By Brian McMurtry, Senior Systems Administrator

 Unless you’ve voluntarily banned yourself from all advertising in the last few weeks, you’re probably at least mildly aware that Microsoft is releasing another iteration of its desktop operating system, generically named Windows 7.  This article is intended to be a brief synopsis to help small and medium-sized business owners to be informed concerning Windows 7 and its impact upon your day-to-day business operations.

Most of the businesses that we have served since the release of Vista have patently asked us to sell them Windows XP on all new systems.  I can recall maybe 1 or 2 laptops that we have sold with Vista on them.  The primary reason has been that their legacy applications would not run on Vista, and given the current economy, investment in upgraded software packages has been sparse.   In addition, the earliest releases of Vista were prone to running slow.  User Account Control was a maddening annoyance.  Also, clients were unpleasantly surprised that their printer (and other peripherals), which ran beautifully on XP, would not be usable in Vista due to limited driver support.

Performance and Reliability

On-Site has been beta-testing Windows 7 on a couple of workstations since February 2009, and the results have been startling.  When I first installed Windows 7, I was honestly expecting a bloated version of Vista.  What I found was an operating system that achieved what Vista should have been.  Not only did the machine perform better on Windows 7 than Vista, it ran far more stable.  In 8 months, the machine has just crashed once due to a configuration error. 

Legacy Application Support

As stated before, most businesses did not adopt Vista because their current software would not install on anything other than XP.  The most astounding development in Windows 7, in my opinion, is the so-called XP Mode.  If your company is still running that legacy application that requires XP, your Windows 7 pc can be configured to run applications in XP Mode through a virtual machine that runs XP.  The caveat is that it does require the download and installation of the feature, and your machine should meet certain hardware requirements, as not all PCs can run XP Mode.

Pricing

The OEM pricing (when you purchase Windows 7 with a new pc) is actually less than Vista.  There are several flavors of Windows 7, but your business will be primarily interested in Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate.   Think of Professional as the basic business desktop OS, with some added features such as the Media Center.  Ultimate includes Bit-Locker (full-disk encryption) as well as some Linux application support).  There is an Enterprise version for bulk purchasing which includes everything that Professional has, plus Bit-Locker. 

Bottom Line Synopsis:  Should I upgrade or adopt Windows 7?

In the past, we have taken a wait-and-see approach to adopting a new operating system, waiting until the first service pack is released.  With Windows 7, it may be several months before the first service pack is released.  We do recommend that our clients stick with that which is proven and stable, but I see no compelling reason not to purchase a new pc with Windows 7 given its current level of stability at release.   At this point, upgrading an XP machine to Windows 7 is not supported, but Vista can be upgraded.

 It is always recommended to ensure that legacy hardware such as scanners and printers are supported by Windows 7 before purchasing.  It’s also critical to find out if the new pc can run XP mode before purchasing it.

If you have further questions or concerns with Windows 7, please feel free to let us know, so that we can offer our insight in your decision-making process.

On-Site will be teaming up with Insight Communications to provide web cams and Wi-Fi Internet once again to the Evansville West Side Nut Club Fall Festival (now there’s a mouthful.)

News 25 and Regent Communications will be helping out as media sponsors for the Fall Fest Nut Cams, and the Wi-Fi. Come on down to the Evansville Fall Fest, and enjoy the Free Wi-Fi Internet, or check on the crowds from your office, and plan the best time to head down and fill up on crazy-good food. The Fall Fest Web Cams are available here:

http://www.424help.com/fallfest/

In the wake of this last weekend’s lightning storm, we’ve seen a rash of clients who have suffered losses due to electrical surges or strikes. Much of the time, these catastrophic losses could have been prevented by adequate surge protection. When a business doesn’t prepare for these events in advance, it can result in damage that ranges from a blown network card to destroyed systems. This week, we have seen the full gamut of damage.

With these things in mind, we would like to remind our valued clients these best practices to ensure system uptime and data integrity:

1. Surge suppressors are typically reliable for one power strike. If this occurs, it may just become a glorified power strip. Make sure that when purchasing a surge suppressor, find one that has an LED that indicates that the unit is providing surge suppression.

2. Many higher-end surge suppressors provide warranty support for information systems in the case that a registered, under-warranty suppressor fails to protect systems. It’s important to make sure that a quality product is chosen in the case of such an event.

3. Many clients make the mistake of believing that a power strip is also a surge suppressor. Make sure that your unit provides suppression, not just power.

4. In the case of a power outage, a computer’s hard drive can become corrupted due to a loss of power, causing the system to become unbootable. Every server or high-function workstation should be protected not only by surge suppression, but also with a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).

5. Power surges typically enter the computer network through power, but they can also enter through the internet connection. It is critical to surge suppress the data leads to the network. Some surge suppressors provide Ethernet or Coaxial protection, allowing the entry point of the data network to be protected. A strike that enters the data network can be deadly, as it can blow out multiple switches, computers, and servers.

6. If your business or home is prone to surges and lightning strikes, it would be worth it to discuss the issue with a qualified electrical firm. It’s possible that your home or business isn’t grounded properly.

Of course, due to the power of a direct lightning strike, sometimes suppressors fail, but the majority of surge protectors can protect from high voltage spikes that might otherwise damage your systems.

As we move into fall storm season, I would urge our clients to form a plan of action to ensure that systems are protected. If you would like assistance with this, On-Site would be glad to assess your needs so that you can avoid downtime in the future.

Regards,

Brian McMurtry
Sr. Network Administrator
On-Site Computer Solutions

On-Site is excited to have achieved Symantec Small Business Certified Partner. As a Small Business Certified Partner, On-Site is recognized for demonstrating Knowledge in:

• Symantec Backup Exec 12.5
• Symantec Backup Exec System Protection 8.5
• Symantec Endpoint Protection 11
• Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business 12
• Symantec Protection Suite (new as of June 2009)

On-Site is your best source for Symantec Products in Southwest Indiana.

View On-Site’s Symantec Partner Profile

Contact us for more information about Symantec Products: 812-424-4357

On-Site Computer Solutions is excited to partner with Wow! (Sigecom) Internet, and News 25 to bring you the 2009 Evansville Freedom Festival Patriot Cams.

The Patriot Cams will be live starting Tuesday at:

http://www.424help.com/freedomfest/

While you are down at the riverfront, feel free to make use of the free wi-fi internet, also provided by On-Site and Wow! Internet.