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Is Internet a Requirement
- Thread starter PU36
- Start date
One safeguard would be to have a image backup of the activated operating system (drive or partition) for easy restoration.
A number of things can cause Activation to be redone including hardware replacement, reinstalling the operating system, and any number of unknown glitches which computers are prone to.
Activation can be done over the phone if no Internet is available.
How to contact a Microsoft Product Activation Center
A number of things can cause Activation to be redone including hardware replacement, reinstalling the operating system, and any number of unknown glitches which computers are prone to.
Activation can be done over the phone if no Internet is available.
How to contact a Microsoft Product Activation Center
I'd be interested in the reasons for putting a Win7 PC in an environment like that, without internet connections.
Offline, it will not be automatically updated by Microsoft or any other services necessary to protect against future threats, or to receive bugfixes against currently undiscovered weaknesses in the system.
Isolation is not necessarily a protection against malware for a Windows machine. In particular, USB ports are the modern equivalent of Floppy Disk Drives, and PCs are operated by humans...
In the days before networks were common, bootsector viruses were extremely prevalent, spread by floppy disk, and with no means of regularly updating early antivirus programs.
Offline, it will not be automatically updated by Microsoft or any other services necessary to protect against future threats, or to receive bugfixes against currently undiscovered weaknesses in the system.
Isolation is not necessarily a protection against malware for a Windows machine. In particular, USB ports are the modern equivalent of Floppy Disk Drives, and PCs are operated by humans...
In the days before networks were common, bootsector viruses were extremely prevalent, spread by floppy disk, and with no means of regularly updating early antivirus programs.
One reason: a PC that operates/controls a machine where internet is not necessary, such as a PC that runs a factory-assembly line conveyor belt system?
=======================================
People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world. (Calvin from Calvin And Hobbs)
Robert L. Johnson III
CCNA, CCDA, MCSA, CNA, Net+, A+, CHDP
C#.NET Programmer
=======================================
People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world. (Calvin from Calvin And Hobbs)
Robert L. Johnson III
CCNA, CCDA, MCSA, CNA, Net+, A+, CHDP
C#.NET Programmer
- Thread starter
- #5
mstrmage1768 Thank you.
Thank is exactly where it is going. We have 7 plants that control machinery, tanks and all aspects of the manufacturing process. These computers do NOT have internet access physically or virtually.
I agree that hot fixes and patches are necessity but they are not as "critical" as for a PC that is surfing the web. USB and Other input/ports are disabled through BIOS (Which is password protected), local (to that machine) Group Policy and registry changes.
These machines are designed to perform one task and one task only, run a propriety program designed to manipulate the manufacturing equipment.
Thank is exactly where it is going. We have 7 plants that control machinery, tanks and all aspects of the manufacturing process. These computers do NOT have internet access physically or virtually.
I agree that hot fixes and patches are necessity but they are not as "critical" as for a PC that is surfing the web. USB and Other input/ports are disabled through BIOS (Which is password protected), local (to that machine) Group Policy and registry changes.
These machines are designed to perform one task and one task only, run a propriety program designed to manipulate the manufacturing equipment.
Windows 7 Enterprise is touted as a highly secure and remotely administrated system, yet still has all the "nanny" security features to prevent it from piracy. Fair enough, I suppose.
Still, must be frustrating to have to contemplate manual administration of a new enterprise standard operating system on 7 sites, knowing that Microsoft cannot fully support such systems if they are only patched irregularly, and are unavailable for real-time remote analysis or troubleshooting.
Windows 7 for mission critical semi-automated manufacturing plant control? It puts me in mind of Homer Simpson in charge at the Springfield nuclear power plant. Best of luck!
Still, must be frustrating to have to contemplate manual administration of a new enterprise standard operating system on 7 sites, knowing that Microsoft cannot fully support such systems if they are only patched irregularly, and are unavailable for real-time remote analysis or troubleshooting.
Windows 7 for mission critical semi-automated manufacturing plant control? It puts me in mind of Homer Simpson in charge at the Springfield nuclear power plant. Best of luck!
Once your pc's are activated, you can always go to the windows update catalog site with a pc that IS connected to the internet. There do a search for windows 7. Download the updates you need. Burn them to a dvd or whatever, then manually update your production pc's.
Here is the address:
Flyboy: Why do pc's need updating if they 1) don't ever connect to the internet, 2) are working proprtly and as expected??? Not everything in this world requires or needs internet access. IntrAnet access, maybe, but not internet accessibility. Another area that doesn't need access: pc's used to do document imaging. A pc runs a scanner. Don't need internet access for that.
Here is the address:
Flyboy: Why do pc's need updating if they 1) don't ever connect to the internet, 2) are working proprtly and as expected??? Not everything in this world requires or needs internet access. IntrAnet access, maybe, but not internet accessibility. Another area that doesn't need access: pc's used to do document imaging. A pc runs a scanner. Don't need internet access for that.
Ah, @PRPhx, That's been done already 
Updates do not only fix security issues, they fix the bugs which allow the security exploits in the first place, and other bugs besides, ones that lead to apparently random crashes and things like "not genuine" appearing on a system which has passed all tests previously. Also incompatibilities between certain pieces of hardware and the OS, and bugs introduced by previous updates. Any hardware replaced by newer items may require a fix that supplements the new drivers installed.
Finally, some updates have no apparent purpose but to prevent piracy - the Windows Genuine Advantage update is an example - but not having it running disqualifies the system from certain updates, like newer versions of Media Player, or tools like Virtual PC.
Think of bugfixes ticking off items in a snagging list, and while checking if they have been rectified, finding new issues to fix. Windows XP SP3 is still receiving updates, despite being so long in the tooth now, and receiving notices of end of support dates. Windows 7 is rather young, and got off to a great start as far as usability and popularity was concerned. Now the honeymoon is over an d gripes are starting to surface, for which there will be updates, and fixes for updates, and Service Releases and so on...
Finally, some updates have no apparent purpose but to prevent piracy - the Windows Genuine Advantage update is an example - but not having it running disqualifies the system from certain updates, like newer versions of Media Player, or tools like Virtual PC.
Think of bugfixes ticking off items in a snagging list, and while checking if they have been rectified, finding new issues to fix. Windows XP SP3 is still receiving updates, despite being so long in the tooth now, and receiving notices of end of support dates. Windows 7 is rather young, and got off to a great start as far as usability and popularity was concerned. Now the honeymoon is over an d gripes are starting to surface, for which there will be updates, and fixes for updates, and Service Releases and so on...
Well I can think of a situation.
I do not have Internet access at home. I got rid of it two years ago and intend to remain internet-free. I am installing Win 7. Should I not, because I do not have internet access? That seems out of whack.
unknown
I do not have Internet access at home. I got rid of it two years ago and intend to remain internet-free. I am installing Win 7. Should I not, because I do not have internet access? That seems out of whack.
unknown
If you're not taking your PC on the internet, then you should only take care of the stuff you install from external media you take home, like CD, DVD, USB sticks and disks, etc. So you probably still need a virusscanner to protect your system, and all updates to avoid being hacked 'because they could'.
If you only install the system once, install some kind of local software, and just work with what you have and produce paper or knowledge output only, then you shouldn't need any updates or protection. Unless you want that nasty bug of Word (or notepad, or LibreOffice, I don't know which one yet) to be fixed...
It has been said for a long time, that a Windows XP system without service packs and patches will be infected with something malicious within 18 minutes after it's been connected to the internet...
If you only install the system once, install some kind of local software, and just work with what you have and produce paper or knowledge output only, then you shouldn't need any updates or protection. Unless you want that nasty bug of Word (or notepad, or LibreOffice, I don't know which one yet) to be fixed...
It has been said for a long time, that a Windows XP system without service packs and patches will be infected with something malicious within 18 minutes after it's been connected to the internet...
Assign the job to someone whose character needs development: for Win 7, there's already 993 updates to choose from...
And lets not forget the bugs that some updates introduce! In the OP's environment, every update should be tested before it's rolled out - in such an environment, I'd rather not get into the "there's no test like production" scenario.
Yeah, I can see how those two are needed on PCs used to "control machinery, tanks and all aspects of the manufacturing process".
Cheers
[MS MVP - Word]
Fair comment re. Media Player, but one of the reasons for Virtual PC is there, is for backwards compatibility. Another is rapid backup. VPC can run native DOS and all the Windows versions up to the current one (and other operating systems that cannot run satisfactorily on current hardware). If a virtual machine fails, or there is a complete hardware failure, a clone of the same machine can be up and running on a backup machine within seconds.
XPMode on Windows 7 is designed to allow a Win7 machine to run programs that run under XP but cannot run under Vista or later. XPMode requires genuine authentication, I think, at the point of download for the machine it is going to run on. For the same reasons as before, upgrades may become available that fix problems that come to light as time goes by. No doubt Microsoft Enterprise organizations can get the installs on disks being trusted Microsoft customers.
Virtualization is a growth area for IT, saving organizations a lot of money by recycling legacy software, but not sacrificing the need to upgrade to modern improved hardware, which would otherwise be both incompatible, and difficult to support within an existing and evolving IT infrastructure.
XPMode on Windows 7 is designed to allow a Win7 machine to run programs that run under XP but cannot run under Vista or later. XPMode requires genuine authentication, I think, at the point of download for the machine it is going to run on. For the same reasons as before, upgrades may become available that fix problems that come to light as time goes by. No doubt Microsoft Enterprise organizations can get the installs on disks being trusted Microsoft customers.
Virtualization is a growth area for IT, saving organizations a lot of money by recycling legacy software, but not sacrificing the need to upgrade to modern improved hardware, which would otherwise be both incompatible, and difficult to support within an existing and evolving IT infrastructure.
Windows 7 for mission critical semi-automated manufacturing plant control? It puts me in mind of Homer Simpson in charge at the Springfield nuclear power plant. Best of luck!"
Why?
You'd be suprised how many machines run Windows and your not even aware. POS machines, ATM's, Phone systems ect etc.
I've had Unbuntu crash far more times on me than W7
And as for "oooh it mus be on the internet bcause you need to fix bugs"
Utter crap. If it works it works, in fact updates could BREAK systems. look how many systems went flat on there a*** after SP2.
We have a Windows 98SE machine ticking away. Never been touched, not on the network and plodding away doing what it's done from day one. If we upgrade I can guarentee it will die.
Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.
Why?
You'd be suprised how many machines run Windows and your not even aware. POS machines, ATM's, Phone systems ect etc.
I've had Unbuntu crash far more times on me than W7
And as for "oooh it mus be on the internet bcause you need to fix bugs"
Utter crap. If it works it works, in fact updates could BREAK systems. look how many systems went flat on there a*** after SP2.
We have a Windows 98SE machine ticking away. Never been touched, not on the network and plodding away doing what it's done from day one. If we upgrade I can guarentee it will die.
Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.
in fact, I had two or three Windows 7 machines, fresh installs, and updated over the internet, crash on me twice... why, due to IE8, and from now on, IE8 is the very last thing that I update on any machine I build...
I also agree, that once activated and setup, that there is no need for the machine to have internet access, if it will be running in the way that the OP described...
Never touch a running system... but one of these days, you will need to move that OS to a VM, as the hardware advanced to a point that W98 is no longer supported and even would have problems running correctly... I've seen timing problems in the past, and memory problems (too much mem)... but until that day, this is a moot point to argue... so I will leave it at that...
Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"
Question: "to avoid being hacked 'because they could'.
If my machine is never (and I mean never) connected to any outside connection, what exactly does "hacked" mean? I mean other than the obvious ticking algorithm that erases the hard drive at some point.
The only thing ever going into this computer (other than a couple of original disk software installs) is my chip from my digital camera. No USB sticks, DVD etc.
"It has been said for a long time, that a Windows XP system without service packs and patches will be infected with something malicious within 18 minutes after it's been connected to the internet... "
Possibly true. That is one reason why I am off-line at home. Got tired of having to be so attentive and careful. Screw it. Not worth my time to have an internet connection. I miss it some times, but not that often. Sure get a heck of a lot of other work done.
Nope, my machine at home does three things.
Cubase for home recording.
Photoshop for working with images for my art.
Word for writing.
Know what? It is working just fine. Microsoft gave me Win7 for free, but I think I am going to pass installing it.
unknown
If my machine is never (and I mean never) connected to any outside connection, what exactly does "hacked" mean? I mean other than the obvious ticking algorithm that erases the hard drive at some point.
The only thing ever going into this computer (other than a couple of original disk software installs) is my chip from my digital camera. No USB sticks, DVD etc.
"It has been said for a long time, that a Windows XP system without service packs and patches will be infected with something malicious within 18 minutes after it's been connected to the internet... "
Possibly true. That is one reason why I am off-line at home. Got tired of having to be so attentive and careful. Screw it. Not worth my time to have an internet connection. I miss it some times, but not that often. Sure get a heck of a lot of other work done.
Nope, my machine at home does three things.
Cubase for home recording.
Photoshop for working with images for my art.
Word for writing.
Know what? It is working just fine. Microsoft gave me Win7 for free, but I think I am going to pass installing it.
unknown
and if you ever do, you could use a Linux LiveCD to browse the internet, and once you power off all is still well with the installed OS...fumei said:
or run a VM, install the OS, make a Snapshot or clone it, then surf the net with the clone, once you are done delete that clone...
but Fumei, you are doing just fine... the PC does what you want from it...
Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"
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