1. Application configuration

1.1. General installation instructions

You can find all of the installers in Documents/Installers. When installing:

  1. Add the program to the Start Menu
  2. Don’t create a Desktop shortcut
  3. Don’t add the program to the Taskbar

1.2. Update obsolete versions (summer 2025)

The following applications were installed using obsolete installers (from 2023). They should be completely un-installed and re-installed:

  1. Anaconda Python
  2. Git for Windows
  3. R
  4. RStudio
  5. DB Browser for SQLite
  6. MobaXTerm

1.3. Application manifest

Where to find the most recent version of every application.

  1. Anaconda Python distribution: https://www.anaconda.com/download/success
    • Installer located under Distribution Installers → Windows → 64-Bit Graphical Installer
  2. Chrome: https://www.google.com/chrome/
  3. DB Browser for SQLite: https://sqlitebrowser.org/dl/
    • Choose the Standard installer for 64-bit Windows
  4. Firefox: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/desktop-release/win64-msi/en-US/
  5. Git for Windows: https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/releases/latest
    • Installer located under Assets → Git-version-number-64-bit.exe
  6. Julia: https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/9NJNWW8PVKMN
  7. Matlab: https://it.ucmerced.edu/software-list
  8. Microsoft Office: https://it.ucmerced.edu/software-list
  9. Microsoft Powertoys: https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/microsoft-powertoys/XP89DCGQ3K6VLD
  10. MobaXTerm: https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/download-home-edition.html
    • Choose the Installer edition
  11. Notepad++: https://notepad-plus-plus.org/downloads/
  12. R: https://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/base/
  13. RStudio: https://posit.co/download/rstudio-desktop/
  14. uv: https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/

1.4. Application-specific installation instructions

1.4.1. Anaconda Python distribution

  1. Uninstall previous version
  2. Delete Start Menu items for previous version
  3. Install for single user (“Just Me” option)
  4. Open Anaconda PowerShell Prompt and run the following command: 
    conda create -n lab --clone base
  5. When the process is complete (it will take several minutes), you may close Powershell

1.4.2. DB Browser for SQLite

  1. Don’t create a menu item for the Cipher version of SQLite

1.4.3. Git for Windows

  1. Run the installer. Click Next four times (two times if you’ve previously installed Git). You don’t need to change anything in the Information, Location, Components, or Start Menu screens.
  2. For each configuration screen, select the appropriate option and click Next:
    1. Choosing the default editor used by git: select Use the Nano editor by default from the dropdown menu (you will need to scroll up to find it)
    2. Adjusting the name of the initial branch in new repositories: select Let Git decide
    3. Adjusting your PATH environment: select Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software (if you don’t do this Git Bash will not work properly, requiring you to remove the Git Bash installation, re-run the installer and to select the “Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software” option.)
    4. Choosing the SSH executable: select Use bundled OpenSSH
    5. Choosing HTTPS transport backend: select Use the native Windows Secure Channel Library
    6. Configuring the line ending conversion: select Checkout Windows-style, commit Unix-style line endings
    7. Configuring the terminal emulator to use with GitBash: select Use Windows’ default console window
    8. Choose the default behavior of `git pull`: select Default (fast-forward or merge)
    9. Choose a credential helper: select Git Credential Manager
    10. Configuring extra options: check the box for Enable file system caching
  3. Click Install
  4. Click on Finish or Next

1.4.4. Julia

  1. After installing Julia, open Julia and run the following commands: 
    using Pkg
Pkg.add("IJulia")
  2. When the process is complete, you may close Julia

1.4.5. R and RStudio

  1. Install R, then RStudio
  2. Open RStudio. If the workstation has multiple versions of R available, RStudio will ask which one it should use. Select the most recent 64-bit version.
  3. In the RStudio Console window, run the following command: 
    install.packages("tidyverse")
  4. When the process is complete, you may close RStudio

1.4.6. uv

Open Powershell and run the following command:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

1.5. Application-specific configuration instructions

After installing, make the following configuration changes.

1.5.1. Anaconda Navigator

  1. On first startup, Navigator will open a modal window titled “Sign in for AI Coding Help.” Select “Do not show again” and close the window.
  2. Locate the Anaconda Toolbox block. Click the gear in the upper right corner. If “Remove application” is available as an option (i.e. not grayed out), select it.

1.5.2. Chrome

  1. Autofill and passwords → Payment methods
    • Disable everything
  2. Autofill and passwords → Addresses and more
    • Disable everything
  3. Privacy and Security → Ad Privacy
    • Disable everything

1.5.3. DB Browser for SQLite

  1. Edit → Preferences → SQL
    • SQL editor font: Consolas
    • SQL editor font size: 12

1.5.4. Firefox

  1. General
    • Disable “Recommend extensions as you browse”
    • Disable “Recommend features as you browse”
  2. General → Files and Applications → Downloads
    • Select the Workshop folder on the Desktop (see “Windows Configuration” → “Default folders” later in this document)
  3. Home
  4. Home → Firefox Home Content
    • Disable everything except “Web Search”
  5. Search → Search suggestions
    • Disable “Show trending search suggestions”
  6. Search → Address bar
    • Disable “Suggestions from Firefox”
    • Disable “Suggestions from sponsors”
  7. Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
    • Enable “ Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed”
  8. Privacy & Security → Passwords
    • Disable everything
  9. Privacy & Security → Autofill
    • Disable everything
  10. Privacy & Security → Firefox Data Collection
    • Disable everything
  11. Add the following bookmarks to the Bookmarks Toolbar:
  12. Show the Bookmarks Toolbar

1.5.5. Jupyter Lab

  1. To run Jupyter Lab, open Anaconda PowerShell Prompt and run the following command: 
    jupyter lab
  2. Select Firefox as the default browser
  3. All Jupyter Lab configuration settings are under Settings → Settings Editor
    1. Code Mirror
      • Enable “Auto Closing Brackets”
      • Font Size: 14
    2. Notifications
      • Disable “Check for JupyterLab updates”
      • Fetch official Jupyter news: false

1.5.6. Notepad ++

  1. Settings → Style Configurator → Font Style
    • Font name: Consolas
    • Font size: 12
  2. Enable “Enable global font”
  3. Enable “Enable global font size”

1.5.7. Power Toys

  1. General
    • Disable “Run at Startup”
  2. Input/Output → Keyboard Manager
    • Enable “Keyboard Manager”

1.5.8. RStudio

All RStudio configuration settings are under Tools → Global Options

  1. General
    • Default working directory: C:/Users/DataVisLabWest
    • Disable “Restore most recently opened project at startup”
    • Disable “Restore previously opened source documents at startup”
    • Disable “Restore .RData into workspace at startup”
    • Save workspace to .RData on exit: Never
  2. Code → Editing
    • Enable “Insert matching parens”
    • Keybindings: Emacs
  3. Code → Display
    • Enable “Allow scroll past end of document”
    • Enable “Use rainbow parentheses”
  4. Appearance
    • Editor font: Consolas
    • Editor font size: 12
  5. Pane layout
    • Derek will do this (also available in AppData → Roaming → RStudio → rstudio-prefs.json)

2. Windows configuration

2.1. Default Folders

  1. Documents/Installers (copied from model workstation)
  2. Documents/windows-setup (Derek will clone this from Github)
  3. Desktop/Workshop (empty folder)

2.2. Desktop

  1. Delete all Desktop shortcuts
  2. Set background to Documents/Installers/earth_vir_2016_lrg.jpg

2.3. Start Menu

  1. Pin the following applications (and unpin all others)
    • Anaconda Powershell Prompt
    • DB Browser for SQLite
    • Firefox
    • Git Bash
    • Julia
    • MobaXTerm
    • Notepad++
    • RStudio
    • File Explorer
    • Settings
  2. Settings → Personalization → Start
    • Disable all settings

2.4. File Explorer

  1. Pin Users/DataVisLabWest folder to Quick Access
  2. View
    • Select “List”
  3. Sort
    • Select “Type”
  4. Options → General
    • Disable “Show recently used files”
    • Disable “Show frequently used folders”
    • Disable “Show files from Office.com”
  5. Options → View
    • Enable “View hidden files”
    • Disable “Hide extensions for known file types”
    • After making changes, click Apply to folders button

2.5. Taskbar

  1. Remove Windows Store
  2. Remove Copilot
  3. Remove Edge
  4. Add Firefox

2.6. Widgets

  1. Settings → Personalization → Taskbar
    • Disable “Widgets”

2.7. Apps

  1. Settings → Apps → Default apps → Firefox
    • Next to “Make Firefox your default browser”, click Set default

2.8. Keyboard

  1. Settings → Time & language → Language & region
    1. Next to “English (United States)”, click the … icon and select Language Options
    2. Under “Keyboards”, click Add a keyboard and select United States-Dvorak
  2. Settings → Time & language → Typing → Advanced keyboard settings
    1. Select Input language hot keys
    2. Select Between input languages and click Change Key Sequence
    3. Set “Switch Input Language” to Not Assigned
    4. Set “Switch Keyboard Layout” to Not Assigned
    5. Click OK, then click OK again

2.9. Microsoft Edge

2.9.1. Page Settings (gear icon on page)

  • Disable “Show sponsored links”
  • Disable “Show content”
  • Disable “Show widgets”
  • Disable “Show feed”

2.9.2. Settings (in Edge application menu)

  1. Profiles
    • Disable “Earn Microsoft Rewards”
  2. Privacy, search, and services → Clear browsing data → Choose what to clear every time you close the browser
    • Disable all settings
  3. Privacy, search, and services → Privacy
    • Disable all settings
  4. Privacy, search, and services → Search and connected experiences
    • Disable all settings except “Use a web service to help resolve navigation errors”
  5. Copilot and sidebar → Copilot
    • Disable “Show Copilot button on the toolbar”
  6. Languages → Writing assistance
    • Disable all settings