It might seem surprising how slowly many companies upgrade their OS, but when you think about all of the planning that must go into it, it makes sense. Windows 8 is coming out later this year, and many organizations have not even deployed Windows 7 yet. This is definitely a thing that business owners should think about doing soon as Microsoft has said they will no longer offer formal support for Windows XP after April 2014. So, if businesses that want to be able to access that support, they will need to begin the deployment process in the near future.

Analyze hardware and compatibility

To begin this process, the first thing an organization must do, is analyze the hardware on the machines to make sure they can run Window’s 7. Also, the applications that are currently installed on the machines may not be compatible with Windows 7. There are ways that an IT department or MSP (Managed Service Provider, like BizTek) can find this out.

What OS images to deploy

Businesses should evaluate if they should deploy just the Windows 7 operating system and install applications later, deploy the operating system and all apps at the same time, or take a combination approach, deploying the operating system and the most crucial applications that are necessary for all users. Those who take the latter approach can then deploy other applications in the future as required. This is a recommend route as it is the quickest type of Windows 7 deployment.

Choosing the right image deployment tool

Once a company has settled on a deployment approach, they must choose which tool they’ll use to create, manage, and deploy the Windows 7 image. There are lots of tools that can assist with this including Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 or 2012.

Upgrading your organization to a new OS is a process that needs a well thought out plan. If you are intending on upgrading to Windows 7 or some other operating system, make certain you contact the right people who will help you through this process without too much stress.

Oh, we’d love to help.  Give us a call at the number listed at the top of the page.

Windows 7 has numerous features making it a great improvement over previous systems. However, like most things, if you are unaware of all these features you could be missing out.

By mastering a few simple tricks, you can get the most out of Windows 7.

• If you would like to copy images from your computer to a CD or DVD it is now much easier with Windows 7. Double-click the ISO image you want to burn and select the drive that has your blank disc in it. After choosing the “burn” option all you need to do is wait!

• Effortlessly find and repair problems. If your operating system is acting strangely, just click the “Control Panel” option. After that, you can simply click “troubleshooting” to access a number of wizards that will take care of commonplace operating problems. This includes cleaning up systems that are slowed by an excessive amount of adware and other clutter.

• Installing a large amount of cumbersome software will slow your system down. It is possible to prevent this by using the AppLocker feature. This lets you pre-approve specific programs for installation. Which stops any non-preapproved software from being downloaded.

• One fantastic aspect for people who work remotely is its power efficiency service. It’s simple to get details about the quantity of power your laptop is using, which is often important if you are working on a project and are far from a power source.

I hope you found something of benefit here.  Please comment with your own “Tips” and/or questions.  You might just be the catalyst for a deeper conversation.