[Hidden-tech] Windows 7 End of Support: January 14th

David Korpiewski davidk at cs.umass.edu
Wed Jan 15 22:26:36 UTC 2020


I'd like to mention a few things about upgrading from 7 to 10, since 
I've done literally hundreds of these upgrades for companies that I work 
for.

(1) If you have older software you don't need to upgrade to the latest 
versions IF you you are ok running them in a virtual machine.   Oracle's 
VirtualBox is a free product that is very simple to install.  (though 
you would need a valid Windows X license for whatever OS is on the 
virtual machine).  For some older software I'm running a Windows 7 32bit 
in the virtual environment so that a company can use some software that 
couldn't run on Windows 10 64 bit pro.    Consider it like the old 
"Windows XP Mode" that came with Windows 7 when it was first introduced. 
But the quickbooks that Mik mentioned might have been able to run in the 
virtual machine.

(2) And if you have a larger company and want to push out an image of 
Windows 10 to the workstations (as long as they are less than 6 years 
old and have a UEFI option), Microsoft has produced their WDS (Windows 
deployment services) software in Windows server alongside AIK in order 
to customize and create images that you can then boot off of the network 
and clone machines.   I've had a lot of luck upgrading machines in rapid 
succession this way.  Start to finish I can clone a system in about 30 
minutes.  If you have questions about it, feel free to reach out to me.

(3) I had a lot of problems upgrading Windows 7 roaming profiles to 
Windows 10 roaming profiles (for larger business that use roaming 
profiles).  There doesn't appear to be any conversion program for them, 
so I ended up writing some scripts that did that sort of thing for me.  
So just be aware if you use roaming profiles its a challenge dealing 
with Windows 7 to Windows 10 conversions.   There are other options such 
as UE-V for those that have a subscription and can get access to it, or 
even folder redirection if you have an active directory.  And rumor has 
it that Microsoft wants to do away with roaming profiles altogether.

Good luck!

David



On 1/15/2020 10:49 AM, Michael Muller via Hidden-discuss wrote:
>
> I haven't read all replies, but just want to caution people about such 
> a major upgrade. I went from Windows 7 to 8 a few years ago, and it 
> rendered my copy of Quickbooks inoperable. I had to buy a new copy for 
> a couple hundred bucks.
>
> If you have any older software on your machine that you absolutely 
> rely on, check the version you have and Google whether it will still 
> work on Win10.
>
> Mik
>
> ---
> Mik Muller, president
> Montague WebWorks
> 239-R Main Street, Greenfield, MA
> 413-320-5336
> http://MontagueWebWorks.com
> Powered by ROCKETFUSION
> On 1/14/2020 10:54 AM, Kiernan Gulick-Sherrill via Hidden-discuss wrote:
>> Definitely an extremely good reminder.
>>
>> For some people this will be as an easy a fix as grabbing the windows 
>> 10 installer and running it. ( 
>> microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 
>> <http://microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10> )Check 
>> compatibility first, but if you're reasonably tech comfortable and 
>> want to do this yourself just go for it. It's past time to do so.
>>
>> If not, find someone to help you, or go hunting for the 
>> parts/software/assistance needed to upgrade your machine.
>>
>> Generally speaking machines running 3rd gen Intel i series processors 
>> (or equivalent) and before are not technically compatible and should 
>> likely be replaced.
>>
>> Be safe out there folks!
>>
>>
>> Kiernan Gulick-Sherrill
>> Pronouns: He/Him
>> Green Earth Computers - Computer & Smartphone Repair
>> 20a Crafts Ave
>> Northampton, MA 01060
>> www.greenearthpc.us <http://www.greenearthpc.us>
>> 413-282-8324
>> -----------------------
>>
>> On Mon, Jan 13, 2020, 3:31 PM PeopleFirst Tech via Hidden-discuss 
>> <hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net 
>> <mailto:hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net>> wrote:
>>
>>     I know this doesn't apply to the majority of HT folks, especially
>>     the tech-savvy, but as there are a number of PCs still running
>>     Windows 7 (and you likely know of someone who still is), it's a
>>     good reminder that Microsoft is ending security and other support
>>     for Windows 7 tomorrow, January 14th.
>>
>>     The following is an excerpt from a page on my website
>>     <https://peoplefirst.tech/windows-7-end-of-life/> on the matter:
>>
>>
>>             Getting by on Windows 7
>>
>>         Running Windows 7 in 2020 likely means that there may be
>>         other aspects of your PC that could use a tune-up, especially
>>         when it comes to security. If you can't upgrade right away,
>>         here is a list of priorities:
>>
>>           o Ensure you have a complete backup, ideally more than one;
>>             one of which stays offline or in the cloud, such as
>>             Backblaze
>>             <https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-backup.html#af9pup>.
>>           o Use a highly rated antivirus program. Bitdefender
>>             <https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/internet-security.html> is
>>             a good choice for Windows 7 and up. Manually run a
>>             complete system scan.
>>           o Don't use Internet Explorer. Here's why.
>>             <https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-it-pro-blog/the-perils-of-using-internet-explorer-as-your-default-browser/ba-p/331732> Chrome
>>             is fine, but Firefox offers much better privacy and
>>             tracking protection.
>>           o Keep your wireless router's firmware up to date.
>>           o Use a standard account (as opposed to an administrator
>>             account) for everyday tasks, while switching temporarily
>>             to an administrator account when needed. Make sure your
>>             administrator account has a strong password. This would
>>             be a good time to upgrade to a quality password manager
>>             <https://1password.com/> if you haven't already.
>>           o Disable or remove features you don’t need, especially
>>             Java, Adobe Flash Player, and add-ons of questionable
>>             utility. ShouldIRemoveIt
>>             <https://shouldiremoveit.com/> is a great resource.
>>
>>
>>
>>     — — —
>>
>>     *Zach Fried*
>>
>>     *PeopleFirst Technology*<https://peoplefirst.tech/>
>>
>>     Human-Focused Consulting
>>
>>
>>     By Appointment:
>>
>>     409 Main Street, Suite 214
>>
>>     Amherst, MA 01002
>>
>>     zach at peoplefirst.tech
>>
>>     (413) 461-0617
>>
>>     _______________________________________________
>>     Hidden-discuss mailing list - home page: http://www.hidden-tech.net
>>     Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net
>>     <mailto:Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net>
>>
>>     You are receiving this because you are on the Hidden-Tech
>>     Discussion list.
>>     If you would like to change your list preferences, Go to the Members
>>     page on the Hidden Tech Web site.
>>     http://www.hidden-tech.net/members
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Hidden-discuss mailing list - home page:http://www.hidden-tech.net
>> Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net
>>
>> You are receiving this because you are on the Hidden-Tech Discussion list.
>> If you would like to change your list preferences, Go to the Members
>> page on the Hidden Tech Web site.
>> http://www.hidden-tech.net/members
>
> _______________________________________________
> Hidden-discuss mailing list - home page: http://www.hidden-tech.net
> Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net
>
> You are receiving this because you are on the Hidden-Tech Discussion list.
> If you would like to change your list preferences, Go to the Members
> page on the Hidden Tech Web site.
> http://www.hidden-tech.net/members

-- 
--

============================================
David Korpiewski
Senior Software Specialist I
CICS - UMASS Amherst
413-545-4319
============================================

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.hidden-tech.net/pipermail/hidden-discuss/attachments/20200115/63f0997d/attachment.html>


Google

More information about the Hidden-discuss mailing list