PC MIRACLES, INC.

May 2009

Issue 28

PC Miracles Connection
Darling You Gotta Let Me Know
Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
4 Things To Consider As You Ponder The Choice of XP, Vista or Windows 7
What’s Do you remember the 1981 song from the #1 Test your applications and peripherals.

Inside rock group The Clash which could be about

Microsoft and Windows XP?
Always tease tease tease
You’re happy when I’m on my knees
One day is fine, next is black
So if you want me off your back
Well come on and let me know
Meet our Client
with the Most Should I stay or should I go?
Locations in our On October 16th, 2008, Microsoft CEO
15 Years of Steve Ballmer, responded; “If people
Thanks want to wait [stay with XP] they
Celebration! really can.” This was the first time
Story On Page 2 Microsoft acknowledged the
lackluster acceptance of Vista in
the business community.
According to Microsoft, Vista
Top 4 Threats has been growing faster
Attacking Your than XP did after its
Network introduction, but it’s the
See Page 3 consumer market leading
the charge not businesses.
According to the Gartner
research group, as of
Help A January 2009, only 6% of
businesses have at least one computer
Returning running Vista.
Veteran Should I stay or should I go now?
Page 3 If I go there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know!
Like it or not, we must eventually move away
from Windows XP. Microsoft stopped fixing
First Lady XP bugs on April 14th and will end all
support, including security patches, in 2014.
Contest
Here are four things to consider as you
ponder staying with XP, moving to Vista
See Page 4
or waiting for Windows 7.
There’s a lot of business software that will
not run on Vista, especially software written
by boutique software companies and
consultants. Because Windows 7 is built on
the Vista foundation, software and
peripherals like printers that don’t work with
Vista won’t work with Windows 7 either.
Conversely if it does work with Vista it will
work on Windows 7. Most
vendors anticipate having
Vista versions of their
software available before
the end of 2009. Microsoft
expects Windows 7 to be
available in early 2010.
With Windows 7 looming on
the horizon, it may be
prudent to skip Vista and go
straight to Windows 7. The
key here is to communicate
with your software and
hardware vendors and test
everything.
#2 Migrate to Vista or Windows 7 as you
purchase new computers. Once you have
completed testing, consider staggering your
switchover by bringing in Vista on new and
replacement computers. Unless you love
migraine headaches and wasting money,
forget trying to upgrade existing computers
more than two years old to Vista. In this
uncertain economy, a migration through
replacement approach is your least
expensive option.
Continued On Page 2
Page 2 Continued From Page 1 PC Miracles Connection

There is a learning curve with the Vista user Windows 7 a major release may be more marketing
interface similar to that experienced with MS Office than meat because the kernel (think of this as the guts
2007. However, most users like the Vista interface or foundation of an operating system) is the same as
after using it a few weeks, and most of the Vista Vista. The good news is that this kernel has come a
annoyances have been eliminated in Windows 7 beta long way since the initial release of Vista. Windows
versions. If you want to play it ultra safe, purchase Server 2008 draws on the Vista kernel and has proven
your new equipment with Vista Business and select to be a solid server operating system. Windows 7 is
the XP Pro downgrade option. Your new equipment in beta release now and gets better with each update.
is ready to use out of the box with XP Pro, yet has theMany in the industry believe that 2010 will be the
hardware, software and licensing necessary to year of Windows 7, but only time will tell. If you
upgrade to Vista when you’re ready. decide to wait for Windows 7, be sure to make a
#3 Skip Vista and migrate directly to Windows 7. If contingency plan that includes Vista knowing that the
you don’t plan on replacing your computers this year, pain of migration from Vista to Windows 7 will be
consider skipping Vista all together. Most small minimal.
businesses and many enterprise organizations are This indecision’s bugging me
If you don’t want me, set me free
pushing out their hardware replacement schedules Exactly whom I’m supposed to be
because of the uncertain economy. Consequently, Don’t you know which clothes even fit me?
skipping Vista altogether and jumping straight into Come on and let me know
Windows 7 is a reasonable alternative. Hey, you Should I cool it or should I go?
even have permission from Microsoft to do this! You Sooner or later you will be forced to cast off XP.
can continue purchasing new equipment with the XP We want to help you make an intelligent and
Pro downgrade and have complete confidence that informed plan that will minimize your aggravation,
this same hardware will support the upgrade to employee time and cost in dollars. It all starts with a
Windows 7. If this is the decision you make, be sure FREE 27-Point Problem Prevention Audit
to begin testing with Vista now in preparation for
If you have five or more computers and contact us
Windows 7.
before May 31st, we will perform a FREE network audit
#4 Microsoft’s history of software releases. and give you a detailed report outlining your risks
Microsoft considers Windows 7 a major release. from viruses, downtime and other budget busting
Other major releases were Windows 2000 and Vista, productivity-killing problems, along with what
both of which were late and in the case of Vista, options you have for protecting yourself. From this
required the release of Service Pack 1 before it lived foundation, we can help you create a migration plan
up to its hype. Windows XP was considered an that fits your budget and future IT needs. Call us
evolutionary release, but it too performed poorly today at 248-621-2201.
until Service Pack 1, then finally lived up to its
promise with the Service Pack 2 update. Calling

Meet our Client with the Most
Locations in our 15 Years of
Thanks Celebration!
Acclaim Legal Services is our May winner
for “Client with the Most Locations” in our
“15 Years of Thanks” celebration. Acclaim
Legal Services is an bankruptcy law firm,
they have been a client of PC Miracles since
2004. Acclaim Legal Services is currently
using our Effort Free IT TOTAL Service to
manage their servers & workstations
infrastructure.
A word from “We have had multiple locations since 2006. We have con-
the president tinued to increase our office locations in order to expand our
geographic reach with our client base. PC Miracles was
proactive in helping implement a solution to seamlessly tie
all of the offices together onto one server. This means that
we can be at any office location, or even our home office,
and log into our network to access documents, e-mail, our
specialized software, etc. We have experienced relatively
few problems with this system, which we credit to the
expertise of PC Miracles. They are able to manage &
Bill Johnson, President
maintain all of our locations with fast service. “
PC Miracles Connection Page 3

Top 4 Threats Attacking Your Network May 17th Is

Armed Forces Day
And What To Do About Them For most service members,
Armed Forces Day will be spent
#1 Overconfidence on duty in their assigned countries
User overconfidence in security products is the top working to keep us safe.
threat to your network. Failure to “practice safe software” It has been 60 years since
results in nuisance attacks like porn storms (unstoppable President Harry S. Truman
rapid fire pornographic pop-ups) and more subtle keylog- approved May 20 as the first
gers that steal passwords. Surveys promising free stuff, result Armed Forces Day. The theme that
in theft of information like your mother’s maiden name, high day was "Teamed for Defense,"
school, etc. used to answer common security questions lead- and a spectacular display of that
ing to theft of otherwise secure data. Think before you click! capability was exhibited in cities
across the USA.
#2 Social Networking Sites New York City had 33,000
Social networking sites like Facebook are exploding in participants marching under an air
popularity. Threats range from malware (eg. viruses, worms, cover of 250 military planes of all
spyware) to scammers trying to steal your identity, informa- types. In U.S. harbors, the
tion and money. Many businesses and government agencies Battleships Missouri, New Jersey,
are using these sites to communicate with clients and constitu- North Carolina and Iowa were
ents, so simply blocking access is no longer reasonable. De- open to the public.
fending your company while allowing employee access re- This year, the celebration of
quires social network education for your employees and the Armed Forces Day will not be as
enforcement of strong acceptable use policies. We can help dramatic, but the nation's
you develop a policy, then monitor compliance using a Uni- gratitude and recognition of
fied Threat Management device that controls and reports on service members is stronger and
network access. more devoted than ever.
#3 Attacks On Mobile Devices One way we can show our
appreciation is to do whatever we
Everyone is going mobile these days not just the “road can to help
warriors.” Once limited to laptop computers, mobile network r e t u r n i n g
devices now include PDAs, handheld computers and smart service people.
phones, with new appliances appearing in the stores every They have a big
month. Mobile devices often contain sensitive data yet they task ahead
are easily lost or stolen. Be sure to password protect and en- readjusting their
crypt data on all mobile devices whenever possible. Include lives and minds
mobile devices in your acceptable use policy. back to civilian
#4 Cloud Computing life.
Take a few minutes and check
“The Cloud,” in its most simple form, involves using
out www.saluteheroes.org to see
the Internet to access and store your data. When you access
how you can help.
email using a web browser, you are working in “the cloud.”
Using the cloud for automated off site backup is rapidly gain- “Optimism is essential to
ing popularity and is just the beginning. Companies like Mi-
crosoft, IBM and Google envision the day when we will use achievement and it is also
inexpensive terminals instead of computers to run programs the foundation of courage
and access data located somewhere on the Internet. You
need to be sure that any data you store and access across the
and of true progress.”
Internet is secure not just where it is stored, but during the Nicholas Murray
trip to and from the Internet.
 Services We Offer:

PC Miracles, Inc. • Effort-Free IT Managed Services

9207 Andersonville Rd. • Authorized DellTM Partner
Clarkston, MI 48346 • General Network Repair & Troubleshooting
Network Design & Implementation
www.pcmiracles.com
info@pcmiracles.com •
• Disaster Recovery
Phone: 248-620-2201 • Virus Protection & Removal
Fax: 248-484-7128 • Network Security
• E-mail & Internet Solutions
Supporting Business Systems • Wireless Networking
Since 1994 • Spam Filtering
• Storage Solutions

Answer Our Trivia Contest & I’d Love To Hear

Win A $20 Starbucks Gift Card! From YOU!
Congratulations to Lynn of Donald K. Nanney, D.D.S., P.C. Is there an article you would like to comment on? Is there a
topic you want me to research? Have a funny story or a
, winner of last month’s contest! This month we are giving resource you want to share with the other subscribers? Send it
away a $20 Starbucks Gift Card to the first person who to me! We are always looking for new and useful content to
submits the right answers to the trivia questions below. To add to PC Miracles Connection.
enter, respond by email to info@pcmiracles.com. .
Dan Izydorek
Call: 248-620-2201
First Ladies Go Online: www.pcmiracles.com
E-mail Dan: info@pcmiracles.com
1. What was the real first name of Lady Bird Johnson? a-
Claudia, b-Merle, c-Katherine, d-Mary.
2. Which First Lady worked as a professional dancer with
the Martha Graham Company? a-Michelle Obama, b-
Betty Ford, c-Laura Bush, d-Nancy Reagan.
3. Which First Lady was chosen by inventor Samuel F. B.
Morse to have the honor of being the first private
citizen to send a message via telegraph? a-Dolley
Madison, b-Louisa Adams, c-Mary Todd Lincoln, d-Julia
Grant.
4. The surname of Dolley Madison's first husband was the
same as the maiden name of which other First Lady? a-
Hannah Van Buren, b-Sarah Polk, c-Rosalynn Carter, d-
Mary Todd Lincoln.
April’s Contest Answers: 1d, 2a, 3c, 4d