One thing we come across on a regular basis is the missing discs that are required when installing a new PC or indeed any operation that requires a program to be installed afresh onto a system. It also should be present for Disaster Recovery purposes.
While at the very least you want a copy of the OEM Operating System disc / or recovery disc for your hardware you also want to keep copies of any software that you might use that’s not freely available to download on the web.
As a checklist you should have (where applicable):
- OEM Operating System Disc
- Recovery Media for relevant manufacturer
- Accounting System installation discs
- Payroll Software
- Any older versions of MS Office you might have (Office 2013 has an online installer so no discs needed to install)
- Any bespoke or legacy systems that are still in use either actively or for archive information.
- Design Software
Also any serial numbers or licence keys should also be recorded.
Once you have this then you can create ‘ISO’ images on your file server for easy access and preserve the CD’s for slow network or off network installs.
IT for SME's 