Optimizing / Setting up a new Windows 10 Machine

I’ve been a Mac user for well over 10 years but lately I have been using a small Windows 10 GPD Pocket 2 when out on the road as it is small enough to carry and powerful enough to carry out a reasonable amount of tasks.

I’m a little finicky about my OSX setup and although it has taken me a little while I am now in a place where I have a pretty defined Windows 10 setup which a couple of colleagues have been pressing me to share, so here goes:

  • Post Windows 10 install, if it is  Windows Home upgrade to Windows Pro
  • Download the Windows 10 Update Assistant and update to the latest version of Windows 10
  • Windows Pro is needed so BitLocker can be turned on for hard drive encryption. Proceed to do that.
  • Install your favourite Anti-Virus. I tend to stick with Windows Defender.
  • Install Malwarebytes cybersecurity for windows 10.
  • Download BlackBird, backup existing settings, and run for enhanced Windows 10 Privacy
  • Download Windows Firewall Control (a little like Little Snitch for Mac) which blocks outbound App and System requests until you. validate request.

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  • Install Percentage, a cool freeware app that puts the percentage on the windows taskbar.

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  • Install XMeters a cool utility that provides Windows 10 taskbar system monitoring (a little like MenuMeters for Mac)

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All done !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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