Still on XP? There should be a reason…

August 24, 2012 1 Comment

For the past year or so I have been counting down (on Twitter) the days left until the #EndOfDaysXP… as of the date of this article it stands at 591 days.  Some of my followers think it is silly, others thank me for it.  Some want to know why it matters, and there are a few who not only understand why it matters, but have taken up the cause… to a degree.

John Marshall is a Microsoft MVP in Microsoft Office Visio, and is (usually) on the side of right – meaning that he thinks that companies should upgrade already.  He chides me about it of course… I am reasonably sure that following an accident as a child a doctor sutured his tongue into his cheek.  However when it comes down to brass tax, he knows that XP is the past, and it’s time to bury it… mostly.

Recently he sent me this e-mail about his position… why he still does have Windows XP running on one machine, and what companies who claim fiscal hardship (especially charities) can do to get off the old and onto… if not the new, then at least up to Windows 7.

During the Vista days, I was one of the MVPs who pushed for (and got) a five year extension to the XP end of life. At the time, the problem was that we were trying to protect those first time computer users on the trailing edge. They were first time users who could not afford new machines. The ones they had were donated. Parents, kids and charitable organizations. Now, the quality of donated computers is far superior and there is no longer as much a need. XP still has more than a year to go and even then, it does not mean that the machines will automatically stop, they just will not get the support.

I still have one machine running XP and it runs only one program that prints labels. The label printer I have uses the parallel port and the software has not been updated since the XP days. A few years back, my favourite store for PC support went into receivership. The store was very profitable, but they were a part of a group and the receivers refused to split the group. So I picked up a lifetime supply of labels when the company was dissolved and lost great support.

So if I do find anyone running XP I fervently recommend they upgrade. Most are unaware that there newer versions of Windows. To them, it is a computer and it works. For charitable organizations I recommend that they investigate one of the local companies who can donate used machines that are far better.

So it will come as good news to the people that are running Windows XP that if they want to upgrade to Windows 8 when it comes out they will be able to… for $40.  Yes, that is ten x four… FORTY dollars.  Of course, if you have the means to invest in a new system I strongly recommend taking a look at some of the cool toys that are going to be released with Windows 8… but the newest Microsoft client OS works great on older hardware as well.  You can download it today to evaluate for 90 days.  See for yourself how fast it really is!

Filed under Windows 8, Windows XP Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Missing the Obvious: A great reason to ask for expert opinions.

January 18, 2012 1 Comment

I received the following e-mail from a colleague, and was glad to answer her questions.  However the most important question of all is her last one… “Have I missed any other issues that I should be looking at before beginning this migration?’”  I am so glad she asked that, because none of us are experts in everything.  Please read her e-mail, then my response.  (I have edited her e-mail down to protect her identity but also I simply removed a lot of extra information that is irrelevant to the point.

I am seeking your expert opinion on VMs and migrating from Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit to Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.  I decided to build my first desktop computer, which is a 64 bit Windows 7. At every presentation that I attended, everyone stated that 32 bit software could be run on a 64 bit computer.

I purchased a copy of Laplink’s PC Mover Ultimate, so that I could migrate all of my programs and data to my new computer. Then I discovered via Laplink tech support that my plan would not work due to the difference in bit configuration in Windows between a 32 bit and 64 bit computer.

  • Does Windows 7 – 64 bit include an XP VM?
  • Do I have to provide a copy of XP?
  • How do I migrate the programs and data from my laptop to my new computer?
  • Can PC Mover be used?
  • How do I figure out how much space I need to allow for the VM.
  • Have I missed any other issues that I should be looking at before beginning this migration process? BTW, the reason that I need to migrate these programs is that I do not have CDs for two of them, which are Office 2007 and the Adobe suite.
  • Any other advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Here are my answers, but you will notice that when we get to the last point all of the others become irrelevant.

  • Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, & Ultimate all include a feature called XP Mode which can be downloaded and installed for free. It is a Windows XP virtual machine based on Virtual PC.
  • If you use XP Mode you do not have to provide a copy of Windows XP.
  • Your best bet, without exception, for migrating programs is not to do it, but rather to reinstall them on the new machine. With regard to your data all SKUs of Windows 7 include a feature called Windows Easy Transfer which is the best way to migrate settings, preferences, and data.
  • I have no knowledge of PC Mover, but recommend the Microsoft tools over any third party tool.
  • See how much space you needed on the old version, and do the simple math.

The issue that you are missing is that you keep discussing virtualization and XP Mode, but at no point in your questions did you mention that you have any applications that need it.  XP Mode is a great solution for for cases where you have applications that are not compatible with Windows 7, but when the issue is a 32-bit to 64-bit issue there are other mitigations.

You seem to be focused on the limitations of Laplink’s product, and I am sure it is a fine product for simple solutions.  With regard to data, migrating from one PC to another – even across platforms and architectures – is reasonably simple, given the right tools.  However when you start looking at applications it is never recommended to migrate them. 

With the possible exception of custom apps where the relationship with the vendor is irreparable there is always a way to reinstall applications, although sometimes it will take a little bit of work.  In your case you are missing the media for some of your applications.  As long as you have a license (and they are not OEM licenses) you can find (or even borrow) the media and reinstall.  For both Microsoft and Adobe packages you can contact the vendor and they will help you out.  There may be a cost involved, but it is cheaper than replacing the packages… and will give you better results than trying to migrate them.

Windows XP Mode is a great solution for applications that are not compatible with Windows 7, but remember, it means you are still using Windows XP.  Of course XP was a great OS, but to put the matter into perspective remember this: If you had adopted a puppy the day that Microsoft released Windows XP, the puppy would likely be dead today.  Yes, XP is that old.  In 810 days Microsoft will stop supporting Windows XP completely, and you will have to find another solution to your issues.  Why not simply deal with them now?

Now, with regard to the last question: Any other advice or suggestions, I would say that if you are unsure you should invest in a consultation with an IT Pro who can look at your old system and make recommendations on the new.  As I always tell my classes, remember the Universal Consultants Answer (UCA): It depends.  However my best advice is that you have the opportunity to hold on to the old computer for a little while so don’t format it until you have been running comfortably on the new system for a few weeks.

Good luck!

Filed under Migration, Windows 7, Windows XP, XP Mode

The Student Has Become The Master!

March 29, 2011 Leave a comment

Monday evening I attended the monthly user group meeting of the Wellington Waterloo IT Pro User Group (
http://www.wwitpro.com/
) in Kitchener, Ontario.  The topic for the evening was called Windows 7 Deployment as presented by Sean Kearney (yes, THE Sean Kearney, a.k.a. The Energized Tech, a.k.a. (the former) Friday Funny Guy!) from SWMI Consulting Group and www.powershell.ca.  The title of his presentation was ‘Busting the Myths: There is no simple way to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7.’  It was a great presentation… for a couple of reasons. 

In truth I know this presentation cold because I have presented it dozens of times… I brought it to Canada (it was originally a TechEd session done by Jay Ferron, Jeremy Chapman, and friends) for TechDays Canada, and have since presented it to dozens of audiences.  However to sit through it as presented by my colleague, who ‘learned deployment at my knee’ was great, to see not only that he really did get it, but also took my presentation, and truly made it his own.  It was great.

I have been working with Sean for a few years, and watching him evolve from the Friday Funny Guy into the Energized Tech has been great.  He truly has come a long way, to the point that I am willing to (and proud to!) have him represent my company, knowing that my reputation is at stake!

I met Sean about the same time that I met another good friend, Jacqueline Hutchinson.  At the time – early 2007 – I was visiting Toronto, and Jacqueline had recently taken over the president of WWITPro.  The group had been dropped in her lap, and she was doing her best to keep it going. Rick Claus asked me to spend a few hours with her and her team.  We sat down over Mongolian cuisine, and I gave them whatever wisdom and guidance I could.

Whatever challenges that user group leaders encounter (and there are plenty!) the greatest challenge to most groups traditionally has been what happens when the leader leaves.  Most groups are founded by people with strong personalities, and when they leave the void created has more often than not been the downfall of most groups that have tried.  To visit WWITPro, five years and three leaders later, and find it alive and well and thriving is really a testament to the power of community.

To be clear, I did not come to Waterloo to support Sean… he doesn’t need it; he knows his stuff, and does not need to be propped up.  I came to watch and enjoy (and deliver goodies and prizes from Microsoft and HP!), and to show my ongoing support for the IT Pro community in Canada.

I want to thank Sean for being such a huge community resource; he is a credit to his company, to the Microsoft MVP program, and to the Springboard Technical Experts Panel (STEP).  I also want to thank Terry Edwards, who stepped up and took over the group when it would have been just as easy to hope someone else would.  Being a user group leader may have its rewards, but it is also extremely taxing and demanding – and takes a huge chunk of time from their personal life.  Thanks Terry, and the rest of your team whose names I wish I knew to list here.

Oh… and thanks for the pizza!

Filed under Article, Blog, Community, Deployment, Energized Tech, Hewlett Packard, HP, IT Pro, Jacqueline Hutchinson, MDT, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, Microsoft MVP, Sean Kearney, Springboard, Springboard Technical Experts Panel, STEP, SWMI, Unattend.xml, User Group, Windows 7, Windows PE, Windows XP, WWITPro

Creating a Bootable USB Key

February 3, 2011 Leave a comment

It seems that some of my articles got chopped during the move to WordPress.  Doh!  Here are the simple instructions to create a bootable USB key:

  1. Open a Command Prompt session with Administrator privileges.
  2. Run the Disk Partition utility (diskpart.exe)
  3. Type List Disk to see a list of drives on your computer.  Determine which is your USB key and select it. (Select Disk 2)
  4. Type Clean.
  5. Type Create Partition Primary.
  6. Type assign.
  7. Format the disk… I usually suggest using Windows Explorer using the Quick Format option.
  8. (back in DiskPart) type Active.
  9. Exit DiskPart and the Command Prompt.

At this point your USB key is bootable, and you simply have to copy the proper files onto it.  I generally create a Media Deployment Point in Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and then copy the contents of the proper directory (x:\Media\Content) onto the key.

Have fun!

Filed under Article, Ask the Expert, Bootable USB, Deployment, MDT, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, USB Key, Windows 7, Windows PE, Windows XP

Mitch Visits One Police Plaza

December 15, 2010 1 Comment

A couple of weeks ago one attendee was a detective with the NYPD, and he offered to take me behind the scenes at One Police Plaza so that I could take a look at a few of the units that use information technology (IT) for a lot more than just paperwork and filing.

I had read about Detective Travis Rapp and his involvement with the Real Time Crime Center, which was our first stop.  Respectful to the television portrayals of this and similar units, it really is something to see.  From here police from anywhere in the city can call in and get information and support tracking suspects.  Imagine a thirty foot monitor controlled by a pit of computers manned by detectives who are expert in tracking suspects, licenses, cell-phones, weapons… and more importantly how these all fit together – where a suspect’s car and cell-phone are the suspect is surely not far, and if he (or she) has a history of weapons and/or violence may be the difference between officers being injured or coming away from an arrest safe.  I couldn’t help but think that if I was a ‘perp’ I wouldn’t want these systems (and the people who make it work!) on my trail…

Next we stopped in Computer Crimes, and I got to meet some of the skilled detectives who handle computers confiscated during arrests or seizure.  For obvious reasons I won’t disclose any of the tools of the trade that they use (many of which are discussed in some of my classes but some are not!) but as a veteran of the forensic side of IT I am suitably impressed by the professionalism of the team.  It is easy to imagine a room filled with geeks with thick glasses and pocket protectors.  The first thing I noticed when entering the back room was that they were first and foremost cops… badges, side-arms, and all.  Later I asked Detective Rapp as we discussed some of the stars of the team (of which he is a veteran) if the NYPD trained most of them from scratch, or did they look for officers with a background in IT.  I couldn’t imagine having a high success rate trying to train beat-cops to do what these people do.  At the same time I want to reiterate that these are all professionals, and there are no ‘former criminal hackers’ in the group.  Sorry Kevin, you’ll have to look elsewhere for your next job J

The last stop we made (I’m skipping a few floors) was the garage where we took cruiser Unit 1956 out for a spin – not a ‘ride-along’ that some people would crave, but a spin of the Panasonic Toughbook laptop that each cruiser has, and the software and communications tools they use to give every mobile unit another advantage on the job, whether chasing down suspects or issuing traffic citations.

The new DataMaxx software package that each unit has revolutionized the mobile unit, and seeing it in action was interesting; however the part that most appealed to me was that Detective Rapp would be making a video, user manual, and PowerPoint deck to train officers in the tool.

I should mention that Mo, who is responsible for deploying these ToughBooks, has done a brilliant job of locking them down.  He uses Microsoft Deployment Toolkit to create, manage, and deploy the images, customizing them and locking them down – both in the CMOS (blocking USB and such) and in the image itself.  He knows that a locked-down user environment not only prevents users from installing software – by definition in a secure, well-managed infrastructure unsanctioned – but also prevents tampering; both of these result in a more stable environment over the long term. 

In order to create the training materials that were required we used one of my favorite must-have tools – TechSmith’s SnagIt.  Even though you can screen-shot individual app windows with Windows 7, the SnagIt tool adds incredible functionality – editing, resizing, adding effects, and much more – before sending the image directly to either Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or an e-mail (either as an attachment or an embedded image).

For the document Detective Rapp was creating he needed the screen shots sent to Word, but would eventually be creating the PowerPoint deck as well.  SnagIt maintains the screenshots in memory so that you can reuse them over and over – after exporting them to Word we could then export several captures shots to different slides or, even better, to a build-slide with animation.  The images will be properly sized and positioned automatically, all thanks to SnagIt and without having to resize and adjust any of the images in PowerPoint (which is not difficult, only more work).

The next step of building the training material will likely be to record training videos of the system, for which Detective Rapp will likely rely on another TechSmith tool, Camtasia Studio.  Unfortunately that will happen after I have left, but I know that he will have no problems with it because I have used the tool before and you have heard me rave about how easy and powerful it is.

As I walked back to my hotel from 1PP I couldn’t help but think that when they talk about ‘New York’s Finest’ they are not only talking about the bravest… they have some of the finest IT forensics and cyber-crimes people, some fine Windows Deployment guys, and use some fine tools all around.  For security reasons I only mention two of them in this piece (Microsoft Deployment Toolkit and TechSmith SnagIt).  I felt safer knowing that if they had taken the time to make sure they used the right tools for their IT, they were probably using the right tools for feet-on-the-ground law enforcement as well. 

Stay safe out there guys… New York’s Finest indeed!

Filed under Article, Cyber Crime, Cyber Police, Deployment, Laptop, MDT, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, Microsoft Office, New York, New York Police Department, NYPD, Police, Real Time Crime Center, RTCC, SnagIt, TechSmith, Windows XP

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