Setting up your new laptop for the first time – Saunders Networks

Welcome. Your new laptop is already registered to the company and will set itself up automatically once you sign in. You do not need to install anything yourself.

The whole process usually takes 30-60 minutes, and most of that is simply waiting.

Before you start

You'll need:

Your new laptop, plugged into the charger (don't rely on battery for the first setup)
A Wi-Fi network you can connect to (home Wi-Fi is fine), or a network cable
Your work email address (e.g. username@companyname.com) and sign-in details — we will provide your credentials before your laptop arrives
Your mobile phone nearby — you'll use it to set up sign-in security
About an hour where you don't need the laptop for anything else

Step 1 - Turn it on

Unbox the laptop, plug in the charger, and press the power button.

The first few screens are standard Windows questions:

Choose your region (United Kingdom) and keyboard layout (United Kingdom).
Connect to your Wi-Fi network (or plug in a network cable).

Once it's online, the laptop will check in with the company and may briefly show messages like "Checking for updates" or "Just a moment…". This is normal - it's recognising that it belongs to the company. It may also restart on its own during this stage. Allow it to complete without interruption.

Step 2 - Sign in with your work account

Instead of asking you to create a personal account, the laptop will show a company sign-in screen asking for your work email address.

Enter your work email address and select Next.
Sign in with the credentials we have provided to you.
As this is your first sign-in, you'll be walked through a couple of one-off security steps:
- Setting your password - if you were given a temporary password, you'll be asked to choose a new one. Pick something long and memorable that you don't use anywhere else.
- Setting up Microsoft Authenticator - you'll be prompted to install the free Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone (from the App Store or Google Play) and scan a QR code shown on the laptop screen. This protects your account and you'll use it to approve sign-ins in future.

If anything on this screen doesn't work - wrong password, no QR code, error messages - stop and contact IT support here rather than retrying lots of times.

Step 3 - The waiting part

After you sign in, you'll see a screen that says something like "Setting up your device for work" with three sections: Device preparation, Device setup, and Account setup.

This is the most important part of the process:

This stage can take 20–45 minutes. The laptop is downloading and installing all your company apps, security software, and settings.
Keep it plugged in and connected to the internet the whole time.
It may restart itself once or twice. That's expected.
Don't turn it off, close the lid, or unplug it, even if a section seems stuck for a while. Some steps show no progress for several minutes and then jump forward - that's normal.

Step 4 - First look at your desktop

Once setup finishes, you'll land on the Windows desktop. Two things to know:

Apps may still be installing in the background for the first hour or so. If something like Teams or Office isn't there yet, give it a little time and check again - you can use the laptop normally in the meantime.
A restart within the first day is normal. If Windows asks to restart to finish updates, let it.

Step 5 - Sign in to your everyday apps

A few apps will ask you to sign in the first time you open them. Use your work email and password for all of them, and approve the prompt in the Authenticator app on your phone if asked:

OneDrive - keeps your files backed up. Make sure it's signed in (cloud icon near the clock in the bottom-right).
Outlook - your email and calendar.
Teams - chat, calls, and meetings.

Once these are signed in, your laptop is ready to use.

Installing additional apps - the Company Portal

Your laptop comes with the core apps you need already installed. If you need something extra, use the Company Portal app - you'll find it in the Start menu (select Start and type "Company Portal").

The Company Portal is our own app store for your laptop. It contains a library of pre-approved applications that have been checked and packaged by us, so you can install them yourself at any time without needing to contact us:

Open Company Portal from the Start menu.
Browse or search for the app you need.
Select the app, then select Install.
The app will download and install in the background - larger apps can take several minutes.

A few things to be aware of:

You can't install software from anywhere else. Downloading and installing your own applications from the internet is blocked on company laptops. This isn't us being difficult - unapproved software is one of the most common ways malware gets onto a device, and it can also cause licensing problems for the business.
If the app you need isn't in the Company Portal, contact us here and request it. If it's suitable for business use, we'll review it, and if approved we'll add it to the Company Portal so you (and your colleagues) can install it.
Please don't try to work around the restrictions - for example by using portable apps or browser-based installers. If something is blocked and you need it for your job, the request route above is quick and there for exactly that reason.

Frequently asked questions

How long should setup take in total?

Usually 30–60 minutes from powering on to reaching the desktop, depending on your internet speed.

The setup screen has been stuck on the same step for ages. Is it broken?

Probably not. Some steps genuinely take 10–15 minutes with no visible progress. Only worry if there's been no change for over an hour, or you see a red error message.

Can I set it up without Wi-Fi?

No - the laptop needs an internet connection to set itself up. Any internet connection is fine, including home Wi-Fi.

I don't have my sign-in details / my password doesn't work.