Agee Software, Inc.

New PC Setup

  1. Before booting, find the recovery CD or DVD. HP/Compaq sometimes have a 'recovery partition' and don't include the CD/DVD. If they don't, I use Ghost to clone the drive to a spare one before starting Windows.
  2. Use Partition Magic to resize the C: drive to about 65% of its original size. Use the empty space to create a Fat32 partition (drive d:)
  3. Copy Ghost, PQMagic, my Ghost batch files at http://www.ageesw.com/bak.htm to D:. and make a backup with gbak.
  4. Boot Windows. Set user to Owner. Name the PC something easy to remember,
  5. In ControlPanel, set display & folder options. I usually set to Windows Classic appearance for the screen, start button & folder options. Show hidden, encrypted and system files. Sort files by name, show details, auto arrange. No custom folders for each user. Update all folders. Show admin tools & control panel, mapped drives & printers.
  6. Set networking protocols. Make sure you're behind a router. Disable Netbios over TCP/IP, copy drivers for Netbeui from CD and install Netbeui protocol. Enable Windows firewall and reset exceptions to default settings.
  7. Turn off system restore, set startup & recovery wait from 30 to 5 sec, turn off write debug file, add environmental variables dircmd=/ogen & path (add ;c:\util). Make sure there are no hardware driver problems.
  8. Set to automatically download Windows updates.
  9. In ControlPanel AddRemovePrograms, delete the demos and junk. AOL, MSN, Compuserve, Real, ITunes, Quicktime, InternetGames, Quicken, MSMoney, Works, Norton Antivirus (demo), Norton Firewall, Norton Internet Security, McAfee Antivirus or security (demo), etc. Basically if I don't recognize it as a good app, I research it on the Google, try it out and delete anything that isn't useful or might open the door to spyware.
  10. Install (and activate) Norton Antivirus (or SystemWorks). Make sure it downloads updates and scans each night.
  11. Defrag the drive and make sure Windows has downloaded all critical updates. Download all Windows hardware & optional updates.
  12. Set Internet Explorer options. Set all four security zones to default, block cookies and allow session cookies, check for newver version of stored page every visit to the page, delete cookies, temp files and Settings ViewObjects you don't recognize. On the Advanced tab, turn off anything that contains install, offline, friendly or check. Check EmptyTempInternetFiles when browser is closed.
  13. Install shareware Utils folder & Paint Shop Pro 4. Put Notepad and PaintShopPro in SendTo of each user's DocumentsAndSettings folder.
  14. Install Microsoft Office with custom setting to run all from hard drive. Make Office Assistant, FastFind, Office Toolbar, other language proofing tools, web tools, FrontPage, Outlook etc. not available.
  15. Download all office updates from Office Update link on Windows Updates page.
  16. Create Apps folder with Office shortcuts, MSDos Prompt, Admin tools (services, computer management, event log), defrag, Paint Shop Pro, Acrobat Reader, Winzip etc.
  17. Install Microsoft Anti Spyware from microsoft.com. Accept all defaults and set to scan.
  18. Install Roxio EasyCD Creator. Only DiskCopier & DiskCreatorClassic. Run twice and disable all the auto update reminders.
  19. Set up OutlookExpress. You'll need your email address, SMTP and POP3 servers, UserID and password. If you still have problems, verify settings against another PC where it is working or see support notes from the ISP.
  20. Set up dialup to your ISP as a backup in case broadband goes down.
  21. Log on in safe mode (F8 key) as Administrator. In ControlPanel Users set your password. Set password for Owner. Make sure Guest is disabled.
  22. Log on normally, defrag and double check everything.
  23. Rename the BK folder on D: to BK_Orig. Use the boot floppy or CD to boot to DOS and run GBak again.
  24. Burn CD/DVDs of BK_Orig and BK folders with Roxio EasyCD.
  25. Store a copy of all receipts, activation codes, ISP directions, driver CDs, manuals and the backup CDs in a ziploc bag in a safe place. Remember to add new upgrades to the bag