Moving to a new computer
What is in the cloud and what only lives locally before the swap.
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New computer, new user, or new phone setup
Whether you just got a new work laptop, a new phone, or you are setting up a new hire on day one, the order of steps matters. Get sign-in and multi-factor sign-in right first; everything else depends on those. Use this checklist top to bottom.
Step One
Sign in to Windows or macOS with the work account
Use the work account, not a personal one
If your company assigned a work email, the first sign-in to the new computer should use it. Mixing in a personal Microsoft or Apple account makes Office, OneDrive, and licensing confusing later.
Finish any required Windows Hello / Touch ID setup
PIN, fingerprint, and face unlock are usually optional but make daily sign-in faster. If your company requires them, set them up now while you have IT support nearby.
Run any pending updates and restart
New computers often have pending Windows or macOS updates. Let them run. Restart. Then continue with the rest of setup.
Step Two
Set up multi-factor sign-in on the phone first
Install the right authenticator
Most companies use Microsoft Authenticator, Duo Mobile, or Okta Verify. Install whichever your company specifies. Allow notifications when the phone asks - without notifications, push approvals will silently fail later.
Add the work account by following the company prompt
Do not try to add the account to the authenticator manually. The company sign-in flow will tell the phone to add the account automatically using a QR code or setup link.
Test one approval before you keep going
Sign out and sign back in to a sign-in page (outlook.office.com, your company portal). Watch the phone for a push prompt. Approve it. If it works, you have multi-factor sign-in right and the rest of the day will go faster.
If you are replacing an old phone, do not erase the old phone yet
Set up multi-factor sign-in on the new phone and confirm it works first. Once the new phone is approving sign-ins reliably, then you can erase or factory-reset the old phone.
Step Three
Install the apps you actually use
Office / Microsoft 365 first
Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Sign in once to Word, then Outlook and Teams will pick up the same account. Set OneDrive's sync folder before you start saving files locally.
The CAD / BIM apps for your role
AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Revit, MicroStation, ArcGIS Pro, Bluebeam Revu - whichever your role needs. Use the company-approved installer or app store, not a random download. Match the year and update level the project team uses, not necessarily the newest.
Sync apps and remote access
Set up Desktop Connector (for ACC), ProjectWise (if your team uses it), Egnyte / Box / Dropbox (if your team uses them), FortiClient VPN, and Citrix Workspace App as needed. Sign in with the same work account.
Finally - restore templates, profiles, and shared content
AutoCAD profile imports, Bluebeam profiles and tool sets, Outlook signatures, browser bookmarks, password manager. These often live in shared network folders or in cloud accounts; restore from there rather than rebuilding from memory.
New Hire Day One
Specifically for new employees
Confirm with HR / IT what the work email and accounts are
Spelling matters. "first.last" vs "flast" vs "first.lastname." Get this in writing before signing in to anything.
Do not set up a personal Microsoft / Apple account on the work device
Resist the temptation. Personal accounts on a work computer create real headaches later for licensing, OneDrive, and offboarding.
Ask which apps your role specifically needs
Installing every CAD app you can find slows the laptop and licenses you do not need. Ask your manager or your CAD lead what your role uses, then install only those.
Save where the company saves
Confirm whether your team uses OneDrive, SharePoint, ACC, ProjectWise, or a network share. Save your work there from day one - local Documents folders are not backed up unless OneDrive is syncing them.
Slow Down
Do not do this yet
Do not erase the old phone or wipe the old computer too early
Until the new device is fully working - sign-in, multi-factor sign-in, files, key apps - keep the old one accessible. The old device is your safety net.
Do not move company files to a personal cloud account
Tempting on a new computer, but it is usually against policy and makes offboarding messy.
Do not skip multi-factor sign-in setup to "deal with it later"
Later is always less convenient. Set up multi-factor sign-in on day one while you have help available and time to retry.
CAD / AEC Notes
Design-team setup order
Set up identity and files before design apps
Finish multi-factor sign-in, VPN or Cloud PC access, OneDrive or SharePoint sync, ACC / BIM 360, ProjectWise, Egnyte, or Box access before testing Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, MicroStation, ArcGIS Pro, or Bluebeam.
Match project app versions
For CAD and BIM work, the newest app version is not always right. Match the project team's Revit year, Civil 3D year, MicroStation version, Bluebeam major version, and required add-ins before opening active project files.
Confirm standards, plotters, and templates
Before day-one production work, test templates, fonts, plot styles, shared tool palettes, printer or PDF presets, Desktop Connector, ProjectWise, and any CAD manager-provided startup scripts.
Related
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Getting a new phone without losing multi-factor sign-in
Plan the multi-factor sign-in reactivation so push approvals do not break the day you switch phones.
Open articleNew hire day one
The accounts, apps, multi-factor sign-in, and basic checks to walk through on the first morning.
Open articleMicrosoft Authenticator guide
Setup and "I changed phones" recovery for Microsoft sign-ins.
Open guideContact IT
If something is missing on a new device, send a ticket.
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