Smelly Phish
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Oct 14, 2009
This week e-mail users have been getting bombarded with messages that read like the following:
Dear user of the phoenix-now.com mailing service!
We are informing you that because of the security upgrade of the mailing service your mailbox (your@emailaddress.com) settings were changed. In order to apply the new set of settings click on the following link:
The above is a phishing attack, meant to get you to divulge private information to someone that definitely does not have your best interests at heart.
If you receive something like this and are unsure whether it is valid, please contact us, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or the mail service provider you use.
Will My PC Run Win7?
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Oct 12, 2009
The questions of “should I or shouldn’t I?” related to a Windows 7 upgrade on existing hardware have already begun, and hopefully we at PCS are doing a good job of providing appropriate answers. Since computer companies and PC resellers are expecting their copies of Win7 this week and the official retail roll-out happens October 22nd, we figured it would be a good idea to provide a simple outline as to what types of systems can and cannot be upgraded to Windows 7.
Please use the following points below to help you determine your upgrade path to Windows 7. If you have any questions about what is touched on, please feel free to post your comments and questions or drop us a line here.
If your PC is already running Windows Vista…
You should be able to upgrade your system to Windows 7. Unfortunately, we cannot tell you that all systems that currently run Vista can run Windows 7 due to one of the reasons that Vista got a bad name in the first place: low-end hardware.
When Vista was first released by OEMs and put “out there” for consumption, system manufacturers would put Windows Vista Basic on hardware that barely ran the fledgling OS. If you have one of these systems, you may want to consider either a memory upgrade to at least 2GB or a total system replacement. Windows 7 is a great OS, but it’s no miracle-worker and will only run as well as the hardware that it’s on.
If you purchased your PC in the last two years..
Windows 7 is right up your alley. You should have the CPU and the memory necessary to run new new OS efficiently and effectively.
If your PC is more than three years old..
A hardware audit to know for sure if your system is “up to snuff” is in your future, with the primary focus being on (a) processing power and (b) RAM memory available. Keep in mind that the minimum requirements for running Windows 7 are:
- 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
- 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
- 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
- DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
If your PC came with WindowsXP and it’s more than five years old..
Forget it - it’s time for a complete system upgrade. You’ve gotten a LOT of use out of your old system and you should feel good about that, but the truth is that you’re rockin’ an 8 year old operating system and its days are numbered. Sooner rather than later, Microsoft will discontinue support for XP (Windows 2000 is already on the chopping block) and we’d rather see you upgrade because you want to, instead of upgrading because you have to.
Gunned Down
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Oct 12, 2009
Over the weekend, my oldest son and I attended the Machine Gun Shoot at the Knob Creek Gun Range in West Point, Kentucky.
During the exhibition (and when the firing line was not active), visitors were allowed to go onto the range and witness the result of the firepower unleashed on appliances, old cars, refrigerators, and in this case, a PC that someone was obviously fed up with:
Win7 Tip: Go 64 Bit
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Oct 7, 2009
Windows 7 is the second major Windows release to fully support 64-bit, which means that the x64 architecture has definitely arrived on the desktop.
If you’re contemplating an upgrade to Windows 7, make sure that your system can handle it by either referencing your computer’s documentation or getting with a PCS representative to run a hardware audit.
The 64 bit version of Windows 7 is snappy both on boot times an in program execution. You won’t be disappointed.
Carl Sagan
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Oct 1, 2009
“If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe..”
Win2K Support Going Away
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Sep 19, 2009
Microsoft alerted customers on Thursday that they will retire Windows 2000 support next summer. M$ also mentioned that they will shift the newer Server 2003 line to what they call “limited support.”
Even though Self-Help Online Support and Knowledge Base articles will be available, don’t expect any more patches or updates for the dated OS.
More information can be found on the Windows Server Division Blog here:
Labor Day 2009 Hours
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Sep 7, 2009
PCS has no Labor Day hours - we’re closed. What are you doing working on a day specifically engineered to where you don’t have to work?
Enjoy the long weekend and we’ll see you on Tuesday.
Slashing Prices..Act Now!
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Sep 4, 2009
It’s almost $100 off the original price!
On Sale Now!
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Aug 21, 2009
Win7 Upgrade Paths
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Aug 18, 2009
Want to know how to get there from here with Windows 7? The following outlines supported and unsupported upgrade paths for multiple editions of the Windows 7 OS:
Unsupported Upgrade Scenarios
Upgrades to Windows 7 from the following operating systems are not supported:
- Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows XP, Windows Vista® RTM, Windows Vista Starter, Windows 7 M3, Windows 7 Beta, Windows 7 RC, or Windows 7 IDS
- Windows NT® Server 4.0, Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server® 2003, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2008 R2
- Pre-release in-place upgrades across milestones (for example, Windows 7 RC to Windows 7 RTM) are not supported.
Supported Upgrade Scenarios
| From Vista | Upgrade to Windows 7 |
| Business | Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate |
| Enterprise | Enterprise |
| Home Basic | Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate |
| Home Premium | Home Premium, Ultimate |
| Ultimate | Ultimate |
| From Windows 7 | Upgrade to Windows 7 |
| Enterprise | Enterprise |
| Home Basic | Home Basic |
| Home Premium | Home Premium |
| Professional | Professional |
| Starter (x86 only) | Starter (x86) |
| Ultimate | Ultimate |
| From Windows 7 | Anytime Upgrade to Windows 7 |
| Home Basic | Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate |
| Home Premium | Professional, Ultimate |
| Professional | Ultimate |
| Starter | Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate |
