Here's an interesting topic.
I just completed my 4th system that I'm giving out this Christmas season, to families in need, and...
I noticed that I have a small pattern that I have when I'm installing an OS, no matter what.
The first five things that I do are:
Activate (If it needs it), or Install FireFox (Both happen about the same time)
Remove shadows from context menus\mouse\clean up UI and remove useless stuff while keeping eyecandy.
Install and Activate Avast! antivirus. (and make sure it works)
Get ALL Windows updates. (Minus Windows Search 4.0 on low end systems)
Set custom bootscreen (if applicable) and logon screen

What's your 5?

1. Install Drivers
2. Activation
3. Install Firefox
4. Install Adblock & Flash
5. Disable unnecessary stuff

"activate"

AV/Firewall i prefer McAfee the updater may make the cpu spike to 100% but i cant complain abut the firewall i may give avast with mcafee firewall a shot in a VM

firefox


windows update trough firefox with ie plug in or use auto patcher to save time

minor tweaks

Like angelwolf71885 said, you need an antivirus. I use Kaspersky Internet Security 2009.

And what about Microsoft Office?

Office is #9 on my list, if people want it included, behind:
Defrag
Optomize boot times
Install DVD Player software\disk burning software if applicable.

Avastt is #6 on my list

1.Tweaks like show my computer etc on desktop and other configuration of the ui.
2.Install drivers and utilities that are related to them.
3.Install Fire fox and ad block plus (for starters) then go to windows update, install Microsoft update and then run it.
4.Anti virus (Avira),Firewall (Commodo set to run in just firewall mode) Browser Protection (Spyware blaster). As well as Ccleaner and Defraggler
5.Install other applications then Ccleaner file + reg clean and Defrag.

why not switch the title to say what do you install on a new computer/format instead of top 5




d'oh forgot about an office suite i prefer open office support all the MS formats so no compatibility loss

ive never had the fortitude to try the Russian av is it any good?

OpenOffice.org doesn't save in Office Open XML though, just open. Both Office 2007 SP2 and Office 2010 can open and save in OpenOffice.org XML.

I have OpenOffice.org install as backup on my computer. Just wish it can save in Office Open XML

xml as in the scripting file? or as in that pdf competitor? or am i thinking of a different format?

1) Install
2) Activate or "Workaround" *cough*
3) Drivers
4) Disk Cleanup
5) Take Image

THEN, I proceed to installing software after I have my nice clean back-to-factory image ^_^

-Activate
-Install Opera
-Install Microsoft Security Essentials
-Install K-Lite Codec Pack
-Watch Porn
-Install Office 2010

And this continues with intallations.. or play a while and later keep installing.

Drivers
Screw around with the eye candy
Firefox
Activate
And MSN

1. Drivers
2. Firefox and Thunderbird
3. NetSupport
4. MSN
5. Eye candy set up to my liking
6. Avast
7. Sometimes take an image after setting up the basics, not always though
8. Games

All other software is installed as required.

First I get FireFox so I dont need to suffer using IE,
then I get my drivers
then... well I get a patch to make it genuine
Install Direct X
And install some other stuff

1. Activate
2. Drivers
3. Main Software (antivirus, firefox, skype, VLc\C, MSN, Magic ISO, etc..)
4. System Image
5. Other Software (Microsoft Office, Adobe Master Collection CS4, AutoCAD, Revit and Inventor 2010, etc..)
6.Games (if needed)
7. Clean out unnecessary crap.
8. Anything else if needed.

1. Drivers
2. Setting up GUI to how I like it, and other settings like turning off defender
3. Install Software (AVS, Filezilla, VLC, Irfanview, Office etc) (usually lots of installers at once)
4. Games
5. Join the Domain

1 Drivers
2. EasyCleaner
3. Office 2003 OR 2007
4. Symantec Virus Software
5. Halo COmbat Evolved

1. Drivers if any are missing in Device Manager
2. Open up IE and go to www.getfirefox.com and dowload the latest version along with some must have addons, like Adblock plus and the needed ones like Flash.
3. Run Windows Update, activate if it needs me to, and setup Automatic updates.
4. Add anti-virus, usually AVG Free.
5. MS Office 2003 (Since my copy has unlimited installations)

First thing for me these days is to open up the Taskbar control panel and set it to "use small icons" and "never combine", and "unpin" the icons that are "pinned" by default, ie kill the hated "Superbar" - no-one else then?

Next disable UAC, install graphics drivers, set up the Control Panel settings how I want them and turn off things like System Restore/Defender/Indexing etc, before installing programs and then games, and finally activating once everything's installed (in case it needs to be wiped and done again for whatever reason, also adding drivers will sometimes trigger another activation if you install a lot).

Haha i like the 4th ;p

1) Install Drivers
2) Install DDKs
3) Expand Source
4) Prepare buildenvs
5) Install Firefox.

Hmm... A little too much?

Not really, apart from the build environments which are usually the hard part of the build.

1.Install and activate Win 7
2.Drivers and Windows updates
3.Disk Cleanup and Defrag
4.Install Windows 7 in VMware (Repeat steps 1-3 in VM)
5.Install all other apps on VM OS

install firefox
install drivers
update directx
install applications such as yahoo messenger,winrar,live essentials,avast,utorrent,winamp,vlc,and some free cd/dvd writing
install games or create shortcuts back
tweak the os for speed or whatever i need