Here are five reasons you might want to hold off a Windows 10 upgrade

Windows-10-LogoWindows 10 is just about here and many users are ready to ditch windows 7 or 8 and upgrade.  Here are five reasons you might want to hold off a Windows 10 upgrade.

  1. Your system hardware doesn’t support it

This is pretty obvious, but you need to really consider your SPECs. In order to run Windows 10, you need a PC or tablet with a 1GHz processor or faster, 1GB of RAM for 32-bit machines or 2GB for 64-bit machines, 16GB hard disk space for 32-bit machines or 20GB hard disk space for 64-bit machines, a DirectX 9 or later graphics card with a WDDM 1.0 driver and an 800 x 600 display or better. If your system doesn’t meet the SPEC then you’re going to have to upgrade your hardware before you upgrade your operating system. If this is the case it is probably more economical to just buy a new computer with Windows 10 already installed.

  1. You’re using Windows 7

Windows 10 corrects many of the issues in Windows 8, an operating system that was built more for touch devices than Desktop PCs. Two of Windows 10’s big improvements over Windows 8 are the addition of a Windows 7-style Start menu and the ability to work entirely on the desktop and ignore the touch-focused (Metro) Start screen.  If you currently use Windows 7 then you have a Start menu and work only on the desktop. If you’re happy with the way Windows 7 works, we would probably tell you to stay with it.

  1. Security updates for Windows 7 and Windows 8 are still available

Microsoft has a habit of pushing people to its latest operating system by ending support for its old operating systems, halting security updates and leaving users potentially open to security threats. If you have Windows 7 or Windows 8, you’ve got years before that happens. Microsoft will keep issuing security patches for Windows 7 until January 2020 and for Windows 8 until January 2023. So there is no need to rush if security updates are your concern.

  1. You have old printers or other peripherals

Many new operating systems are not designed to work with older peripherals, such as printers and scanners. Microsoft doesn’t always make sure that drivers for older devices work with their newest operating system. It simply takes too many development resources to try to ensure all devices work. As a result, some of these peripherals won’t work with Windows 10.

  1. Live on the cutting edge not the bleeding edge.

Beta testing a new operating system never uncovers all the bugs and gotchas that people are going to encounter. A new operating system hasn’t been tested on every possible piece of hardware, with every piece of software, and with every hardware/software combination. People who upgrade immediately are the guinea pigs and often the ones that get burned.  We suggest you wait another six months before you upgrade.

Don’t worry about missed opportunity….Qualified Windows 7 and 8 users get a free upgrade to Windows 10 and you have a full year from release (July 29, 2015.) so you can upgrade at your convenience.

Call today to discuss how windows 10 may fit your organization.

www.TMDTechnology.com

 

The countdown has begun- Support for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 ends July 14, 2015.

server-2003There is no better time than now to migrate. Only 3 months left until support for Windows Server 2003 ends. After July 14th, 2015, there’s no more support for the aging operating system and no more peace of mind for anyone still running Windows Server 2003. What are you waiting for? The average server migration takes months to plan, execute, and properly test and Dell can help you make this process as seamless as possible.

How does this impact your business?

  • No updates – Microsoft released 37 critical updates in 2013 for Windows Server 2003/R2. After End of Support, these updates will be discontinued.
  • No compliance – Windows 2003 servers may not pass compliance audits (lack of PCI compliance could mean that Visa and MasterCard will no longer do business with your organization).
  • No safe haven – Both physical and virtualized Windows Server 2003 instances are impacted. Running Windows Server 2003 increases operations costs. Many application providers will discontinue support for their applications when running on Windows Server 2003. Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 Support is also ending at the same time.

Don’t put your business at risk!  Call us today to plan your upgrade! (561) 404-9251

TMDTechnology.com

Windows 7 & 8 – Show Hidden Files and Folders

This document will explain how to show hidden files and folders on your hard drive file system.

CAUTION: Windows stores many important settings in hidden files and folders. Do not modify or delete hidden files if you do not know precisely what will happen as a result. We assume no liability for data loss that occurs as a result of this procedure.

Procedure

  1. Access the Control Panel.
  2. Type “folder” into the search bar and select Show hidden files and folders.Win8 Folder
  3. Then, click on the View tab at the top of the window.
  4. Under Advanced Settings, locate “Hidden files and folders.” Select Show hidden files and folders just below that.folderOptions.png
  5. Click on OK.
  6. Hidden files will now be shown when performing searches in Windows Explorer.
    • Note: Hidden files will be greyed out. This is merely to indicate that they are a hidden file. You can still use them as though they were a normal file.

www.TMDTechnology.com

Windows XP…Still Lurking? 6 Reasons to Upgrade Now!

xp-retiredIf you’re still using Windows XP on any of your computers, it’s extremely important for you to know – Microsoft stopped releasing security updates and supporting the Operating system on April 8th 2014.

If you haven’t weighed the risk of staying with Windows XP against the benefits of migrating to a newer version of Windows right away – here are 6 reasons you should consider.

  1. Improved security – As a business owner if this reason alone doesn’t give you the push into windows 7 or 8 I’d be surprised.  Cyber criminals and hackers have been looking forward to April 8th as any exploits that become known will be easy for them to take advantage of.  To prevent company or client loss of data and protect your computing environment, newer versions of Windows offer advanced security features that are much more difficult to exploit.  Not upgrading is a huge liability for your business.
  2. Continued vendor support – If they haven’t already, it’s only a matter of time before all hardware and software vendors stop supporting Windows XP and your network.  By moving to a newer version of Windows, you’ll ensure ongoing vendor support is available.
  3. Increased productivity – Because newer versions of Windows are more stable and reliable than Windows XP, you’ll experience faster performance, less downtime, fewer glitches and enhanced mobile capabilities with newer applications.
  4. Improved performance – Windows XP is obsolete with dated coding, takes much, much longer to launch applications, and is much slower going into and coming out of hibernation mode than newer Windows versions.
  5. Better browsing experience – Since Windows XP doesn’t support Microsoft Internet Explorer above version 8, web browsing will become more dangerous and less compatible with many newer sites utilizing new programming.
  6. New features – The latest Windows versions offer simpler interfaces, and a variety of new features that significantly increased security and reliability – all of which translate to much less downtime and much improved productivity.

Call us today so we can offer the most economical path to replacement.

www.TMDTechnology.com

Windows Server 2003 end of support is coming – are you ready?

TMD Technology Services can help you migrate, mitigate risks and reduce costs.

2003serverMicrosoft extended support for Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 R2 (WS2003/R2) is scheduled to end on 14 July, 2015.  No patches to fix security exposures.  No corrections to repair any defects in code and no assistance with problems encountered in operation.

If you rely on these solutions for business-critical applications, it should be clear that completing a migration before mid-2015 needs to be a high priority!  If you don’t know where to begin or have already started but not sure you can make the deadline on your own, TMD Technology Services can help.

TMD Technology Services has the expertise to help ensure a successful transition from Windows Server 2003 or SBS 2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2, Azure, or other destinations.   We will help you choose the path that best fits your environment and budget needs. Whether you choose to migrate and modernize your server OS or capitalize on this opportunity to transform your IT and transform your business – TMD Technology Services can help.

Don’t delay, give us a call to discuss how TMD Technology Services can help you plan and deploy a solution tailored to your organization’s unique needs. www.TMDTechnology.com