What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server 2012

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DSD
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What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server 2012

Post by DSD » Wed Mar 09, 2016 6:56 am

We are starting a brand new practice and will have about 7 workstations and a server. We are trying to decide whether we should install Windows 7, 10 or Server 2012 on the server. We are familiar with Windows 7 and know that the manuals for OpenDental are based on Windows 7. I also believe that OpenDental uses Windows 7 at their site. Since Windows 7 has been in production the longest, we would expect to have fewer problems with Windows 7. We won't have a professional IT staff and don't want to introduce unnecessary complexity into our office by installing software we don't need. Lastly, we understand that Windows 7 allows 20 concurrent connections, which should be sufficient for our environment. From our perspective, we believe that Windows 7 is a good choice but it would be great to hear opinions from others who are much more knowledgeable. Is there a compelling reason to select either Windows 10 or especially, Server 2012? I know the Server version offers much more function and scalability but I worry that it will be much more difficult to install, operate and maintain plus it is more expensive. Any advice that you can give us would be greatly appreciated! THANKS!!!

Pruce Dental
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Re: What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server

Post by Pruce Dental » Wed Mar 09, 2016 12:27 pm

OD will run fine on Windows 10... You said you have a new office so assuming you have no old x-ray sensors, intra-oral cameras or imaging software etc that is not supported by Windows 10 yet why not chose Windows 10?

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/lifecycle

Are you buying 7 new computers that will have an unsupported operating system in less than 4 years and require replacement?

As for Server 2012..are you in the US?...If so, is HIPAA compliance a concern for you?..if so then you are going to need a true server with a server OS...
Robert L. Pruce, DMD
www.prucedental.com

stjames70
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Re: What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server

Post by stjames70 » Wed Mar 09, 2016 12:31 pm

For many years we used windows xp without any issues. As a matter of fact, we had close to 20 connections concurrently without problems. Then we moved to Windows 7, which in my opinion was a piece of turd -- pretty, but slow. We ditched it very quickly and we went on to Windows 8. Nice, fast, compact code, but it would start prohibiting additional connections when it got close to the 20 computer limit. We moved forward to Windows 10. Great OS, except it also had the connection limitations of Windows 8. Finally, we moved to Windows Server 2012 R2. Best of the bunch as a server (well, because it is a server). No connection limits unless you reach close to 20,000 connections, stable, and easy to use. Do you need all its functions? I have no idea, since I only needed a stable server. As you might guess, the connection limit is Microsoft's way to hobble the previous OSes so that you buy Windows Server. My advice, try it (free trial download), use it and see if you like it. I do. I still have over some 120 days before I have to pay for it which I certainly will when I get close to day zero.

Its interface is similar to that of Windows 8, but otherwise it is a no frills OS -- seriously, you have to enable a lot of functions if you want to surf the web, to read Adobe files, or view Flash. I chose not to. Our server is fairly powerful, sits on a desk by itself, and I have prohibited anyone and every one from touching it except myself.

No problems thus far.....(you do have to shut it down and restart it once in a while -- Microsoft's handling of connections seems to build an IP stack which I think can be cleared with CMD line, but I am lazy so I just restart the whole thing -- the problem is inherent with all Microsoft OSes)

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Justin Shafer
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Re: What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server

Post by Justin Shafer » Wed Mar 09, 2016 12:58 pm

Server 2012 Or Windows 10 Pro... (BitLocker)..

Windows 7 is great, I am not knocking it, but I have found most apps will run just fine (unless they dislike dotnet 4.6) especially if UAC is truly disabled.

Or spring for Windows 7 Ultimate (bitlocker again).. 7 Pro, no bitlocker. (if you are really worried about application compatibility)

20 concurrent connects is fine, but I would spring for Server 2012 just to have a domain, get all the computers on a domain. Then use group policies.

Set it up for HIPAA.

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Ryan
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Re: What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server

Post by Ryan » Thu Mar 10, 2016 4:17 pm

For what it's worth, we try to keep at least a few of the major Windows operating systems in use here at ODHQ. Personally, I have been using Open Dental on a Windows 10 machine for several months now with no problems. We also have techs and engineers that use Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and we have several servers running Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows Server 2012. So they are all valid options at this point. We try to support all current windows operating systems, pick the OS you are most comfortable with. My personal preference is Windows 10, but I tend to be an early adopter.
Ryan Meyer
Open Dental Software
http://www.opendental.com

vsuite
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Re: What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server

Post by vsuite » Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:50 pm

What must I do to make the network stable under 10 please?
Every time any machine restarts, network discovery turns off on all the other machines, which are therefore no longer able to connect to OpenDental, and have to be restarted, and Network Discovery re-enabled.

Thanks

DSD
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Re: What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server

Post by DSD » Wed Mar 23, 2016 2:39 pm

Thank you for all of the replies, I appreciate it!

bpcomp
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Re: What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server

Post by bpcomp » Thu Mar 24, 2016 7:50 am

Hey vsuite, check out this site and look at the bottom of the page for the section labeled "Designating a Master Browser"
http://www.quepublishing.com/articles/a ... 5&seqNum=4

If you don't have a Domain and just have a workgroup, I've seen the domain master browser issue wreak havoc on a network.

babysilvertooth
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Re: What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server

Post by babysilvertooth » Sat Apr 02, 2016 5:50 pm

So to be HIPAA complaint I have to run server software?

bpcomp
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Re: What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server

Post by bpcomp » Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:22 am

A more correct answer is that it is easier to be HIPAA compliant with a server and a domain but is not specifically a requirement. A server gives the most stable and reliable network and the easiest way to set and administer your security policies on all of your computers from one place but it is not strictly the only way to do it.

babysilvertooth
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Re: What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server

Post by babysilvertooth » Mon Apr 11, 2016 12:55 pm

AHH, I hate the HIPAA talk....just had another IT company run me through a scenario for us. He suggests Win7,and feels going with server2012 is overkill for a small office. BUT the 'HIPAA" police would say that since I can't log user activity etc. Again what are the chances of HIPAA police coming? But the 'do the right thing' side of me wants to do it right.
I can use Wind7 and not run into connections limits, but is it 'good enough'....

bpcomp
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Re: What should I install? Windows 7, 10 or Windows Server

Post by bpcomp » Tue Apr 12, 2016 8:44 am

There is no defined "have to" one way for doing any HIPAA security. The way I have heard it and look at it is that if you are doing above and beyond the minimum for protecting your patient's information, if you have a breach of any kind, your penalties will be minimal or not have any penalties. For example, if you have all the hard drives in your office encrypted and some kids break in and steals your server, you log the event and restore your backups and move on. This is not technically a breach. If your hard drives aren't encrypted, you notify ALL of your patients and the media and just about everyone on planet earth that their PHI may be compromised. You then you brace yourself for the fines which may be in the neighborhood of a million dollars. You are not specifically required by HIPAA to encrypt your hard drives but it would be crazy not to because if something happens the consequences are severe.

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