Your new PC setup checklist: eight things to do first

The box is on the desk. The screen is still black. You just want the new PC usable today, not next weekend. That is a fair ask. Do the first-run setup, run every update, then lock the accounts and encryption before you install a single extra app.

• Finish Windows (or macOS) first-run setup. Sign in, set a PIN, and get to the desktop before you add software.
• Run updates until none remain. One pass is rarely enough. Reboot, then check again.
• Use a daily account that is not an administrator. Keep a separate admin login for installs only.
• Turn on device encryption. Save the recovery key somewhere that is not this PC.
• Turn backups on. Cloud sync for the folders you live in, plus one copy you can hold.
• Install a lean set of apps. Browser, password manager, backup tool, PDF reader, one chat app.
• Check chipset and graphics drivers from the maker's own support page.
• Confirm Windows Security shows real-time protection. Then tidy startup apps and the printer.

Success looks like this: updates done, encryption on with the key stored elsewhere, backups actually tested, and only the apps you use sitting on the Start menu.

If a driver fight or a printer that will not join is eating the afternoon, Device Setup Scientist can finish it with you. Sydney can start with device setup across Sydney. Central Coast homes can use device setup on the Central Coast.

Printer still missing after the PC is up? Use printer will not connect to Wi-Fi. If the house network is the mess, start with home Wi-Fi setup.

Before you turn it on

Fifteen minutes of prep beats a half-configured PC later. Get your Microsoft account details ready, or decide you want a local account instead. Dig out product keys for anything paid you will reinstall.

Clear a workspace with air around the vents. Put a surge protector between the wall and the PC, not only a cheap power board. Keep the keyboard and mouse within reach so you are not leaning over the box during first-run setup.

• A blank USB stick for recovery media
• A surge protector
• An external drive if you want a local backup copy
• Your Microsoft account, or a plan to stay local
• Licence keys for software you already own

If you are moving from an old PC, copy the files off it first. Note the apps you actually use. You do not need the whole old Start menu on the new machine.

Unbox and connect the hardware

Plug the monitor in first. Then keyboard and mouse. Then Ethernet if you have it. Power on only when those are seated. That order stops Windows from hunting for a display or a network it cannot see yet.

If you built the PC yourself, glance at UEFI before you trust the desktop:

1. Confirm the boot drive is listed and set as first priority.
2. If you installed faster RAM, turn on the XMP or DOCP profile so it runs at the speed you paid for.
3. Check idle fan speeds and temperatures. Wild numbers before the OS is even in are worth pausing for.

While you are there, set the desk up so you can sit with it. Monitor top edge near eye level. Keyboard flat. Cables out of the walkway.

Pro Tip: Photograph the BIOS boot order on your phone before you change anything. If a later step goes sideways, you know what "normal" looked like.

Install every update before anything else

Finish the first-run screens before you install a single extra app. Windows will ask for a Microsoft account or a local account. A Microsoft account syncs settings, Windows Hello, and OneDrive. A local account keeps everything on this device. Pick the one that matches how you actually work. There is no prize for guessing.

Once you reach the desktop, open Windows Update. Run it. Reboot. Run it again. A PC that says it is up to date after one pass often has another batch waiting.

Those patches close holes before your files and extra apps land. Software you install later then sits on a patched base, not one full of known gaps.

Still on Windows 10? Use Microsoft's Windows 11 requirements and the supported upgrade path. Skip third-party "force upgrade" tools. They leave driver messes that take longer to undo than the upgrade itself.

Secure it on day one

Create a standard account for everyday use. Keep a separate administrator account for installs and system changes. The Australian Cyber Security Centre asks for that split so a bad click while browsing cannot quietly take over the whole machine.

• Turn on device encryption or BitLocker. Copy the recovery key somewhere that is not this PC: paper in a drawer, or a different account entirely.
• Open Windows Security. Real-time protection should be on. Controlled Folder Access is worth turning on if you keep work files in Documents.
• Set Windows Hello if the camera or a fingerprint reader supports it.
• Use a short screen lock timeout. On a laptop, turn on Find My Device.

A stolen laptop without encryption is a readable drive. That is the whole reason this sits before the fun apps.

Pro Tip: Write the BitLocker recovery key on paper and keep it away from the PC. Lose that key and a drive move or a firmware change can lock you out of your own files.

What to install, and what to skip

Do not reinstall everything you have ever used. A new PC feels slow on week one when forty installers land before the first real file.

A lean stack covers most people:

• A browser, with your bookmarks synced
• A password manager, so you are not reusing one password
• Cloud backup or sync for documents and photos
• A PDF reader
• One communication app you actually open

Skip free trials of tools you do not need yet. Turn automatic updates on for whatever you do install. If you want a cleaner batch install, a trusted installer such as Ninite can pull several well-known apps in one pass without the extra toolbars that hitch a ride on random download pages.

Drivers and firmware

Chipset and graphics drivers are the two worth fetching from the manufacturer's support page. Windows Update covers a lot these days. It does not always grab the newest GPU driver, especially if you game or edit video.

Leave BIOS and firmware alone unless the vendor names a security fix or a compatibility issue you actually have. A firmware update that loses power mid-flash is a bad afternoon. Follow their steps. Do not skip the reboot they asked for.

• Update chipset and GPU drivers from the maker, not a generic "driver booster"
• Skip BIOS unless there is a stated reason
• If you turn on Memory Integrity for extra protection, test printers and extra devices afterward. An older driver can clash. Turning it back off is a normal fix, not a failure.

Back it up before you rely on it

Turn on OneDrive, or the cloud tool you already pay for, for Documents, Pictures, and Desktop. That is not a full backup on its own. It does mean those folders survive if the PC dies tomorrow.

1. Enable cloud sync for the folders you actually use.
2. Make recovery media, or a system image, while the machine is still clean.
3. Store the BitLocker recovery key somewhere that is not both this PC and the same password manager you keep on it.
4. Restore one test file. A backup you have never opened is a hope, not a plan.

Printer, Wi-Fi, and the screen

Install the printer from the manufacturer's page, then print a test page. Do not assume Windows found the right driver. For Wi-Fi, use WPA3 if the router offers it, or WPA2 with a long passphrase if it does not.

• Printer or scanner drivers from the maker, then a test print
• Wi-Fi on WPA3 or a strong WPA2 passphrase
• Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, or headset paired, then a firmware check if the maker has an app
• Display scaling and monitor layout set so windows land where you expect

Get this right once and you are not rearranging screens every time you open the lid. Newcastle and the Hunter can start from device setup in Newcastle if the printer or a second screen will not settle.

Startup apps, privacy, and a quick inventory

Open Task Manager, then Startup apps. Turn off anything you do not need at boot. Extra launchers add time and background load you will feel later.

• Trim startup apps
• Set a sensible power plan. Balanced is fine for most desktops. Laptops do better with a plugged-in plan and a battery plan.
• Confirm automatic updates are actually on
• Nudge privacy and telemetry in Settings to a level you are comfortable with
• Write down the serial number and warranty date somewhere you can find again

If you built the PC, a short stress test before real work is worth it. Idle can look fine. Load is where a loose cooler or an unstable RAM profile shows up. The custom PC vs prebuilt guide is useful if you are still deciding what you bought.

When to call a technician

Most of this list is doable on your own. A few jobs eat a Saturday. Driver conflicts after an update. A BIOS flash that stalls. A printer that will not pair no matter which USB port you try.

• Driver fight after an update: roll the driver back before you reinstall
• Stalled BIOS update: do not force a restart. Check the vendor's recovery steps
• A peripheral that will not pair: try another port before you assume the device is dead

Restart once. Roll a driver back if Windows just replaced it. If that does not hold, stop looping. Device Setup Scientist handles the fiddly parts without guesswork on the warranty path.

Pro Tip: If you book an onsite visit, have the Microsoft account details and any product keys ready. It cuts the visit down.

PC Scientist can finish the setup with you

BIOS menus, recovery keys, and a printer that will not join are a poor way to spend the first weekend with a new machine. That is what device setup is for. We connect the hardware, check drivers the safe way, turn encryption and Windows Security on, and move files from the old PC if you want that done in the same visit.

We cover homes and small offices across NSW. If the setup still feels unfinished, get help in your area. Call 0493 563 381, or use the links below. There is no rush. The PC will still be there when you are ready.

Sources

• Secure your Microsoft Windows device - Australian Cyber Security Centre
• Windows 11 system requirements - Microsoft Support
• Turn on device encryption - Microsoft Support