Technology

First 10 things to do if you got a new PC

Published

2 years ago

January 2, 2024

First 10 things to do if you got a new PC

If you’re reading this, you might have gotten a new PC for the holidays or you’re considering buying one in the new year. Thaddeus from Ellenton, Florida, reached out to us with this question after purchasing a new PC.

“I just bought a new PC laptop for the first time in 8 years (how times change!). I want to set this one up correctly and in the most secure way possible from the very start. I mean from the first time I boot it up. QUESTION: Is there a checklist of suggestions that I can follow to [set up] a new computer correctly & securely?” – Thaddeus, Ellenton, FL

Yes, Thaddeus, we have some great suggestions for you. Here’s how to set up your new PC, fresh out of the box. And for those who have a new Mac, check out these five essential steps to set up your Mac.

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1) Getting started with Windows

Man typing on PC (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

When you first open your new PC, Windows will ask you to pick some basic settings. First, it’ll ask you to select a language. Then, it’ll ask to connect to your Wi-Fi. Select whatever network you use and input your password. You can then click on “connect automatically” so Windows won’t ask you for a password every time you want to connect to the internet.

After connecting to your Wi-Fi, Windows will ask you to set up your language, time and calendar settings. It then asks you to create a login. Windows might ask you to create an online Windows account, but that’s optional. While it does sync up your new PC to other PCs you might own, you can also create a local account.

2) Updating to latest version of Windows

First thing’s first, you should make sure you have the latest version of Windows. It doesn’t matter if you’re using Windows 10 or Windows 11 — you should be using the most up-to-date version. Luckily, Windows allows you to easily update your new computer.

Once you connect your PC to the internet, Windows will automatically search for updates. If you want to update your computer once it has been set up, here’s how:

Windows 10:

Click Start and select Settings
Select Update & Security and then click Windows Update
Click Check for updates and if one is available, click on Download and install

Windows 11:

Click Start and select Settings
Select Windows Update
Windows should automatically start Checking for updates, if not, select Check for updates
Click Download and install

MORE: WATCH OUT FOR THIS NEW MALICIOUS RANSOMWARE DISGUISED AS WINDOWS UPDATES

3) Install a new browser

Windows comes preinstalled with Microsoft Edge. The browser is perfectly serviceable, however, it may not be your cup of tea, and you might want to go with an alternative. You might prefer Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera GX or Brave instead. Each has its upsides and downsides.

Google Chrome is more ubiquitous and features a huge library of extensions for you to download and use. It also connects to your Google profile, letting you have a more seamless experience across multiple devices. Firefox is more catered toward privacy and also features a pretty big selection of extensions. And if you’re a fan of gaming or have gamers in your family, Opera GX has features that focus on your CPU, RAM and network connectivity. Or you may want to go with Brave, a browser that blocks ads and trackers by default and also offers built-in firewall and VPN services. Brave is fast, secure, and privacy-focused.

To download any of those browsers, just head to their respective websites and click on the version that works best for your PC.

MORE: TOP BROWSER EXTENSIONS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER

4) Setting up your computer security settings

Windows 10 and 11 both come preinstalled with Windows Security (also known as Windows Defender). It’s turned on by default unless you have a third-party antivirus preinstalled. You can access it pretty easily, here’s how:

Click Start and select Settings
Select Windows Security
Use the options on screen and make sure everything has a green check

Windows security screen (Microsoft) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Windows Defender, integrated as a complimentary antivirus software in Windows 10 and 11, offers capabilities to detect and remove a variety of malware, along with firewall and device protection features. However, its scope is limited. It does not safeguard against phishing or spam, and its functionality is confined to the individual Windows 10 or 11 system where it’s installed, primarily supporting other Microsoft products. Unfortunately, it lacks compatibility with popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, leaving third-party applications and programs susceptible to security and privacy breaches. Consequently, Windows Defender may not be sufficient for comprehensive security needs, and exploring reliable third-party alternatives could provide more robust and extensive protection.

No matter what, the best way to protect yourself from having your data breached is to have antivirus protection installed on all your devices. Having good antivirus software actively running on your devices will alert you of any malware in your system, warn you against clicking on any malicious links in phishing emails and ultimately protect you from being hacked. Get my picks for the best 2023 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.

5) Backing up your PC

Backing up your PC gives you some security in case something goes wrong. You can use it to restore your Windows back to normal. And a backup feature is built right into Windows.

Windows 11:

Connect the external drive for your backup to your computer
Open File Explorer
You should see the external drive in the left-side panel
Copy the content you want to back up by
Paste the copied files or folders into the external drive

Windows 10:

Connect the external drive for your backup to your computer
On the main desktop, go to the ‘Windows’ icon to open the menu
Click Settings
Scroll down the ‘Windows Setting’ page, and click Update & Security
Click Backup
Select Add a drive
Choose the external drive or network location you want to back up the files

6) Transferring your files

While transferring files to a new PC can seem daunting, it’s actually quite simple. All you need to do is backup your files onto a cloud storage service like Dropbox, One Drive or Google Chrome. Then log into your service on your new PC and download/restore those files onto your new computer. For an offline option, you could upload your files to a thumb drive or external hard drive. You’d then plug them into your new PC and download them.

7) Cleaning up bloatware

Many PCs bought off the shelf will have bloatware, which is software that is pre-installed by the manufacturer or retailer, often without the user’s consent or knowledge. It’s that unneeded Candy Crush clone or antivirus software trial that you don’t really need taking up space on your computer. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to get rid of. Here’s how:

Windows 10: uninstalling apps:

Select Start, then select Settings
Click on Apps and then select Apps & features
Choose the bloatware you want to Uninstall

Uninstall programs from the Control Panel

Use the search box to find the Control Panel
Click on Programs and then select Programs and Features
Right-click on the program you want to get rid of and select either Uninstall or Uninstall/Change
Follow the directions on the screen

Windows 11: uninstalling apps:

Click Start and select Settings
Select Apps
Click on Installed Apps and uninstall any bloatware

You’ll also want to have a quality performance optimization program to do a deep clean up all that redundant junk from your device so that it can perform the way it’s supposed to and serve your needs. Here are my top picks for the best performance optimization programs in the industry. Before you clean out your computer with these programs, it’s always a good idea to back up your devices.

MORE: 5 WAYS TO DEAL WITH SPAM FOLLOWING THE HOLIDAY SEASON

8) Register your PC, software and hardware

Image of laptop PC (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

You should register your device with its manufacturer. It’s an additional record that you’ve bought their product in case you ever need help with it. It also gives the manufacturer a way to contact you in case there’s a recall.

You can register your device online, but that could put you on a mailing list and subject you to spam. One way to combat that is using an alias email. An alias email address is an additional email address that can be used to receive emails in the same mailbox as the primary email address. It acts as a forwarding address, directing emails to the primary email address.

In addition to creating throwaway email accounts for online sign-ups and other circumstances where you would not want to disclose your primary email address, alias email addresses are helpful for handling and organizing incoming communications.

Sometimes, it’s best to create various email aliases so that you don’t have to worry about getting tons of spam mail and having your email eventually stolen in a data breach. An alias email address is a great way for you to stop receiving constant spam mail by simply deleting the email alias address. See my review of best secure and private email services here.

MORE: CONTROL SPAM – HOW TO CREATE A QUICK ALIAS EMAIL ADDRESS

9) Set up a password manager

One of the most critical steps in securing your new PC is to use a password manager. Password managers help you generate strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts, store them securely, and automatically fill them in when you need to log in. This helps protect your accounts from hacking attempts and simplifies your online life. After installing your chosen password manager, make sure to set it up and start using it to store and manage your passwords.

By using a password manager, you’ll enhance the security of your online accounts and ensure that you’re not using weak or duplicate passwords, which can be a significant vulnerability. With this additional step, your new PC laptop will be even more secure.

10) What to do with your old PC

The first thing you should do with your old PC is wipe it clean. You don’t want to risk compromising your own data. If you don’t, you could be leaving your information exposed.

Windows 10:

Click Start and select Settings
Select Update & Security and then click Recovery
Click on Get Started and select Remove Everything
Click on Local reinstall and click on Change Settings, then choose Wipe the drive
Select Confirm and then Next and then click Reset

Windows 11:

Click Start and select Settings
Select Update & Security and then click Recovery
Click on Reset PC and select Remove everything
Click on Local reinstall or Cloud download
Select Change Settings in Additional settings
Select Clean data
Select Confirm and then Next and then click Reset

Instead of adding your old PC to your pile of unused tech, consider selling or recycling them. Some services will pay you even if your devices are not working. Here are two services that you can use.

1) Amazon’s Trade-In Program

Amazon’s Trade-In Program is a quick and easy way for you to earn something from your old and unused electronics. Most older electronics decrease in value as time goes on, so it’s not likely that you’ll be able to earn a ton of money by selling them. Sure, you could always give your old item to a friend or family member if it’s still in good shape. However, if they are going to want to use something newer as well, then this is the perfect way for you to recycle your items and earn money back at the same time. Follow these steps on how this program works.

2) Decluttr

Decluttr is one of the easiest and fastest ways to sell used tech, including cell phones, unwanted MacBooks, tablets, and game consoles, but also CDs, DVDs, games and books, too. Decluttr pays 30% more on average compared to Apple or Samsung buyback programs for smartphones. You can see what they would pay for your old tech online before committing to selling it here on Decluttr.

Click here for ways to sell, donate or recycle your phone and all of your old devices.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Setting up a PC can seem like a daunting task. But this handy checklist shows how easy it can be. Just follow these 10 steps and you’ll be on your way to surfing the web, streaming videos and more!

What do you do first when you buy a PC? What are your biggest issues or challenges? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

Ideas for using those Holiday Gift cards

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

The Game Awards 2025: all the news and announcements

Published

9 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

The Game Awards 2025: all the news and announcements

The Game Awards are back once again to showcase a metric ton of commercials, provide the gaming public with their monthly dose of Muppets, and validate gamers’ opinions on which title should be named the Game of the Year. I don’t wanna say it’s a foregone conclusion what this year’s GOTY will be — Silksong may surprise us — but it’s pretty obvious that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the frontrunner and for good reason. It’s netted 12 nominations, the most out of this year’s contenders, including all five craft awards (Direction, Art, Music and Score, Narrative, and Audio Design).

On the announcements side, Crystal Dynamics and Amazon Games are planning something related to the Tomb Raider series. Keighley also probably had plans to reveal big news about Resident Evil: Requiem, but unfortunately it got spoiled early thanks to some leaked key art on the PlayStation Store. Here’s all the news, announcements, and trailers from The Game Awards 2025.

Technology

Malicious browser extensions hit 4.3M users

Published

9 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Malicious browser extensions hit 4.3M users

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A long-running malware campaign quietly evolved over several years and turned trusted Chrome and Edge extensions into spyware. A detailed report from Koi Security reveals that the ShadyPanda operation affected 4.3 million users who downloaded extensions later updated with hidden malicious code.

These extensions began as simple wallpaper or productivity tools that looked harmless. Years later, silent updates added surveillance functions that most users could not detect.

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THIS CHROME VPN EXTENSION SECRETLY SPIES ON YOU

Malicious extensions spread through trusted browsers and quietly collected user data for years. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How the ShadyPanda campaign unfolded

The operation included 20 malicious Chrome extensions and 125 on the Microsoft Edge Add-ons store. Many first appeared in 2018 with no obvious warning signs. Five years later, the extensions began receiving staged updates that changed their behavior.

Koi Security found that these updates rolled out through each browser’s trusted auto-update system. Users did not need to click anything. No phishing. No fake alerts. Just quiet version bumps that slowly turned safe extensions into powerful tracking tools.

NEW EMAIL SCAM USES HIDDEN CHARACTERS TO SLIP PAST FILTERS

WeTab functions as a sophisticated surveillance platform disguised as a productivity tool. (Koi)

What the extensions were doing behind the scenes

Once activated, the extensions injected tracking code into real links to earn revenue from user purchases. They also hijacked searches, redirected queries and logged data for sale and manipulation. ShadyPanda gathered an unusually broad range of personal information, including browsing history, search terms, cookies, keystrokes, fingerprint data, local storage, and even mouse movement coordinates. As the extensions gained credibility in the stores, the attackers pushed a backdoor update that allowed hourly remote code execution. That gave them full browser control, letting them monitor websites visited and exfiltrate persistent identifiers.

Researchers also discovered that the extensions could launch adversary-in-the-middle attacks. This allowed credential theft, session hijacking and code injection on any website. If users opened developer tools, the extensions switched into harmless mode to avoid detection. Google removed the malicious extensions from the Chrome Web Store. We reached out to the company, and a spokesperson confirmed that none of the extensions listed are currently live on the platform.

Meanwhile, a Microsoft spokesperson told CyberGuy, “We have removed all the extensions identified as malicious on the Edge Add-on store. When we become aware of instances that violate our policies, we take appropriate action that includes, but is not limited to, the removal of prohibited content or termination of our publishing agreement.”

Most of you will not need the full technical IDs used in the ShadyPanda campaign. These indicators of compromise are primarily for security researchers and IT teams. Regular users should focus on checking your installed extensions using the steps in the guide below.

You can review the full list of affected Chrome and Edge extensions to see every ID tied to the ShadyPanda campaign by clicking here and scrolling down to the bottom of the page.

How to check whether your browser contains these extension IDs

Here is an easy, step-by-step way for you to verify if any malicious extension IDs are installed.

For Google Chrome

Open Chrome.

Type chrome://extensions into the address bar.

Press Enter.

Look for each extension’s ID.

Click Details under any extension.

Scroll down to the Extension ID section.

Compare the ID with the lists above.

If you find a match, remove the extension immediately.

For Microsoft Edge

Open Edge.

Type edge://extensions into the address bar.

Press Enter.

Click Details under each extension.

Scroll to find the Extension ID.

If an ID appears in the lists, remove the extension and restart the browser.

183 MILLION EMAIL PASSWORDS LEAKED: CHECK YOURS NOW

Simple security steps can block hidden threats and help keep your browsing safer. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How to protect your browser from malicious extensions

You can take a few quick actions that help lock down your browser and protect your data.

1) Remove suspicious extensions

Before removing anything, check your installed extensions against the IDs listed in the section above. Most of the malicious extensions were wallpaper or productivity tools. Three of the most mentioned are Clean Master, WeTab and Infinity V Plus. If you installed any of these or anything that looks similar, delete them now.

2) Reset your passwords

These extensions have access to sensitive data. Resetting your passwords protects you from possible misuse. A password manager makes the process easier and creates strong passwords for each account.

Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com.

3) Use a data removal service to reduce tracking

ShadyPanda collected browsing activity, identifiers and behavioral signals that can be matched with data already held by brokers. A data removal service helps you reclaim your privacy by scanning people-search sites and broker databases to locate your exposed information and remove it. This limits how much of your digital footprint can be linked, sold or used for targeted scams.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

4) Install strong antivirus software

An antivirus may not have caught this specific threat due to the way it operated. Still, it can block other malware, scan for spyware and flag unsafe sites. Many antivirus tools include cloud backup and VPN options to add more protection.

The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

5) Limit your extensions

Each extension adds risk. Stick with known developers and search for recent reviews. If an extension asks for permissions it should not need, walk away.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

ShadyPanda ran for years without raising alarms and proved how creative attackers can be. A trusted extension can shift into spyware through a silent update, which makes it even more important to stay alert to changes in browser behavior. You protect yourself by installing fewer extensions, checking them from time to time and watching for anything that feels out of place. Small steps help lower your exposure and reduce the chances that hidden code can track what you do online.

Have you ever found an extension on your browser that you didn’t remember installing or one that started acting in strange ways? How did you handle it? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alert, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

The Game Awards are losing their luster

Published

21 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

It’s Game Awards season, y’all. That special time of the year when we gather together to celebrate video games and the people who make them… by watching expensive commercials briefly punctuated by the odd awards speech or musical performance. For better or worse, The Game Awards is the biggest night on the video game event calendar. But with the way things have been going, lately it’s been more “worse” than it has been “better.”

Between host and industry hypeman Geoff Keighley’s two video game vanity projects, The Game Awards is older and ostensibly more mature than Summer Game Fest. Conceived in 2014 as a way to celebrate both the people who make and play games, the show has always been part awards ceremony, part commercial product. That idea has been executed with varying degrees of success. (Remember the Schick Hydrobot?) But for the last few years, it’s felt like the awards part was increasingly getting in the way of the commercial part.

Alas, poor Hydrobot, we knew him well.

Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for Schick

That was felt most acutely during the 2023 Game Awards. Developers accepting statues were often drowned out by music or cut off by teleprompters asking them to “please wrap it up” after their roughly 30 seconds of allotted time. Muppets and Death Stranding director Hideo Kojima, though, had no such time limits enforced on them, with Aftermath calculating that 13 acceptance speeches could have fit inside the five minutes Kojima took to explain his game / not-game OD.

2023 was also the first full year into the now endemic video game labor crisis that saw developers laid off by the tens of thousands while studios of popular games got shut down. That crisis went by that year’s game awards with no acknowledgement, angering developers further. “I’m incredibly disappointed in Geoff Keighley for his silence on the state of the industry this year,” Monomi Park senior environment artist Dillon Sommerville told The Verge in 2023.

How to watch The Game Awards

On Thursday, December 11th at 5PM PT / 8PM ET the TGAs will be streamed on Twitch and YouTube. This year, Keighley has also signed a deal to beam the show live via Prime Video where it’ll be free to watch for Prime subscribers.

Keighley, perhaps responding to the bad optics, acknowledged the continuing labor issue in 2024. The Game Awards also introduced a new category, Game Changer, with its inaugural award going to Amir Satvat, a business development director at Tencent who created a resource to help laid-off developers find jobs.

But in the months since the 2024 awards, Keighley has once again been accused of poor treatment of the people he’s supposed to be celebrating. In 2020, The Game Awards announced a new initiative called The Future Class, designed to celebrate game makers, “who represent the bright, bold and inclusive future of video games.” Inductees are honored during the broadcast and provided with networking opportunities, mentorship programs, and other resources throughout the following year. However, there have been reports alleging that Keighley has ignored Future Class concerns and that resources from the program have been materially lacking.

In 2023, the Future Class wrote an open letter to The Game Awards and Keighley demanding recognition of the war in Gaza. This wasn’t without precedent. In 2022, the awards show acknowledged the war in Ukraine. But Keighley didn’t respond to the letter, nor has he mentioned the Future Class that much either. The Game Awards hasn’t named a Future Class in the last two years and won’t be naming anymore according to Future Class organizer Emily Weir. “At this time, we are not planning a new Future Class for this year and do not have any active programming plans for Future Class,” she said in a statement to Game Developer.

Gif of a curly haired man named Pedro Eustache playing an alto flute

Pedro Eustache, affectionately known as Flute Guy, has confirmed he will be performing at The Game Awards.

Gif: The Game Awards

Like a lot of diversity and inclusion-minded programs, Future Class got started in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. But as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become publicly verboten in the rise of the Trump Administration and the online right, many companies, including game publishers, have diminished or jettisoned their DEI programs. While there has been no explicitly stated reason for the seeming shut down of the Future Class, it seems like The Game Awards is just doing what it always does — whatever’s popular at the time.

For as much as The Game Awards has lost the veneer of respectability among some of the people whose work it’s meant to celebrate, rest assured, it ain’t going anywhere. The Game Awards broadcast nets millions of viewers with a record-breaking 154 million livestreams in 2024. That’s a lot of eyeballs that developers pay a lot of money to get in front of. And even for those who don’t buy airtime, having your game featured at all during the presentation can net a big boost in sales. After Balatro was nominated for and won multiple awards last year including best debut indie, its publisher PlayStack shouted out the awards specifically for contributing to a huge increase in players.

More generally, the awards also provide a nice focal point for the disparate online gaming communities to gather around… and bitch about. E3 is long gone, and the other big events (not also run by Keighley) are the publisher-specific direct livestreams. With everything so fractured now, yelling with your friends or colleagues about how Hades was robbed for game of the year (an event I will never get over) is fun and something TGAs are singularly suited to provide. It is not the Oscars of gaming — DICE, the BAFTAs, and the International Game Development Awards (IGDA) pretty well take care of that. But if you want popularity, production values, and Flute Guy, there’s nothing like The Game Awards — even though some of the shine is starting to wear off.

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