Table of Contents
- Update Windows (Windows Update)
- Update Programs and Drivers
- Using manufacturers' software
- Video card software
- Using the Windows Store
- Using the Winget Upgrade command
- Adjust your PC image
- Uninstall unnecessary programs and apps
- Restart your PC from time to time
- Keep menus always complete
- Set your preferred programs
- Conclusion
Whether it's a desktop computer or a notebook, when we buy a new piece of equipment, they can sometimes come with programs and settings that can end up limiting performance. But don't worry, we're here to give you the best tips on how to get the most out of your current Windows PC.
Before continuing and teaching you how to configure your new PC, I need to warn you that some settings we will use in these tips will affect specific areas of your operating system. Therefore, follow the steps carefully or be sure of what you are doing to avoid causing unwanted problems on your machine.
Update Windows (Windows Update)
Let's start with the simplest step. Every time we start the Windows For the first time, it is extremely common for the operating system to be quite outdated, and this can lead to some performance problems or even the inability to achieve maximum performance on your machine. So, let's get straight to the point.
Step 1: With Windows already booted, click on the Windows or press the key with the drawing of the Windows on your keyboard and search for Windows Update.
Step 2: On this screen, look for and click the button Check for updates. It will then start a scan to see if there are any updates to download and install.
Step 3: If there is, the Windows Update will download updates and install them automatically. Sometimes, the Windows Update can display a button written Install. If this happens, just click the button and continue the process.
After finishing the updates, the Windows Update may require the machine to be restarted. If this happens, you can restart, as the updates here are finished for now.
In the case of Windows Update, it is always important to open the program again every now and then to check if there are new updates to be installed.
Update Programs and Drivers
Now let's move on to one of the most important parts and one that everyone who has some understanding of computing has already had difficulty with, but which is currently millions of times easier than in the early days of personal computers.
Drivers are, in a simplified way, the manual for how the PC should use the components present in the machine, be it the video card, the audio card, the internet, among others. All of these components have their respective drivers, which must be updated to make sure they are fully functioning.
In this part, I will give some tips for PCs on how to keep your drivers updated and make sure all drivers are installed correctly.
Using manufacturers' software
As I mentioned previously, it is currently very easy to install and keep your machine's drivers updated, as now most card manufacturers have their own programs that can analyze the card model, check if the drivers are installed and update them in an almost independent.
As each manufacturer has its own program, in this tip for setting up a new PC, I will use App Center da Gigabyte for example. But you can rest assured, because normally the procedure will be almost the same for other programs of its kind.
Step 1: When we start the Windows for the first time, it is common to receive a notification asking if we would like to install the Manufacturer's App Center. If the notification appears, we can allow the installation as normal.
If the notification does not appear, the program may already be installed. In this case, search the manufacturer's website for the name of the application and look for it on your computer to check if it is already installed.
Step 2: In the case of GiGABYTE App Center, In the top bar of the window, there is an arrow icon pointing downwards. Click it to display available updates for installed drivers and utility programs recommended for installation.
Step 3: Select the drivers to be installed and updated from your computer and click install. Here, just follow the instructions that the program will request, you can't go wrong.
Step 4: After installing everything and restarting a few times, the process is finished, and you now have your drivers installed and updated.
Video card software
Another driver that previously required work to install was that of the video card, but now it is extremely easy to install and update correctly. Just like motherboard drivers, video card manufacturers currently have programs that analyze your card model and automatically download and install the correct drivers.
This tip is usually more necessary for desktop users, but if you don't find the respective program on your notebook, follow the steps to install it. To demonstrate, I will use a plate GeForce, but the step by step is the same for AMD.
Step 1: Open your browser and search Google for your graphics card model. This information is always found on the card box or on the sticker attached to new notebooks.
Step 2: In the search results, look for your card's page on the manufacturer's website, in my case it is Asus;
Step 3: With the page open, look for the bracket of your model;
Step 4: Now look for the Drivers & Software;
Step 5: Select your Operating System, search for and download the driver called VGA;
Step 6: Once downloaded, install the program following all the steps required;
Step 7: Once installed, the program will analyze your card and install and/or update your video card driver, just check the driver area of your respective program;
Using the Windows Store
Just like cell phone applications, for programs and applications on the Windows to function normally, they also need to be properly updated. To facilitate our work in this regard, we can use the Windows Store, Google Play do Windows.
A Windows Store It only works for programs installed through it. Therefore, if the program you want to update was not installed this way, just follow the steps and you will be able to update it without any problems.
Step 1: Open the Start menu and search for Windows Store. Open it and click on Library. It is worth remembering that, to use the Windows Store, you must sign in with a Microsoft account to the app.
Step 2: Look for the button Get Updates, click and, after it searches for all available updates, click Update All.
Step 3: After finishing, all programs installed through the Windows Store will already be updated.
Using the Winget Upgrade command
Here's an extra tip: if you want to try updating all installed programs at once, you can also do so by DCM, a command prompt Windows where you can type command lines and the system will execute the processes independently.
Step 1: With your Start menu open, search for DCM and press enter.
Step 2: On this screen, type the command Winget Upgrade and press Enter. Before starting to check for updates, the command will ask you to allow it to do the process. So, press Y and press Enter.
Step 3: After completing the search, the DCM will display all programs and extensions that need updating. Now, just type Winget upgrade all the download and update process will begin.
Step 4: After completing all updates, you can now close this window, as the procedure for this tip is now complete.
Adjust your PC image
With all the drivers installed, in some cases, the image on your computer or notebook may look a little strange. This means that the screen size may be misconfigured. Let's resolve this now.
Step 1: On your desktop, right-click and search for Display Settings. Click on it.
Step 2: On this screen, look for Scale e Screen Resolution. In both, click and select the option that appears with Recommended in parentheses. Ready, your image is adjusted to the size of your screen.
Uninstall unnecessary programs and apps
Depending on how we buy our new desktop or notebook, in some cases, there may be pre-installed programs that can hinder the machine's performance more than help with its maintenance. Therefore, we recommend uninstalling some of these programs to free up space and replace them with more effective options.
This first step is more common on new notebooks, so let's go. Uninstall any third-party antivirus that may have come pre-installed on your machine.
Currently, the Windows, be the 10 or the 11, has its own antivirus called Windows Defender, which is enough for most users. This antivirus is capable of handling more common tasks and browsing and can even handle some more complex problems before you experience problems on your machine.
To uninstall unwanted programs from your machine, simply follow the steps below:
Step 1: Open the Start menu and type add or remove programs. After the search finds, click on the result or press Enter on your keyboard.
Step 2: On this screen, you will have access to all programs installed on your machine. Look for unnecessary programs and, in the case of new notebooks, third-party antivirus software.
Step 3: After finding the program you want to uninstall, click on the three dots and click uninstall. Follow the instructions and that's it, the program has been removed from your machine.
Restart your PC from time to time
One thing that few people know is that turning off your PC or even restarting it has a very useful function for the computer's performance. When we do one of these two actions, the system takes the opportunity to clear the memory and some information it reserves to open programs and perform tasks more quickly.
You can check whether your computer is storing this information for a long time through the Task Manager, which can be opened with the shortcut by pressing the keys Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
In this window, look for the Performance or the icon of a square with a line in the middle, equal to a heartbeat. On this screen, look for the information Uptime.
This information corresponds to the direct uptime of your machine. This is something palliative, but in the long term the machine may start to lose some performance. So, to reset this count, you just need to shut down your computer normally through the start menu, but holding down the key Shift when you click off.
Keep menus always complete
Now let's move on to a tip focused on users of Windows 11. A change that was implemented in the latest version of Windows was to summarize the context menu, that menu that appears when we click with the right mouse button, and this did not please a good portion of users, so we will now teach you how to make this menu always complete.
Reinforcing once again, in this tip we will change some information within the Registry Editor. Therefore, only change the information we present, as undue changes may end up resulting in problems with your machine.
Step 1: Open Registry Editor searching for it in the Start menu;
Step 2: With the window open, paste the address HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\CLSID\ in the bar where it is written Computers.
Step 3: On this screen, right-click and create a new key called {86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}.
Step 4: Once again, right-click and create a new key, now with the name InprocServer32.
Step 5: Open the file Sensors inside the key InprocServer and leave its value blank. After that, restart your computer and that's it.
Set your preferred programs
This tip is one of the simplest, but it often saves considerable work in the future. Just like on cell phones, on a desktop or notebook, we can set some programs as the default for executing certain files. So let's define the programs now so we don't waste time on this in the future.
Step 1: In the start menu, search for Default Applications and open it.
Step 2: On this screen, click Default application and search for the program you want to set as default and select it. In the example, I will define the Opera GX as standard browser.
Step 3: After selecting the program, various information about file extensions that can be opened with it will appear, but the most important is the first information displayed, which in the example is Make Opera GX your default browser. So just click Set pattern and it's ready.
This same step by step applies to all programs, so just repeat for each one you want to set as the default and you're done.
Conclusion
These were some tips on how to set up a new desktop and/or set up a new notebook. Remembering that there are routine activities too, such as emptying the trash, deleting unnecessary files or files that have already been used and most importantly, keeping the computer clean.
Many cases of crashes can be linked not only to problems in the machine's operating system, but also to the physical care of the computer or notebook, so always wipe down your notebook and dust your desktop.
All of these activities, despite being simple, in the long term, ensure that the health and performance of your machine remains the same, without problems that could lead to the loss of parts or the need for more professional maintenance.
See too:
https://www.showmetech.com.br/recurso-microsoft-copilot-analisa-documentos-no-windows/
Source: Tom's Hardware |
REVISED TEXT: Eduardo Ariedo 01/04/2024
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