CMIT Boulder East - Broomfield

Time to Move to Windows Vista?

eboldbroom — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:36:37 +0000

I get asked constantly “Why should I move to Windows Vista? Isn’t Vista having a lot of problems?”.

My answer is always “No, not really”. Most of the problems CMIT has seen are with clients running older hardware who have upgraded to Vista. To get optimal results, CMIT recommends purchasing a new computer (which EXCEEDS the stated minimum hardware requirements) with Vista already on it. And, SP1 (service pack 1) was released a while back (April 2008) which added enhancements and fixed early issues with Vista.

We also get asked quite often “What features are new in Windows Vista?”. I have listed seven features below that you may not be aware of, and may help you decide on upgrading or not. As always email or call if you have any questions about this article.

1. BitLocker Drive Encryption

Are you concerned about your data (most business are)? As you already know, the data stored on your PC is significantly more valuable than the computer hardware itself. The loss, either through theft or unwanted disclosure of that data, could potential be very damaging. Did you know that 70% of businesses that suffer a major data loss will go out of business within a year?

BitLocker Drive Encryption is available in only Vista Enterprise and Ultimate for client computers (and also in Windows Server 2008). BitLocker is Microsoft’s encryption technology to protect against data theft or disclosure from lost, stolen or inappropriately decommissioned PC hardware.

2. Windows Backup and Restore

Don’t have a backup process or routine yet? Do you have Windows Vista? With Windows Vista, you can easily schedule and backup files or your entire system image using the new Windows Backup and Restore Center.

The new “Automatic File Backup” is included with almost all versions of Windows Vista (not included in the Vista Starter version, and has only basic functionality in Home Basic edition). Two particularly useful Automatic Backup features are the ability to do a scheduled backup and the ability to back up your files to a network location.

The Windows “Complete PC Backup” is only available in the Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. This backup tool is similar to Norton Ghost (the software CMIT has been recommending for years). And, just like Norton Ghost, the Windows Backup recovery wizard allows you to select just the files or folders you want to restore. You can also restore your PC computer back to its original state or onto another PC using the “Complete PC Backup” tool. Piece of cake!

3. System Restore

The System Restore feature allows you to go back in time! You can restore your computer to an earlier state without losing any data. Got a really bad virus? No worries – restore back to an earlier point in time before your computer began acting erratically (applications that have been installed since the restore point will be removed; you can then reinstall them). Snapshots of your system are automatically performed via System Restore. You will have nothing to worry about (or not much!).

4. Shadow Copy

Have you ever accidentally written over a file by doing a “Save” or a “Save As…”? The new Shadow Copy feature can help you recover from this. Shadow Copy is only available in the Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise editions of Windows Vista. As you work on files, Shadow Copy is working behind the scenes to create copies of these files as you work.

If you need to recover a previous version of a file (or even an entire folder), you can do so by right-clicking on it, and then select “Restore previous version”. Preview the file that you need to recover in a read-only version, and then when you decide which version to recover, drag the file to another folder, or select it and click “Restore” to restore it to its original location.

5. Windows Fax and Scan

The Windows Fax and Scan feature is only available in the Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions of Windows Vista. This feature makes it easy to send and receive faxes, and scan documents and images right from your computer.

Sending a fax is as simple as sending an e-mail – select “New Fax” from the File menu to open a fax template. In the “To” line of the fax template, select from your Address Book (either from Outlook or the Windows Address Book). The contact’s fax number will automatically be selected. Or, if the person is not in your Address Book, enter the fax number. Next, type the Subject and any notes you want to add to the fax cover sheet. Attach the document to be faxed (just like you would add an attachment to an e-mail message). The pages contained in the attached document(s) will be faxed.

The Scan feature provides an easy, 1-click scanning of documents to be scanned on locally connected or network-connected scanners and multifunction printers. Adjust any settings for scanning documents, and then store those settings as a scan profile (can have more than 1 profile). Use the Live Preview feature to see how your scanned document will appear on your computer prior to performing the final scan. Earlier versions of Windows offer scan support only for scanners connected directly to your PC. Windows Vista improves scanning in three ways: 1) Supports network-connected scanners, so you can share scanners with your colleagues, 2) Provides integrated support for scanning, faxing, and e-mail so that all three features work together smoothly, and 3) Manage documents after you have scanned them into your system.

6. Search and Organize

Have you ever “lost” a file? The enhanced Desktop Search and Organization features in Windows Vista (all versions) help you easily locate files and e-mail messages on your PC. If you can remember anything about the file (e.g. type of file, about when it was created, or even what it contains) Vista Search can find it for you quickly. “Instant Search” boxes are available in many places within Vista that help locate any type of file. Open the Start menu, or press the Windows key on the keyboard, and start typing in the Instant Search box. As quickly as you can type, Windows Vista will provide search results.

Check out the new Windows Vista Explorer – it has Instant Search in the upper right corner. It is at your fingertips when you need to find music, an Office document, an email, etc. Instant Search also appears in the new Vista Control Panel, Internet Explorer 7, Windows Vista Photo Gallery, and in Media Player 11.

Additionally, the new Vista file format provides the ability to enter more “metadata”, or file properties. You can “tag” your files to further organize them (e.g. author, date created, and for music files; song, album, and artist name). You can also enter custom properties for your files. You can then search on this metadata.

7. Remote Desktop

Does your small business have a server? The Remote Desktop Connection feature in Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions make it easier than ever to remotely access your organization’s IT resources.

=====================

I am sure you have noticed that not all versions of Windows Vista have these new features. If you need any of these features, pay close attention before purchasing a new Windows Vista PC. In most cases you will want to purchase Vista Business or higher.

Windows Small Business Server 2003 and Mobile Devices

eboldbroom — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:24:31 +0000

(Credit for this document goes to Tripp Collins, one of my fantastic technicians!)

Windows Small Business Server 2003 is compatible with a number of mobile devices on the market today that are currently in use in many of the organizations that CMIT supports (including our own). Many organizations have chosen these devices due to the integration with the Microsoft Exchange Server portion of the SBS platform. This gives the organization’s users the ability to send and receive email, text messages, view and edit Outlook shared calendaring, maintain synchronized contacts, surf the Internet, and make a cellular phone call, all from one hand held device. Email can be securely transmitted over the cellular phone network and into the Internet, and vice versa. Taking advantage of this integration is dependent upon the type of device, its operating system, and the services purchased from the cellular service provider.

Direct Push Technology

The technology to actually make all of this happen is called “Direct Push” and consists primarily of an agreed upon standard between cellular providers, cellular device manufacturers, and Microsoft to enable data to be transmitted from the SBS platform, through the Internet and out through the cellular networks, then back again. This essentially makes the cellular network an extension of the Internet. All devices that utilize “direct push” have to meet this standard at minimum. Once they do, they start branching into proprietary solutions. Direct Push has only been around for roughly 4 years or so on the Windows platform (the software connector for this through Microsoft is called ActiveSync).

Too Many Choices and Not Enough…….Patience

Making the choice on which of these devices to purchase based on the seemingly overwhelming number of types, services and options available can be somewhat daunting, especially with the typical multi-year costly contractual commitment that most cellular providers require. This blog has been written to assist those that are faced with choices so they can make a reasonably informed decision about which device and associated service they are committing to.

CMIT has direct experience using Direct Push on the Pocket PC devices. We have also configured different models of Smartphones. We use this technology in house so are very familiar with the promise and pitfalls. The purpose of this document is to keep organizations from having to go through the same level of pain we experienced when implementing mobile messaging on a Small Business Server.

What’s Really Out There

There are now fundamentally three types of devices on the market at this writing that are Personal Digital Assistants or PDAs, combining all of the features noted above:

· Smartphones

· The Pocket PC

· The iPhone

Smartphones are divided into sub-categories based on manufacturer and the operating system of the phone (just like acomputer’s operating system). The Pocket PC uses the Windows Mobile operating system, and the iPhone is a recent creation of Apple Computers, utilizing its own operating system.

Smartphones can be broken down further and consist of:

· The Blackberry, which is similar to the Apple iPhone in that it has its own proprietary operating system, is made by Research In Motion (RIM). It does not directly integrate with an Exchange Server. Instead RIM requires the installation of the Blackberry Enterprise Server or Blackberry Enterprise Server Express for Small Business on the Exchange Server or as its own messaging server hardware platform pending the number of users.

Many organizations have shied away from Blackberries due to the expense of the licensing and the cost of the implementation, particularly on the Small Business Server platform as it already possesses a complete mobile messaging service integrated into Exchange 2003. The SBS solution has to be used in conjunction with a device that has either the Windows Mobile 5 operating system, or with the August 2007 release of Windows Mobile 6 installed.

· The Treo Family and the Motorola Q Smartphones – these are typically the most common devices seen along with the Blackberries. What separates these devices is the operating system. They can be purchased with either the Palm operating system or a version of the Windows Mobile operating system. In 2007, Palm announced an agreement that enables the “direct push” capability to a select group of the Treo family. This means that those phones can send and receive email directly from an Exchange enabled Microsoft Small Business Server.

Organizations considering buying Smartphones with the Palm OS should ensure that they have the “Direct Push” capability or can be upgraded with the new ActiveSync connector patch to ensure the integration with Exchange. See http://www.mobiletechreview.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Board=news&Number=26613 for further details.

Smartphones and the SBS Self Signed Certificate

There is an additional, crucial consideration when purchasing a Smartphone running either the Palm OS or Windows Mobile 5 or 6 (previous versions of Windows Mobile do not support Direct Push). This consideration has to do with the compatibility of the self-signed certificate created by the Windows Small Business Server.

The certificate is used to set the encryption standard, method and format for secure communications between the Small Business Server and any device that connects to it over the Internet. Many users are familiar with the certificate based on getting a warning when logging into Remote Web Workspace using Internet Explorer 7. This warning is due to the certificate being self signed and not provided by a valid certificate authority such as VeriSign or Thawte (two of the larger certificate authorities).

Smartphones have historically not worked with a self-signed certificate. Palm has a certificate conversion add-on to convert the certificate for use in some of the Treo family. However this has been somewhat difficult to use and also has mixed results (See http://forums.palm.com/rss/message?board.id=activesync&message.id=986).

Additional information on how to install, again with checkered success, the self-signed certificate to a Windows Mobile based Treo can be found here: http://pdaphonehome.com/forums/treo-700w-700wx/64096-certificate-placement-treo-700-using-sbs-2003-exchange-2003-a.html

CMIT advocates utilizing the method described in the links above as a first attempt to get the Palm or Windows Mobile based Treo to integrate with the Exchange server. However, if this method fails, the organization is then in the position of having to purchase a 3^rd party certificate for installation on the Small Business Server and then the device. For organizations that are already using Outlook over the Internet, a method to synchronize Outlook securely to the Exchange server while connected remotely, the certificate on the client workstation will need to be re-installed to re-establish this functionality.

The web links directly above also contain links to purchasing certificates. The certificates noted in the links are inexpensive, some being touted as low as $20. The process to purchase the certificate is somewhat complicated. All 3^rd part Certificate Authorities have a certification process that the applying organization must undergo in order to actually acquire the certificate. This typically means a fair bit of paper work and a few phone calls so the Certificate Authority can be reasonably assured the organization is who it says it is. In conjunction with this, a digital request has to be made from the Small Business Server. The later is a simple process of running a built in wizard.

· The Pocket PC – CMIT uses this device; primarily due to its ease of implementation and integration with the Small Business Server. It also does not have an issue with accepting the self-signed certificate the Smartphones do. However there are drawbacks in the day-to-day use of the Pocket PC. They consume the batteries at an increased rate and without an add-on memory card, have to be routinely soft reset. They can be somewhat difficult to use one-handed due to the type of keyboard and the interface screen. On the other hand, our experience is they do consistently work as advertised.

Pocket PCs now come with either Windows Mobile 5 or 6, and have Outlook Mobile, Word Mobile, and Excel Mobile installed on them. These versions of the popular Office applications have much of the same functionality as the PC based versions and are interchangeable with a desktop synchronization. These same applications are also included on the Smartphones running Windows Mobile. They do have additional capabilities such as being able to connect to a wireless LAN the same as a workstation or laptop. They also can be used as a cellular modem when attached to a laptop, albeit this takes additional configuration;

· The iPhone – this addition to the cellular PDA market will purportedly also integrate with the Exchange Server on SBS. The integration requires that an additional mail protocol (IMAP4 with SSL) be setup and configured on the SBS machine.

IT Support Costs

Typically, the configuration of the server for these secure communications is not too complicated or time consuming, given that all of the above requirements have been met, particularly in regards to a 3^rd Party Certificate. Should a Windows Mobile based solution be selected, this is a one time configuration that is good for multiple Windows Mobile based devices. Any organization implementing this type of messaging solution needs to be aware that the device will consume a Client Access License upon implementation, so additional CALs may need to be purchased, pending how many are currently installed and not in use.

From a support viewpoint, it is always easier to configure and support only one type of device with one type of operating system supplied from only one cellular provider. Easier in the IT support realm means less labor expense if an organization has contracted an outside company to perform that function. We do urge the organizations we support to standardize as much as possible to mitigate the expense of purchasing and implementing a mobile messaging solution.

As always, if you need assistance with this or other IT tasks, we are here to help!

What would your day be like if you lost all your data?

eboldbroom — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:54:47 +0000

Each week someone calls because their computer has “crashed” (really - last week we had 5 separate incidences). One of my technicians soon discovers that their hard drive has crashed. About 50% of the time we are able to pull the data off of the failed drive. The other 50% completely lose their data, or they may choose to pay big bucks to send the drive to a data recovery company (this service starts around $750 and typically goes up from there).

I say this all the time, but will say it again in this first CMIT Boulder East – Broomfield blog posting…Please backup your data! Hard disks do fail. And, when they do fail, you will most likely lose data if it is not backed up.

How can you backup your data?

I will briefly mention 3 methods below. These methods are for standalone systems. I will write in a future post about server backups.

Good: Copy your data to a flash drive. Flash drives are cheap now. You can purchase a 2-4 GB model for less than $20. Copy your “My Documents”, QuickBooks company file, etc. to this device. Easy and cheap.

Better: Use Norton Ghost (or similar software) to perform a full system image of your computer’s hard drive to an external hard drive. You can schedule Ghost to perform nightly backups and even send you an email if the backup happens to fail. You hardly have to think about this. This is a great solution because it is backing up everything on your system. In the event of a hard drive failure, the cost and time to get you back up and running is minimized (switch out the failed drive; boot using the Norton Ghost CD and choose to restore the data). This method only costs about $200 – $250 (depends on the size of the external hard drive).

Best: Use the above Norton Ghost method, plus subscribe to an online backup service to backup your most critical files to an offsite backup facility (e.g. www.mozypro.com). In the unlikely event that your computer along with the external hard drive is stolen or destroyed by a fire or flood, your data is still safely stored offsite. Or, instead of the online backup service, you can purchase 2 external hard drives and weekly rotate these on / off site (e.g. take one home from your office; leaving the 2nd one connected to your system at work for backups).

Do yourself a favor and backup your data today!