Before using your newly purchased computer for the first time, spent a few minutes to follow the 5 steps given below so that you can increase your remove some potential headaches and increases the computer security

1. Emergency Disks

Some computers come with CDs or DVDs which can be used to reinstall the OS and pre-installed software in the case of something goes wrong, such as malware infestation, or a hard drive hiccup. If such discs are included in your system, keep them safe and make its copies once the computer is fully set up. If these are not with your system, read the owner’s manual for instructions regarding how to create them. Do this as soon as possible – before installing new software or before you go online. Also make a second copy of these disks and keep it safe.

2. Install Security Software

Before connecting to the Internet through a wired or Wi-Fi connection you should make sure your system have a firewall and an updated antivirus software installed on your system; surfing without these programs can make your computer vulnerable to all types of nasty malware. If your operating system comes with a built-in firewall, turn on this if no other option is available, but should consider downloading any other replacement. If you have a second computer, use it to download antivirus, firewall and antimalware applications. You can use a CD/DVD or USB flash drive to copy the downloaded files to the new machine. Install this software before you connect to the Internet to reduce the risks. Once you get online, download updates for the installed software. If your computer has built-in security software, you should remove these packages first if you have decided to install alternatives.

3. Uninstall Software After setting up the computer, go through the list of pre installed software on the computer’s “Uninstall or change a program” or “Add/Remove Programs”, or similar tool. Remove the pre-installed “bloatware”, software which you may not need such as photo applications you may never use, trial games, links to Internet Service Providers you will never access, website toolbars, etc. Keep the installed security software if you don’t want to install different applications.

4. Consider a New Web Browser

You are not stuck with default web browser present in your OS if you want to browse the web. There are several alternatives available such as , Opera, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, and using any another web browser may increase your system’s overall security. Even if you have installed a new web browser, be sure to keep the default browser of your OS up-to-date so that malware attack on your system via an exploit can be prevented.

5. Update All Software

Before browsing the web update your OS and the built-in web browser. Also check for updates to document readers like Adobe Acrobat Reader and installed multimedia players. Look for updates to installed browser plug-ins such as Adobe Shockwave, Adobe Flash, , QuickTime, Java and RealPlayer. Keeping the software up-to-date helps to reduce the risk of your computer getting affected by some malwares.

Following these simple five steps will help to increase your computer’s security when going online.