Easy steps to get a home computer up and running

New home computers should come with the same warning label as many toys: Some assembly required.

A fresh-out-of-the-box Windows or Macintosh machine may be able to get you on the Web, play your MP3s and collect your photos, but it can perform those tasks better with a little extra setup. Here's what to do with a new computer running Windows Vista or Mac OS X Leopard, the current versions of each operating system.

Secure: On a Vista computer, Windows' built-in firewall defense will already be active, and you should be prompted to enable the preinstalled anti-virus software when you first boot up the PC. Do not ignore that step.

On a Mac, you'll have to turn on the firewall: Click the System Preferences shortcut at the bottom of the screen, click that preferences window's Security icon, then the Security pane's Firewall heading and finally click the checkbox next to "Set access for specific services and applications."