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What I Install on a
New PC
~~ by
Hal
Cardona, PC Sleuth
Linda asked me to write an article
about what I install on a new PC. Since I recently got a new laptop and
am constantly building PCs for clients, I thought you might be
interested in what I install and why.
Update BIOS
The first thing I do is update the
BIOS. I do this because usually the PCs I build are running some
bleeding edge hardware and the BIOS is necessary to work with the
something like the latest and greatest processor.
Windows XP Pro
Next I install Windows, usually
Windows XP Pro. Often for home user clients, it is Windows XP Home. If
the boot disk is on a RAID controller, I often need to Press F6 when
prompted by Windows to load the RAID or SATA drivers so that Windows can
see the hard drive or RAID array in which I want to install it.
Last night I did a machine with Windows Media Center, unfortunately the
machine doesn’t have enough horse power in the graphics card to run
Media Center as it is supposed to run. (Oh well, I will get it
straightened out later.)
Drivers
After windows is up and running I
install all the drivers for the hardware in the PC. I make sure that I
have all the latest drivers from the hardware manufacturers before I
start. If the PC is for my use I just use a USB Key drive to install
from, if it is for a client, I decompress them and burn them to a CD.
I install the drivers in the following order:
1. Chipset drivers – these
have to be in place for everything else to install and function
correctly.
2. Video driver – I do this one second because it is easier
to work on a screen that is correctly sized for the monitor.
3. Audio drivers – Got to have sound
4. Network card drivers – I’ll need to get this thing on the
Internet soon so it’s time to make the network work.
5. Modem drivers
6. Any specialized drivers like the ones for my ATI TV
Wonders that I use to have 2 TV windows on my desktop.
7. APC PowerChute – I use APC UPSes on all of my PCs and
include them with quite a few of the PCs I sell. I install APC’s
shutdown software now. It can save your data when there is a power
outage by hibernating your PC so you don’t lose any data.
Security Software
I’ve spent quite a bit of time
getting the PC up and going with up-to-date drivers. Since the next step
is going to involve connecting it to the internet, I have to protect it.
The first thing I do is install my client’s Anti Virus software of
choice. I really don’t care what they want to use as long as it is
something that they will keep up to date and use. On my machines, I run
AVG Free, Norton Anti Virus (from 2003 to 2005) and Symantec Corporate.
They aren’t on the same machine but I find it helpful to have them in
use so I can stay on top of their procedures for when a client calls.
My network is behind an ISA server
which is a fairly comprehensive firewall, so normally I don’t install a
separate software firewall on the machines that will be staying here. I
always install my client’s firewall of choice before I connect their
machine to my network or the internet. After I get the Anti Virus
and firewall software installed I connect the machine to the network and
update both the Anti Virus software and firewall software. Up tol this
point, the machine hasn’t had an Ethernet cable connected.
All Service Packs and Updates
Time to patch Windows. For new PCs,
the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) CDs now come with SP2 already
on them, so I just need to connect to the internet and download and
install a few updates. If the PC is a clean re-installation of
Windows XP, I run an SP2 CD to install SP2, unless the client has a
specific reason to avoid SP2. After SP2 is installed, I connect to the
Internet and download all the updates. If SP2 isn’t to be installed, I
run the Windows Security Update to get the PC close to up-to-date and
then connect it to the internet and download the rest of the updates
that are applicable for a pre-SP2 machine.
Microsoft Office 2003
I use Microsoft Office, (whatever the
latest version is), so it is installed on my PCs. I have to support it
for my clients so I need to install the whole thing. I made notes below
on the programs that are important for me.
Outlook
Outlook is essential for my
household. We use a shared calendar on our Exchange server to keep
track of where every one needs to be.
SpamBayes
A free Bayesian anti-spam
filter that works as a plug-in to Outlook. It makes it possible
for me to function, by filtering out the over-5,000 pieces of
Spam I receive daily. I usually receive about 300 valid pieces
of e-mail daily.
Word
Got to have Word to write
articles for Linda. I can’t spell and my grammar is terrible. Word
is essential.
Excel
I use Excel to create quotes for
clients. I also use it to keep track of Sales and Use Taxes that I
need tto collect and/or pay.
PowerPoint
Access
Publisher
Front Page
Map Point
I primarily use Map Point to
create maps for downloading to my Pocket PC
Visio
I use Visio to create network
diagrams.
Update Office
Office is just as full of holes as
Windows. Now that it is installed, it’s time to update it.
Join the Domain
Since I run a managed network (using
Microsoft’s Small Business Server 2003) at my house, it is time to make
the machine a member of my Domain. After the machine has joined the
domain, I log in to the server and assign the client settings I want it
to have.
Redirect My Documents
I always redirect the My Documents
folder to the server. That way if people save their personal file in
their My Documents folder they are backed up nightly and automatically
by the server.
Set-up Offline Files
With XP Pro, the My Documents
redirection has an added bonus. When you redirect your My Documents
folder to a network share, XP Pro will make into an offline folder,
which means you can be disconnected from the network and continue
working with your files. They will be synchronized with the server when
the network is reconnected.
Pocket PC
I use an HP iPaq hx4700 to keep me
organized. I love it. It synchs with my server to download my calendar
info, email, contacts and tasks. It has WiFi and Bluetooth built in. I
have a 1 GB Compact Flash and a 1 GB SD card installed for additional
storage.
Active Synch
I have to install Active Synch to
be able to work with my IPaq.
Programs
Battery Bar Pro
Provides battery, memory and
storage info on the Today screen, It also has a program bar that
gives me easy access to programs I use from the Today screen.
Avantgo
Free service that downloads
the news feeds I specify to my iPaq for offline reading.
Pocket Informant
An add on for Pocket Outlook
Belkin Navigation System
Connects to my Belkin
Bluetooth GPS receiver and provides spoken turn by turn
directions.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Pocket Streets
Connects to my Belkin
Bluetooth receiver and has different maps available for hard to
locate addresses.
PocketWinC
Makes it easy to connect to
wireless networks
WiFiFoFum
Connects to my Bluetooth GPS
and maps the location of wireless networks.
Resco File Explorer
A File Explorer that has
expanded capabilities beyond the basic Pocket PC application
MS Games Pack
Got to have some time wasters
on this thing
MS Reader
Read books on my iPaq
Activate Reader
You have to activate
Microsoft Reader to use it.
DVD to Pocket PC
Convert and compress DVDs so
I can load them on the SD Card or Compact Flash and watch them
on my iPaq.
Microsoft Virtual PC
Microsoft Virtual PC allows me to run
various operating systems in Windows on my PC. I use it to support
clients, it allows me to work with their OS without having to install it
on a real PC. It is awesome on my laptop, I can load the client’s OS in
a window on my PC.
Load Virtual Machines
Virtual PC works with virtual
machines that are stored in files, I copy them to where I install VPC so
I don’t have to reload the virtual OS on each virtual PC. I install the
following virtual OSs:.
1. Linux
2. Dos 6.22
3. Windows 3.1
4. Windows for Workgroups 3.11
5. Windows 95
6. Windows 95 OSR2
7. Windows 98
8. Windows 98 SE
9. Windows ME
10. Windows NT 4.0 Workstation
11. Windows NT 4.0 Server
12. Windows 2000 Professional
13. Windows 2000 Server
14. Windows XP Home
15. Windows XP Professional
16. Windows 2003 Server
17. Windows 2003 Small Business Server
Anti Spyware tools
Spyware and Adware are some of the
scourges of the internet. I work hard to keep my PCs free of them.
Spybot Search and Destroy
Adaware
Bazooka Scan
CWShredder
HiJackThis
Warning: it can be very
dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Be very careful if
you decide to install and use HiJackThis.
Server Administration Tools
Since my job entails supporting my
clients and their servers I need to install some specific tools to make
this job easier.
GenControl
A Tight VNC implementation that
allows me to remotely control any Windows NT based machine on which
I have Administrator rights without having to install anything
locally first.
Tight VNC
A free remote control application
Windows Server2003
Administration Tools Pack
A set of tools that Microsoft
provides to administer Windows 2003 servers.
Microsoft Baseline Security
Advisor
A tool that checks your PC for
multiple known vulnerabilities.
Trillian Pro
Multiple client IM software. Trillian
Pro allows me to chat with clients using AIM, MS Messenger, Yahoo chat,
ICQ and IRC with a single interface.
Firefox
Firefox is a free Internet browser
that has quickly become a replacement to Internet Explorer for me. It
doesn’t suffer from the same vulnerabilities as Internet Explorer. I add
the following to the base Firefox installation.
1. Google Bar
2. Tabbed Browser Extension
3. Load Java (Sun)
4. Macromedia Flash Player
5. Shockwave
Mozilla Browser
Another free internet browser that is
safer than Internet Explorer. I have some clients who have chosen to use
Mozilla for their browser so I need to be able to support it.
Opera
Another free internet browser that is
safer than Internet Explorer. The same as with Mozilla, a few clients
prefer it.
Quicktime
Allows me to watch quicktime movies
WS FTP pro
A very good FTP client.
Gmail Notifier
Lets me know when I I have new mail
in my gmail account.
Weather Pulse
A free utility that gives me
up-to-date weather information without the spyware concerns or
advertising found in Weather Bug.
QuickBooks Pro
I run my business using QuickBooks. I
keep my data file in an offline folder so it is available from either my
desktop or my laptop.
Adobe Acrobat (full Version)
I use the full version of Adobe
Acrobat to create pdf files. I often print client invoices as pdfs, then
use my USB Key drive to transfer them to the client’s computer for
printing.
Adobe Photoshop Elements
Almost all the power of Photoshop,
without the cost. It does enough image editing for me.
Adobe Premier
I like to play with video editing and
premier gives a very powerful program to do it with. I probably don’t
need all the power of Premier, but I like it.
Clone CD
Allows me to make exact duplicates of
CDs for archival purposes.
Quicken
Keeps the family check book balanced.
SnapSynch
Allows me to synch my outlook
contacts with my cellular phone.
Microsoft PowerToys
The Microsoft PowerToys are a set of
unsupported add-ons for windows that Microsoft has released that add
functionality to Windows. My favorite is TweakUI.
Partition Magic
Partition Magic is an easy to use
partition management program.
Disk Keeper
I use Disk Keeper to keep my hard
drive defragmented.
Norton Ghost
Ghost is my preferred disk imaging
software. I can use Ghost to image a machine or to restore an image
using either local media or over the network.
Done!
Now the machine has been tuned and
updated to my (or my clients) specifications and is working the way I
want it to. I use Norton Ghost to burn a restore DVD image of the
system. That way, if something nasty trashes it, I can get right back to
where I was today in a few minutes
Hal
Cardona, PC Sleuth,
serves as tech support and/or offsite Sys Admin for over 200 clients
around the US. He designs, builds, and troubleshoots networks and
builds custom computer systems.
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