-unboxing.html

 

Well there is one thing which i did when my laptop first came was to make partitions. And believe me that was my biggest mistake that i did. The reason is that whenever you are making partitions on your new laptop you accidentally change your disc from basic to dynamic and sadly i made that mistake. So whenever you buy a laptop, the first thing you should do is download a partition magic software and follow the whole procedure to make partition which wont change your disc from basic to dynamic. Then, create back up image on your DVDs. And eventually check if you F11 (recovery) is working properly.
Once you are done with all this, then start using your computers or installing new software etc.

PS: DO not forget to install a good licensed and registered anti-virus.

 

Repartition the HDD to your preference.
Followed up with checking if the OS came with a lot of bloatware and cleaning the latter up.
If it came with a lot of it though, then I would recommend you just install Windows 7 (same edition like the one you have now) from scratch - download it legally online for free - but make sure to check for Wifi or LAN drivers beforehand (just in case) and potentially the SD card slot or other hardware that might not be detected by Windows itself.
You can use the OEM key on the back to activate it.

I personally wouldn't mess with the Recovery.
While it does restore the system to default settings, I'd sooner make a fresh install, put my own programs on it, and then do an image backup.

 

Thanks for all the replies and advice. That link helped alot.

 

Im not that familiar with partitions. Why would I want to make partitions ? The laptop comes with a 750gb HD. Should I partition that ? Is it for better/faster performance ?

Thanks

 

Right now I have XP on my desktop. So if I want a new-clean factory install of Windows 7 on the laptop, I would have to buy it ? Windows 7 comes pre-installed there is no disc.

This laptop Iam getting is from the Lenovo Outlet so it has been used, I would like to put a clean factory install of Windows 7. I dont want anything on there from who ever owned it before and do not any bloatware that Lenovo puts on it.

So making a recovery disc and then using the recovery disc does NOT install a fresh copy of Windows 7 ? It installs whatever Lenovo basically put on there, right ?

Thanks

 

Partitions in simple terms are just a way of dividing the hard drive space into multiple storage units. You can organize partitions to hold certain data, so for example one partitioned drive can store your documents and images while another could hold music, videos and so on.

One of the main benefit of using partitions is that should you need to reinstall the Windows OS, your other partitions which holds your data are generally not affected which saves you time from backing up and restoring the files, especially if they're large files. But that doesn't mean you should skimp backing up to an external device on some occasions since if the whole drive fails, then all partitions will be taken along with it.

The Lenovo Recovery Discs will not give you a clean installation of Windows 7 so you will need to do this manually. When you purchase the notebook with Windows 7 preinstalled you have effectively bought a copy of the OS so you don't need to buy another copy of Windows 7 to do a clean install. Simply obtain the original Windows 7 SP1 discs from this thread.

If you purchased a ThinkPad and need help on Clean Installation, you can use my Windows 7 Clean Install guide to help you on the process. The link to the online guide is in my sig below.

 

Thanks for the easy explanation and information.


I bought a V570 IdeaPad. Will the guide in your link would work with a IdeaPad also ?

Thanks

 

The IdeaPad is different to the ThinkPad despite similarities in the name so not all of the guide will be applicable, you may follow most of the Installation part of the guide but afterwards you may have to install the drivers and utilities yourself after the OS is installed. I would advise downloading the basic drivers of the V570 IdeaPad (such as graphics, ethernet/wireless drivers etc.) and store them on an USB drive to save time.

 

OK thanks.

 

Windows updated. Keep doing then until everything is up to date. I think I d
Checked and updated 5 times until it was finished.