Windows 10 update

Has the church approved updating the Clerk computers to Windows 10?
Also on that note, our clerk computer is very low end, about 10 years old.
Does the ward pay for upgrading the hardware, or is that covered by the church?
Meaning, can we get our own hardware, get Windows 10 on it, then install MLS?

Dave in Bellevue, WA

No, Windows 10 is not authorized for clerk computers yet (see this post).

Clerk computers are purchased by the FM group. If your system is 10 years old and particularly if it's still running Windows XP you should ask your Physical Facilities Rep to talk to the FM group about replacing it as soon as possible. All clerk computers should be running Windows 7 at this point.

No! The Church is looking to using W10 computers starting in the middle of 2016, for Church organisations. When that has been implemented, they are going to start looking to roll W10 out for Clerks.

If you have a computer that is as old as you state, then you will need to work with your STS and Stake PFR to get it replaced through the FM Group.

Edit- I see eblood beat me to it!

Computer is running Windows 7, but is running a Pentium processor, with 2 gb ram, and a 50gb hard drive.
My phone is faster hardware.
We are still waiting on the FM group to upgrade the wireless, I have no faith in them, as they have had that task for well over two years.
The computer functions, but is very slow, so I guess I'll live with it for now, as most of my work is on my own computer.

dburrell wrote:Computer is running Windows 7, but is running a Pentium processor, with 2 gb ram, and a 50gb hard drive.
My phone is faster hardware.
We are still waiting on the FM group to upgrade the wireless, I have no faith in them, as they have had that task for well over two years.
The computer functions, but is very slow, so I guess I'll live with it for now, as most of my work is on my own computer.

Clerk computers are usually replaced on a 5 year cycle but there have been and I'm sure still are exceptions. But if you know for certain the computer is more than 5 years old, I'd still have your PFR contact the FM group and see if they will budget for it to be replaced in their next budget cycle (which would probably be next year).

I can do that, but honestly don't think the computer will be changed out.
I hear all the time that FM group has budget for this or for that, and when I contact them or have the Stake Clerk contact them, they say they don't.
I don't want to harp on them because I'm sure they are busy, like on another building somewhere out of our stake...
Anyhow, I'll contact them and see, but it will most likely go the way of the wireless access points, which is basically no where.
I believe in our area, we have one FM guy that works a 50 mile range. I've met him once or twice and a nice guy, but it takes a lot to get him to our building.
If we have a smoking heap of hardware on the floor, he will replace it, but if it shows any kind of life, I mean any kind (like a lit LED) he will consider it working and lower the priority.
Our current computer boots, and runs MLS, so its working, which means, we will never see it updated.

dburrell wrote:Computer is running Windows 7, but is running a Pentium processor, with 2 gb ram, and a 50gb hard drive.
My phone is faster hardware.
We are still waiting on the FM group to upgrade the wireless, I have no faith in them, as they have had that task for well over two years.
The computer functions, but is very slow, so I guess I'll live with it for now, as most of my work is on my own computer.

If your computer is using a Pentium processor with Windows 7, it would seem to me given that you think it's maybe 10 years old, that at some point someone has installed an unauthorised copy of W7. Not necessarily an illegal copy!

To give us an idea of the age of the computer. What make and model is it?

dburrell wrote:Our current computer boots, and runs MLS, so its working, which means, we will never see it updated.

That's possible. On the other hand sometimes the key is to ask them to include it in next year's budget. If you can find out when they have to submit their budget and then make the request around that time, you may be more likely to actually get it into the budget for next year.

Of course, there does seem to be big variations in how different FM groups see things. So it's possible they won't ask for budget to replace it if it's still working. And with more and more things moving to LCR, it is becoming less important if you have a computer at home.

eblood66 wrote:

dburrell wrote:Our current computer boots, and runs MLS, so its working, which means, we will never see it updated.

That's possible. On the other hand sometimes the key is to ask them to include it in next year's budget. If you can find out when they have to submit their budget and then make the request around that time, you may be more likely to actually get it into the budget for next year.

Of course, there does seem to be big variations in how different FM groups see things. So it's possible they won't ask for budget to replace it if it's still working. And with more and more things moving to LCR, it is becoming less important if you have a computer at home.

Even when MLS is finally retired and everything is done on LCR, there will still be the need to do some admin work at the Meeting House. There will be those who don't have computers at home, donations as an example, or amending member records and of course tithing settlement statements etc.. Just to name a few items which aren't always practical to do at home.

eblood66 wrote:

dburrell wrote:Computer is running Windows 7, but is running a Pentium processor, with 2 gb ram, and a 50gb hard drive.
My phone is faster hardware.
We are still waiting on the FM group to upgrade the wireless, I have no faith in them, as they have had that task for well over two years.
The computer functions, but is very slow, so I guess I'll live with it for now, as most of my work is on my own computer.

Clerk computers are usually replaced on a 5 year cycle but there have been and I'm sure still are exceptions. But if you know for certain the computer is more than 5 years old, I'd still have your PFR contact the FM group and see if they will budget for it to be replaced in their next budget cycle (which would probably be next year).

I wonder exactly how miscommunication happens in this process

eblood66 wrote:But if you know for certain the computer is more than 5 years old,

The church has been using Dell computers for some time. Those have a "build date" on the service tag. It's not labeled as such, but it's a number in the format of yyyymmdd.

I've had a ward call me up about their "ancient computer" and when I asked them to look at the tag, found out they were only 4 years old. I've got a couple of Win7 computers due for replacement next year. They run, but they're not real spunky - the measure most people use to gauge the age of the computer.

eblood66 wrote:

dburrell wrote:Our current computer boots, and runs MLS, so its working, which means, we will never see it updated.

That's possible. On the other hand sometimes the key is to ask them to include it in next year's budget. If you can find out when they have to submit their budget and then make the request around that time, you may be more likely to actually get it into the budget for next year.

I recall years ago when I was an STS that our FM Group needed input for the following calendar/budget year by 15 April because they had to have their input in by end of May. That meant that if our input for replacement computers didn't get in by 15 April then we had to make sure FM was reminded for the next cycle and it took over 21 months to get the replacements from our initial request.

We did get some replaced under the FM emergency budget request. So the replacement for those computers only took nine months.

What happened to all that money available for the new Lenovo Tiny computer for clerks? Did this FM not get that message?

drepouille wrote:What happened to all that money available for the new Lenovo Tiny computer for clerks? Did this FM not get that message?

Wasn't that for clerks still running XP? This one is on Win7, so it wouldn't qualify.

russellhltn wrote:

drepouille wrote:What happened to all that money available for the new Lenovo Tiny computer for clerks? Did this FM not get that message?

Wasn't that for clerks still running XP? This one is on Win7, so it wouldn't qualify.

Correct. That's why we never loaded to Win7 on our old XP machines.

lajackson wrote:

russellhltn wrote:

drepouille wrote:What happened to all that money available for the new Lenovo Tiny computer for clerks? Did this FM not get that message?

Wasn't that for clerks still running XP? This one is on Win7, so it wouldn't qualify.

Correct. That's why we never loaded to Win7 on our old XP machines.

That's why if the OP gave us the make and model, we could end the speculation!