Windows 10 or not to Windows 10, that is the question?

Windows 10 or not to Windows 10, that is the question?

With Microsoft launching their latest operating system this month the long-awaited Windows 8 replacement is here.

Here at Pearce IT, we have been testing the new operating system against many different applications to try and find and rule out any system issues prior to our customer coming across them.

Windows 10 has many great features, first of all, its footprint on the PC is around the same size as Windows 8.  It is very light on system resources and very fast to boot up.

The new start menu is a mixture of windows 7 but with ‘live tiles’ to the right which give the small glimpse of updates available within them.

The new screen layout is very intuitive in its use and very easy to pick up.  The action centre offers an easy click button options to turn windows features on and off as necessary.  Applications can all be found in one simple reading pane.

The Alt and Tab feature shows all your windows that are open, as thumbnails and also allows you to close the applications you wish at a click of a button.

Internet Explorer – where has it gone?

It’s still there but you have to search for it now.   There is instead a new browser called Edge.  Edge is a fast seamless browser which runs well with initial testing, however, does struggle with some websites.

Should I upgrade I hear you cry?

From our initial tested we have not found any major issues but would recommend caution when upgrading.

Five top tips for upgrading to Windows 10:

1. Make sure your business applications and services comply with Windows 10. Just because they run ok on windows 8 does not mean they will run on windows 10.

1. Make sure your printer/scanner and any other peripherals are fully compliant as not all manufacturers are, so check their websites for updates first. This is essential if you are using a laptop, not all drives are available for Windows 10. Check with your manufacturer to make sure they are supporting Windows 10 with the hardware you have.

1. Make sure your system is stable prior to upgrade. If you are having issues with your PC, shutting itself down with no notice or applications popups happening you need to resolve these issues first. By upgrading your PC this will not resolve issues you have but may hinder or prevent the upgrade from being successful.
2. Backup your data. – Although Microsoft state that you can roll the operating system back to your previous version there may be hiccups along the way.   We recommend our online backup for this process.  If all fails you can reload your PC back to its previous settings and then restore the data from the online backup.
3. Ask for help, just because it is a free upgrade doesn’t mean the upgrade will be trouble free.

Our rule of thumb is as long as your PC/Laptop is under 3 years old and it stable and trouble free your upgrade should run as smoothly as possible. It is important to make sure your applications are fully compliant, make sure you have a full data backup and preferably an image backup of your PC/Laptop.

Pearce IT are only a phone call away and are always happy to help. So whether it’s a bit of advice or to perform the upgrade for you we are here for you and your business.

Cyber Attack on GAMEOVER ZEUS and CRYPTOLOCKER

NATIONAL CRIME AGENCY ISSUES WARNING ON GAMEOVER ZEUS AND CRYPTOLOCKER

If you’ve heard on the news about the impending cyber attack affecting computers in the UK, there’s no need to panic, just follow this simple advice from Mark James, ESET’s UK Technical Manager:

“Firstly let’s not panic, this infection is not as new as we are led to believe (it has been around since the end of 2012.) ESET products currently detect 99% of the variations of this malware, so the first thing to do is make sure your Antivirus software is up to date and using the latest versions, then make sure your operating system is patched with all current security patches. With that done, run a full scan of your system using ESET Antivirus products. If you’re not using ESET then run a full scan using our online scanner –http://www.eset.co.uk/Antivirus-Utilities/Online-Scanner

Please be extra careful opening any attachments and DO NOT follow any links within emails, if you are unsure of the validity of the email I would suggest calling the company involved and asking them direct if they sent the email, chances are they did not.

PASSWORDS

It is always good to change any passwords for financial or similar websites (logins) if you think you may have been affected by this malware.

Quite often in these scenarios once it makes the headlines it becomes really big news and as is the case of this incident – it's current (old) news that can be dealt with by using a combination of protection including; antivirus, good security practices, education and common sense. “

If you have any further queries please call Pearce IT’s support line on 01452 222 000.

Microsoft Changes in Support

Changes to Microsoft Support

Not many people realise this, but in April 2014 Microsoft removed technical support for Windows XP and Office 2003.  This is in addition to having already removed support for Windows 2000 and Windows 98.

In June 2015 they are also going to be withdrawing their support for Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2003.

What does this mean?

It means that Microsoft NO LONGER offer security updates, assisted-support or online technical content updates for these systems.  In addition, from July 2015 they will also be withdrawing their support for Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2003 as well.

How does this affect you?

Although servers and workstations running older versions of software will not immediately stop working because Microsoft has removed support, most importantly you will no longer be able to receive new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates.

This means that any new vulnerability discovered after end of life will not be addressed by new security updates by Microsoft. In short, it will be easier for attackers to successfully compromise your Small Business Server or Windows XP-based systems and your systems will be highly vulnerable to cyber-attack.

In terms of providing support to your IT systems, Pearce IT will still have the specialist knowledge and expertise to provide the support but occasionally we must escalate support directly to Microsoft with issues relating to the software code itself.  In the absence of Microsoft support on these types of issues, we will be unable to support customers if any technical difficulties arise from these

Without Microsoft support on these types of issues, we will be unable to support customers if any technical difficulties arise from these.

In addition, if you are running a Small Business Server (SBS) you might be running a wide range of software on this such as email, Sage Accounts, document storage, CAD Drawings or bespoke management software. Running any software on an SBS 2003 puts these applications and data at risk.

What can you do?

This will vary from business to business and will depend on how you currently use your IT. Which systems are using the outdated Windows operating systems and what your business requires in the future.

We recommend that you review exactly how this withdrawal of support from Microsoft might impact the way in which you work and, where necessary, take steps to minimise any risks.

Pearce IT will work with you to look at the different options available to you to ensure your data is protected.  We will ensure the full end-to-end migration to a newer support operating system goes as smoothly, and stress-free, as possible.

Simply give us a call on 01452 222000 and we’ll be happy to talk through your options.