Windows 7, Blackbaud and You
Thursday's the big day; Windows 7 is finally being released to the public after months of promotion and marketing from Microsoft. Before updating there a few things you will want to do.
First, make sure to read all the Microsoft documentation about the update process and new features. 77 windows 7 Tips is a good starting point for learning about some of the new features and update tips. Also, check out the Microsoft Spingboard Series for more articles on Windows 7. Once you have read the documentation are ready to make the move to Windows 7, test the update to make sure you are and your users are ready for the update.
Finally, read the system requirements for your Blackbaud Products to make sure they will work on Windows 7. We are currently in the process of testing the next releases of most of our software with Windows 7 and will update our System Requirements as we determine an application is compatible with Windows 7. Until then Microsoft has a new feature called Windows XP Mode that makes it easy to run applications in a Windows XP environment
And for those of you who think 77 tips is too many to read, here is a short list of tips that I found interesting (I will add some more in my next post):
7. Record Problems. The Problem Steps Recorder (PSR) is a great new feature that helps in troubleshooting a system (see Figure 1). At times, Remote Assistance may not be possible. However, if a person types psr in their Instant Search, it will launch the recorder. Now they can perform the actions needed to recreate the problem and each click will record the screen and the step. They can even add comments. Once complete, the PSR compiles the whole thing into an MHTML file and zips it up so that it can be e-mailed for analysis to the network admin (or family problem solver, depending on how it's being used).
11. Consider Clean Installs. Even when upgrading Windows Vista machines, consider a clean install rather than an in-place upgrade. Yes, it's more hassle, but it'll produce a more trouble-free computer in the long run.
20. Get Snippy. The snipping tool has also been around in various incarnations but it's even easier to use in Windows 7. Launch the tool, then drag and drop any part of your screen. The tool will snip the selection. You can save it as a graphic file or annotate with basic drawing tools. Teach your end users how to use this tool so they can grab the snapshots of their problems and send them to the help desk. Or create your own library of visual notes.
23. Be a Mouse-Click Administrator. Windows 7 makes it easy to gain admin rights with a keyboard shortcut. Click on Ctrl+Shift on a taskbar-locked icon, and voila! You've launched it with appropriate admin rights.
57. Manage Services from Task Manager. The Windows 7 Task Manager now includes a tab to manage services. You can quickly see at a glance the status of all services on your machine. Click a column heading to sort. You can even start and stop services with a simple right-click. If you need full-blown service management, use the Services button to launch the Services management console. You may often have the Task Manager running in the system tray; now, having service management access means one less window to have open.
61. Put It on Old Stuff. One perhaps-not-so-obvious Windows 7 tip is that you should attempt to install it everywhere. One user has a 6-year-old laptop that originally shipped with Windows XP. He could never get Windows Vista to install on it. But Windows 7 installed without complaint and runs extremely smooth. Granted, there are some Windows 7 features he can't take advantage of because the processor lacks certain features, but these are minor issues considering the laptop now has life again.