Windows 8 has already made a splash in the tech world. The new operating system from Microsoft looks enormously different than any system that came before. The reviews so far have been mostly kind. And as a business owner, you’re ready to upgrade to the new system. You only hope the move goes smoothly. Thankfully, you can follow a number of strategies, covered in a recent post on the Smallbiz Technology website, to be sure that your move to Windows 8 is a relatively painless one.
Do the Research
This might seem obvious but before you even decide to upgrade you need to be sure that your system can in fact run Windows 8. The following are the system requirements: 1GB of RAM, 16GB of hard-drive space, and a 1GHz processor. If you are already running Windows 7, you don’t have to check. These are the same requirements for that operating system.
Backups
There are many reasons why having a secure backup of your essential documents is a great idea. But particularly before beginning an upgrade it is vital. You could store your info in an external hard drive but if you feel that this can be too costly or you simply have too much data to move easily, you can opt for a private cloud service. Many managed service providers (MSPs) offer these types of services. This will ensure that your essential data is guarded if something goes wrong during the upgrade.
Setup utility
To make sure your computer will support Windows 8, Microsoft has provided a setup utility that searches your computer for the right elements. This is important, particularly if you are running Windows XP as Microsoft will stop supporting XP in 2014. After you upgrade, you will need to reinstall all of your drivers and software. So you will need all of your installation disks. This may seem like a hassle, but the new features of Windows 8 are worth it and in the long run you will be glad you made the upgrade. But before you do, make sure you take the correct steps.
For some additional commentary on which version of Windows 8 might be your best match, check the December edition of our newsletter.
>