As the Windows 10 May 2021 update rolls out to devices, it's a good time to secure your Windows 10 machine. Whether you have a new device or one you've recently upgraded (you can still download Windows 10 for free, by the way, now that support for Windows 7 has ended), making sure you're system is fully protected doesn't have to be complicated.
You can quickly enable some of the basic security features of the operating system -- and disable some of the more annoying ones -- without compromising your device, all within a few minutes.
Here's how to do it.
Create your save point
The first thing you should do with a new Windows 10 machine is enable a system restore. Think of it like a save point for your machine. If things go south while you're trying to set up a safer machine, you get to come back to this nice fresh install and start with a clean slate. Since it's disabled by default in Windows 10, you'll need to manually enable it by following these steps:
1. Go to the Windows Cortana search box and type system restore.
2. Select the Control Panel and click Create a restore point.
3. When the System Properties dialog box appears, click the System Protection tab.
4. Select the drive you've got Windows installed on. For most people this is going to be the C drive.
5. Click Configure.
6. Click Turn on system protection, then click OK.
From here on out, you can always come back to the System Properties box and click System Restore to bring your machine back to this moment in time.
Read more: The best antivirus protection of 2021 for Windows 10
Kill the bloatware
One of the most obnoxious things about getting a new Windows machine is that it's never really new. Even if your hands are the first to pull it out of its shiny box, both Microsoft and the manufacturer have already invariably stuffed your machine with barely-functional, unwanted, or trial-version software that will sit unused in your computer, taking up valuable memory space until it eventually becomes outdated and presents a quiet set of vulnerabilities. Let's kill those programs:
1. Go to Start, then to Settings, then to Apps.
2. You should be looking at a list of all of your installed apps under your Apps & Features section. A right-click on any of them should present you with the option to uninstall them.
Read more: How to clean out junk files in Windows 10
Freshman orientation for your software
Now that you've done some bloatware pest control, you'll want to secure your other software and drivers by making sure they're up to date. Doing this can eliminate the risk of infection by entire classes and families of viruses and malware. The easiest way to do this is by downloading the Windows Update Assistant and following its prompts.
If you have any trouble with the automated process, there's a manual option:
1. Go to Start, then to Settings.
2. Select Update & Security, then select Windows Update.
