Windows 7 for new users

[robmazco]

So we are rolling out 7 to a few users on our domain.
Some are excited, some are scared (they dont get that sometimes change is good)....

Does anyone have favorite websites/links that new users could go to for win 7 tips/trick and getting comfortable with win 7 kinda stuff?

 

[kjv1611]

Here's a more personal idea, but it may be out of the question with time constraints. How about putting together a video, yourself, or someone else at your company, and use that to demonstrate the differences? That way you could make them specific to what you know for certain the employees will actually use. And for good measure, you could toss in some corny comedy or something. For that sort of purpose, Camtasia is a great tool.

But for other references, there are many available, I think. I believe TomsHardware.com had at least one or two such articles. Also, there's the

http://www.sevenforums.com/

web forum specifically dealing with Windows 7. I've found some solutions there in the past, myself, but I'm not sure you want to give something like that as a reference, b/c some of the stuff discussed there involves system tweaks and what not, which you may not want on a corporate network.

Of course there are plenty others I've seen myself, but I'd have to go searching for them. Learn2 has some pretty basic level videos for that sort of thing as well.

 

[linney]

If they were using Vista then there wont be such a culture shock. If they were using XP, I guess the UAC Prompts might seem a bit strange. The fact that Local Administrators run with Standard User privileges requiring them to know about "Running Elevated" and the right-click option to access it (the Run As Administrator option).

Don't these employees have computers at Home? They might know about Vista or Windows 7 already?

Getting started with Windows 7

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows7/help/getting-started

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=w...&ie=&oe=&redir_esc=&ei=Pt68S8CyNs-LkAXu9dHVCw

 

[dilettante]

Using properly designed software should make UAC prompts rare. Most users shouldn't be stumbling onto things requiring admin rights anyway.

I think the bigger headache is going to be related to other new dialogs and changes to Start Menu, Taskbar, and Notification Area behavior and appearance. Then toss in changes to Windows Explorer and you'll have hit most of the major frustrations.

Of course if you use a lot of software that never was written with the Windows Guidelines in mind a whole barrel of monkeys await. Deploying Windows 7 64-bit will just add more grief to the mix.

 

[xwb]

If they are just office users, it doesn't matter since all they need to know is how to launch outlook, excel, word, powerpoint and IE. It doesn't matter which OS it is.

 

[robmazco]

most likely xwb hit that nail right on the head...

 

[dilettante]

Once a company has more than just a handful of users though you probably end up with at least a small set of funky 3rd party applications and stuff built in-house. Anything from time keeping to inventory to whatever.

This reminds me of a 3rd party "GUI FTP" client many of our people were using. They sort of had the hang of using it as long as somebody configured everything for them and they never deviated from the routine they'd learned. Then there was this big "let's install a standard image" push, and everyone got the newest version of the FTP client.

Sadly the new version is about 3 major releases ahead of the one they memorized. Feature creep completely changed the UI and turned it in a 747 cockpit of bells and whistles. Funky little toolbars all over, more menus than ever and generally twice as deep, etc.

Six months later the pain is still being deeply felt. Lots of calls for assistance with trivial issues.

I dread the day these people get moved from Windows XP to something contemporary.

 

[GrimR]

You could always turn off aero, then it will be more like XP, and install XP Mode for the ones that my take time getting used to 7.

MCITP:EA/SA, MCSE, MCSA, MCDBA, MCTS, MCP+I, MCP

 

[robmazco]

Well, I have to report that users are quite happy as I have been deploying 1 or 2 day.
Maybe dont need to go with any tutorials after all.
Im almost believing that because they are getting new(ish) laptops with the latest and greatest software, they may believe the company believes in them and wants tehm to be up to speed with the rest fo the world.
Probably a positive attitude in this day and age of doom and gloom in the workforce.

 

[BadBigBen]

Im almost believing that because they are getting new(ish) laptops with the latest and greatest software, they may believe the company believes in them and wants them to be up to speed with the rest fo the world.
Probably a positive attitude in this day and age of doom and gloom in the workforce.

All it takes is a small gesture or a word of thanks...

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
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Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"