A new computer that has been set up properly is ready to work on the morning it lands on the desk, and it stays supportable for its whole life. A new computer set up in a hurry works fine for a fortnight and then quietly causes problems for years. The difference is not much extra effort, but it does have to happen at the start.
Here is what we mean by set up properly, and what we need from you.
This is the part that matters most and the part people most often skip.
A machine set up with a personal Microsoft account, or with a local account someone invented on the day, is not part of your business. It cannot be managed remotely, security settings cannot be applied to it, and if the person using it leaves or loses it, you have limited options.
A machine joined to your business systems is signed in with the person's work account, appears in your list of company devices, receives your security settings automatically, has its disk encrypted so the data is unreadable if the laptop is stolen, and can be locked or wiped remotely if it goes missing. It also means we can support it without asking someone to read a code off their screen every time.
The same setup makes the person's first morning simple: they sign in once with their work email and password, and their apps and files follow them.
Beyond the sign-in, a proper setup covers the things people notice on day one:
Copying files from an old computer to a new one with a USB stick feels like the obvious approach and it causes the most trouble. You end up with two versions of everything, no way to tell which is current, and a folder called Old Desktop that nobody dares delete three years later.
The better approach is that the person signs in on the new machine and their files arrive because they live in OneDrive, SharePoint or Google Drive and simply sync down. Nothing is duplicated, nothing is lost, and if the new machine fails next week the files are still safe.
Part of what we do during setup is check what is genuinely only on the old machine, usually a desktop folder, a local mailbox file, browser bookmarks, or saved passwords in a browser, and move those properly.
We do not wipe or dispose of an old computer on the day of the changeover. We leave it intact and set aside for a couple of weeks while the person works on the new one, because that is when the forgotten things surface: a template on the old desktop, an old email archive, a saved login for a supplier portal.
Once the person confirms they have everything, we wipe the old machine securely, so nothing readable leaves your business when it is recycled, sold or handed to a new starter.
Setup work is much better done before the machine is needed than around someone who is trying to work on it. A few days' notice lets us prepare the machine, install everything, apply your settings, run the updates, and hand over a computer that is ready.
Tell us who it is for, whether they are a new starter or replacing an existing machine, what software they need beyond the standard set, and the date they need it. If they are a new starter, letting us know at the same time as you organise their email account means both are ready together.
Email admin@yougrowit.com.au to book a new computer setup or ask for a quote. If a machine is already on your desk and you are stuck, log a ticket at portal.yougrowit.com.au. Support hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm Melbourne time, excluding Victorian public holidays.