Proper Technology Solutions

Take a look at your Adobe Acrobat Reader the next time you open a PDF.  Hit the Help->About and check your version number.  You might be surprised at how far behind you have become.

Is it bad to be behind?  In a word, yes.  Let’s go over some of the reasons:

1. Security – One of the things that change as the version numbers increase is the level of security.  Is Reader X more secure than Reader 6?  This is a relative point.  X is more secure than 6, simply because the bad element out there has had more time to poke at version 6 to find the holes.  If you are this far behind, there’s a lot of holes that have been patched by updated versions that are still a vulnerability on your machine.
2. Features – Reader has had to become more functional as time passes.  While Adobe reserved the ability to create PDF files in the past to its paid product, third-party tools to provide that functionality has made it move to the free product.
3. Compatibility – This one is a double-edged sword.  IT consultants tend to want to upgrade things.  It’s our job.  It’s also our job to make sure we’re not hindering the system.  Some applicatons may create PDF files that are not compatible with the newer version.  The same is true for the reverse.  If you’re seeing PDF files that you regularly can’t open, you might want to check your version.  If you have an older version, upgrade.  If you have the newest version, you might have to swing back the other way.

Overall, I recommend upgrading to Adobe X as soon as your related applications will support it.  If you aren’t sure, it can easily be tested.  The new platform is much more secure and will benefit your organization in the long run.

We can visit your site and give you an overview of your current application levels and make recommendations.  You might just find what all those “you need to update x” popups mean and which ones you can make disappear.  Call us today for onsite IT support in Wichita and surrounding areas at affordable rates starting at $70/hour with no minimums. (316) 337-5628 or our after-hours support line at (316) 210-71112.

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 has been released.  I normally install service packs first on my home computer (with apologies to my wife) to test their stability before I install them on my day-to-day work computer.  As an IT consultant, I’ve learned that I don’t want to be without my laptop for any length of time, so the home provides a nice sandbox environment.

After several weeks, I have no complaints.  All my normal applications seem to be working correctly (Office 2010, Expression 4, misc games and applications).

Though this is a simple test environment, I would recommend a more realistic test for my IT consulting clients.  For the lower cost method, simply choose a subset of machines from each department to test out the service pack.  If all is well after a few days, it should be safe to roll out.

For more critical environments, I suggest a more thorough approach.  Larger customers that I have worked with have opted for a real sandbox environment.  This can be acheived with virtual machines, though VM Player or through actual physical machines built to mimic normal department machines.  Perform the rollout on the test bed to see if there will be compatibility issues on the network.  Be sure to test all the applications users will access.

Reminder, if you’re using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), make sure not to approve the update until you are ready and your testing is complete!