It appears that Microsoft may have mislead us all to believe that Windows 10 is the final Windows, with feature updates bringing the latest improvements and changes, we ourselves have told many clients this very statement. Alas it appears to be untrue and to our customers we do apologise even though Microsoft don’t appear to.
Here comes Windows 11, initially they say not much different from windows 10 which leaves the question why? Are they leading onto a Windows 12,13,14 etc etc. Are we to be in this never ending update loop again with Microsoft? To run windows 11 there are many minimum specification requirements which a lot of people wont have so i see initial uptake of this being very slow and limited. Which leads to the question. How long will support on Windows 10 continue? In essence forcing us to upgrade our hardware as well as our software. Apparently Desktop support ends October 2025. That year seems to be very popular in the choice of things ending with PSTN and ISDN lines ending in the same year. Many clients, ours and others, will need to not only look at their hardware in readiness for this pointless Windows upgrade but also if they are still using an analogue phone system will need to be looking at that to.
Investment from developers into bringing their software onto Linux based systems would be a game changer. Many clients who use online software have now switched from Windows to Linux and while initially found it hard to navigate (like swapping from Iphone to Android or vice versa) now would not go back, the speed and responsiveness far outweigh the sluggish over bearing engine of Windows. But of course there are many companies who simply don’t develop there software for Linux and this instantly means that you need Windows. Leaving Microsoft virtually untouched in the PC Market. Imagine a world where there is choice.
We are here of course to help our clients to navigate the best way forward for them based on there hardware and software. That’s what we do and will continue to do. Microsoft will continue to do what they do.
In the world we live in we are forever encouraged to use clouds to store our data, but how safe is it? We are often asked to balance up between ease of use and privacy, with many people simply closing there eyes to what actually happens especially when using major suppliers in particular from the United States.
There ‘culture of surveillance’ has recently been pushed back by the EU. US cloud firms like Microsoft are already regularly shown to flaunt European privacy laws, as was shown again recently by the Dutch Government exposing dozens of GDPR violations.(see article) Yet they continue to be a go to for most people even though the US potentially has access to very sensitive information, which could and does give them an advantage in the Global market. We as users seem to not worry about this as we think realistically what could they do with that data. We should be concerned and we shouldn’t blindly sign away our rights when ever we are asked to by a web page that makes it awkward to say yes to privacy. Imagine always knowing how your competitors are doing, how much they charge, who there suppliers are? This is only a small taste of what that information could be used for. It’s time to ensure your data is safe, these major companies have made a considerable amount of money while flouting the local laws of the land. We need to return to the time when we stored and backed up our own data, although it can be slightly more expensive there is a peace of mind that comes from knowing you ‘own your own data’. Consider why they make it so cost effective for you to store your data with them.
When working with clouds we always recommend, for your protection and privacy, a cloud system where the data is yours and it is stored on your own system within the walls of your business giving you full control to only allow access to the people you want to, but although we can recommend it all to often it’s not the way some people want to go. Stay safe and consider what your data could be used for, the answer may surprise you.
Windows products are notoriously memory and processor hungry, never more so than with windows 10. In an attempt to make it ‘idiot proof’ Microsoft have added features and programs that you don’t even need, just in case you might. They are also collecting data from your system constantly for advertising and improvements and all sorts of reasons, whilst you may not mind this it takes up valuable resources especially on an older machine. They take up space in your memory and CPU and increasingly over time cause issues with things appearing to get slower and slower. That said not all issues are caused by Microsoft. Check out below, the answer may be easier than you think.
Programs that run at startup that you never use. Also programs that you have run that remain running in the background unless you close them in the system tray.
Go to your task manager and look at the Startup Tab. All these programs run at startup, are they all needed? Right click and disable them from running at startup. This doesn’t mean they will never work again, it means they will only run when you want them saving valuable memory and processor speed, especially on older machines.Look at the system tray and right click and close any programs not currently being used. They serve no purpose if you aren’t using them so close those not required.
2. Snooze time folks but Windows updates need to be done to maintain optimum performance (If there is such a thing). Anyone with Windows 10 knows that updates are the main reason for the computer being slow as they tend to run in the background if auto updates is turned on. However it’s worth knowing not all updates will perform automatically and sometimes it needs you to tell it to do them as they are larger feature updates. Don’t put these off and if you think you might have missed one you can always check. Go to Start and click Settings or the settings icon. Then go to Updates & Security/Windows Updates.
Look for feature updates and let them install and complete.
3. Keep a check on your hard drive storage space and delete unwanted files, don’t forget to empty the recycle bin as all files you delete end up in there and are taking up space. If you are sure they are finished with then empty the bin. If you are using a Hard Drive and it gets 90% full this will drastically slow down the performance of the drive and in turn the performance of your machine. If you are using an SSD then it is recommended to fill these even less than a standard Hard Drive as it will cause performance issues.
4. Windows 10 power options. These tend to be on the recommended setting which balances performance against power consumption. This is more for when you are using a laptop and you switch to battery. If you have an older Desktop or your laptop is plugged in then moving the power option setting to high performance will give you more resources but will consume a little more power.
Go to Control Panel/Hardware and Sound/Power Options/Create a power plan.
5. Uninstall unwanted applications and software. It seems an obvious thing to do but we are all guilty of not doing it and once again valuable Hard Drive space is taken up with data you never use.
Look for Control Panel/Programs/Programs and Features. You can now see what’s installed, any that you are unsure of you can search the web to find out what they are for and what they do before removing them, there will be an amount of things that you cannot remove from here as things just won’t work if you do, so a little care and searching is required to ensure you free yourself of things that you no longer want and no longer need and also most likely didn’t even know were installed.
6. Check your system for Malware and viruses. You should have a good antivirus and malware checker installed on your computer to protect you from these baddies. If you don’t have one then do invest as removing Malware and potential viruses will improve the performance and keep you safe from these type of threats. Most people don’t realise the potential of these type of threats and how easy they are to pick up through emails or rogue websites and once they’re on your system they will do what they are designed to do. You will notice a little slow down but the reality is your information is being sent back to the internet and gathered by unscrupulous individuals for what ever purpose they desire and you won’t even know, this could be banking information or invoice information the list of possibilities is endless. Security is an ever more serious issue, take heed and install a good protector. However do research on this as the ‘Well Known’ antivirus software are not always the best and they, in their own essence, take up way to much memory and processor speed. Get the balance right.
7. Upgrading your Hardware and Re-installing Windows 10. This could be adding a Solid State Drive(SSD) to hold Windows 10. This would involve installing windows 10 onto the drive and a little knowledge of the internal mechanisms of a computer as in where to plug it in and fix the drive into place. Secondly if your computer has the ability then you can add more memory, a welcome resource that will vastly improve the performance of your system, something we could assist you with. If you think your Hardware is worth saving then Upgrading the SSD and Memory and reloading windows would give an older machine a new lease of life and the cost would be marginal to that of a new machine. Getting help at this stage would help to determine if this was the correct path for your specific hardware.
Extra or bigger memory and adding a Solid State Drive with a reload of Windows 10 would improve an older setup vastly.
Has your Win10 Search box gone black? Does Search even work? If you are experiencing issues with the search option on windows 10 there seems to be a good reason for that. Microsoft are changing things and as seems to be the norm these days we are all the testers. Read on https://www.computerworld.com/article/3519708/has-your-win10-search-box-gone-black-does-search-even-work.html
GCHQ warns not to use Windows 7 for Banking after Tomorrow(14th Jan 2020). This is when Microsoft support ends for this product and any vulnerabilities can and will be exploited. You may also want to consider using getting emails from another device. The most logical thing to do is upgrade ASAP as Hackers are waiting. See the full story here.
Microsoft Server 2008 R2. The 14th January sees the end of Microsoft support for Server 2008 R2. We have all seen the devastating effects recently with the end of support for Windows XP. Now with Windows 7 and Server 2008 coming to a close we all need to be ready. Hackers can and will utilise vulnerabilities in order to take over the files on your system holding you for ransom. With small businesses being there main target as being unseen for as long as possible is the key to maximising there profits. Make your plan now call IT Tech Solutions.
Don’t wait for disaster. January 14th 2020 is the deadline for Windows 7. Microsoft will not support it after then, therefore it becomes vulnerable to Hackers. You may not think this is a real threat but it is, remember Windows XP see news article in the telegraph . Once the support stops its easy for hackers to pursue vulnerabilities that they know won’t ever be fixed. You may think that you are not big enough for hackers to bother you, statistics show 3/4 of attacks are on novices costing thousands to put right see BBC Report. Make your plan now, the Internet continues to be our biggest asset and yet it can give us so many problems. We can design a plan that will work around you and your business to get the upgrades and training done with minimal impact. Don’t wait for Disaster call IT Tech Solutions now.
It Support and Maintenance are the key to less downtime. Preventing and spotting issues, then taking action, before they cause you a problem. That’s what we do. Having to solve issues because things aren’t working will leave you potentially reacting in a way that is not measured, then making bad decisions based on the circumstances and the need for functionality. With our eyes on your ball there will be less issues to surprise you as they will be spotted before they cause you a problem. There will always be those times when things happen, but with us on your team the right resolution can be found in the fastest way possible, while you focus on your customers. Get a free quote today for IT Support and Maintenance from IT Tech Solutions.
We can supply Install and Maintain your connection from a simple ADSL to broadband connection right through to a leased line with up to 1 gig download speed on Monthly contracts. Having all your IT needs catered for in one place means you no longer have to juggle who to call when there is an issue. One call to IT Tech Solutions does it all. All your costs wrapped up in one bundle. Keep it simple and take the stress from your IT.
Maintenance is the Key to prolong equipment Life. Long-standing usage of your IT equipment such as servers and switches leads to the second main cause of failures behind hard drives, which is over heating due to little or no maintenance. Arguable the primary failure in hard drives will have a percentage caused by the same problem. Prolong your equipment life by taking a support contract which offers maintenance as part of the package. Facebook IT Tech Solutions
