Posts Tagged ‘Vista’

Legacy Windows Support to be Abandoned

April 11th, 2010

For those of you running versions of Microsoft Windows without (what Micro$oft considers to be) current service packs, you are about to be disowned by the Behemoth from Redmond.  Just thought you might want to know.

The versions included in this swift kick to the curb are:

  • Windows XP with service pack 2 (support ends July 13, 2010, along with Windows 2000 Maintenance and Support)
  • Windows Vista with no service packs (support ends April 13, 2010)
  • Microsoft seems to have “a thing” about the 13th of the month…
  • This means you will no longer be able to receive monthly updates, service packs and security fixes from M$oft.

So no problem, you say, I’ll just go download the updates, right?  Sure, if you like to live dangerously.  Read the blog entries on service pack 3 for XP regarding the risks.  Any service pack for Vista is a double-edged sword.  Since Vista is by far the most unstable and unpredictable OS ever released, doing anything at all to it is riddled with risks.  While Vista should have all the service packs you can find for it, the time to install them is ridiculous (about 5 hours for Vista on any given HP machine for reasons we don’t understand) and you can wind up with a machine that is in a reboot / repair loop forever.

Service Pack 3 for XP has caused no end of headaches for some people.  It’s a zero-benefit service pack in our estimation, simply bundling a wad of updates into an SP and shoving a modified version down the pipe to end users labeled a Critical Update.  You are far better off to install it from a disk rather than a download (look for our article on this).

If you are going to install a service pack, BACK UP YOUR DATA FIRST.  Do NOT use Vista Backup to do this (read our blog entry on this as well).  Copy what you need to an external drive manually or download the recommended backup software listed on our Good Things / Bad Things page.

Keep in mind, you NEED the Security Updates for Windows.  You do need to resolve this issue in a timely manner to remain safe.

No comments »

Posted in Information, News, Recommendations, URGENT

Tags:

What About Windows 7?

December 10th, 2009

We are getting a lot of questions about Microsoft’s newest Operating System, Windows 7.  Seems everyone wants to know how it compares to it’s predecessor, the ill-fated and (arguably) worst Operating System ever turned loose on an unsuspecting public.  While a lot of people want to believe Win7 is a good product, they are gun-shy after being bitch-slapped with Vista on their last PC purchase (understandable to be sure).

In essence, Windows 7 is not a “New” OS, but rather, a re-manufactured version of Vista (essentially Vista with the warts shaved off and a shiny coat of paint applied).  Windows 7 was not engineered from scratch, but the long list of egregious, irritating sins of Windows Vista were purged from the guts (and surface) of the OS, resulting in a much prettier and better behaved OS.

We have installed Win7 on several machines here and even added a new Toshiba 16″ notebook with the 64-bit version to our stable of Forensics tools.  So… What do we think?

To relate a favorite anecdote: It is said an optimist fell off the 40th floor balcony of his apartment.  On his way down, people standing on lower balconies heard him say “So far, so good”.

And on that note: So far, so good.  Windows 7 is a LOT faster than every version of Vista that ever prowled, plundered and pillaged the digital landscape.  The installation is faster (by an order of magnitude) and it is a much friendlier OS after installation.  It appears Microsoft took some constructive criticism (read Hate Mail) seriously during the Vista debacle and the result is a much cleaner OS with a lot less nagging during normal use.  Win7 seems very stable and quick – and the interface for establishing Wi-Fi connections is very clever indeed.  All things considered we give Microsoft’s shiny new OS a hearty “Thumbs-Up”.

Keep in mind, we still do not recommend “upgrading” your OS to Win7.  Back up your data (NOT with Vista backup – read the blog on that mess) to an external drive and perform a new OS install on a formatted drive to rid your system of any trace of the dreaded Vista and you will have a much happier computer.  Win7 still has the same Plug and Play issue Vista had in that it doesn’t know anything about hardware or software that’s more than about 2-3 years old, so any Legacy programs or printers you are still using may require replacement if you go to Windows 7.  But we think you will really like the result…

Unless you have the 64 bit version of the OS.  It seems that Micro$oft still cannot get the whole 64 bit OS thing to work properly.  Our new Toshiba laptop came with the 64 bit version of Windows 7.  After a month of dealing with slow performance, software incompatibility (even some browsers would not install) and 5 minutes of searching and grinding to use any USB device plugged into this BRAND NEW LAPTOP – we “downgraded” it to the 32 bit version of Windows 7 (not with any help from Toshiba, by the way) and we have a beautifully functioning machine.

So…  While we DO feel good about recommending Windows 7 – there are caveats and you should consider all of them before settling on a Win7 computer.  You can still order XP-based machines from Dell and Toshiba if you want one.

No comments »

Posted in Information, News, Recommendations

Tags:

Trusting Vista Backup? Read this first.

July 22nd, 2009

One of the many handy features of Vista is supposed to be the built-in backup.  This is something every Operating System should have and, finally, after more than 20 years, a Windows OS comes out with a backup that has all the features we need to stay protected.  Right?

Maybe not.

First of all, in our experience, when the Vista Backup is run, it has a tendency to use the Restore Partition to store your backup files.  This is a great way to crash your drive – when it runs out of space.  The Restore Partition is found on most name-brand computers and contains the files to reinstall Windows, when necessary.  There ususally isn’t a lot of free space on this partition, because it’s just not necessary.

To make matters worse, this partition is actually part of the primary (usually the only) drive, so if there’s a problem with your hard drive, there’s also a problem with your System Restore files — and your Backup.

Backups should be stored on an External Drive.  One that’s not running all the time – only when you need it for a backup.  That way it’s not wearing out at the same rate as your boot drive.

Now let’s get to the real problem.  Vista Backup seems to have a serious problem reading it’s own backup files.   We’ve had several such occurences where the backup is completely unreadable to Vista.  In some cases, the backup file is unreadable by any means.  Which means, when you’ve been instructed by (insert Name Brand here) tech support to back up your data so they can talk you through a reinstall… There may be no data to restore when you’re done.  This appears to be a very common problem.

In the overall scheme of things, you’re much better off to just manually copy your data to an external drive.  The only problem with this recommendation is you need to know where your data is actually stored.  Therefore, this is not the best option for most users.  If you’re a Tech, you already know how to do this (but you’re probably not reading this article…)

And now for the manageable options:

1: Use an online backup.  We like iBackup, which is pretty much a set-it and forget-it system that backs up your computer every day when you’re not using it.  Great system, reasonable price and easy to use.

If you’re considering (or using) Carbonite, read our blog article on that product first…

2: Download and install Backup Platinum,  (the best $67 you’ll spend today) buy an external hard drive and set it up to backup your computer daily.  A little more expense up-front, but Zero $ continuing expenses and it’s a solid solution.  We use it.  Many of our clients use it.  Great option for most people.  You actually need 2 hard drives, so you can have a full backup on-site and another at a completely different location.  This can be a life saver in the event of a fire.

No comments »

Posted in Information, Recommendations, Tech Tips

Tags:

1 2 3