💻 New laptop setup checklist

The risk with a new laptop is doing the fun part — apps, wallpaper — and skipping the boring part, which is the half that protects you later.

19 items

1. Every system update installed before anything elseSoftware installed on top of an out-of-date system is what causes the odd, hard-to-explain bugs later.
2. Signed into the core account — Apple ID, Microsoft or GoogleAlmost everything else on this list depends on this being done first and correctly.
3. Files and settings migrated from the old machineMigration Assistant or a direct cable transfer beats copying folders by hand — it catches things you'd forget to look for.
4. Backup set up and running before installing anything riskyA new laptop with no backup yet is the worst possible time to start experimenting with software.
5. Disk encryption turned onFileVault or BitLocker — one setting, and it's the difference between a stolen laptop and a stolen laptop full of your documents.
6. Firewall turned on
7. Password manager installed and unlockedDo this before signing into anything else, so every account created from here on goes straight into it.
8. Two-factor authentication moved over to this deviceRe-enrol the authenticator app here rather than assuming it will just carry across — it usually doesn't.
9. Browser installed with sync signed inBookmarks and saved logins arrive with it, rather than being rebuilt from memory over the following month.
10. Essential work apps reinstalled from a list, not memoryWrite the list from the old laptop before wiping it — 'I'll remember what I use' never actually holds up.
11. VPN or work security software installedWhatever IT requires, sorted before the first day it's actually needed for.
12. Antivirus or built-in protection confirmed active
13. Printer set up and test page printed
14. Cloud storage folders synced, not fully downloadedCheck the setting — 'download everything' can fill a smaller new drive within the first week.
15. Login items prunedUninstalled software has a habit of leaving itself auto-launching at startup. Turn off what you don't recognise.
16. Trackpad and keyboard settings adjusted to taste
17. Serial number and receipt saved somewhere other than the laptop itselfThe one document you need for a warranty claim is useless if it only exists on the machine that's broken.
18. Warranty or care plan registered
19. Old laptop wiped only once everything is confirmed on the new oneOpen every app you actually use on the new machine first. Confirming from memory is how photos get lost.