How to Set Up Your New Windows 10 PC

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So you just got a new Windows 10 PC for the holidays, and you can’t wait to get it up and running. But with all the information you have to enter, all the settings you can adjust, all the apps you can download, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Not to worry, you’ve come to the right place. By following these few quick instructions, you’ll get your new PC all ready for action.

Setting things up

As soon as you turn on your new PC you’ll be met with a screen that says, “Hi there,” followed by a series of questions, with answers in drop-down menus.

Those questions include things like which country you live in and what language you want to use. Fortunately, the only setting you’ll likely have to change is the Time Zone, which you should set for where you live. I’m on the East Coast, so I set mine for Eastern Time.

On the next you’ll screen have to agree to Microsoft’s terms of use. Click Accept and move on to the next screen.

Now you’re going to set up your Wi-Fi connection. Select the network you want to connect to and enter the password to get online. If you don’t have a Wi-Fi network in range, click Skip to move on.

Microsoft then lets you either set up your computer using its express settings or your own customized choices. Your best bet is to simply go along with the express settings.

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Your PC will then ask if you want to make a new user account. To do this, enter a name for the computer, as well as a password and a password hint in the appropriate dialogue boxes. If you don’t want to lock your computer with a password, just enter a user name and click Next.

Once that’s finished, your PC will run through a few loading screens, and you’ll then be finished. This can take a few minutes depending on your PC. But when it’s done, you’ll be ready to go.

Change these settings

With your PC ready to rock, you’re going to want to change some basic settings. Generally, the first thing I do is raise the display’s brightness level to its highest.

Of course, keeping the display brightness at its highest setting will kill your battery, so if you’re using your laptop on the go, keep the brightness low.

I also like to configure what happens when I close my laptop’s lid, as well as how long it takes for the notebook to enter sleep mode.

To change these click the Notifications button in the bottom right corner of the screen and go to All settings.

Click System, then Power & sleep. From here you can change the number of minutes you want your computer to keep running before entering sleep mode. I generally set it to Never when my PC is plugged in and 1 hour when running on battery power.

Next, click Additional power settings at the bottom of the screen, and select Choose what closing the lid does on the left rail.

I like to have my computer keep running when I close the lid, whether it’s plugged in or using its battery, as that lets processes such as program installs and downloads run in the background without interruption.

If that’s not a worry of yours, then you can simply leave these settings as they are.

Download these apps

Like your smartphone and tablet, Windows 10 PCs have their own apps for things like Facebook, Hulu, and Twitter. So instead of having to load your Web browser whenever you want to see what your friends are up to, you can simply open the appropriate app. (It might not seem like that would make a huge difference, but — believe me — it does.)

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Apps are downloaded from the Windows Store, which requires you to have a Microsoft account. When you open the Windows Store, it will ask whether you already have an account or you want to create one. Run through the setup process if you have to, and then go back to the Windows Store app. Search for and download Facebook, Twitter, Hulu, Netflix, and log into your accounts.

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley or on Google+.