I have to "clean" a new laptop for in-laws

[Barrister]

My wife and her sister went out and bought their parents a laptop yesterday (an AMD-based Gateway that I'm sure should be fine for their needs).  The salesman though was trying to up-sell them on anti-virus and uninstalling all the bloatware for $140 which I talked them out of by saying "I'll do that for them".

But I actually haven't done that for a number of years.  I've gone Mac of course, and my Windows partitions are fresh installs.

I can go through the program manager and uninstall anything that has the word "trial" of course, and I'll install MSE for them.  Anything else I should do to de-bloat this laptop?

[Grey Fox]

Use this : http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ & Let it go to town.

[Vricklund]

Pay to get rid of bloatware? They don't even try to pretend like it's okay anymore? 

To get back on topic: I usually blow the whole computer - repartition, install a bloatfree copy of the OS ( ) and start from there. I've found it cuts down on the time I have to spend on support in the future.

If you don't have the time, then just uninstall everything but the essential drivers for sound, touchpad, hotkeys, stuff like that. From there install a basic app-set: Avast antivirus, tightVNS for remote support, Libre office, Irfanview, Sumatra PDF, 7-zip, VLC mediaplayer, Firefox with flash and ad-blocker addon, Infrarecorder, and possibly utorrent.

Use this : http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ & Let it go to town.

Sounds interesting, I'll definitely check it out next time I have to remedy a computer.

[Barrister]

Pay to get rid of bloatware? They don't even try to pretend like it's okay anymore? 

To get back on topic: I usually blow the whole computer - repartition, install a bloatfree copy of the OS ( ) and start from there. I've found it cuts down on the time I have to spend on support in the future.

If you don't have the time, then just uninstall everything but the essential drivers for sound, touchpad, hotkeys, stuff like that. From there install a basic app-set: Avast antivirus, tightVNS for remote support, Libre office, Irfanview, Sumatra PDF, 7-zip, VLC mediaplayer, Firefox with flash and ad-blocker addon, Infrarecorder, and possibly utorrent.

It's for my in-laws.  They're not going to have a frigging clue what to do with Libre office, 7-zip, VLC, or anything else you mentioned.

[Vricklund]

I'm sure an office suite could come in handy. Irfanview for viewing images, alot of formats, no risk of anything not showing up. Same thing with VLC, will play any video. You can hardly get by without a pdf-reader and so on.

The trick is to predict behaviour so they won't have to call you because the moving christmas gif from their grandkids isn't showing up.

[garbon]

VLC wouldn't be hard if you set it to be the default player for media files.

[viper37]

Pay to get rid of bloatware? They don't even try to pretend like it's okay anymore? 

To get back on topic: I usually blow the whole computer - repartition, install a bloatfree copy of the OS ( ) and start from there. I've found it cuts down on the time I have to spend on support in the future.

If you don't have the time, then just uninstall everything but the essential drivers for sound, touchpad, hotkeys, stuff like that. From there install a basic app-set: Avast antivirus, tightVNS for remote support, Libre office, Irfanview, Sumatra PDF, 7-zip, VLC mediaplayer, Firefox with flash and ad-blocker addon, Infrarecorder, and possibly utorrent.

It's for my in-laws.  They're not going to have a frigging clue what to do with Libre office, 7-zip, VLC, or anything else you mentioned.

They don't have to know.  But when they will click on a JPG, it will open in the proper application.  When they click on a PPS file their friend sent them, it will open.  When they decide to download this cool video, it will play.  If someone sends them a ZIP file, they will be able to extract it.

[Barrister]

But it won't look like the right program to them.  They're used to Windows Media Player and MS Word, for example.

This isn't about what I would use, but what they would use.

[garbon]

I agree on something like open office which is a bit more complex - but for the basic usages of a media player?





Looks the same - though I can totally understand how for an older set they could be put off by the change.

[viper37]

But it won't look like the right program to them.  They're used to Windows Media Player and MS Word, for example.

This isn't about what I would use, but what they would use.

Tell them it's just the same and works the same, wich is mostly true.
Only the interface of LibreOffice Calc is inferior to Excel.

[Josephus]

Love the tag: It's like TP for your PC