so it's come to my attention that a lot of people just don't know how to optimize their computer experience - whether they're scared of screwing things up irreparably or just unaware the options exist! I work in tech support so here are my basics (mainly Windows):
you got a new computer: great! first thing you're gonna do is look at your pre-installed programs to remove or replace
norton antivirus - replace: this is technically speaking an antivirus but in my experience it's utterly useless in doing anything except popping up at inconvenient times and blocking you from downloading other antivirus applications (I personally tend to refer to it as preinstalled malware), uninstall it and replace it with avast antivirus
microsoft edge/internet explorer - replace: you can't delete this one without going into regedit but you CAN turn it off in the control panel via "turn Windows features on or off" microsoft edge and internet explorer both are notoriously slow and very very good at attracting malware and viruses, I suggest replacing this one with firefox (when it asks, click the button that makes firefox or whatever you choose your default browser)
cortana/copilot or other ai assistant - remove: this one is trickier and requires going into regedit to remove entirely but they are preinstalled spyware so here is a link to steps on how to disable these
in addition to removing and replacing the above listed I also suggest installing ccleaner to ensure your computer doesn't get cluttered with temporary files and runs more smoothly
congratulations! you're ready to use your computer! <3333
