What You Should Do After Installing Windows XP or Vista

Don’t you just love the look and the smell of a brand new PC? Nothing excites me more than tearing up its packaging and spending time with the manual for a preview of the things to come.  As with anything new, you would normally want everything that concerns it to be perfect, be it the table that it would be resting on or the software that will bring it to life.

If your new PC didn’t come with a bundled OS, then you will have the pleasant (sometimes) privilege of experiencing how Windows is conceived and born inside your computer. The task is not that daunting. Most of the time, you’ll just be reduced to a mere spectator as almost everything is done in autopilot.

Once the installation of your operating system has been done, the next thing that you’ll most probably do is connect a modem to your PC and immediately surf the net. While Windows XP and Vista already have a built-in firewall that could ward off attacks from cyberspace, it only provides a thin line of defense. Just like every newborn, it must be protected from external threats for a period of time first before letting it venture outside.

Before you try your new surfboard on the Internet, you might want to do the following first, unless you’re eager to experience installing your operating system again:

1. Check for updates

Do you know why your operating system’s box doesn’t have a “best before” mark? It’s because the software is already ridden with holes by the time it gets out of the factory. Everyday, users discover gaps, holes, or faulty codes in their OS. While there’s no such thing as a perfect program, the fallibility of operating systems should not be simply taken as a fact of life that has to be acknowledged and accepted sitting down.

Surfing the Web with an OS that has not been patched up is like taunting Genghis Khan on top of a massive wall that has a few bricks missing in it. It’s simply reckless. Your system would already be hosting a number of worms by the time you shut down. So before you warp to cyberspace using your new PC, make sure that its OS is fully patched and updated.

2.  Install an antivirus

Don’t be too confident with the arsenal that Windows have against malware. Sure, it has a good firewall and a malicious software removal tool. But that could only ward off or cure minor coughs and colds. Many infections require a tougher medicine that homegrown herbs simply cannot handle. If you think that Windows’ defenses are already sufficient, then why are antivirus programs still selling like hotcakes?

Be discerning in choosing the type or brand of antivirus that you’re going to install in your computer. Many are tempted to opt for those that are offered for free on the Web. While some of them can compete with Norton and McAfee, many freeware are either deficient or are free only for a limited period. So I suggest that you go for the real deal right away in order to avoid future hassles.

3.  Create a restore point.

The best time to create a restore point or a snapshot of your system is right after you’ve just installed Windows and its patches. This is the time when your operating system is at its pristine state as no changes in the registry have yet been made by third-party programs. When you encounter system crashes or problems in the future, you could restore everything back to what it was before the problem arose. You’ll find this very useful, especially if you don’t want to go through Windows’ installation process all over again.