Sony's one of the worst for installing crapware, no telling what's on there see link for program to remove it.

That should connect to the internet out of the box without doing anything.

You can use the windows Firewall in windows 7.

A good free Anti Virus is Avast free home.

Here is a link that might be useful: .pcdecrapifier.

So, Sony's been in the tech news this week for rolling out their new "fresh start" option. This gives you the privileged to pay Sony an additional $50 to get a PC without crapware. To me this really shows the character of Sony. Back in September 2007, PC World did a test a bunch of PCs and gave them a "Junk Rating." Sony was the top offender. So, instead of trying to improve their image by just not installing the crap, they want to charge you more to "remove" it.

I learned a new term today, crapware!
:)

Yes and some of it's probably "running" on that computer. Take a look in programs and features and see what is all there.

I learned about this site which is a great site to help you get those free programs you need including AVAST antivirus and it make sure to NOT include any of the junk toolbars and stuff in the process.
Ninite

Definitely add malwarebytes free update it and run full scan weekly, add spywareblaster, update it weekly and enable all protection no scans needed. Add secuinia tool to make sure all your important updates are done to keep you safe.

How to download and install Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware application for Windows computers
SpywareBlaster
Secunia Online Software Inspector (OSI) you can do this online or install the PSI version to your pc.

you can turn on the windows 7 firewall it should however be on by default.
Do all your windows updates once you go online.

your laptop should pick up your wireless immediately, if you have your router set up securely using WPA you will need to enter your passkey when it pops up on the laptop to let it access your network usually only have to do that once.
tell us which model you got or give us a link to all the info on it and we might be able to give more info.

lpinkmountain-
Too many people fall prey to this tactic. Many of these companies typically make more from this unneeded service than the profit they make on the hardware. You can easily do this for yourself. It just sounds like you are envisioning this as more complicated than it really is.

I bought a Sony Vaio about a year ago and it came with a few pieces of software and trialware that I didn't want. They were easy to remove. Just go into Control Panel / Programs and Features, and remove anything you don't want. If you still have a few desktop icons for these things you've eliminated, just right-click and delete them. As for the internet connection, the new computer should be able to detect the wireless signal from your router, and you just connect to it: right-click on the wireless symbol down on the taskbar, select "Connect to a network," choose yours, and hit "Connect." You should be prompted to type in the key you should have established for security when you set the router up (you do have security enabled, right?). Once you do that, it's done.

one thing I would add, get yourself a dedicated notebook tablet right now for that computer and write down everything as you go! Passwords, names, all that info that you have to do at set up and do NOT want to forget! I have one set up for each of my computers because my old brain ain't what it used to be! I can not tell you how many times it has saved me.

then you won't be one coming in saying you forgot your ADMIN password and needing instructions on how to change it LOL

ravencajun-
Good suggestion...but I use the analog version: a 79 cent spiral notebook and a #2 pencil. All I have to do is remember where the notebook is!

Sony VAIO, not Vios!
I have a SMC Networks Barricade 9 wireless router.
I hope the computer finds it right off the bat, and I hope I don't have it password protected, although I guess I should. If I did put in a password when I set it up I didn't write it down so I hope I used something easy to figure out. I really need to take another look at my wireless network security.
This time I will try to be better about being systematic and keeping better records. I do keep everything but file it haphazardly.
Then we'll see about loading the drivers for my printers . . .
I guess I'll cross each bridge as I come to it. There are some manuals that came with the computer.
I went with the Sony because it had a keyboard I could work with! I have to say that the brown color is groovy though, which is just a perk!

This gives you the privileged to pay Sony an additional $50 to get a PC without crapware.

P-C manufacturers get paid to put that crap on your computer so I suppose the $50 recoups some of that. I think they should offer computers without crap and offer a discount if you're willing to have it installed. Obviously you can uninstall whatever you don't like but I have to wonder how many traces are left in the registry.

I just got a MacBook for Christmas and no junk anywhere.

I keep loosing my posts every time I try to post them. I forget to copy them! My Internet connection seem very slow today. And with the new computer, I keep loosing "internet access" even though it shows it as being connected. Anyway, after turning various things on and off it seeme to have healed itself for now.

I'm online, such as it is, with my new laptop. I have installed the Norton Anti virus trial for now. I've had it on my other laptop for the past year with no problems. We'll see.

There isn't too much crapware on here, but I am not really paying much attention to all the details at this point. One thing at a time. I was able to find my router/network connection and connect right off the bat without a password. My network shows up as an unsecured network, which I don't like. I tried to figure out how to "secure" it by reading the manual that came with the hardware. Forget that, what a bunch of techno babble. Pages and pages of obscure information about security, most of which makes no sense. I don't seem to have any software to interact with. I tried downloading the software that was on the CD, and I got an "overflow" error message, whatever that means. Anyway, here's an example of the language in the manual:
"Network attacks that deny access to a network device are called DoS
attacks. DoS attacks are aimed at devices and networks with a connection
to the Internet. Their goal is not to steal information, but to disable a
device or network so users no longer have access to network resources.
The BARRICADE protects against DoS attacks including: Ping of Death
(Ping flood) attack, SYN flood attack, IP fragment attack (Teardrop
Attack), Brute-force attack, Land Attack, IP Spoofing attack, IP with zero
length, TCP null scan (Port Scan Attack), UDP port loopback, Snork
Attack.
Note: The firewall does not significantly affect system performance, so
we advise enabling the prevention features to protect your
network. The table below lists the intrusion parameters and their descriptions . . . ."

And on it goes. Not one instance of instructions on how to do the most basic thing that I think everyone would want to do, set the router network connection up so that only my laptop has access to it.
Oh well, perhaps that is for another post for another day. I've been unsecured with this thing for quite a while now. I wonder how far it travels. I hope no one is out there planning to destroy the world using my Internet connection. :)

I meant the spiral notebook tablets LOL I have one for each computer, I put the info in there for every site I register to also so I can go back and see what I used as my password.

OH yes if you do not have your wireless set up securely anyone driving by can get into your network you definitely need to set up the WPA or WPA2 on your router and no you never want to use an easy password for something like that you do not want to use a word at all it needs to be a mix of numbers and letters like a birth year and someones initals plus part of the phone number, something that would make no sense, a real word can be hacked in mere seconds with a cracker program.

Raven, my new HP laptop came with its own notebook for taking notes! Neato!

I would suggest to OP that he do a search, use Google, for setting up WPA security on a router. While each brand may be a little different, I believe the basics would be pretty much the same.

Since the computer is Windows 7, I decided to use the Microsoft firewall and also Microsoft Security Essentials on this one. So far, just fine. But do go to the link RC gave you for Ninite and look over those free programs. As you have activated the Norton program, if you do decide to change to some other AV program, be sure to use the removal tool for that program. I always use Revo Uninstaller in the Moderate mode to remove programs from my computer. That gets rid of folders and registry entries that might be left behind just using Add/Remove in Control Panel.

Here is a link that might be useful: Revo Uninstaller

Setting up your router isn't especially difficult but providing specific directions in a forum such as this isn't especially efficient, especially if we don't know the specific model and firmware of your router. Do you have any friends that could help?

lpinkmountain-
I'm again going to encourage you to view this as simpler than you expect. Since your router is already set up, all you need to do to enable security is access the setup interface that is already there. It varies a bit from router to router. For my Belkin, I just have to enter a specific numeric web address (192.168.2.1) into the address bar and it takes me to a page that allows me to modify all my settings and enable security; try that. If that doesn't work, look in the manual that came with your router. Or, if you lost that, call tech support for Barricade and ask them how to access the setup page and enable security.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm more or less set up for the basics, the rest is just a thing by thing process. I did think that setting up the modem and router to work in tandem might be more difficult than it was due to what I anticipated would be a problem with password protection and me not remembering my password, but since I am running an unsecured little network in my house it wasn't a problem. That I have to fix but it is a separate issue. It has been like this for months. I was in denial, lol! I also downloaded the temp. trial Norton Anti-virus so I have some time to think on that issue. Supposedly with my USB printer it will read the driver right away, but if not I can monkey with that fairly easily. So I am in business with the basics and will see what other issues arise.

As for the router question, it IS difficult to do the whole shebang via a forum. I do have the manual, it is a huge PDF thing, but it makes very little sense. Doesn't seem to have INSTRUCTIONS for anything. A lot of techno babble information, but so far I can't find any basic instructions, (see previous post). It seems like there should be a software interface with the router, although it only interfaces with the wireless card that I had for my old laptop. I have the install CDs for both apparatus. I can't seem to find a software kind of thing for the router on the CD. Basically I think back when I set them up initially with my old laptop, I just turned both of them on and they kind of found each other! I knew it was too easy!

I have a colleague in the tech department that I am going to ask about this and see if he has ever done this kind of thing before.

give us the make and model number of your wireless router and we can likely help you do it pretty easily, most of them it is a very simple task, just enter the address for the router set up in your browser go to the correct tab in the router for security and select WPA2 as the security you want to enable then you will definitely have to choose a name for the SSID because you want to change that and this is what everyone will see as your network name so you do not want to use your name or something that will let them know oh I see that is lpinkmountains network, you want to name it something random, you will also have to set a password or key so that anyone wanting to get on your wireless network will have to enter that key into the blank before they are allowed on, This is the key that must be made up of random letters and numbers most of the time it will generate one for you and you can accept that one but what I advise to people is to WRITE IT DOWN IMMEDIATELY and tape it to the bottom of the router! You should also definitely change the standard password for gaining entrance into the router it self so that only you have that password to be able to get in and change settings, you can add that to the one on the bottom of the router.
Most routers do have the internal firewall enabled by default that is something you will want to check since you will be in the router settings it needs to be on. This is not the same as your software firewall you will find the software firewall in your windows security center.

you should not need the software or cd for the router to do this.

just give us the info on your router and someone will help you.

49 minutes later I finally have my printer working on my new laptop. Boy it REALLY hated it when I just plugged it in to the USB drive and booted it up. It kept crashing. Then I tried to install it using the "Install Printer Device" option on the computer. No dice as far as actually working. Then I tried using the installation CD that came with the printer. Ooooooh no, it was not compatible with Windows 7. So finally after downloading a new driver from HP's Web site I am up and running. This planned obsolescence with computers really rubs me the wrong way. What bugs me is all the enablers out there who just buy into this crap system It will be a fun adventure to try and get my HP Laserjet 5L printer with the paralell port connection to ever work again. A 500 dollar machine that works like a charm but it is over 10 years old so I'm sure they won't let me keep it going. It up and quit one day and I am sure it was due to some Windows "update" that goofed it up. I didn't troubleshoot it back then and I am not sure if they make adapters or something for USBs. I really love that printer and it is NOT a hardware issue with it not working. Well, I guess now it is, due to the phasing out of paralell ports. Grrrrr.

My HP 6L works as well with windows 7 as it did with windows 98.

Yes I see they have paralell port connection to USB cables that I am going to try. Also may be able to download a driver from HP's Web site, I see it listed. So I'm going to give that a try.

HP DOES provide drivers so that you can keep older peripherals working with new operating systems. I don't call that planned obsolescence.

Yeah, I was talking about the constant "upgrading" of Windows and MS software that makes older versions of stuff incompatible with the newer ones. AND, I have to buy a special new cable (which I priced out at Staples for 41 bucks last night). I know, I know, I will look for it cheaper somewhere else. I thought Staples was a good idea because I had a discount card from them, but then I read the fine print ($10.00 OFF, not a 10% discount, and also only on purchases of 75 dollars or more.)

HP has win 7 both 32 bit and 64 bit for the laserjet 5L printer. When I installed win 7 on my xp computer it found my laserjet 6L printer and it was ready to go without havint to download a driver. Those printers are from the early days of laser printers and were quite expensive but they are well-made. About every three years I buy a toner cartridge from printpal for $25 and I do a lot of printing with mine.