Not normally do consulting companies give you away their secrets for free, but we’ll let you in on that there is a much easier way to install software which you’d wish you knew years ago. Ninite.
You quite literally
1) visit the site ninite.com and tick on the programs you want.

3) Download and run the installer.

Before your eyes it will download the latest versions and install the programs automatically in one click before your eyes. No catch’s, no ads, no viruses and its 100% free. Don’t worry I was sceptical at first but this is the real deal.

Where Ninite make their money is the Professional version of their software which is designed for IT administrators from small business to large enterprises. Keeping software up to date in even medium sized organisations is traditionally gruelling work involving writing complex GPO’s and scripts to deploy MSI’s packages which takes weeks of work. This is made more difficult with roaming mobile devices and machines that may be offline for many months.

Save yourself the pain and checkout Ninite Professional. You install the client on each endpoint which allows you to manage its installed software through the cloud interface no matter where in the world the machine is located, or what network it resides on.

From this interface you can see what version of software each endpoint is running, when it last checked as-well as install/update/uninstall software either individually or in groups. Its easy to use and doesn’t require you to be programmer to use.

This tool is almost a necessity for IT administrators to ensure their fleets of computer remain updated with audit-able records. Unlike the free online installer version the professional version does cost money, however the prices are very reasonable when you factor in the time savings.

This is quite literally software that sells itself and doesn’t need a 10 page sales pitch.
Ninite offer a 14 day free trial so you can test if right for you.
Link : Ninite Free (Web Installer)
Link: Ninite Pro

Do you need a little help running your network?
Give us a call on 1300 733 240 or shoot us a message to find out how we can help your organisation.

Like Ninite or know of any other ‘secret’ tricks? We’d love to hear, drop us a comment below

The post Ninite, the secret weapon for PC builders and IT administrators first appeared on Air-Gap.

Mainstream Support
During this period approximately 5 years after release, Microsoft will continue adding new features, provide patch’s to bugs and offer complimentary support for the operating system.
Ideally you want your system to be within mainstream support to ensure its offering the most functionality to your organisation.

Extended Support
If your Operating System has drifted into the ‘Extended Support’ period, don’t panic!
It will still be receiving regular security updates for a further 5 years after mainstream support has ended however Microsoft will no longer be providing formal support, adding new features such as new versions of Internet Explorer or guaranteeing they will provide hot-fixes for issues. Around this time third-party software and driver developers may stop supporting the operating system.

You should be aiming to replace or update your systems before the Extended Support period ends, particularly if they are providing public facing services such as web/ftp or acting as a terminal server as they may no longer receive critical security updates putting your organisation at risk.

Running behind or need some advice before planning your next migrating?
Get in touch to see how we can help.

What do you find most difficult keeping your systems up-to-date, leave a comment below

Resources
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet
https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/17140/lifecycle-faq-general-policy-questions
https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/lifecycle/search

The post Windows Lifecycle Support Dates first appeared on Air-Gap.