How to Set Up a New Windows Laptop: Step-by-Step
By
Orion Computers
on
Sep 9, 2025
Buying a new Windows laptop is exciting - but before you dive into work, gaming, or browsing, taking a few careful setup steps can save you headaches later. Let’s walk through the ideal sequence.
Unbox, connect power & first boot
Unpack the laptop, its charger, and any accessories (like a USB-C cable, extra adapter, etc.).
Plug in the charger and connect to power. It’s wise to give the battery a bit of charge before proceeding.
Press the power button to boot your machine for the first time.
On first boot, Windows will begin its Out Of Box Experience (OOBE) and prompt you to make key initial choices (language, region, etc.). Microsoft’s “How to set up and customize your new computer” covers this initial flow.
An example of one of our chromebooks at the setup page
Choose region, keyboard & network
During the initial setup you’ll see prompts for:
Language / region / time zone
Pick what suits you. You can always change these later in Settings.Keyboard layout
Make sure it matches your physical keyboard (UK, US, etc.).Connect to Wi-Fi or Ethernet
The laptop will need an internet connection to download updates and proceed with certain configurations.
Once connected, Windows may immediately download updates behind the scenes during setup.
Sign in with a Microsoft account (or use offline/local account)
Most new Windows installations now require you to sign in with a Microsoft account during setup, especially on Windows 11.
If you prefer not to use a Microsoft account, in some cases there is an “Offline account” or “Limited experience” option. But note: depending on version and region, Microsoft may restrict that choice.
Signing in lets your settings, OneDrive, and Microsoft services sync across devices automatically.
After this your laptop will be fully configured and should load into Windows after a quick restart.
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