Everyone will have their own preferences on how to run and interact with their work machines but there are some general pointers we would recommend following to make sure you avoid some common pitfalls and are well prepared:

1. Always back up your work, preferably to both an online storage facility, such as OneDrive (see the Office365 section of this guide for more information), and a local physical back up; your PhD is a long piece of research and losing results can be disastrous.
2. Along a similar vein, your work could end up requiring a large amount of storage space, particularly if it involves data intensive activities, so aim to keep a good amount of space free on your laptop.
3. Antivirus software is a must if you are running a windows based laptop; there are fewer viruses in the wilds of the internet for Mac OS and Linux but they do exist, so taking precautions is sensible.
4. A working microphone is a must and a working webcam is recommended for online meetings, seminars, and workshops; though you can also use a smartphone or tablet instead.
5. If your computer is less suited to the demands of your research, do check with your department and your supervisor as to what can be provided under their budgets.

If you are using computer resources that are owned and managed by your departments then you can ignore points regarding computer maintenance, such as antivirus software, but do secure your work and data.

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CC0 by PhotoMIX via Pixabay