How to Set Up a New Laptop: The First Things to Do, Step by Step

A new laptop starts in its cleanest, fastest state, and the decisions made in its first hour tend to stick. That covers which account you sign in with, what software stays installed, whether backups are running and whether the drive is encrypted. Getting these right takes an hour or two and saves trouble later.

This guide works for Windows laptops, MacBooks and Chromebooks, with platform-specific notes where the steps differ. Do it at home on a trusted Wi-Fi network, with the charger plugged in.

Before you start: check the hardware

Most retailers have a return window, so check the hardware early. Before you install much, check:

• The screen: look at a plain white and a plain black image full screen for dead pixels, bright spots or backlight bleed.
• The keyboard and trackpad: type a few sentences and try every key, especially the spacebar and shift keys. Make sure clicks register across the whole trackpad.
• Ports, webcam, speakers and microphone: plug something into each port and make a quick test call.
• The battery: note roughly how long it lasts during normal use over the first few days.
• The model and specs: confirm the processor, memory and storage match what you paid for. On Windows, look in Settings > System > About. On a Mac, use Apple menu > About This Mac.

Note the return deadline in your calendar, and save the receipt and serial number somewhere other than the laptop.

Step 1: Work through the setup screens carefully

The first-run setup asks for language, region, Wi-Fi and an account, then offers privacy choices.

• Windows: you'll usually be asked to sign in with a Microsoft account. It links to OneDrive and Find My Device, and it stores the recovery key for device encryption. On the privacy screens, you can turn off optional diagnostic data, tailored experiences, ad ID and location if you don't want them. All of these can be changed later.
• Mac: sign in with your Apple Account to use iCloud, Find My and Messages. Setup offers to turn on FileVault disk encryption and to create a Touch ID fingerprint.
• Chromebook: sign in with your Google Account. Your Chrome bookmarks, extensions and many settings sync automatically.

Choose a strong password or PIN, and set up fingerprint or face sign-in if the laptop supports it.

Step 2: Install every update

A laptop may have spent weeks or months in a box, so expect a large batch of updates. Run them all before doing anything else, and restart as many times as asked.

• Windows: Settings > Windows Update, then check for updates. Also look under Advanced options > Optional updates for driver updates. Many manufacturers also preinstall their own update app for firmware and drivers. It's worth running once.
• Mac: System Settings > General > Software Update. Turn on automatic updates.
• Chromebook: Settings > About ChromeOS > Check for updates. Also check the auto-update expiration date listed there: it shows how long the model will get updates.

Step 3: Remove what you don't need

Windows laptops in particular often ship with trial software, games and duplicate utilities, sometimes called bloatware. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and uninstall anything you don't recognize as useful. Common candidates:

• Trial antivirus suites. Windows already includes Microsoft Defender. After you remove a trial, open Windows Security and check that real-time protection is on.
• Preinstalled games and promotional apps.
• Duplicate utilities for things Windows already does, such as photo viewers, but keep the manufacturer's tools for drivers, firmware and battery settings.

If you're unsure about an app, search for its exact name before removing it. Then check the startup list (Settings > Apps > Startup on Windows, System Settings > General > Login Items on a Mac) and turn off anything that doesn't need to launch at boot. If an older PC has slowed down, our guide to speeding up a slow Windows PC goes further.

Step 4: Turn on security basics

Confirm your encryption recovery key is saved. Windows stores it in your Microsoft account, and a Mac gives you the option to use your Apple Account or a recovery key. Without it, a forgotten password or hardware repair can lock you out of your own data.

Install a password manager and its browser extension now, so new accounts start with strong, unique passwords. See our guide to choosing a password manager.

Step 5: Move your files and apps

• From an old computer on the same platform: Macs include Migration Assistant, which copies accounts, files and apps from another Mac or a Time Machine backup. Windows doesn't have a full equivalent. Most people move files through OneDrive or an external drive. The Windows Backup app can restore some settings and apps when you sign in with the same Microsoft account.
• Across platforms: copy your documents, photos and music folders by external drive or cloud storage, then reinstall apps fresh. Export browser bookmarks and passwords from the old browser first, or sign in to the same browser account so they sync.
• Software licenses: sign out of or deactivate paid apps on the old computer before installing them on the new one, if their licenses limit how many devices can use them.

Install only the apps you actually use. A fresh machine is a good time to drop things you no longer need.

Step 6: Set up backups before you need them

Do this now, not after something goes wrong. A sensible plan has two layers:

• Cloud sync for documents and the desktop, such as OneDrive on Windows, iCloud Drive on a Mac or Google Drive on a Chromebook. This protects against loss or theft. Check how much storage the free tier includes.
• A local backup to an external drive, such as File History or a third-party tool on Windows, or Time Machine on a Mac. This allows a full restore and protects against cloud account problems.

Chromebooks store most data in the cloud already. Back up anything kept in the local Downloads folder.

Step 7: Tune it to the way you work

The last step is personal setup:

• Power and battery: choose a power mode, and turn on the manufacturer's battery-care or charge-limit option if you mostly leave the laptop plugged in.
• Display: set the scaling so text is comfortable, and turn on night light or Night Shift for evening use.
• Default apps: choose your browser, email and PDF viewer.
• Accessibility and input: adjust trackpad speed, scrolling direction and keyboard backlight timeout.

Then register the laptop with the manufacturer for warranty service, and note whether you bought an extended warranty or protection plan.

The short version

Check the hardware, sign in, install all updates, remove what you don't need, confirm encryption and find-my-device, move your files, and turn on backups. Do those seven steps in the first day and the laptop will be safer and easier to live with for its whole life.