Hi. What do you do after a fresh windows 7 install to customize your computer? Aside from installing firefox, notepad++, filezilla etc, I always edit the folder options to show hidden files (except sys) and show extensions.
I also change the libraries.
What do you do?
I first install Avast, and see to it that it is 100% updated, then I go online and if necessary, download updated drivers for my hardware if I don't already have them on backup somewhere.
I then install my day-to-day applications such as Office and Delphi RAD Studio, and then setup my mail accounts.
But then again, I don't install/uninstall programs and stuff on a daily basis (like some people I know), and I'm wary about where I go and what I do on the 'net to minimize the threat of viruses, so my system remains stable for longer than most, and I usually by choice only do a reload once a year.
The longest I've gone without a reload is 2 1/2 years, with Vista. The reload comes in when I started beta testing Windows 7 last year. I done several reloads of 7 since the beta, as new versions came out. I'm now on the release of Windows 7 x64 Ultimate since October, and so far it looks good that I may not need a reload for some time.
i install:
-Avast
-Malwarebytes
-firewall if using a free anti virus
- cyberlink powerdirector
-gimp
-google earth
-microsft office
and some games but i dont tend to play many.
I update my chipset drivers first. Then I update all my other hardware drivers. I then install Office '07, followed by installing the Office SP2 standalone installer.(Saves a heap of Office updates to install through Windows Updates). When I'm finished with that, I let Windows install all available updates.
I then make an image of my install.(Not really any programs installed) This way I have a nice vanilla image of Windows as a backup.
After the image is created, I install all my other software. (Norton 360, Malwarebytes, External Soundcard Drivers, Audio Recording Software, etc.)
Same here: install Avast and ccleaner. I do not automatically install Windows updates but I do/did update Windows Defender definitions. I also just glance over the security settings: making sure the firewall is ON, disabling automatic downloads of updates etc.
I install
Updates for drivers
Avast 5
Chrome
Office 2007 Home and Student
Ccleaner
essential Windows Updates
Windows live essentials
Revo uninstaller
Speedfan
Itunes
VLC Media Player
Paint.net
I start with the basic drivers, motherboard, video card, and then I run WEI to get AERO running.
The I move on to updates for windows, latest Service Pack, DirectX, Silverlight. For XP add the latest IE and MP, and dot net framework, etc. Once all that is done and office is installed I hit windows update.
Now I install Flash, Java, Adobe Reader, 7-Zip, etc.
After that I pick away at the rest of my hardware like my DVD Burner, printers, etc.
EDIT: I like to keep everthing on color codded flash drives to speed things up. It beats the hell out of swapping Cd's
Green 2 gig = Drivers
Blue 4 gig = Windows updates
Brown 1 gig = Office + Office updates
Black 8 gig = Programs
The first thing I did when I installed 7 was to install my AntiVirus and malwarebytes
Updates.
Then I installed as needed.
Motherboard / Chipset drivers
Ati (video) & ccc
Security Essentials
Selected 7 updates
The ratsnest known as Realtek (for 5.1) drivers
With Windows 7...I've found it now unnecessary to load any of my mobo chipset utilities as the ones packed with Windows simply run better.
So, I install the OS, activate it, check Device Manager for any warnings, run Windows update and take an image. This way I got something "plain vanilla" to snap back to. I don't like to install my 3rd party video drivers or AV yet...as the next time I lay this image back down, I might be using updated drivers or a different AV product.
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