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Computers & IT Services – Kingston, Ontario

From 2013 to 2021, I provided on-site and remote computer services to private sector businesses and organizations in the Greater Toronto Area, mostly in the west end of Toronto and Mississauga. Due to a desire to live and work based in a smaller city in Ontario, we’ve settled on Kingston, Ontario.

The objective for RapidEye Consulting remains the same as before: Gaining traction in Eastern Ontario, while continuing to work in Toronto in the province of Ontario along the 401.

We do not have a dedicated office but have everything else in place to get you competitive pricing and quick shipping on all orders, large and small. If you are a business or organization reading this, you want to upgrade or you simply need a fresh perspective on IT, we want your business.

You can call me anytime at (613) 544-8883 or email (paul [at] rapideyeconsulting [dot] ca) to discuss your IT needs or to discuss computer products.

Thank you,

Paul Latour | RapidEye Consulting

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Activating Windows 7 OEM CoA as KVM Guest on CentOS 8 Works

If you are considering a low-cost, yet, reliable solution to host and maintain your applications, and you have system admin-type knowledge, you can successfully setup a KVM bare-metal CentOS 8 installation that has a fully activated Windows 7 Professional guest operating system to host the system on, but then still have a hypervisor to optimally run Linux as well.

What many people might not realize is that the Windows CoA/sticker license key on their legacy OEM hardware actually activates as a VM guest in KVM bare-metal situations. This means potential benefits for many people who would like to host and control their own software on a current hypervisor and still run their Microsoft Windows OS.

A person and/or company could then leverage their old Windows installation key, but then also activate additional Linux-guests on the same old hardware, effectively getting the maximum business juice out of the hardware. You can do a lot with 8GB DDR2 or 16GB DDR3 using KVM and some old Intel hardware with support for hardware virtualization and a Windows Pro sticker on it. Getting business going on low-cost hardware and software can be done without issue with the correct security measures in place to offset the old OS limitations.

People who are willing to wastefully spend can take their more costly approaches that give into the internet security fears of upgrading the latest OS for security reasons, but not actually create tangible benefits for themselves after spending all of their hard earned money unnecessarily on hardware, when they could have of spent that money on personnel.

In my situation, I was not able to activate Windows 7 Professional guests in Citrix XenServer 6.5 and 7 using legitimate stickers/CoA license keys affixed to the hardware I was running on. After moving to KVM on CentOS 8 to be my hypervisor of choice, not just as a server and guest OS, I have improved hypervisor reliability and Windows guest compatibility. Now, I can focus on increasing business and getting more customers and less time worrying how I am going to have spend on licensing and hardware spending.

This article is not for everybody, but it might be beneficial to a reader who might possess IT skills who might also be thinking about their business and how they could go about reducing cost by getting the most out of their system with a KVM setup.

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I upgraded to Microsoft Windows 10 Pro – Free of Charge

Microsoft has improved with activation on a technical level, but I wonder how it all works.

It’s great to be able to get licensed Window 7 OEM CoAs activated on Windows 10 simply by booting with UEFI configuration, installing, entering the key on the sticker or running the Windows 10 upgrade from Windows 7. I’m not even sure whether one needs UEFI or not.

A screencap of my Windows 10 Activation on Dell Latitude E6410 on 2009 hardware.

I’ve upgraded older ASUS, Lenovo, and Dell hardware using the 25-character license key (CoA) attached to its exterior, as long as I was using the corresponding edition of Windows matching that of the sticker’s. If you have a Windows 7 Home CoA, install Windows 10 Home; If you have a Windows 7 Pro CoA, install Windows 10 Pro.

The only hardware I have not been able to activate, at all, were custom built PCs without any original OEM-supplied license key.

Overall, I like how simplified the activation process has become, but I also like not having to buy new hardware.

paul@rapideyeconsulting.ca.

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January 2020: Windows 7 to Windows 10 Upgrades

All the advice you need to make the decision to finally switch to Windows 10 is right at Microsoft’s website from the link below.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4057281/windows-7-support-will-end-on-january-14-2020

One might be inclined to upgrade their business to Windows 10 by purchasing new computers, because MSPs will likely recommend that they replace the hardware. If you want to avoid issues with aging hardware with inherited service cost, you’ll want to do your new hardware roll-out ASAP.

Alternatively…

Consider using existing hardware with Windows 10, if your system was built between 3-6 years ago. Why not purchase a license? The new installer is super easy to use. Moderately old hardware can work great on Windows 10, if you are looking to save short-term bucks.

Get Computer Help

At RapidEye Consulting, we try to do a lot of the general IT service work that MSPs offer to SMBs. Doing things at a smaller scale and highly customized. Help us grow into a great MSP and hire us for your next Windows 10 task list. We’re looking for steady client relationships with businesses from the Toronto area. Reach out to us for all things computer and on-site networking.

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November 2018 – A cheap netbook that still feels like a laptop

Those looking for a basic, low-cost, and no-frills laptop will want to check out the ASUS VivoBook X541NA-QP2ST-CB. If you have ever tried to use an inexpensive netbook, but did not enjoy peeking into an 11″ screen, you would appreciate this machine – It boasts a 15.6″ screen.

Asus VivoBook Max X541NA-QP2ST-CB 15.6
Asus VivoBook Max X541NA-QP2ST-CB 15.6″ Touchscreen LCD Notebook – Intel Pentium N4200 Quad-core (4 Core) 1.10 GHz – 4 GB DDR3L SDRAM – 256 GB SSD – Windows 10 64-bit – 1366 x 768 – Tru2Life – Silver Gradient
Intel HD Graphics 505 DDR3 SDRAM – Bluetooth – English, French Keyboard – Front Camera/Webcam – IEEE 802.11b/g/n – Fast Ethernet – Network (RJ-45) – HDMI – 1 x USB 3.0 Ports – 1 x USB 3.1 Ports

    Perks:

  • Comes with a Solid-State Drive: A 256GB SSD is required if you want your cheap laptop to run optimally. Usually it’s the storage speed that will bottleneck your system – This is a great perk.
  • Power-saving CPU: The low clock rate of the CPU should result in real-life battery improvement. Since the battery is only 3-cells, the lower clock rate should help the load on the battery.
  • 15.6″ screen on netbook hardware make the machine worth purchasing. – For those who get eye-strain on 11″ screens
  • A cheap and quick replacement computer for those who need something to use immediately who do not purchase second-hand goods
    Tradeoffs:

  • CPU has a very low clock rate and less features than regular Core i3, i5 and i7 series chips (Still not a bad thing if you are doing basic office and media tasks)
  • Ethernet is 10/100mbps ONLY – (Low bandwidth by today’s standards, but will get your remote desktop sessions connected. Most applications will work very well except during long file transfers)
  • WiFi is standard a/g/n. ( Standard WiFi, but best internet performance will be achieved here within close signal range. Data transfers will need to be performed through here if you are in close range to your WiFi router.)

If you are from southern Ontario or west of the GTA looking for computer prices, such as the equipment posted here or all other IT products, send your product requests our way.