First Thing You Must Do With A New Laptop

Summary

In this video, the host guides viewers through the essential steps to take when setting up a new laptop, using a Lenovo Legion 5 as an example. The process includes removing pre-installed bloatware, updating the operating system, adjusting display settings, customizing privacy options, and optimizing power settings. The host also recommends additional software to install for better performance and security. The video is geared towards helping users maximize their new laptop's efficiency and performance from the get-go.

Takeaways

• 🖥️ The first step with a new laptop is to remove all pre-installed bloatware, including trial versions of software like McAfee.
• 🔄 Updating the operating system is crucial, as the laptop may have outdated software if it has been sitting in a box for a while.
• 🔧 Adjust the display scaling to maximize screen real estate, depending on the resolution of the laptop's screen.
• 📁 Modify Windows settings for better user experience, such as showing file extensions and hidden files.
• 🗂️ Customize the Start menu using third-party applications like Start 11 or StartAllBack for a more familiar Windows experience.
• 🌑 Change the theme to a dark mode for a more comfortable visual experience.
• 🎮 Adjust the MUX settings for better GPU performance during gaming, but remember it may reduce battery life.
• ⚙️ Regularly check for updates using the manufacturer's software (like Lenovo's) to ensure the laptop is fully up-to-date.
• 🔒 Disable the lock screen for quicker access to the desktop, especially if you don’t need it.
• 🔒 Tweak privacy settings to minimize data sharing with Microsoft and improve system performance.

Q & A

What is the first step you should take with a new laptop according to the video?

The first step is to remove all of the pre-installed bloatware, including unnecessary trial versions of software like McAfee.

Why is it important to update the operating system immediately on a new laptop?

Updating the operating system is crucial because the laptop may have been sitting in a box for months, leading to outdated software. Installing the latest updates ensures the laptop is up to date and secure.

What are some tools mentioned in the video for uninstalling programs on a new laptop?

The video mentions using the default 'Add or Remove Programs' in Windows or a third-party tool like Revo Uninstaller to remove unwanted software.

What specific setting does the video suggest changing to increase desktop real estate?

The video suggests changing the display scaling from the recommended 125% to 100% to gain more screen real estate.

Why does the speaker prefer to show file extensions and hidden files in Windows?

Showing file extensions and hidden files is recommended to avoid being tricked into opening malicious files disguised as safe ones, such as an executable file disguised as a PDF.

What alternatives are provided for changing the look of the Windows 11 start menu?

The video suggests using either Start11 or StartAllBack, which are paid applications that can change the start menu to resemble Windows 7 or Windows 10.

Why does the speaker prefer to use a dark theme on the laptop?

The speaker prefers a dark theme because it is easier on the eyes and provides a more pleasant visual experience compared to a bright white screen.

What is the 'MUX setting' mentioned in the video, and why is it important?

The MUX setting allows users to toggle between the laptop's integrated GPU and the more powerful dedicated GPU, providing better performance for gaming but at the cost of increased battery consumption.

Why does the speaker suggest disabling the Windows lock screen?

The speaker suggests disabling the lock screen to bypass the need for logging in after the screen times out, making access to the desktop quicker and more convenient.

What tool does the speaker recommend for managing Windows privacy settings?

The speaker recommends using 'O&O ShutUp10' (also compatible with Windows 11) to manage and disable unnecessary privacy settings in a safe and reversible way.

Outlines

00:00

🖥️ Setting Up a New Laptop: Initial Steps

The video script starts with advice on setting up a new laptop, specifically a Lenovo Legion 5. The creator emphasizes the importance of removing bloatware, which refers to the pre-installed applications that are unnecessary and unwanted. Using tools like the Windows 'Add or Remove Programs' feature or third-party tools like Revo Uninstaller is suggested. The focus is on uninstalling trial software, such as McAfee antivirus, to avoid unwanted purchases. The script also highlights that this process is crucial regardless of the laptop's make or model, as most come with pre-installed software. The paragraph concludes by suggesting updating the operating system immediately to ensure the latest features and security updates are installed.

05:01

🔄 Updating and Customizing Your Laptop

This section discusses updating the laptop's operating system and personalizing settings for a better user experience. It recommends updating Windows immediately, as laptops might have outdated software if they have been in storage for a while. The script advises adjusting display settings for optimal screen real estate, particularly changing the display scale from the recommended 125% to 100% for more workspace on a 1920x1080 screen. Additionally, it suggests changing default folder options, such as showing hidden files and file extensions, to prevent malware issues and improve accessibility. The script also introduces customization of the Windows 11 start menu using tools like Start11 or StartAllBack to provide a familiar Windows 7 or 10 interface, enhancing usability.

10:01

🌌 Enhancing Windows 11 Experience

This paragraph focuses on further customization and optimization of the laptop. The author prefers using a dark theme for its aesthetic appeal and eye comfort. Additionally, it describes the MUX setting, which allows users to optimize GPU performance for gaming, explaining the trade-off between battery life and enhanced graphics performance. The script details using Lenovo's proprietary software to toggle the MUX setting for improved FPS in games but advises turning it off for everyday tasks to conserve battery life. The creator also emphasizes the importance of checking for updates in Lenovo's software to ensure the laptop has the latest updates and drivers.

15:02

🔒 Privacy and Efficiency Settings

The final section addresses privacy and efficiency on a new laptop. It begins with advice on disabling the Windows lock screen and configuring privacy settings to limit data sharing with Microsoft, which can enhance system performance and battery life. The script suggests using programs like O&O ShutUp10 to manage privacy settings without permanent changes to the system. Additionally, it discusses setting power plans to optimize battery life, recommending adjustments to brightness and power-saving modes. Finally, the script advises installing necessary applications using Ninite for a streamlined process and selecting an antivirus, like Bitdefender Free, to replace any trial versions removed earlier. The video script concludes by inviting viewers to suggest laptop-related content and acknowledges supporters.

Keywords

💡Bloatware

Bloatware refers to pre-installed software on a new laptop that is often unnecessary and can take up valuable resources. In the video, the narrator emphasizes the importance of removing bloatware, such as trial versions of antivirus software like McAfee, to improve the laptop's performance and free up space.

💡Windows Update

Windows Update is a feature in Windows operating systems that downloads and installs the latest updates from Microsoft. The video advises users to immediately update the operating system on a new laptop to ensure it has the latest security patches and features, as the laptop might have been stored for months before purchase.

💡Scaling

Scaling in this context refers to adjusting the display size of elements on the screen, such as text and icons. The narrator demonstrates changing the scaling setting on a laptop to get more screen real estate, which involves reducing the scale from 125% to 100% for a better user experience on a 1920x1080p display.

💡File Extensions

File extensions are the suffixes at the end of a file name that indicate the file type (e.g., .pdf, .exe). The video explains how to show hidden file extensions on Windows, which helps users identify potentially harmful files that might be disguised as safe formats.

💡Start Menu

The Start Menu is the primary interface for accessing programs and settings in Windows. The video covers customizing the Start Menu in Windows 11, including removing unwanted apps and using third-party software like Start11 to revert the menu's appearance to an older, more familiar style.

💡Dark Theme

A Dark Theme changes the color scheme of the operating system to darker tones, which can be easier on the eyes, especially in low-light environments. The narrator prefers using a dark theme on the laptop and explains how to apply it in Windows settings for a more comfortable visual experience.

💡Hybrid Mode

Hybrid Mode is a feature in gaming laptops like the Lenovo Legion that allows the user to switch between integrated and dedicated graphics to optimize performance or battery life. The video discusses enabling Hybrid Mode to boost gaming performance while cautioning that it consumes more battery and requires frequent restarts.

💡Privacy Settings

Privacy settings in Windows control the data that is shared with Microsoft and other apps. The video emphasizes the importance of turning off unnecessary privacy features to prevent telemetry data from being sent back to Microsoft, which can also improve system performance.

💡Power Settings

Power settings in Windows allow users to optimize battery usage by choosing between different power plans. The video suggests adjusting power settings to balance performance and battery life, especially when using a laptop for tasks that do not require full power, like web browsing or email.

💡Lenovo Software

Lenovo Software refers to the proprietary tools and utilities pre-installed on Lenovo laptops, such as the Lenovo Vantage. The narrator discusses keeping useful Lenovo software while removing unnecessary bloatware, and also highlights using the software to check for system updates and optimize performance.

Highlights

Introduction to setting up a new laptop with steps that apply to any make or model.

Importance of removing pre-installed bloatware, including trial versions of software like McAfee.

Step-by-step guide to uninstall unnecessary software using Add or Remove Programs or tools like Revo Uninstaller.

Updating the operating system immediately to ensure the laptop is up-to-date.

Customizing desktop scaling for better real estate on the screen, with a focus on changing the scale from 125% to 100%.

Adjusting Windows settings for better user experience, including changing File Explorer settings to show hidden files and file extensions.

Exploring options for modifying the Windows 11 Start menu using third-party tools like Start 11 or StartAllBack.

Switching to a dark theme for better visual comfort.

Optimizing GPU performance using the MUX switch in the Lenovo Legion software for better gaming performance.

Checking for system updates and installing critical updates to keep the laptop running smoothly.

Disabling the Windows lock screen for quicker access to the desktop.

Tweaking privacy settings to minimize data sharing and telemetry, including using tools like O&O ShutUp10.

Optimizing power settings to balance performance and battery life, with options for power saving modes.

Using Ninite to download and install essential programs efficiently.

Final recommendations for installing a reliable antivirus program like Bitdefender, especially after removing trial versions.

Transcripts

what you guys today we're taking a look

at the first thing you must do with a

new laptop now i've just purchased the

new laptop this one is a lenovo legion

five so i'm going to take you through

step by step and show you what i do on a

brand new laptop when i buy one so you

can follow along if you purchase a brand

new laptop it doesn't matter what make

or model these are the steps that i

would take for every brand of laptop

that i buy the first thing i'm going to

be doing is removing all of the

bloatware it comes pre-installed with a

ton of applications that i don't need or

don't want so the first thing is to

remove all of this from the actual

laptop itself so i'm going to go into

adam remove programs you'll see there is

mcafee on here and this is a troll

version of mcafee they want you to

register and pay for the full version

and i don't want to be forced into

buying stuff that i don't want so i'm

going to remove all of this from the

computer you can do this from adam

remove programs or you can use programs

like revo uninstaller and some people go

as far as resetting the pc uh back to

defaults which will mean it will remove

all of the software and i'm not going to

go and do that because it can take a bit

of time so i'm just going to go through

and remove some of the software via the

uninstaller here now some of the

proprietary software that comes with

these laptops is pretty useful lenovo

have their own software which they do

install which i tend to still use on

laptops so i'm not going to uninstall

this but there is other stuff on here

which i do want to remove so i'm just

going to go through the uninstall

process and remove it so you can see

here you still have an activated

subscription this will be only a short

subscription maybe something like a

month or something like that and once it

once it runs out they'll just keep

bombarding you with advertisements and

pop-up

to try to purchase the actual full

version of it and i don't want that so

i'm going to remove it and uninstall it

now it doesn't really matter what sort

of laptop you've purchased which

manufacturer they all come with

pre-installed bloatware on them and you

will have to go through the process of

uninstalling all of the software from

those laptops so whatever laptop you've

got it doesn't really matter they all

come with it on there

next up we're going to be taking a look

at another thing that i like to do is

that is to update the operating system

straight away the reason why is because

these laptops could have been sitting in

a box for a few months which means that

they're going to be outdated so i always

like to go to the windows update and

update

the version of windows now because this

is windows 11 it's going to be having

some serious updates available for it so

i'm going to go into the windows update

section and make sure i update the

laptop to the latest version you can see

here there was quite a few updates

available so i'm just going to go ahead

and download all of these and get these

installed onto the laptop now if you

want to create a clone of your drive or

whether you want to back up your

complete operating system then you can

do i'm going to miss that part out

because i don't feel the need anymore in

2022 to have to do that with a brand new

machine because i can quite easily

reinstall windows and it will

automatically put everything back onto

the system windows does a pretty good

job installing all the drivers that you

need and again

i can always get the lenovo software

from the lenovo website or if you're

running another laptop maybe msi or any

other type of laptop you can go to the

manufacturer's website and download the

required software for those laptops

now next up i'm going to be changing the

scale on the desktop here i'm going to

right click on the desktop and change

the scale back a little bit and the

reason why is because you get a bit more

real estate on your monitor so this is a

1920x1080p

screen on here and as you can see here

what i'm gonna do is i'm gonna be

changing this you can see it's set to

125 percent which is recommended and i'm

just gonna scale that back to 100

this will make everything a little bit

smaller but it will also give me a bit

more real estate on the uh monitor

screen here now again if you don't want

to do this you can skip this part and if

you have got a 4k resolution you may

want to play around with the settings a

bit because that could make it a bit too

small if you go back too far so i'm

going to leave this at 100 that's good

enough for what i need on this laptop

and it just gives me a little bit more

room to move so let's close that off and

move on to the next one which is the

windows settings here i'm going to

change some window settings to make it a

bit more uh user-friendly towards what i

need to do so i'm going to open up

the file explorer here and once we open

this up i'm going to go into the top

three dots at the top here and i want to

change the file extensions and show

hidden files folders and drives so go

into options and i'm going to change a

few settings here to make it much more

user-friendly for me now i'm going to

change the quick access to this pc and

also down in the privacy section i'm

just going to remove these two check

marks here and i'm gonna clear this

section here and apply an okay on this

once we've done this we can move to the

view tab here and i'm gonna show hidden

files folders and drives because i like

to have access to the app data folder

and places like that and also i'm going

to remove the check mark from hide

extensions for known file types why they

keep putting the check mark in there in

2022 i don't know it just lets you see

the extensions of files and it stops

people being tricked into clicking on

files that are supposed to be pdf files

and actually executable files which

could be malware so i'm going to change

that

next up we're going to make some other

changes here so let's go ahead and do

some other changes

now if you do have windows 11 installed

on your laptop and uh you've got this

new menu system here and you don't like

it then i'll show you what to do a

little bit later on but i'm going to

make some changes to the recommended

section on here

so go to personalization here and you

should see a place called start go into

that section there

and then you should see some rocker

buttons here saying show recently

added apps and there's another one here

which we can turn off once you turn

these off and you go back to the actual

menu system

uh it won't show up all of the stuff on

there i don't particularly like it on

there it's just a bit uh cluttered and

messy but if you do then you can leave

that on

now we'll be changing the start menu to

something else which i'll show you in a

second

but if you see here there's a bunch of

bloatware in here which i'll remove a

little bit later on which is

applications which come bloated with

windows as well next up i'm going to be

changing the start menu now you've got

two choices here we can use start 11

which is a very useful little

application which you can install it's

not free

but it is a really nice start menu

system or you can use start all back

which is also about five dollars or

something like that and it will change

the look and overall feel of the actual

menu here which i prefer it gives me a

much more better feel of say windows 7

or windows 10 of old and i do like that

sort of feel when i'm using the start

menu rather than using the clunky old

menu that they've put together for

windows 11 at the moment i'm going to be

installing start 11 and again it is

about 5.99 which is pretty cheap and

it's for the lifetime for one pc which i

find very affordable so i'm going to

download this and get installed if you

want to try it out first there is a try

now button which you can hit which gives

you a 30-day

trial for both of these you can get a

30-day draw so just hit this and install

it and then you can have a look and see

whether you like it or not i'm not going

to do an in-depth video on this right

now because i've already covered some of

these before but i'm just going to get

it installed and change it so you can

see what it looks like

so i'm going to do some settings on here

and change it up a little bit and i'll

show you exactly the sort of look i've

gone for in this one here for myself

there is plenty of settings inside here

you can mess around with if you want to

see a full in-depth video check some of

my uh back catalog and you'll see them

in there next up i'm going to change the

theme on this i don't like the light

theme i prefer a dark theme so i'm going

to go into themes and i'm going to

choose a darker theme for this laptop

because i do think it's better on the

eyes and i just prefer to see a darker

screen rather than a bright white screen

so i'm going to use one of these here

you can hover over these there's plenty

of them available i'm just going to

select this one here and this will give

me a much more nicer look for myself if

you don't like the dark theme you can

use the light theme it's entirely up to

you now look at the menu

here it's a lot more user friendly and i

just like the overall feel and look of

this uh windows 11 with that start menu

on there next another important setting

i'm going to change is the mux setting

i'm going to talk about this a little

bit so you can get more performance out

of your gpu if you've got a laptop of

this caliber which has a 30 60 in it if

you want to see a review of this laptop

then let me know in the comments section

below and i'll do my best to make a

video of this particular laptop and also

show you how to choose the right laptop

for yourself now inside

the legion here you can see this is

their own software and every piece of

software is different for every laptop

but you should see there is a hybrid

mode on here if you toggle this on this

gives you the full

performance going right through the gpu

that's built into the laptop which means

you're going to get more fps but it does

eat battery life a little bit more so if

you try to use this on a battery

laptop without going into the mains it

will eat that battery life so just

remember if you're in hybrid mode it

will use more performance the downfall

side of this is as well is every time

you toggle this on or off because if

you're using normal tasks i wouldn't

advise you to leave the mux setting on

because obviously it does eat battery

life and it does mean that you have to

keep restarting the pc every single time

you toggle it on and off so just bear

that in mind is a bit of a headache to

keep restarting but if you want to

enable it i'll show you how to do it

it's just that little rocker switch on

the right hand side here and this will

give us much more performance keep an

eye on the gpu and the vram there you

can see it's low at the moment and

that's because it's not enabled so now

i've restarted the system let's take a

look at hybrid mode you can see the vram

has gone right up and also the gpu has

gone right up and that means we're

utilizing that power now if you want to

play games and you're using this laptop

for gaming because it does have an rtx

3060 in it that means you're going to

get much more better performance and

much more fps

now if you're not going to be gaming and

you want to use your laptop for work i.e

you know surfing the web using your

browser or emails and things like that

then you want to toggle this off because

that will preserve battery life and you

won't be eating up your battery uh

because it's enabled you're not going to

be gaining fps when you're using your

mail client and things like that so just

toggle it off when you're not using it

next i'd like to go into the lenovo

software and check for updates make sure

everything is all fully updated and i've

got all the latest critical updates and

recommended updates for the system

especially a new laptop that you've just

got out the box you definitely want to

be checking for updates on order system

because it has been probably seen in

that box for a few weeks so you want to

check it out also disable lock screen i

have no use for lock screen so i'm just

going to be disabling this there is an

actual uh registry file you can download

and disable it or you can do it in the

registry uh yourself manually just for

this video i'm going to be using this

little file here just to run it and it

will disable it that means i'll just go

straight to the desktop without the

login all the time every time you leave

it for a while it just goes to the lock

screen i don't want that feature enabled

so by disabling it it just turns it off

next up we're going to be dealing with

the privacy settings now windows has

become bloated with privacy settings and

i have to go through and turn all of

these off you can see here if you want

to manually go through your system and

turn off all of the stuff you don't

require then just toggle them off and

the reason why i say this is because if

you don't use inking and typing and

personalization this is going to be

sending telemetry and data back to

microsoft and also it's a service and it

will slow down the system

so i'm just going to be turning off as

much as possible here to try and

preserve battery life and also just make

the system run a little bit smoother

now again i will be installing the light

version on here at some stage

so when i set up the laptop for the very

first time he asked me to sign in to an

account to set up an account because

it's windows 11 home even if it was

windows 10 home you would still have to

do the same thing so now what i do is i

just took the internet out and then

basically log back in to a local account

and then i've now got a local account on

this laptop without having to sign into

a microsoft account that's important to

me because i don't really want to be

linked to microsoft uh on this laptop

and again once you've done it once

they'll know automatically because they

have your information so what i've done

is i've just turned off all of the

features i don't need like location and

other stuff like inking and other data

collectoring uh sort of thing like

diagnostics and things like that now you

can manually go through all of this or

you can use programs to do it or you can

go down the more severe route and use

scripts to remove all of this stuff like

i've said before with scripts if you

don't know where they come from be very

careful when you run them just recently

there was an article about one of the

scripts that were on github that had

malware embedded inside it and it was

putting it onto people's systems when

they were running it so be very very

careful which ones you run on your

system as i've always said

again you can use programs like oh and

oh which is shut up 10 and it also works

for 11 as well and this disables it and

you can completely reverse this as well

it doesn't install anything on your

system and you can run this and

completely reset everything back to

defaults if you wanted to this is more

the safer route i would advise people to

go down if they want to turn off all of

the privacy stuff

next up we're going to be taking a look

at optimizing your power settings this

is your battery preserving settings here

if you want to use a power saving you

can go in here and change your a battery

power plan inside here you can see it's

set to the legion balanced mode this is

lenovo's mode if you want to set it to

just a general balance mode which is

recommended they can you can do that

here i'm going to leave it set to

balance because i think that's exactly

where i want it but if you want to go

into battery saving mode here power

saving mode you can do and that does

preserve a bit of power you can also

turn the brightness down by about say

eleven percent and that does preserve

quite a lot of battery power if you want

to do that if you don't like a super

bright screen it also helps with your

eyes as well

okay so let's move on to the final thing

and we'll wrap this video up so the

final thing that you're going to have to

do is download all of your programs and

you can use the night to do this and

install all your programs you go onto

the website put the check marks in

for all the programs that you want to

install whether it be vlc whether it be

chrome uh you know firefox whatever it

is that you want to use any sort of

compression software

uh any sort of media software

runtimes imaging documents you can see

it there you put the check marks in and

you can run it also you might want to

put on another antivirus software

because we did remove the uh temporary

trial version of mcafee i would advise

you to get the bitdefender free version

and you can install that and it will

give you plenty of protection from

ransomware and also malware so those are

my choices uh for what i'm going to do

here i'm not going to install any of

this stuff because this laptop is really

designed for tutorials on youtube that's

all it's going to be used for but if you

do want to see a full review of it and

some other video tutorials with laptops

then let me know in the comment section

below that is why i've bought the laptop

to do some tutorials with laptops so let

me know what sort of laptop videos you

want to see in the comments section

anyway i think that's going to be about

it for this video that is the first

things you must do with your new laptop

my name is ben brian from broad tech

computers dot co dot ek just want to say

a special shout out to phil's computer

repair albert houston

geo sam welsh tony one and gary belts i

really do appreciate the support these

guys have joined my tier three youtube

members group i appreciate that also a

big special shout out to all my other

youtube members who join my youtube

members group i always appreciate the

support and i shall catch you in the

next video if you've joined my discord

server and you are a youtube member let

me know in the general chat and i'll

give you the appropriate role bye for

now

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