Setting up a new laptop can be time consuming and frustrating. Since I’ve done it before I knew what steps had to be taken.
Take out the trash
Every new computer comes with special offers (read ads), trial software (more ads), useful utilities, and junk. The Toshiba Satellite® Notebook PC (A105-S2071) was no exception. Here’s what I did with the included software bundle:
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition- replaced with WinXP ProOffice Student Teacher Edition (60-day trial)- replaced with Microsoft Office 2000 ProfessionalWorks 8.5- deletedOffice OneNote™ 2003- deletedQuicken® New User Edition 2005- deleted
I kept the following utilities and applications.
- InterVideo® WinDVD™ 5
- Sonic Solutions® RecordNow!™ Basic and Drive Letter Access™
- McAfee® VirusScan® (30-day trial) - keeping for now but will probably replace with Norton AntiVirus
- Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®
- Sun® Java™ 2 Runtime Environment
- Windows Media Player 10
- Yahoo! Music Engine - keeping for now
I expected that transferring WinXP Pro and Office 2000 to a new computer would require permission from Microsoft. It didn’t. Insert disk — load software. Next I ran Windows / Office update to bring the laptop up to speed.
Using the File and Transfer Wizard
This utility is great in small doses — it’s a nightmare if you use it to transfer every application and data file from one PC to another. I used it to transfer a few essentials:
- My Outlook Express mailboxes (I don’t like Outlook.)
- My desktop with links to special applications and folders
- Internet Explore settings and favorites
That’s it. Everything fit on my SanDisk Cruzer Mini 1GB USB flash drive with room to spare.
Hiding Distractions
I created a desktop folder called Toshiba. I moved all the Toshiba shortcuts from the desktop to this folder.
The laptop creates a bunch of tray icons that I use infrequently. I’m not even sure what some of them do, so I hide them. Right click on the tray next to the clock and select properties. On the Taskbar check Hid inactive icons and click customize. Most of the application notifications will be set for Hide when inactive. Some, like the modem, can be changed to Always hide.
Heavy lifting ahead - call the movers
Moving from one computer to another is fairly easy if you have a good backup system. If most of your applications are on original disks or backup cds, you just have to take the time to install each one.
Once installed I open the application on both computers and make the changes necessary to make the laptop version match the old version.
I keep all software, manuals, and receipts in zip lock storage bags. The bags are stored in plastic magazine boxes.
Receipts for software I buy online are kept in a special folder in Outlook Express. This way I can find the registration codes that I will need to install the software on a new system.
I bought a cheap external DVD burner from CompUSA a short time ago and it was handy for copying folders to the laptop. The burner is slow and noisy, so I would set it up and then go watch TV or read.
Moving from one computer to another gives you the opportunity to re-think how your file system is organized. Make good use of it.
Useful Utilities
I use a bunch of little applications to make life easier: AD-Aware SE Personal, dclean, xenu, etc. I pretty cheap so I don’t buy a lot of utilities when I can get a similar one for free. One utility that’s worth paying for is TuneUp Utilities 2006. I own TuneUp 2004 and love it. I downloaded the 30 day free-trial version of the latest version and its great too.
TuneUp lets you fine tune and optimize just about every aspect of Windows easily. Give it a try.
Final thoughts
I really like my new Toshiba Satellite® Notebook PC (A105-S2071). It’s the quietest computer I’ve ever used — even burning a DVD was whisper quiet. BTW burning a DVD was very easy with the Sonic RecordNow utility. There’s lengthy tutorial that I discovered after starting a backup project. I wish the fan vent was in back instead on the left side — my notes get a tad warm. But the fan is quiet and seems to work well.
Altogether I’m very pleased with my purchase.
November 8th, 2006 at 8:32 am
I have a question: I just purchased a Toshiba Satellite A105-S4384. Just like you said, and like every other new laptop, it comes with a whole bunch of junk.
I manually uninstalled/removed most of the ones I don’t need, but I am preparing to buying Windows Vista when it comes out. However, if I do a clean install, the Toshiba utilities that are vital to the laptop (the mouse pad software and the other useful utilities such as the virtual sound, network diagnostics) will be gone once I do a clean install. I wonder if you know how or where i can get those utilities from Toshiba or a website so I can reinstall those drivers once I install Windows Vista.
Sidney
November 8th, 2006 at 4:20 pm
Sidney-
My laptop came with a Toshiba cd that included various applications and drivers. Check the items that came with your computer.
In addition the Toshiba support site includes updates that you can download. Just click Start/ Help and Support and you will find a custom help page from Toshiba on your laptop.
Alternatively, you can go to support.toshiba.com and navigate from there.
You might want to save the files under programs/Toshiba too. Copy them to a cd or zip them up for future reference.
Using the help pages on your laptop is by far the easiest way to go.
Toshiba support is quite good. In my experience it is a lot easier to find just what you need than with some other manufacturers.
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:02 pm
My son purchased his Toshiba laptop and took it to UC Berkeley. Now he can’t properly install Berkeley’s required security program because of McAfee’s presence on his computer. The problem is: McAfee doesn’t show up in the Add or Remove Programs list, so he can’t Remove it.
Any ideas?
He’s tried their “automatic removal” link, and also going to c:\program files. McAfee is on there, but it can’t be found in order to remove.
December 7th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
i have a problems with my laptop toshiba satellite a105 s4384.
when i try to recovery my laptop my problem start.that cd recovery have an erorr massage, so i can finish myrecovery..
please help me where i can get that recovery cd, becose i can’t install toshiba utilities, and i can’t operate all het keys (such fn+f1… etc)
January 5th, 2008 at 1:03 am
I just bought a Toshiba laptop and it didn’t come with any CD’s or anything. It also shows a 60 day trial for Microsoft Office and I was told Office came with it. I basically bought it because of that as I need Word and Excel. Any time I try to use Word it asks me for my 25 character password which is supposed to be on included CD’s (which there are none), on the certificate of autenticity (which I can’t find in any of the paper) or in the instruction manual (which is not there). I bought it from London Drugs so I know it’s from a good source but I’ve never set up a computer before so I have no idea what I’m doing. Any ideas?
Angele
January 10th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Sorry for the delay in answering these questions:
1. ohismith - I suggest you try “How to Uninstall McAfee Security Center” at http://www.wikihow.com/Uninstall-McAfee-Security-Center
2. andre - I hope you went to the Toshiba support site or contacted Toshiba.
3. angele - Go back to London Drugs and get the CDs that come with the unit or get your money back. Most laptops come with a lot of trial software. My Toshiba came with a trial version of the student version of office. It’s cheaper than full version but it’s not free. I installed an older version that I already owned.