Check to see if everything is functioning properly and not running hot, remove a lot of the crap that comes preinstalled, and install antivirus and antimalware. Then its over to ninite.com for my applications.
My workflow is somehow similar, but yet different:
- Wipe the HDD (or SSD)
- Install my favourite Linux distro
- Clone and run my bash script which autoinstalls all of my needed software and updates the machine as well as clones my dotfiles (user-specific customizations and settings)
So if I get a new PC, I work for 15 Minutes and let it run for let's say 1-2 hours and I'm ready to begin working as usual.
This works mainly because:
- I don't have a lot of "Office-style" documents
- I run some homeservers which have my data on them
- Working projects are loaded into a version control system
I like it because:
- I'm not limited
- I can reinstall my OS anytime I want to and have a fresh beginning
- In the event of a crash I don't lose any valuable data
- I can pretty much work on any Linux machine (just clone my stuff and done)
Software which I install most of the time:
- VLC Media Player
- Google Chrome / Chromium
- Terminator (terminal emulator)
- Atom and Vim (my text editors of choice)
- LibreOffice (I only use this to open coworkers documents...)
- Audacity (Very good audio editing tool)
As you might have guessed already - I use alsmost exclusively free / open source software :-)
Get on Ninite, select the programs I need installed, then let it do its thing. As they get installed, I like to set up the programs, so that they are to my liking (auto sign-in, etc). Then, I log into my Firefox account and have it load my plugins. Then, I start downloading Steam games and do whatever, because it takes a while.
1. Boot up and install Magic Jellybean Key Finder - Store the windows key
2. Download the correct Windows 10 ISO and Burn it onto a (preferrably 32GB or more(theres a reason for this) USB Pendrive, 8GB will do perhaps even 4GB) using ISO to USB as a Bootable Windows Image
3. Create 3 Partitions using the windows Installer - System(System/programs/profiles etc), Data(Photos, Documents, Music, Movies etc) and Recovery(50GB) - on a 1TB HDD this works out at roughly System(10% - 100GB), Data(85% - 850GB) and Recovery(5% - 50GB)
4. Install Windows 10 Education Edition or whichever edition came with the computer if I'm doing it for another person.
5. Connect to the internet and update everything - Use windows update's default drivers unless these are not available.
6. Install and use Parted Magic Free to move all system files to the beginning of the disk(makes bootup faster)
7. Uninstall Parted Magic
8. Run Disk Cleanup on your System Drive
9. Run Windows Defrag on your System Drive
10. Create a system image using windows by going to the Control Panel/Setting/Backup and Recovery/Backup and Restore(Windows 7)/Create Disc Image
11. Create a Disc Image of your System Drive called SystemOnly and store it on the recovery partition(It should be about 18GB at this point)
12. Open an Explorer Window and go the the Recovery Drive, copy the Recovery Folder and paste it on to the 32GB or larger Pen Drive which you used to install windows and keep it in a safe place(This is your Failsafe)
Making It Useful
1. Install Browser(I prefer Opera but Chrome or Firefox will work nicely), VLC Media Player, LibreOffice(Without Quickstarter),
Qbittorrent(Not Compromised like UTorrent), 7Zip(These are my essential must have programmes)
2. If you've installed opera - turn on opera turbo. If your ISP has blocked bit torrent sites this bypasses the block.
3. Run Disk Cleanup on your System Drive
4. Run Windows Defrag on your System Drive
5. Create another system image using windows by going to the Control Panel/Setting/Backup and Recovery - Backup and Restore(Windows 7) - Create Disc Image
6. Create a Disc Image of your System Drive called(ReadyToUse) and store it on the recovery partition(It should be about 18GB at this point)
Why?
Creating both system images allows you to go back either to a brand new windows install(so you can install all new updates and
update both your recovery partitions) or to the Original Useful Settings for if your/your families/your customers computer is
running slow with rubbish. A recovery from the system Image takes about 15 Minutes
**Before Restoring*
1. Create a folder on the Data Drive(850GB) called Backups and a subfolder called Day-Month-Year
2. Copy and paste all Profile data to keep and paste it into the Data Drive/Backups/Day-Month-Year folder
To Restore
1. Boot to the Recovery console(You may be able to do it from within windows itself) preferrably by using the Failsafe Pendrive(Other methods will do, I don't remember any of these off the top of my head)
2. Select Recover From Disk Image(The Options there somewhere)
Usually about 100-150 times a month - I do this for a living with repeat clients - makes my life far easier.
Personally I do it about once every 6 to 12 months
Then you have the folk who try and fix things themselves and end up deleting the recovery partition - this is why each client has a special 32gb pen drive stored in my safe :D
Join the Discussion
Check to see if everything is functioning properly and not running hot, remove a lot of the crap that comes preinstalled, and install antivirus and antimalware. Then its over to ninite.com for my applications.
My workflow is somehow similar, but yet different:
- Wipe the HDD (or SSD)
- Install my favourite Linux distro
- Clone and run my bash script which autoinstalls all of my needed software and updates the machine as well as clones my dotfiles (user-specific customizations and settings)
So if I get a new PC, I work for 15 Minutes and let it run for let's say 1-2 hours and I'm ready to begin working as usual.
This works mainly because:
- I don't have a lot of "Office-style" documents
- I run some homeservers which have my data on them
- Working projects are loaded into a version control system
I like it because:
- I'm not limited
- I can reinstall my OS anytime I want to and have a fresh beginning
- In the event of a crash I don't lose any valuable data
- I can pretty much work on any Linux machine (just clone my stuff and done)
Software which I install most of the time:
- VLC Media Player
- Google Chrome / Chromium
- Terminator (terminal emulator)
- Atom and Vim (my text editors of choice)
- LibreOffice (I only use this to open coworkers documents...)
- Audacity (Very good audio editing tool)
As you might have guessed already - I use alsmost exclusively free / open source software :-)
Install VLC player , winrar, chrome, utorrent, and winamp. Yes winamp.
I use Winamp on my android, but haven't used it on my computer in a while. Do you add skins to Winamp like the good old days or just the default?
VLC Player - Check. Winrar - Check. Utorrent - Using a different client now. Winamp - Damn, haven't used that in ages. Will need to download!
Have you tried using VLC as your music player? It does a fine job and I've heard that winamp is coming back
I get Synaptic and download any software the distro might not have that I like. Oh yeah, VLC is quite nice.
Get on Ninite, select the programs I need installed, then let it do its thing. As they get installed, I like to set up the programs, so that they are to my liking (auto sign-in, etc). Then, I log into my Firefox account and have it load my plugins. Then, I start downloading Steam games and do whatever, because it takes a while.
I remove all the bloatware and then install an additional hard drive and configure it to be my main "download" drive.
Preparation
1. Boot up and install Magic Jellybean Key Finder - Store the windows key
2. Download the correct Windows 10 ISO and Burn it onto a (preferrably 32GB or more(theres a reason for this) USB Pendrive, 8GB will do perhaps even 4GB) using ISO to USB as a Bootable Windows Image
3. Create 3 Partitions using the windows Installer - System(System/programs/profiles etc), Data(Photos, Documents, Music, Movies etc) and Recovery(50GB) - on a 1TB HDD this works out at roughly System(10% - 100GB), Data(85% - 850GB) and Recovery(5% - 50GB)
4. Install Windows 10 Education Edition or whichever edition came with the computer if I'm doing it for another person.
5. Connect to the internet and update everything - Use windows update's default drivers unless these are not available.
6. Install and use Parted Magic Free to move all system files to the beginning of the disk(makes bootup faster)
7. Uninstall Parted Magic
8. Run Disk Cleanup on your System Drive
9. Run Windows Defrag on your System Drive
10. Create a system image using windows by going to the Control Panel/Setting/Backup and Recovery/Backup and Restore(Windows 7)/Create Disc Image
11. Create a Disc Image of your System Drive called SystemOnly and store it on the recovery partition(It should be about 18GB at this point)
12. Open an Explorer Window and go the the Recovery Drive, copy the Recovery Folder and paste it on to the 32GB or larger Pen Drive which you used to install windows and keep it in a safe place(This is your Failsafe)
Making It Useful
1. Install Browser(I prefer Opera but Chrome or Firefox will work nicely), VLC Media Player, LibreOffice(Without Quickstarter),
Qbittorrent(Not Compromised like UTorrent), 7Zip(These are my essential must have programmes)
2. If you've installed opera - turn on opera turbo. If your ISP has blocked bit torrent sites this bypasses the block.
3. Run Disk Cleanup on your System Drive
4. Run Windows Defrag on your System Drive
5. Create another system image using windows by going to the Control Panel/Setting/Backup and Recovery - Backup and Restore(Windows 7) - Create Disc Image
6. Create a Disc Image of your System Drive called(ReadyToUse) and store it on the recovery partition(It should be about 18GB at this point)
Why?
Creating both system images allows you to go back either to a brand new windows install(so you can install all new updates and
update both your recovery partitions) or to the Original Useful Settings for if your/your families/your customers computer is
running slow with rubbish. A recovery from the system Image takes about 15 Minutes
**Before Restoring*
1. Create a folder on the Data Drive(850GB) called Backups and a subfolder called Day-Month-Year
2. Copy and paste all Profile data to keep and paste it into the Data Drive/Backups/Day-Month-Year folder
To Restore
1. Boot to the Recovery console(You may be able to do it from within windows itself) preferrably by using the Failsafe Pendrive(Other methods will do, I don't remember any of these off the top of my head)
2. Select Recover From Disk Image(The Options there somewhere)
3. Select the Image to Recover from
4. Wait
5. Be Happy
how often do you need to restore?
Usually about 100-150 times a month - I do this for a living with repeat clients - makes my life far easier.
Personally I do it about once every 6 to 12 months
Then you have the folk who try and fix things themselves and end up deleting the recovery partition - this is why each client has a special 32gb pen drive stored in my safe :D