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End of Windows 7 Support, How Will it Affect Copiers & Printers
How Will Your Copiers and Printers be Affected?
By now you may have heard that support for the Microsoft Windows 7 will cease. That news has left business owners asking the question if Windows 7 will work when the computers in their businesses are fired up after January 14, 2020 when that support will end? The answer is yes.
Be aware that according to Microsoft, they will:
- Not Provide Technical Support
- Not Have Software Updates
- Not Provide Security Updates
In essence the computers being used in your organizations will have a higher vulnerability for security and viruses.
Why is a copier company sending this information out? First off, your organization may need help:
- Updating servers
- Replacing computers and implementing software
- Securing your network and information
- Designing a back-up plan
- Implementing a disaster recovery plan
All the things that Century Business Products can help with
The next question is what happens to the copiers and printers connected to the computers or servers once these computers have been replaced. According to Todd Gordon, Century’s Field Service Manager and winner of Kyocera’s 2012 Top Technician in the Country Award, the ability to print, copy or scan will eventually fail. Todd says there has been numerous calls coming in where customers can’t use their devices. First and foremost, when replacing the computers or servers the communication has been severed and needs to be reconnected with updated IP addresses, etc.
Once the connection had been made then the communication from the computers to the copier/printer needs to be re-established. When selecting print on your computer a screen normally will come up with printing options to include staple, duplex, punch, tray selection and output selections. This is called the driver for your device and normally needs to be updated for the new Windows 10 software that has been installed.
Depending on the manufacturer this can be very time consuming. We’ll focus on HP compared to the Kyocera line carried by Century Business Products.
The steps to load the correct driver for your HP printers:
- Go online and find the model printers you have
- Select the correct operating system your company is using
- Select the type of driver needed (Mini, PCL5, PCL6, Universal)
- Download the packet for that device
- Repeat for each printer
The steps to load a driver for the Kyocera copier or printers:
- Open the print window from before
- Select the printing properties, click on Kyocera logo in lower left of that window
- Look at the version, if it is 6.3 or above, it is Windows 10 ready.
- If the version is less than 6.3 go to the following URL to load the updated driver
If you look at the number of steps it looks like it will take about the same time to reestablish your printing.
Actually, it takes longer to get the HP’s going because your going through those steps every time for every printer in your business. The Kyocera driver is downloaded once and has all of the devices included into that download pack saving time and money if your business has multiple devices. Todd said, “Kyocera has different driver options like the HP’s, many times the universal driver is selected by network personnel because it is at the top of the list. If the new driver doesn’t look the same as the one being used with Windows 7, then the KX hasn’t been selected.”
If assistance is needed or you want more information on loading the Kyocera driver, don’t hesitate to contact Century Business Products. Wondering the other advantages with the Kyocera product line over other manufacturers, contact Century for more information at CBPNow.com or call 800-529-1950.
