Windows 7 coming to desktops beginning Oct. 3 Published Sept. 28, 2011 By 2nd. Lt. Kathryn Stewart 95th Communications Squadron EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- In an effort to secure its cyberspace domain, Team Edwards will deploy Windows 7, the latest and most secure standard desktop platform, beginning Oct. 3. The Air Force has directed migration of all desktop computers to Windows 7 no later than Dec. 30 this year. Over the past six months the 95th Communications Squadron has been diligently testing transition methods to ensure minimal user impact during the migration. Beginning Oct. 3, prime-time deployment starts and units will begin to receive automated pushes applying the new operating system to their desktops 95th CS experts say. To ensure user preparedness, users will be notified by communications squadron user advocates that their computer is scheduled for upgrade. Those advocates will also accomplish day-after follow-ups to ensure a smooth transition and customer satisfaction. Windows 7 provides a faster boot time and shorter return to operations from sleep mode even with enhanced security. It also features shortcuts that save users time. Experts from the 95th CS say Windows 7 should be an improvement to Vista because thumbnail previews of websites open in Internet Explorer; it features expedited search options in the start menu and jump lists that take users directly to their most utilized pictures, websites and documents. So how should Team Edwards prepare for this transition? While the current software includes a backup of settings and data, each user should take proactive steps to eliminate any possibility of data loss to include: Users should back up important documents to their personal home drive (H) Favorites and network settings should automatically migrate during the upgrade, but users may want to save their favorites as well Unplug external hard drives. Any drive that is left plugged in during the upgrade process will be erased automatically Users should immediately notify the migration team if their system has multiple hard drives. These systems will require a manual upgrade to prevent data loss Users should identify non-standard programs to their Unit Software License Manager to ensure licensing is validated and reloading occurs in a timely manner Experts from the 95th CS say they are dedicated to user satisfaction during this upgrade process. They ask those receiving the upgrade to work with their user advocates and the 95th CS support center at 277-3444 (choose option 1) to address all user needs.