OS Upgrade Options

Upgrading PC Operating Systems: Win 95/98

Questions to be addressed

When do we upgrade?

Deployment Priorities: What constituencies first?: students, labs,

classrooms, faculty, administrative offices?

What applications will no longer run with an XP upgrade? Are they critical? Are there upgrades available?

What User Interface? Custom or Classic?

What global user settings and group policies need to be established?

What should be available for user customization?

When is the best time to upgrade faculty?

How should training be offered to faculty and staff?

Questions to be addressed

What are our options?

Move to Windows XP Stay at Windows 98

Why must we upgrade?

Microsoft will no longer support Win 95 as of December 2001 and Win 98 as of July 2002: no patches or improvements

Software developers are creating products that will take advantage of Win XP features and they will not run on Win 95/98

Hardware vendors support only new OS

3rd party vendor device driver support for older OS disappears

What happens if we do nothing?

Future software upgrades may not run on our network

No technical support from Microsoft after July 2002 for Win 98 and December 2001 for Win 95

Service support levels will remain the same: no patches, improvements, etc.

What are the benefits of upgrading the operating system?

SYSTEM RELIABILITY AND

END-USER SUPPORT Reduced incidents of the ‘blue screen

of death”: reduces the need to reboot Remote support enabled Integrated services to manage software

installation, removal, and repair Additional features

More benefits ……

More stable platform

Increased product life

Improved login security for wireless and traditional networks

Increase performance and productivity

Decrease support costs and lower TCO

Other Windows XP benefits

Addresses application/hardware compatibility issues (e.g. eliminates .dll conflicts)

Fastest Windows Yet Boots faster, runs applications quicker, and

resumes from hibernate/standby more rapidly than previous versions of Windows

Enables users to access their machine from anywhere (field offices, home, etc.)

For Laptop users: improved battery life, performance improvements, and device support (ie. Wireless networking)

Enables a remote support infrastructure

What is the difference between Win XP and Win 2000?

Technically, Windows XP is the next version of Windows 2000, but it is positioned as an upgrade for Windows 98, 2000

Key component of Microsoft’s dot.net strategy

What is the difference between Win XP Home edition and Professional?

Windows XP Home is designed as an upgrade for Windows 9x/ME and therefore ships with the same type of consumer features found in Windows ME.

No robust networking features Not designed for corporate networks

New features in Windows XP

MSN (Instant) messenger

Copyright encoding of music

Remote access CD burning Audio encoding

software Digital Audio player

Video player- Win Media Play 8

Fully integrated Internet browser- IE 6.x

Firewall Data compression Moviemaker Radio

New Visual Design or Classic Mode Designed to allow users to get the most out of

their PC Can retain the ‘classic’ Windows 9x interface More end user customizations

Adaptive User Environment Smarter Start Menu

Displays the most frequently used apps More accessibility features for persons with

disabilities

Taskbar Grouping Multiple windows from the same application

are consolidated into a single task bar button

Enhanced User Interface

CD Burning Easily burn CD-R and CD-RW’s

from within Explorer

Compressed File Support Create and extract compressed

file folders (e.g. .zip files)

Built-In Utilities

What is different in the User Interface..XP?

Save As screen

Windows ExplorerWindows XP

What is different? Start Menu

XP Control Panel - Better Knowledge Of Your Hardware The Control Panel is organized differently than earlier versions. Related adjustments are grouped into nine categories.                                                                                                                                                     

If you prefer the previous version view, you can choose "Classic View“ of the Control Panel in XP

.

Windows XP:

Easy-to-use User Interface for My Computer

XP comes with a fully integrated Windows Media Player-version 8

Remote Assistance for HelpXP enables you to let other people take control over your computer remotely. You can choose remote help from someone you trust, and you give them them the same level of control over your computer as if they were present in your office. To use this feature they also need to run Windows XP

When you invite someone to help you they are notified by email or an instant message (Windows Messenger). It is actually very fast and easy to set up a connection. First you choose whom to ask for help.

                        When contacting the assistant with Windows Messenger the connection is set up as soon as he/she clicks on a link reading "Accept" in the message. If email is used a small file is attached, and opening it let him/her set up the connection. You must provide the password in the email.

IntelliMirror

Change and configuration management tool in Windows XP

centrally-managed software installation, repair, updating, and removal;

user data management; user settings management; and Remote Installation Services (RIS), which

allows administrators to remotely install the OS on client systems.

What needs to be done to upgrade from Win95/98 to Windows XP?

Review the current infrastructure to determine all areas that will be impacted by this change

Create a Desktop Configuration(an image) for the office and the classrooms

Create new software distribution for selected OS

Create a Mobile Configuration

What needs to be done to upgrade from Win95/98 to Windows XP?

Review security issues and concerns

Test / Modify Configurations

Inform Hofstra Community

Provide training

Deploy New Operating System

Troubleshoot conflicts

Review the current infrastructure

Software and Hardware inventory Determine hardware upgrades required Determine the software applications

compatibility Identify Interoperability issues with

NetWare, and other systems on campus Check version of BIOS on all systems Identify all custom software applications

Users that install software locally on their machines will have to verify compatibility

Check for System Requirements and Compatibility

Minimum requirements Recommended requirements

Intel Pentium (or compatible) 233 MHz or higher processor

Intel Pentium II (or compatible) 300 MHz or higher processor.

128MB of RAM 256 MB (4 GB maximum) of RAM

2-GB hard disk with 650 MB of free disk space (additional disk space required if installing over a network)

2 GB of free hard disk space

VGA-compatible or higher display adapter SVGA display adapter and Plug and Play monitor

Keyboard, mouse, or other pointing device Keyboard, mouse, or other pointing device

CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive (required for CD installations)

CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive 12x or faster

Network adapter (required for network installation)

Network adapter

Check for System Requirements and Compatibility

Check the all computers have the latest BIOS that is compatible with XP

Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) functionality is required

January through June 2002, all Hofstra PC systems will be upgraded to 256 MB of memory

Application Compatibility

New technologies in Win XP require that all applications be tested:

SCT/Banner and Novell Netware Currently ONLY a Windows 2000 client available Win XP client available in April 2002

Custom applications Operational and administrative tools Back-up software

Applications that cannot be upgraded to Win XP Professional

Applications that depend on file-system filters such as antivirus software, disk tools and disk quota software

Custom plug and play solutions Custom power-management solutions

and tools Network clients and services

new versions must be purchased

Examples of New Software required

What software products will not run with Win XP?

McAfee Anti-Virus Many DOS applications Norton Utilities Others to be determined

Upgrade Campus equipment

All HP must be replaced – 315 systems = $378,000

1620 systems will need memory upgrades = $36,500

Design a Desktop Configuration

1) Create core image for a specific machine2) Create specific image for each user type:

Faculty/staff/adminLab usersStudent usersCustom usersLaptop users

3) Test each image in a variety of locations4) Test network distribution of software against

the image

Design a Mobile Computer configuration

Determine user settings:

1) for faculty who bring laptops to classrooms

2) Remote connect to office system

3) Develop a pilot and test

Test OS Images in a variety of settings

In the classroom In faculty, staff and administrative

offices With specialized software applications

Determine the appropriate security strategy

Many new network based services must be studied and tested for security implications

Full TCP/IP stack like UNIX, and susceptible to hacking and denial of service attacks

Inform the Hofstra Community

Develop project plan Establish User settings Create Group Policy settings Establish Deployment Process and

Procedures Develop and Implement Pilot

Staged migration schedule as resources and staff become available

Training

‘Classic’ interface option will promote smoother conversion

Basic operations require minimal training

New features require training

Assumptions

An OS upgrade is required so that future software applications will work

OS upgrade requires the user to back up their hard drive

EXTENSIVE individual testing of non-Hofstra supported software applications is required by users

Pilot studies require user participation

Proposed Time LineSubject to Project Plan Development

October 25, 2001: XP released November 2001- November 2002:

Develop Project Plan and Pilot schedule Investigate OS implications on existing software

applications Determine end user settings and group policies Test proof of concept

April 2002: Banner and Novell XP client released Test network and Banner applications

Deploy new OS for Fall 2003

For more information: Paul Thurrott’s Supersite for Windows XP

http://www.winsupersite.com/

• Windows 200 Magazine

http://www.win2000mag.com/

• Infoweek:Ten Ways To Make Windows XP Run Better http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20011204S0009

WinPlanet Microsoft Windows software news, tutorials,

opinions, reviews, and tips. http://www.winplanet.com/winplanet/

For more information: Tom’ Hardware Guide: Windows XPhttp://www4.tomshardware.com/consumer/01q3/010803/index.html

Difference between Win XP Home Edition and Professionalhttp://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/

windowsxp_home_pro.asp

ZDNET Reviews and information on Windows XPhttp://www.zdnet.com/windows/http://www.zdnet.com/products/stories/reviews/0,4161,2809517,00.html

Microsoft XP Technical reviewhttp://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/techinfo/planning/techoverview/default.asp