Just bought a windoze 8.1 laptop

Stonker

OK, I've just got a new machine so before I screw it up, a few questions:

1. How do I learn to drive windoze 8? Is there a good online guide or anything?
2. Are there any settings I need to check/change?
4. Which antivirus programs do you recommend these days?
5. Am I safe with IE or should I consider another browser?
6. Do I need to create a restore point or anything?

Thanks is advance for any advice

spacey2012

As operating systems go, it is the most baffling and hardest to use I have ever seen .

Stonker

Me too....it seems to have a mind of it's own

Valli

Stonker wrote: »

Me too....it seems to have a mind of it's own

Turing test passed then?

Stonker

Valli wrote: »

Turing test passed then?

Indeed. One step ahead of the Mrs!

Jivesinger

Stonker wrote: »

OK, I've just got a new machine so before I screw it up, a few questions:

6. Do I need to create a restore point or anything?

Thanks is advance for any advice

Before you do anything else, I would do the following:

• Use the option (if there is one) to create Recovery Disks, and keep them safe. Most manufacturers have this option somewhere
• Use something like Macrium Reflect to create a full image of the disk in its 'clean' state.

Stonker

Jivesinger wrote: »

Before you do anything else, I would do the following:

• Use the option (if there is one) to create Recovery Disks, and keep them safe. Most manufacturers have this option somewhere
• Use something like Macrium Reflect to create a full image of the disk in its 'clean' state.

Thanks for that. The machine doesn't have a DVD drive. I guess I need an external one or can I do something with an external hard drive instead?

Jivesinger

Stonker wrote: »

Thanks for that. The machine doesn't have a DVD drive. I guess I need an external one or can I do something with an external hard drive instead?

For the full backup you could use an external hard drive with Macrium (or whatever).

You may be able to use a USB memory stick to create a Recovery Drive; it depends on what options your computer manufacturer has built-in.

Weird_Nev

I've found it fine. Quite intuitive and straightforwards to be honest.

My computer does have a touch screen however - and there are certain actions that you pretty much HAVE to use a touch screen for. I think I"d be lost/confused/upset without it. But other than that, I like it.

Avast seems to work well on Win 8 - I've been using it for years and intend to continue to.

IE is still the worst of the browsers in my experience. Keep it, but try both Chrome and Firefox and see if you prefer them. You can set any of the up as your 'primary' browser, but it's essential that you keep a secondary browser on the system.

I'm using Firefox (26) and it's fine on Win 8.

Definitely create a restore point once you've got the computer to a stable position with the programs you like installed.

There are no particular settings to check or change, so long as it's working how you'd like.

Quick tip: Holding Windows Key and pressing X will bring up a system tools menu with links to command prompt, Disk utilities, system tools and various other useful things.

TheSaint_2

Check the documentation you got with the laptop. It should have a built in recovery partition, so you don't need to mess around making backups.


Windows defender that comes with it is quite a good Av, its free and won't slow you down.


IE is just fine, all browsers are fairly equal these days. Just use what you like. IE is obviously the best integrated if you use the app version. Watch out for the new chrome, Google have really screwed the latest release up.


It should give you a tour of the new features, if not good luck!

Stonker

Thanks for the info. I only got a 'getting started' pamphlet. I think there might be a sofm manual somewhere though

Do I need Avast? Doesn't W8 come with antivirus & stuff?

With xp, Vista and W7, I used to sun Super Anti-Spyware and MBAM regularly