how do you use D7

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redmon

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I realize there are already threads about D7. I was hoping to see how you personally use D7 on a daily basis to save time. I bought the premium version a while back and until recently have not had a chance to use it. I figured the best way to start using it is to start using it. At this point we just use it as a tool to gather information as our standard evaluation of a computer.
install time(in days):<---use d7 to fill in
windows version: <---use d7 to fill in
service pack version installed:<---use d7 to fill in
IE version:<---use d7 to fill in
av installed:<---use d7 to fill in
firewall:<---use d7 to fill in
d7 warnings:<---use d7 to fill in
office version:
saved email:
important programs:
other browsers used:
data

Obviously all this could be done with the free version. I have not done anything with automating yet, but that stuff sounds like to have the most promise.
 
I don't mean to be dense or rude, but truly, look at the online manual. Nick has done a fantastic job with D7 and his manual and videos are spot on. I answered the question.. 95% of the time I spend in the Malware Removal section while I run my list of selected tools. I use D7's FTP capability for the Config and uploading of system specs using PCRT.. so I don't use it to fill in any information that your doing, it does it for me. That's what's so nice about D7. I use the WSUS Offline option. and maintenance section the other 5% of the time. D7 is more of a customized automated launcher for tech tools than anything, to me. It's the using it itself that saves you the time, so your question is moot IMO. :)
 
i'll throw in on this, although I'm not in 'the business' any longer using d7 on a day to day basis, I used to be.

when I created it, it was to save me time (and to be completely honest, to allow me to be lazy to an extent...) but how one might ask?

obviously the windows repair section does a lot of what I used to do manually, manipulating files, deleting this and that, and working in the registry to fix various errors all from some article or fix I read on Technet or somewhere. So those are one-click time savers in an of themselves. The MalwareScan component seeks out registry locations I was used to going to manually, my delete temp files routines do all of the locations I was used to doing manually, etc. etc.

But it goes much more deeply than that. First I should state that I was a bench tech most of my career. just starting out, techs tend to work on one PC at a time, sitting around staring and waiting for the next OK / Continue / Whatever prompt. it isn't long before a young tech starts taking the next logical step - working on multiple systems. the problem then becomes focusing your attention on one system and neglecting the others. this is where a lot of the automation comes into play. the problem also is that you get 8 systems on your bench and you start to forget what you did to 7 of them while working on the 8th. this is where the uniform procedure d7 provides along with that automation comes into play. if I have d7 on most of those systems running through auto mode, I can't forget where I've left off. so I don't miss a step (shotty work) or repeat the same step twice (saving time.) heck, all I need to do is scan over my systems on the bench and see which one needs an OK prompt or whatever clicked (as still happens in Auto mode with some apps.) on a good run, I can be actively working on a dozen systems at once and simultaneously taking a smoke break (back when I did smoke...)

basically the last repair shop I worked at, when I was hired on I saw the other techs sitting around doing nothing most of the time. "oh, well the scan is about to finish and I'll have to start a new one..." what I brought (a very young script predecessor of d7) to the table and was able to automate (some of that process), they didn't have an excuse -- they HAD to do more -- or it was noticeable to the bossman how little they were doing. some got canned. I remember when I started there we had a 7-11 day turn-around time on getting the system back to the customer. (Very busy college town, so plenty of work to do unless it was summer time.) There were 6 lazy techs employed, though 2 were part time. After I introduced a level of automation to the crew we dropped down to 3 techs, eventually just 2 bench techs including myself and one tech got 'demoted' to dealing with the store front and customers, and we had a 3 day turn-around time for non-priority service, taking on the exact same work load as before.

the only thing you need to know about d7 to get started is what items you want d7 to do for you, check them off, save the profile for future usage, and when you need it, load it up and hit the start auto mode button. wash, rinse, repeat on the next system, etc. then go do something else!

when you find that there is not enough automation in your d7 processes, you can adjust your profiles accordingly, sometimes shifting/moving items up and down the lists so you can plan to do all of your clicks around the same time, and situate the most automated apps to run together, dedicating the largest stretch of automation you can, so that you can be doing other things that d7 can't do for you at the same time, like replacing a PSU.
 
I don't mean to be dense or rude, but truly, look at the online manual. Nick has done a fantastic job with D7 and his manual and videos are spot on. I answered the question.. 95% of the time I spend in the Malware Removal section while I run my list of selected tools. I use D7's FTP capability for the Config and uploading of system specs using PCRT.. so I don't use it to fill in any information that your doing, it does it for me. That's what's so nice about D7. I use the WSUS Offline option. and maintenance section the other 5% of the time. D7 is more of a customized automated launcher for tech tools than anything, to me. It's the using it itself that saves you the time, so your question is moot IMO. :)

Not rude at all. Thanks for your input :-)
 
Another angle

I'm semi-retired and not very busy and I've never quite got the hang of the D7 anti-malware section. So I actually use the Windows Repair section much more often. I think the "Repair Permissions" script has been the most helpful to me as it seems so many infections leave behind issues with registry key permissions.

Typically, I'll remove the customer's hard drive and connect it to my dedicated scanning machine and run a complete scan and then also a disk repair to ensure it has no corruption in the file tables.

Once I put the drive back in the original machine I know the virus has been eradicated but now the damage has to be repaired. So I'll setup the Windows Repair options and let'r rip!

-Mike
 

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