Setting Up A New Windows PC - Updated

I seem to build or rebuild a Windows hard drive regularly (like again today), so here's my updated list of what to install. 

Last Update: 04.17.10

Changes:

• added CleanMem

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MY INSTALLATION PROCEDURE

1. Install the OS

• Install the Service Packs and updates using Windows Update utility
• Windows XP Pro XP3 iso torrent
  
• Install .net framework (some programs, like Thinkvantage, won't work without it : Version 3.5
• Power Toys from MS
  • XP:  Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP (I only do Tweak UI and Alt Tab)
  • VISTA: try this free third party product - TweakVI

2. Update your drivers

If you have a driver disk for any of the following, install them

• Peripherals (printers, scanners, webcams, card readers, etc.)
  • Logitech Harmony Software - I've got one of the older Harmony Universal Remotes (680), which I like (the new ones have too many soft buttons).
  • Logitech webcam chat (my cam)
• Motherboard
• Graphics Card (don't use the disks, find out if you have an NVidia or ATI card and download the latest drivers for your machine
• Thinkpad Config - if you have IBM Thinkpads like me, install the ThinkVantage System Updater

3. Browsers

• Google Chrome (if you want to use the betas, install and run the Google Chrome Channel Chooser or the Update Channel Selector Firefox Extension)
• Firefox (see Firefox 3 Extensions - Updated)
  • Gmail Notifier - I don't run this program after I install it - I just use it to set gmail as my outgoing mail client, so that when I click a mailto link on the web, it doesn't try to open Outlook Express or Outlook.
• Internet Explorer (IE)
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader

4. Media Players

• Itunes - there is no better free music player out there (some like WinAmp or Songbird)
• Windows Media Player:  Install the latest version
• Install the missing media codecs so that WMP can play DVD's (Choose the expert installation so that you can deselect the shopping comparison toolbar.)

5. MS Apps (MS Office, etc.)

• If you don't want to pay for MS Office, try the free IBM Lotus Symphony, or OpenOffice
• Office Locator Pack (free) will allow you to convert, for example, xps to pdf files

6. Handheld Syncing Software

• Activesync - for syncing my Windows-based smartphone
• Blackberry Desktop - do yourself a favor, get the most recent desktop app.

7. Media Editing Apps

• Paint Shop Pro (my image editor of choice, c. $99 - or just get Gimp for free)
• Pinnacle Studio (movie editing, c. $99)
• Picasa - the best free image manager, with some decent editing features too

6. DVD Ripping

• WinX DVD Ripper Platinum - great one-step ripper, paid version also supports high def
• DVDFab HD Decrypter (version 5 - newer versions no longer support ripping) and Handbrake (great for converting to AppleTV format or whatever)
• NOTE:  The following were popular, but are now either not available, or are unable to rip modern DVDs with newer DRM.
  
  • DVDShrink - To rip DVD's (or try DVDRipper)
  • VOB2MPG - For converting VOB files to MPG format for Windows Media Center (instructions)

8. Security

• Adaware - Not as good as Spybot, but used in tandem, they can catch most stuff.
• AVG Antivirus - the best free antivirus program out there - love it.
• K9 from Bluecoat - Internet filtering to block various categories of sites, or individual sites - great for parents and those wanting to avoid porno.
• Spybot Search & Destroy - my favorite, does a good job of getting spyware that others can't catch.

9. Cleanup Utils

• CleanMem - frees up system memory from open and closed apps, amazing!
• Crap Cleaner (cleans up unused DLLs and leftover install files, temp files, has registry repairer etc.).
• Defraggler - great defrag program from the makers of CCleaner
• Duplicate Cleaner - nice way to ID and delete dup files, esp. mp3s.
• Recuva - file recovery program from the makers of CCleaner
• Revo Uninstaller (has a great feature that scans registry after uninstall to clean it)
• Tidy Start Menu - nice free tool to help clean up your start bar (XP version)
• WinStep Start Menu Organizer - free tool that cleans up start menus (Vista/Win7)
• WinUtilities 6.2 - has all the free cleanup utils you need, awesome

10. Instant Messengers

• Digsby - a great multi-client chat program, includes social sites (some people prefer Pidgln or Trillian)

11. Misc. Utilities

There are lots of free apps out there, these are just the ones I need/use.

• Autoplay Repair (Vista) - this app will help you add other apps to the autoplay prefs.  I used it to add Picasa as my importer for photos. Instructions here.
• BitMeter - nice, free bandwidth monitor
• Double Driver - great free driver backup utility
• Pure Text - converts whatever you copy to the clipboard to plain text.
• Sequioa View - great program for visualizing the files on your drives, and how much space they are taking up, and how much free space you have left (you can also try the more advanced but harder to use WinDirStat)
• Snippy - great free app for capturing parts of your screen as an image
• Textpad - my favorite free Text Editor (there are many others)
• Ultimate Boot CD
• uTorrent
• Vista Drive Icon - makes the drives in XP's My Computer have a little bar that shows how full

12. Some other optional apps that may come in handy

• 3D Mark - a very cool benchmarking app that tests your graphics card - cool to watch in action.
• Anti-spyware tools
• Audacity - the best free tool for editing mp3 and other sound files (great for podcasters)
• iTunes Plugins - there are some decent id3 tag editors and such out there.
• PC Inspector File Recovery - nice app to recover erased files (you can also try GetDataBack)
• TestDisk - OMG, if you've ever had Windows mess up your file partition on a data drive, and all of a sudden show all or part of it as "Unallocated," this simple procedure will save your data.

Comments

[Tom Gilson]

1.

I just set up a Macintosh a few weeks ago. The process:

1. Install Mac OS X
2. Get system updates from Apple (single download, one-step process)
3. Connect new computer to computer being replaced
3. Run Migration Manager (one-step process)
4. Enjoy new Mac

[seeker]

2.

I admit, the mac comes with some nice basic media editing tools, and is a nice integrated package. But for it to have all the features I've mentioned above, you will still need to install the items below, right?

- chat clients
- a great text editor
- an office suite (word processor, etc.)
- firefox (Safari doesn't' cut it)
- internet filtering software
- anti-virus software
- anti-spyware software
- graphical benchmarking programs (oh, I forgot, you can't play games on the mac OS, so you don't really need to benchmark your graphics card)
- tools for DVD ripping (you too need a Decrytor and Handbrake)
- a real image editor (photoshop or psp)

[Cineaste]

3.

Don't forget WinZip.

[seeker]

4.

Actually, I don't load winzip because windows can open those files without it. But I guess if I want to actually zip something up, I would need it, so good one.

[Cineaste]

5.

Also if you run Windows 2000, like me.

[Rich Kirkpatrick]

6.

mac comes with chat client configured...you can actually get all of this stuff preloaded and configured with their version of "office" called iWork...plus, iLife, iWork...

I just got a new mac so this is all so fun!

[seeker]

7.

Glad you enjoy your mac. They are great computers, and apple is doing a fabulous job of integrating everything.

[Cineaste]

8.

Hey Seeker, I just installed Ubuntu (Linux) as a dual boot on my PC. You should try it. It's very different and it looks much better. It also seems a heck of a lot more stable.

[seeker]

9.

I tried mandrake 9 or something a while back, no real advantage to me.

I've heard ubuntu is great, but why would i use it?

[Cineaste]

10.

Well, what I like about it so far is the interface. The GUI is just so clean, like a Mac, and it looks a lot better than Vista. I like how the windows wobble when you grab them and the the effects when you close the. You need a good graphics card though. Also, it seems faster because you don't need as much memory. I'm just learning to customize everything.

Here is a video comparing vista to ubantu.

[philip]

11.

Download youtube videos direct to your PC, iPod, PSP, iPhone, Mobile, Mac..etc for free.. Its fast

Check http://youtubevideoconvert.com/

Convert to more popular format like .WMV .MOV, .MP4, .3GP, .MP3 etc

[Cineaste]

12.

Here is a gallery of my desktop screen shots from my Ubuntu Linux setup. What does this have to do with setting up a windows PC? You can use the wallpaper.

http://existential1.deviantart.com/

Enjoy!

[Louis]

13.

Anything out there that will download Hulu vids? I want to collect Stewie Griffin clips.

[zenghan]

14.

Classic exposition, I have also mentioned it in my blog article. But it is a pity that almost no friend discussed it with me.I am very happy to see your article.