New hire laptop onboarding checklist
A structured walkthrough for setting up a brand-new company laptop on day one.
This guide walks new employees through the essential setup tasks required on their first day, from unboxing to full productivity.
- Just received a new laptop
- First day setup
- Missing apps or access
Before you begin
Make sure you've received your welcome email with your work account credentials. If not, check with your manager before continuing.
- Welcome email received
- Laptop unboxed and charging
- Phone available for MFA setup
- Backup 2FA method ready
What you'll need
- Your work email address
- Temporary password from IT
- A quiet workspace for about 25 minutes
Have your phone nearby. You'll set up multi-factor authentication in the first few steps.
Complete every step before joining team meetings. Skipping SSO setup will lock you out of shared tools.
System requirements
| Item | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | 13 Ventura | 14 Sonoma |
| Free disk space | 20 GB | 50 GB |
| Network | Office Wi-Fi | Office Wi-Fi + hotspot |
Common questions
What if my temporary password doesn't work?
Contact your onboarding buddy or open a ticket via the IT portal. Do not attempt to reset it yourself before signing in.
Can I install personal apps?
Yes, on approved software only. See the Software Requests topic for the current allow list.
Once you've completed the checklist, mark this article as helpful. It feeds our onboarding metrics.
Step-by-step fix
Open a ticket and our IT team will pick up where you left off.