• Wipe Windows
• Install Linux
• Profit

First thing to do: reinstall windows. You keep your license, it's quick, but it removes all the bloatware on your computer

To add on to what others are saying, install Firefox+uBlock Origin

Install Linux

• Buying Dwarf Fortress on Steam and getting addicted? 😂

• Download Blender and start learning 3D modeling. All Blender beginner's usually start with a Donut tutorial on YouTube 😉

Other than games,

Learn how to code. Look up some YouTube tutorials on python or Java to get started then go from there.

Write/ journal. Laptops are great for being in new and different locations that may inspire new thoughts and ideas. Write them down, make them into a book. This works best when you don’t have WiFi imo.

If your hardware supports it learn how to 3d model. Look into blender.

Install Linux

or if you choose to install Windows, only reinstall with official media and uninstall the stuff you don't need. Then go into privacy and disable telemetry.

don't install these random debloater programs suggested in this thread, and most of what they do will get undone in a regular windows update anyways

Nothing wrong with a cheap, refurbished laptop. Hopefully it has a warranty of some sort.

First thing is wipe all the crap off. The amount can vary dramatically depending on where you got it.

Then go through and configure your windows settings. This is pretty personal, you can just play around with most of them, but probably stay out of advanced menus if you don't know what you're doing.

Then start downloading free software you're going to need. The very basics is an unzipping program and your web browser of choice. Beware windows defender, the default security software with windows, is intended to work specifically with their browser, not other people's.

Then start downloading optional software you want. Steam, discord, crap like that. Start installing and configuring the settings of the programs one at a time.

Here's some other people's opinions. I haven't watched these, but the sources appear reputable:

https://youtu.be/L14fTu6dsCo https://youtu.be/XEEcxYzNOfI https://youtu.be/MfwjISmkEJM

Before you do anything, run The Ultimate Windows Utility

"This is a tool that has evolved over several years and achieves much more than just debloating a Windows install. I have expanded it to install the programs you select, which is a bigger selection than ninite. The classic debloat is there, but also includes a tweaks section with quality of life features. To round out everything, I have included my recommended settings for Windows update that I use in a variety of businesses. Misuse of this utility can break your install so please be careful and I do not provide any help or assistance should this happen!""

One Command - Download and Usage

From an Elevated (Run as Administrator) PowerShell prompt

iwr -useb https://christitus.com/win | iex

And then Debloat more with O&O ShutUp10++

currently i have a desktop so a laptop i will be able to move around with

Utilize your newly aquired mobility to watch movies in bed, browse lemmy and play heroes 3.

Reapply the thermal paste, reinstall windows 10, run CTT windows utility script, dual boot linux, run nextdns on it, use brave and librewolf, update all your firmware.

For new equipment you may want to make sure it is Windows 11 compatible otherwise your Windows 10 laptop only has about 2 years worth of updates left https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-home-and-pro

Alternatively could be good time to look into installing Linux.

Get a bigger/better hard drive, 250gb isn't going to be that useful unless you really only surf the web or work with basic office documents. The average game nowadays is going to take 15-20% of your drive, the worst offenders won't even fit on it.

Depends on what your interests are. If it was me I might write something, or pirate Sony Vegas pro and edit a video, or download some movies to watch, or work on a project of some sort that requires a computer, or just watch some YouTube videos in bed on a screen bigger than my phone for once.

Consider undervolting (via Throttlestop or Intel XTU) to prolong your laptop’s longevity and possibly mildly increase its performance. For the same CPU workload, undervolting will reduce the amount of heat generation and therefore the temperature of the CPU, thereby decreasing the risk of hitting the CPU’s temperature throttling and risk of CPU damage.

There are ready guides on youtube and r/gaminglaptops sub, but I’ll leave reddit links out for now. Just search for your laptop model since the exact values will depend on the model and also on luck. If you’re lucky, you can undervolt a lot without causing instabilities.

Install Gentoo

Install software relevant software to your hobbies

I'd recommend finding out what kind of video card it has though as that's a big deciding factor in what you can use it for.

Do a fresh isn't all of the OS. If you use windows, run Chris Titus' debloater. Personally I would choose W10 instead of W11.

If it‘s Windows, I usually do something similar to this: https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-remove-bloatware-from-windows-10/

Also in addition to the good Firefox + uBlock already mentioned, first things I install would be Windows Power Toys, Greenshot for screenshots and Obsidian for writing and note taking that‘s most of what comes to mind.

I wish I had read all this when I got a new computer about a year ago.