Important: Please Read Before Beginning

Unless you tell us otherwise, M‑Tech assumes you are purchasing this computer as a dedicated professional work instrument — not as a general‑purpose PC.

These preparation steps are designed to get your laptop set up perfectly from day one, keep it running smoothly over time, and help you avoid the common problems that can arise when a Voice Stenography system is treated like a regular home computer. If your needs or intended use for the laptop change, M-Tech will gladly help you re-customize its internal settings to fit your goals.

Welcome to your new M-Tech laptop. This page will help you get everything ready before your scheduled optimization session. These steps are simple, beginner-friendly, and written so you can follow them even if you are not comfortable with computers. If anything feels confusing, you can stop and call or e-mail your technician.

Step 1: Activate Windows (please read carefully)

Your laptop includes a genuine Windows license. The product key is printed on a small scratch-off sticker on the bottom of your laptop. The lettering on these stickers can be delicate, so please do not scratch aggressively or rub hard on the sticker. Many people accidentally remove the letters by trying to "clean” the sticker.

• Turn the laptop over and locate the activation sticker.
• Use a plastic card or fingernail to gently scratch the coating until the full 25-character code is visible.
• Click Start → Settings → System → Activation.
• Click Change product key and enter the code exactly as printed.
• If the sticker is hard to read, shine a light across it from the side to make the letters stand out.

Step 2: Create a full system image backup (strongly recommended)

This step creates a complete backup of your current Windows installation. If anything ever goes wrong in the future, this image can restore your system exactly to this known-good state.

What you need:

• A drive other than your C: drive to store this image.
• Your laptop’s D: drive is ideal, or an external USB hard drive/SSD.
• Make sure the backup drive has more free space than the used space on your C: drive.
• Your laptop plugged into AC power.

How to create the system image:

1. Connect your external USB drive (if using one).
2. Click Start and type: Control Panel
3. Open Control Panel → System and Security.
4. Click Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
5. Click Create a system image on the left.
6. Select your D: drive or external drive and click Next.
7. Click Start backup.

When the backup is finished, disconnect the external drive and store it safely. Your technician may also create an additional image after optimization is complete.

Step 3: Create a USB recovery drive (recommended)

This creates a bootable USB that can repair or reinstall Windows if the system will not start.

1. Insert an empty 32GB USB flash drive (recommended brands: SanDisk, Samsung, Kingston, PNY).
2. Click Start and type: Recovery Drive
3. Open Create a recovery drive.
4. Make sure "Back up system files to the recovery drive” is checked.
5. Click Next and follow the prompts.

When finished, label the USB drive "Windows Recovery – Do Not Erase” and store it safely.

Step 4: Remove or disable OneDrive

OneDrive can interfere with certain optimizations and file locations.

• You may pause OneDrive syncing if you prefer not to remove it.
• If you see the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar, you can sign out or pause syncing until after the session.
• For full removal instructions (including Folder Control unlinking), click here:
  Remove OneDrive & Folder Control Guide

Step 5: Install Windows updates (required updates only, do not download Previews or Optional)

Before your optimization session, please install Windows updates — but only the correct ones.

• Click Start → Settings → Windows Update.
• Click Check for updates.
• Install: Important and Security updates only.
• Do NOT install: Preview updates, Optional updates, Feature previews, or Optional driver updates.
• Restart if asked, then check again until Windows reports "You’re up to date.”

This keeps the system stable and avoids pre‑session driver conflicts.

Step 6: Install any required software for your school or work

If your instructor or employer has provided a list of required programs, you can install them before your optimization session.

Important: Avoid browsing the internet or downloading extra software. Only download:

• Windows Updates and
• required work or school software (refer to Step 7 to safely transfer the setup files to your new laptop).

Step 7: Use the included USB flash drive to transfer installers safely

Your M-Tech laptop includes a free USB flash drive. This is the safest way to transfer software installers to your new system without exposing it to unnecessary internet clutter.

1. Use your old computer to download your installers.
2. Save the installers onto the USB flash drive.
3. Plug the USB flash drive into your new M-Tech laptop.
4. Copy the installers to your Downloads folder and run them from there.

This keeps your new M-Tech system clean and avoids unwanted background programs that can affect performance.
Please copy all setup files from the USB drive into your M‑Tech Downloads folder before installing. Some programs cannot install directly from the USB because they are too large to unpack on the drive. The USB is only a transfer tool, not an installation device.

After completing these steps, your system is fully prepared for your optimization appointment.