4 Do's & Don'ts Every Business Owner Should Know About Windows 7

Windows 7, Microsoft’s new operating system, just released in October, and with all the

advertising buzz that Microsoft has created, many business owners are looking to know

more about it. Here’s a list of Do’s and Don’ts for helping to determine whether or not a

Windows 7 upgrade makes sense for you.

DO – Find out if all your software programs will be compatible.

Anytime Microsoft creates a new operating system, software companies often scramble to

make their package work properly with it so there are no errors, glitches, or data corruption

(a.k.a “your information deleted”). Some software companies are faster and better at

this than others, so be sure to check with your software manufacturer to make sure you

won’t end up with more problems than when you started.

DON’T – Hold back from getting the new computers you need.

Maybe you want to wait until Windows 7 gets any bugs out. Or, maybe it’s because you’re

worried about buying a computer now that will be considered “old” when Windows 7 is

officially released. Good news is: you don’t have to wait. For a limited time, when you buy

from Microsoft-approved vendors, your new computer purchase will come with the ability

to upgrade to Windows 7 for free, giving you the flexibility to have the upgrade option now

and install it when you choose. Also, if you participate in Microsoft’s “Software Assurance”

program for your operating system, you’ll be entitled to the new version for free as well.

DO – Know how to “shake” it.

Have you ever had a bunch of windows open on your

computer and felt like it was out of control and you

couldn’t find anything? Then Windows 7 might be for you.

Because it is designed to really save time for people who work

on multiple documents, spreadsheets, and/or web pages at

once, it solves this problem by allow you to simply vigorously

shake your mouse and make all those open Windows drop

to the bottom of the screen and clear up your workspace. In

addition to the “shake” feature, Windows 7 also make it easier

to view and use two programs side-by-side with just one click.

DON’T – Expect miracles.

Windows 7 does indeed make using your computer faster, since

many of the features Microsoft has rolled out help business owners

and their teams work on multiple things at once easier

than ever before. Initial studies are showing that it might add

1-2 hours of productivity to your week over previous versions.

But if you expect Windows 7 to actually do the work for you, you may

be disappointed.

Need more answers? Feel free to give us a call at (916) 984-6243.

4 Cool Things That Windows 7 Does that Vista Does Not!

Windows 7 is getting rave reviews from our staff. I anticipate that Vista will go by the wayside very quickly. Vista was full of issues & no one (including our staff @ CMIT Solutions) ever wanted to install it if we could avoid it (and we generally always could)!

As a primer for getting you ready for Windows 7 & start to build the reasons why you should upgrade, you are 4 cool things that Windows 7 does that Vista (and XP) does not:

1. XP Mode

This time, you do not have to slap your head that same way when Vista would not run an XP application. For those XP applications that do not work under Windows 7, you can download XP Mode free from the Microsoft website and run XP applications in an emulated XP environment in Windows 7. Imagine Parallels on Mac OS X without the need to fish out money on an extra OS.

2. Problem Steps Recorder

The 'Problem Steps Recorder' lets you record a particular problem you are having with your PC so you can send it to someone who may be able to help. Click 'Record', and a screenshot is taken with every mouse click, allowing comments to be added in between if required. These screenshots (and comments, if any) are placed in a well-formatted HTML document that is placed inside a zipped folder on your desktop - ideal to be attached to an email.

3. Jumplists

Jumplists are a new feature that give you the option to view a list of recently accessed files by application, even when the application isn't open, by right-clicking on the application's icon in the taskbar. It also allows you to quickly access a favourite playlist without opening your media player. Jumplists can also be found integrated into the Start Menu.

4. A Step Forward in Previewing

In Vista, hovering over a minimised window on the taskbar would provide a preview of the window. In Windows 7, a similar preview pops up which also gives the option to close a window (within the preview), along with a full-size 'peek'. You can also press Win + T to scroll along previews in the taskbar.

While any of these on their own isn't a reason for upgrading to Windows 7 for your new PC, it's starting to (finally) look like it's going to be time to get off of XP pretty soon & move into something actually developed within the last 8 years! :-)

How to Troubleshoot a PC Issue

This is pretty much 1/2 of our job! (maybe it's a little more complicated than that)

If websites were people...

Thought that this was a decent representation of some of the popular websites these days...

Click on the image to make it bigger!

Need to Upgrade Your Office Network But Don't Want the Huge Cash Outlay?

With the economy still struggling, many businesses are trying to save money and cut costs every which way they can. So what should you do when you have to upgrade your network or purchase additional software, servers and equipment? Try leasing or financing your upgrade, project or purchase.

Over the last year, the number of companies financing or leasing IT projects and equipment has quadrupled; and when you look at the benefits offered, it just makes sense regardless of the economic climate.

Many banks offer vendor-neutral financing solutions to help you get the IT and telecommunications upgrades you need while preserving cash flow. Microsoft, HP and Dell offer leasing and financing options for their software and equipment, and many offer 0% “same as cash” financing for 12 month periods and 90-day no payment periods. Some are even offering to throw in free disposal of old equipment, support, discounts and flexible terms.

If you want some help in determining who’s offering the best deals on leases or financing, give us a call! We’ll give you straighforward advice on who’s got the best option for your particular project.

Top 4 Threats Attacking Your Network & What To Do About Them

#1 Overconfidence
User overconfidence in security products is the top threat to your network. Failure to “practice safe software” results in nuisance attacks like porn storms (unstoppable rapid fire pornographic pop-ups) and more subtle keyloggers that steal passwords. Surveys promising free stuff, result in theft of information like your mother’s maiden name, high school, etc. used to answer common security questions leading to theft of otherwise secure data. Think before you click!

#2 Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites like Facebook are exploding in popularity. Threats range from malware (eg. viruses, worms, spyware) to scammers trying to steal your identity, information and money. Many businesses and government agencies are using these sites to communicate with clients and constituents, so simply blocking access is no longer reasonable. Defending your company while allowing employee access requires social network education for your employees and the enforcement of strong acceptable use policies. We can help you develop a policy, then monitor compliance using a Unified Threat Management device that controls and reports on network access.

#3 Attacks On Mobile Devices
Everyone is going mobile these days not just the “road warriors.” Once limited to laptop computers, mobile network devices now include PDAs, handheld computers and smart phones, with new appliances appearing in the stores every month. Mobile devices often contain sensitive data yet they are easily lost or stolen. Be sure to password protect and encrypt data on all mobile devices whenever possible. Include mobile devices in your acceptable use policy.

#4 Cloud Computing
“The Cloud,” in its most simple form, involves using the Internet to access and store your data. When you access email using a web browser, you are working in “the cloud.” Using the cloud for automated off site backup is rapidly gaining popularity and is just the beginning. Companies like Microsoft, IBM and Google envision the day when we will use inexpensive terminals instead of computers to run programs and access data located somewhere on the Internet. You need to be sure that any data you store and access across the Internet is secure not just where it is stored, but during the trip to and from the Internet.