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Setting Up and Testing Your PC

As soon as you have your new PC home, after you have inspected the packaging and its contents, you should set up and test the machine. Doing this immediately is very important, because if the unit is dead right out of the box, you want to get it replaced as soon as possible with a new model. If you wait to turn the machine on for two months, then even if it really is "DOA", you won't be able to convince the vendor of this. You'll be stuck dealing with a manufacturer's warranty claim, a much slower process.

Note: If you are building your own PC from components you will of course have to build the actual system box! See here for more details on this.

Setting up a new PC is not difficult; it's mostly a matter of plugging all the cables of the various external components into the appropriate ports on the system box. I know, I know, easy for me to say. :^) Well, I have a procedure in the Procedures area that will help you with step-by-step instructions should you require them, but most people can figure it out themselves if they are patient.

There are all sorts of ways to test out a new PC. Frankly, I think the easiest and best way is just to use it. Install and run the software you plan to use on the machine, and see if it works as you expected. Also check the responsiveness of the machine; if it seems to be running substantially slower than you anticipated, there may be a problem with the machine, or your system may even have been incorrectly configured. Check the system to ensure that all the software that was supposed to be included on the system was installed, and installed correctly.

If the PC appears to be dead right out of the box, it may not in fact be the disaster it appears to be. A component may have simply come loose. See here for assistance.

Warning: If your PC was shipped to you, and the weather near your home is cold at the time the PC arrives, you may need to acclimate the PC before you turn it on. If you do not wait to acclimate cold hardware to room temperature before using it, you risk damage due to condensation. For more information, see this page.

Next: Dealing With Buyer’s Remorse

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