Setting Up Your New Windows Computer

Owned by Josh Forest
Last updated: Jan 02, 2025 by A.J. Newman
4 min read

Employees who are issued a Windows computer can set their computer up without the assistance of ITS.

This procedure is applicable only to university-owned computers. If you are student and looking to install Microsoft 365 apps on your personal device, see this article: Installing Microsoft 365 apps

Prerequisites

You do not need to be on-campus to set up your laptop.

  • Computer is plugged in or fully charged.

    • Automated setup can take some time and if the computer dies during setup, it will need to be re-prepared by your IT support.

  • Stable internet connection.

  • About a half-hour for setup time.

    • Most of the setup process is automated and does not require intervention.

  • Active UConn email address.

    • University affiliates must have an email address created by their account sponsor to use a university computer.

  • You are the primary user of the machine.

    • If this computer is intended to be shared by multiple users (for example, in a lab or as a student employee workstation), please notify your IT contact so that the computer can be set up as a shared-use machine.

    • The setup process must be done by the primary user of the machine. You should not set up someone else’s computer for them.

Setup instructions

Part 1: Get connected

If you start to set up your computer and the process is different than what is outlined in these instructions, you must bring the computer to ITS or to your local IT contact so the computer can be properly provisioned. Otherwise, the computer will not be able to connect to certain university resources.

  1. Unbox and power on the computer: Ensure that the computer is charged before powering it on.

  2. Select language, region, and keyboard layout: Computers shipped through the PC Refresh Program use the US keyboard layout and the region should be set to US.

  3. Connect to the internet: To set up the computer, you must connect to the internet. You can complete the setup on your home network; it is not necessary to be connected to the UConn network.

  4. Check for updates: The device will now take a few minutes to check for updates and will restart. This is an automatic process.

Part 2: Sign in

  1. Sign in: Use your UConn email and password, then press the blue Next button. Accept the Duo 2-factor authentication prompt.

  1. Automated setup: The “Setting up for work or school” window will appear and will advance through various setup steps. This part may take a while.

  1. Log in: Use your UConn email address and password to log into the device.

  2. Set up Windows Hello: This allows for additional login methods through biometrics (fingerprint, face scan, etc.) or a PIN. Biometric sign-in methods are optional, but you must set up a PIN.

  1. Set up Microsoft Authenticator: Follow the steps to download Microsoft Authenticator on a mobile device. Once downloaded, follow the installation instructions to add your profile. If you do not want to use the Microsoft Authenticator app and would prefer to use SMS or a phone call for authentication, follow these steps: Setting up Authentication for Windows Hello

Part 3: Optional steps

  1. Add your networked printer: If you have a department printer, you should add it according to these instructions: Connect to an On-Campus Network Printer (Staff)

  2. Install extra apps: The Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Outlook, etc.) come pre-installed. Most other apps can be installed from Company Portal, which is located on your desktop. If the app you need is not in Company Portal, you can install it from the manufacturer’s website.

Post-setup information

  • Once you login to the machine, you will be automatically signed into other Microsoft 365 apps, including OneDrive.

  • Your Desktop and Documents folder will both sync their contents to your OneDrive at regular intervals. This feature cannot be disabled. It may take a few minutes after logging in for this setting to be applied.

  • The first signed-in user gains administrator rights on the machine and has full control of the device. Please ensure the first logged in user is the primary user of the device.

    • If the device is handed to a different user, they will not be listed as the admin or the primary user. If the primary user changes, please bring back to ITS or your local IT support to reimage and re-deploy the device to be set for that user.

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