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Windows 10 first boot: what to do
When you first turn on your Windows 10 notebook, PC, or tablet (or after a clean clean install of Windows 10), you are prompted to select your country/region, language, keyboard layout, and time zone before pressing the button Forward. The next screen asks you to accept the contract legal status of Microsoft and to connect the PC to one of the available Wi-Fi networks. To connect to the internet immediately, click on the name of the Wi-Fi network and enter the password. If you don’t have access to a Wi-Fi network, you can skip this step and connect after setting up your PC. Before seeing any other screen we confirm personal use (Configuration for personal use) so that you already have a system ready to work from home.
In the next screen we enter the access credentials for the Microsoft account, strongly recommended in order to take advantage of the license included in the PC or notebook and to be able to access the online recovery procedures in case of forgotten password; if we do not want to use a Microsoft account but a simple local account, press at the bottom on Account offline, we press on Limited experience and finally we choose the name of the local account to use on the computer.
In the following screens, we will have access to the user’s privacy settings, how to activate geolocation, choose whether to participate in data collection to improve Windows 10, whether to improve pen input and digitization and whether to get personalized experiences and recommendations. In all these screens we can answer No Essential data only since they are all functions little used by users. The only options you can choose to keep active are those related to Skype (if you are using it) and that of sharing your location if you are using a tablet or laptop. In the following screen we choose whether or not to activate Cortana, the virtual assistant included in Windows 10 able to search and activate PC functions with the voice; if not interested just click on Not now and continue.
After configuring the system, a series of greetings will start on a black background, with the system working in the background to immediately optimize the desktop and basic applications; we don’t have to do that wait until the Windows 10 desktop appears.
After the first start of Windows 10
As soon as we see the Windows 10 desktop appear, the computer is ready to be used even if it is still required to do some important preparatory operations. If we have not already done so during the start-up phase, we connect the computer to the Internet to activate the Windows license and check the original Windows activation status. For definitive activation, click on the start menu at the bottom left corner, open the app Settings and let’s take it in Update and security> Activation. In another article, we explained how to use Windows 10 with Digital License to reinstall without a Product Key. If, on the other hand, we have already logged into the Internet during the first start, the system will already be active, we will not have to check anything.
Before doing anything else we immediately install the latest Windows updates, taking us on the path Settings> Update and security> Windows Update. Driver updates should also be included in the Windows 10 Update, to be installed immediately. If we have any problems with Windows Update we can always read our guide on Windows Update troubleshooting.
The last thing to do is finally uninstall and remove those pre-installed programs unnecessary that every manufacturer puts on the PC as games, manufacturers’ programs, and other unwanted additions, which often start-up themselves and slow down the computer. Likewise, in addition to classic programs like Notepad and Paint, Windows 10 also includes several applications visible from the Start menu.
Install your favorite or recommended programs
After having made the first start and passed the first checks it is time to install your favorite programs, so you can immediately start working or studying. To start, we recommend that you immediately install all the useful programs using a small script created by How2do, available in the guide Install programs and apps all at once with a single installer.
To learn more we can also read our guide’s best Windows 10 apps from the Microsoft Store e The 10 Programs to always and immediately install on Windows PCs.
Conclusions
Starting Windows for the first time has become much easier than in the past, where we had to have a minimum of computer knowledge to know what to do and what to choose. With Windows 10, on the other hand, all the screens are very simple and clear and it only takes a few mouse clicks to immediately start using the new computer or PC.
Always on the subject of new computers, we can read our guides How to customize Windows 10 e First options to change in Windows 10.
To prepare the computer for any eventuality it can be very useful to read our guide 5 things everyone needs to do on Windows to prepare their PC for any emergency.