{"id":4509,"date":"2017-04-04T05:23:23","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T05:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rsoftsolution.com\/blog\/10-essential-first-steps-after-installing-windows.html"},"modified":"2017-04-04T05:23:23","modified_gmt":"2017-04-04T05:23:23","slug":"10-essential-first-steps-after-installing-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rbsitsoftwaresolution.in\/blog\/10-essential-first-steps-after-installing-windows.html","title":{"rendered":"10 essential initial stairs after installing Windows"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Whether you’re installing a workstation or a server, a Windows handling complement is designed to get we adult and regulating as fast as possible. Built-in drivers, ready-for-use applications, and a standardised Start Menu meant reduction devils in a details.<\/p>\n

However, there are a few things we always make certain to check off when we set adult a new Windows sourroundings in a business environment. Some of these stairs engage creation my life easier so we can work some-more efficiently, and others engage shortening some pet peeves over that Microsoft and we boundary heads. A few of my recommendations engage personal preferences – that of march will change depending on a director concerned – though in those cases we outline my logic behind these preferences. Many will also ask to home computers, not usually those used in a business environment.<\/p>\n

Obviously tasks like sourroundings adult a initial account, fasten a domain and removing online are a no-brainer so I’ll skip past these and assume a suppositious complement in doubt has usually booted adult and been logged in. I’ll also skip stairs like utilizing a page file, defragmenting a handling complement or installing a registry health check\/cleaner given these are mostly things of a past interjection to improvements in Windows.<\/p>\n

Note: screenshots taken on a Windows Server 2012 R2 system, though a stairs should be allied for other new versions of Windows.<\/p>\n

1.\tDocument a director password<\/h2>\n

It’s a tiny step, though we can’t highlight a significance of this enough. we use opposite director passwords on opposite systems (after all, like dominoes falling, if one director cue is compromised all systems spin accessible). They’re all stored in a common cue stable called KeePass<\/a> that my associate admins and we rest on. If we leave a company, they keep entrance to these passwords. Of course, they also afterwards have to change all these passwords for confidence reasons, though that’s a opposite tale.<\/p>\n

There are ways to reset director passwords<\/a> – my favorite is to use Hiren’s Boot CD to do so<\/a> (in fact, a immeasurable series of probable ways to do this should strengthen since we should physically secure systems to keep them from descending in a wrong hands) though this can be formidable and time-consuming, and in some situations if your foot volume is encrypted we competence be out of luck. <\/p>\n

2.\tReveal what is hidden<\/h2>\n

I go opposite Microsoft’s pellet in a integrate of areas. By default, Windows hides certain files such as complement files, subdirectories in user form folders and other elements that would wreak massacre if incidentally deleted. Since a purpose of being a complement director mostly involves operative with these dark files to solve problems, it’s essential to be means to find them (it’s also frustrating to have to set them to be displayed when you’re perplexing to solve an obligatory problem).<\/p>\n

Another component we privately find irritating is when Windows doesn’t uncover record extensions for famous record types, given this can lead to confusion; is this a Powershell script, content file, collection record or something else? Yes, a “Type” mainstay lists a outline of a file, though I’d rather see a prolongation for myself.<\/p>\n

You can spin off a options to censor these files or extensions around these steps:<\/p>\n

Open Windows Explorer, click View, go to Options afterwards click a View tab.<\/p>\n

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Select “Show dark files, folders and drives.”<\/p>\n

Uncheck “Hide extensions for famous record types” and “Hide stable handling complement files (Recommended).”<\/p>\n

3.\tTweak a taskbar\/system tray settings<\/h2>\n

Microsoft is immeasurable on pinning things to a Task Bar. This routine groups mixed regulating programs together around immeasurable icons and can outcome in a charge bar that looks like this:<\/p>\n

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This is one of those personal preferences we mentioned in my introduction, though we find this too cluttered and formidable to navigate, generally when we have mixed remote desktop sessions going and wish to be certain I’m on a right complement (or else a wrong one competence finish adult incidentally rebooted).<\/p>\n

The presentation area, that consists of icons in a revoke right that can assistance we brand what’s running, possibly there are problems with a system, or other engaging operational elements, is also collapsed by default so not all icons are visible:<\/p>\n

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I can exhibit all of a icons by hovering a rodent over that tiny black adult arrow:<\/p>\n

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However, that’s too primer for me. So to repair a above dual issues, perform a following:<\/p>\n

Right-click a taskbar and name “Properties”:<\/p>\n

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Check “Use tiny taskbar buttons” and afterwards set a Taskbar buttons margin to “Never combine.”<\/p>\n

Click a “Customize” symbol subsequent to “Notification area”:<\/p>\n

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Check off “Always uncover all icons and notifications on a taskbar.”<\/p>\n

Once we click OK you’ll finish adult with a perspective identical to a following:<\/p>\n

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Everything is laid out and simply identifiable, facilitating complement management.<\/p>\n

4.\tDrivers and patches<\/h2>\n

My subsequent charge is to implement a latest drivers and Windows Updates for this system. Microsoft does yield certain drivers around Windows Update, though we cite to go true to a source given those are expected a newest and many suitable drivers.<\/p>\n

This is easier these days than a furious crow chases of a past given vendors are assisting out. Dell, for instance, has a good set of collection on their support website<\/a> that can automatically detect that drivers your complement needs afterwards download and ask them for you. Other hardware manufacturers offer identical options.<\/p>\n

Some systems are behind firewalls and not supposing entrance to a internet, or competence use a centralized patch government resolution such as SCCM, so in this box I’ll trigger a rollout of all rags to this new complement and finish a required cycle of reboots so it’s entirely up-to-date.<\/p>\n

5.\tActivate Windows<\/h2>\n

This is one of a best messages to come opposite on a Windows system:<\/p>\n

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Like a cat during dinnertime, Windows is unequivocally good about notifying we when it needs to be activated. In fact, we competence contend it can harass we utterly a bit, generally as a 30-day deadline approaches. <\/p>\n

Like a influenza shot, we name to get this out of a approach as shortly as probable if installing a stand-alone complement not on a domain, usually in box there are issues with activation we need time to resolve. To activate, go to Control Panel, System and click “Activate Windows Now.” If a internet tie works this should occur automatically, though if there is a problem or a complement has no internet entrance afterwards activation by phone is necessary.<\/p>\n

Microsoft offers a good use called “Key Management Service<\/a>” (or KMS) that can hoop involuntary activation of systems in your domain. Basically, we set adult a use on a centralized complement and new systems activate Windows by this all on their possess interjection to specific DNS records. The usually locate is a complement contingency bond to a server each 180 days to endorse a activation status, so if a appurtenance leaves a domain or ends adult as personal skill Windows will eventually ask activation again. <\/p>\n

6.\tInstalling Programs<\/h2>\n

The programs we implement on a workstation or a server will change depending on your needs and tastes. Obviously certain programs such as anti-malware, capability tools, request readers and foundational elements like Java should be partial of a process. For workstations we intend to utilize, Dropbox comes in accessible given it contains all my designation programs so once we implement this afterwards they eventually seem on a tough expostulate prepared to run. Reduce a series of programs we use on servers, however, to cut down on patch work and exploitable vulnerabilities (do we unequivocally need Microsoft Office regulating on a Windows server?)<\/p>\n

However, here are some special giveaway programs I’ve found indispensable opposite all a systems we use and manage:<\/p>\n