Windows installation check list

Question

What is the general check list for every Windows client (Professional, Business, etc.) and Windows Server installation?

Answer 1

In what environment? Production server? Home use? The "checklist" for a given setup will vary pretty widely depending on what you want to do.

In general, though, you should:

• Secure the installation as soon as you can
  • Get all security patches
  • Install reasonable antivirus/firewall software
• Get drivers installed for the hardware in the system
• Get network access working, if applicable
• Focus on other specific needs for the system (for servers, network services and (optionally) routing; for home use, whatever the user requires it to do)
  • Most systems: Java, Flash (with appropriate security restrictions)
  • For home use: Firefox/Opera/Chrome, MS Office/OpenOffice
  • For servers / production systems: routing (if it's a router), SSH/VPN/HTTP/FTP servers

Answer 2

Because I do a lot of cloning in my work, I have created a checklist that I can give ya. Its more of the same that Tim suggested, but also includes some specifics that are nice to have on a client's computer:

Basics

• Windows (with latest SP and updates)
• Antivirus
• MS Office (latest available)
• Firefox
• Chrome (optional)
• IE (latest)
• PDF Reader
  • Foxit (my personal preference)
  • Adobe Reader (not recommended by some Antivirus companies)
• Adobe Flash (This needs to be installed once in each browser)
• Java (latest)
• .Net (latest)

Drivers

• Audio
• Video
• Misc.

Misc Software

• Direct X (latest for your operating system)
• CutePDF (print directly to pdf instead of printer)

Organization Specific Software

• <Your own list here>

Optional

• Latest Window Media Player
• Quicktime