Windows 7 to be retired

Only Windows 10 from the middle of next year

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Windows 7 to be retiredThis will not please a lot of my customers, but it had to happen sooner or later.

Microsoft have given notice to its OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) partners that they must no longer sell PC’s or Laptops with an Operating System older than Windows 10 from the middle of next year.

According to Microsoft’s Windows Lifecycle Fact Sheet, Windows 8 sales must also end as of 1st July next year, and Windows 7 Professional and Windows 8.1 will no longer be allowed to be pre-installed on new PC’s and Laptops from 1st November 2016, .

The Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows 7 were retired by Microsoft on 1st November last year.

Windows 7 launched in October 2009, and Microsoft has permitted it to continue to be sold substantially longer than Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 which both arrived in 2013.

So I guess the salient point here is that if you want a new PC or Laptop with Windows 7, you will need to purchase it within the next 7 or 8 months.

Charred SSD Hard Drive

The importance of having a Backup Strategy

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Charred SSD Hard Drive - Backup or lose it!!I am constantly telling people and Business Owners of the importance of having a sound Backup Strategy. I cannot stress enough that if you have important data on your Computer, and if you or your Business lives or dies by that data, you need to have an effective backup strategy in place.

Well it’s just as well I followed my own advice, because yesterday I had a catastrophic Hard Drive failure.

I walked into my office only to be confronted with a room full of acrid smoke. It was coming from my computer, so I quickly removed the cover and immediatedly saw charred wiring, and melted power cabling that led to my SSD Boot Drive.

Having this happen could easily have been very detrimental to my business if wasn’t for the backup strategy I had in place. Happily, I was back up and running again in a relatively short time, and more importantly, without any data loss.

So what is my Backup Strategy?

Well I have various things in place to avoid disaster. The first revolves around the computer itself, and how often I upgrade to a new one, and what I do with the old Computer. I build myself a new computer every 3 years or so. Once I have setup the new Computer and transfer all the data from the old one, and install all the software and setup email etc, I retire the old computer and keep it. By doing this, if something happens with the new one, I have an existing computer with all the software pre-installed ready to go.

Backup or Lose it!!

But that doesn’t help with preventing Data Loss.

You also need to be backing up your critical data. There are many ways, means, and options available to do this. What I do is this. I have an external NAS (Network Attached Storage) device connected to my Network. The NAS box has two Hard Drives that operate in a Mirrored RAID configuration. In other words, one Hard Drive Mirrors (exact copy) the other Hard Drive. If one of those Hard Drives fail, I can replace it, and it will automatically “Mirror” itself to the replacement drive. I have software installed on the Computer called “Syncback“, and Syncback it is setup to backup my data to the NAS Drive on a schedule specified by me.

In addition to this, I use Microsoft OneDrive. OneDrive will backup my data via the Internet to a secure Server in real time as files change. Offsite backups are important to protect you from events like a fire or theft of physical backup devices. Let’s face it, if your office burns down, or someone breaks in and steals everything, it doesn’t matter how many backups you have or how many devices your data is backed up on.

So after my calamitous Hard Drive failure, I fired up the old PC, did the appropriate Windows updates, Security Software updates, and accessed my data on the NAS Drive. Then I immediately ordered the parts I needed to build myself a new computer. The one that went up in smoke was due to be replaced anyway. I just wished I’d taken steps a week earlier to replace it 😉

 

Windows 8.1 installation media

Windows 8.1 Installation Media Creation Tool

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Windows 8.1 installation mediaOK, so similar to our last Blog Post about a Microsoft Website that allows you to create a Windows 7 Install Disk, this Post is about another “Handy To Know About Web Page” from Microsoft.

This time however, instead of it being about the ability to create a Windows 7 Installation Disk, this website allows you to create a Windows 8.1 Disk.

So once again, if you have lost your original Installation Disk for Windows 8.1, or you never had one to begin with, or you need to make a bootable USB Drive, then you need to use the Windows Installation Media Creation Tool.

How to create your Windows 8.1 Media

When you click on the “Create Media” button, you will be prompted to download an executable file (which when “run”), will prompt you for your chosen Language, which Edition (ie. 8.1, 8.1 Pro etc), and what Architecture (ie. 32 bit or 64 bit). From here you will be asked whether you want to save to a USB Drive, or save as an ISO file. The file is quite large, so again be careful that you don’t exceed your plan data usage if you are on a Limited or Mobile Data Plan.

It is all very easy to follow, and the only issue I can see would be the End User’s ability to create a DVD from the ISO file.

So once again, as in our previous Blog Post, if you do not have the appropriate  software to burn a DVD from an ISO file, you can download the burning software from the Microsoft suggested website. Don’t forget that just as we mentioned in the last article, you will still need to download the Drivers from the manufacturers website for your specific hardware. If you have trouble doing this, or you are not sure how to go about it, Spotty Dog Computer Services can of course do this for you.

You may also be interested in how to Create a Windows 7 Installation Disk.

 

Windows 7 Recovery Medi

Create a Windows 7 installation disk using the Microsoft Software Recovery website

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Windows 7 Recovery MediWell here is a handy website to know about.

I don’t know how many times a customer has come to us, either wanting their Windows 7 PC or Laptop wiped and reinstalled, or it has needed repairing using Recovery Media, but they do not have their Recovery Media or a Windows 7 Disk.

Now this isn’t a particularly big problem for us because we have access to Windows OEM Disks, but for the End User, not having the Recovery Media is a huge problem that means they have no other choice but to pay someone to do it for them.

What to do if you don’t have Windows 7 Recovery Media

Help is at hand. By visiting the Microsoft Software Recovery website, the End User can download the ISO file required to burn their own Recovery Media disk. The size of the disk will be somewhere between 2GB and 3.5GB, so if you are on a limited Internet Plan or a Mobile Internet Plan, just be careful you do not exceed your download limit.

Microsoft even provide a link for software to burn a DVD from an ISO file if you don’t have suitable software installed to do that yourself. Once you have the software and a valid Product Key, you’re off and running.

The website also allows you to create a bootable USB drive with a copy of Windows 7 on it.

All-in-all, a very handy thing to know if you never had a disk, or you have damaged your disk. As we all know, it is impossible to reinstall or even undertake some really easy repairs without a Recovery Disk or Windows 7 Media.

Of course there will be some End Users that will still have difficulties installing Windows 7 even if they do have the disk. For example, you will still need to download the Windows Drivers from the appropriate hardware manufacturers websites. But if that is the case, Spotty Dog Computer Services can certainly do that for you 😉