Getting started with your Dell Windows personal computer

Once you are over the excitement of receiving your new Dell personal computer, it is time to unbox the equipment. Seems simple? It should be, but let us walk you through that process to ensure you do not miss anything or discard important items.

1. Carefully open the outer box.

2. Remove all packaging from the outer box, as you may find your charger and paperwork are in this outer packaging.

   • If the laptop is boxed individually, your paperwork and guides can be found there.

3. Do not discard any packaging until your computer is completely up and running.
    

Your computer guides you through the setup process, but we have listed the key points below to help you on your way. You can find supplementary information in our Set-Up Guide article.

Are you connected to the Internet? Your computer needs an active connection to complete the set-up process. This can be a Wireless (Wi-Fi) or Wired connection. If your Internet connection requires a password, ensure you have it available.

Limit any devices and accessories during setup, plugging in only the essential items like your mouse and external keyboard. 

Connect your power adapter and turn your computer on. The computer runs many important processes during this initial startup, be patient and aware of any on-screen instructions. Your computer should display a series of windows asking for information and providing instructions to customize your experience. Key items include creating a Microsoft account (for Windows-based computers) and registering for Dell Tools like SupportAssist. Follow the on-screen steps to completion.

Even though your computer is new, it still requires updates. This is perfectly normal; your Operating System is updated regularly with enhancements and fixes for potential issues. You will see prompts on your computer for these updates and whether they are required. Complete all the required updates before moving on.

You may also have Microsoft Office on your new personal computer, and we have an article on how to activate this to help you with that process.

To download and install any optional software that you purchased with your computer, you must use our Dell Digital Delivery tool. See to Dell Knowledge Base article How do I use Dell Digital Delivery? for more information.

Protect your computer by setting up any offered Security Tools, or ensure you have your own anti-virus software ready to load onto your new computer. Having a robust program to protect your data from online threats is vital. For more information and advice, browse to our Security page.

To download and install any optional software that you purchased with your computer, you must use our Dell Digital Delivery tool. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How do I use Dell Digital Delivery? for more information.

To learn how to download and install Dell-Installed Software, Download Windows Operating or Linux Operating System that is factory installed on your Dell device, browse to our Dell Download Center using the options available, depending on your needs.

See our support article on Finding and Activating Microsoft Office for further assistance with this process.

Backing up your computer data is vital to ensure that you never lose important items and, should something go wrong, to allow for a speedy recovery. Backup options are offered as part of the startup process, but you can use an alternative method. If you are unsure, browse to our Back-Up and Recovery page for help.

Once the setup process completes, your new personal computer should be fully functional; all that remains, is to customize it. To change your computer's appearance or style, see your Manual or User Guide.

Refer to our Windows 11 Support site for guidance and troubleshooting information.

Refer to the Windows 10 Support site for guidance and troubleshooting information.

For all other Operating Systems see our dedicated Operating System support site for more information.

If you have not done so yet, we recommend that you create a Dell My Account.

To create a Dell Account, perform the following steps:

1. Browse to Dell My Account site.
2. Enter you name, email address and choose a password, then touch or click Create Account.

A Dell My Account allows you to manage the following:

• Your personal information and postal addresses 
• Software and service subscriptions 
• Your other Dell orders  
• The list of service tags for all your Dell products

For help with your Microsoft Office, see Dell Knowledge Base article How to Find and Activate Microsoft Office 2019 or 365 on Your Dell Computer.

The Dell Digital Locker is your single destination to manage your purchased software products. Within your account you can obtain your licenses, manage your subscriptions and access any available downloads. for more information see Dell Knowledge Base article How to access your Dell Digital Locker

Dell Digital Delivery is an easy and new way to buy software when you purchase a personal computer. You can automatically download and install available software titles on select computer. For more information, see the Dell Digital Delivery page.

You can find help with your Adobe software at Download and install help.

At Dell, we understand you have more important things to do than troubleshoot issues. This is why we have introduced SupportAssist, a program that proactively checks the health of your computer’s hardware and software, preventing issues from becoming costly problems. When SupportAssist detects an issue, it sends the necessary information to Dell for our technicians to analyze and begin troubleshooting. Dell then contacts you to start the resolution conversation.

SupportAssist is preinstalled on most new, Windows-based Dell devices and can be found in the Start menu under All Programs in the Dell or Alienware folder.

See the Dell document Getting started with SupportAssist for business computers.

If you need help or want to learn more about your computer, check out the Dell Support Library. There you can find helpful, up-to-date articles, guides, and videos specific to your Dell product.

As you finish setting up your new personal computer, we recommend reading the Windows, Recovery Media, Back-Up and Drivers/BIOS article.

See the Microsoft Knowledge Base article for guidance on Finding your documents in Windows.

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A Guide to Dell Resources and Tools for Remote Work or Study Working or studying from home? Learn how to keep your equipment clean, remote best practices, getting and using Dell accessories, and troubleshoot issues.

Zoom Help Center Provides Quickstart guides, Popular articles, Video tutorials or select a Support topic.

Skype Support Site Provides usage and troubleshooting information.

Teams Troubleshooting Site Find information about how to identify and fix errors that you may experience when using Microsoft Teams.

How to Download and Use the Dell Operating System Recovery Image in Microsoft Windows Learn how to download the operating system recovery image for your Dell computer using a Windows-based computer.