MSPNetworks Blog

The end of support for Windows 10 is scheduled for October 14, 2025. While that is a couple of years away, it's crucial to start strategizing for the future now. After this date, Microsoft will cease providing technical assistance, security updates, and bug fixes for the operating system. This means that continuing to use Windows 10 beyond that point could expose users to security risks and performance issues.

What Does “End of Support” Entail? 

Essentially, it makes using the operating system riskier and more challenging. It won't receive patches for the latest vulnerabilities, and compatibility issues with newer software and hardware won't be resolved. After the end of support date, the effectiveness of the operating system diminishes rapidly, becoming not only unsafe but also frustrating to use as modern solutions rely on more up-to-date software.

What Are Your Options?

Microsoft strongly recommends transitioning to Windows 11, a move we also endorse. Windows 11 offers numerous improvements over its predecessor, including a more user-friendly interface, enhanced performance, and robust security features. However, there's a caveat: not all devices can support Windows 11, so it's crucial to check compatibility before committing to an upgrade ahead of the end of support date.

What if Your Device Isn't Compatible with Windows 11? 

In the short term, you can continue using Windows 10 until the end of support date, provided you have the latest security updates and patches installed. Employing an enterprise-level antivirus tool can also bolster your security during this transitional period. However, we recommend not procrastinating too long when it comes to upgrading, as updates and patches can only provide limited protection in a landscape where new threats emerge daily.

If you would like a professional perspective on your organizational technology, give the IT experts at MSPNetworks a call today at (516) 403-9001.

Have you ever booted up your computer at the start of the workday only to find it slow and sluggish? Sometimes this has to do with how many startup processes are occurring when your computer is just starting to wake up. You might be able to give it a little morning jumpstart by disabling certain startup processes or programs.

Before You Enable or Disable Processes...

First, a quick note about certain startup processes in Windows 10. If you don’t know what a startup process does, you absolutely should not mess with them. Furthermore, there is a solid chance that your IT department or provider has implemented specific startup programs or processes for your organization’s computers. When in doubt, always ask your trusted IT resource before disabling or enabling any startup processes.

Start Up Your Task Manager

The key to disabling startup processes is actually quite simple, and it’s a tool that you may already use every so often: the Task Manager. In retrospect, the name speaks for itself, doesn’t it? Open the Task Manager by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc. You can also find it by using good old Ctrl + Alt + Delete and selecting it from the list of options that appears.

The task manager won’t initially show you much, so go ahead and click on the More details arrow at the bottom of the manager. The window will then expand to show off all of the processes that are currently going on with your device. You can see at a glance that open processes are consuming a lot of your computer’s resources, like its CPU and memory.

If all of this goes a little over your head, don’t worry—the option we are looking for is in the top menu. When you click on Startup, you should see a list of programs that launch on startup. These programs are designated as Enabled or Disabled in the third column next to the program’s name and publisher. You might see programs like your antivirus solution, various Microsoft or Google products, your web browser, and other applications that you use on the regular here.

Enable or Disable Processes

To enable or disable any particular startup program or application, simply right-click on the option in the Status column and click Enable or Disable. It’s that easy. The next time you boot up your computer, you should notice a change in which applications run on startup. You might even notice a marked increase in how quickly the device boots up as a whole.

On the other hand, you might want to enable certain apps to run on startup to save you a little bit of time in the morning. We urge you to use caution with this, however, as you certainly don’t want to overburden your PC on startup.

Again, we want to emphasize that you should not mess with settings like these without getting the go-ahead from your trusted IT resource. If you just want Chrome or Skype to stop running on startup, on the other hand, you can most certainly do that yourself without incident. Just remember to ask first!

What are some other tips that you want to see us cover in the future? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss them.

Back in 2015, Microsoft confirmed that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows, meaning that we should not expect Windows 11 anytime soon. Still, a major update to the Windows 10 operating system has been confirmed to be on its way. What’s coming with this next update to Windows 10, and what does it mean for your business?

What We Know

If we’re being honest, there is not much currently known about the upcoming update to Windows 10. The update, code-named Sun Valley, will reportedly bring several enhancements and updates to the user interface. CNet reports that some of these changes will apply to the Start menu (hopefully in a good way), Action Center, File Explorer, and Taskbar. It is also hinted that changes made to the user interface will borrow in part from the unreleased Windows 10X operating system, an OS that was in development for dual-screen devices like the Surface Pro. 

Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, has teased the update, going so far as to build the hype train at Microsoft’s Build 2021 Conference from May 25-27. Here is what he had to say during the keynote speech:

• “Soon we will share one of the most significant updates to Windows of the past decade to unlock greater economic opportunity for developers and creators. I’ve been self-hosting it over the past several months, and I’m incredibly excited about the next generation of Windows. Our promise to you is this: we will create more opportunities for every Windows developer today and welcome every creator who is looking for the most innovative, new, open platform to build and distribute and monetize applications. We look forward to sharing more very soon.”

It’s also worth mentioning that this update could include changes to the App store. In particular, the Verge reports that the Windows App store will likely allow developers to submit any Windows applications, which is a huge step toward what Nadella refers to as creating “more opportunity” for developers to distribute their work to users.

When Will It Release?

Again, not much is currently known, but the words “very soon” imply that we won’t have to wait long for more information. It is thought that this updated version of Windows will be released sometime later in 2021. Please keep in mind that all of this is hearsay at this time, as nothing has been officially confirmed by Microsoft, but we will keep our ears to the ground for more information as it releases.

What are some things that you would like to see in the next Windows 10 update? Be sure to share them in the comments, and make sure to stay tuned in to MSPNetworks’s blog for all the latest in business tech!

Nowadays a lot of accounts give you the option to set up two-step authorization; and, most of the time you probably should. The security and privacy benefits that your business can gain are substantial. Today, we’ll describe how to enable what Microsoft calls two-step verification. 

What is Two-Step Verification?

It’s two-step authentication, a security measure that adds the traditional password with a secondary authentication that forces users to add additional proof of identity. Microsoft’s strategy is to contact a user every time a device is used to access an account. Users can use email, phone, or an authenticator app to gain access. 

Turning on Two-Step Verification for Your Microsoft Account

The process to activate two-step verification is simple:

• Sign into the Security basics page for your Microsoft account
• Access More security options
• Locate Two-step verification, and select Set up two-step verification
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process

Microsoft offers the options of choosing a phone number, an email address, or an authentication app. If you choose the latter, you will have to link your account to the app of your choice. 

If you are looking to add two-step verification for your Microsoft account, our professionals can help. To get the help your organization needs, contact our knowledgeable IT professionals today at MSPNetworks at (516) 403-9001.

On a Windows machine, look at your taskbar, near the Start button and the search function. The next little icon, the one that almost looks like a bit of film, is the Task View button, the button that (among other purposes) allows you to create and manage virtual desktops. For this week’s tip, we’ll discuss how to use this handy feature, starting with why you might want to.

What is a Virtual Desktop?

To be completely clear, this blog is referring to a very specific type of virtual desktop, which is important to state right off the bat.

Oftentimes, when we refer to “virtual desktops,” we are talking about a computing environment that is hosted in the cloud, which can be accessed from almost any device, from anywhere. Think of it like a Voice over IP (VoIP) solution, but instead of just your phone, it’s the whole computer.

Here, we’re talking about a slightly different version of that concept. Windows 10 allows its users to have multiple instances, or sessions, of Windows 10 running at the same time, via the built-in Virtual Desktop function. This has many potential uses in a business, most notably, aiding in organization while keeping different tasks and their accompanying resources separated from your other tasks and their resources. Listen to music on a streaming service while at work? Free up some valuable desktop space by accessing the service in a secondary, virtual one. Or maybe you’re a compulsive email checker - knowing that you have it open in another desktop may be enough to keep you from becoming tempted. It really is up to you to figure out how they are most useful to you.

In fairness, it really would be more accurate to call this feature “Virtual Monitor,” because it works more like adding an additional monitor setup than virtualizing a desktop... but we aren’t in charge of that kind of thing.

Working with Windows 10’s Virtual Desktops

Click on the Task View button. If your Task View button is missing, right-clicking the taskbar and selecting Show Task View button will fix that.

Alternatively, you can also open Task View by pressing Windows Key + Tab. 

This will bring you to the Task View. On the bottom right, there will be a New Desktop button, which you can click to create a new, virtual desktop in addition to your original desktop. There are a few easy ways to switch back and forth between them - you can select the desktop to view from the Task View screen, use a four-fingered swiping gesture on certain touchpads and touchscreens, or a keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Windows Key + Left/Right Arrow.

To use your programs and applications in your virtual desktops, open them as you normally would. While many apps will allow an instance in each desktop, others will pull you to the desktop that has the application running. Closing one of your virtual desktops will also cause any apps open in it to jump as well.

How do you anticipate using these virtualized desktops in your day-to-day, if at all? Let us know in the comments!

Windows 7 is only days away from being officially retired by Microsoft. The software company has done all it can to try to educate users about the end of the OS, which has its last support update on January 14, 2020, but won’t be getting any more. As of this writing there are still nearly 25 percent of computers running Windows 7. Let’s take a look at why it is imperative that you upgrade or find a solution to get out from under the Windows 7 OS. 

The first thing you should know is that when the end of life date passes, the software will still be completely functional. It’s not as if it will fail to load on your computer, but what will happen, however, is that it will not get another software patch or update. Over time, this could cause a whole slew of negative situations. Among them, networks that the Windows 7 computer is connected to will not be secure. That could cause some very real problems. 

Of course, you could take your Windows 7 systems offline, or quarantine them behind another firewall, but there is nothing you can do that will be safe over a prolonged amount of time. You will be breached, and any new vulnerabilities will become large holes in your computing infrastructure. You may not think you can afford to upgrade away from Windows 7, but you sure cannot afford to be left without support from Microsoft. 

So, What Are the Options?

Currently, you have several options, even now, that can keep your business out of the line of fire, so to speak. These include:

Upgrade systems to Windows 10 

This is the obvious one. By upgrading to Windows 10, you are sure to get the security patches and other updates needed to keep your business out of harm's way. Since the minimum specifications that it takes to run Windows 10 aren’t much more than it takes to run Windows 7, it seems like a solid plan to upgrade if you can. Here are the specs your computer will need:

• Processor - 1 GHZ or faster
• RAM - 1 GB for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit
• Hard disk space - 16 GB for 32-bit or 20 GB for 64-bit
• Graphics card - DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
• Display - 800 x 600 resolution

All told, most computers that were running Windows 7 can run Windows 10. Above are the minimum specifications, so if you have a computer with this hardware profile, you shouldn’t expect the Windows 10 OS to run fast.  If you are going to go this route, we recommend that every Windows 10 workstation have some type of 2 GHz dual-core processor, 4-to-8 GB of RAM, and at least a 160 GB hard drive.

Replace Hardware Systems

If you have some money burning a hole in your pocket, or if you can get some good terms on a lease, this may be the easiest way to move past Windows 7. You would have all new hardware which would come with Windows 10 installed. It may take some time to configure your new hardware with your line-of-business software, but at least you would get regular Windows 10 updates. 

Virtualize and Use a Thin Client

You can repurpose your old hardware to act as thin clients. This may take some capital to do since you would have to virtualize your data and applications, but it might just be an option for your organization. Since you have a severely limited timeline, it may be impossible to ensure that your data is protected before the deadline. 

Microsoft is offering a service called Microsoft 365 that could make this transition a little easier. For a flat rate billed per user, you can get Windows 10, Office 365 with a terabyte of OneDrive cloud storage, and dynamic security software that can be accessed through any Internet browser. If you have teams of workers that only need access to productivity software, you could do much worse than this cloud-based option. 

No matter how you go about doing it, you have to get out from under Windows 7 now. Call our IT experts today at (516) 403-9001 if you would like help going through your options. 

Windows 7 is only days away from being officially retired by Microsoft. The software company has done all it can to try to educate users about the end of the OS, which has its last support update on January 14, 2020, but won’t be getting any more. As of this writing there are still nearly 25 percent of computers running Windows 7. Let’s take a look at why it is imperative that you upgrade or find a solution to get out from under the Windows 7 OS. 

The first thing you should know is that when the end of life date passes, the software will still be completely functional. It’s not as if it will fail to load on your computer, but what will happen, however, is that it will not get another software patch or update. Over time, this could cause a whole slew of negative situations. Among them, networks that the Windows 7 computer is connected to will not be secure. That could cause some very real problems. 

Of course, you could take your Windows 7 systems offline, or quarantine them behind another firewall, but there is nothing you can do that will be safe over a prolonged amount of time. You will be breached, and any new vulnerabilities will become large holes in your computing infrastructure. You may not think you can afford to upgrade away from Windows 7, but you sure cannot afford to be left without support from Microsoft. 

So, What Are the Options?

Currently, you have several options, even now, that can keep your business out of the line of fire, so to speak. These include:

Upgrade systems to Windows 10 

This is the obvious one. By upgrading to Windows 10, you are sure to get the security patches and other updates needed to keep your business out of harm's way. Since the minimum specifications that it takes to run Windows 10 aren’t much more than it takes to run Windows 7, it seems like a solid plan to upgrade if you can. Here are the specs your computer will need:

• Processor - 1 GHZ or faster
• RAM - 1 GB for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit
• Hard disk space - 16 GB for 32-bit or 20 GB for 64-bit
• Graphics card - DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
• Display - 800 x 600 resolution

All told, most computers that were running Windows 7 can run Windows 10. Above are the minimum specifications, so if you have a computer with this hardware profile, you shouldn’t expect the Windows 10 OS to run fast.  If you are going to go this route, we recommend that every Windows 10 workstation have some type of 2 GHz dual-core processor, 4-to-8 GB of RAM, and at least a 160 GB hard drive.

Replace Hardware Systems

If you have some money burning a hole in your pocket, or if you can get some good terms on a lease, this may be the easiest way to move past Windows 7. You would have all new hardware which would come with Windows 10 installed. It may take some time to configure your new hardware with your line-of-business software, but at least you would get regular Windows 10 updates. 

Virtualize and Use a Thin Client

You can repurpose your old hardware to act as thin clients. This may take some capital to do since you would have to virtualize your data and applications, but it might just be an option for your organization. Since you have a severely limited timeline, it may be impossible to ensure that your data is protected before the deadline. 

Microsoft is offering a service called Microsoft 365 that could make this transition a little easier. For a flat rate billed per user, you can get Windows 10, Office 365 with a terabyte of OneDrive cloud storage, and dynamic security software that can be accessed through any Internet browser. If you have teams of workers that only need access to productivity software, you could do much worse than this cloud-based option. 

No matter how you go about doing it, you have to get out from under Windows 7 now. Call our IT experts today at (516) 403-9001 if you would like help going through your options. 

Computers are great tools to get work done in the office, but only if they are used effectively. Employees looking to get more out of their Windows workstations can utilize the taskbar to get around faster. We’ll discuss some of the ways your business can take better advantage of the taskbar, as well as what it’s capable of.

Quick Access to Apps

As you may have already seen, you can access several applications just by clicking their icons in the taskbar. You can pin an application to the taskbar by searching for it in the Search bar, then right-clicking it in the results. From here, all you have to do is select Pin to Taskbar. The process is the same for unpinning the app from the taskbar.

Customizing the Taskbar

Users have a lot of control over their taskbar and here are some of the ways:

Change the Color

To change the color of your taskbar, you’ll need to take a couple of steps. First, right-click on the taskbar and select the option for Taskbar Settings. From here, click on Colors in the right-hand side of the screen. Select the color you want, then check the box that says Show accent color on the following surfaces: Start, Taskbar, and Action Center.

Change the Taskbar’s Location

Did you know that the taskbar at the bottom of the screen doesn’t have to stay there? For example, you can move it to the left, right, or even the top of the screen--whichever one makes you happiest. Under the Taskbar Settings, select your preferred option from the dropdown menu.

Customize the Icons That Appear on the Taskbar

There are multiple options to customize which applications you have on your taskbar by default. You can either drag and drop an app to the taskbar, or you can pin any open app to the taskbar by right-clicking the icon while it is in the task bar and selecting Pin to taskbar.

Alternatively, when drag a file, like a PDF or Word document down to the taskbar, it will add the application that opens that file by default, and when you right-click that, it will give you quick access to that particular file. This is handy when you have a few common documents that you need to open every day.

Rearrange Taskbar Icons

By clicking and dragging the icons on the taskbar, you can change which order they appear in. This can be helpful for grouping icons together.

The Notifications Area

There’s no doubt that you noticed the plethora of icons in the corner of your taskbar by the clock. There are several things you can do here, including pinning contacts to your taskbar, checking your battery life and its settings, your current wired or wireless Internet connection, volume controls, and your device’s clock. To access settings for each of these, just click on the icon and toggle the options shown as needed.

This is just a small sample of what you can do with your taskbar. To learn more about how you can make the most of your devices, subscribe to MSPNetworks’s blog.

Microsoft is coming to the end of its support for the wildly popular Windows 7 operating system, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t make a contingency plan for those organizations that haven’t yet made the jump to new systems. It just won’t be cheap. We’ll break down the upcoming Windows 7 end of life event, and how Microsoft is offering an olive branch of sorts to organizations that simply haven’t upgraded away from this OS.

Background

Windows 7 was the most popular operating system the company known for its operating systems has ever had. More PCs ran Windows 7 than any other OS in history. To tell you just how popular it was, Windows 10 (Microsoft’s current OS) was launched in July of 2015, and was immediately offered to users running Windows 7 and 8.1 for free. That deal came and went, and despite all Microsoft’s efforts to get more people upgraded to Windows 10, it took until December of 2018 for Windows 10 to pass Windows 7 in number of users. Windows 10 is now running on over 700 million devices.

This push was a long time in the making; and, still, Windows 7 is running on over 600 million devices as of this writing. With end of support coming in January of 2020, Windows 7 still is run by over 30 percent of the devices in the world. As a result, there are people and organizations that simply will not be able to upgrade away from Windows 7. Regularly, this would be a moment of major trepidation for companies, especially. Unsupported software of any kind is a major problem, but with an operating system doing a lot of the heavy lifting, it is integral that an OS is running the most up-to-date security software.

Windows 7 Extended Security

For those organizations that, for whatever reason, can’t stop using Windows 7, Microsoft has your back. Noting the immense amount of PCs still running the OS under a year from its EOL date, Microsoft has made available Windows 7 Extended Security Updates. This program will add support through January 2023, giving these organizations a lot more time to figure out their next move.

The kicker is, that it is expensive. The add-on support will be sold per-device in one-year increments, with costs expected to double each year. To cover a single Windows 7 PC for three years would run about $175 if the company is already a Windows 10 Enterprise or Microsoft 365 Enterprise customer. If it isn’t (and doesn’t plan on becoming one), it will cost $350 per Windows 7 system. There are also additional fees for organizations that need to jump into coverage in years two or three.

Your Options

Your options are pretty simple. Either ante up and upgrade to Windows 10, or ante up on extended support. Microsoft offers Windows 10 options for all types of organizations. Today Microsoft makes this easier than ever. The professional consultants at MSPNetworks can help you acquire and maintain any software solution you need for your business. We can deliver the on-premise or cloud-hosted solutions needed to get your business’ IT assets protected and routinely upgraded. Call us today at (516) 403-9001 for more information.

Windows 10 isn’t just a great operating system for getting things done--it’s also jam-packed with features that you might not even have known about. This week’s tip is all about some of the handy features that Windows 10 can provide for your office.

Defending Against Ransomware
Even if the best approach to ransomware is proactively backing up data and staying informed about new developments, Windows 10 offers an additional approach that is built right into the operating system. One example of this is how you can use the Controlled Folder Access function. This feature can make it easier to keep “unfriendly applications” from making “unauthorized changes.”

By default, this protects the Documents, Desktop, Pictures, and Movies folders, and you can assign it to do the same for others, as well as whitelist specific apps. To do so, navigate through the following selections: Windows Security App > Virus & threat protection > Manage ransomware protection.

Dynamic Lock
If your organization has a Bring Your Own Device policy, or you have a company-issued device, you can have your desktop lock automatically if the phone (which is on your person) physically moves too far from the unlocked workstation. You can set up Dynamic Lock by first letting your devices communicate with each other. This connection can be done by following Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers. Next, you’ll have to go through Settings > Account > Sign-in Options.

Creating Start Menu Folders
If there are too many Live Tiles on your screen whenever you click on the Start menu, Windows 10 gives you the option to drag them over each other to place them in folders. These folders will expand when you click on them. Once you have the folders open, you can assign them names.

Scheduled Restarts
Installing updates comes with a major annoyance to some users: restarting the computer. Windows 10 allows users to schedule the restarts for these updates so that they take place automatically. To do this, you can set your computer to wait until you’re all set with your device. To do so, navigate to Settings > Updates and Recovery > Windows Update > Restart options.

This is only a bite-sized glance at what Windows 10 can do for your business. To learn more, reach out to us at (516) 403-9001.