Free PC Troubleshooter From Microsoft

Microsoft has just come out with a free computer troubleshooter at their FixIt Center. It’s still in beta mode but I gave it a whirl. The video below is a quick demo of the PC troubleshooter…

It works on the following Operating Systems:

• Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3)
• Windows XP Pro (64-bit) Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• Windows Vista, Windows 7
• Windows Server 2003 SP2
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2008 R2

The tool is fairly limited right now but we’ll see if they expand it in the future.

Two other resources I’ve found for solving computer problems are:

The Windows Secrets Lounge. This is a forum dealing with Windows covering the last 10 years. They’ve just modernized it so it can be spidered by the search engines but there’s still unindexed stuff you can find by searching the forum directly.

Another option if your system is all screwed up and you don’t want to have to reformat and reinstall Windows is called Reimage.

You download and run it on your Windows computer and it ‘refurbishes’ your operating system without having to reinstall all of your data and software.

It used to just work on XP computers but now works on Vista and Windows 7 as well. We’ve used it on several client’s computers and it works like a charm, especially after a virus infection.

It’s less than $50 for one key (good indefinitely on that one computer) or less than $70 for three keys. You can also create a boot CD with Reimage on it for computers that won’t load Windows at all..
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Windows 7 32 bit vs 64 bit

A client recently bought a computer off the shelf loaded with a Windows 7 64 bit OS. Why? That’s just the way it came. Later he asked us if that was the right decision.

We are in a transition period from 32 bit to 64 bit systems. As with any transition there are disadvantages for the early adopters of the newer technology. First came 64 bit processors, then 64 bit operating systems, then other 64 bit software to take advantage of the new processors.

The main disadvantage of 32 bit systems is the limitation on RAM. 32 bit computers are limited to using 4 GB of physical RAM with 3 to 3.4 GB available to you, the user. It sounds like a lot of RAM, and it is, unless you are working with large files as in video editing or major scientific work. But hell, watching a DVD on your computer can have a 4 GB file.

The advantage of 32 bit is that it’s accepted technology – everything works. Read more.
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Is Google Chrome OS Right For Small Business?

Google Chrome OS is not right for everyone, nor is it right for every computer. What Chrome OS does is put the “net” in netbooks.

These are small, lightweight computers (I wouldn’t even call them laptops) for use on the road or for quick access to the Internet. The operating system is really an advanced web browser.

The advantages are faster boot and load times and less computer power (read battery power) to operate.

The disadvantage is everything is done on the web. No programs or files are stored on the computer.

Now, a cynical person might think that Google is leading everyone into cloud computing, especially Google Apps. But the trend is probably headed in that direction anyway.

Google Chrome OS is set to release an early ‘bare-bones’ version of the OS. I don’t recommend getting in too early. They will be continually updating the OS until it has reasonable functionality over the next year.

But, for planning purposes, small businesses need to see whether they can integrated it into their IT structure.

If your business uses Microsoft Office or other computer based software to do most or your work (Outlook sharing, Word documents, etc.) then you may want to stay with something like Windows 7 Starter edition to integrate with the other office applications.

If your business is moving into the cloud for most of its applications then Google Chrome OS may be worth a look for your road warriors.

Further Reading:

Google’s Chrome OS: Will you give up desktop apps?

Chrome OS will give Microsoft a run for their money

Is imminent Chrome OS launch reckless?

Small Business and the Cloud

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Windows Mail Problem With Windows 7 Upgrade

If you use Outlook Express (Windows XP) or Windows Mail (Vista) there’s something you should know about Windows 7 – there’s no bundled email client.

The problem is, I don’t know what will happen to your email if you upgrade to Windows 7 before moving your email to a third-party email client. Is it still somewhere on your computer? If you add a new email client after upgrading to Windows 7 will it still import your email and settings? Microsoft doesn’t say.

Which means you should migrate to a new email client before you upgrade.

I don’t know how many people still actually use Microsoft’s built in email client. I’m doing a survey now of all of our clients to see if any of them still use Outlook Express or Windows Mail.

There are plenty of third-party email clients out there. The one we use is Mozilla’s Thunderbird. I’ve also added the Lightning calendar add-on, and there are lots of other add-ons you can use.

You can also try migrating to a web-based email client like Gmail, Windows Live Mail or a ton of others. I have always used a local email client (installed on my computer that downloads my email) to control backups and have better search capabilities.

But, here’s my recommendation. Download and install Thunderbird. When it installs it will ask you if you want to import email and settings from your current email client, whether that’s Outlook Express or Windows Live (or any other  installed email client for that matter). Click Yes.

Once you have Thunderbird installed use it for a few days to make sure everything is working properly, then do your upgrade to Windows 7.

This may also be a good idea if you are buying a new computer with Windows 7 and want to move your email from your old computer. It’s easier to move your Thunderbird email onto your new computer than OE or WM.

Just install Thunderbird on your new computer and move your profile over. Your data is located at C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\xxxx.default

The xxxx is a randomly generated name. Delete the profile  installed on your new computer and replace it with the profile off your old computer..
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Small Business and Windows 7 Recommendations

In this post I’ll cover my recommendations for upgrading and/or purchasing Windows 7. But first, let me confess that I don’t use Vista – never have. Our hardware is fine running XP and we haven’t needed to upgrade, so there was no reason to run out and upgrade hardware just to use a lousy operating system.

Vista is bloated, slow and a pain in the neck to use. Windows 7 is cleaner, faster and uses less power.

So the first recommendation is – which version? There are basically two choices… Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional. The Starter (for tiny netbooks), Home Basic (not available in the U.S. or Europe) and Ultimate (more money for not much gain) are essentially irrelevant.

Here are the extras you get with Windows 7 Professional:

• Only the Pro version can act as a workstation on an internal domain (server)
• Can add a network file/folder as Always Available Offline – Win7 Pro will cache it on your computer, synchronize it and make it available even if the network is down
• If you use Windows Backup you can store a system image to a network drive
• Includes a Windows XP mode to make it compatible with older apps or hardware
• It has a Connect to Network Projector option, which allows you to to mirror your portable PC’s display on a projector connected to a network
• It also has a Presentation mode that automatically kicks in when you connect to a projector and shuts down your instant messaging program, disables your screen saver, and suppresses system messages
• Remote Desktop host service – allows you to connect to the computer remotely without 3rd party software (pcanywhere, GoToMyPC)

So, for small businesses I recommend Windows 7 Professional on all new computers, even laptops. If you need a new computer now I recommend waiting til October 22 when Windows 7 makes its official debut.

Read more.
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