Identity
Get the right Windows and work account
Confirm the intended user profile, domain or cloud identity, Microsoft 365 sign-in, MFA, and any approved local administrative account.
Everyday IT · Workstations
A new PC is not finished when Windows boots.
The real job is restoring the user's working environment without dragging old problems onto the replacement.Identity, data, applications, peripherals, access, updates, then user validation.
The practical setup checklist
Work through the user's actual job, not just Device Manager.
Data
Know what must follow the user
Verify Desktop, Documents, OneDrive, browser data, PSTs or archives, local-only folders, and any business data that is not already cloud-backed.
Apps
Install what the role actually uses
Microsoft 365, line-of-business applications, PDF tools, browsers, accounting software, and vendor utilities may each need separate licensing or sign-in.
Peripherals
Printers, scanners, docks, and monitors matter
Confirm the docking station has enough ports and power, install required printer/scanner software, and test the device rather than assuming USB detection means success.
Access
Reconnect the user's working paths
Verify network drives, SharePoint or OneDrive libraries, shortcuts, VPN access, browser favorites, and application-specific paths.
Updates
Finish the platform before handoff
Apply Windows and supported vendor updates, reboot as needed, then confirm the machine returns cleanly and required applications still open.
Validation is part of the build
The technician's checklist and the user's workflow are not the same thing.
Test
Open the real apps
Launch Outlook, Word or Excel, the business application, printer, scanner, and any remote-access tool the user depends on.
Compare
Ask what is missing from the old PC
Shortcuts, saved locations, specialty software, browser behavior, mapped resources, or accessories are easy to miss when nobody asks.
Handoff
Let the user prove the workflow
Have the user sign in and complete a few normal tasks before the old system or source data is considered disposable.
Build the user's workflow, not just the workstation.
A replacement is complete when the user can work, not when the desktop looks clean.