By Jennifer Shaheen, The Technology Therapist®
As featured in Women & Biz Magazine and WomensRadio.com
When faced with change, you will find that many people fear change while others embrace it and see it as a new form of growth. Whether you see change as a pro or con in your business, the fact remains: change is part of life.
So in 2005 if you’re planning a technology change, like upgrading your computer or software, here are a few things to keep in mind to make your transition as smooth as possible.
Upgrading to Windows XP from Windows ME or 2000
1. Did you backup your information?
2. Have you made sure that all the hardware you have attached to your computer has a driver available for your new version of windows?
(A driver or device driver is a program that allows hardware peripheral, known as a device, to communicate with a computer. Device drivers typically come with the device, and updated drivers can be obtained through the manufacturer’s Web site.)
3. Did you check to make sure your computer has the proper RAM and speed to support the Windows upgrade?
(Frequently people want to upgrade and are eager for change but their computer may not be ready or capable of the change they are trying to make.)
4. Do you have a copy of the software you have installed on the machine in the event it needs to be reinstalled after the upgrade?
(This is usually not necessary, but it is always better to be prepared.)
5. Is your software compatible with your new Windows version?
(This frequently happens more with games than business software but you should always check before making the upgrade.)
Software Upgrades
If you are upgrading your software to a new version you may want to keep in mind a few of the following tips.
1. If you decide to upgrade only one component of the Microsoft Office suite, such as Outlook, it will affect some of the tools available in the software that work with other products in the Office Family. You must have the same version of Word and Outlook to use the mail-merge feature available in Outlook.
2. If you upgrade software that synchronizes with a Palm, Blackberry or Pocket PC be sure that the new version will still work with your device. When ACT released version 2005 it took some time before they had the new software to synchronize between the handheld devices they supported.
3. Many people invest in add-ons for their programs like Address Grabber which allows users to import addresses quickly into Outlook, ACT or QuickBooks. But when you upgrade the software you may also need to upgrade the add-on. So be sure to check before you make the switch or the additional features you have come to enjoy will no longer be available to you.
©The Technology Therapy Group, LLC
Jennifer Shaheen – The eMarketing and Technology Therapist
