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.

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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.

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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

What is Windows XP end of support?

I’ve received lots of calls from panicked friends and family about the dreaded Windows XP end of support. i usually respond with you’re really still using an XP machine? Just kidding…i actually have one myself though it has been used only for testing for quite sometime. For those of you who don’t know what “End of Life” Means for you I’ll help clarify.
endoflifexpMicrosoft provided support for Windows XP for the past 12 years and has decided no longer to waste resources on an obsolete OS. As a result, technical assistance for Windows XP is no longer available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC from Viruses and hackers. Microsoft has also stopped providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP. (If you already have Microsoft Security Essentials installed, you will continue to receive antimalware signature updates for a limited time, but this does not mean that your PC is secure because Microsoft is no longer providing security updates to help protect your PC.)

If you continue to use Windows XP now that support has ended, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Internet Explorer 8 is also no longer supported, so if your Windows XP PC is connected to the Internet and you use Internet Explorer 8 to surf the web, you might be exposing your PC to additional threats. Also, as more software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize for more recent versions of Windows, you can expect to encounter more apps and devices that do not work with Windows XP.

Other Notable Applications that haven’t been so predominantly announced on the media with support ending include Exchange Server 2003 (if you still use SBS 2003 this affects you!) and Office 2003.

In my opinion, with Microsoft’s recent announcement to bring back the start menu in windows 8.1 I think now is a great time for you to invest in a new PC.

Microsoft Announces the Return of the Start Menu in a Future Windows 8.1 Update

microsoft-windows-8-logoBig news was announced by Microsoft’s executive vice president of the Operating Systems group last week.

He announced and demonstrated a new Windows start menu, which behaves similarly to the Windows start menu that millions of desktop users are used to and enjoy. Myerson also said that the new start menu would be available as a (presumably free) update for all Windows 8.1 users, but won’t likely be part of the just-announced Windows 8.1 Update.

I’ve received dozens of emails from people since Windows 8 rolled out about what they don’t like about it and why they don’t want to deploy it for their users and by far the largest complaint was the lack of a traditional Windows start button and start menu.
I personally am excited by this news and hope this may be the push we all need to begin adapting the new 8.1 Operating System on desktop computers.  I’d love to hear what you think, email with your thoughts, or contact me on Twitter or Facebook.