After a lot of considerationcomparison-shopping and mental agony, you finally bought a laptop and you were very happy, at least for a while. The next thing after you have landed back to reality is what to do about it. If your laptop is brand new and gleaming off the box from the dealer, no problem: you simply turn it on and install your needed programs and utilities. But it be a used laptopor arefurbished laptop, there are more things to perform after turning it on. That is even assuming that you checked it properly at the dealer before deciding to pay for it and it worked fine.

Here are the imperatives and some optional things you should do to optimize its functioning:

Imperative #1-Clean up the HDD: Old data in your HDD might not have been erased even while refurbishing. Inputted data remain in the disk even when deleted unless superseded by new data. These traces of old data occupy space in the HDD and may force the machine to write the new data somewhere else, producing fragmented files. File fragmentation is one cause of slower performance. There are special applications designed for erasing old data without deleting the operating system and other applications.

Imperative #2-Reconfigure the drive: Faster than clearing the drive is reformatting. It completely clears the hard disk which unfortunately includes your software within it. Thus you will have to re-install them after. This is one precaution people divide up the disk into separate drives (C; D) and install operating software in Drive C and data in Drive D. You can use Windows Clean Disk program or some different application for this.

Imperative #3-Install an antivirus program: For security when toiling with the machine, especially at the Internet opening websites and copying files or graphics. Many infections go via the Web and the more virulent ones can attack the operating system seriously enough to render it a terminal case. Some can destroy your data or multiply occupied space by instituting a parallel program.

It is a good idea to pick a program which will also defend you from malware and spyware. The bad short software can harm your programs or at least encumber its operation. They are mostly used to copy email addresses from your machine to send spam to, and to you.

Elective #1-Improve your software and utilities: If possible supplant systems and utilities with more reliable ones. Also, some laptops were sold in that they became obsolete, being overly slow, small RAM, incompatible with newer utility programs and such. Adding to the capacity of your RAM or HDD will be useful to you.

Elective #2-Make available an extra battery: Battery usability ordinarily lasts two to three years, so if you do not know when your laptop was marketed, you run the risk of having no battery power at a crucial time. It is best to keep an extra one ready.

Elective #3-Protect your machine: Use your laptop universal security slot by buying and attaching a USS cable to it. It can easily pinpoint your laptop if it is purloined. Have your name and other marks incise at a prominent place in the outer part for the identical purpose.