How to choose a laptop: a detailed step-by-step guide with a photo. • Office laptop Screen with a resolution higher than Full HD
Every year portable computers are becoming more and more popular, squeezing traditional personal computers. As a consultant in computer hardware stores, it is well known that consumers are increasingly choosing compact laptops over full-fledged ones.
The reason for this is simple - the technical characteristics of the average portable silicon assistant are almost the same as in stationary models. The only unpleasant moment is the limitation in the screen diagonal, which rarely exceeds 19 inches in laptops. However, this can be easily solved by purchasing a separate monitor for the home.
However, as always, such popularity has its negative manifestations. In particular, now in the service centers the laptop is often set up. This service is in demand, and as you know, it is directly related. For example, the Internet shows over 27 thousand suggestions where a laptop can be configured. An impressive amount!
In theory, setting up a laptop can be done by yourself. Still, one should not forget that the differences between a personal computer and a laptop are rather constructive, but not cardinal. The same basic functions of BIOS, hardware components similar in principle of operation, even the operating system is no different. Therefore, for example, for a person who knows how to "raise" a wireless network on a personal computer, setting up Wi-Fi on a laptop will seem as simple.
One of the differences between portable and desktop systems is the spartan simplicity of the first BIOS. No overclocking of components, changes in the timings of memory models, activation of blocked processor cores can be found here (the exception is special models). Setting up a laptop starts with BIOS. To enter the parameter selection screen, you must press F2 immediately after switching on. Depending on the model, here you can set the main bootable media, date / time, select the desired mode of operation of the power saving functions. Sometimes the BIOS provides the ability to work with a battery.
The next step is to set the screen brightness for yourself. In laptops, this requires pressing a specific combination of buttons. For example, Fn + right arrow. The exact values \u200b\u200bcan be found in the instructions, and there are also prompting images on the buttons.
The camera is configured on a laptop from the operating system. Before proceeding with image adjustments, you need to install the device driver. It is recommended to do this even if the control program was found in the Windows driver library and was installed automatically. To resolve this issue, you will need the CD that comes with your laptop. If there are several drivers for webcams, then you need to install it specifically for your model. It can be found in the specifications for the laptop. After installation, you can start Skype and adjust the display settings there (Tools - Settings).
It was not in vain that we pointed out the similarities between personal computers and laptops: all recommendations for setting up the former are almost completely suitable for the latter. Unless the power saving mode should be different. The setting makes it possible to optimize the operation of the system in accordance with the wishes of the owner.
It is considered that after purchase, a new laptop or computer is ready to use. In practice, this is not true, and before you start using your new laptop, you need to perform a number of steps.
Laptop setup
Our readers often send us questions: I bought a new laptop and what to do next, where to start, how to set up a new asus laptop, how to set up a new lenovo laptop, how to set up a new acer laptop, how to set up a new hp laptop. The procedure for setting up a new laptop is the same and does not depend on the manufacturer. It should be noted that it is more profitable to purchase a new laptop with a pre-installed operating system, rather than separately a laptop and a Windows operating system. In addition to the fact that buying a laptop without an operating system and Windows separately will cost more, you may have to use the services of a specialist in installing the operating system on a laptop.
Create account
When you first turn on the laptop on the Windows operating system, when entering the settings, the system will ask for a username and password. You do not need to create a password, if you do not create one, you can log into the computer without a password. If a password was not created on first launch, you can create one if necessary in the User Accounts section. Do not rely on the password to reliably protect against unauthorized access to the laptop; it will not be difficult for a specialist to quickly reset the Windows password and gain access to the system. We wrote about this on our website in the article How to reset your password on Windows. The account password will help limit access to the laptop for children and not very advanced computer users. To reliably restrict access to the laptop, you need to use more complex settings and special tools.
Partitioning a hard drive
If your new laptop has only one partition that contains both the operating system and data, it must be split into two partitions. This can be useful later if you need to reinstall the operating system. When reinstalling the operating system, all user data on the disk on which the operating system is installed will be destroyed. If the data is placed on a different drive (after the hard drive is partitioned), it will be preserved after reinstalling the operating system. In Windos 8 and Windows 10, there are several ways to partition your hard drive.
Windows standard tools... To open the disk management tool, press Win + X, from the menu that appears, select Disk Management. Shrink your volume (with the right mouse button, click Shrink Volume) and create a new partition on the free disk space. We recommend leaving the system partition at least 100 GB.
Using third-party programs... There are many programs, both free and paid, for partitioning a hard disk, as well as other actions for managing a hard disk. We recommend EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition. The program is free for home use, no Russification, the program is in English. Be very careful and careful when partitioning your hard drive. Manufacturers often create hidden partitions on the hard drive where they place a backup of the operating system. You can accidentally delete hidden partitions and be left without a system backup. Also, if the hard disk is not working properly, system areas may be deleted and Windows may not boot.
Removing trial versions (trial) and unnecessary programs on a laptop
Laptop manufacturers earn extra money by installing trial versions of various programs. This is often used to install antivirus software and Microsoft office suite. After a while, the program stops working and starts asking for money, offering to purchase the full version. If you do not plan to purchase these programs, it is better to uninstall them immediately. Each user has programs that he is used to using and trusts. It is better to immediately purchase and install the paid and free required software.
We often get a question: what programs need to be removed from a new laptop or computer. Typically, laptop manufacturers install a trial version of an antivirus program that stops updating and sometimes working 30-45 days after the antivirus program is launched. Many users do not know anything about this and after a while remain without antivirus protection. If you do not plan to purchase an installed antivirus, it is better to uninstall it right away and install one of the free antiviruses, which provides basic protection against viruses. We have an overview of free antiviruses on our website.
Many programs can be installed on a laptop, the purpose of which is not known to the user. As a rule, most of them are trial versions and programs with limited functionality. To get information about the program, you can type its name in any search engine. After receiving information about the program, you can decide whether you need it on a laptop. As a rule, the less programs are installed on the computer, the more stable it works. It is better to immediately remove everything you do not need and install the necessary. There is a danger of overdoing it, you should not delete programs from the laptop manufacturer, with which you can update the drivers on the laptop. There is an opinion that it is better to immediately reinstall the operating system, and install the necessary drivers and programs from the laptop manufacturer's website on a clean system.
Installing drivers, operating system updates
All available operating system updates must be installed on the new laptop. Updates must be installed as they fix found security problems, fix operational problems, and increase the stability and performance of the operating system. On the laptop manufacturer's website in the support section for this model, you can download and install all the latest drivers and the latest BIOS version. Some laptop manufacturers install special programs that can download and install new device drivers.
Installing codecs and flash player to play all video and audio formats
On a new laptop, some video and audio formats are often not played by default, video and audio recordings on various sites, such as Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki, may not play. The solution for playing video and music on sites will be to update the version of the Internet browser to the latest and install Adobe Flash Player and configure it to automatically update. To play various video and audio formats on your computer, you need to install the K-Lite Codec Pack. Flash player and codecs can be downloaded from their official websites.
After setting up a new computer or laptop, you can install the necessary programs on it. We have an article on our website that tells about what free programs everyone may need What programs are needed for a computer and laptop
If a computer or laptop does not work fast enough, you can read on our website Computer or laptop slows down, what to do
Minimum configuration
Recently, when purchasing a laptop, a lot of attention has been paid not so much to its performance as to the possibility of long-term battery life and mobility. Nevertheless, if the performance is very low, then you will constantly be annoyed by programs that now and then are loaded and do not immediately respond to your actions.
Let's start with the processor. In modern laptops, the processor clock speeds exceed 1.5 GHz.
Better to find a newer model - with a chip frequency of 1.7-1.8 GHz. Every year the software requirements for the power of the central processor are growing, so it is better to have a certain margin of "safety". For example, the Windows Vista operating system makes rather high demands not only on the amount of computer memory, but also on the performance of its processor and graphics system.
The amount of RAM should be at least 512 MB, although we recommend using at least 1 GB.
Hard drive capacity is equally important. You should purchase a laptop with a hard drive of at least 40 GB. This should be enough to do almost any job. If your goal is to work with video, then you need to think about a hard drive with a capacity of 100 GB or more. If you are going to transport a music archive together with a laptop, as well as several films, then choose a model with a hard drive, the capacity of which will allow you to fit this data. In the end, you will still fill up all the free space, and it is better that this moment comes as late as possible.
It is desirable to have a universal CD and DVD drive. If savings of $ 20-30 are critical for you, then you can opt for a combo drive. Such a drive will allow you to play CDs and DVDs, as well as burn CDs.
Having determined the minimum configuration of the laptop, you can go on to select a model focused on performing certain tasks.
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I'll show you how to set up a laptop. I'll tell you about setting up power, password, hard disk, sleep, hibernation, power saving, usb, pci-express parameters, about setting up cooling, processor, screen, battery ...
1. Power supply setup
Click on the bottom right on the socket and battery icon RMB and select POWER SUPPLY. Further setting up the power supply scheme, then CHANGE ADDITIONAL. POWER PARAMETERS.
Require password entry on wake-up.
It is necessary that if you have a password for entering the computer, then it will be requested when exiting hibernation or standby mode.
Disconnect hard drive after.
It is necessary for the hard disk drive to shut down during idle time (when you or the system does not make any request to the hard disk drive, for example) in order to reduce power consumption. For example, when I don’t watch any movie or listen to music or climb through folders on my external hard disk drive, it’s after 20 minutes. turns off.
Javascript timer frequency
It is needed for the frequency of execution of the function in the Java script. The more often the frequency, the more correctly and smoothly the function is executed, but also a high frequency can load the processor, and sometimes even incredibly load it. For example, such a problem can be seen in flash videos of a cat. Reformatted to .exe files. Or when a lot of social documents are open. networks.
You can leave it as it is, from the MAX battery. ENERGOSBER, from the MAKS PRODUCTION network.
Slideshow
It is necessary so that if a slave. your desk is tired. change the picture every 30 minutes, for example, to another, then when working on battery power, stopping this can save a little charge. And when working on the network, you don't have to worry about it.
Wireless adapter settings
It is necessary to reduce the voltage on the adapter when idle, i.e. when you are not using the grid, less electricity flows into it. For the maximum speed available on your network, set MAX PERFORMANCE, if you watch HD online, then you can set MEDIUM ENERGY SAVING, especially when running on battery power, or MAX. ENERGY SAVING.
Sleep after
Hybrid sleep mode
Hibernation after
Allow wake timers
Needed in order to return to work your computer, with certain scheduled events. For example, a virus check or a network card gave a command to connect to an Internet. In general, so that your computer does not turn on spontaneously, select DISABLE.
Parameters USB
Any connected USB device consumes energy for operation, so that it does not constantly waste power supply to the laptop, enable its temporary shutdown when idle by selecting ALLOWED.
Lid closing action
When you lower the laptop lid, it is possible for the laptop to go into 1 of the power consumption modes. For example, SLEEP, HIBERNATION (I already talked about them earlier), COMPLETION OF WORK, or you can choose so that nothing happens besides turning off the monitor.
Power button action
On the top left or top right of your laptop, there is a button to turn it on when it is off. So here it can be configured to act when the laptop is on. For example For example SLEEP, HIBERNATION (I have already told about them earlier), COMPLETION OF WORK.
Sleep button action
The sleep mode button is either separate on a laptop, or only works when some keys are combined. Or with the FN button held down (about the FN button and its functions, see my previous videos). For example, I have a sleep button on FN + ESCAPE. Well, here you can configure its action when you press the SLEEP button, the laptop can go into the SLEEP or HIBERNATION mode.
PCI Express
Allows you to set power savings for PCI Express devices at the expense of performance.
Off - no power saving, PCI devices at max. energy consumption
Moderate - everything in moderation
MAX power saving - PCI devices at max. energy saving
Processor power management
Minimum processor state
Allows you to set a lower performance limit, i.e. during the time when no calculations and watching a movie and listening to music occur, then the state of the processor's power consumption is reduced to 5% for me
System cooling policy
Passive method - slows down the processor before increasing the fan speed
Active method - increases fan speed before slowing down the processor
Battery
Almost complete battery discharge action
Here we put the action cat. will occur when the laptop battery is almost completely discharged.
So let me remind you again:
In sleep mode, the computer goes into a low power consumption mode and when it wakes up, all the documents you open remain open in RAM. In this mode, the computer will be ready for work as quickly as possible when you need it. But it takes a little electricity to maintain this mode.
Hibernation mode saves all open programs and files you have on the hard disk drive and restores them when the computer from the hard disk drive wakes up. Waking up takes longer than in the SLEEP mode, but in hibernation mode the computer does not need electricity and no power failure is not terrible for the computer.
Hybrid sleep mode
In this mode, open programs and documents are saved in memory and on the hard disk drive, and the computer goes into a mode of reduced power consumption. If an unexpected power failure occurs, Windows will recover the data from the hard drive. On desktops, this mode is enabled by default, so when you click on "go to sleep", hybrid sleep mode is activated.
I advise you to put the GIBERNATION from the battery, and ACTION IS NOT REQUIRED from the mains.
Low battery level
Allows you to specify what (percentage) battery level should be considered low.
I advise you to set here 10%
Battery nearly discharged
Allows you to specify what level of battery charge should be considered as near-discharge level.
I advise you to set here 5%
Low battery notification
Allows you to specify whether a pop-up message should appear indicating that the battery has reached a specified low level.
I advise you to turn it on.
Low Battery Actions
Allows you to set what should happen when the battery drops to a low level.
You can choose No action required.
Backup battery level
Here you can set at what battery charge the backup battery warning message will be displayed.
I advise you to bet 8%.
Here's a video tutorial on setting up your laptop.
- wake-up password (00:35)
- hard drive (00:43)
- java script timer frequency (01:10)
- slideshow (01:36)
- wireless settings (02:37)
- sleep (03:00)
- hybrid sleep (03:22)
- hibernation (03:47)
- wake-up timers (04:07)
- uSB parameters (04:23)
- closing the lid (04:37)
- sleep button (05:03)
- sleep button (05:20)
- PCI-Express and video cards (05:49)
- processor power (06:14)
- system cooling (06:30)
- processor state (07:08)
- blanking the screen (07:46)
- screen off (07:57)
- screen brightness (08:05)
- brightness level (08:20)
- adaptive brightness control (08:34)
- media options (08:50)
- during video playback (09:37)
- full battery discharge (10:03)