2. Topics Overview
Security
Added features
Boot options
Performance
VPN Connectivity
Hardware requirements
Spot Verifier and File History
Storage Space
Support
3. Security
Windows 8.1 comes with Windows Defender
Windows 7 has Microsoft Security Essential
4. Added/Modified Features
Windows 8.1 has a bigger, bolder and simpler user interface
Start button
Lock/touch screen and resizing
Task Manager
Sky Drive vs. One Drive
Sync MS/Hotmail
Metro apps
Media Center
Windows XP mode
BitLocker Drive
Enterprise features
5. Backup and Restore Imaging Renamed
Windows 7 named backup and restore “Backup and Restore”, which
can be found in Control Panel
Windows 8.1 renamed backup and restore “System Image Backup”
inside File History in Control Panel
6. Performance
Start-up time
Shut-down time
Runs faster
Graphics
Print drivers
Reduced collision on duplicate files
7. VPN Connectivity
8.1
• Applies to Server 2012 R2
• Set up VPN with Charms under Control Panel or Win + C
• Auto-connect to VPN
7
• Applies to Server 2008 R2
• Set-up VPN via Control Panel
8. Hardware Requirements
Windows 7
• Processor with at least 1GB of RAM
• Requires Pentium 4 or higher processor
Windows 8.1
• Processor with PAE, NX, SSE2 and if you have a 64-bit processor
CMPXCHG16b, PrefetchW, and LAHF/SAHF
• Does not run on any Pentium 4 computers
9. Spot Verifier and File History
Windows 7 has no spot verifier service and no file history
Windows 8.1 has a spot verifier service and a file history in Control
Panel
10. Storage Space
Windows 7- "storage spaces" not available
Windows 8.1- "storage spaces" available in Control Panel
11. Support
Speed on transfers per file
Touch Screen option
Mobile device support
Hyper-V
IT Administrative privileges
3D Printing
3rd Party Programs
13. References:
• Nazarro, K., Preece, C. and Sheppard, A. (2006, March 26). Windows 8.1 vs.
Windows 7: Which is best for you. IT Pro: IT Analysis and Business Insight.
Retrieved from http://www.itpro.co.uk/desktop- software/21919/windows-
81-vs-windows-7-which-is-best-for-you
• http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/system-requirements
• http://www.microsoft.com/uk/publicsector/newsletter/updates/msit-
win7.aspx
• https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj613767.aspx
• (incomplete)
Editor's Notes
-Windows 8.1 comes with Windows Defender, even though it has no notification tray icon which will allow the user to know the status of their security; it's also enable to perform an auto update and scan
-Windows 7 has MS Security Essentials, which can be downloaded from the MS website
Note: Security Essentials is a lower level of Windows Defender
-Uses BIOS routine only to boot
-UEFI included in 8.1 making it harder for malware to affect the bootloader (UEFI is more advance than BIOS routine and it allows for a secure boot w/platform firmware and new policies and specifications)
-Windows 7- confines the bootloader program files in the 1st partition of the hard drive called the "system reserved"
- The boot loader files in this system partition are fully concealed and isolated, this eliminates the chances of malware
-Windows 8.1- extends secure boot implementation of Windows 7, using trusted keys in boot manager to ensure that only properly signed and authenicated components are allowed to execute. In addition, firmware access is limited to user control without any programmatic interface
3 secure boot process:
secure boot
trusted boot
early launch anti-malware (ELAM)- which allows security software to run first
-Windows 8.1 has a bigger, bolder user interface, that can be built for touchscreen tablets and PC’s; more colors and textures
-Start button opens a start screen instead of a start menu in Windows 8.1
-Added start bar to dual monitors with separate wallpaper on each monitor and re-size option for apps and Windows 7 only allows minimizing and maximizing apps; 8.1 offers users both extra small and extra large live tiles; supports smaller screens; better multi-monitor support; snap upgrade: split screen to 50/50, 60/40, 70/30 and anything in between
-8.1 gives you the ability to change the “lock screen” from within Windows (instead of making registry changes); Windows 8.1 has touch screen support and Windows 7 does not, Ethernet and boot-time breakdown
-Task Manager display in 8.1 has visual form which, Windows 7 doesn’t have that color indicator that shows what part of your system is in; 8.1 shows these color charts for the heat, CPU, memory, disk and wireless consumption as well as shows services and the current state they are in and whether they are stopped or running currently
-Simplifies interface for many functions such as the printer, updates, wireless and etc.
-Sky Drive is integrated into the OS, instead of an application in Windows 7 but, in Windows 8.1 Sky Drive was renamed One Drive and integrated as a application
-Signing in via MS/Hotmail accounts allows you to sync user profile data and login Windows 8.1 online
-Metro apps are in Windows 8.1, which can be seen as full-screen apps that come from the Windows Store and ran from the start screen
-Media Centre was removed from 8.1 and is now a paid-upgrade; Windows 7 has it bundled in with Windows 7 Pro and Enterprise
-No Windows XP mode with older programs, which is present in Windows 7 Pro/Ultimate (option currently not available in Windows 8.1)
-Enable BitLocker Drive encryption by default
-Enterprise features:
include more enterprise features than Windows 7
-Windows To-Go feature which allows users to start a personalized version of Windows from a USB or other machines running 7 or 8
-Windows Store is another enterprise feature that allows users to access apps across multiple machines
8.1:
-Less than half the time to startup and shut down (10-15 seconds to start up in 8.1)
-Runs about 5% to 10% faster than Windows 7 and uses hybrid mode to allow start-up time much faster leaving one to spend less time doing productive things
-Faster, sharper graphics and video rendering in both windows store apps and legacy desktop applications
-V4 print drivers- faster, smaller, fewer print drivers
-Consumes fewer resources than Windows 7
-The energy efficient feature in 8.1 saves battery life by dropping to a low-power state when you’re not doing anything power-intensive
-Faster universal search on the start screen (between local files, OneDrive files, apps, settings and the internet)
-Allows for a better collision process when downloading duplicate files, allowing transfers in one windows and collision to be completed at the end of the transfer process with less interruptions between transfers
Hardware requirements:
7: requires a processor with at least 1GB of RAM and Pentium 4 or higher
8.1:
-To install 64bit OS on 64bit PC you need processors to support CMPXCHG16b, PrefetchW, and LAHF/SAHF and Windows 8.1 does run on Pentium 4 computers
Note:
How to find out if your computer system has Pentium 4, try to download a free time-limited copy of Windows 8.1 Enterprise Evaluation and attempt to install it
Pentium 4 computer are single core desktops, laptops and entry level server CPU’s introduced in 2000 by Intel
Spot verifier reduce time to do a “error check” on the hard drive. It keeps a real-time list of possible bad spots on your hard drives
File history- automatically stores “frozen” copies of changes data at designated times
Windows 7-“storage spaces” are not available
Windows 8.1 – “storage spaces are available inside Control Panel and it lets you mirror two hard drives for redundancy (=“software RAID1”)
RAID stands for redundant array of independent disk and its used for data storage
RAID allows the storage of the same data in different places on multiple hard disks to help improve overall performance when failures occur
7-
Only allows approximately 10-11MBits of transfer speed per file
prohibits touch screen option
requires 3rd party software to run IT administration privileges
requires 3rd party programs to perform image conversion for image files
8.1-
USB 3.0- Allows for faster speed up to 5GBits of transfers per file
-Better support for managing mobile devices with tap-to-print support via NFC and enhanced biometrics, malware resistance and encryption included
-Hyper-V support for your copy of 8.1 allowing one to connect to a server
-IT admins can virtually run Windows without third-party software
-3D printing allowed from MakerBot Printer straight from the Charms Bar (not necessary yet but, it will be needed in the future for businesses)
-3rd party programs not needed in image conversion; by allowing assed support to ISO, IMG and VHD disk images and capability for images to be added to on physical CD’s
-Internet Explorer 11 is upgraded in 8.1 and allows touch-screen web browsing
- Overall the features have advance more in 8.1 compared to 7
-Windows 7 is most popular for companies upgrading from XP
-Businesses are ignoring 8.1 all together
-Stability with Windows 7, because it's more familiar and has extensive testing and total peripheral compatibility
Basic Support- Windows 7 support will end January 14, 2020 and Windows 8.1 support will end January 10, 2023
