While you might think that getting free software with your new Windows 10-powered device sounds like a good idea, it’s not. Beyond taking up storage space and diverting processing power, pre-installed software such as trial versions of video games, antivirus programs, and web browser toolbars — collectively called “bloatware” — can make your device vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Is your PC running slowly? It could be because of all the digital clutter it has to deal with. Clutter can impede your computer’s performance and eat away at its memory. To have your computer performing at top speed again, you need to get rid of these five types of clutter.

First things first, what should you do with your brand new laptop? You go through the Windows 10 setup, and you're all done, right? Not really. Your notebook isn’t ready -- until you do some tweaking. Let's get the ball rolling.

#1 Check for updates

Your new laptop should check for updates automatically, but you can also check manually.

Getting a new laptop can be very exciting. It guarantees a more seamless user experience with faster speed, more memory, and better battery life. But it’s all for naught if you don’t take certain preventive steps before using your new machine. Discover five things you should do before you start exploring your new toy.

Have you recently purchased new laptops or computers? Don’t get too excited. A new report proves that pre-installed software such as free trials and web browser toolbars can pose high-security risks. So if you want to maximize your new investment, here are some things you might want to know:

Tavis Ormandy, a researcher from Google's Project Zero, recently discovered that a compromised password management app, Keeper, had been installed with some versions of Windows 10. For a brief period, Keeper's browser extension, when enabled, allowed websites to easily steal login credentials.

Bloatware, trialware, crapware -- the unnecessary software usually pre-installed by the manufacturer on your brand new PC. Besides being annoying, this type of software also slows down your machine and can tamper with security. Microsoft is fed up with it too, which is why they’ve come up with Windows 10 Signature Edition PCs. Read on to find out more.

If you've noticed that your Windows 10 operating system has been running slow, yet no virus has been found and everything seems to be running okay otherwise, your PC might have too much clutter. Clutter can impede its performance and eat away its memory.