s about Windows settings
s about Windows settings
Skip the extras initially. Take out all the unnecessary add-ons from the laptop first. Your friend will appreciate it later.
If they aren't planning to use Edge, navigate to edge://settings/system within Edge (enter the URL in the address bar) and turn off Startup Boost along with keeping background extensions active.
As discussed, you should eliminate all unnecessary components provided by the maker. If you're ready to proceed—though it requires effort, especially when verifying everything functions—consider a full reset and a clean installation of Windows. This guarantees you have the most recent operating system and forces the installation of the latest drivers, making sure they’re up-to-date. After this process (or once you’ve completed the install): Verify that all system functionalities operate correctly. Check that keyboard shortcuts like media keys work properly, and confirm you haven’t overlooked installing essential manufacturer drivers or accidentally deleted something important. Make sure Device Manager displays no missing devices or unresponsive hardware. If you didn’t perform a clean install, double-check that all drivers are current and the operating system itself is fully updated. After restarting, recheck everything.
If you’re using a shared account, open the Store and look for available app updates. This is the key step. As for other matters, there’s little else to address at this stage—it mainly depends on your preferences, such as turning off Find My Device for privacy reasons.
It’s worth noting that disabling certain features like Sync Provider notifications can enhance security, especially if you’re concerned about privacy. It’s a trade-off between convenience and protection.
For users with limited hardware, consider using Edge instead of Chrome, or opting for Microsoft accounts over Google ones. Edge offers optimizations tailored for systems with constrained resources, including support for streaming services like Netflix with better performance on low RAM or CPU. Enable Clipboard history (Settings > System > Clipboard) for easier copying and pasting.
Also remember that by default, documents, photos, and the desktop sync to OneDrive are enabled for backup purposes. If you have Office (via Microsoft 365), you’ll get ample storage—typically 5GB per user, with more available if you’re part of a school subscription. Students can access Office at little or no cost through their institution. For further details, reach out to your school’s IT department.